NO ONE CAN BE ANOTHER LIKE YOU , MR.AMITABH BACHCHAN

NO, NO ONE CAN BE ANOTHER LIKE YOU, MR.BACHCHAN

Ali Peter John.

            

                This is the same man whose name no one could easily pronounce once. This is the same man who had to struggle like very few young men have ever had to struggle. This is the same man who kicked a chair in a police station and shot to superstardom.This is the man who was known as the angry young man and was called the representative of an angry and restless generation.This is the same man who lived and died and lived again after a near-fatal accident.This is the same man who had battled ailments like severe asthma, peritonitis and myasthenia gravis and many others crippling malaises and over came all of them . This is the same man who entered politics only to call it a "cesspool"and quit politics never to return to it again . This is the same man who saw the end of his glorious empire (ABCL)and fought his way out like only a man who was the son of his father Dr.Harivanshrai Bachchan could.This is the same man who moved with the times and changed with the changing times.This is the same man who played Inspector Vijay in "Zanjeer "and Vijay , the smuggler in "Don"and the poet in "Kabhi Kabhie" and the lover in "Silsila"who is now playing the old man like he excelled in playing the character in the recently realease "Gulabo Sitabo"....

And like I say ,an actor like Amitabh Bachchan will always be an actor whether he is twenty, forty, sixty aur eighty and even beyond.....

I have just seen a very amazing and amusing video to prove my point about an actor who I have been following from his very first foray in films . It is a time when like every one else he too is to staying home because of the pandemic and the resulting lockdown .He has been at home for the last four months ,but Amitabh Bachchan has to be active because he is not just anyone ,he is Amitabh Bachchan who millions still expect to work wonders and miracles .He has been busy writing his interesting and topical blogs and tweets .He is reading scripts for the future and he is making hundreds of videos for different missions and to send messages across .

The video I am fascinated about is an attempt which could only be made by an actor who has never let the actor and the entertainer in him take a break .

He is dressed in a colorful combination of green and red with his famous grey beard and salt and pepper hair (they say he wears a wig, but I don't think such petty matters matter to a great actor)And he is wearing the kind of glares that any young man would think twice before wearing. The opening line of the video says that he is going to sing his version of the cult song ,"sar jo tera chakraye ya dil dooba jaye aaja pyaare pass hamare kaahe ghabraaye" orginally filmed on the versatile comedian Johnny Walker in Guru Dutt's "Pyaasa ".

The cult song has been improvised by any number of actors and singers .But the way Amitabh Bachchan has done it in his what I would like to believe is his humble tribute to Johnny Walker ,Mohammad Rafi and Sahir Ludhianvi, the profound poet who could even write a song like this .

The magic of the video is that Amitabh not only sings the song in his own unique way ,but he also provides all the sound effects by himself with almost every part of his face ,his lips and his hands and fingers to give the song a new life and meaning to suit the modern times .He taps his fingers ,he slaps his face, his face reacts to his slaps, he whistles, he hums and his face is in endless motion to bring every expression alive. It is supposed to be a song sung in what is called the capella form ,I don't know more about this form ,but if what Amitabh does with the song is that form it must be an interesting form.

Amitabh at seventy seven and going on seventy eight is in full flow and seems to be celebrating every moment of singing the song and bringing it to new life.

It was his way of using his time during this lockdown and what a way he has used his time, time which has always been his favourite friend and guiding force...

As I said and believe, a true actor can neither age nor wither. His (or her) talent just keeps growing, glowing and getting richer ,like gold with time and even time will think twice or many times before taking any decision about it.

Ps Amitabh was so carried away by the way the members of the Shillong Choir rendered this gem of a song that he invited the group on his show, KBC and sang with them.

I may be wrong ,but I found something very similar in some of the expressions of Amitabh and the members of the Choir who have sung and even performed to it with the kind of perfection difficult to describe. I mention this here for all those who are diffident and believe that some things in life are not possible.I have seen and heard the Choir and I say with all the emphasis that if those singers can sing the most difficult songs with such ease and confidence, then why can't many more sings be possible for many of us who stand back and let others move forward as they continue to believe that it is not possible .And they believe that even the impossible is possible.

33

MADHUBALA

SHE COULD GIVE THE MOON A COMPLEX

BY ALI PETER JOHN

Thank God, the higher – ups, the people in power who decide and define the destinies of even the most extraordinary Indians take the right decisions sometimes. They take their own time in most cases, but what can these poor powerful people do? They are so busy with so many other burning (literally) and petty (most of them) and trivial (it is their main job) issues and problems to tackle.

Now, just take the case of Madhubala, unanimously accepted as the most beautiful woman to have illuminated the film scene in India. She had a glorious but unfortunately short career during which she proved that she was created for immortality. Madhubala died in 1969 when she was just thirty- six and almost forty- years after her death, the Indian Postal Department decided to issue a stamp in her honour. I personally think a major part of the credit for this “miracle to happen goes to the media, especially to the various television channels which keep telecasting some of her best films which in most cases end up in raising their TRPs and bringing in the ads and the money that comes with them. This specially happens when Madhubala’s starrers like ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gadi’, ‘Mahal’ and the all-time classic ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ are shown and people of all ages, even the teenagers of today sit glued to their couches and watch Madhubala enrapturing them, enchanting then and entertaining them like very few actresses have and can ever.

Today, more than ever before the DVD’s of her films are best sellers in every corner of the country and even in Pakistan and several countries in the Gulf. There is a huge demand for her photographs which are sold in all the hi-fi shops haunted by youngsters. The sales of the DVD’s, her photographs and audio cassettes of most of her films have doubled ever since the coloured version of ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ in which she stood the might of actors like Prithviraj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar was released all over the world. All her songs, especially from ‘Mahal’, ‘Howrah Bridge’, ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gadi’ and above all ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ catch the fancy of people of all generations. Madhubala, the actress had that rare power to inspire directors to come up with their best, cinematographers to capture ethereal beauty at its best, music directors and song writers to create divine music which lasts now and will last for ever. She also had the power to give a major complex to all her male stars. There have been many women who have come to films to try and make it as other Madhubalas, but not one of them has even come near the eye brow of her beautiful eyes.

Madhubala was without doubt the most beautiful Hindi film heroine and perhaps the most underrated actress with her beauty attracting more attention than her performances. She was brilliant in comedy with her sense of comic timing spot on and she came up with performances of high dramatic calibre in Amar (1954) and the unforgettable “Mughal-e-Azam” (1960).

Born in abject poverty, the 5th of 11 children, Madhubala began life in the film world as a child star, Baby Mumtaz, in films like Bombay Talkies’s “Basant” (1942). It was Kidar Sharma who gave her a break as heroine opposite Raj Kapoor in “Neel Kamal” (1947).

However it was with the Bombay Talkies suspense thriller “Mahal” (1949) that Madhubala became a star. Aaega aanewala from the film remains her signature song till today! A spate of films followed opposite the top leading men of the day - Ashok Kumar, Rehman, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand but by the mid 1950s when some of her major films like Mehboob Khan's “Amar” flopped, Madhubala, the most beautiful actress in the country was declared 'box office poison!' Further, she got involved with Dilip Kumar and this took its toll on her as she could not face her father's opposition of him and ultimately had to bow out of “Naya Daur” (1957) opposite him following a scandalous court case.

