Tony Greig (1946-2012): Tributes To A Great Cricketer!

We knew him those days only through the radio commentaries whenever India happened to play England. We are talking of the early seventies when television coverage was restricted to mostly New Delhi cricket Tests and there no possibility of any national telecast as there was no terrestrial network through satellites. Cricket came live to our homes only after 1982. Therefore we knew little about his towering 6.6 feet all-round field presence and much lesser about his utterances, antics and entertainment on the field. But even through radio commentaries he made his presence felt particularly in 1974 when England defeated India 3-0 in England with India getting shot out for 42 in the second innings of the Lords Test, and then again during 1976-77 England tour of India known as the John Lever ‘Vaseline’ Series when India lost again 3-1.  As a great cricketer he remained etched in our mind since then and his popularity later as a commentator, when we actually started seeing him, only realized his image for us.

Anthony William‘Tony’ Greig was South Africa born and got adopted for the English national cricket team through his Scottish parentage. He played for England from 1972 to 1977 and captained England from 1975 to 1977. In his brief English career he played 58 Tests (14 as Captain) scoring 3599 runs at an average of 40.4 with eight centuries. As a bowler who could bowl both medium pace and off spin Tony Greig captured 141 wickets with 6 five-wicket hauls. Since the one-day cricket World Cup was started only in 1975 he played just 22 one day internationals with 269 runs and 19 wickets. 

Tony Greig and controversy was made for each other. His utterances and antics created big controversies, but he never failed to entertain the spectators. He was one of the most popular international cricketers on the Indian cricket fields and later the most deft, excitable and delightful commentator. His biggest controversy came when he helped Kerry Packer make the breakaway World Series Cricket and lost his captaincy and place in the English team. Tony Greig became an English cricket commentator based in Australia then onwards.

Tony Greig died in Sydney yesterday following a heart attack. Only two months back he was diagnosed with lung cancer and the great cricketer knew his end was near. But the fighter never gave up his spirit, vitality and jovial nature. He left behind the burden of sorrow and irreparable loss on his fans and fellow cricketers.

Our tributes to the great cricketer, the expert commentator and the born entertainer.

Balasaheb Thackeray Passes Away: The Tiger To Roar No More!

The most spontaneous leader of Marathi manoos (people) fought for his people till the last moments of his life. Despite being engaged in a death defying struggle for days and months he never weakened away from the issues that concerned his people and his land. A series of most complicated medical problems that continuously eroded his body could not stop him from carrying on writing in his newspaper Saamna for his beloved Marathi people. His life has been of committed leadership, not of politics or political commitments. He never indulged in caste politics or vote bank politics as he said in an interview that only two castes existed for him—the rich and the poor. In his career of active leadership for over 45 years his party Shiv Sena ruled Maharashtra for only five years, but the Leader ruled the minds of Marathi people—always. The roaring Tiger of Maharashtra fell silent today.

Balasaheb Thackeray (1926-2012) passed away at his residence Matoshree in suburban Bandra locality of Mumbai today at around 3.30pm. The most painful declaration was officially made just after 5pm by his main doctor surrounded by emotional and weeping Shiv Sena leaders and workers. At the moment thousands of his supporters and followers and admirers are descending on Matoshree to share the grief and sorrow with the shattered Thackeray family. And tomorrow, hundreds of thousands are expected to come to pay their last respects at the historic Shivaji Park ground in central Mumbai where his mortal remains will kept from 7am in the morning and the last rites will be performed there in the evening.

Here I must seek your permission to allow me to be a little personal, because it is very important to convey the feelings of a non-Marathi person living in Mumbai for many years about this unique cult personality who formed a political party too. While in Assam we had always been impressed by the heroes of Hindi cinema since our childhood days. We clapped for their bold dialogues, for their fights against the villains and for their straight forward honesty. We used to get emotional and inspired.

Coming to Mumbai on an official transfer I slowly took in the new environment and the new culture. Gradually I became familiar with what Balasaheb Thackeray spoke or commanded or did. And, I found all the heroes of Hindi cinema rolled into one whole of Balasaheb Thackeray. I had no doubts in my mind that this great leader who led from instincts, talked straight from the heart with brutal honesty and fearlessness had in fact inspired all the reel-life heroes. I also understood that some realities of Mumbai always got reflected in the movies made in this Indian film headquarters—be it a serious or a crass commercial movie.. I was thrilled to find a real life hero here and to discover for the first time in my life a political leader with such spontaneity. 

As the whole nation pays tributes to Bal Thackeray the politics part is almost thrown out of the window. Such spontaneity creates a mass leader independent of political affiliations, and therefore creates such unprecedented impact just at the thought of losing him. We had discussed this impact already in these pages. In a natural return act of spontaneity normal life in the city has closed down with deserted roads and shops and businesses downing the shutters. Mumbai now prepares for the mass upsurge expected tomorrow. No estimate seems to be practical enough at the moment.

