A Midsummer Night's Dream

Occasionally I like to “ego surf” on Google. In the process today I came across this link on my school website. It brought back memories when I was in Class IX. One morning it was announced in the assembly that a school production would be staged. It was going to be a Hindi adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Grishm ki madhya ratri ka swapn).

The play was to be helmed by Mr. Alok Chatterjee, belonging to the well-known National School of Drama (NSD). Though I was quite shy in those days I tagged along with friends for the audition. The process for selection was new to me and it felt exciting.

In the first round all the students were asked to form small groups. Then each group had to improvise a skit on a theme allotted to it. At the end of the day students who managed to impress were called for a second round. Each of these students was then asked by the Director to read out from the script the dialogue of a character. Based on this performance a student was selected for a particular role.

I wish I could tell you that I got a plum role. Sadly I can’t. I possibly got what was the smallest of them all. I was to be one of the fairies who come along with the character Puck, the elf. I was upset and all the initial excitement disappeared. I think it was my sister who encouraged me to continue and it turned out wonderfully. No, my role didn’t become any bigger. I did get one whole dialogue assigned later. But like they say sometimes it is about the experience.

The general routine was that every day after school hours all the participants would collect in the school hall. There we would be first served hot lunch. Then practice would start and go on until 4 pm after which special school buses would drop us home.

On the first day we began from the first page of the script. This session and the few to follow were bad. The students had not learnt dialogues since it was all new. As a result the feelings wouldn’t come when you are concentrating on just reading.

I remember the whole atmosphere changed with the arrival of our second hero Demetrius. The student acting out this character came thoroughly prepared. Even though it was going to be his first time practicing he had memorized his dialogues. He brought in a vigor and professionalism. He became the benchmark from there on.

Things had been going well for some days when the bomb exploded. An extra practice session had been arranged on a Saturday following a Parents-Teacher meeting. All but one of the girls playing the lead character of Hermia did not arrive on time. An angry Mr. Alok Chatterjee on the spur of the moment asked someone else, who turned out to be my very good friend Kamakshi, to take over. Half an hour later the student in question reached the hall and was left aghast finding herself replaced. Lots of hot words and tears later peace was restored. But by then the damage had been done. Kamakshi had done splendidly and was there to stay.

The play started taking a better shape after we had a short school break. It seemed all the actors had taken advantage of the holiday to learn their dialogues. So the focus shifted on the movement on stage and adding actions. Simultaneously other departments were doing their jobs. Props were being arranged. Costumes were getting stitched. When there would be nothing to do, we girls would make use of the empty school and play antakshri (singing medley of Hindi film songs) and some would dance all the Madhuri Dixit moves.

Before we knew the dates of the actual performances came knocking. We were going to do four shows in two days – 24th and 25th October, 1994. The first day was to be an evening show. The next day would be a roller-coaster with us staging the play thrice. We all arrived well in advance at the Kamani Auditorium, Delhi. Seeing the big stage and the huge seating capacity sent chills. To top it there were going to be no microphones and we would have to rely on our vocal chords. Everybody was given a chance to test the loudness of their voice. We had people stand in different corners of the theatre to tell us if they could hear us or not. For the first time I was happy that I had only one line to recite. The best thing was that unlike movies the size of the role did not determine the treatment. We were very well taken care of by our school staff.

On 24th October eve among the audience were going to be the participating students’ family members making it all the more important for no mess ups. When the first time people clapped for a scene during the performance it brought smiles to our faces. There was a relief that the play was connecting with the audience. Overall that night I don’t think any mistakes were made. After the whole act was over, all the parents came backstage including mine. I could see their happiness writ over their faces. Mummy was all glowing even for that little part I did and I felt myself swelling with pride.

Our Director however brought us down to earth reminding of what lay ahead the next day. It was to be a real test as the audience was going to consist of school students from classes VI to XII. We knew that there would be no special reprieve in case we faltered. There were a few scary moments. Once one of the characters improvised a dialogue he had forgotten. Only we realized what had happened. I myself suddenly had my throat drying while speaking or was it screeching which Mr. Alok Chatterjee pointed out to me after the performance. But instead of feeling upset I actually felt good hearing that as it made me realize he didn’t consider my part insignificant.

Finally the last bow was taken on the night of 25th October. We were all happy that we sailed through. All those ups and downs had been worth it. Our eyes were dancing with joy, until we were hit by the fact that from now on it would be back to normal life with nothing beyond classes to look forward to.

The sudden pang of emptiness in my stomach made me realize that I had managed to accumulate for myself some priceless memories through this little journey.

