Wemust concede it’s at times toomany ‘words’ (in the pieces that we write) that have elicited views of some friends about being lengthy and consequently less readable. In our old friends’W’App chat, I was asked to give my views on an exhaustive article which I did in an explanatory style. Curt response from acynic friend was ‘Executive Summary Please !’ (yes, quite likeones we used to submit to our Bank Bosses since they were supposed to be loaded with plethora of bulky notes & files). To me it was a reminder of the academic importance of that ‘French’ word called ‘Precis’ !

For the uninitiated, word ‘Precis’ means summarizing the process of writing a lengthy passage that can be described in a few words without changing it’s main theme or idea. ‘Precis’ writing got us fair marks from teachers but working at our Bank it was more challenging since a ‘Summary’meant a well-presented form of statements or notes containing headings& sub-headings, that Bosses could put the fingers on.The catch was workmanlike details were left for officers to incorporate in main proposal.But, retired citizens like us now have an unhindered liberty to express without a word limit and many have the propensity to talk & write at length!Of course, they repeat !

However, this is the age of short forms, abbreviations & minimal one-wordresponses since millennial and Gen Zee have little time to read. This is often attributed to ‘low attention span’ & ‘let’s get on with it’ syndrome ! If a heartfelt, emotional message receivesa one-word reply (or worse, is ignored), that’s sad for thesender. It’s heart-breaking getting a cryptic ‘Thanks’ toprofoundly expressed thoughts. An anecdote goes that late EnglishCaptain& ace commentator, Tony Grieg was once giving a longish speech at a felicitation ceremony. Turning to his wife in the audience he asked “Did you ever in your wildest dreams, think I’d come this far..’ to which she promptly countered ‘But, you’ve never appeared in my wildest dreams’ !

The incomparable Shakespearegave us the famous lines ‘Brevity is the Soul of Wit’ ! When it comes to humourand reparteeit must be crisp, shortand have punch in it. Every stand-up comic artist these days uses a maximum of three sentences before the final punchline to get the laughs, else he must face the boos !A much-married family man was asked to say ‘Do Shabdh’ at the family event where the relatives were speaking endlessly. He got up, said ‘Thank You’ and sat down, having played his part.

What’s the ideal length forarticles (or talks)?At times they’re fixed by thepublishers. Organisers request speakers to be short. Butunhindered freelancers write their hearts out their own way to make an impact. Yet, there’s no guarantee that they’llbe read !

At the outset please accept my apologies for this inordinate delay in acknowledging your beautiful thoughts in the birthday wishes for me expressed with the flair and flavour of the accomplished writer and person we all know &admire !Tandra and Iare fortunate to have such thoughtful friends and I’m blessed to be the recipient ofsuch accolades that are more than what I deserve ! Turning 70, I’ve discovered more than ever before, thatfor ‘joie de vivre’ and fulfilment in life, we need the camaraderie &goodwill that comes only from old and loyal friends who become our ‘lodestars’ !

We’ve followed with much interest on social media, the constant stream of awards and recognition that come your way for your outstanding literary contributions while your repertoire of skills extend beyond writing to poetry, painting and photography. We know from personal experience the pleasure of being associated with your work.

Today being 31^stDecember, three resounding words ‘Happy New Year’ echo through excited voices and messages everywhere as we cheerfully ring out 2024 and usher in New 2025 !Please accept our heartiest greetings for a rich & rewarding ‘New Year’ for you and your family. May your pen & paintbrush vie with each other for excellence !

With Warm Regards,

Somnath with Tandra

31.12.24.

Switching on the TV on a cold, murky morning in hometown Lucknow. I was rewarded by some brilliant rearguard action from India’s most in form batter on show on this Indian tour ‘Down Under’.Young Nitish Reddy, deservedly earned his Test Cap from his idol Virat Kohli and as per team management’s logic he was slotted to bat at No.6being selected as an all rounder in place of Shubhman Gill.

