Play review: Tum Aaye To

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic has been so high that it has, naturally, inspired artistes in almost every field around the world. Kirdaar Art Academy’s Hindustani play Tum Aaye To is based on various every day humans affected by the lockdown in some way or the other.

The play is an anthology of five stories with the backdrop of the COVID-19 lockdown.

1) The first one is a poetry performance that falls more in the street play genre. It features a group of youngsters reciting a poem ‘Tum Aaye To’. There is no doubt that the pandemic has taken a toll on many of us. But at the same time, the lockdown brought back some old days of togetherness. This is the highlight of his performance. And while doing so, it doesn’t veer onto the insensitive path at all.

2) This is followed by the tragic story of a daily-wage laborer and his wife. They are forced to return to their native place on foot, like thousands of others, because of the halting of all work in the lockdown. The play succeeds in making us feel for the two individuals and for that the performance of both the actors is a major contribution. You are taken back in time in 2020 when we saw their plight on news channels.

Tum Aaye To play — A still from Tum Aaye Toh

3) The doctors and medical staff in the entire country carried out a thankless job during the pandemic by putting their lives at stake to save many others. The third play focuses on their story and brings to light their plight of working tirelessly amidst such scary times. After making us go through various emotions, the play ends on a positive note.

4) A major aspect of the pandemic was online classes for kids after their schools were closed. The fourth one is a light-hearted portrayal of teachers adapting to this change in teaching style and its consequences. Along with providing humor, this one also gives a moving message in the end.

5) There is no doubt that everyone struggled in the pandemic, including the well to do. Many of them have been content with being safe personally and getting their demands met. This play is a reminder to them that there are many out there who are way less fortunate and they need their help. This one also puts across its point in a positive manner.

A total of 16 actors were a part of the play and they played 46 characters. It was a mammoth task but they were up for it. Iqbal Niyazi’s direction needs to be lauded for handling stories of different genres with ease and taking out good performances from these many actors.

It also needs to be noted that the actors are strugglers trying to make their mark in the films and TV. For some of them, it was their first outing on stage. As claimed by Niyazi after the show, it took him 90 days to prepare for this performance of 90 minutes.

The script is to-the-point and at the same time full of emotional moments. The use of music and songs also enhance the overall effect.

The makers have made smart use of limited number of props. The lighting also falls on the positive side. The only questionable aspect was the portrayal of the media in the second story.

All in all, Tum Aaye To succeeds in moving you.

Writers: Dr Naaz Khan, Mumtaz Niyazi, Iqbal Niyazi and Javed Sarwar

Design and Direction: Iqbal Niyazi

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83 review – Near-flawless recreation of India’s cricketing triumph

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The last time cinema halls turned into cricket stadiums was in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan (2001). The scenes are repeated 20 years later through Kabir Khan’s 83, a film based on India’s cricket World Cup victory in 1983.

As Lagaan was fictional, the makers were able to script the match as per their wishes; it finally went down to the last ball. In other words, the audience didn’t know how the match would play out. But 83 is based on a real cricket tournament and India’s numerous cricket fans know the team’s cricketing journey in the series by-heart, even if they were born after 1983. This is more for those who actually witnessed that World Cup victory and the celebrations that followed.

But despite knowing the whole story before the start of the film, 83 makes us go through various states of minds and emotions as if we don’t know the story. Hence, one feels sad for the team when its losing and erupt with joy when they defeat their opponents.

This is nothing but the triumph of Khan’s direction and the writers – Khan himself along with Vasan Bala, Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan and Sumit Arora.

There is a danger in a film featuring a series of matches to become repetitive. This is also taken care of smartly in 83. Each match brings about different situations. Plus, they have also used Pritam’s music smartly in between to ensure that you are glued to your seats.

83 is also high in humour. In fact, the film is full of funny moments. The team members of 83 have narrated several such incidents over the years. It’s good to see them recreated here, especially the one where Kapil gets shocked to see a woman in Balwinder Singh Sandhu’s room.

