As cinema buffs there was no way we’d miss out on a well constructed documentary film on one of the great legends of parallel cinema, late Shyam Benegal. Written and directed by the renowned critic & writer Khaled Mohammed, it has narration by none other than his most famed protege, Naseeruddin Shah.

Screened on 26th March at the Experimental Theatre, NCPA, this was an enthralling   experience for cinema lovers beyond expectations ! From initial forays into advertising industry and more importantly his early struggles from which emerged and bloomed an amazing body of work – gets told to us with fine detailing mainly through the maestro’s own words. It begins with humorous side to his original name that had ‘Sunder’ in the middle. In self-deprecatory terms he says that since he wasn’t good looking (sunder), it was completely dropped and it became Shyam Benegal, as the world came to know him !

There are sharing of experiences with funny anecdotes and untold  narratives & snippets from immensely talented actors & artists, most of whom got their biggest breaks in his meaningful films made with social purpose that were a far cry from the staple Bollywood masala! Of them, the candid interviews with Shabana Azmi, Late Girish Karnad, Writer  Javed Akhtar, Music Composer Vanraj Bhatia, all of whom were closely associated with his works, provide special insights into the persona and the working style of Benegal but one missed Govind Nihalani and of course Naseeruddin, who does the film’s narration. 

As a viewer with some basic understanding of cinema, one feels that Benegal had a niche audience though he denied that his films catered to the intellectual taste but argued that they were simply told and everyone could relate to them. We have preferences and my favourites would be ‘Ankur’, ‘Manthan’ and ‘Kalyug’ possibly because they had intense drama in their story telling but one must confess not having seen many of the later ones. To us it came as real revelation that Benegal had the distinction of being specially sought out for making a documentary on the iconic Satyajit Ray by the Master (Ray) himself  !

At the end of a most engrossing 90 Mts film, there were glowing tributes from one of his celebrated actors, Rajat Kapoor (of big theatre fame) and the man who played ‘Mahatma Gandhi’ in his remarkable film ‘The Making of the Mahatma’ & acted in many of his other movies. Rajat shared with much depth of personal feeling his fulfilling & cherished experiences of the life and times with the creative genius that was Shyam Benegal. It was a moving finale to a beautiful film on a legend, the likes of whom may not be seen again.

Staying fairly far away in the North side suburbs, a visit to the bustling Nariman Point and the ride along Marine Drive brings the ‘de ja vu’ feel like a drive down memory lane, having worked for over a decade in the South Mumbai area during 2003 to 2014. From time to time we visit the NCPA, where we’ve caught up with wonderful films and plays.

Yesterday on the sidelines of the remarkable documentary film at NCPA that we saw, to our utter delight we bumped into one of our favourite TOI columnists and writers, the renowned, witty & ageless Bachi Karkaria ! Sweet, elegant and unassuming she actually held aside an old friend to chat with us saying ‘Wait, I’m chatting with two of my avid fans who think I write better than my old friend, Jug Suraiya, ha ha !’

During our lively tete’-a-tete’ she shared she and Jug Suraiya had a ‘writers’ connection from their ‘Kolkata’ stints and that her favourite authors initially were P G Wodehouse & Oscar Wilde and of course many others came later. That’s relatable given the witticisms, puns and play on words in the sharp socio-political messages in all her writings that we so enjoy reading in her satirical ‘Erratica’ pieces in TOI middle pages and other papers. Upon our introducing ourselves, she seemed fascinated with my wife’s typically Bengali name ‘Tandra’ and I suggested she use it for a character in one of her stories !

In Class IX, I recall that our erudite English Teacher was displeased since the brightest student with a great command over the language, acted superior to the other classmates. One morning our Teacher decided to admonish him in front of the class with wise words ‘Having vocabulary is good but not being humble isn’t. It’ll prevent any more learning !’