However, as it’s often been happening the top order (barring Jaiswal’s classy show) faltered against the Aussie pacers – it was left to the level headed, technically perfect butinexperienced batter, Nitish, to achieve a remarkable record 8^th wicket partnership with the dependable Washy who’s maturely‘Sundar’ batting inspired him- both then blunted the Aussie attack after our senior pros had left the team tottering again ! 

Against the predictable run of play with all going the Aussie way, Nitish and Washy completely caught themoff guard with their steady yet sparkling stroke play and rotation of strike with defence that seemed impregnable, till Washy edged one to the slips. Suddenly, it seemed Nitish, now in his 90s was running out of partners and it was the dauntless Siraj to who held his end and finally with a flourish came, the most masterly century by the third youngest Indian batter against cricket’s best opposition. The match that was heading one way till Nitish came, now’s become anyone’s game !

After this stupendous performance Nitish Reddy deserves to go up the order possibly No.4. It’s also time for Rohit to rethink onhis own position in the team but let’s see…

Starring : Abhishek Bachchan, Ahilya Bamroo, Jayant Kriplani & Others

He hasn’t yet become a Bollywood superstar (notwithstanding his legendary heritage) but Junior Big B combines gravitas with classiness, humourand loads of acting talent and a distinctive baritone that’s his own. His latest film titled‘I Want To Talk’ helmed by renowned maker Shoojit Sarkar hit the theatres in Nov’24& it predictably bombed, not having the star power&hype of blockbusters. OTT is right place forniche films and we buffs,presumptuously feel that such films deserve wider recognition !

The film’sslow first half hour appears a bit gloomy and depressing, reminiscent of the terminally ill in poignantfilms like the philosophical ‘Safar’ &‘Anand’ that had great positivity. The protagonist is a marketing whiz-guy settled in US, Arjun Sen’s future suddenly appears terminatedasthe doctorsdeclare ‘you won’t live for more than 100 days‘! Howdoes any man react to such a deadly prognosis ? His customary bubbly spirits start taking a nose-dive to point of breakdown. Attempt at suicide is thwarted butfrom then on, urged byhis very compassionate nurse, Nancy, ‘survival’ becomes watchword for him.How does go about fighting the Big C and medical opinions ?!

Senresearches medical histories, works on published longevity averages and sets out to defy established medical theories& norms. One by one he undergoes 20 surgeries starting with laryngeal cancer. Though despite surgery, the cancer spreads all over his body affecting his colon and stomach, he somehow emerges triumphant after each major medical encounter. In this long ‘painful’ roller coaster ridehe meets Dr Jayant Deb, a maverick ace surgeon with quaint sense of dark humour. As their relationship grows, the Doctor realises his recalcitrant patient is stubborn with guts of a maniac !

The film explores from another level, Arjun’s distraught personal life in managing a complex relationship with his daughter (Reya) as a single parent. His wife divorces him leading them to co-parent their daughter Reya, who’s growing up, rebellious and critical of her father’s hiding his operationsand neglecting her. Slowly she comes to terms with his mental condition and will power, becomes his anchor and it’s through regular hospital trips,the relationship is healed. Avoiding spoilers, it’s an exhilarating and inspiring experience that surprises and amazes you as does the film’s ending !

Shoojit Sarkar blends the despair of cancer survivors with pithy humour.In one scene the message is death has 1% point against Arjun’s 99% forwill to live and in another, someone remarks his surgeries bring good luck to his business. Yet, it’s an Abhishek Bachchan show, vulnerability & helplessness in facing the odds to a growing strength to challenge critical illnessesto physical transformation after each surgery, he nails it.But why doesn’t he speak any Bengali ?Young Ahilya Bamroo plays daughter, Reya with effortless ease while the veteran Jayant Kriplani as Dr Deb is quite marvellous.

Here Comes‘2025’ !

The three resounding words ‘Happy New Year’ echo through our excited voices and messages everywhere as we cheerfully ring out the Old 2024 and usher in New2025 !As if a season of fresh optimism starts with boundless hope, New Year’s is the perfect time to reflect on the year gone by. It’s a chance to motivate yourself, uplift others, set new goals and embrace exciting opportunities ahead.

