As the famous line goes ‘Good friends are like stars, you don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there’. There’s something about the warm, reassuring aura of ‘buddies’ from old-school bonding together after decades of being apart that evoke emotions in our gregarious disposition.

They are the ones we’ve grown up with, who knew our childhood secrets and happily accept us for who we are, even as the world has its own scales of measuring success ! While earlier we wrote letters to keep in touch, it’s now thanks to social media that’s reconnected old friends across the globe. Two days ago Tandra informed me, eyes shining with girl-like excitement ‘My school friend is in town and I’ve persuaded her to come to our place !’

Suddenly our quiet household became a hub of feverish activity with a few odd tasks assigned to me, since I’m a non-starter in ‘kitchen’ affairs. Doors knobs and handles had to be polished, rooms to look proper, right cutlery, and elegant mats put out on marble dining table with bowl of home-grown roses as centrepiece and select local delicacies and drinks to be organized. Tandra’s culinary prowess led to kitchen becoming an epicentre for trying  out a few exotic vegetarian recipes she felt her dear friend would love !

In that backdrop, yesterday’s morning was sunny, made brighter with the visit of Tandra’s schoolmate Vibha of  St. Mary’s Convent, Allahabad, (now based in New Delhi) ! For the two friends it was a such a remarkably wonderful reunion. Vibha is warm, endearing, affable and so appreciative of hospitality extended to her. Their bonding, affinity & thrill in getting to spend quality time together, holding conversations on issues that affect their friends and trying to solve each other’s problems makes their group become family. Being there for each other is such a heartwarming gesture.

Friends make the journey of life more beautiful. Now, in autumn years, we value our old school ties more, cherish and endeavor to relive those good times, remembering that the funny, crazy ones made the best memories. Here are a few lines from an old film song that sums up that nostalgia :

‘Kuch bhooli hui yaadein, kuch bichde hue afsane,

Aane lage aise yaad, jaise kal ki ho baat,

Laut aayi hai..phir se wohi bahaar…..’

It’s the time for celebrating the vibrant festival of colours and everyone wants to wish their relatives, friends and loved one’s on Holi and send them beautiful messages filled with love and bright colourfulness of Holi. Fortunately for us, suitably worded texts and pics are available on-line and one needn’t compose trying to articulate one’s feelings. There will always remain the traditional ethos of Holi marking the triumph of goodness over evil and the arrival of spring and the newness in nature that you associate with it.

In a way, it heralds the beginning of another aspirational phase just arriving before the close of financial year.With climatic change, health and environmental concerns, age-old customs ofcelebrating with water colours, even paints and varnish,has diminished over time, celebratory practices -exchanging gifts, extendinggreetings on social media or in meets,partaking of special Holi delicacies and planningshort tripsand partying hard, thanks to Holi holidays merging with weekend offs, have all grown significantly !

As with life’s many memorable events, Holi brings back many nostalgic reminiscences. I recall that as a small kid, I dreaded the festival where one’s own parents and siblings  suddenly looked scary with myriad colours smeared on their faces. In my mind it was akin to the spooky Halloween. Soon within a few years I got over my fears and with my teenaged neighbourhood & school compatriots in crime, it became a real fun-filled affair.Over the years, celebrations were with familiesand would involve lots of merry-making, singing and dancing but we avoided boisterous, bawdy & drunken festivities. Quintessentially for senior citizens,the festival is still to sit, meet & bless Gen Y &Z !

We’d learnt from ourschool teachers that all our festivals had real significance in the cultural code and values that were meant to be followed. What festival of colours does is to paint all in strong colours of universal brotherhood, remove the societal & religious differences, practice forgiveness & find friendly ties converting discord in relationships. It’s supposed to be a harbinger of peace, harmony, happiness for all people. If all this sounds unreal and idealistic in today’s context, that’s what it is ! Happy Holi, Friends !

There is good news if you’re an indefatigable Agatha Christie fan who hasn’t yet had enough of her limitless, delectable mysteries with the most famous fictional characters unraveling them for us, despite ‘red herrings’ strewn all across the crime scenes ! In our eternal search for some watchable content on OTT to pass the evening pre-dinner hours, we stumbled across on ‘Sony Liv’, an old British tele-series of 1989, titled ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot’ which has a staggering 70 episodes spread over 13 Seasons ! Like greedy netizens we have already watched five wonderful stories @ one episode per evening !

