For Culture Vultures...

Happy Birthday, Santosh-ji

First things first: It was Santosh Tyagi’s birthday today. But we could not celebrate it as she did not turn up in the morning. We were informed that “she wasn’t in the mood to celebrate” and that was perfectly understandable. Her son, Manoj has just been discharged from hospital after being confined for jaundice and according to Santosh, he is “still very weak”.

Get well soon Manoj Tyagi

He needs her attention more than anything else. The birthday celebrations can wait.
We had brought Santosh’s birthday calendar (just in case she showed up) but Bihari Milwani stole a march on us. He came up with his signature handcrafted memento for Banoo Apa to mark her wedding anniversary last Monday (when she was away at Lucknow). Belated as the gift was, it stood out for Bihari’s efforts in conveying his feelings in flowery Urdu script. Fittingly, Banoo Apa reciprocated on the spot in chaste Urdu!
And now for the main development of the day: For the benefit of the culturally inclined, the Club is planning a series of rare, never-seen-before biographical documentaries in the China Hut on yesteryear musical maestros (both vocal and instrumental) and classical dancers.

Bihari Milwani gifts Banoo Apa a desk-top memento

The screenings, initially on a monthly basis (depending on response) would be free of charge and shall feature the likes of Ustad Bismillah Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Birju Maharaj, Sitara Devi… down to Naushad Ali, Khayyam and Mohammad Rafi. For this, Big Laaf has secured access to the government’s film archives which shall also provide logistic and technical support for projection at no cost.
After detailed discussions this morning, it was decided that a programme of this nature would require extensive planning in order to generate the necessary interest and hype. “Rather than rush into it, let us spread the word because this is something unique and a feather in our cap,” opined Yusuf Rassiwala. "We may start next month."
Kiran Prakash felt that before screening films on classical icons like Bade Ghulam Ali and Ravi Shankar, we should ideally feature stalwarts like Mohammad Rafi who are closer to us in time and more popular with present-day audiences. Banoo Apa suggested that since the films are mostly of 30 to 40 minutes duration, we might as well mix and match singers with dancers in a screening programme lasting roughly two-and-half hours.
Anybody with any other suggestion, do write in.

Lt Col Angad Singh (retd):
* A mother's blessings are the best cure for the son. She is the pivot around which the whole family revolves as she wishes everyone well. God bless Santosh-ji.
* Bihari Milwani deserves to be applauded for keeping in store important data of all the members and bringing it out at an appropriate time. Three cheers to him!