पिता तो मेरे चले गए,
अब पितृ दिवस मेरा सूना है।
जैसे लोभी का धन लुट गया,
और लगा मोटा चूना है।
अब यादों में रहे शेष बस,
मूरत नहीं दिखाई देती।
कहां ठहाका रहा हंसी का,
खुशियां नहीं दिखाई देती।
कहां छुपी वो आशीषें जो,
हमको सदां दिया करते थे।
हमारी खुशियों में खुश थे,
और दुख में सदां दुखी दिखते थे।
थे निश्छल, निष्कपट भाव वो,
ऐसा कोई कहां मिलता है।
रिश्तों में स्वारथ सधता है,
और मनों में छल पलता है।
मेरे पिता तो, देवलोक की,
सीधी ऐक निशानी थे।
हुंकारों से रोम खड़े हो,
ऐसे वो लासानी थे।
मगर वो माली चला गया,
जहां बाग पल्लवित होते थे।
क्या मजाल कोई घर में आये,
खुल्लम खुल्ला सोते थे।
पिता गये,वो रति गयी जो,
उनके होने पर होती।
आज अगर जिन्दा होते तो,
ऐसी गति नहीं होती।
जिनकी कोई औकात नहीं,
मुझ पर आरोप लगाते हैं।
गले लगाते रहे मगर वो,
छूट छूट कर जाते हैं।
मेरे पिता ने मुझसे जो चाहा,
वो मैं कर जाऊंगा।
सब रुठे फिर भी मैं अपना,
वचन निभाकर जाऊंगा।
मेरे पिता हैं, मैं भी पिता हूं,
ये धारा है जीवन की।
मैं भी पुत्र हूं,मेरा पुत्र है,
यही व्यवस्था हर तन की।
जहां देने का भाव रहे,
बस पिता वही कहलाता है।
जहां सेवा का भाव रहे,
बस पुत्र वही कहलाता है।
फिर कहता हूं दुनिया में कोई,
मेरे पिता सा पिता नहीं।
मुझे भाग्य से मिले पिता,
मेरी थी औकात नहीं।
मैं उनके गुण क्या लिक्खू,
वो लिखने में नहीं आयेंगे।
राई से क्या पहाड़ तुलेगा,
तोल तोल मर जाएंगे।
है ईश्वर से एक निवेदन,
पुण्य अगर कोई बाकी हो,
फिर से पिता बने मेरे,
दीदार वही, वही झांकी हो।

सबके बस की बात नहीं है।

फूल छोड़ कर कांटे चुनले,
सबके बस की बात नहीं है।
महल छोड के वन को चुन लें,
ये सब की औकात नहीं है।
भावों का भी एक जगत है,
जो लौकिक में नहीं समाता,
द्रष्टि से भी परे दृष्य़ है,
जो आंखों में नहीं समाता।
उसको जो कोई देख सके
ये सबके बस की बात नहीं है।
महल छोड़ कर….
शब्दों का छोटा सा दायरा,
पकड़ पकड़ के कहां पकड़ोगे,
बुद्ध और महावीर की वाणी,
शब्दों से कैसे पकड़ोगे।
जहां शब्दों की पकड़ छूट जाये,
उसको तुम कैसे पकड़ोगे।
सुधा छोडके गरल को पीना,
सबके बस की बात नहीं है।
महल छोड़ कर…
मानव यूं मानव नहीं होता,
जैसे सब मानव होते हैं।
मानवता जिनके अन्दर हो,
वो मानव थोड़े होते हैं।
जो मानव मानव बन जाये,
ये सब की औकात नहीं है।
महल छोड़ कर…
अन्धो को कैसे समझाए,
वेद व्यास भी हार गए हैं।
जीते जागते कृष्ण न दीखे,
सब कौरव बेकार गये है
सबकी झोली में आ जाये,
ये ऐसी सौगात नहीं है।
महल छोड़ कर…
कविता गढ़ दूं, और मैं गा दूं,
फिर भी इससे क्या होता है।
गीता और रामायण लिख दी,
फिर भी अपना मन सोता है।
दर दर पर जो लुट जाये,
ये ऐसी खैरात नहीं है।
महल छोड़ कर…
अंतस का जब भाग्य उदय हो,
और संगत परवान चढे तो,
कभी पुण्य का उदय होय तो,
और सज्जन सत्कार बढ़े तो।
तभी ज्ञान की वर्षा होगी,
ऐसी फिर बरसात नहीं है। फूल छोड़ कर कांटे चुन लें,
सबके बस की बात नहीं है।
महल छोड़ कर …