One may rightly say that it’s not necessary that both should agree to watch the same stuff on TV. Over the years we’ve disagreed on every conceivable issue (including people, politics, films) but are blessed to share our affinity for ‘Cricket’ and love for ‘Agatha Christie’. In this process, my dear better half  has acquired remarkable investigative abilities. She knows if I’ve eaten out by observing the shape of my shirt across the middle or from my face ! Also in one episode, she pointed the killer to me, before even Poirot could ! 

Coming to the Series, the Victorian aura and the English countryside with  huge, sprawling mansions, hats, tailcoats and butlers have been recreated with elegance but most importantly, ‘David Suchet’ is marvelous as Hercule Poirot, the ace detective with an egg-shaped head full of excellent grey cells. His Belgian persona is replete with the curled moustache and funny accent and he’s so ably assisted by his friend Capt. Hastings (much like Watson to Sherlock Holmes) who exclaims ‘Good Lord !’ when Poirot solves the case !

The episodes are based on different short stories (some presumably written by script writers) and many based on famous Christie novels like ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’ that we saw recently. The short ones have a run time of about 45-50 minutes while the full length ones based on a novel could be 100 mts. In any case, for Agatha Christie fans, it is like unearthing a treasure and has saved us hours of industrious channel surfing. It’s quite perfect for family viewing sans gore, violence (barring the murders!) & today’s foul language.

A famous quote for people who reflect on their yester-years is ‘The Past is Tense, the Future is Perfect’ which tells us, with the use of some Grammar, not to dwell too much on what’d happened once upon a time in our lives. Yet some memories of the school days often cannot be erased so easily and looking back, appear funny, outrageous, almost surreal in today’s context !

This story is from the mid-1960s (yes, six decades ago !). As young boys we loved our school and classmates, though only like-minded ones became our close friends. There was also an influx of new students joining the school from time to time (mid-session entry was allowed in special cases) and we old regulars looked to entrants with interest one looks at newer specimens. We’d get amused if they were onerously saddled with names of great men !

The story gets fascinating with the arrival of a jovial & rotund young gent with the proverbial ‘Big Bang’. In those days, our lunch break was full of fun and frolic and apart from a small counter serving snacks near the portico, we also had an ice-cream vendor coming with his cart. As frugality was our motto, the only ice-creams we could afford was the humble ‘Orange Bar’. But our fortunes (in terms of ‘Kwality Ice-creams’) were about to change…

The new entrant apparently looked simple at first, but soon showed a very generous streak by inviting class mates to expensive ‘Choc Bars’ every day during the lunch break and would take out wads of notes to pay the Vendor. With fairly strict ‘no-frills’ upbringing we had never seen such benevolence. Soon word got around school about the ‘Boy-Wonder’ with a Midas touch  and like all such ‘opulent’ people, he had a large following waiting on him.  

But there’s always suspicion on too much of a good thing. When the matter got reported to his parents about his reckless spending it was found he was dipping into large amounts of cash lying in drawers of his successful Doctor Father. The matter was hushed up as it involved a young boy’s future. That  was then. Later in life, he went on to become a successful entrepreneur.   

I often feel how easily we had all jumped on the band-wagon of freebies and had not considered how one so young could have huge sums  to spend. Any similarity to what’s happening all around us today, is purely coincidental !   

What’s it about good humour and a happy, smiling face that’s so attractive that many rate it as one of the important traits in a prospective life-partner or an irresistible quality in a friend, as a constant source of happiness & amusement in life’s journey. ‘He’s warm and so funny’ is a compliment to one who’s a change from ‘I’m the Best’ haughty attitude some people carry. The popular guys in early school were generally labeled as ‘Motu’, ‘Chotu’, ‘Budda’- for in camaraderie, no one knew of ‘body-shaming’. These chaps could joke at themselves, rag boring teachers and spread mirth all around.

That’s because the fascination with ‘hasna-hasana’ if we recall, started with a toddler’s chuckles and inscrutable smiles that win the hearts of a doting observers. As kids, we’d laugh hundreds of times a day watching Tom & Jerry cartoons & Laurel and Hardy and anything remotely funny including the antics of pet doggies. And we all loved adventure stories of kings, fairies and giants but only with happy endings ! In today’s age, all these may have found place in mobiles that little kids can operate. 