‘Humble’ (the adjective, not the noun or the verb !) is often confused with being ‘Meek’ which none of us want to look. Closely like modest & unassuming, what being ‘humble’ simply means is not to consider one-self better or more important than the others. But, humility is not always acknowledged as a solid trait to possess and in a razzmatazz world of cut-throat competition & hype, coaches will urge trainees to show bold assertiveness. 

Why is humility such a remarkable character strength as our parents and teachers had made it out to be ? Humility is the ability to accurately view your strengths, talents and also flaws while being void of any arrogance. Some believe that being humble means having low self-esteem and a lack of confidence, but it’s the opposite. Humility is having the self-esteem to understand that even if you or your family & children are doing very well, you don’t shout about it from the rooftops or in tweets. Class speaks loudly itself !  

While it may sound an old-world attribute but there’s something inherently low-key and gentle about humility. Different phrases ‘humble means’ and ‘modest income’ convey that the less affluent may have little to crow about but a lot to dream of. Yet if and when they attain the ‘high places’, that’s the time to be humble. It helps one stay grounded and develop a humane approach in dealing with others, influences how one perceives oneself  and the world around. When setbacks revisit, as they can, it equips one to cope better !

The humblest person I’ve ever closely known was my Dad, ever ready to remain modest about achievements and his virtues of kindness and charity. In the 1960-80’s decades, importance was attached to ethics & fair play and one-upmanship, self- promotion and a patronizing attitude frowned upon. Humble, ego-less folks had compassion for fellow beings, respect for others’ beliefs and opinions. This happened because humility offered the opportunity to become less self-involved and more attuned to the feelings of others. While in service, I’d once said to Boss ‘We should highlight all our achievements in the presentations..’ He said ‘We’ll provide all the data, let the praise come from the others’ !

The world of business & culture has had biggest names like Late Ratan Tata and Ustad Zakir Husain as the role models in humility & grace. In sporting arenas, legends such as Roger Federer, Kane Williamson & Rahul Dravid have exemplified true sportsmanship, but that’s just naming a few. All this despite intense media pressure to hype their feats ! Experts feel humility can produce happiness, positive emotions and well-being because a person has a clearer understanding of the Self & being comfortable with who they are and who they are not.  That is – if one’s willing to be true & transparent in today’s world.

Once upon a time, around the early 60s, I recall that there was literal home-service as far as hair-cutting was concerned. Like it was in the vaccination procedure, my Grand Dad and Dad would take turns as our regular ‘Nai’ would use all the tools in his steel box : scissors, razor and a ‘machine’ with a whirring when applied around the corners that signified the job was half-done! For the full family charges would’ve been appr 50 paise ! Preferred style was with side parting, though Dad had a middle one, possibly inspired by actors he admired. Growing up we saw industrial progress & rise of hair cutting saloons.   

In the 70-80’s, for the college going youth, a hair cut was a monthly ritual at the friendly neighborhood barbar shop and Sundays were specially chosen for the job. I was initiated very young to this outing by my Dad and at first the exercise looked scary but soon I got fearless enough to venture alone. Dad would check that that the cut was proper and hair was short if not military crew cut. However, let’s give credit to the idols, film-stars & the fashion industry for transformation of ‘hair-dressing’ as special services & big business. Aside from the burgeoning ‘beauty care’ industry for modern women of today, ‘Unisex Parlours’, Hair-Dressers also help men look savvier & cooler adorning the latest trends.    

Where should we as ‘Senior Citizens’ go for the normal hair-cut ? All the swanky saloons have young staff (some in pony-tails !) and most educated customers seem to be aware of the style they want. Recently, I visited a nearby joint as Mumbai’s becoming hotter by the day. A busy looking guy peremptorily replied when I told him that I wanted a regular cut ‘ What cut is that ?’ Unable to explain all the style detailing, I said I didn’t want ‘Virat Kohli’s latest hairdo’ that I’d seen on FB. The hair dresser chastised me for my remark. He said ‘Uncle we know our job, how will you at your old age, look with Virat’s style ?’

