Deep Freeze

Angad Singh

Khatoon Baig

Naseer Putani Shah

Fahmida Khan

A cold blast from the north has drastically impacted our daily attendance, bringing it down to single digit for the past few days. Yesterday, by the time

Shekhawat

the exercises were over, we were reduced to barely three for the tai-chi round. Today we got one better. We were four.
Our main concern has been the absence of those who were regular earlier. Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd), for one, complained of being prone to catching cold and did not risk stirring out in the morning. Khatoon Baig and Naseer Putani Shah are known asthma patients and on doctors’ instructions, do not expose themselves to the winter chill.

Siba Prasad Maitra

Likewise, Fahmida Khan has been advised to venture out only when the sun is up.
The biggest concern though, is Shekhawat. On Monday when he turned up last, he was showing signs of acute breathlessness and debilitating health. Today, his condition turned critical and he had to be rushed to the nearest GP. He was in no state to even walk. Upon being diagnosed with a drop in his oxygen level he was administered a nebulizer

Banoo Apa

and thereafter, put through an ECG. An infraction in his heart rate indicated the possibility of a recent cardiac attack that had gone undetected.
Unwilling to take chances, the good doctor suggested he consult his cardiologist immediately and not lose any more time. Such was the nature of the emergency that the GP advised him to even “skip lunch and be prepared for hospitalisation right away”.
The latest is that Shekhawat was headed to the naval hospital in Colaba, accompanied by his wife and daughter.
On a happy note, Siba Prasad Maitra marked his return from a holiday in Dubai with a pack of butter toffees. Banoo Apa also informed that there is nothing to worry about her. All is fine. She explained her absence (over the past three days) to taking a break with friends at some holiday resort in Lonavala. She needs to catch up with sleep now and would report to the Garden tomorrow.
EVENING UPDATE: Shekhawat has been admitted this afternoon to INS Ashwini, the naval hospital in Colaba. A battery of tests is being run on him on an emergency basis and by late evening, the reports on X-ray and blood tests had come in. Prolonged exposure to the morning chill is being cited as the cause for his distress. Let us all hope and pray for his speedy recovery.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
Our friend, Shekhawat has shown extraordinary courage by boasting as if he is still a young boy and had started behaving as such. No doubt, one should be mentally fit and robust. Only then one can be physically fit and happy. It is good that Shekhawat went to see a GP and thereafter, rushed to INS Ashwani. He has been properly taken care of. He is almost alright. I spoke to him and he is likely to be discharged on February 2.

Karun Sharma:
It has been record-breaking cold in Delhi. I am in this area since 31st January and unless there is work, I am not venturing out. I have decided not to visit people only for social reasons. Our club has many elderly people and they are doing right staying indoor.

DAY 2748

Pic(s) of the Week

Prepping for REPUBLIC DAY... with jhanda and danda

Chhabbis January: Maa tujhe salaam!

'Saare jahan se achchha, Hindustan hamara,
Hum bulbalen hain iski, yeh chaman hamara...' --Angad Singh

Improvisation

Karun Sharma

Improvisation is a key element of dramaturgy every actor worth his salt must know of. Our actors are still learning the ropes – usually by breaking out midway through the exercises and rehearsing for the Annual Day function (see previous posts) next month. This has created a peculiar problem

Pushpa Gupta (l) returns from Calcutta with sandesh

for those of us left behind to wrap up the exercises.
There is now no one to conduct the surya namaskar. After several attempts on a trial-and-error basis, Karun Sharma today took upon himself to conduct the prayer his way. He improvised upon what we had been doing for years and invoked the blessings of the sun god in its 12 (of the 108) forms in pure, lilting Sanskrit. His intonation (without the sonorous repetition) created a sublime aura in the Garden, at once distinctive as it was pleasing to the ear.
It more than served our purpose. Rarely has improvisation sounded even better than what was scripted to be!
Sure enough, the new version of surya namaskar came for all round praise with Banoo Apa, especially, complimenting Karun for his initiative. That he could confidently conduct the prayer extempore only indicates how well conversant he is with the scriptures. After all, there are multiple ways for the devout to seek benediction.