Sadly, as we progress, first as young college students carrying expectations of excellence from society and desperately fighting with millions for a good place for further studies and then later as working adults, life tends to be serious and challenging what with the job demands, filial responsibilities & aspirations of making it big, that makes our laughter become infrequent. That’s why you have stand-up comics, comedy shows, getaways and a rare go-to film to induce some amusing moments in busy lives of the millennial. Senior citizens are better off with ‘laughter clubs’ and more time on hand !

Ask anyone ‘what makes you laugh’ and they’ll share the latest hilarious forward, meme or cartoon received from one of their W’App groups that’s gone viral. The ‘laughter’ job is now assigned to the social media netizens and centre around the outpourings of our outspoken politicians in the form of barbs, jibes and diatribes against the others. Even one prime time News Channel understands our agony of and has introduced a section ‘Happy Story of the Day’ to enliven spirits, depressed after watching the news !

We all including the best doctors know that ‘laughter is the best medicine’. It’s power is to draw people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body. It strengthens immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. The question is ‘Laugh about what ?’

For that the answer is we need to develop more humor in our lives which looks at the funny (and positive side) of things even when they aren’t going your way. Surely, the best place to start is from home and with the bitter  half – for it also helps release anger and forgive (or be forgiven) sooner !

When Lord Tennyson had said ‘Old order changeth yielding place to the new’ he wasn’t exactly referring to the evolution of Cricketers in India but his words would appear very apt in describing the great sea-change that’s taken place from the days (in 1960’s and 70’s ) when players from Mumbai historically dominated international cricket in India.

With the likes of Umrigar, Borde, Bapu Nadkarni, Sunil Gavaskar, Ajit Wadekar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Manjrekar and others (& later of course the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to Rohit Sharma, the present Indian captain who has been carrying the baton for the Bombay Club and ‘Mumbai Indians’ in IPL), the Indian Squad that’s played international games would boast of the talented players who had emerged from the ‘Maidans’ and parks of mega metros like Mumbai and also Bangalore, Chennai till ‘Kapil’s Devils’ from the North burst on India’s scene post 1983 WC Win ! Ranchi’s ‘MS Dhoni’ phenomenon paved way for a great churn happening in cricket from hinterlands.

However, many critics believe that the trend changed with the arrival of Sourav Ganguly as India’s Captain. It helped build a strong foundation that consolidated it’s position in world cricket by handpicking local talents regardless of the place they came from. It was only during his regime when Allahabad’s young Mohd. Kaif made it to India’s team to strengthen the middle order while also being a real live-wire on the field. Brilliant swing bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Praveen Kumar and RP Singh and the skillful leggie Piyush Chawla made UP proud of their feats, all hailing from different parts of the State.

Among the notable cricketers from UP who have played for India, the most prolific with all round abilities, was the versatile Suresh Raina. He made his ODI debut in 2005 and scored a century in his first Test in 2010 in Sri Lanka. His last international match was in July 2018. A left-handed batsman, Raina (18 Tests, 226 ODIs and 78 T20Is) emerged as a clean hitter of the ball and then went on to establish himself as one of India’s best limited-overs batsmen and has also played a huge role in CSK team’s success in the IPL !

Another name from UP that’s made waves in the last decade is that of ‘Kuldeep Yadav’ the artful wrist spinner and wily ‘Chinaman’ bowler from Kanpur. Along with the great Ravi Ashwin and all-rounder Jadeja, he now forms India’s feared and potent spin attack. 

The latest crop of immensely gifted players who have originated from UP are excellent products of a fiercely combative IPL tournament where they play for various franchises and also having gone through the grind of the domestic circuit. Young Yashasvi Jaiswal is already big name of reckon with in International scene and Dhruv Jurel has shown his class as a superb wicket-keeper batter.Gutsy Rinku Singh looks a potential T20 finisher !      

But, unlike in the past where UP’s erstwhile star players of the likes of Gopal Sharma and Gyanendra Pandey always represented their State in Ranji Trophy matches, many players who’ve hit big-time migrate to other States. That’s possibly why UP (as a Team), despite its talent pool, isn’t at the Top in the Domestic Circuits !       

To the generation growing up in the 1960s & 70s, Ameen Sayani was the name that belonged to that unmistakable voice on the Radio (& countless shows) and captivated hearts across the country and continued for many decades till the winds of change took over the music world & his incomparable telling style sadly became a lost art !

