Actress Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003) and Actor Spencer Tracy (1900-1967) were a legendary Hollywood  couple, both on and off-screen. There’s a famous anecdote about them that when they first met, Hepburn said, “I fear I may be too tall for you, Mr. Tracy” and the short statured Tracy replied, “Don’t worry, I’ll cut you down to my size.” Some say to that ‘Don’t mess with small sized men for they can be proud of their big hearts’ !

Beyond the fable of little David who slew the demon Goliath are real life stories of men born of short height or small physicality but who achieved giant stature in their domains that range from Emperor Napoleon to Comedian Charlie Chaplin to Soccer Icon Diego Maradona and Aussie Cricket legend Sir Don Bradman just to name a few. It’s the stuff that inspiring battles are made when one being smaller is labeled an underdog for his size when pitted against adversaries. It’s also figurative in a fight against the powerful.

Not many  really knew much about the cricketer called ‘Temba Bavuma’, the short, low-profile and intrepid Proteas Captain till he led from the front playing a stellar role along-with ace batter Aden Markram to help SA win the 2025 Test World Cup against the mighty Aussies. Despite those who have questioned his lower batting average and being chosen as the Leader of SA team, their Selectors have reposed faith in him.

In the on-going First Test of the Series played against SA in Eden Gardens, the final day of reckoning came for the powerful Indian batting line-up needing just 124 runs to win. But by some inept display against quality spin bowling, albeit on a difficult track, our batters let down a vociferous 40,000 Kolkata crowd backing them all the way. The MOM was off spinner Harmer who out-thought us with his guile. Yet, it was Bavuma who had earlier steadied the SA ship with his gritty 55 n.o. and shown right application needed. 

At the end of the match, Temba must have been happy yet there was no show of elation only quiet rectitude in true appreciation of his leadership role. Yes, his small stature has been scoffed with pics of him looking ridiculously small against Jansen who’s 6’7” but by the end it’s clear who the real leader of SA is. Pacer Bumrah created controversy with remarks on Temba in the middle & later showed sportsmanship by applauding Temba !

Apart from his on-field heroics, Temba’s quiet disposition and complete commitment should inspire our young star cricketers, for Test Cricket is all about grit & patience and different from the fast-lane of shorter formats. Old timers like me (who’ve been always taunted for being shorties !) but could wield a bat in our days are reminded of our idol, the classy Vishy of the 70s, who despite his short height made batting look a fine art ! Temba proved he’s a worthy adversary. We can’t take him or SA lightly in the 2^nd Test !         

My Review of Web Series on Zee 5

“What an Idea, Sirji!” is a famous ad line for the former ‘Idea’ Cellular but ironically, that is the reaction you have for the Director after watching delightful 5 part Web Series. It has the shades of Frank Capra’s 1946 classic Hollywood movie ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ starring James Stewart, with the underlying message that one must make life simple and uncomplicated for it to be beautiful & serene. Today’s families are overrun by quick fix gadgets & machines & are stressed, technology driven prisoners to the digital world !

The story revolves around a typical urban middle class ‘parivaar’ – an aspiring mid-aged couple, a flamboyant unmarried brother and two tech-savvy teenaged kids into which returns somewhat unexpectedly, the patriarch Dad, a well off, retired Naval Officer. He finds his return isn’t taken warmly by the residents, all so riveted to mobiles, laptops & apps, they’re virtually incommunicado to each other despite living under the same roof. His attempts to make conversation falls on deaf ears with zombie like looks from them.

So ‘Old Man’ throws a lucrative offer they find difficult to let go. The challenge – Rs.1 Cr to each member on one condition- six months they’d have to undergo ‘digital fasting’.  They all fall for it, not realizing what it’d do to their lives revolving around digital world.

To delve more on how each one copes with existence sans mobiles, laptops & apps could be spoilers but this a thought-provoking film that’s futuristic in reverse. After all in the 70 & 80s, when we were young, life went on with it’s simple joys & pleasures, struggles and successes, without the versatile gadgets & devices that we have today but what we remember are family ties & friendships and the prized possessions like letters & cards ! Slowly technology made redundant our gramophones, records, discs, cameras & VCRs. Through the eyes of the ‘Oldest member’ the series explores the family journey as they navigate a tech-free life, rediscover real connections and confront long buried emotions.   