Quality of cricket

I have seen the highlights of India’s 1983 World Cup semi-final and final numerous times. While watching the quality of cricket in 83, I didn’t feel I was watching a movie. The recreation of the matches is done that well, including the fall of some wickets that are too hard to recreate. For example, Balwinder Singh Sandhu’s dismissal of Gordon Greenidge in the final and Jeff Dujon hitting the ground in dismay after being dismissed in the same match.

The camera angles, colour grading and the font of the scores also match exactly to the real matches. The recreated shots in the film are intercut by visuals of the real matches and it matches [pun intended]. Such is the confidence of the makers. Cinematographer Aseem Mishra, Khan’s long-time associate, also deserves major credit for achieving this.

Creative liberties

At the end of the day, 83 is a feature film. So it’s obvious that the makers have taken creative liberties. But it’s done here at a lower level as compared to other sports films from Hindi cinema.

Patriotism

83 is one of the rare Hindi films of today’s era, as far as mainstream Hindi cinema is concerned, that naturally brings about a feeling of patriotism. It never goes over-the-top and remains subtle despite it being based on cricket. The interval point deserves special mention.

Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev during the recreation of India’s match against Zimbabwe where he scored 175*

The unrecorded match against Zimbabwe

A major attraction of 83 is the recreation of India’s second match against Zimbabwe played at the Turnbridge Wells because it was never telecast or recorded as the broadcasters BBC went on strike. 83 becomes a memorable recreation of the match and Kapil Dev’s unbeaten and record-breaking knock of 175 not out.

Apart from the match, what went around in the dressing room and outside also adds to the excitement.

The all-important final

The final of the 1983 World Cup final wasn’t a close nail-biting match that went down to the wire. But the makers have made it look that way and that too without taking any major creative liberties. The film achieves this through smart and intelligent story-telling, especially at the very end [won’t say further to avoid spoilers]. The makers are also blessed with few real incidents related to the match that are naturally dramatic.

Performances

Performances play a major role in 83 scoring high marks. Ranveer Singh not only brings Kapil Dev’s mannerisms alive but also gets his extremely difficult bowling action and batting style near-perfect. He makes an impact during emotional parts as well. This will go down as one of his best performances. Pankaj Tripathi plays the team manager PR Man Singh but gets as much importance as any main player. He completely justifies his casting and shines on various occasions.

From all the players, Jiiva, who plays Krishnamachari Srikkanth, gets the maximum scope and he comes up with a brilliant act. He performs the best during the monologue. Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna and Ammy Virk get the characters of Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, Yashpal Sharma and Balwinder Singh Sandhu right.

The film also has believable performances from a list of actors – Hardy Sandhu (Madan Lal), Chirag Patil, (father Sandeep Patil), Dhairya Karwa, (Ravi Shastri), Addinath Kothare, (Dilip Vengsarkar), Sahil Khattar (Syed Kirmani), Dinkar Sharma (Kirti Azad) and Nishant Dahiya (Roger Binny). Deepika Padukone is appealing as Romi Dev.

Much more than a mere cricket film

83 isn’t just about India winning its first world cup against various odds. It shows the game’s potential to unite Indians even when hatred is spread by the vested interests [I won’t say much to avoid spoilers].

Negative points:

The 1983 WC has an interesting story about the 12^th man Sunil Valson who couldn’t play a single match. He does come close to playing one but that’s about it. The movie gives only a fleeting reference to this despite signing R Badree to play Valson. In fact, even his full name isn’t taken. Those who don’t know Valson’s story won’t realize the importance of that scene. When your film is already two hours 42-minute-long, adding half a minute more wouldn’t have hurt. [Read Sunil Valson’s story HERE]

But this is just a minor issue. 83, as such, doesn’t have any negative point, although few moments are debatable.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Director: Kabir Khan

Producers: Reliance Entertainment and Phantom Films

Writers: Kabir Khan, Vasan Bala, Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan and Sumit Arora

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Jiiva, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Ammy Virk, Hardy Sandhu, Chirag Patil, Dhairya Karwa, Addinath Kothare, Sahil Khattar, Dinkar Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, R Badree, Deepika Padukone

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Zimbabwe’s iconic feat in 1983 World Cup is forgotten

He was selected in 1983 WC, but could play for India only in 1999

Zimbabwe’s iconic feat in 83 World Cup is forgotten

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When we think of Zimbabwe with regards to the 1983 World Cup, the only match that comes to our minds is the one where they reduced India for 17 for 5 and still lost the match, thanks to Kapil Dev’s incredible 175 not out.