देखो ये कैसी मजबूरी

दीपक की ये मजबूरी है,
जले नहीं तो और करें क्या।
और पतंगें की मजबूरी,
जान के जल गया और करें क्या।
मजबूरी ऐसी ब्याधा है,
इसको बस मजबूर ही जाने।
क्ई बार मजबूरी में तो,
खुद को पड़ते प्राण गंवाने।
फिर भी हल नहीं हुई समस्या,
देखो ये कैसी मजबूरी।
वो न कभी जान पायेगा,
जिसने नहीं देखी मजबूरी।।
आत्मघात सस्ता होता हो,
मर न सके वो है मजबूरी।
पर ये सब मजबूर ही जाने,
जना न सके ये है मजबूरी।
घोर कष्ट देना मालिक,
पर मत देना ऐसी मजबूरी।
सीता जैसी नारि त्याग दी,
बनी राम की वो मजबूरी।
राम त्याग दिए दसरथजी ने,
जानो थी कैसी मजबूरी।
प्राण त्याग देते सस्ता था,
पर नहीं त्यागे थी मजबूरी।
नारद,शेष, महेश,जिन्हें,
दिन रात रटे,करते मजदूरी,
उनका घर से देश निकाला,
दसरथ की कैसी मजबूरी।
राम तो बड़े उदाहरण है,
पर बड़ी बहुत होती मजबूरी।
जहां समझ और ज्ञान हार जाये,
वो देखी हमने मजबूरी।
मेरा अपना ऐसा अनुभव,
मेरी भी अपनी मजबूरी।
धर्म ध्वजों के ऊपर ही,
हावी होती देखी मजबूरी।
मगर धर्म का साधक ही,
होता मजबूर,यही मजबूरी।
अधम और नीचो की देखो,
नहीं होती कोई मजबूरी।
मैं कहता हूं मजबूरी में,
यों मजबूर कभी मत होना,
धर्म डुबो दो मजबूरी में
ऐसी नहीं होती मजबूरी।
पुत्र कटे,धन दौलत लुट गई,
ऐसी भी होती मजबूरी,
मगर धर्म को लील जाये जो,
ऐसी नहीं होती मजबूरी।
विश्वासो को लील जाए जो,
ऐसी भी होती मजबूरी,
मगर धर्म को लील जाए जो,
ऐसी नहीं होती मजबूरी

फिर ये नूतन,नूतन कैसा है?

सब नूतन होय पुरातन तो,
फिर ये नूतन,नूतन कैसा है।
आज़ का नूतन,कल पुरातन,
भ्रम का एक फंदा जैसा है।
युगों युगों से सभी पुरातन,
नूतन देह बदलते आये।।
आशा और सपनों के सपने,
हमको सदां दिखाते आये।।
पर मानव का मन ऐसा है,
सपने में ही सुख पाता है।।
और पुरानी दीवारों पर,
रंग रोगन करता जाता है।।
नया पुराना कुछ नहीं होता,
जो जैसा है,बस वैसा है।।
एक मिलन है एक विदाई,
पर सब वैसा का वैसा है।।
जिसमें तुम्हें शकुन मिलता हो,
देता हूं नव वर्ष बधाई।।
मंगलमय जीवन हो सबका,
और पुण्य की बढ़े कमाई।।
रहे निरोगी काया सबकी,
मात पिता की हो सिवकाई।
परिवारों में मेल बना रहे,
बहिनें सदां सुहागिन होवें।।
आज्ञाकारी पुत्र सुखी हो,
पुत्री सदां चहकती होवें।।
सुन्दर नारि सदां सुख पावें,
शाकाहार बने सब घर में।।
भारत वर्ष महान बने,
जिसका परचम फहरे अम्बर में।।

(जिले सिंह)

ये जीवन आना जाना है।

ये जीवन आना जाना है।
आज यहां कल जायेगा।।
सूरज चांद सितारे सबको,
काल एक दिन खायेगा।।
धरती से अम्बर तक देखो,
एक ही चीज सनातन है।
सच्चे गुरु का ज्ञान अमर है,
तुझे अमर कर जायेगा।।

कभी बने जो राजमहल थे,
आज बने खण्डर देखो ।
जहां अप्सरा नृत्य करे थी,
अब उसका मंजर देखो।।
क्षण क्षण सोना मिट्टी होता,
मिट्टी सोना होती है।।
इतनी बात समझ में आये,
तो फिर जीवन बदलेगा।।
सच्चे गुरु….
एक धुरी है एक चाक है,
ऐसा सबका जीवन है।।
सभी चाक पर घूम रहे हैं,
चाक बना जीवन धन है।।
सन्त धुरी को देख रहे हैं,
पल पल पैनी नजरों से।
और अज्ञानी चाक देखता,
घूम घूम मर जायेगा।।
सच्चे गुरु..
नित्य सदां रहता दुनिया में,
और सदां रह जायेगा।‌।
लाख संभालो सपने को तुम,
पर सच नहीं बन पायेगा।।
जान के बन्दे गोता खाये,
ये ही तो भव सागर है,
बाहर निकल जा जैसे तैसे,
सौने का हो जायेगा।।
सच्चे गुरु..