Thinkers and writers often raise the question, is this year-changing time the beginning of a new chapter, a new verse, or just the same old story? We should decide, it’s our life and the choice is ours.We all get the exact same 365 days but the only difference is what we do with them. Sure, if you don’t like something, change it and if you can’t change it, change your attitude. And there are enough instances to show that you are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.

For my septuagenarian contemporaries, what can we look forward to this year ?The four ‘H’ factors should be the focus of our lives, Health, Happiness, Harmony & Hope. We all make resolutions about diet, yogaand exercise for our physicalwell being that we often forget specially on those frequent celebratory occasions.It’s to each his own. ‘Harmony’ and ‘happiness’sound so good on paper but are elusive in adodgy world of ideological differences, inflated egos andrelationshipissues.

You realize there is much more to the book than the page you were stuck on.Look beyond themundane, broaden your horizons, empathise with others, condonetheir lapses that seemedgenuine, make peace with big aspirations, own up to your faults.Revel in company of old friends,visit new places, let serene music lift up your spirits.  Oprah Winfrey says“Cheers to theNew Year and another chance for us to get it right.”

December with its ‘soft rays of winter sun’ and the Yuletide spirit spreading good cheer, is also the ‘gifting’ time as we all rack our brains to find the right ones for the right occasion andpeople, with all the weddings, birthdays, anniversaries & celebratory events that take place.

What started this benevolent tradition we’ve been observing since childhood but which has acquired its own branding, class and style with time ? Interestingly, the practice of giving gifts dates back to the beginning of human civilization and may even predate it. Some believe that cavemen gave gifts to strengthen social connections and show appreciation, such as by giving animal teeth or unusual shaped rocks. Having come a long way, it’s customary in all societies that gifts accompany festivals, functions, events, parties or achievements worth celebrating !

Like all things that spell good taste, choosing right gifts for the occasion is also a fine art that often can bear the signature of the giver. While favourites are items like apparels, jewellery junkets, showpieces, kitchenware&home appliances, a ‘special’ gift is a thoughtful, unique one that shows a deep understanding of the recipient’s interests or needs. It’s more than a generic gift and demonstrates genuine care and effort. There’s the old cliché that says ‘It’s the heartfelt gesture that matters most’ for its intrinsic value !

As a music lover, loved ones and well-wishers have bowled me over time with sets of audio tapes, CDs, ear-phones, head phones, speakers and also books on music legends & their art.In the last few years, my Son & D-in-law having had their fill of tees, kurtas, jackets, have been gifting old classics in hard bound because of my penchant for reading&writing !Some of the most heartwarming gifts come from small children for their parents like a smudged painting of Daddy or handmade craft curated for Mummy based on their imagination. As they grow older, they become sensitive to their parent’s tastes and needs.

But at times best efforts can bring disastrous results – I remember when as young school going siblings, my two elder sisters decided that Dad should be gifted a pair of black leather shoes on his birthday. They boldly placed an order from a nearby shoe-maker without researching Dad’s foot size. When the grand moment came to surprise him, Dad was most displeased at the ‘clod-hoppers’ presented to him. But later he acknowledged our ‘good’ intentions’. In our extended Sinha family spread far and wide, distances have never stopped exchange of gifts. We admire our wonderful nieces & nephews who plan exotic trips for their parents as gifts !

The expression of love & devotion is often packaged in unique forms. A few years ago, I had given a surprise party on my wife’s milestone 60^th birthday. Not to be outdone, she prepared heart & soul for my 70th, contacting old friends, sending invites, collaborating with my niece for all the arrangements & preparing the action plan, dextrously keeping me out of the loop.Agrandluncheon affair, everyone was regaled & treated to great food. It was her gift of love.

Ultimately, gifts are also grace and goodwill that people bestow on us. Just recently, blessings came to me in form a beautiful diary and calendar with sayings from the ‘Divine Mother’. It was a beautiful gift from friendsUdayanda& Rajashri Mukherji of Kolkata, on my birthday !

