New Slogan

Monthi Serrao (centre) with her admirers

We have found a new slogan: “Swasth Raho, Vyasth Raho, Hanste Raho!”
Delivered in unison three times during the exercises – first after the laughter session, second after the free-hand drill and finally, as a wrap-up on the exercises – this is meant to remind us repeatedly about the importance of ‘staying healthy, being busy and to keep laughing’ 24x7, all through life.
The credit for coining this unique slogan rests on Monthi Serrao, who probably found the earlier phrase of “Masth Raho” (in place of ‘vyasth’) redundant, if not somewhat tongue-twisting. Yusuf Rassiwala had coined that expression, only to invite a volley of mischievous alliterations like “Susth Raho”, “Bhrasht Raho”, “Boltey Raho”, “Sotey Raho”… and so on.
Vyasth Raho makes sense. As Srichand Arora put it, “When you keep yourself busy, you become automatically free from all tension. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” “A gold medal should be awarded to whoever thought of this slogan,” said an equally impressed Dilip Babani.
But Monthi, in all her simplicity, declared matter-of-factly: “Staying busy is good for health.” Clearly she had missed the profundity of her own statement – particularly where it concerns the elderly who have retired from active jobs.
In effect, we have graduated from a time when our slogan used to be “Very Good, Very Good, Hey!”

Arun Patil: On location for Rashq

...and flanked by flares on the sets

Later, that got translated into a different language every morning -- from “Bahut Achchey” to “Khoob Bhalo” to “Rumba Nalla”… and whenever it came to “Dadu Sutto” in Sindhi, Hari Singh Shekhawat would turn ecstatic. It gave him the opportunity to propound his pet passion, “Dadu Piyo, Daru Piyo, Hey!”
Meanwhile, Arun Patil has sent us a few pictures, if only to prove that he is not twiddling his thumbs on the sets of Muzaffar Ali’s Rashq. This is a period film and since it is set at a time when there were no electric lights, a lot of special lighting effects are being created by Arun. The unit is currently filming at Kishanpur Sanctuary of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Lakhimpur Kheri and around May 4, he would shift back to Lucknow for another ten-day shoot. In other words, Arun will be able to join us in the Garden only after mid-May.