Judgement Day

 

In a jam-packed hall, public awaits the decision. Judges raises the Gavel:

Order! Order! Order!

And the verdict is…..

It is not a court scene out of a potboiler movie, It was a new fun filled experience for me to judge a Talent show organized for Indian community in Connecticut.

This concept based on the line of America’s got talent was implemented for the first time at DesisAroundRockyhillCT group. I was invited along with Mr Prashant Soni (Music) and Ms Kamaliaka Neogi (Dance). I represented the Drama side.  Kirti and Amol More were key organizers on behalf of Desis Group and it was a well-managed well thought about event.

I had in past judged Drama contests, Art performances, Elocution. But as a combination it was a new experience. For me the key parameters were: how good the contestant presented his talent as a package? , how well he/she connected with the  audience?  And finally how good was talent itself.

I had a deep urge to act like Anu Malik on Indian Idol.  But when putting on judging parameters on the performance of judges themselves, I am sure that would have eliminated me in the first round itself.  That’s true for many judges on mainstream who maybe have been directed to do all buffoonery on stage. This does not add up ladies and gentlemen. So my advice to some judges on mainstream is: Control …(la Nana Patekar)

Happy Dussehra

Lets try to score a perfect 10 on this Vijayadashami.  As we commonly know that the best player in the team wears number 10. So lets get best. Best is the highest you can reach in each test you appear in your life. And the best part also is that you are the examiner who will grade your own self. So being best is your choice and your own judgement. Let no one else define those standards for you. So be best, be happy and cross the limits of being good or better this Dussehra, Happy Dussehra to you.

 

अमेरिकेच्या मातीच्या कणातली वरात

अमेरिकेच्या मातीच्या कणा कणात शेक्सपिअर आहे आपले आजचे प्रमुख पाहुणे  जेंव्हा भारताच्या मातीच्या कणा कणात जातील तोच खरा सुदिन. पु ल हे ऐकून दचकतात. आपली ओळख करून देताना जर कोणी असे म्हणत असेल तर काय करावे त्यांनी ? इथे उभ्या महाराष्ट्रात  ते बघताना प्रेक्षाकांमध्ये हशा. तसाच हशा आपण त्याच अमेरिके च्या मातीत पिकवू शकू का? अमेरिकेचे सदाशिव पेठ ज्याला म्हणता येईल अश्या न्यू  इंग्लंड भागातील कनेक्टिकट राज्यात वाऱ्या वरची वरात बसवताना अनेक प्रश्न . बाकी काही म्हणा पु लंच्या साहित्यात सदाशिव पेठेला वेगळेच स्थान आहे म्हणून न्यू  इंग्लंड ला सदाशिव पेठ म्हणालो. इथले अमेरिकन लोक वेगळे आणि बाकीचे इतर असे समजतात हाही एक योगायोग

मराठी मंडळाच्या प्रतिनिधींनी व्हॉट्स ऍप्प च्या माध्यमातून दिलेल्या आव्हानाला  होय म्हणालो  खरे पण ते आपण पेलू शकु का ही शंका होती. अमेरिकेत मराठी मंडळे नेहमींच नाटके करतात. महाराष्ट्रातून अनेक रंगकर्मी इथे येऊन प्रयोग करतात. मग त्यात नवीन काय किंवा त्याबद्दल  तुम्हाला का सांगावे ? आणि असेही नाही कि आम्ही आमचे उभे आयुष्य रंगभूमीच्या उद्धाराकरिता व्यतीत गेले.  भारतातील नाटकात  थोडासा अनुभव, थोड्याशा आठवणी एवढ्याच तुटपुंजी वर आम्ही अमेरिकन नाट्यश्रुष्टीत काही क्रांती घडवून आणणार नव्हतो . मग आमच्या अमेरिकी स्टेज च्या पदार्पणाची गोष्ट का सांगावी?

कारण स्वतः पुलं नी सांगितले आहे असामीअसामी मध्ये. दिगंबर काका   म्हणतो: “ इथे ज्ञानेश्वर माऊलींनीच परमिट दिले आहे. कि राजहंसाचे चालणे असेल जगी  शहाणे म्हणून कावळ्याने चालूच नये काय?”

Dr लागू , काशिनाथ घाणेकर असतील मोठे रंगकर्मी म्हणून ह्या पुणेकर गौतमा ने  अनुभव सांगू नये  की काय?

तर करू  मी सुरवात?

Baba

बाबा ह्या विषयावर काय लिहू ?

मुळतः वडीलां वर काही लिहिणे ह्या आगाऊपणावर जरी पुलंनी व्यंग केले तरी त्याला  न जुमानत  आज ते धाडस  करतो .

