Talk by John Zubrzycki

I was keen to hear author John Zubrzycki speak because I loved reading his debut book 'The Last Nizam'. That book taught me much about a Hyderabad that I never knew about (and sadly, never cared to know). It is quite possible that several people residing in the city for all these years are unaware of the history of the city too. Apart from academic writing, I found little that could present this part interestingly. 'The Last Nizam' filled that void for me and brilliantly. I had to go and hear this talk at the Maulana Azad Urdu University yesterday, the 1st of February 2013.

So once again I found myself heading to the Maulana Azad Urdu University within the span of a fortnight - the last time I'd been here was for the Hyderabad Literary Fetsival two weeks ago. This time I had Amar with me and I hoped to spot Jayesh Ranjan (who was the one who told me about this event). When we walked in at 1130, the scheduled time for the program to begin, there was hardly anybody in the compact auditorium of the Main Library, save the author and a few others. Soon the audience filled up and after an introduction and welcome address the author spoke, despite a bad throat, about the book and some of his findings and observations in the process. He captured the essence of the book very well and for the non-history reader, a good capsule of Hyderabad's history.

There was not much time for questions and interactions (thankfully) but there was enough time for certain pointed questions and suggetsions about what the author should have mentioned or written about and how. There seemed  to be an air of 'you did okay, but you could have done better'. Or perhaps its just me. I cannot take this cultural superiority business for too long.  I do not subscribe to it especially if it is not demonstrated with good grace and humility.

What struck me rather odd was that I found none who expressed gratitude to the author for writing this wonderful book (and his next) based on Hyderabad. For an Australian to do that and write about Hyderabad is in itself a great achievement and one that is commendable, especially since we do not seem to have the talent here ourselves. And if that talent is there, it is certainly not getting the big stage. John has put it all on the big stage and has done justice to it as well. As he said in his own words '..tried to present both viewpoints as honestly as I could'. Having read his book I think he did that and never succumbed to the lure of trying to make of dramatic or controversial. Seen in this light, I expected a word of praise, a good word, a thank you to someone who does not belong to this land, from the culture bearers of Hyderabad. Culture to me is what we show in our word, thought and deed, and not merely in recounting history.

Fortunately I have no cultural baggage and have no qualms in accepting that I am a philistine. I mobbed John like a totally possessed fan and got his autograph on Harsha's ancient, dog eared copy (which I had the good sense to pick up before I came over). I also handed John a copy of the book review I'd done on 'The Last Nizam' on this blog, which also serves as my main reference when I need to brush up on my history of the Nizams and Hyderabad.

It was a bonus meeting Huma Kidwai, Jayesh Ranjan, Irshad Ali and Asif of A.A. Hussain. I did not know that John had released his second book 'The Mysterious Mr. Jacob' (on the man who tried to sell the 'Jacob's diamond to the sixth Nizam Mahboob Ali Khan) at the Jaipur Literary Festival. I do wish that each time an author is invited to speak one of the book stores is intimated so the books can be sold at the venue. It makes immense sense. Asif of A.A. Husain told me he would have done the job if someone had told him. Just shows how involved publishers and distributors are in the sales process.

I enjoyed the talk and the experience. I loved the fact that i got him to autograph (it's an interesting one). And I do look forward to reading about the Mysterious Mr. Jacob.

Thought for the Day - The Sweet Spot

There is a sweet spot in every instrument. It makes the sweetest sound when struck there.

There is that sweet spot in everyone. It is an interesting thought to explore those sweet spots in all we meet. It might add some sweet music to our life.

Interview With Parth Gokhale - On How Not To Forget Good Occassions

Parth's essence is best explained this way. He is the only person in the world that I know who remembers every one's birthday and anniversary, every one's children's and grand children's anniversaries, and makes it a point to wish them without fail, year after year, irrespective of the fact whether they remember it or not. Now he is a gregarious guy and his list runs to a pretty large number and what amazes me is this - I suspect he has no qualms about wishing even those who rarely acknowledge his warm and heartfelt greetings. But Parth goes on spreading happiness and joy from his side, making sure that no one is deprived of at least one smile, one warm greeting on a special day. It is a noble thing to do certainly and one that requires much love, energy and patience - all that Parth has and displays in much abundance.

Me and Parth (some years ago)

Now that's a soft and sensitive side to him that he does not hide - despite being a senior executive in an MNC Engineering firm (he's not some college kid who has much time on his hand). Puts that in a slightly different perspective does it not? He is a rare one, this Parth, for being that and doing what he believes in to make the world a better place. In my opinion Parth is the kind of a person our world could do with a lot more of. Unafraid to show his love and affection, unafraid to say what he thinks is right, willing to set the standards that he expects others to follow - Parth does appear like he is operating out of a fairy tale. But wait, there's more.