Booster Shot

Siba Prasad Maitra (l) delivers a pep talk a month ahead of the Annual Function 

In the run up to the Annual Day function, the Club requires a ‘booster shot’ once in a while if only to avert the possibility of members’ enthusiasm flagging. And the one to administer it today was chief organizer Siba Prasad Maitra.
In a brief pep talk after the exercises, Maitra enjoined all members to participate wholeheartedly in the staging of plays and song-‘n’-dance programmes and to ensure that the function turns out a resounding success. This would entail sitting late in the mornings and even having to turn up in the evenings for rehearsals.
“Advances have already been paid,” he reminded us. “I am proceeding on the assurance that we are all in it together. I do not want anyone to back out later, unless of course, it is a medical emergency. Should anyone still have any reservations on the function, please speak up now.”
A cursory raising of hands revealed that everyone present wanted the show to be up on schedule and were willing to ‘cooperate’ to the best of their ability.

Yusuf Rassiwala celebrates with boxes of laddoos

This, to an extent, has lifted the cloud of uncertainty and whatever misgivings some members might have had over

Urmila Sinha: bruised

the function ever being held.
Meanwhile, Urmila Sinha has resumed her morning schedule after a ten-day hiatus. Yesterday, when she reported for the exercises, she explained her absence to a nasty fall near her house, leaving her with severe bruises on the cheek and knee. She celebrated her return to the Club with home-made besan laddoos.
Today, we had cause for another celebration with Yusuf Rassiwala announcing that he has been blessed with another grandchild. The baby boy was born last Saturday in Nagpur. Both mother and son are in the pink of health and the proud gran’pa rejoiced by treating us to jumbo laddoos this morning. Our collective blessings go to the new born.

Siba Prasad Maitra:
In a group activity one person cannot be responsible for everything alone; it calls for support and cooperation from each and every member of the club. Otherwise we can not make our Annual Function a great success. Happy to receive wholehearted support and positive approach from all the members. Thanks you all.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
The Annual Day function needs the wholehearted efforts of all members irrespective of whether they are participating in drama or dance. Their participation/encouragement is also essential for other administrative needs. It is good that all members have given their consent for this function.

DAY 2745

Pic of the Week

A PROUD MOMENT: UPHOLDING THE CLUB'S SECULAR SPIRIT

Congrats Yusuf-bhai for your initiative in conducting the surya namaskar prayer! --Bhaswati Bose

A unique secular event in Big Laaf club. Congrats! --Angad Singh
(Such secular events are however, routine in the armed forces -- a Hindu officer leading namaaz and a Muslim leading aarti in a mandir.)

Work in Progress

Shekhawat in the coveted
cop's uniform

With drama rehearsals now dominating all proceedings (ref post of January 11) of the Club, we are being treated to surprises every other day. Lines are being memorized even as the script is overhauled and the casting remains work in progress and actors have to be put through the paces… and there is a little over a month left for the big day to descend upon us.
But all is not lost. Through all the challenges and ongoing confusion, there are sparks of joy and robust humour that have kept our spirits up. And the prime

Yusuf Rassiwala (l) marks his return from Bhopal with a box of gajak

movers in this brilliant theatre of the absurd are Shekhawat and writer-director Bijoy Gupta.
Shekhawat, as is well known (ref post of January 3), has appropriated the lead role of ‘Inspector Zalim Singh’ simply because he wants to don a police officer’s uniform onstage – as he did last time. Never mind he cannot memorise his lines to save his life. And yet, he insists on spouting whatever he has learnt to all and sundry, in total disregard to Gupta’s standing instructions.
“Every evening, when nobody from the Club is in the Garden, he gets a group of fawning oldies to surround him and he reads out the script,” Gupta revealed. “They keep applauding him with wah-wahs. But not for once does he give me credit for the script. He pretends he is the author!”
Shekhawat’s behaviour has got Gupta’s goat and he is now looking for ways to replace him. When a suggestion was made (jokingly) to rather turn Shekhawat into a ‘deaf cop’ – if only to spare him the agony of remembering his lines – Gupta put his foot down. He wants to give Shekhawat an ultimatum to mug up or move out!
After that, what? Nobody knows. The plot thickens.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
Rehearsals for the Annual Day function are on. However, a lot of hard work and effort must be put in. Lots of sweat is required to be sweated before we can say with confidence that everything is in order and we are ready for the final assault. Lets hope that with collective effort we are able to achieve the result.