‘Thode Door Thode Pass’ belongs entirely to that brilliant actor, Pankaj Kapur who gave us masterly roles as in “Ek Doctor Ki Maut’ (1990) and ‘Ek Ruka Hua Faisla’ (1986) & many others. He plays Ashwin Mehta, the retired Navy-man with such sublime grace, dignity and humour, that we wonder why aren’t there more roles for him on OTT. Mona Singh as his good natured ‘Bahu’, Ayesha Kaduskar & Sartaj Singh as grand-kids are real slice of life & lovely portrayals ! To me, portly Kunaal Roy Kapur looked a bit of a mis-match opposite Mona, but tries his best as does, Gurpreet Saini as the younger son. 

The series has just five episodes & I binge watched it all in one sitting for 2 hours plus !  It surely lifted my spirits and made me resolve to spend less time on W’App than I do !    

Though not quite in the impressionable ‘Guddi’ mould to be overawed and hero-struck by a charismatic film-star as shown, most from our Gen of 1970s were admirers of the supremely talented actor Dharmendra. The evergreen Jat-hero  (as tabloids then named him !) embodied virile masculinity with irresistible charm of drop-deed good looks that combined his handsomeness with versatile & consummate acting prowess. His career spans into an astonishing 300 films that started from 1960 & may still go on.

His popularity and forte in portraying every kind of role with best of film-makers stood the test of time even in eras which saw the advent of Rajesh-Khanna’s ‘romantic’ image phenomenon of 1970s, followed by famed ‘Angry Young Man’ cult brought in by ‘Big B’. Yet Dharam who started out so sensitively in Bimal Roy’s classic film ‘Bandini’ (1963), developed the rugged ‘He-man’ style for action movies but also excelled in comic roles ! I felt he did his best parts for director Hrishikesh Mukherji from poignant ‘Anupama’, to the idealistic ‘Satyakam’, lovable superstar in ‘Guddi’ & hilarious in ‘Chupke Chupke’. A  story goes that he had a major tiff with the Director who chose Rajesh K for ‘Anand’ !  

Despite the legion of fans & loads of hit films behind him, Dharam’s memorable role in the epic ‘Sholay’ (1975) as toughie, gun-toting fighter ‘Viru’ with his die-hard comrade in arms ‘Jai’, became the cult heroes for all times to come. If an exit poll is taken, probably 90% of our Gen & Gen-next saw the film & knew its dialogues by heart. The first time we saw Sholay it was like a slick, fast paced Hollywood western with power packed Hindi punch-lines & one-liner dialogues ! Weaned as were on classic movies on the wild west “The Magnificent Seven “, “Mckenna’s Gold” & “ The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, this came as a magnum opus which struck a chord like quick-silver bullet never seen before, capturing the nation’s heart and lips too !

Today even after fifty years, the movie remains a classic and has acquired a cult status, so much so, that the famous maker, Karan Johar felt that Hindi Cinema can be divided into the pre and post Sholay era to reflect the coming of age of great story telling and impactful dialogues ! The immortal characters of the film have, down the five decades, remained etched in memory such that one of India’s best batsmen, Shikar Dhawan, was affectionately called “Gabbar” by team-mates and Mathura MP, Hema Malini confesses that she’s always asked to rattle off her motor-mouth “Basanti” lines even to this day !

In an industry that has produced legends, Dharam Paji stands tall as an institution for his sheer diligence, consistency and class, that has kept us entertained for decades, As for my favorite acts of his, alongside many great ‘Dharam’ roles, his standout ‘Suicide’ act atop a Water Tank in ‘Sholay’ and the chaste Hindi speaking Botany Prof in ‘Chupke Chupke’ has regaled timelessly to even outshine the best comics of his time   !

Most men, unlike those of the fairer sex aren’t that fashion conscious to be particular about how their feet & hands look as long as they are in good, stable, working condition.

To most ordinary men, the idea of investing in a pricey ‘manicure’ and/or a ‘pedicure’ & getting a ‘facial’ done at a fancy saloon, stopped after their wedding reception (a few decades back), except for blackening the mane that’s now turning brown, grey or white.It is essentially the preserve of cool fashion models, film-stars, & well to do Gen Zee kids.

