Why Byomkesh Bakshi continues to win hearts in the OTT era

July 14, 2021 by Keyur Seta 3 Comments

Over the last couple of years, shows on OTT platforms have become a rage in India. The shutting down of theatres from March 2020 onwards due to the COVID-19 pandemic is a major reason for that.

A large number of these OTT shows are crime thrillers or mystery dramas that have something related to crime. But even in such a scenario, Basu Chatterji’s crime detective show Byomkesh Bakshi continues to wow the audience on YouTube. The high number of views it keeps garnering is a proof of it.

For those not in the know, Byomkesh Bakshi was first aired in 1993 on Doordarshan. The show is based on the written works of author Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. The stories revolve around the character of Byomkesh Bakshi, played by Rajit Kapur.

Bakshi is a detective but prefers to be called truth seeker [satya ki khoj karne wala]. His best friend-cum-assistant Ajit is played by KK Raina while Sukanya Kulkarni plays is wife Satyavati. Each episode starts with a crime and ends with Bakshi solving it. Few stories are divided in two episodes.

There are various reasons why the show continues to be popular on the internet amidst thousands of new crime stories on OTT platforms from India and abroad.

Nostalgia: For those who have grown up in the 1990s, the very mention of Byomkesh Bakshi is enough to make them nostalgic and go back to the bygone era. The show reminds us of the times when we used to watch Doordarshan with the whole family. We have hundreds of TV channels today but they are no match to the national television of that era.

Simplicity: The stories explored in the show are based in the eras from 1930s to 60s. Hence, we get a glimpse of the simple times in Kolkata, all thanks to the production designer Jadab Bhattacharya. But apart from the setting, there was ample simplicity in the making of the show as well.

Despite dealing with an issue like crime, Chatterji stayed miles away from adding any sort of melodrama or forceful thrill through the background score. It was a show where the crime used to be introduced in a simple manner and the mystery used to be solved in the same way. This ensures that you don’t lose interest even if you predict the mystery at the start itself.

Characters: In a lot of shows and movies detectives being shown as heroes or someone with an unusual way of living. But the characters of Bakshi, Ajit, Satyavati and whole lot of others in this show were simple, common and everyday people. Hence, it was extremely easy to relate with them. Even after Bakshi solves a truly complicated case, he is never portrayed as a hero.

Performances: Rajit Kapur’s performance as Bakshi was the backbone of the show, apart from Chatterji’s handling. There are various moments where he cracks humour out of nowhere. Similarly, there is also an undercurrent of humour in his performance which is a hallmark of a great actor. Raina too gave perfect support to him and added the right amount of curiosity for the audience.

Title Music: As soon as you hear the title tune of Byomkesh Bakshi, your mind is sucked back into the era of the 1990s. Composer Ananda Shankar has added thrill in the score but not gone overboard by retaining the simplicity of the show.

Peace-inducing content: I am sure this point will come across as either surprising or weird. But this is my personal observation. There is something about this show that induces peace. Watching an episode of Byomkesh Bakshi fills me with calmness, though it’s a crime show.

When the show was re-run on Doorsharshan in 2013, my grandmother used to feel the same. She said on numerous occasions how shaant she felt after watching the show. She said she never felt this way while watching other crime shows like CID.

Watch Byomkesh Bakshi on YouTube by clicking HERE.

Reaction to Aamir Khan’s divorce exposes the TOXIC times we are living in

July 5, 2021 by Keyur Seta 3 Comments

Two days back it looked like just another Saturday during the second COVID-19 wave until Aamir Khan shared the news of his divorce with Kiran Rao. It just suddenly triggered reactions on social media and What’s App as if lava erupted from a mountain. And it continues to be so ever after more than 48 hours of the announcement.

While Khan’s divorce even with his second wife [he had earlier divorced Reena Dutta from his first marriage] does come as a surprise, it is, after all, his personal matter and has no effect on the lives of the aam junta.

But as expected from the herd mentality of the Indian social media in today’s times, the toxic posts and memes are continuing to flow.

The following are the ways in which people have been reacting on the news of Aamir Khan’s second divorce:

Slander: Aamir has been criticized left, right and centre for the second divorce and his character has been questioned. These people don’t know Aamir personally at all and are completely unware about the reason why he took that decision. But he has been projected as a criminal.

