ANNUAL FUNCTION 2018

The Stage: Act in progress

It was an occasion to let down your hair and have a blast – to legitimately celebrate madness, to showcase our talent (or the lack of it) and to bond with friends, old and new. Sitaram Hivarkar was there, as also Purushottam Sharma, besides of course, renowned professionals like bulbul tarang exponent Rashid Khan and Bollywood choreographer Nadira Khan and well-wishers like Muhammed Farooq Khan, Mala De and Harish Wadhwa.
It was also an occasion for Karun Sharma to step into the ‘japani’ shoes of Raj Kapoor, if only

Kiran Prakash

for a brief while and pull off a scintillating act as the adorable tramp. Likewise, Yusuf Rassiwala did a Balraj Sahni with the Zohra Jabeen number, sending the audience into raptures.

Karun Sharma as the 'tramp'

And the ladies simply had a ball, singing and dancing – be it Banoo Apa or Rafaaqat, Pushpa Gupta or Rakhi Bansi.
Nahid Khan, Kajal Babani, Geeta Latte, Bhaswati Bose and Rukhsana Khan also deserve special mention for playing their part on stage with rare conviction and elan.

Yusuf Rassiwala during the Zohra Jabeen act

Bringing them all together was the master of ceremonies, Kiran Prakash who compered the show for the evening.
It was also a lifetime opportunity for Shekhawat to throw his weight around as Kadak Singh, the jail warden (in khaki uniform top-to-toe) while Bijoy Gupta and his brothers

Shekhawat as jail warden, with his prisoners

in ‘crime’ – Kiran Prakash, Dilip Babani, Angad Singh and Nasir Putani Shah had to settle for the prisoner's garb.

Banjo exponent Rashid Khan 

The real show-stealer though was 84-year-old Angad Singh – all credit to Gupta for casting, conceiving, scripting and directing the three-part play.
A word of thanks to Kajal Babani for coordinating back-stage activities, Mumtaz Jahan for front-stage management and crowd control, Reena the Beautician for providing make-up

Banoo Apa

Rafaaqat

Pushpa Gupta

to the artistes and Arun Patil for taking care of the distribution of dinner boxes, together with Fahmida Khan and Zarina Khan. Last, but not the least, our gratitude also rests with Hemant Nair of Celebration Club and Mumbai Police for their support and encouragement in making the event a success.
Perhaps the best compliment was to come from Muhammed Farooq Khan who sent us this note late night: “It is 10:45pm, well past my sleeping time. I have just returned from the Annual Day function of Big Laaf. I cannot describe what a time I had. It will not be proper for me to single out an item or artiste for praise. Every act and every artiste was a precious gem in a navlakha haar, complementing and enhancing the beauty of one another. The effect was fantabulous.

Skit with Banoo Apa, Kajal and Bhaswati

Yusuf R felicitates Nadira and Rashid Khan

Thank you Big Laaf for making my day. Allow me to also thank the organisers, guest artiste Ustad Rashid Khan Saheb, choreographer Nadira and the make-up artiste (whose name unfortunately, I do not know) for doing a wonderful job. I am anxiously awaiting the next episode in 2019. Jio BIG LAFF!”

FINAL CURTAIN CALL

Kiran Prakash:
The Annual Function was a HUGE success. I thank everyone for the excellent performance on stage and hard work in co-ordinating the entire event this evening. I have no words to express my feelings. God bless you all.

Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
It was a well organised function. Preparations have been going on for a long time. Everyone put his best foot forward. And the result was exuberant.

Devraj Das:
Kiran Sir, Karun Sir, Yusuf Uncle, Angad Uncle, Dilip Sir, Shekhawat Uncle, Bose Uncle, Harish Uncle... as well as Banoo Apa, Bhashwati Ma'm, Geeta-di, Pushpa Ma'm, Kajal Ma'm and our dearest choreographer, Nadira-ji -- Thank you all for the wonderful performances. I experienced the bestest Annual Function of my life. Rashid Sir, I felt blessed to hear you live. Big Laaf Club, zindabaad!!!

Geeta Latte:
Meine life mein kabhi nahi socha tha ki main gaana gaaungi aur dance karungi, par maine kiya aur bahut achha laga. In sab chizon ka shrei jata hai to my dear Bhaswati Bose!