Parth is not only about birthday and anniversary wishes. That was just to show one side of him. He goes that extra mile for the people he loves, is sensitive and intelligent. He has a fine sense of humour, enjoys good music and  what's more, sings well. He has a lust for life, for love and for all things good in God's world. Rarely would anyone ever have a grouse against him - and why would they. You can spend many hours talking anything with him - books, sports, cricket, movies, people, ideas, religion - and expect an intelligent and honest answer. And to top it all, he is a self-confessed perfectionist!

I've known Parth for over two decades now and since I know that he is one who will never stand you up on an engagement and will always keep his word, I decided to interview him and get a peep into the mind of a person who can love unconditionally.

Q. What interests you most in people?

A. Their attitude towards other people, towards work, towards nature...  I take to people who show a caring attitude.

Q. What do you think people really need?

A.  People need a realisation that contentment and peace of mind are more important in one's life than one-upmanship and material possessions.

Q. Why are you nice to people? 

A.  Can't help it I guess!  It comes naturally.

Q. Why do you remember every one's special days even if they forget yours?

A.  I try to remember people's special days (I'm by no means infallible!) because I want to, because it gives me joy - not with the expectation that they remember mine in return; because I like to think it pleases them to get a wish from me just as much as it does me to get one - and I do get wishes on my special days too, not necessarily from the same people I remember...

Q. What emotion are you most comfortable with (your preferred emotion)?

A. Being emotional. I cry easily while reading books or watching movies. I like the fact that I am capable of being moved. I like being able to feel what they are portraying. My second most preferred emotion would be happiness.

Q. The traits that you admire in people?
A. Curiosity and willingness to learn or to know more about things that interest them, even the small things in life. I like the fact that they actually take time out to know more about those things. Olaf's father was one such.

Q. Who makes you laugh the most?

A. Raja (a cousin)! Children.

Q. Your favorite comedians?
A. Charlie Chaplin, Mehmood, Amitabh Bachchan

Q. What would you like to see more of in this world?
A. I would like to see undisguised expression from people. Say what they mean and not seek to manipulate.I would like to see more openness, honesty and transparency. People should say what they want to say and not say something and hide something and expect others to understand. There's too much of that going on.

Q. If you were in the perfect world, how would it be?

A. There would be no misunderstandings within the family. People I love would be all around me. I'd be doing work that I would like to do (work that I do now is work I love too). Travel much. Time with friends. Time at my disposal.

Q. If you had the power, what would you like to change in this world?

A. Slow down progress a bit. Things are changing too rapidly. We're consuming the environment too fast.

Q. Who were the people who influenced you the most?
A. Can't think of teachers and mentors as such. My mother has perhaps had the most influence on my life.

Q. Your biggest strength?
A. My humaneness, my capacity to love.

Q. Your biggest weakness?
A. My unwillingness to confront. Not incapability, just the unwillingness.

Q. Your biggest fear?
A. Of failure. More so since the fear grows even more because I haven't really failed.

Q. On work ethic, your advice to young professionals?

A. Do the job right. Think through, put in some study, don't do things in a hurry and push half-done jobs. Do a good job.

Q. Your secret to success as a professional?
A. One must have a passion for work. You need to be interested in work. Get involved. Find challenge. If you have superficial engagement you won't do a good job. Also, learn to be patient. Be there for the long haul.

Q. Are you a perfectionist?
A. Yes, I want perfection in what I do or what my people do.

Q. Has your attitude to perfection changed as you grew older?
A. Yes, now I know that some people are not able to cope. Sometimes I overlook the imperfections. Sometimes I completely trust the guys to do it and do not pass it through my filter at all.

Q. Has this change helped in terms of results?
A. I think so. (Positively.)

Q. Your top 5 songs?

A. There are many more but these come to mind first: Mere Naina, Koi Lauta De, Pukarta Chala Hoon, Jaane Woh Kaise, Door Rehkar Na Karo Baat

Q. One thing you'd like to change about yourself?
A. I get angry easily. Would like not to get angry. At other drivers or at Neha (daughter).

Q. Your favorite childhood memory?

A. A cruise on the Mediterranean sea that I had gone on a school trip with my school friends from Stella Maris College, Malta in 1978. Another trip to Victoria Falls, Zambia, in 1975.

Q. Your favorite food? Your favorite meal (outside of home)?

A. Shevya chi kheer (and it's one thing my wife makes even better than my mother!). At home I love the full meal, freshly cooked.  My best meal outside home was the one I remember having in a road side dhaba near Chennai - rice with sambar, rice with rasam and finally more rice with curd, served on a banana leaf. A sumptuous vegetarian meal!