You are not only interfering a person’s private life but also judging him without knowing an iota of detail. Certain things should be kept personal is something our country never understands.

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao [Source: Twitter]

Record-breaker of sorts: People are expressing shock at the actor’s decision to divorce his second wife, as if they have never heard such a thing before and are looking at it like some sort of a record. Not knowing that in the entertainment industry itself people like Kabir Bedi and Karan Singh Grover have married thrice.

Love Jihad: Over the last few years, the reactions of the herd depend on the surname of a person and it’s not different this time around. One of the most toxic and dangerous term coined by the Right Wingers is ‘Love Jihad.’ They cry ‘Love Jihad’ whenever a Muslim man marries a Hindu woman.

Aamir has been accused of doing that twice because both his ex-wives are Hindus. No, he didn’t face any such slander when he married Kiran in 2005. That was a different era where people didn’t indulge in such mudslinging in personal matters.

The sexism in the ideas about ‘Love Jihad’ is for everyone to see. They get offended and infuriated only if the man is a Muslim and the girl is a Hindu. They have no problems if it’s reversed.

So, a Hindu Hrithik Roshan marrying a Muslim Sussanne Khan and later divorcing her is absolutely fine for them. But they are up in arms against Saif Ali Khan for marrying a Hindu Kareena Kapoor. However, they conveniently forget Saif’s own sister Soha Ali Khan marrying a Hindu Kunal Kemmu.

Similarly, there are various such examples – Dia Mirza marrying Sahil Sangha and Vaibhav Rekhi, Farah Khan marrying Shirish Kunder, Sanjay Dutt marrying Dilnawaz Sheikh [real name of Manyata Dutt], Aditya Pancholi marrying Zarina Wahab, etc.

Call for boycott: Announcing boycotts for films and products has become a norm for Right Wingers for anyone who offends them. Not surprisingly, there have been several comments asking people to boycott Aamir’s forthcoming films. All because he did something in his personal life that has no effect on them. On a lighter note, the last time they decided to boycott his film was during Dangal (2016) and it became the highest grossing Hindi film and continues to remain so.

If people were so concerned about the spread of COVID-19 as much as they are for something an actor did in his personal life, the curve would have been flattened by now. I wish instead of calling out an actor for doing something in his personal life, they called out people who wore masks in a faulty way.

Over the last decade or so, we have seen politicians going to the extent of normalizing rapes, openly blaming females for rapes, justifying lyching and what not. But we didn’t see even half of the outrage we are seeing now.

Serious CENSORSHIP rule has got proposed & here’s how you can stop it

July 1, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

The central government has proposed the draft Cinematograph Amendment Bill 2021 through which they get the power to recertify a film passed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) or Censor Board, as it’s popularly known.

If we take away the technical jargons, if the new bill comes into action, it would mean that even if a film is cleared by the CBFC for release, the Central Government will have the power to recertify it. In other words, it will also have the power to take away the certificate, which would mean that a particular film would be stopped from releasing.

In more simple terms, as filmmaker Pratik Kothari said in an interview with the publication Cinestaan.com, we know how students have a right to re-evaluate their paper if they are not happy with the marks. But the new bill would mean that the examiner himself would re-evaluate a student’s paper just because he thinks the student deserves these many marks.

The reason why such an amendment would be more dangerous is because it has come in the wake of different ‘religious’ or social groups demanding bans on certain films they feel hurt their sentiments.

So, in case a film is certified by the CBFC for release but some group believes it should be banned or refused certification, the central government would get the power to re-examine the film to determine if it should release. Hence, it would make the CBFC or Censor Board appear irrelevant because the government would have power to revoke their decision.

Proposing such an act brings to our mind the menace created by the Rajput Karni Sena during the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat (2018). The group had demanded the forming of a ‘pre-censor board,’ that would examine a film before it reaches the censor board [or CBFC]. As per their demand, if the ‘pre-censor board’ believes the film has no right to release, it won’t even be sent for certification to the censor board.

This new proposed bill is similar to this, except that the ‘pre-censor board’ is asked to look at a film before it goes to the Censor Board.

The new amendment bill has actually come as a double blow that has hardly been noticed by the general population. Earlier this year, the government dissolved the FCAT [Film Certification Appellate Tribunal].

