My First Crush 

My uncle Ramesh Saigal, a tall handsome guy himself was an established Film Producer-Director. He had built a bungalow in Union Park, Chembur. A stone’s throw away from R.K. Studios, it boasted of filmdom’s big names as its residents. These included Ashok Kumar, Nalini Jaywant, Om Prakash, Trilok Kapoor. It shared border with The Bombay Presidency Golf Club. 

We used to live in Vile-Parle. During our school vacations our aunt would invite us to spend a few days with our cousins at the bungalow. I was in fourth or fifth class and enjoyed those interludes. Front of the bungalow had a beautiful garden with spacious lawns. We would play cricket there. At times, uncle would join us in playing cricket. 

Back-yard of the house shared boundary with the only Golf Course in Mumbai those days. It afforded us a glimpse of the ‘videshi’ game being played mostly by ‘gora’ firangis.  

Uncle had just launched his new movie ‘Shikast’. It was an ambitious project with top actors Dilip Kumar and Nalini Jaywant in the lead. Popular duo of Shankar-Jaikishan composed the music.  

Film’s heroin, Nalini Jaywant had her bungalow 100 yards from uncle’s. She would, when free, loiter into the garden. Fond of dogs, she carried a pair of Pomeranians with her. 

On Sundays when uncle played cricket with us, she would come and cheer us. I clearly remember the day I first saw her. A typical Maharashtrian beauty with big eyes, delicate features, and sweet voice, she cast a spell on me.   

That was my first Crush, albeit a childhood one.  

 

  

 

 

 

FLIP FLOP FLAPS

For 65 long years, my day would begin with a cup of tea and a crisp copy of TOI. A hard copy. No digital edition for me.

 

Being leading newspaper, TOI grew both in stature as well as flab. Fine, because it fetched better returns even as ‘raddi’.

 

Years passed and I got a job in downtown Mumbai. It entailed travelling in crowded Mumbai locals. That is where I picked up the art of folding, double folding and triple folding my copy of TOI. It shrunk the paper to quarter its size. I could read it at peace without bothering my fellow-travelers. How convenient?

 

With time, TOI became obese. So be it. But then, they started adding appendages in the form flaps to the fatso. Even these grew from single column width to four columns.

 

Believe me, these flaps seriously disturb the equilibrium of holding the newspaper in your two hands.

 

Dear Editors, this is one irritant that needs to done away with immediately. Please!

 

 

 

 

Guru Pushp

 

An ode to HARIHAR

 

Amalgamation of Vishnu & Shiva

Yet, a valiant never say die soul lost

 

Up there they needed him more

Leaving us with memories of yore

 

Traveler, always in driver’s seat

lacs of miles on wheels no mean feat

 

Once a friend, friend for ever

Not me only, ask whoever

 

Sad we feel but know very well

Think of him and pride will swell

 

Hari & Har, thanks for lending to us

Strong even are his memories with us  

 

                                               -Guru Vig

 

 

IPL-Death Overs and Politicians

 

IPL keeps coming up with its own vocabulary. ‘Death Overs’ no longer causes eye-brows to be raised. These are last few overs for the batting team to play. Also known as ‘slog-overs’ because during these overs batsmen slog to add as many runs as possible.

 

Understandable! No wonder, boundaries and sixers abound during this period. Death Overs are most watchable part of the match.

 

And what about politicians? Well, try to recall names of top politicians. Most are old or very old. They are facing their death overs.  Clinging to dear lives, they are also suffering from major Illnesses.

 

And what are they up-to during death overs?

 

They are busy consolidating ill-gotten gains. These gains are not for their teams but for own use. Most parties, barring a few, are proprietary ones. Their owners are busy setting up children for transfer of ownership after their death

 

Death Overs in IPL are eminently watchable. What about Death Overs of politicians? Better stay away. Their Lust for lucre and power can only generate hatred.

 

We believe in re-birth. To ensure a better new-birth, our people take to doing good deeds during the evening of their lives. They contribute to charity and engage in spiritual programs. Not these politicians. They are a different breed. They don’t care what posterity will think of them. Their obituaries have already been sculpted in gold by own underlings.

 

Let us not shame our memories by naming the names.

 

 

                                     LOTUS & POTUS

 

Carefully analyze the global situation. Compatibility of the two above has immense potential in every sphere. Lack of it will affect both. Lotus is on path of self-sufficiency with self-respect.

 

Potus is aware. Need is for both to connect at levels above 5G.

 

Lotus respects Potus as world-leader. Time for Potus to back-up the rising star.

 

Let ‘America the Beautiful’ Rhyme with ‘Sare Jahan Se achha Hindostan Hamara’

 

It will make World a better place.                