Blood Donors Wanted!

Manoj Tyagi

Shekhawat today made a fervent appeal for volunteers willing to donate blood for Santosh Tyagi’s son, Manoj (ref post of December 18, 2018) who has been hospitalised for close to a month with a debilitating liver condition.
“He is being administered blood twice a day,” Shekhawat informed. “Every donor counts.

Shekhawat appeals for blood donors

So if you know of anybody willing to donate blood, please get in touch with Santosh-ji (on phone no: 90046 49060) at Nanavati Hospital. The blood donation timings there are between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday.”
Shekhawat added that any healthy person under the age of 65 years is allowed to donate

Nahid Khan

blood. “The blood is replenished by the body within 48 hours,” he said. “In fact, it is a healthy practice to donate. You will have fresh blood coursing through your veins.”
Sadly, most members in the Club are past the age of 65 and many are acutely diabetic with age-related issues. So even if they want to donate, they cannot. Nevertheless, Nahid Khan was the first to raise her hand and offered to donate blood today itself. Also, former club president, Mallika Kagzi promised to send three donors to Nanavati Hospital immediately.
As things stand, Manoj is showing signs of recovery and the good news is that this morning, doctors suggested that he may be shifted out of ICU into the general ward. This has come as a big relief for the family and his well-wishers.

DAY 2742

Pic of the Week

Haunted? The Garden, minutes before our exercises were to start!!!

Sun God was playing hide-and-seek with Big Laaf --Bihari Milwani

Welcome Back!

Angad Singh (c) treats us to mysoor paak on his return to Mumbai

The Garden today erupted with an additional round of laughter as Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd) made an appearance after eleven months. He had been away at Mohali, where he resides. Mumbai is his second home.
Coming from the north, he was reasonably ‘equipped’ to bear the winter chill in the morning at the Garden. But before long, he discarded his jacket and limbered up in a light pullover during the exercises. “The weather here is pleasant,” he quipped while the rest of us remained wrapped in woolens, shuddering in the freezing cold.
“He has come rejuvenated after eleven months,” joked Bijoy Gupta. “Just see, how young and refreshed he looks!”
Gupta’s mind was already ticking on creating a role for the octogenarian in the play to be staged in the Annual Day function (see previous posts). “Angad Singh is an elderly man with an air of respectability,” he observed. “He cannot be given the role of any riff-raff. I shall have to create a special character to suit his personality. It will be a surprise item.”
Angad Singh looked pleased and promised to stick around till at least the Annual Function next month. Last year he had brought the rafters down in a comic role of a geriatric jailbird deceived in love and lamenting his fate. It was a huge hit. We can count on him for an encore this time around also.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
I am thankful to all for welcoming me back in their midst after a long time. I am proud to be a member and am sure to enjoy my stay in Mumbai, thanks to the jovial and ambient atmosphere in BIG LAAF.

Playtime Tales

Bijoy Gupta

Siba Prasad Maitra

There are plays and there are plays. But every play has a story. And every story has a text. Some plays also have a sub-text to the story… But that is all for public consumption.
What is not ever revealed or staged are stories behind the story – the many machinations, intrigues, plotting and goings on in the run-up to staging a play. Ask any theatre professional and you would realize that there cannot be a play without instances of budding romance, ego clashes, bitter-sweet tales of envy, defiance, obstinacy, hurt, frustration, etc. during the rehearsals.
We are going through that phase right now. There are two one-act plays to be mounted on the Annual Day function (ref previous posts) and already, director Bijoy Gupta and chief organizer Siba Prasad Maitra are at their wits’ end, tearing their hair over keeping the flock together.

