There are some films you reserve for future because the subject deserves viewing at leisure keepingin mind rave reviews it’s garnered but has sadly failed to ring the cash registers at the box-office. Ironically, we find this encouraging, indicating absence of typical ‘masala’ and mindless violence.

‘Srikanth’ (now on Netflix) finally got our nod late last evening and once we’d settled down, we were bowled over by the protagonist, who’s named by his father, after the India’s dasher of 1980’s Kris Srikanth, but there’s a huge blip for doting parents, new-born is congenitally visually impaired. In fact, our own flashback went to classic films like ‘Koshish’ and ‘Sparsh’ that deal with the odds, struggles & triumphs of the physically challenged.

We realise as the film progresses that the film’s ‘hero’ (completely blind &without vision) is gifted with mental, analytical faculties that are highly developed and has an entirely different approach in dealing with physical limitations, he exudes positivity & confidence in his abilities to overcome hurdles, almost like the Napoleonic idiom ‘nothing is impossible’. Life is cruel, atevery step obstacles emerge for him starting from a flawed higher education system not built to accept a visually impaired despite his merit.     

Trying not to be a ‘spoiler’ but have to revealit’s a biopic on a truly amazing man,a self-made entrepreneur, industrialistanda motivational speaker called ‘Srikanth Bolla’. The film scores high on its single minded purity of purpose, cutting edge dialogues, scathing humour & undying faith in one’s ability to those overcome suchoddsthat normal people don’t ever face.

It’s tough not to compare with great past performances (Naseer in ‘Sparsh’ and Al Pacino in ‘Scent of a Woman’ – of strong characters who’re visually impaired) but actor Raj Kumar Rao excels in recreating a larger than life, fiercely strong willed man who shuns sympathy and charity for disability. He seeks equality in life &work opportunities and urges ‘at par’treatment.

Two of the other main actors stand out for effortless portrayals- Jyothika as the devoted ‘Teacher’ and Sharad Kelkar, theloyal business partner who ever stand by Shrikant like a rock.But a lovely cameo also comes from Jameel Khan (‘Gullak’ fame) as the great former President, Abdul Kalam. 

The film may seem to drag a bit towards the second half but it makes up beautifully in the closing sequences to round off a soul-uplifting journey of struggle andhope of moving from darkness to ‘light’,that will inspire !

If it hadn’t been for the protracted celebrations of ‘Wedding of the Year’ where the rich and famous from across the globe descended into Mumbai and then the shocking assassination attempt on Trump in the US, that kept the media enthralled and in total awe up to it’s ears, India’svictorious march in ‘Cricket affairs’ that continues (A 4-1 Sweep against Zimbabwe in T20’s, Ind. Women beating SA, Legends win Champions Cup, Bumrah& Smriti declared ICC Player of Month) would’vegot wider coverage ! 

But for a change let’s reflect on some of our own Bank colleagues & friends who could wield the bat and turn their arm over with dexterity on cricket maidans in their heydays. We had all heard that Test stalwarts like Chetan Chauhan (ZO, Delhi) and Ajit Pai (Estate Mgmt, CO) worked in BOB,I hadn’t actually met them. Sports in general was encouraged in our Bank.

I recall in early 1980’s the Bank’s Sports Club in Lucknow was active and ROs & branches would allow interested staff to leave early for net practice, and participate in inter-bank matches and tournaments after selections. As young sporty officers we’d try to be part of the cricket scene & from our batchmates Prabhat Agarwal and Sudhir Pant jiwere good, keen players but a name that comes to my mind is of Rakesh Singh, a brilliant left arm spinner in ‘Jadeja’ mould who’d win matches for BOB ! There were also lot of talented boys from Kanpur and the hinterland of West UP.

During my tenure in RO, Allahabad in second half of 1980s, we were lucky to have NRC Panicker as our RM, always supportive and a wonderful Boss. We had among other things, built a fairly good cricket team (no Dream 11 then !) of veteran cricket players led by Sushil Mishra, VK Vig (later Ex-GM), Deepak Dhar & Ashish Gupta (WK) among others and I too was part of a bunch that beat the fancied SBI in Finals of local Inter-Bank League ! 

