Unearthing young musical talent from the diverse corners of the country and giving them a national platform to showcase their skills is a laudable initiative that has been gaining immense popularity and has drawn huge traction. Among the most watched reality shows  is the ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV and ‘Sa Re Ga Ma’ on Zee TV  followed by a host of others like ‘Singing Superstar’ and the MTV’s show.

Early on, we’ve been hooked to the ‘Sa Re Ga Ma’ (SRGM) on Zee Bangla, the Bengali counterpart on Zee TV. Bengal, has traditionally been the home of legendary poets, singers, composers & musicians, famous both in Kolkata and Mumbai). The Bengali SRGM does a great job in it’s talent hunt and provides a magnificent platform to begin their careers as professional singers. This comes with a stunning orchestra and galaxy of musicians performing alongside and suave anchors like star-actor, Abir Chatterjee !

As veteran music buffs we’ve felt that it consistently brings on board prodigious young talent & singing prodigies who exhibit an amazing range of skills on Zee’s big stage. As back-up, after the elimination rounds, the team prepares the chosen contestants with training to hone their skills & smoothening out rough edges through its musical experts. In a high stakes music contest, the competition is extremely tough but what’s heartening to see is the camaraderie & bonhomie that binds the youth into warm friendships ! 

Despite this, SRGM has developed an aura of a grand spectacle replete with celebrity culture and enlarged panel of eminent judges from the music industry. In the on-going season, there are as many as nine judges (five would easily do !) who present a highly imposing force for a young contestant to reckon with. There is now a trend of calling the judges as ‘legends’ but are there any real legends left in Kolkata or Mumbai’s music world ? Of the best of singers today, the amazing Shreya Ghoshal still maintains her humility despite great fame while Arijit retired from politics of playback ! 

Another irksome feature is using the SRGM platform for promoting the music & songs of some of the judges from their newly released films. At the start of every show, one or the other judge is on the stage singing, whereas these famous artists have their own shows for their craft. Yes, worthy judges giving their points of view and showing the finer nuances to the budding singers is laudable. As viewers, we want that most of the space and time should be for contestants and not judges and celebrity guests !

SRGM is universal in its appeal and singers are allowed to perform in both Bengali & Hindi. Pure nostalgia when beautiful fresh voices and personas render melodies of the golden era and continue the legacies of true legends ! SRGM is on the air till late night every weekend and is such a refreshing change from the disturbing ‘Breaking News’ !  

      

What’s it about our Memory that’s so beautiful if it’s retains that which pleases the heart and burdens it with negativity if it’s unpleasant or sad. They’re best forgotten we say and deleting them, we move on creating more mind-space for happier thoughts to enter. This selective process serves us well till we attain a certain stage and that age when we suddenly encounter what’s called an unexplained ‘Brain Fade’ ! Like a dip in electric voltage, this memory lapse is a temporary inability to recall information, often resulting in forgotten names, places, misplaced items or momentary confusion.

Seniors we have so much to retain as hangovers from the past that like the mobile space that’s perpetually low, the mind tries to cope with the data load and at times gives up. Typically we males have selective memory spaces for the things that interest us but depend on the spouse (at home) & assistants (in office) for supplying the specific details of names, dates, appointments etc. As they get older & older forgetful husbands might misplace keys, glasses, medicines, mobiles, shoes but never forget their old friends ! Not entirely removed from this affliction, I have tried to devise methods like making daiy to-do lists, diarising bank a/c details, due dates,renewals, passwords, pins & medicines !

Normally the system works well but I’ve started having my off days too that have even surprised me. Recently, I had to send an urgent courier to a relative and for the address & pin-code I checked my records quickly and completed the packet. Next day, I was told by my relative who’d got a call from the Courier, that the address on the packet was their old address. I hadn’t rechecked that their address had indeed changed and I’d actually noted it down earlier. It took a few days to rectify the mistake & get the delivery made. How could a meticulous person like me, make such a stupid error ? A real brain-fade !