To put it simply, FCAT was the committee to which a filmmaker went if he is not happy with the decision of the CBFC or the Censor Board. But now, the very option of FCAT for aggrieved filmmaker has been chopped off.

Of course, there is an option for filmmakers to approach the High Court if they are unhappy with the CBFC’s certification. But how can one expect independent filmmakers to file a case and pay for the lawyer when they have somehow managed to generate funds to make the film in the first place?

By dissolving the FCAT, the government took away the right of a filmmaker to get his film re-examined if he is unhappy with the verdict of the Censor Board. And now they are proposing an act through which the government itself has the right to withdraw certification of a film already certified for release.

What can we do?

The government has called for comments and opinions on the matter. One can share his or her views by writing an e-mail on – dhanpreet.kaur@ips.gov.in

Read the whole act HERE.

Inside Edge season 3 to feature TEST cricket?

June 24, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

The first two seasons of Amazon Prime Video’s Inside Edge turned out to be entertaining for the lovers of cricket. Recently, the makers officially announced the third season of the show and shared its first poster.

For those not in the know, Inside Edge revolves around India’s domestic T20 championship. It focusses on the team Mumbai Mavericks, which is owned by Richa Chadha’s character, and the ups and downs they go through. The show primarily features betting and match-fixing in the tournament and shows its consequences.

Despite Inside Edge being known for showing a T20 tournament, it seems the third season will not feature the shortest version of the game.

There are a couple of reasons that indicate that Inside Edge season 3 will feature the longest version of the game – test cricket. This might sound crazy to many of you but let’s have a look at those indications.

The first poster of the third season clearly includes a red ball in the title that is unmissable. It doesn’t make sense for a show about T20 matches displaying a clear image of a red ball. For those who are not aware, a red ball is used only in test cricket and never in a limited overs match. That’s the reason why limited overs matches are called white ball cricket.

But an even bigger indication was given by the makers more than a year and half ago. Amazon Prime Video had shared a promo of their 14 new original shows in January 2020. The footage had a fleeting image of Tarun Virwani, who plays the main lead in the show, sitting in white clothes with white pads on, waiting for his turn to bat [either in the match or in the nets].

It seems impossible that a player in the show will wear white clothes and pads, irrespective of whether he is sitting for his chance in a match or the nets. Wearing white automatically means playing with a red ball. And one would neither play nor practice with a red ball for a limited overs competition.

The announcement by Amazon Prime Video about 14 new shows

Of course, we will get a confirmation only in the teaser or the trailer. These are just assumptions based on two major hints, especially the second one.

The above indications were observed by my friend Aditya Kulkarni.

Also read:

Sachin’s 1st first-class 200 vs Australia in 1998: Forgotten moments

This number 11 ‘tail-ender’ created a batting record that is forgotten

This number 11 ‘tail-ender’ created a batting record that is forgotten

June 11, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

In all these years of test cricket, there have been some enormous number of batting records set by some terrific players. But since they are batting records, it is a given that we would associate batsmen with them.

But here’s one terrific batting record achieved not by any top or even a lower-order batsman. In fact, this piece of record belongs to a player who batted right at number 11.

In the first test of the 2013 Ashes series in Nottingham, England, the left-arm spinner Ashton Agar made his test debut for Australia. But this is the story of his antics with the bat instead of the ball. Something the cricketing world seems to have forgotten over the last eight years.

England won the toss and elected to bat and were bundled out for just 215. Agar couldn’t take a single wicket, although he bowled only seven overs. In reply, Australia was struggling at one stage with 53 for 4 before Steve Smith (53) rescued the ship. But wickets kept tumbling once Smith got out and the Aussies were reduced to 117 for 9.

The late Philip Hughes was batting well at the other hand but he was quickly losing partners. After the 9^th wicket fell, in came the debutant Agar who was just 19. It seemed as if it’s just a formality to take the last wicket. But the cricketing world was about to witness a phenomenal record.

As soon as Agar played the first few balls, I realized he is no way a typical number 11 tail-ender. Be it playing a defensive shot or going after the bowling, this guy seemed like a complete batsman. As his innings progressed, it seemed more and more that he is an accomplished batsman.

He literally took on the English bowlers and started scoring more than his partner Hughes, a more accomplished batsman. Commentators Ian Botham and Michael Holding repeatedly kept saying that Agar is no way a tail-ender and questioned the logic of sending him at number 11.