She however bounced back with a string of hits in the 1958-60 period – “Phagun” (1958), “Howrah Bridge” (1958), “Kala Pani” (1958), “Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi” (1958) - all among her more memorable films and of course “Mughal-e-Azam” (1960).

As the club dancer in “Howrah Bridge” Madhubala never looked more beautiful or alluring as she swayed to the seductive notes of “Aaiye mehrbaan”. And she matched Kishore Kumar step by step in his madcap antics in “Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi”. However it was “Mughal-e-Azam” that saw perhaps her greatest performance as the doomed courtesan Anarkali. The film showed off the finely modulated depth she could bring to her performances if given the opportunity. It is an outstanding performance in an outstanding film.

Tragically she was diagnosed as having a hole in her heart and her illness to cut short. She also plunged into a loveless marriage with Kishore Kumar and lingered on for nine years till her death in 1969.

She did have the odd release in this period like “Passport” (1961), “Half Ticket” (1962) and “Sharabi” (1964) but they were mostly old films that managed to limp towards release. In fact, “Jwala” was released almost two years after her death in 1971! She did try making a comeback opposite Raj Kapoor in 1964 but collapsed on the sets on the very first day of shooting and the film was shelved.

Even today the very mention of the name Madhubala conjures up the image of those dancing eyes, that lopsided smile and so much more...

Some of the best writers and poets of the fifties and sixties tried their best to describe the beauty of Madhubala in words and failed. Even now we still find the best of writers and poets struggling in vain to describe her ethereal beauty and the mesmerizing magic she worked. Her films shown on Television still have the highest TRPs. Her black and white photographs are still bestsellers at shops like Archies. Today filmmakers are still trying to find another Madhubala, but they have found everyone but Madhubala.

There have been books written about the actress who achieved what no other actress has at 36 which is the age at which she died on February 23rd, 1969. As we try to imagine the life she must have lived while she ruled we also wonder how she would have looked and what she would have done in 84 years.

There are many aspects of her life besides her beauty, that the everlasting story about her love story with Dilip Kumar is what keeps her alive and will for time to come.

An extract from the biography of Dilip Kumar in his biography “Substance and Shadow” published by Hay House India speaks about one of the greatest real life romantic stories of the film industry. “Was I in love with Madhubala as the newspapers and magazines reported at that time? As an answer to this oft-repeated question straight from the horse’s mouth, I must admit that I was attracted to her both as a fine co-star and as a person who had some of the attributes I hoped to find in a woman at that age and time. We had viewers admiring our pairing in “Taranaa” and our working relationship was warm and cordial. She, as I said earlier, was very sprightly and vivacious and, as such, she could draw me out of my shyness and reticence effortlessly. She filled a void that was crying out to be filled – not by an intellectually sharp woman but a spirited woman whose liveliness and charm were the ideal panacea for the wound that was taking its own time to heal.

The announcement of our pairing in “Mughal-e-Azam” made sensational news in the early 1950s because of the rumors about our emotional involvement. In fact, K Asif (the film’s director) was ecstatic with the wide publicity and trade enquiries he got from the announcement. It was not anticipated or planned that it would be in production for such a long period as it was and Asif was aware of Madhu’s feelings for me because she had confided in him during one of their intimate talks. And, he was equally aware of my nature as a man who made no haste in taking critical personal or professional decisions. As was his wont, he took it upon himself to act as the catalyst and went to the extent of encouraging her in vain to pin me down somehow. He went on to advise her that the best way to draw a commitment from an honourable and principled Pathan, brought up on old world values, was to draw him into physical intimacy.

In retrospect, I feel he did what any selfish director would have done for his own gain of creating riveting screen chemistry between actors who are known to be emotionally involved. Also, I sensed Asif was seriously trying to mend the situation for her when matters began to sour between us, thanks to her father’s attempt to make the proposed marriage a business venture. The outcome was that half way through the production of ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, we were not even talking to each other. The classic scene with the feather coming between our lips, which set a million imaginations on fire, was shot when we had completely stopped even greeting each other. It should, in all fairness, go down in the annals of film history as a tribute to the artistry of two professionally committed actors who kept aside personal differences and fulfilled the director’s vision of a sensitive, arresting and sensuous screen moment to perfection. Contrary to popular notions, her father, Ataullah Khan, was not opposed to her marrying me. He had his own production company and he was only too glad to have two stars under the same roof. Had I not seen the whole business from my own point of view, it would have been just what he wanted, that is, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala holding hands and singing duets in his productions till the end of our careers. When I learned about his plans from Madhu, I explained to both of them that I had my own way of functioning and selecting projects and I would not show any laxity even if it were my own production house. It must have tilted the apple cart for him and he successfully convinced Madhu that I was being rude and presumptuous. I told her in all sincerity and honesty that I did not mean any offence and it was in her interest and mine as artistes to keep our professional options away from any personal considerations. She was naturally inclined to agree with her father and she persisted in trying to convince me that it would all be sorted out once we married. My instincts, however, predicted a situation in which I would be trapped and all the hard work and dedication I had invested in my career would be blown away by a hapless surrender to someone else’s dictates and strategies. I had many upfront discussions with her father and she, not surprisingly, remained neutral and unmoved by my dilemma. The scenario was not very pleasant and it was heading inevitably to a dead end. In the circumstances, therefore, it seemed best that we did not decide to marry or even give each other a chance to rethink because my resolve by then had become strongly against a union that would not be good for either of us.”

There have been other books written on Madhubala, most of them only interested in her romance with “the king of tragedy” with some of them ending up in being rejected by her family. But, it is very strange that no attempt has been made to make an assessment of her contribution to Hindi cinema as not only one of the most beautiful actresses, but also as a consummate actress. And now when everyone seems to be making biopics on subjects like Kishore Kumar (her husband) and Sanjay Dutt , why can’t some brave writers and a sensitive director make a biopic on her ? But then the big question that arises is, where will they find an actress who can look as beautiful as Madhubala?

HOW LIFE CHANGES FOR SOME STARS

HOW LIFE CHANGES FOR SOME STARS
(The latest story of Ranjeeta, the one-time star)
-Ali Peter John

I woke up to a shocking morning early last week. It was the shocking story of Ranjeeta Kaur, her sixty-eight year old husband, Raj Ratan Masand and their son who is also named Raj. It was a story of Ranjeeta and her son trying to threaten and throw out Mr Masand from one of the top floors of their Apartments in Koregaon Park in Pune. The story had taken the industry by shock, but luckily, before the story could turn more ugly, the police had taken recourse to counseling of the small family and now they are all happy and it is a story of all is well that ends well.....