In conversations with my  peer group friends, we have animated discussions on the geo-political tensions engulfing the ‘Gulf’ & now famous waterway called ‘Strait of Hormuz’ is easily talked about but most of us struggle with the names of various protagonists and players of the conflict, but they do come back to haunt us later ! Research suggests that while these lapses are common & often normal with aging or due to stress/distraction, we must energize minds with various mental exercises & problem solving, reading and conversing on diverse topics with people, physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits.  

In an uncanny quirk of nature, there are many things we can’t remember and also those we never forget, specially from the past & we call them ‘unforgettable’ moments of life. Many marvel that I hardly ever look at the song lyrics while singing as I remember the words & tunes by heart. To never forget good events & good people is such a good thing !   

It’s said that life’s all about relationships,

And it’s people who make that difference,

They are there to share tears & laughter,

Stand by our tough days and diffidence, 

It may be life’s major event or short meet,

Problems they can sort out, easy and neat,

Some may discourage with fear & despair   

Yet he’s one who’d never stand and stare,

In pragmatic world driven by self interest  

People like him come forward and protect,

Friends look to him anytime, for anything,

We’re talking of the One and Only -‘VIPIN’ ! 

Wishing you a Wonderful Day with loved ones & friends and for fulfilling times ahead in life in

GOOD health and Well-being !

Somnath and Tandra

With realigned roles and domains in their domestic life, men of all ages are proving their mettle with the kettle, warmth with micro-wave, cleanliness with washing machine and crispiness with toasters, even if their culinary skills might remain in a nascent stage, while an exceptional few also make their presence felt in the kitchen ! Belonging to the ‘unskilled in cookery’ category, I’ve developed some expertise with preparing breakfast, majorly comprising of toast, butter, eggs and fruits and the occasional ‘Sunday Special’ ‘Jalebis’ outsourced from the nearby ‘Halwai’ !

The toast-making process is a bit intricate since both sides of the bread must be brown to a nicety. For my Mrs, over-made toasts aren’t at all acceptable. The pop-up toasters, like most people these days, are erratic and I end up with a few burnt toasts regularly. As the service provider, I tell myself – ‘bread’ must not go waste for it doesn’t come easily to everyone. The ‘burnt toast’ is also my metaphor to take responsibility for our actions, mend the systems and ensure that it works properly. Sunk costs (burnt toasts) must be absorbed  by me and not others (in the family). A principle that’s laudable if practiced at all levels & most importantly in civic administration and for good governance.  

However, apart from my own hypothesis there is also a fascinatingly well-known theory : ‘The Burnt Toast Theory’ that talks of a mindset where minor inconveniences, such as burning toast, spilling coffee, missing a journey or getting stuck in traffic are viewed as positive “redirections” or protections rather than bad luck, potentially saving us from larger, negative or dangerous events. It’s a bit like ‘superstition’ but uncanny when it saves people from potential setbacks or accidents. With a Bengali cultural background, we learnt many lessons from our elders at home – to be followed without much rational application of mind. So, if we came out of a fall with only minor bruises, it was felt as if a major accident had been averted. Our Moms and Grand-moms would pray in Bengali – ‘Jaag Baba, Phada Katlo !’ meaning ‘Thank God, saved from bad omen’ !

‘If Only We Had..’ are wise words that are mostly uttered  by us after an unforeseen and unpleasant event that was destined to happen. There are also words like ‘resilience’ and ‘optimism’ that see us through the most difficult phases of life. ‘The Burnt Toast’ teaches us not to be deterred by small setbacks. Maybe something ‘Great’ is round the corner !

Watch on Prime Video

Looking for some respite from the huge dose of  high octane, violence and gore ridden action, espionage and horror films for something on far side of the spectrum – languid, serene and reflective, then catch ‘8 Am Metro’ as we did by chance yesterday evening ! The difference in this film’s genre(surely would’ve been classified as ‘Art’ as compared to commercial fare dished in 1970-80s era) but thanks to the variety that OTT offers, it’s so refreshingly real in essaying its principal characters. There are no baddies, only ordinary people with all their vulnerabilities & weaknesses but that purity of the soul that uplifts.