Q. 3 things that you think God has blessed you with?
A. Family, including the extended family. Beautiful friends. And an attitude of being content with what I have.

Q. One thing that moves you the most?

A. When I see something or read something that I exactly feel myself. I get a feeling of oneness with that character then.

Q. One big lesson you learned from life?

A. Things are not always the way you'd like them to be. Things are not as transparent. It makes me sad. Frustrated. I hate such things.

Q. What are the things you enjoy doing the most?

A. Jigsaw puzzles, climbing (Sinhagad), being at home, meeting people I love to be around with.

Q. If there is something you wish to tell Neha from your life experience what would it be?
1) Don't be afraid to love. Love as many and as much as you can and ignore what others may think or say.

2) Remember to do the things you enjoy doing.

These questions pertain to the favourite series

Q. Your favourite three books?
A. Woman in White by Wilkie Collins, Lord of the Rings, Joy in the Morning

Q. Your favorite English movies?
A. Mackenna's Gold, Lord of the Rings, Ten Commandments

Q. Your favorite Hindi movies?

A. Sholay, Padosan, Chalti ka naam gaadi

Q. Your favorite authors?
A. P.G. Wodehouse, Agatha Christie and W.E. Johns (the author of Biggles)

Q. Your heroes?

A. Gavaskar - perfection is what I relate to in him. And Gandhi, who was truthful to his ideas.

And that ended a short interview with one of the nicest people you'd meet, Parth Gokhale. From climbing Sinhagad to going off to Sreevardhan, to long weekends eating pomfret and drinking beer and watching the US Open, to bonfires and long singing sessions, we shared much. Here's to being who you are Parth, and wishing that you get back all the love that you share many fold from the world.

Gangs of Wasseypur II - Movie review

The saga of murder and revenge in Wasseypur continues. After the murder of Sardar Khan in the first edition of GOW, we have his two sons Danish and Faizal left to handle the fishy business (they actually become fish pond owners in a move towards becoming respectable). Danish takes over (he is impressive the boy who acted the part) and does well for the short while he is allowed to before Sultan (who else) kills him off. Faizal, the drug addicted second son takes over thanks to his mother's inspirational talk and he goes about killing off all the chaps involved in the killing of his brother and then his father.

All except the main guy, Sultan. Now why would you leave that guy out? Anyway Sultan almost bumps off Faizal (a sho which is shown at the beginning of GOW I) too, but does not succeed. He, keeps himself busy bumping off the other members of Faizal's family - the daughter in law, the mother, the aunt, the younger brother and so on. What was most interesting about this movie to me were the names given to the younger Khans - Perpendicular and Definite. In fact no one knows what Definite Khan's real name is. Perpendicular has a friend called Tangent. It's amazing. Most likely true if you ask me. But I am not joking - those are the names of those poor, mad boys.

Anyway Definite is the upcoming Khan, more so since the short wearing, cinema crazy, blade chewing Perpendicular is bumped off. Definite is the son of the other woman, the Bengali, and is crazy enough to carry on the good work of the earlier Khans. Faizal, somehow, by the end of the movie, after about a million joints inhaled by then, decides to pop off Ramadheer Singh and he does that in fine fashion. After that he is bumped off too by you-know-who. All's well and that ends well.

I was checking the film reviews and there is a lot of praise. Frankly I got bored to death. The actors were great, the characters were good, the story telling was fine and all that but its just so pointless and so, for me, a waste of time. When I ask myself why it is that these movies have failed to touch me, it is because of the lead characters. They do not seem to have any great character about them - save Sardar Khan's first wife who has some dum, some personality. All others are flawed and listless characters and do not rise above the mire they are in. The first son Danish had some promise but he was cut short. I liked the love story between Faizal and his wife. Nice.  I also loved the use of the film songs, the film posters, to tell us how quickly we have aged without realising while the kids in the movie have grown up, killed and have got killed. I think you'd like it if you are a film critic or if you like blood gore and gangster films. I am neither a critic nor do I have a stomach for all this any more. I will now head towards the romances and the comedies section.

Thought for the Day - Slow it down

Try this. Just slow down everything to a pace that you enjoy.  It's a delicious feeling.

There is much fun in life when you slow it down to your frequency. Your beat. The way you walk, eat, talk, breathe becomes so much more enjoyable when you slow it down. Savour it as you would a delectable gift. Slowly.Ever so slowly. Knowingly.

I have found a rare joy seeping in when I slow things down to that pace, my pace - and take it really slow and easy. It's me and me alone. My moment. My music, my song, my world.

What's the hurry? Easy does it. Slow down and see how much richer life gets. How much deeper you can go into the moment. it's a moment of sheer bliss, love, gratitude, joy.