Ranjeeta... the name brings a number of memories to my mind. She was one of the many young and talented actress from the FTII who had made it big with her very first film,“Laila Majnu"with Rishi Kapoor, the star in the limelight playing Majnu and Ranjeeta playing Laila. I had met Ranjeeta during the making of the film in a building called “Lhotse"or Air India building in Juhu where she had another FTII colleague, Mahendra Sandhu. They were both living with their relatives. Ranjeeta had told me about her ambitions and desires till late into the night and I don't know how I who was also a newcomer like her told her that she had all the chances of making it big.... And she did

Soon Ranjeeta acted in hits like“Pati Patni Aur Woh"(with Sanjeev Kumar) and“Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se" (with Sachin). She made a famous team with Mithun Chakravorty in films such as“Surakshaa",“Tarana",“Humse Badhkar Kaun",“Aadat Se Majboor",“Baazi"and“Gunahon Ka Devta". She also was one of Amitabh Bachchan's heroines in“Satte Pe Satta". Her sister Rubina appeared in“Ek Main aur Ek Tu"opposite Rajeev Tandon (Raveena Tandon's brother). Ranjeeta was very closely associated with the Rajshri family having churned out so many hits like“Taraana",“Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se"etc. She starred with Raj Babbar, Raj Kiran, Deepak Parashar, Vinod Mehra, Amol Palekar and many other heroes, but her most famous pairing was with Mithun Chakraborty. Her last film before her exit from the film industry was“Gunahon Ka Devta". She appeared in a few television serials in the mid 1990s and then took a long hiatus from acting.

She had seen a very efficient assistant of one of her directors, Desh Gautam whose name was Rakesh Nath(Rikku). She encouraged him to take up the job of her secretary and that was the beginning of the career of one of the most successful secretaries or managers who went on to look after the careers of Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Salma Agha, Namrata and Shilpa Shirodkar and many others who he only helped or gave advice to.

After a gap of fifteen years, Ranjeeta returned to films in“Anjaane: The Unknown". In 2008 she appeared in“Zindagi Tere Naam"which reunited her with her frequent co-star Mithun Chakraborty. The film was completed in 2008 but was released in 2012. In 2011 she reunited with Sachin in“Jaana Pehchana", a sequel to her 1978 film“Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se". She had also debuted on television years back but withdrew quickly.

She is sixty-two now, but the urge to be a part of film still lives in her. There is the fear of her being branded as a mother like many of her contemporaries, but she only wants to do roles that can give her the soul satisfaction of being remembered for a longer time and by the new generation. And the one film she is really looking forward to is the remake of B.R Chopra's film of the seventies, “Pati Patni Aur Woh". Will her career be remembered as she desires or will she go down as one of the many forgotten stories? The answer lies in the hands of destiny which plays a very important part in the lives and careers of people, destiny which is a power that forces the most hardened non-believer to believe in it.

BOUNCERS AS A STATUS SYMBOL!

BOUNCERS AS A STATUS SYMBOL!
-Ali Peter John

There was a time when I could enter the house or the office of any big or legendary star or icon without any hesitation and certainly not without any fear. Stars were to be loved and their fans who made them what they were could try to shake hands with them or at least touch the helm of their clothes or if they failed at everything else, they could at least touch the walls of their bungalows or touch their cars. But all that is like a once upon a time story.

The last time I had to vow not to go anywhere near a star or even a so called star was when I just happened to pass the car of a bodybuilder of a star who has done one and a half films. The car came out of a compound in Lokhandwala with the star sitting inside and being followed by his bouncers who were four in number and whose muscles and even the muscles of the back of their heads were stronger than the muscles of their boss. The bouncers tried to stop me even though I was not even aware of who was going or coming as I was more interested in getting into an auto to get back home as soon as possible because of my foot. One of the bouncers came up to me and asked me why I was following the car of his boss and I wanted to fire a volley of cuss words of the worst kind at the bouncers and their boss, I had to control myself because I realised that I was not as young as I was in those good days and I even imagined what could happen to me even if two fingers of one of the four bouncers had touched me.....

I had not attended a star-studded function in a long time and so I felt like attending the trailer launch of an actress who was once a paying guest next to my building and had faced some of the most humiliating scenes because of her married boyfriend. I reached the Mehboob Studios and I thought the Studio where I had spent half my life had been under seige. But, I was wrong. All those men with the most dangerous muscles I have ever seen in my long life were the bouncers of my one-time neighbour turned controversial but beautiful star. I still admire her both as an actress and a person, but even if the city is on fire (God forbid) I will not try to run in the direction where I may face my favourite actress and my most hated men who are her bouncers and have yet to have any reasons to show their bravery and courage and also think that of there are lakhs of girls who are much more beautiful than some of these stars who walk around the city even past midnight, then why should these paper and channel-made stars?

I was the organiser of a major function at which the God among stars himself was to arrive at my invitation. He was very kind to keep me abreast of the time it was going to take him to reach the venue. He finally arrived, but he was surrounded by bouncers all around him. I believed it was all the same between us, but it wasn't.

Like the good old days, I rushed towards him to welcome him and show him how much I still admired and respected him, but before I could reach near him, I heard him say, “don't come very close, Ali, they (meaning the bouncers) may harm you". That was the moment I decided that I would meet him only if he guaranteed me my safety from his dangerous-looking bouncers or gave me a bunch of black bouncers and with their bulging muscles and the naqli fire in their eyes to protect me till I met him.

Some days ago, I had the misfortune of being somewhere near an actress who is best known for the sexy roles she does in films and the more than sexy web-series she is a specialist in and I saw her bouncers running all around her car. Was she the queen of Swaziland for any other Godforsaken land?

And if you have to see these men from some land far away from where humans live in action, you have to be present at one of the launching or release functions which are the done things in these dangerous times!

As I write this piece in anger and distress, I wonder what kind of stars these are who are so very scared about the people whose love they crave and die for before they become whatever they think they are and once they have achieved their goal, they appoint devilsh bouncers in black to push, shove and even thrash the same people who made them the stars and legends they believe they are, without realising that one day, these same people who they disdainfully look down as the masses and the hooligans and potential terrorists or rapist will reject them, throw them out and leave them in dark corner where they will not need bouncers any more and they will crave for recognition again and the masses will not forget their cruel ways and will leave them to rot and have no reason to have bouncers, but will have to cry out for help and at least an iota of recognition which the masses will not care to give them.

Imagine genuine legends like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, all the other Kapoors and Meena Kumari, Nutan and Madhubala travelling with black bouncers all around them!

Woh zamaana kuch aur tha aur yeh zamaana aur aur aur zaalim banta ja raha hai.

P.S-And what I say about today's stars also holds good for all our sewaks and pradhan sewaks who no one takes note of when they are nobody and who let the traffic go haywire and make men, women, children run for safety, crying out, “Sewak aaya,Pradhan sewak auya,bhaago,bhaago.

Mehboob Khan

Mehboob Khan

AN "EXTRA" WHO ROSE TO BE A MOVIE MOGHUL AND A FRIEND OF PANDIT JAWAHARLAL NEHRU
( ON HIS 56TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY)

Circa 1929. Outdoor shooting of Ardeshir Irani’s silent film “Shirin Khusru”. Location was the palace grounds of Dharampur, a princely state in the pre independence India.

From among the huge crowd of ‘extras’ gathered around, the director R S Choudhury was looking for a man to ride a horse and bring it to an abrupt halt before the camera. The director cast his eyes on a shabby and sturdy looking, swarthy complexioned young man brimming with confidence.