Seniors are even apprehensive about the latest hair dressing (or is it hair raising ?) techniques that can give you for instance the ‘Apache’ wild look or throw streaks of blue, green or pink running over the hair-field ! I always plead with my hair stylist (there are only few barbers left in the world !) to give me the good old ‘Dadamoni’ (Ashok Kumar) cut !

Recently I was forced to visit a swanky saloon near our house to fix an errant toe-nail that often grows out of shape so much so that both my Didi and my Missus had quietly threatened ‘Do something to it or leave your feet outside’ !

As I entered the saloon, the lady at the high desk made me wait on a plush black sofa while she attended few other younger clients. Finally, she heard the ‘case of my peculiar toe nail’ & agreed to get it done for a mere Rs.200. I argued that for 10 nails it would cost me 2000/-. She smiled sweetly ‘Noo Sir, we’ll cut all the nails’ but no pedicure will be done.I didn’t discuss pricing again.

All was well in the end. All my toe nails were cut with special treatment to the bad one. As a special case, my toes were duly filed, then washed to start looking like a 100 dollars ! I understood why in that classic film ‘Guide’, Rosie, played by the great ‘Waheeda’ breaks free & sings & dances ‘Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tammana Hai..’. My had such a pretty look.

And now, I could re-enter home without all my toes & feet and my pride being dismissed by the Lady of the House !

Watch on Netflix

It rarely happens that you chance upon a lesser known film, it moves you such that you wish to re-run it simply to have closer, nuanced look at the stunning visuals & powerful characters in breath-taking settings that’s less visited by film-makers. Directed by young Aranya Sahay with sensitivity & depth, it has no recognizable faces of stars or messages to resonate with the masses. There’s simplicity in story telling that also depicts the raw courage people muster to face odds & challenges, as life continues to ‘throw a curveball’ !  

At first it appears like a slow documentary initiation to the alien world of AI (Artificial Intelligence) that to ordinary mortals, is an enigma for the magical things it can create. If that evokes curiosity, ‘Humans in the Loop’ has the vulnerable yet insightful ‘human’ side that shows as AI pervades into various fields with new technology, it has inherent biases and its qualitative growth comes from humans and their intelligent interventions  aided by the pristineness of nature with all its bounties.

While to outside world, AI is exciting with possibilities, in its basic form are job workers who put in diligent hours of labour as labelers and handlers to annotate raw data with humans providing feedback to AI models (for Clients) correcting errors and evaluating its output to ensure the meet the quality and safety standards. The film’s setting is the beautiful hills, jungles & landscape of the state of Jharkhand and is a tribute to its tribal women’s role that’s being played in the development of AI at the grass root levels. In the realm of AI, humans in the loop is also an accepted working concept.

There are three protagonists in film’s story, all strong women of varying dispositions. Main lead character of ‘Nehma’ is a tribal who’s a graduate, educated but disenchanted with her estranged marriage and bears the responsibility of infant child. She is fiercely independent and protective and has the indomitable will of a ‘survivor’. She has strong roots with her home & has grown up with love for nature and with deep understanding of flora and fauna, that she brings to her work as AI data leveler.  Sonal Madhushankar as Nehma brings in her role, pain, frustration, fears and triumph. Her pre-teen daughter ‘Bhuvan’ is tech-savvy and feels alienated in a rural milieu & longs for city’s excitement and is beautifully enacted by Ridhima Singh. The third lady is the AI teacher played with dignity & compassion by Gita Guha. Another strength is film’s superb cinematography !    

It would be quite presumptuous to draw parallels but old timers may find shades of Satyajit Ray’s path-breaking classic ‘Pather Panchali’ that depicted village life with great beauty and pathos. But coming to a more recent film on women liberating from age-old patriarchy & social dos & dont’s ‘Laapata Ladies’, this film too makes a bold statement. Kudos to the maker, cast, crew of ‘Humans in the Loop’- it’s brave and quite sublime.  