Agar reached his 50 in no time. At number 11 and that too on debut. Once he reached this milestone, there was no stopping him. He kept on playing shots fearlessly, more so in the mid-on area. And there came a time when he reached 90 all of a sudden.

Meanwhile, Australia, which was almost 100 runs behind when the 9^th wicket fell, had actually got the first innings lead; something nobody would have expected.

No number 11 player in the long history of test cricket had scored a century and the people gathered in the stadium were in to witness history if that happened. Agar would have had his heart in his mouth when, on 93, he edged the ball off Graeme Swann and it went wide of the first slip.

Agar was inching closer to his century when he reached 98. He was facing Stuart Broad. Going by the flair with which he had batted all along, it seemed he will get those 2 runs easily. He played the pull shot off a short ball.

The Australian team in the pavilion got excited, like many in the stadium and those glued to the TV, only for Swann to take a diving catch at deep mid-wicket. Agar was gone for 98!

I remember giving a loud disappointing reaction to it. Going by my emotions, my family members thought an Indian player missed his century.

The 19-year-old Agar had a smile as he started walking back to the pavilion amidst a heroic reception. A 100 on debut and that too at number 11 would have been a dream moment but it wasn’t to be.

But despite that, Agar broke the record for the highest score for a batsman batting at number 11. The previous record was held by Tino Best, who scored 95 also against England in 2012 at Birmingham. Agar’s 100 would have been more special since it was his test debut.

Somehow, Agar’s innings or his record isn’t discussed or recalled in cricket discussions, although it took place just eight years ago.

There is also no official video on the highlights of Agar’s innings. There’s an unofficial one with not-so-good quality.

Also read:

1998: When 2 Indian teams were selected for 2 different series

Sachin’s 1st first-class 200 vs Australia in 1998: Forgotten moments

When Ashok Saraf & Jatin Kanakia had us in splits

May 30, 2021 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Writer-director Sanjay Chhel’s Khoobsurat (1999) is a light-hearted saga that keeps you entertained. It was about a conman Sanju (Sanjay Dutt), who owes Rs 50 lakh to gangster Jogia Seth (Paresh Rawal), entering the Chaudhary household by faking to be their NRI (non-resident Indian) relative Sanjay Shastri in order to swindle money.

Sanju succeeds in gaining the confidence of the family members, including Shivani (Urmila Matondkar), the daughter of the head of the family Dilip (Om Puri). He solves a lot of their problems, thereby winning the family’s hearts.

Like all mainstream Hindi movies, Khoobsurat also ends on a happy note with Sanju getting rid of Jogia and the family members forgiving him. He also finds love in Shivani.

You might have a different opinion on the film. But I am sure a lot of you would agree that the presence of Jatin Kanakia and Ashok Saraf together was a treat. It’s the only movie where they acted together, playing Dilip’s younger brothers.

Kanakia and Saraf — Ashok Saraf and Jatin Kanakia

Known the most for his character Keshav Kulkarni in the serial Shrimaan Shrimati, Kanakia has made appearances in Saraf’s TV shows Hum Paanch and Don’t Worry Ho Jayega. But it’s difficult to remember any memorable scene between them from these shows. The scenes where they would have acted together aren’t available on YouTube or any other platform.

Plus, their characters weren’t related to each other in both the shows like they are in Khoobsurat. Hence, they had a number of scenes together in which their respective comic timing was more than noticeable.

The one scene that takes the cake is when Dinesh Hingu’s character visits the family. He expresses his displeasure at Saraf and Kanakia for delaying in coming up with the idea of an advertisement for his underwear product.

As soon as Dutt, Saraf and Kanakia start making out an idea out of thin air, what follows is one epic moment that can be savored repeatedly. Saraf and Kanakia’s co-ordination is visible throughout. The humor is born out of Kanakia’s habit of forgetting certain words [an idea later used on Suniel Shetty’s character in Awara Paagal Deewana, 2002] and Saraf helping him remember while displaying his brand of comic timing.

Hingu’s crazy character and its habits also adds to the humour in a large way, especially his performance on ‘Thumba Thumba.’ It is only recently that I realized that almost the entire scene is taken in a single take.