Choudhury knew this ‘extra’ was ‘the’ man who could do the risky shot. Ater exchange of a few words, the ‘extra’ did the stunt exactly the way it was needed. The shot was taken, the negatives were sent for developing and printing and finally the bosses take a look at the rushes only to be stunned by the amazing feat of this unknown ‘extra’.

Ardeshir Irani elicits more information on the ‘ _chhokra_ ’ and is told that he was none other than the ‘boy’ introduced by Irani’s railway guard friend as a good rider and then employed as an ‘extra’.

In the years to come, that ‘ _chhokra_ ’ and ‘boy’, who appeared as an ‘extra’ in a couple of films of Irani, went on to become Mehboob Khan, the Filmmaker ‘ExtraOrdinaire’!

Ardeshir Irani, the Father of Indian Talkie, considered Mehboob for the role of the prince for his film “Alam Ara”. Being the first talkie film and a fantasy film with lot of fights and stunts, Irani signed Master Vithal as the hero, the biggest stunt star of the silent era.

Mehboob came from an impoverished family involved in horse shoe business in Bilimora, Gujarat. And he would travel ticketless from Bilimora to Bombay, spend nights at the Grant Road station and try his luck at becoming an actor at Irani’s Imperial Films.

Mehboob’s journey from an ‘extra’ at Imperial Films and then at Sagar Movietone (which was started as an offspring of Imperial) to a filmmaker ‘ExtraOrdinaire’ is simply inspiring and fascinating. Between 1927 and 1930, he was seen as an ‘extra’ in Imperial’s silent films like “Alibaba and Forty Thieves”, “Shirin Khusru” and a few others. Thereafter, between 1931 to 1934, he did small roles of varied types in films of Sagar (later under the control of the two partners Chimanlal Desai and Ambalal Patel) like “Veer Abhimanyu”, “Romantic Prince”, “Bulbul-e-Baghdad”, “Chandrahas”, “Mahabharat”, “Mirza Sahiban”, “Premi Paagal”, “Grihalaxmi”, “Naachwali”, “Sati Anjani”.

Mehboob was not content doing these films; his interest was in doing something beyond this. He would listen to scripts of aspiring writers who came to Sagar, give unsolicited but valuable suggestions, give some dramatic twists and turns and, at the end, contribute something significant to the story. Because of his humble background, disagreeable looks and lack of education, none gave a serious thought to his latent talent or his potential except Faredoon Irani, the studio’s cameraman. Irani had taken a liking for Mehboob from the beginning.

Mehboob would write his own scripts and he was too eager to venture into direction. He would express his desire to Faredoon Irani who was confident about his prodigy, a genius in the making. He would frequently ask Irani to speak to the bosses who would just brush aside his request saying “what can be expected of an illiterate fellow; how can he write scripts and direct a film; he has no experience of anything; he works as an ‘extra’ and let him continue with that…”

Irani tried his best to convince the bosses and went to the extent of taking personal responsibility for what Mehboob would shoot on trial basis. He staked his salary if the bosses were not happy with the end results. Such was the confidence and conviction of Irani. And, Mehboob didn’t let down his God Father!

Finally, the bosses agreed, Mehboob read out the story written by him, assembled his stars and went about shooting. He was all charged and shot for three days (time given to him for shooting) and showed the rushes to the bosses. Chimanlal Desai and Dr. Ambalal Patel (the partners of Sagar) and few other key persons of the studio watched the rushes with bated breath and by the end of it, they were dazed and amazed, excited and exhilarated. They had discovered a great director in the ‘extra’ whom they rebuked and ridiculed. The green signal was given and Mehboob was all set to take up the director’s mantle.

Inspired by the Father of Cinematic Spectacle, Cecil DeMille’s “The Sign of the Cross”, Mehboob wrote his script and titled the film *The Judgement of Allah*. He had an ensemble of stars working under him: Kumar, Yakub, Sitara, Indira, Azurie and others. Music was by Pransukh Nayak. And, of course, Faredoon Irani was the cinematographer.

Working ceaselessly day and night, Mehboob wrapped up the shooting in five months with the outdoor scenes shot in Hyderabad. And, finally the film was made, released and it went on to become a huge hit. In years to come, the creation became bigger than the creator.

The film and its spectacular success was a testament to Mehboob’s conviction, dedication, perseverance and talent bestowed from the heaven by Allah!

Mehboob’s next for Sagar was *Deccan Queen* (1936) and the film marked the debut film of Surendra as an actor-singer. The Bombay based Sagars presented Surendra as an answer to the Calcutta based New Theatres’ Saigal. Even the song 'Birha ki aag lagi more mann mein' composed by Pransukh Nayak and sung by Surendra was on the mould of Saigal’s 'Baalam aaye baso more mann mein' from “Devdas”.

It was Anil Biswas who helped Surendra come out of the Saigal syndrome and create a distinct identity for himself as a singer. And Mehboob Khan veered his promising career to become one in the Trinity of the Turbulent Times; the other two singer actors who formed the Trinity were Saigal and Ashok Kumar.

The other major film of Sagar directed by Mehboob was *Manmohan* which was a bigger hit than *Deccan Queen*. The story, screenplay, dialogues and songs were written by Zia Sarhady. *Manmohan* was ‘inspired’ by New Theatres’ “Devdas” and had a similar storyline; in fact, some branded it as a ‘poor man’s “Devdas”‘. But, with Mehboob’s midas touch and showmanship, the film went on to become a massive hit.

The film starred Surendra and Bibbo in the lead and had music by Ashok Ghose. The song 'Tumne mujhko prem sikhaaya' sung by the lead pair became immensely popular.

The success of *Deccan Queen* and *Manmohan* consolidated the position of Mehboob as a director of great stuff and also put Sagar on a higher pedestal. In the years to come, it was a clear case of the ‘creation’ becoming bigger than the ‘creator’!

Following the success of *Judgement of Allah*, *Deccan Queen* and Manmohan”, Mehboob Khan made yet another super hit film *Jagirdar* for Sagar. The film had an impressive ensemble of popular actors of the time: Motilal, Surendra, Maya Bannerji, Bibbo, Yakub, Bhudo Advani.

*Jagirdar* was a slick murder mystery film on the lines of Hitchcock’s thrillers. And though Surendra and Motilal were of the same age (both born in 1910 within a gap of a month), they played father and son respectively to the hilt without any awkwardness or discomfiture. With the success of the film, Mehboob consolidated his position as versatile director of great reckoning.

After associating as a ‘music arranger’ in *Manmohan*, Anil Biswas came to give music independently for *Jagirdar* and many other films of Sagar that followed. The film had popular songs like: ' _Nadi kinaare baithke aao_ ' (Motilal and Maya Bannerji) and ' _Pujari more mandir mein aao'_ (Surendra and Bibbo). The film established the successful teaming of Surendra ~ Anil Biswas ~ Mehboob just like “Aradhana” (1969) inaugurated and established the successful teaming of Rajesh Khanna ~ Kishore Kumar ~ R D Burman ~ Shakti Samanta.

After *Jagirdar*, Mehboob made three more films in 1938 and 1939: *Hum Tum aur Woh*, *Ek Hi Raasta* and *Watan* and all the three were hits. All the above films of Sagar had their inhouse actors like Kumar (of Zindabad ae mohabbat zindabad fame) Surendra, Motilal, Bibbo, Maya Bannerji, Sitara (kathak danseuse), Yakub, Buddo Advani (of Lapak jhapak fame). These films introduced actors like Sheikh Mukhtar, Kanhaiyal, Aroon (father of Govinda), Jyoti (aunt of Nimmi) among others.