Only few films have ventured to use the backdrop of the train ride that throws up its own life and experiences. As the name suggests, it has two protagonists who’s fortuitous meeting on a particular Metro local leads to uncanny bonds and endearing moments of kinship, their common thread being love for the profundity of poetry, books and writers.  That leads to a gradual revelation of their true selves, their unrealized strengths and to overcome fears that had stayed long with them as part of their psyche. No more spoilers. But, akin to Guy De Maupassant’s story-telling style, there’s poignant twist in the end !

The film could have as well been in the form of a beautiful play – full of pithy dialogues, light-hearted banter, short conversations with much depth and liberal doses of poetry between the two lead players as their association develops. All from the pen of none other than the incomparable Gulzar, who has written the lyrics & poetry with his own inimitable and indolent touches ! The film belongs to the amazingly dignified, realistic & heartrending performances of Saiyami Kher & Gulshan Devaiah, so moving for the film buffs and relatable to those commuters, who spend half their lives on local trains. There are also many interesting cameos that bring alive the various characterizations.

The film resonates on many counts in its handling of complex psychological issues and how friendships are forged when people travel together regularly. Both my Wife and I have an affinity for the ‘Metro’ and often use it. Director, Raj Rachakonda has done a great job with this fine, sensitive film. How about a sequel, with the same cast ?! 

Among the modern day alterations to the normal attire of an ordinary man is doing away with the top pocket by the shirt manufacturers. In the most informal tees or bush shirts & even in formals, a utilitarian top pocket no longer exists. The reasons may range from saving on cloth to a statement of masculinity to dispensing with need for pockets. With advent of digital modes like e-purse & wallets, one’s mobile serves as a Mini-Bank !

But for old-timers like us, the shirt’s top pocket has always provided a sense of security. Apart from it’s easy accessibility in retrieving the important papers, cards, currency etc.  they remain close to the chest being our private possessions. Also I have been trained a certain way during my days as a daily commuter in Mumbai’s local trains- be watchful of pick-pockets. Cash in a wallet in hip pocket was risky, but top pockets were much safer.

Recall that in good old days of manual transactions and of paper-trails, office-goers and specially stolid bankers would always be found with a functional pen tucked in the top shirt pocket. That wasn’t all, for it served as a reservoir of small visiting cards, IDs, bills, photos, even shopping lists from the Mrs, for ‘groceries’ to be brought in the evening. There were no mobiles, ear-phones & fancy gadgets then to be squeezed in the trouser pockets. These were used for the handkerchief, small purse & ‘Wills Filter’ by smokers !    

Having said that, ‘pockets’ have been used in a variety of English phrases, playing a vital role not only in sartorial ways, reflecting one’s behavior patterns and exuding a life-style that’s upbeat. School teachers reprimanded us standing with hands in pockets as ‘lazy’ and at the workplace our Bank stressed on recovery of it’s ‘out-of-pocket’ expenses as it impacted P & L.‘Having deep pockets’ meant possessing substantial financial resources and at the national level, the Govt. loves to talk about putting more money in people’s ‘pockets’ so that spending & consumption goes up, which helps the economy to grow.

Somehow talking of ‘pocketing’ the proceeds sounds like money being wrongly acquired though the poor pocket never had anything to do with it. As one writer said ‘ True wealth is not of the pocket, but of the heart and of the mind’ but what’s the feeling like having an empty pocket ? Even if shirt manufacturers start putting back top pockets on shirts, it would be ironical if most people had very little or no earnings to put in their pockets !

I remember having read a novel fascinatingly titled ‘The World in the Pocket’. Those with enormous wealth and power, have that headiness that makes them feel mightier !   

With the transforming urban landscapes, lifestyles and on-line modes of buying almost all kinds of goods and services that we’ve witnessed in the last two decades, there’s been slow meltdown of businesses of dealers in electrical appliances, photography, clocks & watches, book-shops etc. These are almost replaced by mushrooming of mobile marts, car accessories & auto repair shops, beauty parlours & street food stalls in every nook & corner apart from the towering ‘Get All Under One Roof’ Mega-Marts & Shopping Malls.

