‘Tanvi the Great’ – Daringly Inspiring Film

If one were to rephrase the classic Shelly lines ‘Our sweetest movies are those that tell us happy ways how the human spirit uplifts and inspires’. With Anupam Kher, the creator of the film and young Shubhangi creating screen magic, watching ‘Tanvi the Great’ is quite an exhilarating experience ! Transcending the ordinary story-telling of mundane lives devoid of challenges, is a story of an extraordinary journey of an autistic girl who, as the film audaciously reveals to us, is ‘different but no less’ in daring to live her dream, notwithstanding the certain obstacles on the way.

As one of the principal protagonists is veteran thespian,  Anupam Kher, as the proud but lonely, grief-stricken army Colonel reprising the powerful intensity of his iconic role in his first film ‘Saaransh’. Faced with unexpected challenges thrown by his autistic grand-daughter, singer extraordinaire, recalcitrant in her thinking that disrupts his orderly life. His emotions range  from sheer desperation to gradual realization that there are greater things at stake than tradition & pride. He must fight the system for what he believes in & for his grand-daughter to realize her dreams. Truly, Anupam Kher is India’s ‘De-Niro’ ! 

There is an ensemble cast of talented actors who play the supporting roles, led by Pallavi Joshi, playing Tanvi’s mother who poignantly displays sensitivity to her daughter with matured understanding of autism and it’s special needs. Jackie Shroff, Arvind Swami and Boman Irani are actors who’ve honed their craft and leave impact even in cameos. But the film entirely belongs to ‘Shubangi’ who plays the title role of ‘Tanvi’ with the astute finesse of a seasoned actor. She lends great credibility to the character that has so many diverse shades & mixed emotions with eventual shift towards greater self-reliance.

Other high points of the film include its stunning cinematography, the beautiful locales.  a vibrant music score and pithy dialogues with humour & character. Asking ‘Permission to hug’ from someone close to you is endearing. Big message – to understand austistic people don’t try to manage them, let’s try to discover how they feel and think differently. There’s also the message of patriotism and love for our armed forces, that’s so inspiring. 

Tandra and I were privileged to witness this beautiful, thought-provoking film at it’s star-studded Premiere at the Neeta Ambani Cultural Centre at BKC yesterday. For Tandra it was a wonderful reunion of school friends arranged by the ever thoughtful Reema and Raju Kher and for us spouses, it was gift wrapped into watching, interacting, clicking pics with beautiful super stars and actors who had descended on the red carpet. What a ‘Great’ evening ! 

The news of South Indian actress B Saroja Devi’s passing away at the age of 87 had my earliest reminiscences of the 1960s to the fore. Many yester-year stars had iconic songs associated with them – ‘Chaudvi ka Chand’ with Waheeda Rehman, ‘Na Jao Saiyan’ with Meena Kumari’, ‘Sapno ki Rani’ with Sharmila & ‘Dum MaroDam’ with Zeenat & so on. 

Saroja Devi was paired with ‘Jubilee Hero’ Rajendra Kumar in the social film ‘Sasural’ (1961) which I recall very vaguely was a hit. More importantly, it had some nice music & an evergreen Rafi song ‘Teri pyaari pyaari surat ko..’ inimitably sung in his mellifluous voice. My memories revolve around this lilting number which was a rage in its time & featured in the Top 10 of Ameen Sayani’s Binaca Geet Mala for many weeks ! 

I was probably in Class III in 1961 when Mihilal, my Dad’s peon was assigned to bring me from school. On our return trip, being a music lover Mihilal would urge me “Bhaiya tum ‘Pyari pyari surat’ wala gana gao” and we’d have a great musical bike-ride every day. Later, after a few years, I remember a naughty classmate in Class V who dared to sing this song to our young Class Teacher. It resulted in his Dad being called to Principal’s Office to face a different kind of music. Surely our friend got a big walloping back home.

It wouldn’t be right to construe that such love songs had the wrong effect on young boys. Almost all Hindi films then, quintessentially had the hero wooing the leading lady with romantic songs and the writers would compose lyrics that had highest praise for their ethereal beauty. Metaphors & references to sun, moon & stars was common. There was poetry with grace but no indecency. For young boys and girls that ‘Mills & Boon’ era was full of idyllic notions of romance but today it would appear quite archaic and dated.

Surprisingly the retro music of the 1960-70s is much appreciated by the Gen Zee, who prefer singing vintage songs when performing. As for us, we still sing and swear by them and so here’s my effort as a tribute to the winsome B Saroja Devi & the voice of Md. Rafi.   