In 1940, Mehboob made a fantasy film *Alibaba* with Surendra in a double role of Alibaba and his son Jaffer. Because Ardeshir Irani’s film “Alibaba and Forty” thieves had been the first film in which Mehboob was put in the crowd of ‘extras’, his own film *Alibaba* for the Sagars made him nostalgic and sentimental. And he took the Muhurat shot at Ardeshir Irani’s Imperial studios where he started his career. Irani was so touched by Mehboob’s gesture, that he embraced him and allowed him to shoot the entire film at his studio.

Mehboob was a devout Muslim and a God fearing man. Being the month of Ramzan, he fasted during the day time and after breaking the ‘roza’ in the evening, he shot the entire film in the night time. The film was made in Hindi and Punjabi and went on to become a big box office success. The film had music by Anil Biswas and had the first song in waltz rhythm ‘ _Hum aur tum aur ye khushi_ ’ by Surendra and Wahidan bai (mother of Nimmi).

The same year. Mehboob made yet another masterpiece and that was *Aurat* . The film was inspired by Pearl Buck’s classic novel ‘The Good Earth’ and a film by the same name was made. Mehboob saw the film at Bombay’s Metro Talkies with his trusted and erudite writer Babubhai Mehta who soon came up with the script. Mehboob discussed the subject with his close associates like cameraman Faredoon Irani, chief assistant Chimankant Gandhi and the bosses of Sagars: Chimanlal Desai and Ambalal Patel. And set out to make the classic with an ensemble of stars: Sardar Akhtar (who was a struggling dancer artiste and who had made her debut in Mehboob’s *Alibaba* and whom he eventually married) in the title role, Surendra, Yakub (as her two sons), Kanhaiyalal and others like Jyoti, Harish, Aroon and Vatsala Kumtekar.

During the making of the film, the partners of Sagar joined hands with Yusuf Fazalbhoy of RCA to form National Studios. And the film was made and released under the newly formed banner.

*Aurat* was a touching saga of sacrifice, struggle, sufferings and survival of a woman to raise her children singlehandedly and fight the cuning and greedy money lender. The role was played by Sardar Akhtar and her character was metonymic representation of an ideal and self sacrificing Hindu woman of high moral values.

The film was a big success and had authentic folk based music by Anil Biswas. Mehboob made the film again in 1958. The film was titled *Mother India* and starred Nargis in the title role and Rajendra Kumr and Sunil Dutt as her sons in the roles originally played by Surendra and Yakub respectively. Kanhaiyal was cast again as the lecherous money lender and he fitted the role to the hilt.

After the success of *Alibaba* and *Aurat*, Mehboob directed two more films for National Studios viz. *Behan* which introduced Sheikh Mukhtar and Nalini Jaywant as brother and sister and *Roti* with Chandramohan, Sheikh Mukhtar, Sitara, Akhtari Faizabadi (who later shot to fame as the Ghazal Queen Begum Akhtar), Kanhaiyalal among others. Both the films had music by Anil Biswas.

In 1942, National Studios was taken over by one Keki Mody who rechistened the studio as Central Studios. And in the ‘chawl’ behind the studio, Mehboob Khan formed his iconic Mehboob Productions. The banner was visually represented by the communist ‘hammer and sickle’ combination which symbolised the struggle worker that Mehboob was. He had his own adversaries and rivals and, with them in mind, Mehboob came up with an apt and cryptic couplet penned by the famous Urdu writer Agha Hashr Kashmiri:

‘ _Muddayi laakh bura chaahe to kya hota hai,_

_Wohi hota hai jo manzoor-e-khuda hota hai_ ’

*Mehboob Productions*

The first film made under the banner was *Taqdeer* in which he introduced the 13 years young Nargis as the heroine opposite an aging Motilal.

Other films which followed were :

*Najma*, a Muslim social set in the backdrop of Muslim culture, rituals and traditions starring Ashok Kumar, Veena, Sitara, Yakub, Kumar;

*Humayun*, a spectacular historical with a strong message of the Indo~Islamic synergy starring Ashok Kumar, Veena, Nargis, Shahnawaz, Chandramohan, K N Singh;
A filmmaker of the caliber of Cecil DeMille, the father of cinematic spectacle and Mehboob's _Dronacharya_ praised him lavishly for his labour of love (copy of the letter dated 21 May, 1947 appended for evoking nostalgia. Courtesy: Shri Bunny Reuben, the _Pasha_ of Publicity)

*Anmol Ghadi* a musical romantic triangle starring Surendra, Noorjahan and Suraiya;

*Elaan*, again a Muslim family social starring Surendra and Munavvar Sultana;

*Anokhi Ada* yet another romantic musical starring Surendra, Naseem, Prem Adib and Nawab;

*Andaz*, a post independence era's modern and musical romantic triangle starring Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Murad and V H Desai;

*Aan*, a spectacular and magnificent adventurous costume drama starring Dilip Kumar, Nimmi, Nadira (her first film), Premnath, Mukri;

*Amar* , a sensitive romantic triangle starring Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, Nimmi, Jayant, Ulhas, Mukri;

*Mother India*, a classic rural epic on India starring Nargis, Rajendra Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Kanhaiyalal, Mukri, Kumkum, Chanchal, Azra and Master Sajid;

*Son of India* starring Sajid, Kumkum, Kamaljeet and Kanhaiyalal.

When Mehboob made his films right from Sagar’s “Deccan Queen” to his own Mehboob Production’s “Mother India”, Mehboob and his team of director, cameraman, recordist, assistants, spot boys, light and sound boys, extras as well as the top stars worked exactly in the same manner and travelled together by the same bus without discrimination because Mehboob himself had risen from the grass root level. Even the food that they carried to far off locations was shared by the stars, technicians and assistants with no preferential treatment to stars. They spread the rugs on the ground, sat cross legged, chatted and laughed and there was good camaraderie between them.

Towards the latter part of his career, Mehboob took the responsibility of the affairs of the film industry and virtually fought for its cause and tried to bring in some order and discipline into the chaos it was in. Large hearted and magnanimous that he was, he organised huge gatherings followed by sumptuous dinner for his fraternity. And, because he had risen from a mere ‘extra’ and reached the top through severe hardships and struggle, patience and perseverance, dedication and sincerity, he empathised with the problems of all concerned at all levels.

Over the years, Mehboob had become very friendly to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Mehboob had succeeded in getting Nehru to preside over the function to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Indian Talkies in 1956. At the function, Mehboob made an extremely complimentary and flattering speech in Nehru’s honour and concluded the speech on a highly emotional note: “ _Tu mera mehboob hai! If you live, I live; If you die, I die_ !”

Strangely, prophetic words they turned out to be. Jawaharlal Nehru died on 27 May, 1964 and, on hearing the news, Mehboob was shocked beyond words; he became terribly upset and was inconsolable. And the following day, in the early hours, at about 2 am or so, Mehboob too succumbed to brain haemorrhage and passed away at the Nanavati Hospital.