By Sunil Sarpal

India unearthed a batting talent approx.. three years ago, including him in the playing 11 to represent India in a test match against West Indies held in India. He scored a mammoth 300 runs in an innings. His name was Karun Kaladharan Nair.

Since then his name never figured in contention to represent India. This must be a case of dipping form. Hitting 300 runs in a match against West Indies in itself is an achievement beyond imagination and comparison with his contemporaries.

He is definitely an exceptional talent and should not be over-looked.

BCCI should nurture such talent so that he gets acclimatised to play in different conditions and evolves his batting.

There are other cricketers also with lot of talent but due to meagre resources cannot compete at higher level.

Luckily in India, BCCI is one of the richest cricket bodies in the world. It can nurture such extra-ordinary talent, providing stipend or free facilities.

County Cricket in England is one such platform where young and up-coming players can blossom if given a chance to play alongside International stars.

It is the duty of the new BCCI President Roger Binny to form a committee whose primary task should be to unearth such talent and provide all facilities free of charge for their exposure so that they become tomorrow’s stars.

What is your view in this matter. Please post your opinion in the comment box below.

By Sunil Sarpal

Virat Kohli leading India to victory against Pakistan in T20 world cup in Australia this October takes us back to the Asia Cup match played against Afghanistan just a little over a month ago when he broke a jinx and his resurgence began.

Indian Cricket is not spared from dirty politics and jealousies. In Kohli’s words, when he gave up captaincy, only one man showed concern and called upon him. That was MS Dhoni. Others also had his number, he complained, but were probably jealous of his record tumbling feat.

Kohli’s dipping form for over 3 years has been a cause of concern in cricket fraternity. Had he been in the Australian team, he would have been shown the exit door. But a better sense prevailed upon BCCI that he had been persisted with.

It took Kohli three years to score 71st International ton. During his dry period, Indian legend Kapil Dev talked in terms of writing him off and spoke in favour of better bench strength and in-form players.

Now, those critical of his inclusion in the side, will twist their statement, saying it was their way of motivating Virat so that he starts delivering yet again. That is why it is a well known fact that our society is riddled with hypocracy.

Now that Kohli has finally scored 71st ton, he shall be the most relieved man.

It is not imperative on part of past legends such as Kapil Dev and Gavaskar to make irresponsible statements. It’s unbecoming of their status. It is only their way to keep their name afloat and remain in the public eye. They do not want somebody else joining them in greatness. They are apparently ego-centric and biased.

Kohli, in an interview, said that till the time God wills, he will keep on playing. In fact, past legends outbursts do not bother him much. On the other hand, cricketers from abroad spoke highly of Kohli and wished him success.

Definitely, his blade will keep on accumulating runs till the time God so desires. God always stand by those who have a clean and unbiased heart, like Kohli.

During the six-days there will be participation from ten different directors on one platform. The directors are: Chandershekhar Sharma, Vishaw Deepak Trikha from Rohtak, Rajesh Tiwari, Ashraf Ali, Varun Sharma, Sunil Chauhan and Shyam Kumar and the plays are ‘Lajwanti’ , ‘Gadhe Ki Barat’ , ‘Kambakht Ishq’, ‘Jaanch Padtal’ , ‘Charandas Chor’ ,‘Aadhe Adhure’ ‘Digdarshak’ , ‘Shikasta Booton Ke Darmiyan’ ‘Chuhal’ & ‘Ek Ruka Hua Faisla’.

Aranyak
The brand new Hindi webseries on Netflix

▫️ Welcome to the world of murder mystery that has the deceptive appearance of a folklore. This character- नर तेंदुआ- imaginary or real, would hammer your brain across 8 episodes. Since a fresh killing and rape of a girl , the sleepy town of Himachal Pradesh is jolted again. The police station, uncountable natives …complete with an influential politician and a high status business family. The probe begins, so does your journey into a narrative which is thrilling in the beginning and a big disappointment after 3 episodes. Lengthy, tedious and long drawn.