So when around 2015, “the man with a golden voice” decided to return to radio for a second innings, it seemed like happy days were here again for music lovers like us. Ameen Sayani was then heard on Radio City 91.1 FM in progs. for which he had tweaked some of his old interviews and was presenting them with added research and more information. After tuning in to one such radio prog. I, who was by then a retired banker, sent him an e mail commending the choice of the singer and songs.

To my utter delight, the 84 year old announcer par excellence, promptly replied to me beautifully but briefly. I reproduce below for those who may find it interesting :

“Dear  Mr. Somnath Sinha,

Thank you for your wonderful letter. The entire interview featuring Kishore’s tribute to Burman Dada will be played in “SKSKM” on 26/08/2015. But don’t miss any prog. in between.  Best wishes. Ameen Sayani.

 P.S. I was a very close friend and associate of Bank of Baroda, Bombay – for many years, until my health started declining. “

My E-mail sent to Ameen Sayani Saheb is also reproduced below for context :

“ Respected Mr. Ameen Sayani ,

I am one of the thousands of avid listeners of your popular radio programmes and am responding to the lovely tribute that you did , as usual so effortlessly, on FM this afternoon i.e on 21^st July, on the incomparable legend that was, Kishore Kumar  ! It was so utterly spellbinding to hear some lesser known gems from the Kishore magic box like “Jin Rato Ki Bhor Nahi Hai … “ from “Door Gagan Ki Chaon Mein “ and the lovable “ Munna Bada Pyara … “ which we sing to our 8 month old grand-daughter !

Sir, I am a retired bank officer of Bank of Baroda but for us, you have been a part of growing up and our obsession with film songs came largely through Binaca Geet Mala on Radio Ceylon and your inimitable style which remains ageless. You will remain an idol and inspiration to millions of Indians all over the world for your charming grace that still binds us to priceless wealth of vintage Hindi Film Music !”

Later, on few occasions, we found Ameen Saheb in the audience, quietly catching up on plays at theatres in Mumbai, then much advanced in years, yet so dignified and humble. Today, an era of most endearing & entertaining style of anchoring ended but  it stays alive in hearts of music lovers with that inimitable call ‘Bahno aur Bhaiyon !!’      

In this era and age, they don’t have too many people as their cheer leaders, having been overshadowed by their versatile better halves, turned ‘Mater’s Incomparable’. However, of late, the less heard Dads and Fathers are making a remarkable comeback of sorts. They are being publicly hailed as ‘heroes’ by none other than their illustrious sons and daughters who’ve made a mark in their lives.

On the landmark day as Indian off-spin wizard, Ashwin achieved the huge milestone of 500 Test wickets, he dedicated the achievement to his Dad, Ravi Chandran for being his driving force. And just a little earlier, a sublimely gifted batter from Mumbai, Sarfaraz was making his debut in Test Cricket (against England) and emotional pics of his Father hugging his son, realizing his long cherished dream, got splashed all over social media ! Yet another big super-star on the Indian Cricket scene, Shubman Gill, spoke about his father’s contribution to his growth and success in a recent post match interview.

It’s not just in Cricket, that the Dads have earned a good name for themselves. On prime time TV news, great Ustad Zakir Husain, fresh from winning the Grammy Awards, paid rich tributes to Father, table maestro, Allah Rakha, along with many other legends of the rich Indian classical music tradition. Celebrated Bollywood icon Big B, never misses a chance to recite Father, Harivansh Rai Bachan ji’s poems. A budding actor, Baabil is desperately trying to fill the giant shoes of his late Dad, superb actor, Irfan Khan.

Also, it’s not only the rich and famous have had Dads who deserved high praise, though many have been responsible for pushing their prodigies to greatness. One of my friends had confided that she’d appeared and cracked the UPSC exams (IAS) only to appease her Father. My brother (cousin) aced in Badminton and played for his State, but after hours of backbreaking practice on courts. In fact, all families have their ‘Daddy’ stories !

Quintessentially, the Dads come in various types and shades, as do all species, but have certain common features. They seem preoccupied, eternally busy with work and office calls, tend to forget birthdays of important people, don’t have great dress sense, make embarrassing faux pas, cannot haggle with vendors and are rarely emotional enough. In a kind of nature’s balance, redoubtable Mothers & Moms make up for these deficiencies.