We didn’t really get involved in sporting activities later on in our careers and if I’m not wrong, interest in sports dwindled in managers and bosses, maybe due to work pressures, challenging targets & practice of late sitting. Life style changes and technology (as in preoccupation with social media) have played their part, it’s more fun watching the IPL than being on a field. Considering the amount of affinity old friends share for most sports and some magnificent ‘cricket’ obsession (albeit only post retirement), it’s fair to say – if anything unifies andcreates bonding,it’s our love for sports !  

Stars : Nicole Kidman & Tim Roth

Watch on : Prime Video

Let’s do a fact-check to thrill the cockles of the hearts of cinema lovers of vintage (1950-60s) films : What’s common to the Hollywood classics of the bygone era that were of the likes of ‘Mogambo’, ‘High Noon’,‘Dial M for Murder’, ‘Rear Window’,‘Bridges of Tokori’ and ‘To Catch a Thief’ ? The ‘sahi’ answer would be ‘Grace Kelly’, the ethereally beautiful actress who played the lead role in the above Hollywood movies & others too.

A favourite of the legendary ‘thriller genre’ film-maker Alfred Hitchcock, Kelly in her hey days (the 1950s) loomed large in Hollywood lore. It’s unfortunate that her screen acting career lasted less than a decade. In 1955, Kelly met Prince Rainier of Monaco while she was in France for the Cannes Film Festival. They married in April 1956 and the glamorous union caused a media frenzy. Then on, Kelly would be Princess Grace.

The film ‘Grace of Monaco’ may at first appear like a documentary on the life and times of Princess Grace as she became an integral part of monarchical set up of Monaco, a small kingdom in France which was politically fighting for its survival as a nation and against the might of De Gaulle the French President. Nicole Kidman portraysGrace with finesseanddepth – the deep cultural, social & language barriers that confront her as she struggles with politics, protocols and rules to be adhered living in a huge palace.

Then comes the resolute and resilient side to Grace that surfaces as she in her utter  disenchantment, turns to the family elder. He advises that knowing the language and imbibing the French ethos and way of life,was essential to become worthy of her title. Gradually she finds her bearings while learning the ‘royal’ ropes, performing her daily duties as princess and becoming involved in philanthropic work as tradition dictated.

As a royal, understanding the resistance from her people, Kelly gave up acting entirely while many directors including the great Hitchcock tried to woo her back to movies, she turned them down (returning laterin TV specials &shows). As a devoted wife, it pained her to find her husband cornered by political adversaries and she takes it upon herself to engage with the affairs of the state and help her husband in his titular role. She achieves this with panache and literally earns respect of her husband,the Prince !

The film almost entirely belongs to Nicole Kidman who puts in a stellar performance and lives the challenge of playing a remarkable princess who was truly one of a kind !

Stars :Deeksha Joshi, Vivek Kumar, Denisha Ghumra, Sumit Singh

Watch on : Prime Video

It’s like pot luck when one is surfing through the plethora of films and web series on various OTT platforms and stumbles on an unsung gem in midst of mindless violenceand revenge dramas ! 

Yesterday, we watched ‘376 D’ in which even a movie buff like me couldn’t find a single known face. But the theme is so different in approach it intrigued my wife and me enough to start delving into it with optimism (after our overall poor show in Olympics’24). Initially a bit slow to begin with as the story builds up, it’s the second half of the 2 hour film that’s anutterly absorbing courtroom drama on the nuances of certain sections of criminal jurisprudence, and which are played out by three mightily impressive actors representing the two sides and the presiding Judge.

For the uninitiated (most of us are in such matters) Section ‘376 D’ of the IPC ‘if a woman is raped by a group of people acting together, each person involved will be considered as having committed the offense of rape and can be punished with rigorous imprisonment for at least twenty years, up to imprisonment for life, along with a fine..’ Dealing with this disturbing subject and section that comes up for debate, the film gets it’stitle. However, there is a critical difference in this film’s theme – ‘can a person claim justice under Sec 376D being a man and not a woman !’