Some were born loving it, some acquired the passion and some had it thrust on them. We are talking here of the religion most of us share – Cricket, the sport that the pros play big time, and rest from all strata of society, follow and judge them with intense passion ! 

As Indians we rarely meet anyone not familiar with the legends of the game from Sunny ji & Sachin to King Kohli and Hitman and the fluctuating fortunes and vissitudes of our ‘Men in White (in Tests) or Blue (in Limited Overs)’. An India win brings a smile on a billion faces and raucous celebrations follow while a defeat quickly spreads gloom all around. India travels abroad to play an overseas series and there’s more high drama !

The final day of the Lords Test against England had raised hopes of another India win (with 135 runs to get and six wickets in hand) and resolute Rahul & Pant at the crease – but as Jofra got through Rishabh’s defenses, a famous nursery rhyme was playing itself out as three more wickets ‘came tumbling after’ ! There’s nothing more deflating for a die hard Indian fan (watching live telecast armed with celebratory snacks & beverages) to watch our batters fall in a heap and English fielders moving in for the kill.

Furious WhatsApp messages were being exchanged with shell shocked cricket-afflicted friends as to how soon the Barmy’s Army’s cheering would change into victory war cries. My wife who watches matches when India’s likely to win, decided to leave me to witness the debacle-she couldn’t endure the cat & mouse game, she said. A little later I finally changed the channel to watch a crime serial where I expected some real action. After half an hour, curiosity got the better of me. I was to find a great fight back in progress…

The story of Sir Jadeja waging a lone battle against the torrid pace attack lead by Archer and offering relentless resistance by forging partnerships with Nitish, Bumrah and Siraj for good four hours almost taking India home, has become another folklore at Lords. In the end it took an ironical played on from the solid defence of Siraj that sealed our fate. While English celebrated wildly, social media went into a frenzy at this amazing game.  

Next day, the papers/media were full of tributes, reports, articles and analysis but like a beacon of sportsmanship was a pic of the two great all rounders ( Ben Stokes & Jadeja) embracing each other. When I forwarded it to a friend who’s not addicted to cricket as we are, he innocently asked ‘What happened’ ?!. Being inclined to follow geo-political tension that grips the news, he felt it was a likely end to the ‘Middle-East Crises’ !

The wonderful thing about them

Is what they mean to us over time,

Not quite as strict as the daughter

Can often be partners too in crime,

Nieces carry old wisdom of the ages

Have knack of handling things right,

Learning ‘ropes’ from those around

Never giving up without a good fight,

Redefine ‘NIECE’ with no ‘N’ & ‘E’s

They’re warm as fire & cool as ‘ICE’

Steady & resolute in their promises,

Leave out an ‘E’, they’re just ‘NICE’,

We’re fortunate to have great Nieces

Our Nephews no less commendable,

Yet in pampering us Uncles & Aunts

Dear Nieces have been so admirable !

Blessings & Many Happy Returns

Shreya Baksi Sen, Niece No 1 !

What’s in the name ? Well, suddenly a film’s title with ‘Laapata’ attracts aesthetic senses from past experience. If an OTT releases it with rave reviews, better still ! Despite simple earthiness of the film’s trailer, it wouldn’t get overlooked by us, because ‘Small B’ has been Bollywood’s finest actors, without perks of big breaks. It’s monumentally tough for him being under shadows of the living legend ‘Big B’!

Yet on the heels of a stunningly off-beat role as the beleaguered, alcoholic Cricket Coach in‘Ghoomer’ here’s Abhishek as an old, disheveled man, prone to amnesia,  delivering one of his most controlled and thoughtful performances. It ranges from a helpless bewilderment on being abandoned by his own family to the awe and excitement of rediscovering the joy of living with a young amazing new friend. He underplays it without any over-the-top histrionics, aided by a brilliant script, a sparkling child co-star and pithy yet witty one-liners and satirical dialogues.

There’s simplicity, sincerity and depth to the film’s tale that will journey us back to the heartrending short stories we loved in our early years of writers like Guy De Maupassant, Munshi Premchand & Sarat Chandra. It carries the pathos of losing one’s own and  pain of failed relationships but then shifts to the quiet beauty of life that brings out the values of bonding, friendship, compassion and sacrifice. 

One other Small B’s (Boy’s) performance stands out in this masterful film like a beacon of hope and promise. Young Daivik Baghela who plays effervescent ‘Ballu’ is outstanding, wise beyond his years,acting as a perfect foil to reticent Kaalidhar.  His performance is very natural and moving and his scenes give the film whole lot of emotional depth. The bond between him and Abhishek, feels real and touching.