▫️ Casting is almost perfect. Parambrata excels as Angad Mallik, the investigating police officer. Surprisingly, Raveena as the SHO on leave, Kasturi Dogra, manages to get into the character effortlessly. Then we have actors like Ashutosh Rana, Zakir Husain, Meghna Malik among others who try earnestly to lift a dull screenplay. All remain stereotypes with some clichéd, overdramatic dialogues. The hangover of the forgotton era of the ’80s.

▫️ A mixed bag indeed. Average direction and writing, above average performances (better than Candy at least), effective background score. O yes, watch the series on faster speed for the breathtaking and picturesque locations. The climax has been shot in thick snowfall all over and looks phenomenal.

▫️ Nothing less, nothing more.

I remember my first learning after starting to live here in the hills. 2010, I think. Those days we were still city slickers who would travel up by the Ranikhet Express after putting in a full day at work. We would head up on a Thursday night and head back down by the Sunday night train to get into work on Monday morning! Gosh! I’m feeling tired just writing about those crazy trips!

During one of those trips, I remember we decided to use the local public transport of the shared Boleros that ply up and down from Ranikhet and stop anywhere they want to pick up or drop off passengers. We had bought some plastic chairs in Ranikhet and had tied them to the carrier of our chariot for the return journey.

After waiting for about 20 minutes for passengers to be rounded up, we set off at around 2 pm. As the vehicle was pretty crowded, Tripti sat in the middle seat and I squeezed into the extremely intimate back benches where five people and a baby were forced to rub knees and ignore touching thighs and hips! After about five minutes when we had just exited Ranikhet, the baby who was in her mother’s arms sitting next to me decided to entertain the bored passengers by evacuating her lunch onto my jeans and shoes. The mother turned a deep shade of red in embarrassment as she profusely started apologising and at the same time asking the driver to pull over.

I sat struck dumb, looking at the child’s lunch, trying hard not to react rudely or at all actually, while the driver pulled over on the verge and the rest of the passengers got off and hung around chatting idly. Gently reprimanding the mother for travelling with the little one so soon after her lunch, he pulled out a jerry can of water and came to the back and started cleaning the floor, the seat, my jeans and shoe. I thanked him and got off as well as he diligently finished the clean up operation. The whole operation from barf to boarding took around 15 minutes.

As I waited with Tripti, I looked around at all the rest of the passengers waiting with us. Some were squatting and smoking, some chattering, some busy on their phones, some cooing and chatting with the baby and her mother. 15 minutes of this. Once the driver announced the all clear, we all got back into the jeep and set off again.

And that’s when it struck me.
In all the time we had been waiting outside, not one passenger complained about getting late, expressed annoyance at the driver or the mother or in fact, expressed any kind of reaction of any kind whatsoever! This was totally amazing to me, coming as I did from a life where delays like this might mean the collapse of democracy as we know it or the heavens deciding to fall! 15 minutes? And not a peep? What was going on here? And that’s when it finally dawned on me. Time was a fictional concept invented by man to make life intolerable! What the local people knew instinctvely was that neither democracy, nor the heavens, nor in fact anything at all of import would ever happen in their life by waiting for a young mother to clean up her baby and make it more comfortable. Patience. Yes,that was my learning that day and I was humbled by it. Truly humbled. And just for that, I am forever indebted to these hills and to it’s truly human populace.

Firm structures are delusional, they are nothing but myths that we are constantly chasing in our closed mind doors and heavily curtained windows. We have grown to believe that we must adorn structures much like the daily practice of wearing our clothes, taking a shower or having our food. Do we even once care to stop and chase the sighting shadows of the passerby? By not giving authority to these shrouded imprints, we fail to notice the wondrous
sights that life has to offer to us, the miraculous forms and figures of the “much needed to define shadows”.

Shadows of course are hazy, difficult to pin as someone true, and further becomes even more not worth a glance, if it belongs to mere passerby. However, for once it is important to
gaze deeply and give the shadow its much needed worth and respect. The bystander needs to be witnessed thus to give it a valuable definition. It is foremost hence for once to believe
in the onlookers’ misty rooted figures and give it a much needed honorable name. Only then will we witness the miracles of life where these clouded shapes have the power to change…
to change your life.