(Source of photos: Delhi Public School, Mathura Road. The photos above are pages of the brochure that was printed for the play to be distributed to the audience.)

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PS: Does anyone remember this? Would you like to share any of your such experiences?

UK trip (1): A London Day

A couple of weeks back I returned from a short UK Trip. Base camp was Birmingham where my husband is doing his MBA. Having come all the way from Uppsala, we decided to spend one full day in London. In an ideal situation I would have loved to explore London leisurely. But considering the fact that my vacation was only for eight days and we had other plans as well, dedicating 24 hours to London seemed good in proportion for the moment.

We began the day early by taking a Megabus from Birmingham to London where we were dropped at the Victoria Coach Station. The bus ride took longer than its stipulated time and we reached nearly at 10.00 am. On arriving we walked from the coach station to the nearby London Victoria train station.

Just outside the Tourist Information Center exit stood a Big Bus Tours' City Sightseeing bus, where we bought our Hop On-Hop Off tickets. Interestingly along with that they also sell you fast track entrance tickets for some key attractions like Madame Tussaud's Museum, London Eye, London Sea Aquarium, etc. The advantage for you as a tourist is a direct entrance without having to stand in a long queue for buying the tickets at these places and long queues there are on account of their popularity. This Hop on-Hop off tour covers every sight you can possibly think of. At every stop there were the Big Bus Tours' guides to help. You could buy your fast track tickets with them too.

The first stop where we got off was Madame Tussaud's Museum. When you step out of the lift you are given the red carpet treatment with cameras flashing at you and you feel like a star yourself. Inside there are hundreds of wax works of all possible celebrities.



Among actors the ones I remember were of Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Johny Depp, Daniel Radcliffe, the latest heart throb James Patterson (of the Twilight series), Marylin Monroe, Nicole Kidman, Bruce Willis, Jim Carrey, Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Morgan Freeman and Arnold Schwarzenegger and many more.




There was also a section of Indian film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan.




Then you have the Royal Family. Sadly there was no Princess Diana replica. There were also various political leaders known through history: Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, and John F. Kennedy. A wax work people seemed to enjoy was that of Hitler. Some hailed him and most bashed him. In one part they had modeled the President's Office in the White House with Obama standing. The fun part was me sitting in his chair. My husband's favorite was posing with his idol Michael Jackson. Call it peas in a pod, my best photo came out with Einstein. We were both equally happy to stand next to our master blaster Sachin Tendulkar.



The last leg of the tour was a horror section where you had scary live people, no wax works, come at you. I was totally scared and clutching my husband's arm tightly who in contrast was totally cool. In the end we sat in a London Taxi model toy train and journeyed through London's history and came out smiling.


In all Madame Tussaud's Museum was fun. Only thing is, it was too crowded with everyone wanting to hog stars as if they were real. Despite that I wouldn't mind going there again. It is a place which could cheer anybody up. Even if you don't pose seeing others around you doing all kinds of crazy things can make you smile.

By the time we were done with all the clicking it was nearing 1 pm. But the next bus was standing at the stop and so we got to into it. Since we were in a hurry we gave the close by Sherlok Holmes' Museum, which is located on 221 B Baker Street, the address where the fictional legend lived according to Sir Arthur Conal Doyale, a miss.

Our next stop was Leicester Square. This is one of those places my husband had been to in his first UK experience in 2005. So it was an incredible feeling for us to be there together. Another major attraction that we didn’t enter for lack of time on hands was the National Gallery. I told myself “next trip.” Since it was lunch time our stomachs were rumbling we went to the Chinatown area and ate to our hearts’ content.


We returned back to our stop to Hop On again. This time the route took us past the Big Ben and Westminster Abbey to the London Eye. The London Eye for those who don’t know is a massive Giant Wheel which moves in slow motion. Instead of box seats you have glass cabins which can take in 8-10 people. Its location and height let you have a bird’s eye view of the city.




The only other similar attraction is found in Singapore. It is called the Singapore Flyer. When I had visited Singapore in 2008 for a conference, I had wanted to take a ride on it. But since I was alone and worried about getting sick after stepping into it and not being able to get off I did not attempt to go anywhere near the Singapore Flyer. I was then happy to see it from a distance. But for the London Eye I had no such fears. Having my husband next to me, all I felt was plain excitement.



Anyway the ride is so slow that at no point do you feel giddy. Within 30 min you complete a full circle and its over before you know it. The scenes you get to see are beautiful, particular that of the full stretch of the Thames River with Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.