Razia Khan (r) introduces her daughter, Shafiqua (in red) to the Club

As it is, we face a severe dearth of talent and there is even talk of people having to play ‘double roles’. Worse, memory lapses have become a cause for concern as nobody is able to remember his/ her lines. Improvisation and tweaking the script are not helping. And then there is the eternal challenge of getting members of the cast together at one place to rehearse.
In between, someone walks out in a huff over some issue. Another person, who had been dropped earlier, is brought in as a replacement. But she puts forth her conditions. With time running out, all conditions are accepted. After all, there are bigger issues still to be resolved – of scripting, casting, dialogue delivery, enunciation, coordination, etc.
But then, these behind-the-scenes challenges make for all the fun and games there is to staging a play. These long drawn out, yet fascinating tales are the biggest takeaways which shall remain forever in our memory – not how an audience responds to the performance on a particular evening.

Action Replay

Kajal Babani presents Dilip Babani his birthday calendar on behalf of the Club 

History repeated itself this morning as Shekhawat breathlessly rattled off the opening lines of ‘Inspector Zalim Singh’ – the character he plays in Bijoy Gupta’s skit to be staged on the Annual Day function of the Club next month.
Last year, in exactly the same manner, he had gone around announcing to the world that he was ‘Kadak Singh Jailor’. He was not supposed to do so. Revealing vital elements of a character robs a play of its novelty and kills public interest.
Shekhawat had been warned about this possibility.

Shekhawat recites his lines as Zalim Singh

But being who he is, everybody in the Garden now seems to know of the dreaded police inspector whose job description details how he had taken the dacoits of Chambal Valley to task.
“I have only been trying to memorise my lines,” explains Shekhawat sheepishly. “How am I responsible if people overhear me when I practice my part?”
Hilarious as this may all sound, Gupta is least amused. But he knows there is little he can do to tame Shekhawat. So he came up with a new ploy today: “People are telling me that I have miscast you,” he threatened Shekhawat. “I should rewrite your part to mention how the Chambal dacoits had beaten you black and blue and that you had to run for your life from there.”
This has come as a sobering note for Shekhawat. He will do nothing to have his role diluted (ref post of January 3), least of all let it fall through for someone else to step in. Playing the macho hero on stage, that too in uniform, means the world to him!
Meanwhile, Dilip Babani ushered in his birthday with a substantive treat of biscuits, pastry, chocolates and savory, rounded off with tea. We raised the fourth laugh for him as usual and his wife, Kajal presented him the Club calendar. Banoo Apa was to later gift him a flower stalk as a token of her affection.

Goodies for all!

Tea time!

DAY 2738

Pic of the Week

"DANCE DOGGY DANCE!"

The four-legged judge is happy with the performance! --Angad Singh

"Wow! I must learn to dance like this." --Bhaswati Bose

First Weekend

Siba Prasad Maitra (in red pullover) celebrates his birthday this morning

Siba Prasad Maitra shares his birthday (on December 31) with such legends as Henri Matisse, Anthony Hopkins and John Denver. Why on earth should he then observe it five days later and rub shoulders with the likes of Bradley Cooper and Mamata Banerji?

A bouquet for the birthday boy

Yusuf Rassiwala presents the club cxalendar

This question had been bugging us for a full week till suddenly, the answer emerged in the morning today. The come-down had nothing to do with the personalities mentioned. It was simply that Maitra wanted us to have a gala time on the first weekend of the New Year. And so he celebrated his birthday today.
Maitra had personally hand-picked the eats from a number of sources yesterday, in the process doing quite a run-around. There were laddoos, chaklis, Iyengar Bakery cake slices, cookies and a variety of salties and savories (too many to recognise) rounded off by piping hot tea. In the end, we were all thanking him for not having rushed us with such a lavish repast mid-week, on December 31.