But there is more to Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup than their dramatic defeat against India. What they achieved in the tournament is rare and, unfortunately for them, hardly spoken or written about.

Zimbabwe won the ICC Trophy in 1982 in England after defeating Bermuda in the finals and hence qualified for the 1983 World Cup that was played in the same country.

Zimbabwe’s first match was against a strong and established team like Australia at Trent Bridge on 9 June 1983. As they were to play their first ever international series, there were no hopes from them. It would have been good for them even if they gave a decent fight to the opposing team.

But they did much more than that.

Batting first, Zimbabwean openers Ali Shah and Grant Paterson gave them a good start but both were dismissed with the score being on 55. Captain Duncan Fletcher had his task cut out as one of the prominent batsman David Houghton was out for a golden duck at the score being 86 for 4.

But Fletcher played a true captain’s innings with an unbeaten 69 off just 84 balls and helped Zimbabwe reach 239 for 6 off their 60 overs.

Zimbabwe 1983 World Cup — Duncan Fletcher at the post-match presentation [Photo source: ICC Twitter page]

Chasing 240 in 60 overs against minnows looked like an easy task. But Fletcher wasn’t done yet. He excelled with the ball as well and ensured that Zimbabwe won the match! Yes, the African country in their first ever match and that too against a test-playing team like Australia managed to win by 13 runs. This went down as the first ever upset in World Cup history.

In fact, this remains the only instance where an associate nation won its first ever ODI match against a test-playing nation.

Fletcher had figures of 4 for 42 from 11 overs. This coupled with his heroic innings with the bat rightfully earned him the man of the match award.

Strangely, Australia didn’t get all out. They lost by not being able to score 240 despite having 60 overs at their disposal. They lost their 7^th wicket at the score of 176. Rodney Marsh and Rodney Hogg then scored 50 off 42 balls and 19 off 22 balls respectively and had a 50 run unbeaten stand. But that wasn’t enough as the damage was already done by the top order by scoring slow.

I am sure Zimbabweans would have been over-the-moon with the result. But unfortunately, there isn’t a single video available of this match anywhere on the internet.

Zimbabwe, however, couldn’t repeat this feat in the remaining five matches of the series, although they did put India in a state of panic in their infamous defeat. But the team slowly progressed from here on. In the 90s and early 2000s, they defeated India on few occasions, including the close encounter in the 1999 World Cup, and got them tensed in few other. They also got the test status in 1992.

Unfortunately, political turmoil gripped the African nation at the start of the new millennium. During their 2003 World Cup campaign, Grant Flower and Henry Olonga protested against their government by wearing black bands on their arms and that was the end of their career as well as Zimbabwe’s miniature dominance. Their national team has been trying to climb the ladder since years.

These days, they are playing as an associate nation and hoping for a comeback and, maybe, a few more upsets.

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Ajaz Patel: Witnessing history LIVE at Wankhede on an unusual day of cricket

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I had unusual feelings while entering the Wankhede Stadium today on the second day of the second test between India vs New Zealand. I was happy to have got a chance to witness test cricket after 9 years. But it also reminded me that this was the first time I would be watching a test live after Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement. The last I went to see a test was in 2012 when England crushed India.

India was to resume after ending the rain-interrupted first day on 221 for 4 with Mayank Agarwal not out on a century overnight. I was hoping to see India put on at least a respectable score and then get few New Zealand wickets.