Zeeshan Ayub in the supporting cast and Nimrat Kaur in a heartwarming cameo, lend credibility to the belief that alongside greed, caprice, selfishness that exists in some people, there are those also, on whom their goodness shines like a halo.  No spoilers on the ending but the film will touch the heart and make us feel good.

Hours, days..time lost its meaning

To her, it hardly seemed to matter,

Head bent, eyes riveted, glasses low

In another zone, like a Mad Hatter !

It reminded of the uncanny characters

Of classics I had read as awe-struck boy,

Madame Defarge first comes to my mind

Knitting, plotting endlessly, was her ploy,

Then were the old village dragon aunts

From earthy stories of great Sarat Babu,

Matriarchal outliers always in command

Stitching away, keeping all in their ‘kabu’,  

Then one day it dawned on my simple soul

Here was a determined lady with a needle,

It was a favoured weapon of mass creation

Tool that helped pacify many a life’s riddle,

Here was a true perfectionist in the house

In everything she sought beauty and order,

If  thing is worth doing, its worth doing well

As our dear Father had taught, I remember,  

Realise I only know Cricket and no ‘Crochet’

Here too in weaving an innings is devotion,

Determination, skill, flair & dogged patience   

All coming into play for a beautiful creation !  

Somnath Sinha

The Father of  the Nation had famously said “Be the change you want to see .. “ but our local Autowalas might have altered it to “Have the change if you want me”. Management gurus have written “The only thing permanent is change’ but it now seems that the only thing permanent is the lack of change or ‘chillar’. Small change is a much sought aspect of life across canvas of lifelines like taxis, autos, buses, shops, stores and even banks !

In Mumbai (and so also in all cities) your travelling and shopping depends not just on your purchasing power but your change management skills ! Offering a 100 note when your fare auto fare is only 26 is not wise & a big no-no because most of the autos have a standard line “Abhi abhi toh gadi nikali hai, chutta do” ! The friendly general store-wala looks apologetic if you fish out a big one but skillfully solves the problem by returning some cough lozenges or candies in exchange. The fact is they want to avoid the trouble of counting small change but ask them and they blame the banks for not providing the requisite coins and change. For soiled notes, they  point out ‘Bank aisa hi note deta hai’ !

So what are the factors contributing to the shortage of small change in India? The public’s need for coins has been growing because of new toll roads, metro stations and malls, which require small non-round figure payments. According to reports while the RBI is meeting this new demand by linking these centers with local banks and has called on local banks to strengthen their distribution systems and procedures to cater better to the needs of citizens but overall supply also doesn’t seem to be keeping pace with the demand. Moreover, despite the huge rise of digital payments, the demand for notes and coins also continues to rise. To top it all, most of the ATMs dispense only 500 Rs. Notes. However, recently to her utter shock, my wife got 2000 all in 100 notes – a real bonanza!    

The concerned authorities have been working (hard not hardly) on digitalizing payment systems and where there’s a will to pay, there’s ‘G Pay’ and other modes ! For me and for most of us, G Pay has become a life-change saver, for there’s hardly anyone who doesn’t boast of this versatile system be it autowalas or bhajiwalas. The catch is to be ready with pin/code and of course some balance in the linked bank account. Yet, ‘yeh dil maange mor’. So whenever you step out some small change in the wallet will makes life easier !

It’s said that you’re not a bonafide Mumbaikar, if you haven’t hopped or clung on to a local train or didn’t relish the ‘Vada-Pav’ of the wayside stalls thronging outside offices and suburban stations. In a similar fashion, almost every metro, city or place has it’s own culinary flavors (notably Kolkata, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur & many others). Call it nostalgia or loyalty to traditions, Lucknow apart for its architecture and culture, must rank high on that count. It’s street food is not for masses, it’s for all classes here !

Top of the list of major attractions has to be the mouth-watering ‘Chat Stalls’ (most big eateries have special counters outside) but addiction to garam ‘Samosa-Chai’ combo for ‘aam’ office-goers, students, lawyers, tourists and shoppers, is the ‘sine qua non’ of true Lucknowites and is most sought after in all the cities of Eastern UP. Till date my love for ‘samosas’ remains strong, yet with age ‘the spirit might be willing but the Mrs isn’t’. Also let’s admit, like all good things that were vintage, the ‘samosas’ are no longer the same.  One must discover the few places in and around Lucknow, that roll out real ‘samosas’ !    