Once we stop to talk, to think along, cry along the sorrow or laugh along the joys of the onlooker and embark on his journey, we are constructing the paths to universal living and
true harmony with all. One only has to believe that the paths to his story are golden and are the flights of the rainbow to the diamond crusted view of the universe. Each figure has the
potential to hold our attention to such an extent, that we come to realise and recognise the prodigy in each person. Our lives are only enriched by these sighting shadows that have voices and conversations we must not only hear, but hear to recollect to enrich our own ways.

We must therefore join in their sightings and believe in the sightings of clouded beings and discard our own fears to join in their tete-a- tete. Nothing then can be thrown clumsily out as worthless and the value of all is in the faithful spirit of all.

DIRTY CHAI, a hip hop Bollywood musical, is a colorful & crazy dramedy, full of heart!

Chaya Chandrika Gopi, or “Chai” as she likes to be called, is a rebellious Indian-American bride-to-be. Chai’s parents have promised her to a nice Indian boy and the wedding is in ten days. With her back against the wall, not yet ready to give in to this assault on her freedoms, Chai leaves home but unexpectedly falls in love with a charming & mysterious stranger, making a powder keg out of an already complicated situation. Chai finds forbidden love with a fearless American girl, Ronnie, and is trapped between upholding her family’s traditions or following her heart, which goes against everything she’s been taught.

Chai is a messy concoction of two very different cultures, two conflicting identities, and two opposing desires, just like the dirty chai she orders each morning- a perfect brew of espresso and chai (tea).

Her Indian father, Mr. Hardik Gopi, is a traditional Hindu man.

Her White American mother, Mrs. Rani Gopi, converted to Hinduism after falling in love.

Filled with excitement and sarcasm, DIRTY CHAI challenges the walls of formality, fear, and judgment that separate people. Every cause has an effect in this intricately interwoven dramedy about human lives, embracing family, and the chaos of falling in love.

P.S. There will be a wedding so, “chai” not to miss it! o.O

Directed by Adam Marcus
Starring Ruchi Kishore as “Chai”
Sponsored by Café Cafe Mobile Coffee

Now Watch the play online on this link:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=194272942628895&id=103549798665628

In 1975 to celebrate 100th show of our Theatre Academy, Pune’s original Marathi Production Vijay Tendulkar’s: Ghashiram Kotwal, we invited Dilip Kumar and Shashi Kapoor as the chief guests. Thereafter not many know that Dilip Kumar became our friend. There were many occasions where Jabbar Patel, Anil Joglekar and me were invited to his home on the Pali Hill. Several story ideas were discussed to make film. Story drafts were discussed but never materialised. But we became friends. Dilip Kumar used to speak Marathi fluently. He had seen many popular Marathi Sangeet Natak’s. Sometime at his home he will take out harmonium and sing old Marathi theatre song made popular by Bal Gandharva. Dilip Kumarji and Saira ji used to visit Pune during weekends. They used to stay at famous Turf Club and used to invite Ghashiram actors Gang for a high tea and chat. Above is one photograph of their 1993 visit to Turf Club Pune. Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu seen with ( from left: Satish Ghatpande, Dilip Gokhale, Avinash Limaye, Arvind Thakar, and Suresh Basale) We lost all these three actors over the years.

Five minutes monologue of Dilip Kumar in 1953 film Foothpath written and directed by Zia Sarhadi

Sherni. The latest movie on Amazon Prime Not as hard hitting as director Amit V. Masurkar’s previous one (Newton), but that hardly takes away the sheen from this true-to-life movie. In the same breath, it’s NOT meant for everyone. Period. If the killing of animals infuriates your being, if ultra slow unfolding of the story fascinates you, if no-frill acting style makes a great connect, do find time to watch it.

This is Aastha Tiku’s very first attempt at story and screenplay. Quite impressive. Dialogues by Yashaswi and Amit appear improvised, sound natural and sharp. Lovely. Benedict and Naren have come up with some extremely restrained musical scores that elevate the sense of mystery in the jungle. And yes, Rakesh Haridas with his available-light shots provide some real-life experience for the viewers.

Vidya Balan, the protagonist, sails through this forest saga with ease and intensity. An ace performance. Vijay Raaz, Sharat Saxena, Brijendra Kala and Neeraj Kabi have lent a good sense of authenticity. Didn’t like Ila Arun at all. Overdone sequences. Okay, what really drew me close to the film was Sampa Mandal as the villager (Jyoti). I guess she was the one playing Phulia (Phoolan Devi) in Sonchiriya. Would love to watch her in different roles: rustic or urban. Superlatively talented. All said, the title should have been Baghin (Tigress), not Sherni (Lioness). Whether what we get visually (tigress and her cubs) or metaphorically (Vidya), बाघिन was apt.