Mehboob’s fascinating journey from a mere ‘Extra’ to a filmmaker ‘ExtraOrdinaire” is highly incredible and truly awe inspiring!!

God fearing and a devout Muslim that he was, till the last he believed in the couplet:

_Muddayi laakh bura chaahe to kya hota hai,_

_Wohi hota hai jo manzoor-e-khuda hota hai_

...but his tragic end was certainly not the way God willed but the way he willed!!

*Manohar ' Mohabbat' Iyer*

PS:
You don't stumble upon your heritage. Its there, just waiting to be explored and shared!!

Where others see old streets, I see Roman legions on the march 🤗;

Where others see buildings, I see who built them 🤗;

Where others see fields, I see ancient battlefields 🤗

(PRESENTED BY ALI PETER JOHN)

AJAY DEVGN'S FATHER

Veeru Devgn

HOW CAN I REMEMBER HIM ONLY AS AJAY DEVGN'S FATHER

-Ali Peter John

Like I knew some of the biggest names in different fields of filmmaking, I also had the opportunity to meet and make friends with some of the leading action-directors like Azeem Bhai, Ravi Khanna and Shetty. They made the most thrilling and ferocious acts on screen possible, but strangely, they were all generous and large-hearted men who could do anything to make lives comfortable for the brave men who put their lives at stake to bring their action and thrills alive.....

In the late seventies, I came across a young action-director called Veeru Devgn. He had learnt his art from some of his seniors, but he largely had an innovative mind even when it came to action.

My first image of him was sitting next to Mr Bharat (Manoj Kumar) with his band of brave boys. Manoj Kumar had taken a liking for him and the relationship grew mutual with time and Veeru Devgn didn't mind massaging the feet of the man he called“A filmmaker who knew exactly why films wee made and how to make them". Manoj Kumar was the first filmmaker I heard talking highly about Veeru Devgn and it didn't take Manoj a long time to live up to his words. He signed him as the action-director of his most ambitious film,“Kranti". Veeru Devgn lived up to the expectations of Manoj Kumar and the industry had found one more able and highly qualified (self taught) action-director and was signed as the action director in any number of films and to his credit, he never repeated the same kind of action and thrills in the growing number of films he kept doing.....

It was while he was shooting for“Kranti"that we struck up a very good friendship. I was working for“Screen"and couldn't write for any other magazine or paper. But when Maneka Gandhi who had started as a journalist had turned editor of a magazine brought out from Delhi and called“Surya", she asked me to write about films and even write a column about films. I asked her if I could start off with an exclusive article on the life and times of a leading fight director called Veeru Devgn, she had said, “you are the boss of the film section now and you can write about any subject you want. If you say Veeru Devgn, let it be Veeru Devgn"and I wrote my article for“Surya"beginning with Veeru Devgn. When the article was splashed across four pages with exclusive photographs from the collection of Veeru Devgn himself, Ms Gandhi liked it and Veeru Devgn (who I had now like the others in the industry also called“Veeruji"carried copies of“Surya"everywhere and said, “yeh dekho, Ali Saahab ne ek chhote se aadmi ka kya kar diya". That article strengthened our friendship and he made it a point to make his“boys"let me know where he was shooting and wanted me to join for lunch.

I was carried away by his skill at giving action in films a new dimension and adding glory to the stars, especially Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Dharmendra and Amjad Khan, besides many others as he was the only name that mattered when it came to action in Hindi films. He was the man behind the amazing action scenes in more than eighty films, among which the more popular were“Kranti,“Mr Natwarlal",“Himmatwala",“Shahenshah"and“Tridev".

Veeruji was a very god-fearing man and I found him deep in prayer at the statue of Mother Mary at the St. Michael's Church in Mahim where he stood alone touching the statue of the Mother with his hands raised and his eyes closed. I too was a regular at the church and used to wait for him to finish his prayer Wednesday after Wednesday as there was a belief that anyone who prayed at the church for nine consecutive Wednesdays, without a break would get his or her prayer granted. I once asked Veeruji who was now a very successful man in his field of work what he was praying for so ardently and it didn't take him a minute to say, “All my prayer are for my son, Vishal who I want to see as a successful actor". Seeing his devotion and his belief, I joined him in his prayer for the success of his son.....

Veeruji's prayer was granted before he could complete Wednesdays when things fell in place for Vishal to be named Ajay Devgn and be launched in“Phool Aur Kaante"produced by Veeruji's friend Dinesh Patel and directed by Kuku Kohli and with Madhoo, the niece of Hema Malini as the heroine.If Ajay is remembered for the iconic entry scene in which he arrives riding two bikes with one foot in each of them, Ajay Devgn, the superstar now has his father to thank. Veeru also tried his hand at direction with“Hindustan Ki Kasam"with his favourite actor Amitabh Bachchan and others. He had finally succeeded in his mission to make his son a star who on his own merit is a superstar, a producer and a director with an extremely talented wife like Kajol and their two children,Nysa and Yug.

Veeruji who must have been a good-looking tough young man in his youth must have also nursed the desire of being seen on camera and he had his ambition fulfilled when he acted in films like“Ek Khiladi Baawan Pattey",“Muqabla",“Mr. Natwarlal",“Kranti and “Sar Utha Ke Jiyo", but he did not let his ambition become his passion and was satisfied doing what he was good at....

If Veeruji will be remembered by those who knew him well for anything more than his work, it will be because of his generosity. He was perhaps the first action director who made it a point to establish all the fighters working for him by getting them good money which led them to have their own homes in Mumbai and to see their children go to the best of schools.....

Life however was not very kind to him during the last ten years. He was down with several complicated ailments and couldn't see the height to which his son, Ajay had reached and even built his own massive bungalow opposite the bungalow of Dharmendra who was his hero in the true sense of the word. The attendance of stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and many others at his funeral was living proof of what the man meant to them, their work and their lives.

VEERUJI'S MIND WORKED MUCH BETTER THAN ME CAMERA OR MACHINE-ANIL KAPOOR

At a time when there were no special effects, no technology, we would all count on Veeru paaji to make our action sequences look thrilling. We have done several movies together, including“Hum Paanch", “Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja"and“Mr India".

The Charlie Chaplin sequence in“Mr India"became magical because of Veeru ji, Sri [Sridevi] and our cinematographer Baba Azmi. In those days, there was no VFX; just hard-core, live action on camera as imagined by Veeru ji. He had his own innovations and they were far ahead of VFX.

A prime example of this is the train sequence in“Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja". Ask anyone about the three best train sequences in Indian cinema and he will name“Ganga Jamuna",“Sholay"and“Roop Ki Rani…" The best thing about Veeru ji was that even when he would be explaining a high-octane action stunt, he never made it sound difficult. His briefs would be simple — tu daudega aur usko mukka marega. So, we would feel comfortable while filming the scene. It was only when we saw it on screen that we realised how effective it was.

He was a very positive and helpful person. I remember while shooting for“Hum Paanch", we would keep our production money with him. He was our unofficial banker; such was the trust he commanded.

People in the industry admire Ajay's [Devgn] technical know-how. Truth is, the legacy has been passed down to him by his father. Veeru ji was one of the most respected technicians that Bollywood had.