Despite their faults, Dads who aren’t known to get along famously with their sons (who prefer to be different and upbeat), are favorites with daughters for their unflappable coolness quotient, utter generosity and ability to overlook minor shortcomings in others. Moms may feel that’s ‘sparing the rod and spoiling..’ but Dads of today are not only liberally patient and can accept they too were ‘wild’ in their youth ! Much has been said, Dads are rocks, guides, inspiration. So it’s easy to be a Father, but difficult to be a Dad !  

Most of modern lovers of the game of cricket are hooked on to the shorter limited overs version (One-day and T20) for its high octane action, thrills & entertainment where one team can emerge victorious, by thinnest margins – on a last ball hit or even in a suspenseful ‘edge of seat’ Super Over ! In all this, the classical five day Test Match has understandably lost its charm.

However, like retro fashions of the earlier era make a comeback from time to time albeit in altered avtaars, Test Cricket seems to have received a fresh lease of life. The firebrand ‘Bazball’ style of play that’s now been adopted by the English Team is finding favour with other teams, for the massive excitement it generates with it’s strong positive intent at providing great contests between players of incredible skills and courage that sets no limits.

Of the most famous terms associated with Cricket is that it’s ‘a game of glorious uncertainties’. Nothing is for granted with its ‘outrageous swings of fortune’ as the Bard would’ve said. As it’s played outdoors, it might be bright sunshine the first day, but may turn overcast the next and playing conditions change as 22 yards strip, called the ‘pitch’, docile the first day & good for batters, starts turning from second day to delight of the spinners.

Even consistent performers can lose their form suddenly at start of a game and those out of form earlier may rediscover it & run into a ‘purple patch’ where they can do no wrong. A brilliant innings by one can exhort others to keep up the tempo while on the fielding side, an incredible catch or run out of a batter going great guns, can change the course of the match. That’s why it’s also famously said ‘the match isn’t over till the last ball is bowled’ !

That said, to students of the game it has such a familiar ring to the vagaries of life where dark clouds gathered above can suddenly clear with emerging rays of sunshine and vice versa. Good times, bad times come for everyone yet they aren’t there for keeps. Cricket teaches us ‘it’s not game over’ until you’ve ‘lost’ it in the mind. Skill sets have to be constantly honed to meet the challenges but luck will play its part too ! Above all it’s a team game and we only excel in life, when we play with and for the success of others too !

For most senior folks despite all the worldly wisdom accumulated with the mop of grey hair, one definitive answer eludes them. From times immemorial, among the FAQs that defy the right responses is one relating to inexplicable emotion that rules the affairs of the heart, making people behave strangely under its spell. Men and women over the ages from different backgrounds, groups and cultures have expressed divided opinions on what it’s all about.

Writers, lyricists and poets have verbally painted the most fascinatingly pristine idyllic pictures around it. It’s a truly many splendoured thing they say, irrational and not logically designed to function smoothly, such that it’s even considered as being ‘blind’ at times. For the first timers, ‘love’ when it hits them is that uncanny feeling that’s quite indescribable ! Innumerable Hindi films, songs and ghazals that have formed an integral part of film’s storylines, adding socio-cultural value, have the word ‘pyaar’ imbedded somewhere. Inspiration was drawn from trials and tribulations of legendary pairs like Romeo-Juliet, Shiri-Farhad, Heer-Raanjha, Devdas-Paro. Shakespeare describes in his plays ‘the course of true love never did run smooth’ but also ‘What’s mine is yours, and what is yours is mine’ ! 

Let’s also look at what many great wits and actors had to say about ‘love’. From the flippant ‘Love is sharing your popcorn’ (Charles Schultz), and ‘Love is being stupid together’ (Paul Valery) to the funny ones like ‘Love is something sent from heaven to worry hell out of you.” (Dolly Parton), ‘Gravitation isn’t responsible for people falling in love’ (Albert Einstein) or ‘Love is a temporary insanity, curable by marriage’ (Ambrose Bierce) to the profound ‘There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.’ (Friedrich Nietzsche). No wonder the Gen X, Y, Z are confused about how to deal with this emotion.

We had in the 1970s seen a film called ‘Love Story’ which had a famous line ‘Love means never having to say sorry’. Later we had singer John Lennon say ‘Love means having to say you’re sorry every fifteen minutes.’ Thankfully, we are now not in competition in this field but we still feel, if there’s life there must be love !