The incomparable Julie Andrews and the unforgettable ‘Sound Of Music’ gave us our favourite teenage film and an evergreen song of mirth &happiness  ‘These Are A Few of My Favourite Things’ as Maria regales the children with her enchanting wish list of goodies. We all have nursed our favourites in colours, clothes, cakes, classic films, close friends (to name a few) and to the point of being obsessed with some of them. As we age with (misplaced?) maturity, a list of ‘unfavourites’ starts becoming longer.

To begin with, since we’ve just said goodbye to ‘2024’, the idea of celebrating the New Year’s Eve with friends that was once exciting, now sounds very scary what with the horrendous traffic snarls, road blocks, drunken drivers and crazy revellers taking over the city’s streets fromearly evening and throwing the normal citizen’s life out of gear. It took a friend visiting us in the afternoon of the NY Eve, full 90 Minutes to reach our home of just a 20 Mts drive !Call it ‘Seniors Syndrome’, now it’s safer staying home !

There’s an old saying ‘spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak’ and in the autumn years the adage takes over our proclivities as the world rapidly adopts new ways. With on-line orderingtrending in urban families, fast food & ‘gourmet’ delights come to our doorsteps, we’re also reminded of our latest medical reports. So from burgers, pizzas and samosasseniorsmust take a regularbreak !We’re at a stage wheneven bending down to tie shoe laces is cumbersome, as ispulling on polo neck cardigans &climbing stairs that we’dearlier run up easily. Taking the lifts in the Metro station is coolwhile millennialcan climb stairs! Morning walks soundgreat but require more will power !

Loud music (remember Boney M tracks) &jiving to its beats was pure joy but today’s jarring pop &rap songs don’t inspire old legs to get up &dance !Also, old favourites in the 70s were likes of Neeti Ravindran or Geetanjali Iyer reading the English news -so suave, objectively non-partisan&never playing to the gallery! Today all the prime time news channels are look painfully lopsided, selective in reporting, the debates are slanging matches organised for sumo wrestlers called spokespersons.Toughest to take arefake stories swarming social media, the constant rants and divisive influencing  in WhatsApp groups and with AI interventions seeping in, no holds seem to barred !

Are then no ‘favourites things’ left for us ?There will always be so many – from great artists’, poets’& writers’ works to classics of Bimal Roy & Benegal, Rafi’s retro songs, Zakir’s recitals to the highsfrom sports world there will never be a dearth.‘ A thing of beauty is a joy forever’ andtechnology and OTT has made it possible torevisit gems. Finally, two kinds of favourites make our day, our old friends & our little grandkids !

(With Apologies to Robert Frost)

In setting out to one destination after the other

Life’s a perennial journey over uneasy terrain,

Charting uncertain courses, discovering routes

We’re ‘Roadies’ who must never cease to strain,

Sidewalks for walkers and by-lanes are dusty

Most of the road is under repair and dug deep,

Commuter to navigate dexterously & move on,

Fortitude, patience and skill is for them to keep,

Adventures galore as one must escape potholes

Traffic jams are old hat, it’s just urban congestion,

Vigilantly watch out for the ‘One-way’ Signboards

Keep helmets & seat belts on, never lose attention,

Remember great order is restored only after chaos

We are in a transition from good & better to ‘BEST’,

In this process, try and take the ‘Road Less Taken’

And Don’t put the ‘Spine’ to such a torturous Test !

Somnath Sinha

Among the numerous ‘freedoms’ that we enjoy in our ‘Smart Cities’ (and others on way to becoming ‘Smart’) is the complete freedom to park your vehicle here, there or anywhere, depending on the road situation, empty spaces discoveredtherein &as much as city’s horrendous traffic allows navigation.Old, law abiding citizens like us have stopped driving, we aren’t smart enough to find right place to park the ‘gadi’ !

On the roads where myriad types ofvehicles fly pastat breakneckspeed, a‘cat and mouse’ game ensueswith energetic Municipal Authorities showing muscle in making announcements and towing away a few vehicles wrongly parked. Like a drop in the ocean of 2/3/4 wheelers on road,professional driversare equipped with in-depth knowledgeof the areas not at risk or where the strong arm of law never visits to check. In Mumbai for instance, there are innumerable traffic signals (to curb congestion) and elaborate displays of‘no parking’ signs, one-way street rules, bus stops marked with shadesetc.That doesn’t deter the ‘park-ers’, given half a chance to slip in their vehicle.