Avoiding any spoilers from us, the storyline ( with all its cinematic license) picks up on the streets of Delhi to tell of a shocking crime committed on them that changes the lives of two brothers, who’ve always been thick as thieves. With one brother critical and in coma, the elder one tries to seek legal recourse aided by his lady friend, but they both begin to realise that the laws in place may not give them justice. They finally find an intrepid lawyer to fight the case against huge odds.

It must the stated that the film is not for the very young and has parts which are disturbing but in a society that is steeped in traditional ways of thinking and with rigid laws in place, this film was to us a revelation of sorts and in the genre of thought-provoking dramas like ‘SirfEk Banda Kafi Hai’ (Manoj Bajpayee) & ‘Patna Shukla’ (Raveena Tandon). The lead actors convey their plight but the main action comes from the two sparring lawyers played by Denisha Ghumra & Sumit Singh.

Tribute to their Versatility & Zest

They slogged for years & worked places, Life was about quarters and the year-end,

Time came to pack bags, ride into sunset, The known roads were taking a big bend !

From young 21, to retired at 60 & now 70, Creates confusion& a problem of plenty,

Memories happy and sad, follow after us, We chased time, now hours crawl slowly,

The years have revealed late blossoming, Of innate talent buried in files & folders,

Artists, painters, writers and cool singers, Emerging on new, resurgent shoulders,

Mellifluous, classical Natraj mesmerises, Grover’s renditions are so soul uplifting ,

Bhakey’s pen and his brush weave magic, Niladri’s intellect shine from his thinking,

Bada (RK)Sinha retains his zany humour, Anil ji always there with his ‘ChalteChalte’,

Mahajan ji keeps up with the cricket chats, Mahnot recalls ‘Lucknow Ke Woh Raaste’  

This Group of ’77 isn’t an old man’s refuge. It’s musically vibrant, lively, witty& young,

Happy to be part of batchmates of 50 years, Who love a good joke & are always on song !

Somnath Sinha

When we were really young and there was no social media to enlighten us on things like relationships, it was our seniors and family elders who were to be emulated in matters of propriety and good manners considered as important as achieving academic excellence, that spoke of breeding and cultured background. Only Grand-dads could use expletives !  

As far it appeared to us, our own grand-parents, parents, uncles & aunts (both paternal and maternal) shared bonds that looked long lasting and solid but never flashy and were somewhat akin to Test Cricket of the colonial era. Showing any form of affection for spouses and better/worse halves was quite rare for our grandparents down to all the married joint family members living under the same roof. Leave PDA (that’s – public display of affection) I can’t recall my parents or family elders ever held hands in public !  

Today such things would sound archaic but then they had intimacy with its own charm – unspoken & unsaid for those daring to express were told ‘what will children think’ ?! In our childhood visiting our ‘mamar-bari’, spending time with maternal grandparents was fun. Dadu was full of beans with all his grandchildren sitting at his feet, I can’t recall him ever having a conversation with Grandma. When they visited us in Lucknow in 1972 to attend our parent’s Silver Anniversary, we sang a film song that has two young lovers thinking of old age together. Dadu loved it so much that he made me write the lyrics !

My parents came from a literary background and both loved classic novels and music. Mom was 19 when she got married and came to settle in Lucknow and in keeping with traditions here, she would at times address Dad as ‘Sinha Saheb’ like others. Once Dad forgot something and Mom sent him a note which began ‘Respected Mr.Sinha..’ To that Dad’s formal reply came ‘Revered Mrs.Sinha..’ which caused much amusement to us all. A public act of intimacy, if at all was Dad cleaning his glasses with Mom’s sari’s pallu…  

Another case is of an elderly couple in Allahabad whom we admired for their wonderful understanding, the bond always understated. Once Aunt fell ill and the two NRI sons rushed from UK and expressed concern over their Mom’s treatment to their Dad. To all this Uncle remained stoic and said ‘Don’t worry, your Mother means a lot to me too !’ Seniors in 1960-70s would spend decades together without proclaiming their devotion. Love was tough to be expressed in mere words, but when true, it was more easily felt !