But I had never imagined that I would be witnessing something historical and this would then be followed by something completely unexpected.

I reached around half an hour late because of some massive confusion over which gate to enter from. They changed the gates after ages. So by the time I reached, India were 6 down but Mayank Agarwal was still not out. I wanted India to bat at least some more time and reach 300. I wasn’t disappointed as Mayank reached 150 and Axar Patel made a gutsy half century.

But after Mayank got out at the score of 291 for 7, we realized we might see something special here as all 7 wickets were taken by Ajaz Patel. I developed mixed feelings at this stage. I wanted India to score well but at the same time I also wondered what if Ajaz Patel creates history today?

But an aggressive and short-tempered boy sitting ahead of me was angry and he kept saying that Patel shouldn’t be the next after Anil Kumble to pick up all 10 wickets.

When Ajaz Patel picked up 9 wickets, I dearly wanted to see him pick the 10^th as well, so that I get to witness history. The aggressive boy would have labeled me “anti-national” if I told him my wish.

Then came the moment when Mohammed Siraj lofted Patel in a miscued shot. When Rachin Ravindra was getting under the ball, it was the first time in my life that I badly wanted an Indian batter to get out. When he finally caught the ball, I rose up with jubilation. And to my pleasant surprise, the entire stadium did.

I wasn’t the only “anti-national” over there. The stadium was full of them, except that aggressive boy who had gone quite by now.

On a serious note, we were delighted to witness something that has happened just for the third time in the 144 years old test cricket history! This day shall remain one of the most memorable ones.

This was even special because Patel achieved the historic feat in the city he was born and brought up (in Jogeshwari locality) till he was eight years old.

As Indian fans would know, Anil Kumble was the second bowler in history to take all 10 wickets against Pakistan in the second innings of the Delhi test in 1999.

The first one was the England’s off-spinner Jim Laker who picked up 10 wickets against Australia in the second innings of the 1956 test at Manchester. More astonishingly, he had picked up 9 wickets in the first innings of the same match! It will take some doing to even equal Laker’s record of 19 wickets in a match.

But just when we thought we had seen it all, the dialogue, “Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost” played out. I wanted India to pick wickets regularly to stay in the game but what we saw looked like a highlights package. Who would have expected New Zealand to be bundled out for just 62? There was more surprise in store when Indian captain Virat Kohli didn’t enforce the follow on.

Looking back, from a neutral point of view, it also feels bad for Ajaz Patel. He achieved rare history but on the same day his side got all out for 62 and is staring at a massive defeat, unless a miracle happens.

So how exactly should he look back at the day?

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Jhimma: When travel heals and bridges gaps

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On the surface, Hemant Dhome’s Marathi movie Jhimma is about a group of seven women (Suhas Joshi, Sonalee Kulkarni, Sayali Sanjeev, Nirmiti Sawant, Kshitee Jog, Suchitra Bandekar and Mrunmayee Deshpande) from different families going on a trip to London. It’s the first trip organized by the travel company founded by a young man Kabir (Siddharth Chandekar).

But deep inside, Jhimma is much more than a group characters sightseeing in a European city. The film doesn’t have a definite storyline, twists or even any major conflict. But despite that, it not only keeps you engaged but also makes you feel related to the characters in some way or the other.

All eight characters are distinct and each have their own problems or issues. For example, a typical housewife, who might have not gone out of city alone, goes all the way abroad. A widow facing anxiety and panic issues while going out alone shows courage to go on such a trip all by herself. A young woman unsure about marrying a guy she has recently got engaged to.

Jhimma Marathi movie — A still from Jhimma

Another youngster who has a habit of keeping things in possession (literally). Most interestingly, a senior citizen having her own reasons to take this trip and not appearing old by her thoughts in any way.

By the time Jhimma ends, one doesn’t realize how the characters find their own answers, get healed of an old wound or make peace with something that has been bothering them. It happens organically while keeping the audience entertained.