A Day Trip to Manthani With An Old Friend

Mohan was my first friend in Hyderabad. We came to Hyderabad in 1977, to a new house in Sundar Nagar, in the wilderness outside the city almost, which has became my home ever since. Mohan was living in Model Colony, a twin colony.

View from the jeep

 There were few houses in our colony those days and fewer boys my age so we hit it off together. We'd play cricket, read books, walk the many dogs that Mohan had, cycle around and when we grew older, watched movies, got into scraps and so much more. We started a cricket team, played matches against each other being from different colonies, played together in a combined team and so on. There was much we did together then.

The school building that got flooded, now abandoned

But we went to different schools and had different things to pursue. Mohan became interested in karate and several other martial arts and certainly life on the wild side. I became more interested in cricket and preferred a more sedate life to Mohan's. We'd meet often though, and exchange notes and it was always a warm and trusting bond. It was Mohan who was with me when I got the news that my father had an accident, who accompanied me on along journey to the hospital, who cried even before I could, when he heard the news. We were 17 then.

View of the temple complex across the rivulet

From exploring his wild side further to a point when everyone despaired and wrung their hands, Mohan did an amazing U turn and became a fine arts critic, an expert on culture, heritage and history, and joined the prestigious NIFT as faculty. I went on with my life and our meetings grew rarer. But he is always genuinely glad to hear of my progress, of my writing career, and was present at the launch of my first book which is a big thing for me. We catch up for 30 minutes or so every year on an average but somehow that is more than enough to know that the old bond exists.

The main Ram temple

Ruins

More well preserved ruins

Mohan's mother passed away a fortnight ago. I met him that day. Much has been endured by him physically and mentally. I offered to go with him to immerse his mother's ashes and that was how we went to Manthani - just the two of us - on a day trip.

The dhwaja stambham

The river bed across the ruins

We drove off towards Karimnagar early in the morning in his new Bolero and reached Manthani, a small town on the banks of river Godavari by half past ten. Manthani is an ancient centre of vedic learnings and even today there are many scholars in the town who are well versed in the vedas and shastras. Manthani is also called Mantrapuri, or the town of hymns, and is believed to house a thousand brahmin families. Mohan says that the planning of the town is itself a highly sophisticated one.

We took a small single road that led from the town to the river side, where Mohan's friend and guru, Chandrasekhar Maharaj lived in the premises of a temple they have been taking care of for several generations. It is a temple that has three deities, Shiva, Ram and a third that has no deity, but Mohan surmises it is the Sun God. We approach the banks and find that there is nothing else but the temple complex and a devastated school which has been submerged and ravaged by floods in 1994.

Motorbikes being ferried across

 The temple Mohan reckons belongs to the Kakatiya period. It is still in pretty good shape. We went across the rivulet to the other bank where he performed the last rites. I wandered along and saw some more of those old carved stones. On our return I was given a personalised visit to all the temples by Chandrasekhar Maharaj and then we ate an amazing home cooked lunch at his home. After a relaxed hour, we started back to Hyderabad.

Bullock cart ride

It amazes me to see so much of history lying around. The temple architecture is mindboggling because of the way the stones are placed, one upon another, with such intricate carvings on it. How they lifted such heavy slabs and how they placed them so precisely is something the mind cannot fathom.  And apparently the idol was brought down from the top of the temple dome if the local folklore is to be believed.

More carvings in the river bed

It was nice to see the way people used a bullock cart for transport, to see motorbikes being ferried across the rivulet on a boat, to see the poorest of the poor operate cell phones, to see bullock cats cross the parched river bed, to see cow herds wear classy t shirts, to smell a whiff of sweet smelling grass in the neighbourhood. It was also surreal to see the centuries old history lying next to all that's modern, to see this family take care of what their forefathers did.

A grim reminder of a bygone era

 It is an eclectic group of people that surround Chandrasekhar Maharaj, with books that are being read from the epics to the modern day problems that afflict the world. Manthani has several more temples including aDattatreya temple and a museum that we could not visit because of time constraints, but someday soon I wish to return and explore it all more peacefully.

The Paradoxes of Our Lives - To Get More, Appreciate The Little That You Get

It is in appreciating the little things that we get, that we show our gratefulness to the world. The food we have the water, the air, the love, the security, the beauty, the talents, the health, the family - we take all these for granted. And then we are unhappy that we don't have more.

I love the way some people get on with their lives. The unhurried manner in which they speak, walk, talk, it all indicates the pleasure they are experiencing out of every moment of life. It is not about wanting anything, it is the sheer richness of life they are experiencing that makes one smile. The small gift, the wee smile, the little fruit, everything is wonderful to them.

Bliss is in experiencing the world in the small things we have. The depth of the moment. That's more than one can ask for.