पुलं च्या असामी मध्ये मास्टर शंकरचा  चा भाऊ गिर्या लिहितो आणि जे मुख्याध्यापिका सरोज खरे (आपली ) वाचतात : "आमच्या वडिलांनाआम्ही बाबा म्हणतात . माझे बाबा धोतरातून वांगी आणतात. आमचे वडील  सूट घातल्या  वर डिट्टो  अशोक कुमार दिसतात "

अशोक कुमार  सारखे जरी ते  दिसत  नसले  तरी  तरी त्यांचे नाव असलेल्या बाबांच्यात आणि त्यांच्यात एक साम्य आहे दादामुनींचे ज्येष्ठत्व चित्रपट   क्षेत्रात  जसे मानले जाते तसेच बाबांचे   ज्येष्ठत्व सर्वत्र मानले जाते. मग ते घरात असो, जवळील किंवा दोन्ही बाजूच्या लांबच्या नातेवाइकांच्यात असो , किंवा त्यांचा मित्रमंडीळीत किंवा कॉलेज मध्ये असो, किंवा वाड्यात, नवीन सोसायटीत असो किंवा माझ्या मित्रांच्या पालक ग्रुप मध्ये असो किंवा त्यांचा बागेत, आईच्या मित्रमंडळीत असो . ,  हे ज्येष्ठत्व केवळ वयामुळे नसून ते त्यांचा एकंदरीत व्यक्तिमत्वामुळे आले आहे कारण त्यांचा पेक्षा ज्येष्ठ लोकांच्या मनात त्यांच्या विषयीच्या भावना मी माझ्या लहान पाणी बघितल्या आहेत. त्यांचे ज्येष्ठ  व समवयस्क त्यांना अशोक हे संबोधन वापरताना येणारा  जिव्हाळायुक्त आदर मी जाणवला आहे.  अहो, बाबा, अशोकराव, काका, सर, आबा, कक्का हे संबोधन करणारी मंडळी तर त्यांचे फॅन क्लब आहेत. ह्या सर्वांचे सुद्धा ते मित्र बनू शकतात आणि फिलॉसॉफर, गाईड सुद्धा.

Ganapati Bappa Morya

पुढच्या वर्षी लवकर या '  असे म्हणल्यानंतर ज्या दिवसाची गेले वर्षभर आपण वाट बघत होतो तो  दिवस उजाडला.  पुढचे काही दिवस आता आनंद आणि  उत्साह व त्या आठवणींच्या शिदोरी वर पुढील वर्षाकडे जोमाने बघण्याचा प्रपंच. बघितले तर  तोच तोच पणा आणि बघितले तर नव्या आठवणी जमा करण्याच्या छंद.    माझ्याप्रमाणे  तसाच छंद असणाऱ्या तुम्हा सर्वांना गणपतीच्या  हार्दिक शुभेच्छा 

Gear Up

Two thirds of 2019 is gone and we head towards last four months of the decade. This is the time to gear up. Gear up to celebrate the festivities waiting for the remainder part of the year. Gear up to recoup after long summer and unprecedented rains, cyclones, floods. Gear up to face new challenges like economic downturn, emerging market dynamics, wars, terror, extreme polarization and so on. Gear up to meet personal goals targets that we usually plan for the next Calendar year. This calendar change would usher in the new decade of 2020s. Lot was said about 2020 as landmark in human history. But signs are dangerous as we stand precariously to let our offspring live in a world and an environment they cannot salvage to continue their existent. The latest fires in Amazon forests have led us into an irreversible situation for climate and environment. It’s high time for the world to gear up, unite and fight the things to minimize further damage, do things to help us recover the situation. As we usher in celebrations, we pray to the Lord of Wisdom and Remover of Obstacles to help us do that. Ganapati Bappa Morya

Tribute to a Stalwart A Leader and Great Minister: Sushma Swarajji

A great loss to Indian Politics. An Iron Lady who exemplified a minister's performance and how its impact reaches the people and Indian all over the world be it a techie in Visa conundrum in US, or a victim of road accident anywhere in the world, or a laborer exploited in Gulf or abused NRI wives all over the world, or those lying low in Pakistan prisons. Be it diplomacy in SAARC region, APAC, EU, US, Russia, China, Middle East, Africa, UN, she was the best. A great orator, parliamentarian, leader,  leader of opposition, minster of parliamentary affairs, women cause champion. A short tenured Chief minister in troubled times and dislodged by a strange reason: Onion Prices. A youth leader and state level politician par excellence. A very effective information and broadcasting minister as well as health minister A graceful exit from active politics due to unfortunate health  reasons which she finally succumbed to.  A tremendous loss to Nation.... 

50 50

Life can be described at its best as a 50 50 endeavor. It is divided between happiness and sorrow, success and failure, winning and losing, hope and despair, day and night, winter and summer. At the start of  this summer of 2019, I had a wish list of three things that I had no control over to happen: Mumbai Indians winning IPL, Modi winning general elections and Kohli lifting World Cup. Summer still is at its glory in this part of world while monsoons have set in finally in most part of India ending long summer there. Ignoring IPL to be non-serious matter, on the rest two accounts it was fifty-fifty verdict. While India and Modi won riding on a very effective campaign, lack of opposition and support of aspiring India, Virat lost it thanks to bad selection and decisions, half an hour of bad cricket at crucial moment. This column has said lot about why India won when Modi won. Though we will delve upon what next after the election and what needs to be the agenda for Modi2.0, but while analyzing World Cup we should also now focus on what’s next. As many serious thinkers will find it childish to equate cricket with National cause, but for this column cricket is passion while politics is a way of life. Cricket this time was 50 overs matter and in Indian Politics its about 50 % absolute majority and only around 50% of voters bother to Vote.