Without being preachy whatsoever, the film successfully highlights that great trips are those that evolve you either mentally or emotionally. Although the characters might have gone as far as London, this is applicable even while touring within your country. My last few trips inside India have made me experience the same.

Also, after a point of time, the gender of the seven characters doesn’t really matter. They start appearing more like human beings having their own issues, challenges or flaws, who ultimately achieve glory in their own way.

Note: Jhimma has revived Marathi cinema at the box office by going full even in its second weekend despite the release of quite a few big-ticket Hindi movies. In fact, the shows of this film have been increased in the second week due to public demand.

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Kangana Ranaut row: FAKE patriots exposed yet again

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Kangana Ranaut was recently conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri award. As per the official website of the Padma Awards, these awards are “one of the highest civilian awards of India.”

Those who have been following Ranaut’s statements both on and off social media would know the kind of problematic things she has said in the last few years.

Among the hundreds of controversial statements given by her, few that stand out are the ones where she called the protesting farmers as “terrorists”, comparing Mumbai with PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) and, worst of all, calling for violenc e in Bengal following the state polls. The last statement got her banned from Twitter permanently for promoting hatred and violence.

Now, I really wonder how a person with a history of making such inflammatory and violent statements can even be considered for one of the highest civilian awards. What message are we sending to the youngsters of the country? That it is not only normal but also worth being rewarded to make such statements?

Few of the famous personalities from India to have been given the Padma Shri awards include the likes of Satyajit Ray, Milkha Singh, Bismilah Khan, Ashok Kumar, Mother Teresa, Ebrahim Alkazi, Bachendri Pal, AR Rahman, etc.

Photo course: Kangana Ranaut official Instagram account

How are we making these people look by placing a person regularly spewing hate on par with them?

When Kangana’s name was announced as the winner of the Padma Shri, my first feeling was that she would come up with more arrogant statements. She proved me right in ways that I hadn’t even imagined and that too so soon.

Right after winning the award, the actress appeared on a news channel and had the audacity to say, “India achieved actual freedom in 2014. What we got in 1947 was bheekh.” We have heard celebrities buttering their political masters but this is a new as well as dangerous benchmark to do so.

You don’t need to be even half intelligent to realize that Kangana has downrightly insulted all those freedom fighters and revolutionaries who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country from the British. It is unimaginable to even think of going to the gallows happily for the country. How someone in their right mind even think of discarding such a sacrifice?

In other words, what Kangana has said is nothing but anti-nationalistic.

The supporters of the ruling party have always hailed Ranaut for her strong stand and insults towards those who don’t support the party and its ideologies. They are always quick to label anyone as an anti-national just for criticizing or even questioning the current government.

The party’s mammoth IT cell comes up with huge number of viral posts against anyone who becomes an ‘anti-national’ in their eyes. But they have started no campaign against her. There are also plenty of common supporters of the party who spend a lot time slamming those who they consider ‘anti-national’. But there is not a word from them regarding this comment.

I know a lot of people personally who are from the same ideology and who slam anyone who questions their favorite party or takes any stand against them. The classic case is that of Deepika Padukone when she joined the JNU protests in 2020. She was not only labeled an anti-national but was also personally slammed like anything.

The same people (some of them who would be reading this) have now maintained a stoic silence when someone has downrightly insulted India’s freedom fighters and their great sacrifice.

Their silence is like an indirect support to the comments made by her.

These people were never patriots. They are only strong supporters of their favorite party and its ideologies. It was never nation first. It was always party first. Funnily, they are the self-proclaimed certificate providers of patriotism.

This is not the first time that their fake patriotism has been exposed. It happened the most in 2019 when they were fine with their ‘leader’ Pragya Thakur hailing martyr Hemant Karkare’s death at the hands of terrorist Ajmal Kasab and his group.

Their silence in response to Kangana’s comments is just another reminder of their fake patriotism.

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When Ravi Kishan played Ravi & Kisan in Ravi Kisan. This is not a joke…

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Ravi Kishan, as we all know, is one of the most popular actors from India. After starting off in Hindi cinema, he shifted base to Bhojpuri and the rest is history. He became the biggest Bhojpuri star in a matter of few years.

