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!