Versatile, multi-faceted singer and stage artiste par excellence, Amit Kumar has a few things in common with us : he’s just 71 ( born 3^rd, July,1952), energetic, youthful, hugely talented, full of beans and zany humour and is a die-hard ‘bhakt’ of the great Kishoreda. The most significant difference from ordinary music lovers and legion of fans is that he’s the elder son of the legendary singer from his first wife, Ruma Guha Thakurta and is a very renowned singer and artist in his own right with many chartbusters to his credit.

The onerous challenge of carrying on the legacy of legends ( Big B, Gavaskar, Md. Rafi to cite examples) falls heavily on their progeny but Amit has been a revelation and a great survivor in the cut-throat Bollywood music industry. As per tradition he was expected to carry on the mantle of his Father’s phenomenal body of work, but as Amit has shared in progs. his own Dad insisted that he evolve his own style rather than become his clone.       To his good fortune the great RD became his mentor and launched his singing career with a bang with award winning hit numbers from ‘Balika Bodhu’ and ‘Love Story’.

After the death of RD in 1994, Amit distanced himself from film music industry citing lack of talent and opportunities and almost went into hibernation for a few years. Like a champion who’s innate talent never goes away, he made a huge comeback with stage shows, live performances and radio programmes across the globe, where he recreated in his inimitable style the innumerable true stories and anecdotes that surround the genius of Kishore & his amazing zany ways, apart from bringing alive the great singers’ music. 

Though fans like us have followed Amit’s progression as a versatile singer and his range in embracing music of all types (including Western and of course Bengali) there is one song that’s rarely heard but some rate as one of his best efforts. He sang the heart-rending ‘Har Ghadi Dhal Rahi..’ in film ‘Saaransh’ ( 1984) picturised on an old school teacher (Anupam Kher) who’s suffers the pangs of bereavement on the death of his son.

Rock on Amit Bhai ! Here’s my musical tribute to you.

With sobriquets like the ‘Wall’, ‘Mr Dependable’ and one of the ‘Fab Four’ (of the earlier two decades !), Rahul Dravid, legendary cricketer with classical copybook batting style & sheer tenacity (also brilliant wicket-keeper/super slip fielder!) simply belongs to highest pedigree of Indian Cricket and the media, rightly built a ’larger than life’ image of him , which he has actually shunned and ducked away from, just as he did with bouncers !  

As he retires from his momentous stint as Head Coach from the victorious Indian Team that lifted the World Cup T20) after a long wait of 13 years, there are heartfelt tributes and paeans of praise pouring in from almost everyone in the cricketing fraternity and the media, we fans can only applaud from a distance but those who’ve had the smallest interactions will apart from his cricket glory, know him as a perennial ‘Nice Guy’ !  He exemplifies that despite fame, talent & success, one can still be humble & unassuming !

During my overseas stint in Nairobi, Kenya during early 2000, the Indian Team led by Dada Ganguly played the Champions Trophy where all the teams participated. We as ex-pat officers got a chance to interact with the Indian players in the High Commission & it was a lovely experience. While it was difficult to elicit any response from Sachin & Dada, Kumble joked with my young son when I said he had makings of a leg spinner but it was Rahul, warm and chatty, as we talked about his very successful stint in County Cricket !  

Much later for a span of  few years in mid 2000, Rahul Dravid was appointed the Brand Ambassador for our Bank (BOB) for his ‘dependable’ qualities so important in banking. In all those years, I worked in different offices and branches in Mumbai and would get opportunities to see him deliver talks on various forums. With his penchant for perfect straight drives, he was always a straight talker with keen sense of humour but would never exude his exalted status. Dravid was as we all felt, a ‘Gentleman’ and a ‘Legend’ !  

We hear that young Dravid, Rahul’s son is turning out to be a promising cricketer and is already playing in the domestic circuit. What he and we all must learn from Rahul Bhai is apart from being really good at what you do, it’s important to be a good human being !  