Also read: SRK & Ashok SARAF’s pair in Yes Boss deserves more appreciation

The scene is on the lines of Neeraj Vohra’s memorable Chako scene in Ram Gopal Varma’s Daud (1997), which, interestingly, was also written by Chhel and it also featured Dutt [that film also saw Matondkar play Dutt’s love interest].

Khoobsurat is also known for bringing a long list of ensemble supporting cast together. Apart from Saraf and Kanakia, it included the likes of Om Puri, Paresh Rawal, Aanjjan Srivastav, Johnny Lever, Farida Jalal, Himani Shivpuri and Supriya Pilgaonkar.

Sadly, Kanakia passed away months before the release of Khoobsurat.

Watch the scene below:

Also read: Rann keeps getting more relevant and that’s not a good sign

Dithee review – Sumitra Bhave’s last film heals the grief of loss

May 22, 2021 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Filmmaker Sumitra Bhave passed away last month on April 12, just over a month before her first solo and last film Dithee released on Sony LIV. She and fellow filmmaker Sunil Sukthankar have been instrumental in making films that touch you purely through visuals and unspoken words over the decades.

Their 2017 offering Kaasav provided a feeling of healing, apart from being a brilliant cinematic experience. Bhave has provided a healing touch at a much larger level in Dithee through a completely different story, characters and milieu.

Based on the short story Aata Aamod Sunasi Aale by DB Mokashi, Dithee is based in a village occupied by a large number of warkaris; those who worship Vitthal-Rakhumai and take a pilgrimage every year. Ramji (Kishore Kadam) is devastated with the death of his young son after he drowns in the river. Worse, he is also shattered to see his daughter-in-law (Anjali Patil) giving birth to a girl at the same time. Ramji has lost all interest in life.

Dithee cast — Mohan Agashe, Girish Kulkarni and Dilip Prabhavalkar

Meanwhile, the cow in the house of Parubai (Amruta Subhash) and her husband (Shashank Shende) is having grave problems in pregnancy. They are unable to see the pain and suffering of the animal. Parubai thinks of taking Ramji’s help as he is an expert in this field. However, she is hesitant as Ramji himself is going through a terrible time with his loss.

Three other people [Dilip Prabhavalkar, Mohan Agashe and Girish Kulkarni] from Ramji’s warkari group are severely concerned for his condition and are ready to take efforts to make him feel better.

Dithee transforms you into a different world of the grieving Ramji and the worried Parubai. Despite the constant rains being symbolical to the inner gloomy state of the characters, you can’t help but appreciate the visual treat the film provides. Dhananjay Kulkarni, the cinematographer, has made fine use of the village Aalandi and other rural locations.

Dithee might appear like a slow-burner in the first half but that was necessary to establish the characters and their gloomy world. And once that happens and the film reaches the last 30-40 minutes, it brings out a number of moving as well as nail-biting moments as the cow is about to deliver the calf.

Kadam’s performance is the key here, especially in the ending moments. His emotional determination to get the cow deliver while going through a personal turmoil easily makes this as one of his best performances.

As is the case with Bhave’s past films, the entire cast has risen to the occasion. Amruta shines as a concerned yet strong woman while Shende gives her able support. The trio of Prabhavalkar, Agashe and Kulkarni put their right foot forward. Patil also contributes well as the mother of a new-born going through a tumultuous phase.

Due to the subject, it is a no-brainer that Dithee has quite a few devotional numbers aimed at Lord Vitthal. The one at the end not only takes the cake but also heals and uplifts you.

Dithee is currently streaming on Sony LIV

Rating: 4 out of 5

Director: Sumitra Bhave

Producers: Dr Mohan Agashe and Sumitra Bhave Films

Writers: DB Mokashi (short story) and Sumitra Bhave

Cast: Kishore Kadam, Amruta Subhash, Shashank Shende, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Mohan Agashe, Girish Kulkarni, Anjali Patil

Music: Parth Umrani and Saket Kanetkar

Also read:

The Disciple (Marathi movie) Review

Rann keeps getting more relevant and that’s not a good sign

Disney+ Hotstar CENSORS small bit from an episode of Malgudi Days, a 35-year-old show

May 14, 2021 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Disney+ Hotstar has censored a small bit from the first episode of the first season of the old classic television serial Malgudi Days [thanks to my friend Roy Daniel D’Silva for pointing this out]. The platform has recently started streaming the show directed by Shankar Nag.