“He gave the constable a punch, where the latter kept his lunch,

  The constable said well, well and marched him off  to the dungeon cell,

  In the prison out the truth came, Sir Percy was the culprit’s name ! …”

These lines are, as ardent fans would guess, from the PG Wodehouse old classic, the immensely funny book “Damsel in Distress” that was the first of his books I’d read as recommended by my Dad, himself an avid reader. This for bringing more sparkle, wit and humour in my English & expression, though it was never part of our curriculum.

Die-hard followers of British humour would recall incomparable, P.G.Wodehouse, one of the most widely read humorists of the 20th century. His remarkably lovable characters included the feather-brained Bertie Wooster and his sagacious valet, Jeeves, Lord Emsworth and the Blandings Castle set, with mirthful stories about golf and tennis and tall tales on subjects from old England ranging from bishops to movie moguls, all without any trace of rancour.

His most well-known duo, Bertie Wooster and Jeeves became popular literary icons, embodying the dry acerbic wit and humour of the English, “Jeeves lugged my purple socks out of the drawer as if he were a vegetarian fishing a caterpillar out of his salad.” Wooster was the amiable and naive man-of-leisure, while Jeeves as quintessential British gentleman, older and wiser, was friend and valet to him. Their tales usually involved Wooster getting into some sort of “scrape” with a woman, an Aunt, or the Law. Jeeves always came to the rescue in his inimitably sauve manner. (much like the wise Birbal of Akbar fame ! )

Not surprisingly for veteran bankers like us, it is reported that Wodehouse, after leaving school, was employed by a bank but disliked the drudgery of the work and turned to writing in his spare time. (Was Chetan Bhagat of modern Indian writers’ era exhorted in the same fashion- we can’t say ?). PG’s many works have gone on to inspire numerous adaptations for television, stage and screen. ‘Wodehousian’ lingo though ‘old school’ is still much loved & even used between old ‘blokes’ like us !

Which brings us to Bollywood film-makers, writers and creative artists. What about some wit and humour without malice. After Kundan Shah, Hrishikesh Mukherji and Basu Chatterji and of course R.K.Laxman, the inane yet intelligent comedy seems to have left us for good (barring some notable exceptions). Now we have ‘Stand Up Comics’ & ‘Kapil Sharma’ for humour, that’s part body shaming and part innuendoes. 

Fortunately, the Wodehouse classics are easily available in libraries and book shops for young readers to enjoy. There are theatre groups that from time to time stage such delightful plays. I recall a few years back a famous British group staged “Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense” in Mumbai. Give the chance to see them perform would make us cry “What Ho, lets hang on to this one , Old Chaps !”   

Banking professionals have often been at the receiving end of the famous jibe ‘A banker is one who lends an umbrella when the sun shines and withdraws it when it is raining’ ! That speaks uncharitably about the banker’s quality of service & disposition but it says so much for the humble ‘umbrella’ as a protector against vagaries of weather and of life. Unsung it’s one of great inventions that has selflessly served mankind by exposing itself.

It’s functional symbol of a class and city that moves and who’s physical mobility cannot be dampened by unexpected downpours and showers that may descend suddenly. Hats, coats and umbrellas have been for ages known to be a part of traditional British attire more for tropical reasons, that are not dictated by sartorial preferences. Nearer home, specifically in ‘Amchi Mumbai’, the benign ‘Chata’ is an integral part of the daily travel kit that all kinds of commuters : students, housewives, senior citizens & working class invariably possess, for the three monsoon months. Of course with climate change it can rain anytime anywhere and predictions can fall by the wayside.

Despite the severe competition from smart, colourful raincoats that young may prefer for style statements & more protection, the ‘umbrella’ has held its own indispensability ! That’s because it’s such a convenient, portable accessory for individual protection and can be folded & tucked into a small bag..Not only does it offer protection against rain, the heath conscious use it for protecting the skin from harmful UV rays and sunburn.

The umbrella remains utilitarian without any fanfare. Imagine rushing for an important meet and the downpour comes. The umbrella helps you to reach nice and dry, only since you carried it along. It fosters a sense of preparedness and independence. It’s one of the things we don’t share in our family. Yes, ‘To Each Her Own’ is our credo !  Learning to keep umbrella safe, in working condition is a practical life skill,  promoting well being.

