Instant Results

Quick, where are the suspenders?!?

Dilip Babani has never been one to believe in the efficacy of early morning exercises. In his opinion, those who leave the cozy comfort of their beds to do ‘Ho-Ho Ha-Ha’ at an unearthly hour of 7:00 in the morning need to have their heads examined. He has not said it, but for him, we live in the delusion of being in the pink of health because of exercising at day break. In his book, 7:45 a.m. is a good time to visit the Garden, just as we would be winding up.
So this morning, when Dilip showed up before 7:00, it was like meeting a ghost. What brought him there so early, we shall never know.

Banoo Apa regales with Urdu couplets

But what we did appreciate was when he agreed to not only take part in the exercises but more importantly, conduct the laughter round for the first time. “You will have to prompt me, once in a while,” he requested his friends in the circle.
Dilip started on a song, rapidly wrapping up one drill after another. Sunita Jajodia, Tara Chand Seth, Razia Khan and others enthusiastically kept pace with him, egging him on… till calamity struck. On the fourth laughter number, Dilip’s trousers started slipping down. On the count of six, Dilip was desperately clutching the waist band, unable to throw his arms in the air. Before he could finish, the trousers had become so loose that it refused to hold at his waist. Nobody, not even Dilip, could have imagined that the exercises would have such an instant slimming effect – losing at least four inches in the waist!
Needless to say, everyone was in splits -- the ladies particularly went red in the face, buckling at the knees and laughing their guts out. Dilip’s embarrassment had become the cause of boundless joy with some like Razia and Mallika Kagzi insisting that he stay on in the middle and continue the exercises. But Dilip thought better of it and beat a hasty retreat, pleading haplessly that his “izzat” was at stake. That itself triggered another round of uproarious laughter, this time Shekhawat holding his stomach, tears streaming down his face, laafing like mad.
Every morning we laugh and our laughter is mostly forced. It is faked. But today, Dilip Babani, quite effortlessly, got the real thing out from us. That shows the caliber of a true master.
Kiran Prakash:
Cheers to Dilip Babani for conducting the laughter round the first time with full enthusiasm.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Those of us who know Mr Dilip were not surprised by his 'classical style' that makes him a jovial person. He played up to his new role as Ring Master with humor and insidious smile. Keep it up!