( PS : Pic is Dravid and Dada in Nairobi with my son, Srimanto, then 13 years old )

It was the all important Finals of the T20 World Cup in picturesque ‘Barbados’ and rains were predicted but what turned out was from a script by an ace sports drama writer that was worthy of an Oscar ! Call it a heart-stopping cliffhanger with Hitchcock’s masterful suspense and climax it had all the elements ! By the evening end, it was incredible story of our ‘Magnificent Eleven’ who just refused to give up the ‘Cup’ like recalcitrant boys !

We were ready with snacks from 7 pm our time to watch the favourites India cross the line this time, yet bit wary of  the ‘Proteas’ challenge. India started with some sparkling fours from ‘out of form’ Virat but then two wickets fell cheaply including prize one of Rohit. Great rearguard action from Virat and Axar and audacious shots by Dube helped India to post a slightly above par score of 173 and the big Finals was set up nicely !

In reply, SA started looking a bit shaky losing their Captain Markham but soon Decock and Stubbs took control with some lusty hitting but it was big-hitting Klaasen who was ominous with his awesome striking and along with Miller, all our spinners were getting hammered. At half way stage – a sinking feeling SA were running away with the game. So distraught were we with the onslaught, that I was chewing fingernails in despair in front of the TV & Tandra refused to watch further and retreated to the prayer room for hope !  

But when there’s such huge yearning to succeed even the Gods smile and miracles start to happen fast. Rohit still keeping a steady head despite all odds stacked, got dangerous  Decock trapped on the leg side, blazing Klaasen in a real mad rush to wrap up the game (equation was just 30 in 30 balls with 6 wickets in hand) edged one behind, Bumrah bowled magical two overs, Arshdeep kept his nerve in his, Surya brought off a stunning catch on the ropes to send Miller when 16 runs were needed of 6 balls. Hardik in the final over kept great control to let India snatch victory from jaws of sure defeat ! Rarely in a match have there been so many heroes, all chipping in in every which way they did.

Finally, while the nation exploded with joy and fans celebrated all across there were high emotions running in the players many of whom broke down and even the sedate Coach Rahul Dravid joined the boisterous festivities on the field. There was utter euphoria of India lifting a T20 WC after 17 years and the poignant announcements from two modern day legends Virat and Rohit retiring from T20 format, riding away into sunset in glory. For Dravid, one can feel the poet’s words ‘Gods in his heaven, all’s right with the world’ !  What a perfect fairytale ending for us all…   

Another WC Final, another venue and another time Team India has made the arduous climb to the top but the crown is yet to be worn ! A billion ardent, zany, overexcited fans not just here but across the globe, are egging on the ‘Men in Blue’ and for two men at the helm of affairs, Coach Rahul and Captain Rohit, possibly the last hurrah of two legends ! A win in the Finals at the iconic Caribbean ‘Barbados’ grounds will send us into tizzy of wild celebrations. After all, this is one national issue where everyone cheers in unison across divergent lines and ideologies !

Since we are hyper expressive, emotive and sensitive about our cricket icons and their form, there is concern for King Kohli’s loss of that ‘talismanic touch’ and instability at the top order though ‘Hitman’ fires on undeterred. The redoubtable all-rounder, Jaddu is not quite looking himself and though he’s got intent ‘Dube’ doesn’t inspire confidence. There’s a limit even to the ‘SKY’s wonders. Luckily Hardik has overcome his IPL woes. It’s Bumrah’s consistency and guile of Kuldeep & Axar that’s really come to the party !   

While our media dwells extensively on our strengths and records and creates cacophonic hype in the build up to the Finals, the Proteas almost maintain a stoic silence about their great run to the Finals and their chances today. Rohit, the astute leader, surely realizes the batting firepower that SA possess, Decock, Markham, Klassen, Miller for starters & all-rounders to boot. Their spinners outfoxed the valiant Afghans in the Semis and it’s also a first shot at the WC for the Proteas, who haven’t dropped a match in this WC !

The background for a heady contest is mouth-watering this Saturday evening, provided both play to potential and there are no huge hiccups. I remember, a few months back we had gone for a film ‘Laapata Ladies’ with no expectations but it was such a lovely treat. We’ll follow the same approach for today’s Finals. Yes, there’ll be prayers on our lips for the ‘Men in Blue’ !