 

                                               ‘Guru Pushp’ from Gurubux Vig

 

 

What You Do for Living?

 

What You Do for Living?

 

Common question one generation back. Today, you may get an answer, “I play”.

 

All work & no play was bad for our health. But what about its opposite? Ask our cricketers. They are playing cricket year-round. It is their profession, their source of income. They are making millions and no one is objecting. And who is the benevolent employer?

 

Well, Indian Premier League or IPL in short.

 

Foresight of a Forgotten Founder, IPL under the aegis of BCCI has grown beyond imagination. Thanks to IPL, the reinvented cricket has become a ‘Spectator Sport’ like Football.

 

Gone are the days when of Test Matches used to drag on for over five days, generating more ennui than revenue. ODIs may not be passe’ exactly but their shorter cousins are definitely more popular.

 

Brain-child of the then Vice President of BCCI, Shri Lalit Modi, IPL was floated by BCCI in 2007. Shrewdly timed during lean season of cricket in India, it satisfied national hunger in true sense of ‘Ye dil mange more’.

 

A game-changer, it became an instant hit only to be lapped up by spectators, sponsors and sportsmen alike. Moneybags made a beeline for owning teams. India witnessed its first ever auction of sportsmen. Purse-strings were loosened for generous buying of cricket players. Star-performers were bought for amounts touching skies.

 

It also opened avenues for foreign players to play in India. Some of them go for prices beyond what their Indian counterparts fetch. No wonder, their presence adds to attraction year after year.

 

A gold-mine of opportunities had opened up. Players of different calibers found appropriate slots in the eight teams. A whole lot of support staff added to the juggernaut. Jobs were raining for coaches, umpires, commentators, grounds men, physios, scorers, videographers, cheer-leaders, motivators, logistics support providers, statisticians and what not.

 

Hardware and software providers for cricket also became big-time beneficiaries.  IPL influence extended beyond the stadiums. Apparel and accessories producers, publicity and advertising agencies all jumped in the fray for mopping up their share of benefits arising out of IPL.

 

And how can we not mention the role played by IPL as our worthy time-pass partner during the Covid 19 situation? If you have self-pity for being locked-in at home, imagine these players are away from home for two months. They are cooped up in bio-bubbles after mandatory quarantine.

 

IPL is truly a symbol of Indian competence in sports management.

 

 

 

 

 

ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

 

 

Attached Video shows devastation wrecked by nature. Please see it before reading this post.

 

Midway, a caption appears: 

 

'Nature is beautiful but 'Terrifying' at same time.'

 

How can the nature be blamed for the damage after all the molesting and marauding by mankind? For years we have been abusing it shamelessly.

 

We have forgotten that we owe our existence to Nature.

 

Onset of 20^th century brought in the bogie of ‘development and modernization.’ It brought revolutionary changes and altered our lifestyles. Blinded by the success, we started fiddling with the very ‘nature’. Since then it has been a story of its ruthless defacement.

 

With impunity we polluted our rivers and seas; destroyed fertile lands with chemicals and pesticides: made the air we breathe and water we drink, toxic; modified genes of crops; tinkered with human genes; cloned animals. No element of nature remained untouched.

 

Even the awareness about consequences did not deter us from desecrating nature. We have therefore abrogated

the right to blame nature for disasters.

 

Can we to live in harmony with nature?

 

A peep in past reveals existence of ancient civilizations that enjoyed perfect harmony with nature.

 

‘Attitude of Gratitude’ was the gospel truth or mantra for living, then. History and scripture are replete with the examples of their advances in all spheres; be it academics or architecture; mathematics or medical sciences, philosophy or physics, astronomy or astrology, sea-faring or seismology even aeronautics & missile science.

 

Ancient civilizations survived for centuries and for as long as they preserved their ‘way of life’ They made full use of natural bounties but with respect and gratitude.

 

To keep the awareness alive, they introduced worshipping of nature while consuming its resources. They paid obeisance to the elements, the mother earth, seas, rivers, mountains, planets, stars, crops, seasons, even animals.

 

Every ritual in their lives began with worshipping Elephant God to be followed by that of nine planets. They erected temples and shrines which celebrate the benevolence of the Sun and the Moon, the Saturn. Worshipping of Ganga and other rivers is example of expressing gratitude. Seas and mountains are treated as sacred. Even Seasons, are celebrated, Harvesting becomes a festival. It is not for nothing that Cow is considered Holy.

 

Their way of Life is what ‘Indian Way of Life’ is about. It may be the only answer for our survival against natural disasters.

 

Let’s cultivate Attitude of Gratitude to mother nature!