Yet, even the umbrella can lose its austere simplicity in a different situation – when an attendant is seen holding it for someone, it is a ‘Celebrity’ or ‘Mantri’ being sheltered ! But when two unknown people agree to share an ‘umbrella’ it’s just fellow-feeling. Yet, when a  couple on a date decide to share an umbrella, there’s could be romance in the offing. When a young man offers his own umbrella to a ‘damsel in distress’ with grey clouds hovering above and heavy showers, things might just brighten up for him !

Whatever  your scene, be armed with an umbrella for you never know when you’ll need it. And even if it’s not destined, try be the umbrella for someone caught in life’s storm !

Many may have readthat beautiful short story, that’s told in the great tradition of a fable. Written by Count Leo Tolstoy, the great Russian writer in 1886, ‘How Much Land Does A Man Need’ gives a soul-searching insight into old Russian moral values and reveals the frailty of human nature and its all consuming lust for having more and more.

It is the classic tale of a greedy peasant named Pakhom. Although Pakhom enjoys health and family happiness, he feels dissatisfied when he learns of the grand fortunes of his relatives. He decides to go on a quest for more land, only to find that with each new acquisition new problems develop. Moral of the story: in restlessly trying to grasp at bigger things there is the ultimate danger of overreaching oneself. Man can only go so far before he destroys himself. Ultimately, one needs only that much land that’s enough to hold his mortal remains.

In the human weakness for more material acquisitions is the propensity to encroach and endanger nature’s preserves, disturb ecological balance & order. Cloudbursts and floods are becoming more & more frequent and severe not only due to climatic changes, (which increases atmospheric moisture and causes more intense rainfall), but on account of human factors like rapid deforestation & unplanned urban development that reduce the land’s ability to absorb water. Relentless urbanization, construction in vulnerable areas, particularly on slopes or near riverbeds lead to altering drainage patterns and make these communities more susceptible to flood damage. Natural ‘Emergency’ is upon us.

While Tolstoy movingly wrote on human avarice and greed even in the late 19^th Century that seems to hold good today, many age-old predictions/theories as in the ‘Mathusian Theory of Population’ (1798) seem to be ringing true. Can we take lessons from these ?

‘Covetousness is all consuming, gain is an insatiable need,

Man’s wants are unstoppable, is there any limit to desire

At the end of it all – ‘How much land does a man require’ ?

The basic purpose of education must be (other than acquiring knowledge) to imbibe the qualities of gentility and right etiquette and the use of ‘good’ words to communicate with effectiveness, clarity and the context-appropriateness of the language. We recall that our teachers would severely rebuke errant students using ‘bad words’ and even punish them. Sounds ‘Victorian’ ? Appropriate language is rooted in societal norms and moral values.

How were we taught to differentiate between ‘good’ & ‘bad’ language in linguistic sense ? School teachers would stress on ‘effective’ language that was specific, clear, concise, and familiar to the reader or audience, fostering understanding in a constructive manner. In contrast to these, ‘undesirable’ language that could be vague, ambiguous, destructive or inappropriate for the situation and aimed at creating misunderstanding or harm. Added  is ‘improper’ lexicon and a vocabulary that has profanities considered indecent and foul.

Once upon a time (say till the 20^th Century), it wasn’t regarded gentlemanlike to swear and teachers in school wouldn’t even permit ‘slang’ words in essays. As for the guys, the class ‘Bullies’ became the best proponents of ‘cuss’ words for other classmates but none of that was allowed at homes. With strict mothers and elder sisters, around aplenty in joint families, senior ladies would frown at the men-folk if they indulged in any ‘galis’ ! The chastity of the spoken vocabulary was in those times kept well preserved.

Post the 1980s, came the era of bold English (and foreign language) films, the literature (known as pulp fiction) and tabloids crossing boundaries with expletives and cuss words that was a part of new found frankness and rebellious aggression – a kind of trademark persona of modernity and liberated culture that couldn’t be shackled down. But till the end of the last century, the Indian films & the lead heroines and even the media was not comfortable with bad language unless depicting negative characters !