My researchshowsthe favourite place parking of cars is right in front of yourgate ! Since our house in hometown Lucknow is on the main road, recently wefound a long tempo trailer parked stolidly blocking our gate, leaving little space to enter. The tempo was empty and no driver to protest against. After about four hours the vehicle had mysteriously moved on. Next day the same ‘gadi’ was parked but this time till late in the evening. No one in our area could tell who the owner was, but we saw a Mob No. with name painted on it. A polite phone request was made and it finally went away !

The ’parking’ woes affect everyone and it doesn’t need knowhow of rocket science to assess the reasons which effectivity are parking space scarcity& not enough spaces & teeming number of vehicles that lead to drivers wasting time and getting frustrated.Cars parked haphazardly can take up space on roads and sidewalks, which can lead to traffic congestion. Vehicles idling while searching for parking can contribute to air pollution. Parked vehicles can encroach on walkways, forcing pedestrians onto roads, compromising the safety. Congested streets deter customers from local businesses. In some societies, residents with multiple vehicles may occupy more parking spaces than other residents with one vehicle. Town planners, Authorities must be aware of all this.

Let’s give credit where its due, in many cities extensive underground parking facilities have been created. With incessantly growing vehicles on road, more needs to be done in terms of smart parking solutions that should include quickly implementing parking management systems to optimize parking space usage. As citizens too we must realise we all need space. Faulty parking causes inconvenience to others & leads to acrimony.

For the properly initiated, the festival of ‘Saraswati Pujo’ known as ‘Vasant Panchami’ is celebrated with Puja rituals & festivities to honor Ma Saraswati, Goddess of Knowledge and Learning & in Kolkata, WB and most other places, cultural programs are organized including music, dance performances, poetry recitations. The participation comes more from young students who seek divine intervention for success in exams & good results !

For the uninitiated, it’s also called ‘Bengali Valentine’s Day’ in Kolkata and spring time cheer that permeates the city as young couples are seen elegantly dressed in traditional attire, walking together and enjoying the celebrations, adding a touch of romance to the festivities. This gives credence to popular image of the average Bong who had a song on his lips, wore heart on his sleeve & chain smoked, based on celluloid characters created.

Somehow the prototype stuck though there’s vast cultural difference between ‘Provasi’ Bongs like us (born & brought up outside Kolkata) and real true-blue ones from ‘City of Joy’. One recalls even in the school days, the only Bengali words our classmates knew were ‘Ami Tomai Bhalo Bhashi’(or I Love You). A knowledgeable friend once confided that most Bengalis were thinkers, smokers & lovers. Did he mean them being ‘Moony’ ?

Though it’s not that Bongs have the sole preserve of sensitive matters of heart and soul, that’s been eternally captured in their art, music, literature, there’s substance in imagery of the refined tastes of the literary, romantic, foodie ‘Bhadralok’ in who’s family, at least  someone’s blessed with an enviable singing voice. There’s pride speaking the language well & the rich cultural heritage seen in every expression of it- music, literature, poems, movies, art, sculptures and the traditional Bengali sweets & cuisine, so mouth watering.

Quintessentially, apart from education, in enlightened Bengali households children are encouraged to develop a talent apart from what they chose as their professions. Not all become professional artists but many Bengalis are part-time singers, artists, musicians, poets, dancers, cooks, sculptors or follow other creative pursuits. Possibly, this cultural influence rubs off though millennial are breaking the mould in keeping with modernity.  

Much has been said about the Bengali idiosyncrasies & eccentricities – curated grasp of   different fish varieties, obsession with ‘boroline’ and ‘monkey-caps’ and speaking Hindi with disregard to genders as also their undying loyalty to the evergreen ‘Didi’ & ‘Dada’ of Bengal. There’s emotional connect with Kolkata filially, culturally & gastronomically.