Song Birds

Ladies rehearse for tomorrow's I-Day function

It doesn’t take any persuasion to get things up and cracking in the Club. A little trigger will do. Monthi Serrao had only to distribute the lyrics of a song and in two minutes, the Club’s ‘song birds’ gathered together. In another two minutes, she had a full ‘choir’, ready to put up a performance for tomorrow’s Independence Day celebration.
This would be a first. Never before have the ladies of the Club ganged up for a live musical session on I-Day at the Garden.

Yusuf takes charge of tomorrow's snacks

All we have had in the past was recorded patriotic songs from movies playing with a brief interregnum for singing the national anthem. There would be a ‘march past’ around the Garden with the national tricolor followed by refreshments/ snacks and thereafter, everybody would disperse.
This time around, we shall have the ladies singing as well.
Now, here’s the catch. Monthi had come up with the lyrics of ‘Chhodo kal ki baatein, kal ki baat purani… Hum Hindustani!’ To many that did not sound patriotic enough, even as everyone, including Harbans Kaur and Fehmida Khan could sing this number effortlessly.

Santosh Tyagi cracks an unexpected joke!

Someone suggested another number, and then a third… just that beyond a point, the lyrics were getting muddled. Siba Prasad Maitra suggested the sweet and simple ‘Saare Jahaan se Achcha’, only to have Banoo Khan countering him: “There are at least four versions of the song, each with a different tune. Do you want the military tune or the Lata version?”
“Anything will do,” Maitra replied, whipping out his mobile to connect with You Tube and the ladies peered in to catch the tune. Having decided on it and with everybody familiar with the full lyrics, rehearsals began in right earnest. Only Monthi was upset: “What is all this? I come with one song here and they decide on singing another song!”
Meanwhile, Shekhawat handed charge for organizing tomorrow's refreshments to Yusuf Rassiwala. The menu was decided last Wednesday and only the question of delivering the stuff early morning remains. Swati Punjabi had her way on pitching in with poha as a personal add-on. And before everybody dispersed, Santosh Tyagi narrated an unusually bawdy joke on the controversial godman Asaram Bapu and in-the-news godwoman Radhe Maa, much to Shekhawat’s eternal delight!
Bihari Milwani:
* Sare laughing club se achhcha, Big Laaf hamara / Hum iske member hain, yeh club hai hamara...
* Chhodho sabh health clubs/ Health club hain purani/ Aao milke banain ek /Hassi ki Big Laaf hamari...