Eager-beavers pore into the birthday calendar

A Saturday treat is always leisurely and welcome.
We dutifully performed

Bihari Milwani with daughter

the rituals of raising the fourth laugh for Maitra, singing the birthday song and presenting him the Club calendar. A bouquet of rajnigandha-‘n’-roses also materialized for him. And Bijoy Gupta did his number, as usual singing a film ditty to reaffirm our bonds of love and amity.
As a measure of Maitra's popularity, we witnessed near full attendance this morning with many faces, not seen for long, showing up. Razia Khan was there, decked up to wish the birthday boy. So was Harish Wadhwa, skipping office. Bihari Milwani had also come, accompanied by daughter Karishma… The latter, by the way, is returning to the U.S. early next week. So this was also an occasion to say her tata-bye bye to us before leaving.

Karun Sharma:
Party items were chosen tastefully and in plenty. Tea was not less than anything else. Environment and enthusiasm along with us wished Maitra Happy Birthday.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
Happy Birthday, Maitra-ji. May God keep you and the family happy, healthy and bright through the year. Missed the celebration by a whisker.

We Are Rich!

Maitra's announcement meets with a round of applause

Fortune smiled upon us this morning as Siba Prasad Maitra ‘unveiled’ a cheque received from Celebration Club towards defraying expenses on our Annual Day function.
The amount on the cheque cannot be mentioned here for the moment. Suffice to say it is a substantial step-up from what we had received last year.
This comes as a major relief at a time when the Club is severely strapped for funds – more so, due to rising costs for putting up the show.
Although much of the inputs, including artistes’ expenses are being obtained gratis, there will be bills for erecting a stage, the props, hiring sound and lighting equipment, costumes, make-up, stationery, refreshments, etc.
At the same time, the donation comes with a caveat. We are now committed to staging the function come what may, and there can be no escaping it. It is worse than being made to ride a tiger. Incidentally, the date fixed for the Annual Function is February 23, 2019.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
Hurrah! Well begun is half done. Having received a handsome contribution for holding the Annual Day function, it is incumbent upon everyone to work hard and make the event a memorable one.

‘Inspector Zalim Singh’

Shekhawat (second from rt) puts the Club in a quandry

Shekhawat dropped a clanger today when he threatened to walk out of his role as Inspector Zalim Singh (ref post of December 5, 2018) citing domestic compulsions. “I have a wedding to attend in Rajasthan on February 17,” he informed. “Since you are planning the Annual Function for February 23, I’d have to withdraw from the play. Better give the Zalim Singh role to someone else.”
The statement drew mixed responses ranging from surprise to consternation and amusement, as though Shekhawat was pulling a fast one. Many like Siba Prasad Maitra and Yusuf Rassiwala simply dismissed it as a poor joke.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd)

“You better go tell your people not to have the shaadi till we are done with our Annual Function,” advised Bijoy Gupta.
Inspector Zalim Singh is an author-backed role, written specially for Shekhawat -- given his track record of playing Kadak Singh Jailer (in police uniform) at the Annual Function last year. This time also he holds the main lead, something that tickles him to bits and would not easily let go as long as he can help it.
The issue cropped up when we were informed that Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd) would be joining us from next week and had called up yesterday from Bangalore to sound us on his returning to Mumbai. Incidentally, he had also essayed a key role in the play last year. Taking advantage of the situation, Gupta threw a challenge at Shekhawat: “Don’t think without you the play will not happen. There are several people eager to be Zalim Singh.”
Shekhawat promptly did a U-turn: “No, no, no… I’m not saying I’d be backing out. I shall do Zalim Singh’s role. All I am saying is if you could please adjust your date for the Annual Function.”

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
I am sure Shekhawat will acquit himself well in the role of Inspector Zalim Singh. It is high time we fix a date for the Annual Function, adhere to it and start our preparations in right earnest. My coming has nothing to do with the role of Zalim Singh. Let Shekhawat display his histrionic talent. I am sure the function will be a treat to the eye and ear.