In an uninhibited avatar, the Net, Social Media, the OTT platforms & Web-series (with no censorship) and certain movies have suddenly turned on the heat with content often full of profanities and ribald comments spouted by lead players including the heroines, that are not only offensive but can at times border obscenity. The excuse offered by film-makers – it’s what people want to hear & see and ‘adult’ films carry an 18+ certification – so you decide what you want your kids to watch.

There’s now widespread acceptability in liberal use of expletives in day to day parlance. Normal chatter among younger generation can be littered with cuss words. Perception of what’s profane or vulgar is subjective, varying with culture and context. Traditionally though, in our social framework, use of ‘foul’ language reflects on one’s upbringing and is discouraged. When it becomes par for course with even the educated & informed class and is openly used whether in brawls or in public discourses and big political debates, then it’s more a show of strength, aggression and for wielding  power over the others.

By Anirudh Bhattacharjee & Balaji Vittal

At the outset, I confess it’s a pretty tough read unless one is passionate about Indian film music of an earlier period. For me, it was the most enriching experience savoring all the 309 fascinating pages of the truly masterly research into the oeuvre, process, psyche & innate talents of an extraordinary musical genius.

It critically explores, in depth, the ‘golden era’ of incredible songs and musical scores (in Hindi film industry) from the 1940s to the 1970s. This through the account of the life, moods and times of a singer, ‘auteur’ composer of Hindi and Bengali film songs in a classical & folk music form – ‘SD Burman’, lovingly called ‘Dada’, ‘Sachin Karta’ or ‘SD’. It deftly also lets us into the amazing backroom stories & secrets behind creation of unforgettable musical gems. The book has a lovely foreword by the great flutist, Pt Hari Pd. Chaurasia who along with renowned santoor exponent, Shiv Kumar Sharma played and assisted Dada in his many compositions and musical arrangements !  

The book in great detail traces the antecedents of a real Prince from State of  Tripura (in days of undivided Bengal) who moved from his native place to Kolkata, later to Mumbai, (then Bombay) and had the distinction of initially (starting in late 1920s-40s) making a stellar name in Bengali music world with his unique style of singing that had earthiness of folk & knowledge of Indian classical. It meant being influenced by Rabindra Sangeet.

Essentially the book devotes itself to huge body of work beginning 1944 that Dada built over 2-3 decades. Such was the heights he reached in his career that composers like Salil Chowdhary,Hemant Mukherjee, Madan Mohan, Roshan, Kalyanji and others, worked as his assistants or sought his guidance. His lifelong collaborations with Bombay Talkies &  gifted makers like Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt & Dev Anand’s ‘Navketan’ brought about his all time great tunes in ‘Pyaasa’ (1957) and ‘Guide’ (1965) though aficionados rate Roy’s films ‘Sujata’ (1959) & ‘Bandini’ (1963) as classics too. Almost each of his tunes were work of art. His brilliance kept shining in ‘Abhimaan’ (1973) & ‘Aradhana’ (1969) which became the comeback vehicle for his protégé, maverick genius Kishore Kumar, as voice of superstar Rajesh Khanna from which never looked back and sang Dada’s last in ‘Mili’.      

As an ardent music lover, this book made me fathom to some extent the depths of the ocean that is Hindustani Classical Music with profundity of ‘ragas’ and how other forms, folk & ‘bhatiyali’ of Bengal impacted the creativity of Dada Burman, as did the effect of Tagore and his songs. He’d mesmerizingly make the films he composed for come alive through beautiful idyllic tunes picturised with beauty & consummate artistry, choosing most amazing writers like Sahir, Shailendra, Majrooh and Neeraj to write verses and voices of  the greatest singers of that era to render them as classics of all time. 

Here was a Prince, a simple, eccentric man in love with simple pleasures like good food, fishing and ‘East Bengal’ soccer team. who for 25 years created magic and left a huge legacy that’s timeless notwithstanding that his son ‘RD’ also became a legend of ‘fusion’ in his own right. I would add that Burman Dada was ‘Tendulkar’ of film music for his sheer consistency & class, though he had preceded the ‘God of Cricket’ by decades. It’s uncanny- ‘Sachin’ ultimate batter, got his name as his Dad was inspired by Burman Dada !