Birthday Calendar

Sitaram Hivarkar (in red) is shown his birthday calendar  

Within a short time, the Big Laaf ‘birthday calendar’ has become a big hit. Introduced in January this year, the personalized desk calendar is presented to every member as a token gift from the Club on his/ her birthday. With candid pictures clicked in the Garden over the preceding 12 months, this one-of-a-kind calendar is meant to be a keepsake memento, bringing back fond memories and in effect, strengthen bonding with other members of the Club.
But who would have expected that this calendar would also serve as an incentive to taking the exercises seriously and being regular to the Club? Members who were not-to-be-seen for days on end are showing up now and striking smiley poses expecting to be photographed.

Sitaram gets a birthday bite of sweets

Some are quite upfront, demanding ‘photo-khincho’, ‘photo-khincho’ with rare urgency. Rakhee Bansi took this a step forward today, insisting on being clicked while she fanned herself with a fake Japanese hand fan.
A few get their friends to speak for them. For instance, the day Laxmi Hadimani made an appearance in the Garden, Nahid Khan suddenly got busy, trying to make sure that her friend was photographed appropriately. “How will Laxmi’s calendar be made if she’s not photographed?” Nahid asked innocently, as though her friend was on the verge of extinction.
However, it must be said that in the absence of adequate pictures, a calendar cannot be made – as has been with Mohankanwar Shekhawat and Kiran Arora.

A happy man, Sitaram sings his famous 'Zohrajabin' song

When Pushpa Gupta heard that at least 12 pictures are needed (for the 12 months of the year), her instant response was that she’d attend the exercises for 12 days prior to her birthday. She had to be advised not take so much trouble and instead come just one day with 12 dress changes and her purpose shall be served.
Shekhawat, for one, is so proud to own a calendar that he intends to take it to his village in September and show it around there. He also tries to ensure that all his ‘special friends’ in the Club get calendars and those who disobey him or are irregular should not. He accosted Nahid Siddiqui the other day and instead of the common courtesy of asking if all was well with her, directly threatened to deprive her of a calendar if she did not turn up to exercise. For a moment, the poor woman did not know what hit her. Shekhawat being Shekhawat, the calendar is his instrument to enforce full compliance and attendance during the exercises.
Kiran Prakash:
Happy Birthday Sitaram-ji. I wish you a long life and best of health.