However, while we all try to keep pace with the changes, seniors like us have an uncanny attachment to old relics of our time like clothes, irons, toasters & augio/video tapes. I’ve always kept a ‘time-piece’ on my table to regulate my daily routine (notwithstanding clocks, watches, cell phones we possess) & it suddenly stopped working one morning. Concerned with this rude setback to one of my favourite material possessions, I went about trying to find a ‘Watch-shop’. After some efforts, I located one in my locality that had a disconcerting lock hanging & no one could predict when it would open, if at all.

Finally I was able to find a small, functional watchmaker who examined my time piece & like a family doctor, advised that nothing could be done, it had conked off. This came as a shock & I asked how it happened ? ‘Like people, machines too have an expiry date’ he said philosophically and added ‘I can change the machine (like a heart transplant?) but better to buy a new one that’ll cost almost the same. ‘Let Go’ was his sensible idea to me.

Taking a leaf out of my Wife’s notebook I decided to bargain on the price. My usual pitch is “I’m a senior citizen over 70 & I deserve a discount’. The watch-wala looked offended ‘I’m 72 & I believe in fixed pricing’. This veteran was a tough one to negotiate. Finally my ‘emotional appeal’ worked on him and he agreed to give a new one, 10% discounted. Suddenly he started checking the new piece & asked if I could hear the alarm? I’m a bit doubtful about my hearing but he said ‘This I cannot give, alarm is too soft.” He tried a few other pieces & settled on one that had alarm loud enough to even wake up my Wife ! He then meticulously proceeded to write the date on the piece for ‘warranty’ purposes !

Here was a fairly aged man of 72 still working and running a small business, conscious of his duties of giving the right product and service to the customer. He also made sure that if I ever needed a Watch-Maker I would go to him only. I recall my days in the Bank when as Trainers we’d take sessions on good ‘Customer Service’. But that was years ago and may be those principles are now old-school !  

A phrase often used for good-looking young pairs in our early,  pre-marriage years, was the imagery that came when ITC launched the campaign, ‘Made for Each Other’, in 1965 for Wills (Navy Cut) replete with the picture of a young couple sharing a laugh in different settings – reading a Polish joke book in living room, on the beach, in the rain ! This picture of marital bliss with its starry romance wasn’t so apparent to us, as two strangers in an arranged marriage wherein families were really ‘Made for Each Other’ ! 

Having put in four & half decades now, my much better half, Tandra & I, agree that old phrase wasn’t made for us. There’s been lot of ‘make-up’ and ‘make-do’ with each other over the years & it’s work in progress, as is with our much married dear friends. What stands out for most is ‘complementing’ rather than ‘complimenting’ the other half. We now hardly sing eulogies, but at times we offer apologies ! We’ve discovered that despite our individualities, our ‘complementary relationship’ with different characteristics can together make a “Whole.” Often our strengths & our weaknesses balance each other out.

In our case things panned out as if all planned ! As a senior citizen my hearing is getting impaired but she can still hear a pin drop ! My deftness with numbers (old banker habits never fade) is intact and I know by heart all my cell numbers, pins & passwords but she, sadly can’t remember her mobile phone number ! However, names of friends & family, birthday dates & anniversaries are hard-fed in her brain while I’m mostly at sea in that. But the biggest gap stays in our culinary skills, wife’s hands are gifted to transform the simplest into gourmet meals while my best effort is breakfast of toast & scrambled eggs !

Like normal old couples, we disagree on everything (ranging from shopping & spending to our health issues & politics) but we share many common interests that even surprise us. From films, theatre, books, music, singing to traveling & great cuisine have all been passions of our simple lives in which ‘Cricket’ and ‘Old Friends have had a special place ! Thrilling India matches are seen from separate rooms as I can get boisterous if India’s in trouble, while she’s all tensed up ! Being sporty types since childhood, in my heydays  I was a fairly decent Badminton & Cricket player while Tandra, a Champion Swimmer ! 