Following this, he returned to Hindi cinema and left his mark playing mostly serious characters; the opposite of what he did in Bhojpuri films. In last few years, he has given fine performances in Hindi films like Mukkabaaz (2017), Batla House (2019) and Marjaavaan (2019).

But Ravi Kishan has another rare achievement which also doubles up as an interesting trivia. He once did a movie titled Ravi Kisan [another way to pronounce his name]. Yes, you read it right. It was a Bhojpuri movie released in 2008.

I am unable to find any other example of an actor acting in a film titled after his own full name. At the most, I can recall Sunny Deol doing a film called Sunny in 1984 and playing the titular character in it. But the title only had his first name.

But there’s something more interesting about Ravi Kishan acting in Ravi Kisan. Contrary to what some of you might feel, the film is not a biopic on him. It’s actually a story of twins named Ravi and Kisan. And both are played by Ravi Kishan in a double role.

I tried searching about the film’s story or synopsis on the internet but I couldn’t find any. I then realized the film is available on YouTube officially on T-Series’s Bhojpuri channel. After watching few parts of it, I realized it has a story similar to plenty of Hindi films of the yesteryears.

So, there’s an ailing old man who wants to name all his assets and properties to his son. But their evil relative, who wants to capture all his wealth, conspires with the lawyer. The old man can’t read English. So the lawyer prepares the will in English saying that the evil relative will be the receiver of the property and assets. The old man signs it as he trusts the lawyer blindly.

Watch the full movie Ravi Kisan

The relative happily captures the wealth and kills the old man’s son. The man has twins named Ravi and Kisan. While Kisan turns out to be a rogue youngster, Ravi grows up to be a sanskari and religious guy. The rest of the film is about how the brothers teach their relative a lesson.

I came to know about this movie years ago when Ravi Kishan spoke about it inside the Bigg Boss house during the very first season of the show in 2006-07. He said he is the only actor in the world to have a film titled on his full name.

In case you know any more such examples, feel free to mention them in the comments.

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‘90s Flashback: Ajay JADEJA averaged 354 in this tri-series

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1998 had Sachin Tendulkar written all over it. The legendary Indian batsman literally had a dream run that year. His most memorable outing came in the Sharjah cup played between India, Australia and New Zealand. But Ajay Jadeja also had the time of his life in 1998.

Just before going to Sharjah, India hosted a triangular series with Australia and Zimbabwe. This ODI [one-day international] tournament happened just after the India beat Australia in the test series by 2-1.

It was a series where Jadeja averaged a mammoth 354.

He showed his class in the first match itself at Kochi when India was in trouble at 80 for 3 against Australia. He got going right from the start and scored 105 not out off 109 balls with 12 fours. India scored an impressive 309 for 5 and won the match by 41 runs. This was the famous match where Tendulkar picked up 5 wickets for just 32 runs.

Ajay Jadeja — Photo source: SportzCraazy.com (For representational purpose only)

In India’s next match against Zimbabwe at Baroda, Jadeja again came into bat when his side was in a spot of bother at 95 for 3. He had a good partnership with Sourav Ganguly (82) and later with Hrishikesh Kanitkar (35) and remained unbeaten at 79 off 77 balls. Zimbabwe gave a scare, which they did so often to India in the ‘90s, but fell short by 13 runs.

Jadeja didn’t get much chance to bat during India’s match against Australia at Kanpur. Tendulkar was in a hurry to chase down a modest target of 223 by scoring 100 off just 89 balls with 5 fours and as many as 7 sixes, which was rare for that era. But Jadeja did face 31 balls and remained unbeaten on 6.

In the next match at Cuttack, Zimbabwe once again gave a scare to India and it was Jadeja again to the rescue. He walked in when India were reduced to 26 for 3 with Ganguly, Tendulkar and VVS Laxman gone.