The said scene is the one where Swami is attending a session by a catholic priest in his school. The priest is seen mocking idol worship. He says, “Tum gande, bejaan moortiyon ki puja kyun karte ho?” [Why are you worshipping dirty and lifeless idols of God?]

The platform has edited out the word “gande” in the above sentence uttered by the priest.

Malgudi Days on Disney+ Hotstar — YouTube screenshot

To censor a 35-year-old TV serial [it was aired for the first time in 1986] and that too from Doordarshan is bewildering netizens. Plus, the show has had several re-runs regularly till recent times. But the aforementioned content never saw any eyebrows raised, leave alone igniting any sort of protest.

Interestingly, Malgudi Days has been streaming on YouTube since more than 10 years after being uploaded by random users. Ultra Bollywood channel has been officially streaming it for five years. But none of the versions on YouTube ever edited out that word.

[Watch the show on YouTube by clicking HERE. The scene in question comes at exactly 2 minutes. Watch the same scene on Disney+ Hotstar by clicking HERE]

Interestingly, the show is also currently streamed on Amazon Prime Video, but over there too the word hasn’t been cut off.

So, why is it believed that the uncensored scene would invite controversy only if it’s streamed on Disney+ Hotstar?

The platform has a reputation of editing out bits from their shows that appear controversial. But this is a 35-year-old show and that too belonging to the sanskar-iest channel India has ever seen.

For those not in the know:

Malgudi Days is one of the most loved shows on Doordarshan that was aired for the first time in 1986. It tells simple but appealing stories from a fictitious town Malgudi, situated in southern India.

1998: When 2 Indian teams were selected for 2 different series

May 11, 2021 by Keyur Seta 7 Comments

The BCCI (Board of Control of Cricket in India) has decided to send India’s B team for the white ball tour of Sri Lanka in July. The reason being that the tour will clash with India’s test tour of England, which is more important.

Players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane and Jaspreet Bumrah are included in the test squad. Similarly, the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Sanju Samson have been kept aside for the SL tour.

After going through numerous social media posts, it seems a lot of people feel this is the first time that an Indian team is split into two for two different tours. But that is far from true.

In 1998, the Indian team was split into two due to the circumstances that cropped up back then.

Team India was all set to play its annual Sahara Cup series against Pakistan in September. But the Commonwealth Games were also held at the same time in Kuala Lumpur and that year it also included cricket as one of the sports.

The BCCI decided to send India’s main team to compete against Pakistan. That series was official while the Commonwealth ODIs were only given a List A status. However, the then Sports Minister Suresh Kalmadi imposed a lot of pressure on the BCCI to send a strong team for the Commonwealth Games.

Tendulkar at Commonwealth games — Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin

Hence, the board divided the main players into two teams for the Sahara Cup and the Commonwealth Games. [The upcoming Commonwealth Games in 2022 will also feature Cricket for both men and women]

The decision of sending Sachin Tendulkar for the CWG made cricket fans raise their eyebrows. The star Indian cricketer was having the most incredible time of his career in that year and they hoped to see him in the series that mattered more.

Other main players that were asked to represent India at the CWG included Ajay Jadeja (captain), Anil Kumble (vice-captain), Robin Singh and Harbhajan Singh. For the Sahara Cup, the board sent regulars like Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin (captain), Rahul Dravid, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Ajit Agarkar.

The CWG had as many as 16 teams participating. It had teams like Jamaica, Antigua & Barbuda and Barbados taking part separately instead of playing under the umbrella of the West Indies. It also had Northern Ireland instead of just Ireland. Only Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Zimbabwe sent their full strength teams.

The final result of this exercise turned out to be unfavorable for both the Indian sides. India lost the Sahara Cup by 4-1 and it couldn’t reach the second round in the Commonwealth Games. Indian even struggled against Antigua before rains washed out the match. That series was eventually won by South Africa; a rare world title for them.

But there was more drama in store. After failing to qualify in the second round of the CWG, the BCCI decided to send Tendulkar for the last two ODIs in the Sahara Cup. However, there was some miscommunication and they couldn’t trace Tendulkar, who had gone to Khandala to relax with his family.

Finally, the board was able to contact Tendulkar and he was sent in to play the last ODI in Toronto, although India had already lost the series. He played well scoring 77 and India post a good total of 256 only to lose that match too.