Suitably rebuffed I sat quietly as he went about snipping and sniping at my head from all sides. At the end of it, I found that unstated aggression applied on me was pretty close to a ‘buzz cut’. I now looked bit like my Son in Class X and felt happy. Sons look sweet and lovable when they are in school. My wife also generously said – ‘It’s not so bad after all’ !

It’s an auspicious day for Real Virat jubilation, 

Fill hearts with love & Hit (Man) celebrations, 

May your Shubh(man) Times never have end, 

Together they’re winners Joyous message they send, 

Let there be Shrey (as) In our every good shout,

For sitting out are Champs Like Rishabh in Dug-out, 

With Rahul there’s calmness And Kuldeep there’s churn, 

Shami is like the quiet storm Varun can make things turn,

With the India Blues,Shades come ‘Nazdikiyaan’

Bring brotherhood and Bon Homie for all.. 

With Jaddu’s warm wishes, And Hardik Shubhkamnaayein ! 

By Somnath Sinha (Fan)

India lifted the Champions Trophy in Dubai, amidst tumultuous jubilation & celebratory outpourings not only here but with Indian diaspora across continents starting in Dubai. For our ‘Men in Blue’ heroes, who won hearts by the billions, notably a subtle shift has taken place in the minds of fans & followers as to what attributes they should possess to remain World Champions. The aggressive intent of English ‘Baz ball’ is still relevant but what worked was calm composure in the middle and playing to the ‘match situation’ as was exemplified by ‘Rohit’s leadership’ and steely steadiness in Iyer, KL Rahul & others !

There’s huge applause coming the way of players who are dashers, flashy and cavalier in their slam-bang approach (which is order of the day(& night) in T20 Cricket !). But in longer versions of the game and in Tests, batters have to put their heads down and apply themselves when dire situations arise and the middle order has to manage the crises of a top order collapse. Rahul Dravid ‘The Wall’ was a perfect example of this in the 1990s as were doughty Cheteshwar Pujara and resilient Ajinkya Rahane not so long ago. Can one forget that Rahane led the Indian team from the front (along with Pujara & others) to an iconic series win against the Aussies in famous Down Under tour of  Dec.’20-Jan21 !

To cricket buffs, their exclusion from Indian teams in all formats, has been surprising since many seniors have continued despite their advancing years. As an old saying goes ‘If you can’t beat them, then join them!’- for Rahane, a change from classical batting style to achieve six-hitting prowess in IPL. Thanks to MSD’s role, CSK franchise bid for Rahane in 2024. He then smashed his way as an opener in many of the matches. In the recent past, Ajinkya has led his Alma mater Mumbai team to a well fought Ranji Trophy victory ! Last year’s IPL Champions KKR have decided to go with the 36 year old Rahane as their Captain for his maturity & experience in 2025  Edition starting on 22^nd March.

‘Good guys don’t always finish last’ and Rahane, despite being soft-spoken and gentle is a Black Belt in Judo & knows how to fight. It’s reported he’s learning a bit of Bengali too. He has the likes of Andre Russel, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer & Rinku Singh all match winners and some talented youngsters for company. The Bengali fans would now chant for the new KKR Captain in the popular vein of a favorite Ray film “Joy Baba Ajinko’ !

A billion hearts here (and more across continents) were beating fast as the last ten overs remained – it was all suddenly looking tight with both sides not ceding anything and the elusive Champions Trophy was on the line !  The big match was going down to the wire.. once a cakewalk with openers Rohit & Gill notching up a superb century partnership. In a‘cat and mouse’ game, Santner & Bracewell, dangerous looking Kiwi bowlers completed their quota that Rahul & Hardik coolly played out, the scales again tilted & with Jadeja’s four, it had Dubai stadium erupting with fireworks & witnessing delirious scenes of  joy !