Extended Celebration

Sandesh from Bhaswati Bose

Savories from Urmila Sinha

Hot tea from Rukhsana Khan

Yesterday’s New Year celebration stretched into the morning today with yet another round of sinful treats after the exercises: two unopened jumbo packs of potato wafers, nolen gurer sandesh from Calcutta,

Karun Sharma (file photo)

crispy savories courtesy Urmila Sinha, hot-hot chai from Rukhsana Khan…
Earlier on, Kiran Prakash got the group together to announce the ‘best dressed female’ at the New Year’s yesterday.

Kiran Prakash (r) announces 'best dressed female' at yesterday's bash 

It seems the ladies were told in advance to be at their sartorial best and the one adjudged the most well-turned out on the occasion would qualify for a prize. But better sense prevailed today when Kiran Prakash decided not to disappoint anyone and declare everybody a winner – including the males. We were all rewarded with a handful of toffees each.
In all this, one person we missed sorely was Karun Sharma. He was supposed to enact a ‘surprise solo item’ at yesterday’s show, but was indisposed at the last moment. Still, he made it to the Garden (with son Madhur) and sat through the programme till the end. Today, obviously, his health let him down.
Another piece of disturbing news comes from Santosh Tyagi (ref post of December 18, 2018). Her son, Manoj is in ICCU for the past 10 days or so, at Nanavati Hospital. He was discharged earlier, but when the condition of his liver took a turn for the worse at home, he had to be admitted again. His medical status is being currently described as ‘serious'.
Santosh has appealed to keep her son in our prayers.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
We have entered 2019 with a BANG! Celebrations have continued unabated. Good luck to everyone. We pray for the speedy recovery of our colleague, Santosh Tyagi's son. Karun Sharma has also not been keeping well. I wish him good health through the year.

New Year 2019

Ushering in the New Year with rare gusto

Banoo Apa

At the crack of dawn, New Year arrived in the Garden with an hour-long 'variety programme' put up by some of the most enterprising and irrepressible talent of the Club.

Yusuf Rassiwala welcomes the congregation

As expected, Bijoy Gupta led the charge with his much-hyped pol-khol number -- in effect, doing a hilarious expose on Yusuf Rassiwala, Shekhawat and Siba Prasad Maitra.
Gupta had planned to similarly reveal the “deep, darkest secrets of several others”, but mercifully had been cut short as he had overshot his allotted time. Nevertheless, he was assigned a snappy skit with Kiran Prakash later, which the duo pulled off with characteristic wit and elan.
Kiran Prakash was in fact, our emcee (master of ceremonies) today and the New Year function, his baby. He opened the floor with Yusuf R delivering the welcome note before the artistes took over.

Bijoy Gupta and Kiran Prakash enact a skit

Banoo Apa performed a scintillating solo dance (with musical support provided by Maitra’s portable sound system) followed by Bhaswati Bose, Geeta Latte and her brother, Devraj Das enacting a spoof on “Inspector Zalim Singh” – the character Shekhawat is to play on the club's Annual Day function next month.

Devraj Das, Geeta Latte and Bhaswati Bose do their number

In between, Maitra held us spellbound with his recitation of Tanveer Ghazi’s soul

Siba Prasad Maitra

stirring poem on the scourge of rape – “Tu khud ki khoj mein nikal/ Tu kis liye hatash hai…”
Finally, it took the trio of Bhaswati, Devraj and Geeta again to break the sombre mood with a series of popular film songs -- the medley spilling into a wild celebration of clapping and dancing by all present in the true New Year spirit.
A word of appreciation on the party that followed: Never before had the Club been treated to such a variety of eats, served in a well-organised manner – all thanks to Kajal Babani, Naseem Khan, Fahmida Khan, Geeta and above all, Kiran Prakash. Nothing was left wanting – a happy augury for the days and months to come.

Banoo Apa gets us soh'n-papdi

Preparing plates: Time to party

Personal attention to all present

Kiran Prakash:
I convey my sincere thanks to all members for their active participation and cooperation at making the New Year function a grand success. The team of artistes were superb in their presentation with some of the most innovative ideas.

Lt Col Angad Singh (rtd):
Ushering the New Year with an entertainment programme is a unique event. It was wonderful on the part of Club members and enjoyed by the audience overwhelmingly. Hope this continues in the future as well.