What I admire most about Veeru ji though is his generosity of heart. I met all the young fighters, whom he had brought into the industry, at his funeral. He enabled them to earn a livelihood and buy houses in the city. So many boys would come from Punjab, get off at CST railway station and head straight to Veeruji or Dharamji [Dharmendra] for jobs. Kitno ka ghar basaya hai Veeruji ne!

HE WAS MY MENTOR-SHAM KAUSHAL
When I first met Veeru sir, he dissuaded me from becoming a stunt master. He asked me to find a good job, knowing that I had done my MA. When I told him that films were my calling, he gave in. Thereon, I was almost like an assistant to him. I have learnt everything about action direction from Veeru

SONU SOOD

MAANA TUM ACHCHE ACTOR HO, MAGAR USSEY BADKAR TUM EK MAHAAN INSAAN HO

SONU SOOD WHO HAS EMERGED AS A MESSIAH DURING THESE DARK TIMES.

My dear Dutt Sahab,

It was your death anniversary
(I still have to learn how to associate you with death)and a crowd of some great moments I spent with you came rushing back to me . And at the end of spending some time with them, I went into a mood I can not describe, but I knew I was thinking of what you would have done in these troubled times after knowing you as the panther who was never scared of any calamity or crisis and loved how you loved to face them and fight them head on ...

I remembered the time when you took me to the red light area in South Bombay (better known as Pilla House)on "rakshabandhan" day ,the day on which you never failed to visit your "sisters "who look forward to your visit. It was one of my most heart-warming scenes to see you being surrounded by all those women who were otherwise looked down upon by the so called high society and the "bhadralok ".I saw the happiness on the faces of those "sisters "which lit up their faces which looked radiant perhaps after long time the hellish lives they were forced(?) to live because of cruel circumstances. I love the way they clamoured to see who would tie their rakhis round your wrist first and how you presented them with gifts and garlands and left only after you had tea with them. I don't think there has been any man who has changed the atmosphere and the lives of those sisters like you had done.I saw you as a human being more than the Sunil Dutt you were for me till then.

I remembered the time when you took me to the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital and how every patient who was dying or was being treated and even the doctors, nurses, ward boys and the visitors looked up at you as if you had come to save them and give them and their families hope in the midst of despair and death.I was slowly getting to know you as an amazing and extraordinary human being...

The country was reeling under another crisis and you were facing your own serious problems because of your son,Sanjay but you had to send your MLAS and corprators on a march throw the Lokhndwala Market to collect clothes, utensils and whatever the people wanted to give. Till around 5.pm,the people refused to show any enthusiasm in giving anything to your leaders. One of your MLAS asked me to call you and inform you about the situation. I called an you asked me, "Ali,mera aana zaroori hai kiya ?"And you were their within fifteen minutes driving your own car(I had heard you telling me how you drove from Pali to the Airport and back in just seven minutes).Your entry in Lokhndwala Market brought a new life and within one hour there were truck loads of clothes and other items of utility value ready to leave Lokhndwala Market. What all your MLAS and corporators couldn't do in six hours,you had done in less than an hour. If that was not a sign of what you were and what you stood for, I still don't know after so many years what is . You were a Messiah all the way ...

And even when my mind is full of you,I am reminded of a young, dynamic, daring and dedicated Indian whose name is Sonu Sood...
Should I tell you about the misery your dear country and my country is going through during the last three months ? There is a dangerous worm who has been playing havoc with the world and is taking vicarious pleasure in wrecking the fabric of your beloved country.And if you see how thousands of migrants,mazdoor and their families are walking back to their villages, you will vividly remember the plight of the refugees during the partition of which you were a first hand witness and to a large extent even a part of .These poor people of India are still walking on the roads to a dark and bleak future and neither the central government nor the governments in the states are showing any signs of their having any humanity left in them. Their trains are reaching all the wrong destinations.A Chief Minister who calls himself a Yogi plays dirty politics with these Mazdoors and sends back a thousand buses sent to his state to help these migrants, a clear case of the politics of vendetta. And such cases of inhumanity are growing rampant and reaching a point of no return...

I miss you during these times when politicians are growing more vicious than the worm ....

This is a time when we needed givers more than takers.
A time when be needed more of selfless people than selfish idiots and bigots,a time when we need Indians who care for Indians and not Indians who are only interested in harming Indians in every corner of India. And even as I am thinking on these lines, I must hasten to assure you that India and Indians have been lucky and even blessed to find the young man it needed and his name is Sonu Sood...

Sonu Sood , dear Dutt Sahab, is an actor who is not a star or as big as the Khans ,The Kumars and the Devgns, but what he has been doing in the last three weeks has made him a Messiah among the poorest of the poor in the country. He is doing what the government at the center, the government in the states and no men with all the power and all the money (and with no hearts)have not been able to do. For the masses who are heading home, Sonu Sood is nothing less than a God-sent man or God himself. They are busy thinking of ways of thanking him in their ways, in a place called Silva in Odisha, people are even planning to build a statute in his honour. There is a section of people which is even appealing to the government to honour him with the Bharat Ratna.There is a half- baked director who has hit on a brain-wave (O, these selfish and silly men who wait for any opportunity to take advantage of)and an actor who is supposed to be very close to the powers above have also sent hints to the new Messiah that they would like to make a film about him.
And the amazing grace of the young actor who has sent thousands of people back to their villages, who has provided them with food and water kits for their journey ,who has donated one thousand five hundred PPE kits to the doctors fighting war against the Virus in Punjab and who has given his hotels for use of the medical staff fighting the war, is entirely unaware and doesn't even seem to be interested in what he will gain,but is still on the streets with his team trying to help as many migrants as possible. He has made his mobile number public for anyone in need to reach him. He answers every call and replies to every Twitter. The only interest he has know is to help as many Indians in trouble as possible. Tell me, Dutt Sahab, what do I or anyone say about a young man like this actor who was best known for his roles as a villain in films ?

I hope and pray that Sonu Sood succeeds in his mission to save an doesn't fall a prey to the wicked and wily ways of sinister politicians and other vested interests.
My dear Dutt Sahab,

The last time I asked you for a favour was when I sought your help to get a road named after my guru ,K.A.Abbas and you readily agreed and fulfilled my request. Now, I know you are not here, but I also know that you are very much here and so I ask you to bless Sonu Sood and even hand over the title of the Messiah which belonged to you to Sonu who I like millions of other Indians feels he is today. And besides doing all the good work he is doing for the people, he has even expressed his genuine feelings about what he feels about the difficult times we are all living in.

SUNEGE AAP, DUTT SAHAB, TO SUNIYE ,AAPKO YAKEEEN HOGA KI YE AAPKA ,MERA AUR HUM SABKA DESH ABHI BHI BHAVISHYA KO ASHA SE DEKH SAKTE HAI ,KYUNKI DESH KE BARE MEIN SOCHNE WALA EK AISA YUVA HAI JO AUR BOHOT SAARE YUVAAON KO APNE SATH LEKAR CHAL SAKTA HAI AAGE...

Maana ki ghani raat hai, Iss raat se ladne ke liye, pura Bharat ek sath hai...