But how was the platform set for such a win on a slow track that wasn’t conducive to any extravagant stroke-making. With India again opting for four spinners (that included two all rounders), the strategy of choking the Kiwi batters in the middle overs was working as per plan. Veteran Jadeja & versatile Axar did the holding job at one end but the real impact was from ‘mystery’ spin of Varun Chakravarty, rookie on big stage & inscrutable left-arm wrist-spin of  Kuldeep, out-guessing Kiwi batters and forcing mistakes.

As cricket lovers are we witnessing a return to golden era of the fab ‘spin quartet’ of the 60’s & 70s of Chandra, Bedi, Prasanna & Venkat ? Like our famed local cuisine with all its exotic herbs & spices, the art of spin bowling was given new dimensions by these legends who won for us matches against top playing nations. Our pitches don’t have the bouncy tracks with foreign conditions, ‘spin’ is our natural ally to bowling armory. Our  two highest wicket takers (Kumble & Ashwin) were both spinners who set world records.

With game of cricket devolving more and more towards commercial aspects of playing the shorter format, tight bowling to contain hitters in limited overs is the norm and spin bowling has to be accurate as against use of guile of tossing the ball up to the batter. In that context the many successes of our spin duos of Ashwin-Jadeja and later on Kul-Cha (Chahal- Kuldeep) have brilliantly put their skills and adapted to the needs of the team.  Dubai pitches may have suited spin more than pace but it’d encourage our think-tank to nurture the wealth of spin bowlers who excel in IPL but often don’t find place in scheme of  things. Bowler of caliber of Yuvi Chahal has not found favour despite his track record. Limited overs needs all-rounders, so specialist bowlers must become good batters too ! 

In the lighter vein, the word ‘spin’ had became part of our DNA as we grew up. From taking a ‘fair maiden’ for a spin on the mo-bike and ‘spinning a yarn’ to parents at home and teachers in school, was all in a day’s work. Hard working ‘Washing Machine’ has to spin to get apparels clean but has now become known in political sphere for other uses ! People are giving new ‘spin’ to old narratives & throwing a ‘Googly’ is not just in Cricket.

I Cried when I first went to school, Holding on to my Mom’s hand, 

It was fear of the unknown and Stepping into an alien land, 

I Cried when school friends and Alma mater had to be left behind, 

Classrooms and the playgrounds, All my teachers, tough & kind, 

I Cried when Kid Sister grew up, And was ready to be married, 

Sibling bonding, fights, nostalgia, Old memories that it has carried,

I Cried in disbelief when suddenly, A school friend was forever gone,

He left behind young wife & girl, A Spark that briefly shone,  

I Cried with utter delight. When lady luck decided to smile,

Suitably employed like others, I could afford to have my style,

I Cried when there was a call, And my Dad had tears of joy, 

He’d got the news, I, his Son, Had been blessed with a Boy,

I Cried in 1983, India became, World Champs beating Windies,

That inspired all to fight & later, We had so many more victories,  

I Cried with pride when chosen, To serve my Bank abroad,

But life also takes as it gives, Dad left for his heavenly abode, 

Now in autumn years, I reflect And find I don’t Cry that often,

Years in life’s journey teaches, Our tears are truly golden,

The eyes start brimming at a Beautiful film or a good deed,

As good Samaritans we’re moved, By the plight of those in need,   

I Cry battling my value systems, Than just expressing my sadness,

Tears start welling up when I see, Charity, humanity and kindness !  

Somnath Sinha

If there’s a Survey on best Micro-Managers of the generation today’s Home-makers and Working Women (and from our times, always ‘working from home’ Mothers!) would get top rankings simply because of their ability to multi-task and keep track of everything.

The line ‘Mom knows..’ would apply to all objects of the house ranging from books & pens, school uniforms & white socks to cushion-covers & bed-sheets and tea, sugar & cookies in the kitchen etc etc, as also having encyclopedic knowledge of price of veggies & best eateries in town and birthdays of close relatives. This has been a blessing for all family members, many depend upon it for their dear lives or they would feel quite lost.