Surprisingly, India didn’t lose any further wicket in the innings as Jadeja and Mohammad Azaharuddin had an unbeaten record 4^th wicket partnership of 275. Jadeja remained unbeaten on 116 and Azhar on 153. The team won by 32 runs.

Highlights of the 1st match of the series

India then met Australia in the final at Delhi. Batting first, they could only muster a score of 227 all out. But Jadeja remained the top-scorer with 48 off just 49 balls with 5 fours. After being unbeaten in the whole series, India lost the final by 4 wickets after a good fight with the ball.

Interestingly, Jadeja got out for the only time in the series in the final when he was caught and bowled by Michael Kasprowicz. I remember Ian Chappell pointing out that if he hadn’t got out in the final, he would have had no average in the series, which would have been a rarest of the rare case.

Jadeja scored a brilliant 354 runs in the series. He was hitting the ball effortlessly as if playing in the nets. Out of his six ODI 100s, two came in this tournament itself. As he got out just once, his average stood at a towering 354. He was rightly adjudged the Man of the Series. (See the scorecard of each match of the series HERE)

On a less serious note, the series was played in the scorching heat of April. During almost every innings, Jadeja and Azharuddin batted with a handkerchief around their necks. It was later found that they used to wet the hanky, refrigerate it and later tie it around their necks to beat the heat.

I was impressed with the hack and tried it a few times as a kid. It’s not a bad time to repeat it all over again after 23 years. This October heat is getting unbearable!

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He played 1 test but has ZERO tests to his name

Udit Narayan & K Krishnamurti’s underrated gem in an underrated film

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Veteran singers Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishmamurti have provided Hindi film lovers with a list of gems, both together and individually. In fact, they were the undisputed singing stars of the 1990s, along with Kumar Sanu and Alka Yagnik.

As we are aware, Hindi cinema produces movies in hundreds every year. And as was the case in the 90s, every film ought to have a good number of songs. With such high number of tracks coming out each year, there is always a possibility of some gems getting unnoticed, more so if the film doesn’t do well at the box office.

Such has been the fate of a soulful and soothing romantic number ‘Yeh Shaamein’ sung by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurti in Shyam Benegal’s Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda (1992). The lyrics are penned by Vasant Dev while Vanraj Bhatia, the go-to man for music in parallel cinema, is the composer. It’s picturized on Rajit Kapur and Pallavi Joshi.

There are certain songs that created an impact after repeated listening while there are others that touch you instantly. ‘Yeh Shaamein’ easily falls into the latter category. As far as my personal experience is concerned, I became its admirer as soon as I heard it for the first time more than a decade ago while watching Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda.

It is one of those songs where all the three components – lyrics, music and singing – achieved brilliance and its result is there for you to see [rather, hear].

Kapur and Joshi’s performances are also undeniable as they have added plenty of life to the visuals. They broke the myth that you need conventionally good looking ‘hero’ and ‘heroine’ to display chemistry in a romantic number. If you have dedicated artistes who know their craft and can emote effortlessly, that’s all you need.

Here’s the song

Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda is based on the classic Hindi novel of the same name by Dharmveer Bharti. It’s about a storyteller Manek Mulla (Kapur) and it features one storytelling session he has with his friends where he narrates the stories of three girls (Rajeshwari Sachdev, Pallavi Joshi and Neena Gupta) that entered his life at different points.

Also read: When Premchand wrote on CRICKET and its malpractices

The ensemble cast also includes Amrish Puri, Riju Bajaj, Raghuvir Yadav, KK Raina, Anang Desai, Lalit Mohan Tiwari, Ila Arun and Himani Shivpuri.

The film challenged conventional storytelling with some intelligent use of flashback. The personal story of Manik Mulla indirectly makes a statement on the society and its rigid norms, especially in rural areas back then. Although Manek is the storyteller, at the end of the day he is still just a character in the entire scheme of things.

Having read the book before watching the film, I feel this is one of the rare movies that lives up to the literature it is based on.