Friends, for lasting relationships, complementing each other while possessing different, often opposite, strengths or qualities are so vital. When combined, they create a better, more complete, effective whole. It signifies a synergistic relationship where one element enhances, improves or completes the other. Yet as always, the Mrs. is the Wiser-Half !

As children, rail travel to other towns wasn’t just the natural mode but so exciting for the sensory adventure of watching landscapes change from a window seat-hamlets, hills, meadows and lakes all left behind as the train trundled into another station and set of sounds, smells & stalls. It was then a novelty, sleeping in berths, the ‘chai-wala’s’ wake-up calls, freedom to wander carriages, reading a racy thriller or friendly co-passengers sharing stories and snacks. The entire experience felt like an adventure filled with new sights, sounds and social interactions that created lasting, nostalgic memories. 

Call  it ‘luck by chance’, I’ve been married to someone for 45 years who’s first two loves were trains and her Dad, a well-known Medical Officer in the Railways. That ‘train-bound’ love story continues even in our autumn years and whenever possible we opt for train travel, which we all agree has evolved in leaps and bounds and remains the most economical mode for a legion of middle class passengers. Not having travelled in the newest ‘Vande Bharat’ version of ‘Rail Yatra’, we chose to experience a cushy and fast-moving, seven hour journey from Madgao, Goa to Dadar, Mumbai yesterday afternoon !

Like excited kids we reached an hour before the departure time but somehow in their wisdom, ‘Vande’ train is always slotted for Platform 2 0r 3 & far across from Platform 1 So you’ll have to traverse a long over-bridge or walk with a coolie happily carting your luggage. It was hot and our Coolie empathized with Wife’s protests against the long walk and told her to hop on to the cart ! All seeming quaint & from the 60’s ! You also know trains needn’t have perfect timing every day ! It became apparent this ‘marvel’ of travel was running 2-3 hours but no one (except ‘running status’ on mobile) could predict by how much, until an hour later, announcements nailed it to 2 hrs, 30 mts.

Finally to the utter relief of harried looking travelers (two hours in waiting), the sleek looking, dome shaped ‘Vande’ train entered the portals of Platform 3 and we boarded a carriage like hopeful, resilient Indian passengers. Yes, the in-house décor, screens and layout is designed for comfort with fewer seats and great space for your legs & luggage !  The highlight of this smart little train, that has only 7 carriages, is the amazingly large toilet found in very clean state. But the snacks and meals were nothing to rave about !

Our train scheduled to reach Dadar at 10 pm finally touched down at 11.45 pm and we both, weary from our long ride reached home late at 1 am, after some yeoman help from a local Coolie who even got our luggage put on board the local from Dadar, Mumbai. Our ‘Vande’ experience was a mixed bag, good in parts and ‘OMG !’ at times ! Nothing is perfect in life but hyped trains & its systems must try to give us a chance to say ‘Wow !’     

We all have our favorites and fans like me, though pretty advanced in years, retain their loyalty as I have for the game of Cricket and the Cricket’s ‘Little Master’ Gundappa Vishwanath, popularly called ‘Vishy’ ! There is also some emotional attachment as he shares his name with my Dad (Late Biswanath Sinha), also a great cricket aficionado. In fact I saw Vishy’s maiden Test hundred against the Aussies in Kanpur’s Green Park in Nov, 1969 with my Dad going into raptures over his square cutting !    

Retired and ever maintaining a low profile, it was great to see the excerpts of Shekhar Gupta’s candid interview of the great batter, India’s real touch artist and an exponent of the square drive. Apart from his artistry in batting, the now reticent yet amiable Vishy is a fairly good communicator too, though he may not be in the eloquent class of Sunny ji. 

It would be our advice to prime time TV news English Channels that instead of leaning on the likes of lesser known Atul Wasan & Shishir Hattangadi for expert views on cricket matters or only relying on Sunny ji’s expertise, why not invite Vishy at times, to express his thoughts & ideas on how we can produce better Test Cricketers apart from offering off-side batting tips. Probably the best role model of sportsmanship in his days, he could also teach a lesson or two to present super rich, flashy stars of modern cricket, on humility & grace on and off the field !