But when micro-management starts operating at the work-place by senior functionaries   it’s entails focusing on details instead of results, avoiding delegating responsibilities to employees, being against change and can lead to decreased productivity, less creativity, negative work environment, unhappiness, disengagement. Sometimes over-supervision & constantly monitoring ones who don’t need the reminders, can be counter productive.

Here’s a true story of a Branch Head of a Metro Branch at a prominent place in Mumbai. In an effort to showcase the Bank’s presence in the area it was decided by Authorities to keep the entire exterior lit up with decorative lighting throughout the night. This was followed for some time, but Mumbai rains when they descend don’t bother taking your permission. In one such stormy evening, the fused lights didn’t work & branch was dark. It happened that the CMD was passing on his way back home and it caught his attention

That’s when the entire administrative machinery were set into motion. CMD quite irked called the Zonal Head and gave him a piece of his mind about the Zonal functioning. He in turn called the concerned Regional Head and did the same and added that CMD was very annoyed. This created such a panic that the RM made ‘24’ calls to the Branch Head but didn’t get a reply because being only human, the BM was having an evening out with his family. Finally when he saw the missed calls, he called his RM. He also apologized for missed calls and said he’d already arranged to get electricians to fix the fused lights.

Next day he was asked to report to Zonal Head & explain why the lights were not on in the evening !  His explanation didn’t cut much ice & he was let off with a stern warning . The matter didn’t end there – during the Promotion Interviews after a couple months the CMD reminded him that the lights outside his Branch were not found working. Clearly he hadn’t lived up to the high standards of efficiency expected. And yes, NOT Promoted !      

Starring : Nicholas Cage & Bridget Fonda

Watch on : Netflix

It’s like a ritual that the James Stewart 1946 classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is screened every Christmas in US for its yuletide spirit of benevolence and generosity, maybe just to remind people that human qualities of charity and sharing has to exist for the world to be a better place. Almost in the same genre is this film, fairy tale like in its story telling !

It’s an American romantic comedy–drama film starring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda. with a plot inspired by a real-life news story. Simplistic as it sounds, a New York Police Department officer (Nicholas Cage) who is short on cash and unable to tip his waitress (Bridget Fonda), half-jokingly offers to share his winnings if he happens to win the State lottery. The incredible happens – he wins 4 million dollars on his lottery ticket and being an honest cop with a pure conscience as big a his heart, he decides to keep his promise !

As a person the policeman Charlie, is kind and generous who loves his job and enjoys a strong rapport with the neighborhood where he lives but his wife Muriel is quite the opposite. She also works in a hairdressing salon but unlike Charlie, she is greedy and selfish and materialistic and constantly complains about their situation in life. Sparks fly when they win but she discovers Charlie intends to share half winnings with a waitress !

The basic premise of the film revolves around the character of Charlie who in a world of deceit and selfishness, is a person who shines like a beacon of generosity, kindness and  spirit of charity who loves to make people happy by sharing his newly acquired wealth. In one scene, he says “I’m only keeping my promise’ to which the waitress says : You’re doing what no one else would do’ ! Too good to be true – but ‘ It Could Happen To You’ !

As cinema buffs we know most of Nicholas Cage’s movies that have achieved financial success were in the action/adventure genre. These include The Rock, Con Air, Face/Off, and Gone in 60 Seconds, with Cage as a retired car thief. In this film he is the anti-thesis of those violent characters &  symbolizes virtues like being noble, gentle, kind & humble.  For the uninitiated, winsome Bridget Fonda is grand-daughter of veteran Henry Fonda. Also viewers will be delighted to see cameos from late Ranjt Mullick and Red Buttons !

A trivia is that the film was remade in Hindi as ‘Bade Dilwala’ (1999) with Suneil Shetty.