Also there’s the common tea-stall’s sweet offering called ‘Gulab jamun’ that sells like hot cakes and is served in ‘donas’. Like it’s quintessential namkeen counterpart (samosa)    ‘Gulab Jamun’ has a colouful history that’s most fascinating. While it’s exact origins are debated, it is widely believed to have been introduced to India during the Mughal era. It’s been most popular dessert in the Indian subcontinent, encompassing countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh & also found in other places like Myanmar and the Maldives. The name “Gulab Jamun” is derived from Persian and Hindi words, referencing the rosewater-scented syrup and the black plum-like shape of the dessert. 

Why the flashback to ‘Samosas’ and ‘Gulab Jamuns’ after all these years, one may ask of us who’ve been out of Lucknow for decades. For one, no one makes them any more, like they used to (in the 70s). Second, Zindagi has become complicated, fast and uncertain. Therefore, in bustling, big cities, we must try to rediscover the ‘choti choti’ khushiyan ! 

It sounds plebeian to talk of rising costs of doing mundane jobs and associated toiletries like shaving every morning that basically entails a functional razor (available in various designer styles), the shaving foam or creams of  various brands and the brush to apply it. This is a ritual office going people must follow along with the dress code unless sporting a macho beard, that’s needs trimming & shaping or parlour styled by the more trendy !

In an interview, famed singer Arijit Singh replete with beard, had confessed that he had initially found shaving in Mumbai very costly. For the uninitiated, men’s parlours that have mushroomed across cities, charge anything around 150 to 600, depending on type of shave (regular or beard styling) & on how high-end the location of the outlet is. Some salons may offer add-ons like hot towel treatment, pre-shave oil or post shave balm. So one may shell out extra bucks but will emerge glowing, as the rich stars & models do.

Which quintessentially reminds us of the young days when even the best shaving creams (remember Kapil’s line ‘Palmolive Da Jawab Nahi’) would cost around 25 bucks but the branded ones (Old Spice, Gilette, Denim etc) now come in the range of 75 to 80. With most of the present trend-setting leaders, celebrities, stars, cricketers, who are role models for our youth, sporting the bearded look, the market for shaving creams has  been dented & prices can’t come down. For us, altering the old clean shaven appearance to one covered with grey-black facial hair might not suit and even create KYC problems.

Apart from the mirror showing us daily signs of aging, even an act like shaving can teach us some life lessons. Recently, my friendly neighborhood kirana merchant said – ‘Dada, why not try this brand – it has more by weight and is much cheaper’. Though my basics of economics told me ‘higher quality dictates higher cost’, I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, the cheaper shaving cream felt almost as good as the expensive ones. It’s all due to marketing jazz & fascination with brands, that makes us avoid less costly goods.

When I shared this thought with my wife she nodded with appreciation. That’s why we negotiate with all vendors, they overcharge but we know what’s right, she said ! Yes, we may or mayn’t sport a luxurious beard but let’s remember ‘All that glitters is not gold’ !    

Let’s assume that as veteran students of the game, we also have the right to propound theories as much as the experts as to how and why the young Indian team lead by Gill allowed England to sail to victory without a sweat when defeat was imminent. That India batted like champions to begin with is well documented as also that it was the tail that didn’t wag, the slip fielders who didn’t grab chances and two pace bowlers who didn’t bowl according to plan & the sole spinner who didn’t use the ‘rough’ outside off.

Let’s look at the past history of losing matches on the big stage even with two stalwarts, Virat and Rohit shepherding the team and offie Ashwin & versatile Jadeja in the ranks. In the World Cup Final (2023) that India lost, left handed Travis Head almost single handedly turned the chase into a cakewalk for the Aussies, while in the WC Final (2024) south paw, David Miller almost carried the Kiwis home, till SKY took a real blinder ! In Jun2025, the 371 chase on the 5^th Day of the First Test at Leeds, had lefty Ben Duckett on a roll. We had no answers – his belligerent innings of 148 sealed the fate of Indians.      

Doesn’t India have the right ammunition to defend when attacked by left handed batters as the experience shows ? There’s natural aggression with left handers (we have our own Jaiswal and Pant) but their style of stroke-making also entails risk-taking and affords lot of chances to the slip cordon. The reverse sweeps can fail at times too. The idea should be to get them out early and not settle into a rhythm, that can become mayhem later ! With Ashwin’s prowess against left handers not available, let’s focus on them with the right fields. As someone said, if it’s left than you have to be right (with your strategies) !