Teri koshish meri koshish rang layegi, fir ussi bheed ka hissa hongey, bas sirf kuch he dino ki baat hai...

Maana ki ghani raat hai, magar pura Bharat ek sath hai."

PS there are others from the industry Sonu Sood belongs to whose conscience has been stirred up by what Sonu Sood is doing and have come out to help the cause to which Sonu has dedicated his life, his money, his hotels and all that has made the Sonu Sood he is. But,Sonu will always be recognized and respected by history as the original Messiah (second only to you, dear Dutt sahab)

Salaam Sonu Sahab desh ke gareebon ki taraf se or mere Messiah Dutt Sahab ki taraf se.....

Your ardent disciple and your follower till the end

Ali Peter John

FROM AN "ALCOHOLIC" TO AAMIR KHAN

FROM AN "ALCOHOLIC" TO AAMIR KHAN

My dear Aamir,

    Thanking you, showing our gratitude to you, flattering you or even singing your praises is doing nothing to express my feelings after seeing an episode on your show, “Satyamev Jayate”. You promised to not only tell the truth but also to portray the reality of the various ailments and diseases that are ravaging this great country and you have not been like all our politicians, you have been keeping your promise with the kind of dedication and determination that forces my right hand to touch my forehead and salute you.

Every episode that has been telecast on your show has been an eye-opener, every episode has shaken up and woken up people of this mahaan country and its people who were living in a country which was being led by all kinds of leaders to a place where it was being threatened with the feeling of being a backward country which was not interested in going forward in spite of all the progress made in practical terms. Yes, we have been making constant progress in every field of life, BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE WE ARE GETTING USED TO LIVING AS INDIANS..???

I have turned into an ardent addict of your show and sit before my TV set long before your show can start. Last Sunday morning, I had just finished writing one more chapter of my book which tells the truth about my days as an alcoholic and it was 11 am and time for your show to start. I stopped writing and to my utter surprise I found out that your episode that morning was all about alcohol, alcoholics and alcoholism in the country. I sat stunned and watched you bringing out all the truths about this disease which is reigning rampant in every corner of the country, in high places and low, among the most intelligent and the most illiterate. The way you made alcoholics speak out the bitter truth about the curse of alcoholism was something I feel could not have been done the way you did it that Sunday. The victims opened their hearts out to you and told you the truth about the beemaari (disease) the way they would never have opened up before the greatest psychiatrist, Pandit or any kind of guide who claimed to be authorities on this sensitive subject that involved the lives of people who are victims and their near and dear ones.

I have absolutely no hesitation in confessing that I too have been a victim who has been saved at the right time, but I still call myself an alcoholic because I know it is one enemy that can strike and damage a man or a woman at anytime. I wished you had known about my being a victim and invited me to be a part of your show. I would not hide my face and reveal the kinds of secrets and truths about alcohol and being an alcoholic.

Would you believe that I started drinking when I was hardly seven years old..? Would you believe that I hated alcohol for the next twenty-seven years..? Would you believe that I used to visit churches, schools and colleges talking to people about the ill effects and the damage that alcohol could cause and not only damage the victim physically, but also ruin his reputation in his own family, in his place of work and in society as a whole..? Would you believe that I who was deadly against alcohol took to drinking soon after I finished all that I had to say about the curse of alcohol to people..? Would you believe that this man (me) who once walked away from a drunken man was a part of almost every bar in Mumbai, drinking from morning till I lost control over all my senses..? Would you believe that I had come under a speeding truck and knew nothing about the ‘miracle’ till I reached the bar again and people looked at me as if I was some ghost who had come back from the dead?

Would you believe that I was thrown out of auto- rickshaws and even out of trains, flung on the floors of moving trains with people walking all over me..? Would you believe that I was cheated, beaten, and even left in places from where I never knew my way home..? Would you believe that I who was a very holy and devout person could abuse in the worst foul language which I could never dream of using when I was sober..? Would you believe that my family threw me out and I lived in the streets for days together and still could not give up drinking..? Would you believe that I used to lose control over all my muscles and nerves and no doctor had any treatment but just two pegs of alcohol in any form or under any brand could make me a man strong enough to run after a bus and catch it, a man who could face any kind of challenge, a man who could even face an inquiry commission set up by my company to know whether I should be sacked or not and how I under the influence of alcohol could fight my own case and come out free and then rush to the nearest bar..? Would you believe that I had been admitted to the Holy Spirit Hospital for a record number of nine times and every time I came out with my bag I headed straight for the bar which served the cheapest liquor..? Would you believe that I could write some of my best articles and stories when I had a couple of pegs inside me and even won awards for some of them..? Would you believe that the best of psychiatrists and specialists had given me up as a “gone case” and even called me a “miracle” for surviving after making all my attempts to burst my liver..? Would you believe that I swore before my wife, my little daughter and my best friends that I would never touch alcohol again and the very next morning I was the first customer in the bar, even before the bar could open..? And would you believe that I could even drink vinegar, Dettol and have even drunk any kind of liquid which looked like liquor..? Would you believe that I lost the greatest love of my life because of my greater love for alcohol..? Would you believe how I hated Mahatma Gandhi on his birthday and his anniversary which were “dry days” and all other dry days..? And would you believe that it took me more than thirty -four years to realize that I was alive even after the disastrous relationship I had with alcohol..? And would you believe that I one day woke up and told myself that I would stop drinking and that is how I am now..? Would you believe that I don’t believe that I have broken up with the bottle and would you believe that if I am ever scared of any scene it is a bar or seeing some human being losing all his senses as he walks out of one of the bars I regularly visited once…? I can go on and on about my “affair” with alcohol.

Your episode shook up the one-time alcoholic in me and as I saw your episode progress I remembered all that I was when I was trapped in the bottles of alcohol and all that I had gone through when I saw all those brave men who told you the truth about being slaves of alcohol. That morning and also that evening your episode made my resolve to resist drinking to the best of my ability and I even sent up a mighty prayer to God for all of us, victims of this disease which is much more dangerous than cancer or any other killer disease, a disease which kills every day, every moment when alcohol flows in the system of man. I know there are people who drink on special occasions, I know there are “social drinkers”, I know there are doctors who even recommend two pegs because they say it is good for health, but I too had started with two pegs to keep the promise I had made to my doctors but those two pegs led me to a point of no return.

I still don’t know how I should thank you, Aamir, for dealing with a delicate and sensitive issue like the one you did that Sunday. I hope and I even feel that there are may be a number of alcoholics who must have said farewell to alcohol that night and I also hope that your episode has reached as many people as possible because it is not just a programme on TV but a one- man mission to do his best for his countrymen to be inspired to live a better life.

Carry on your crusade, Mr. Khan, you are not just a “filmwaala” or just another superstar, there have been “Babas”, “Peers”, Social Activists and Crusaders and the best of Psychiatrists who have tried to solve this drastic problem and have miserably failed, but I am sure that your attempt will work the kind of miracles that those great people cannot even think of.

I hope to see you as a savior of people facing some of the most dangerous problems. You may in your modesty say that you are not a savior but what you are doing is what some of the greatest saviors have claimed to do and have failed. I can only wish you the very best and try to spread all your messages to as many people as possible

Yours very sincerely

ALI PETER JOHN