Right at the London Eye is a pier from where you can take a river cruise. We got a free river cruise ride with our Big Bus Tour ticket which we were allowed to board or disembark at the Westminster Pier, Tower Pier or Waterloo Pier. As we wanted to next head to the Tower Bridge we decided to cruise our way to it. The boat ride was about 20 min. We passed many sights on the way, which were pointed to us by the guide. I was disappointed by the London Bridge. For all its fame thanks to the nursery rhyme it was nothing to boast about.



I thought the London Tower Bridge was quite pretty. It is not a modern bridge and so not all steel. But for me it was still a pleasing sight. If the Tower Bridge was a person I would describe him/her as cute and sweet or cutely sweet or sweetly cute. We spent some time in its vicinity when we recalled that the bus driver had told us that the last sightseeing Big Bus would depart at 5 o’ clock. It took us some minutes to figure out where the stop was, so by the time we discovered it the clock hands had moved beyond five. There were some other tourists standing as well which was a comforting sight. We were just beginning to have some misgivings when soon enough we found one bus coming.

Once again the guide in the bus was very friendly. He asked everybody where they would prefer to be dropped off as this was the last bus because from there on the tourists would be on their own. I got excited in between when he announced that one of the stops was Buckingham Palace. I thought I will be able to see it while still on board. But sadly the rule doesn’t allow vehicles to go in front on the Palace. Anyone wanting to see it would have to get off a distance away and then walk towards it. So another sight was marked to be seen on the next occasion whenever “next” would be.

We reached London Victoria train station around 6 pm from where we made our way to the Coach Station Departures. We still had a lot of time to kill as our return bus was at 9 pm only. So we relaxed there for a bit, then went on a stroll outside and ended with a Fish and Chips dinner.

On our journey back to Birmingham I thought that the reason we could accomplish the many things we wanted to was because of the Big Bus Tours’ efficiency. I would definitely recommend them for those wanting to do sightseeing in London especially for the manner in which they took care of the tourists riding with them. They were courteous and ready to give directions.

Personally I would want to visit some of these sights again in evening time. I am sure the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben would look more grand when all lit up. If I had a lighter schedule I would have liked to walk over the Tower Bridge, spend hours at the National Gallery, see the Changing of the Guard Ceremony and take the Harry Potter Film Locations Walk revealing the seven London locations which have featured in the Harry Potter Films. The latter two are provided free with the Big Bus Tour ticket.

Even with a few things left undone, I will still say that in all it was a great London Day.

Distance loving

This is the story of long distance loving traced through quotations.

THE FIRST DAY

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you... (Richard Marx)

Time and distance don't mean anything when I know we will embrace and hold each other again. (Anonymous)

If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there? (Richard Bach)

In true love the smallest distance is too great, and the greatest distance can be bridged. (Hans Nouwens)


A FEW WEEKS LATER

We are the perfect couple. We're just not in the perfect situation. (Joey Rivett)

You know when you've found it 'cause you feel it when they take it away. (Anonymous)

And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation. (Khalil Gibran)

5000 miles away and you are still right here, in my heart and mind. (Anonymous)

I'll hold you in my heart, till I can hold you in my arms. (Anonymous)

Don't measure the distance; measure my love. (Anonymous)


A FEW MONTHS LATER

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it sure makes the rest of you lonely. (Charlie Brown)

Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated. (Lamartine)

I am here and you are there - one of us is in the wrong place! (Anonymous)

Time is the longest distance between two places. (Tennessee Williams)

Love reckons hours for months, and days for years; and every little absence is an age. (John Dryden)

Words are just not enough to tell you how much you mean to me and how much I need you by my side, all my life. You have touched my life in ways others can't even think of. (Anonymous)

Between now and you is a few hundred days, thousands of tears, and a great deal of dreaming. When those few hundred days have passed, when those thousands of tears have been shed, and when I have dreamt a great deal of dreams, I will be with you again, and it will be pure magic. (Anonymous)


AND FINALLY

The joy of meeting pays the pangs of absence; else who could bear it? (Nicholas Rowe)

Ain't no mountain high enough,
Aint no valley low enough,
Aint no river wide enough,
to keep me from getting to you baby!! (Temptations)

Distance does not matter if two hearts are loyal to one another. (Anonymous)

The test of love is not when we are together. It comes when we are not together and realize that despite the distance, love is still there. (Anonymous)

Distance between two people is only as far as one allows it to be... (Anonymous)

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PS: Do you know any other famous quotes in this category? What stage is your long distance relationship at?