Tendulkar’s 77 in the last ODI of the Sahara Cup along with Azharuddin’s 101

I remember Sunil Gavaskar singing his own version of the popular song ‘Aati Kya Khandala’ before that match while describing the confusion regarding Tendulkar’s presence [or absence].

But such a scenario is not at all expected this time around in 2021 for two reasons. The board is willingly sending two different sides in England and Sri Lanka. More importantly, we have a large number of good players that can easily fit into two squads of 14 or 15 players.

Also read:

Sachin’s 1st first-class 200 vs Australia in 1998: Forgotten moments

One of Wasim Akram’s biggest achievements is forgotten

The Disciple (Marathi movie) Review

May 1, 2021 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

In his Marathi feature film debut Court (2015), Chaitanya Tamhane threw light on the sad scene of the functioning of our legal system. With The Disciple [Marathi movie], he has chosen to highlight the dwindling scenario of Hindustani classical music through the eyes of the young protagonist Sharad Nerulkar (Aditya Modak).

The filmmaker dwelled steeply into the subject of his first film. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see him do exactly the same here, despite the subject being as different from Court as chalk and cheese.

Tamhane has continued his unhurried approach in narrating the protagonist’s journey and the world around him. Hailing from strictly a middle-class household, Sharad religiously learns Hindustani classical singing from his expert guru Pandit Vinayak Pradhan (Dr Arun Dravid). Sharad is eager to become the master of this art.

To achieve this, he decides not opt for any job, so that he can concentrate merely on singing. Even if this means going against the wishes of his mother [who we never see or hear except in the flashback]. However, the circumstances around him stop Sharad from achieving mastery in the art, as per the expectations of his guru. But he is not ready to give up.

Just like in Court, the unhurried approach works wonders for it not only helps you gain sympathy for Sharad but it also makes you a part of his world. The slow-motions scenes of him riding his bike in the dead of night while listening to his idol Maai summarize his world and life beautifully.

Maai was the guru of Sharad’s own guru. Her thoughts of music and ideals make Sharad his indirect disciple. The voice of the late filmmaker Sumitra Bhave as Maai is perfect to the T.

The Disciple also makes a statement against the commercialization of music and singing reality shows in a hard-hitting but subtle manner. We are shown one female contestant in a show designed straight out of those reality shows. She is in love with classical music when she enters the show but by the second season, the show changes her. Sharad, of course, hates this but we are told this only through his expressions, as one can expect from Tamhane.

The film, overall, is a journey of an artist of true nature and what all he goes through in a world where art isn’t appreciated in its true form. But this is still not enough for him to forget his ideals.

Over here, Sharad, after growing up, continues to be a purist and makes a living through his art. This side of his has come out very well in the scene where he expresses his displeasure over a boy wanting to pursue fusion music while learning classical. This aspect will make the film relatable even for artistes from other field of arts.

It’s a no brainer that a film based on classical music must contain top-notch music from the genre. Else this would have easily affected the film. Composers Aneesh Pradhan and Naren Chadavarkar don’t let this happen even a bit. The classical songs are a treat even if you are not into classical music.

Still from The Disciple — Dr Arun Dravid and Aditya Modak

The film can boast of high level technical aspects in terms of the cinematography (Michal Sobocinski) and the background score. Both aspects don’t overdo and stay firm with the simple theme of the narrative. The production design by Pooja Talreja and Ravin D Karde brings out even the minutest of details, especially while showing the interiors of Sharad and his guru’s humble residences.

Tamhane has cast people from different fields as actors. They never make you feel as if they are not professional actors. Aditya Modak’s act is as praiseworthy as the content of the film. It’s no surprise that he is utterly realistic in scenes where he is singing. But he brings out the confusion, frustration and despair of the protagonist without trying hard. There is an absolute absence of any sort of cliché while conveying his state of mind at any given point.

Dr Arun Dravid, another thespian in the field of classical music, is also completely believable as an old and fragile artist who is struggling to live. The same is the case with writer and filmmaker Kiran Yadnyopavit as Sharad’s late father.

Overall, Chaitanya Tamhane once again succeeds in showing the mirror artistically to a world poles apart from Court.

Rating: 4 out of 5

The Disciple is streaming on Netflix

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