Also read: Why Byomkesh Bakshi continues to win hearts in the OTT era

‘Yeh Shaamein’, however, never got its due as the film just didn’t click at the box office. As clichéd as it may sound, it was way ahead of its times. It deserved to have been made in today’s era of OTT.

But it has started finding an audience in the era of social media. This is evident from the numerous conversations I have had both online and offline related to this movie. Hopefully, one day it will be appreciated among the lovers of unconventional cinema… along with the song.

Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda is on Amazon Prime Video but, unfortunately, not for those staying in India.

But the film is available on YouTube. Watch it below:

When Premchand wrote on CRICKET and its malpractices

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The legendary writer and author Munshi Premchand is known for his path-breaking stories that show the mirror to the society. Through his novels, short stories and writings, he brought various social evils to light.

But it would come as a surprise to many to know that Premchand not only took interest in cricket but also wrote extensively about it. The late artiste used to write editorials in the newspaper Jagran back then and some of them were about cricket.

Premchand was born in 1880 and passed away in 1934. Hence, he wrote on cricket at a time when the game was in its infantry stage in India. This makes it all the more pleasantly surprising to know about his passion for the game back then.

This facet about the writer is brought to light by author Ramachandra Guha in his acclaimed book A Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport. But I came to know about this through the Instagram user Debjit Lahiri on his famous cricket page @forgottencricketmemories.

Guha’s book tells us that Premchand also wrote on India’s famous tour of England in 1932. The team was led by the Maharaja of Porbandar and it had some talented players, including CK Nayudu. But one needs to understand that these were very early days for the Indian team and one couldn’t expect them to perform like a strong team.

Premchand cricket — Photo by **Patrick Case** from **Pexels**

As per an excerpt from the book produced by Scroll.in, Premchand wrote, “The Indian cricket team returned home. Although it did not achieve such spectacular success, it showed England that India cannot be neglected even in the field of play. The truth is that the people of India can beat the world if they get opportunities in every sphere of life. The people of England take pride in cricket. This pride must have received a big shock this time. It is a matter of joy that the Viceroy honoured the Indian team and introduced himself as a gentleman.”

But Premchand was largely known for fearlessly jotting down issues that harmed the country. Hence, in his cricket columns, he also criticized the idea of spending a large amount on the sport when the country was reeling with economic issues.

He wrote, as reproduced by Scroll.in, “For the cricket matches, railways gave concessions, express trains were put into service, entertainers are moving to Kolkata with their luggage in tow. And here it is being said that there is recession and lethargy to reduce wages, to cut the salary of servants but there is always a boom in such occasions (cricket matches).”

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In one of the columns, Premchand compared the situation with the French revolution. He wrote, “It is said that before the French Revolution, people used to die of hunger and their rulers and zamindars and mahajans would enjoy drama and dance. We are witnessing the same scene in India today. There is an outcry in the countryside. In the cities, they are having a ball. In the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) extravaganza, there are aeroplane exhibitions on display and money is being spent with great cruelty.”

In one of the matches in Varanasi, Rs 25 thousand was collected from five thousand tickets sold. Questioning the flow of money at such a time, Premchand wrote, “At least twenty-five thousand rupees were collected from tickets. And where did all this money come from? It came from the same babus and rich people who might not offer a dime for any national work.”

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But that’s not all. Premchand also criticized the inclusion of influential people in the Indian team just because of their rich background, rather than merit. This instantly brings to mind the nepotism debate going on among the Hindi film lovers since recent years.

He wrote, “Any player the administrators like is the one who finds himself in the XI. The only player certain of a place in the XI is the one who is nominated by the officials. On behalf of India, the Viceroy sends the congratulations. The representation of India is in the hands of these officials. So why shouldn’t the power to select players be in their hands too?”

Interestingly, Premchand also wrote fiction pieces on cricket in his novel Vardan and the short story titled Cricket Match.

Note: Scroll.in’s article on Premchand’s written works on cricket was based on an article from the Hindi website Satyagrah. To read the article, click HERE.