Time and again

There are several Hindi films with a "lost and found family" as the basic plot. One such classic is the 1965 Yash Chopra directed Waqt. The story can be summarized as follows. In the aftermath of a severe earthquake Lala Kedarnath's (Balraj Sahni's) family gets separated. His eldest son Raja finds himself in an orphanage from where he flees after being mistreated by the manager. He grows up to become a thief (Raj Kumar). The second son Ravi gets adopted by a couple who find him on a road, hurt. Under their wings he (Sunil Dutt) goes on to study law. Kedarnath's wife Lakshmi (Achala Sachdev) faces many hardships to raise their youngest son Vijay (Shashi Kapoor). In the meanwhile Lala is sentenced to jail when in his anger he kills Raja's orphanage manager. Years go by and the three brothers cross paths. Seeing a childhood photo of Ravi, Raja recognizes him but does not reveal his identity. When Raja is falsely implicated in a murder case Ravi comes to his defense. Both Vijay and Lala Kedarnath are key witnesses in this trial. After many twists and turns Ravi succeeds in proving Raja's innocence. Wanting to hear the final verdict Lakshmi also comes to the court. In this manner the whole family is brought face to face and gets ultimately reunited. Towards the end Lala Kedarnath says to his wife:

"Lakshmi... aisa maaloom hota hai jaise kuch hua hi nahi. Guzarne se pehle waqt kitna lamba maloom hota hai, kaate nahi kat-ta. Lekin guzarjaane ke baad sadiyan pal ban jaati hain, jaise koi sapna dekha ho."

meaning "Lakshmi... it appears as if nothing has happened. Before time passes by it appears so long, difficult to spend. But after it passes by centuries seem like moments, as if it was a dream we had seen."

As each day ends I tell myself that time is slipping away and gliding by. I am thankful for this as it brings me that much closer to the kind of life I am longing for. But as I am no way near the stage where the mega (centuries) transforms into nano (moments), there is still a lot left to endure. The uncertainity springs all kinds of doubts and when my spirits sway and sag I wonder if there is light at the end of the tunnel. To people who are in a similar boat Emily Dickinson gives the message:

"Time does go on
I tell it gay to those who suffer now
They shall survive
There is a sun
They don't believe it now"
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PS: At what speed has 2011 been going for you so far? You'd rather it moved slower or faster?

We Are Family

We Are Family is one film that I had been wanting to see mainly because it was bringing together Kajol and Kareena Kapoor after a long hiatus. The last time they had shared screen space was in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (K3G) in 2001 in which they had played sisters. So I thought it would be interesting to see how they would fare in a movie where they are vying for the same man's attention. Years ago in Gupt, Bobby Deol had Kajol and Manisha Koirala fighting over him and the expressions of the girls in the song Yeh pyaar kya hai... said it all. Sadly there is no such zing in We Are Family.


The film received commendation for officially acknowledging the original source. But for me this Indian take on the Hollywood movie Stepmom was a let down. Firstly, the writers are not couragous enough to set the story in India. The heart of Stepmom were the two kids. Jena Malone as the teenage daughter warring with her father's new girlfriend and gropping with the reality of her mother's illness was excellent. Liam Aiken when he tells his mother that he will hate Isabel if she wants him to was delightful and sweet. In We Are Family there are three children but not one manages to create ripples in your heart through either acting or plain innocence. Even the leading ladies do not seem to be delivering their best. Neither was I able to sympathize with Kareena Kapoor during her trials when having to take care of the brat pack nor did I shed tears as Kajol suffers through the dreaded disease. For what should have been a three hanky movie, a descrption I had read in a newspaper for K3G, is not able to strike an emotional connect with the audience.

The only point where my eyes watered a little was when I heard Shreya Ghoshal's beautiful rendition of the song Sun le dua. But here too I had a reason to grumble. The song should have had at least one more stanza. The sweetness of Shreya Ghoshal's voice leaves you asking for more. Despite the short length anyone who has had to see a loved one slip by, bit by bit, would still be able to relate to this prayer which they would have repeated a million times. So let me leave you its lyrics:

Film: We Are Family

Music: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Lyrics: Irshat Kamil

Singer: Shreya Ghoshal

Tu jo gayi toh soona hoga yeh jahaan
Pheeki pheeki hogi saari yeh daastan
Tumse judi hai har khushi
Tere bina kya hai yahaan
Chaahein tumhein hum maange tumhe
Sun le dua yeh aasman

Chote chote khwaabon ko aa jodenge
Yeh bhi vaada

Na tumhein ab chodenge
Jeena chaahe phir tere liye
Aaankhein na pherenge
Saansein meri tu le le bhale
Ab na tumhein jaane denge

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PS: Which did you like more - Stepmom or We Are Family?