We extend our condolences to the bereaved Thackeray family and the inconsolable Marathi people, not only in Maharashtra but the world over. We pray for the eternal bliss of the noble soul of this phenomenal mass leader.  

Accidents Horror: Tragic End To Comedy King Jaspal Bhatti!

He was probably the most famous Sikh comedian ever in Indian Television and movies. He gave us a taste of a comedy show in the early years of National Network telecasts in Doordarshan. That time Doordarshan was the only television media and we were used to watching foreign comedy shows. But this brilliant comedian-writer-director enthralled us with indigenous doses of humor, wit, satire and fun in his comedy shows for the first time in Indian television. Jaspal Bhatti, the innocuous looking Sardar with a disarming smile whose one dialogue is enough to make you laugh out.  And his insightful storytelling was capable of making you cry too. 

Jaspal Bhatti made his appearance in Doordarshan in the eighties with his TV Series Ulta Pulta and Flop Show. The shows were instant hits and he became a household name in India. His actor-wife Savita Bhatti appeared with him all the way and they were inseparable and one of the most loved couples. Later in the nineties when other channels started storming the Indian viewers Jaspal Bhatti produced various programs for them too. He also acted in Bollywood movies and produced-directed feature films in his mother-tongue Punjabi. But his Ulta Pulta and Flop Show are still remembered and loved even by the modern generation.

This witty satirist died tragically in a road accident in Punjab in the wee hours of today. He completed the promotion for his Punjabi movie Power Cut to be released on 27^th October, 2012 and was rushing back for the last minute preparations. His actor-son was driving and the heroine of the movie was also in the car. In a horrific accident the speeding car hit a roadside tree around 3 am. Jaspal Bhatti was rushed to the hospital, but was declared brought dead. The other two were injured and are presently recuperating. A worthy Indian died unnecessarily.We pray for the eternal bliss of his jolly good soul.

Few newspapers reported today about another horrifying accident in a Mumbai suburb which showed depravity of the worst kind. For the 10^th night last night a few youngsters around 19-20 years of age danced and reveled in the ongoing Navaratrifestival. But that was not considered enough. Unfortunately in India every festival including those of religious nature too, every party or picnic and every outing ultimately means extreme boozing, because without that no celebration is considered complete. So the youngsters drank and drank to their hearts’ content. Even then they did not consider it enough enjoyment. They wanted a mad drive too. Around 2 o’clock in the morning six of them took a car and started driving up and down the highway in extreme speed. All of them died when their car crashed against a trawler. 

The common factor between the two accidents was the traveling time—deadly wee hours when everyone including drivers tends to doze off. Yes, people have no time nowadays, but what would be wrong if you get at least three hours’ sleep and start your travel around 5 am when there is daylight in most parts. You will lose 3 hours, but will surely arrive safe and sound. And if you have to travel during the night why don’t you take the precautions like allowing the driver to refresh with tea once in every hour, drive at steady speed and not sleeping around him.

Indian road conditions and car makes are definitely not under your control, but speed, time of travel and drinking definitely are. Drunk driving was the uncommon factor between the two accidents mentioned here, but it is the most common cause of accidents nowadays. If enjoyment is not complete without drinking then do drink, but go to sleep afterwards as the most natural way of ending celebrations.

Or is it possible that dying too has become fashionable and enjoyable? For road safety peoples’ mindset must change first, road or car conditions later.

Yash Chopra: Iconic Filmmaker Passes Away In Mumbai!

A career spanning over five decades from the good old days to the complex modern times. Directed 22 films and produced over 50 films. Won over 10 Filmfare awards including 4 for Best Direction, highest National honors in films-Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2001 and Padma Bhushan in 2005. Melodious music and exotically beautiful locations being the richest of the highlights of his films. All have been mainstream Bollywood movies, but refreshingly different from the formula entertainers with loads of sensitivity, characterization and insight of life. Almost all of his movies being hits and super duper hits. An enlivening chapter of Hindi cinema since 1959 ended today. Yash Chopra, the legendary filmmaker passed away today evening at a Mumbai hospital after a brief illness at the age of 80. 

Yash Chopra started his movie career with his elder brother legendary BR Chopra and then moved on successfully to form his own film production house, the famous Yashraj Films in 1971. Yashraj Films began with a momentous hit and award winning Daag in 1973. He made his mark in all the genres—melodrama, family drama, light hearted comedy, suspense, thriller and of course romance. Thanks to the energetic and vibrant Shahrukh Khan Yash Chopra’s romantic hits with son Aditya Chopra taking an active part won over the modern generations of today. He was also the pioneer of Hindi multi-starrer movies or blockbusters with the critically acclaimed Waqt in 1965. He made his debut with the suspense genre with an experimental Ittefaq (1969) which was described as a semi-hit and continued it in Darr 1993). His intense conflict thriller Deewar (1975) and subtle Lamhe (1991) remain as the most astounding and critically acclaimed work. He worked with all superstars from Dilip Kumar, Balraj Sahani, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan to Shahrukh and Saif Ali Khan. In the female leads from Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Juhi Chawla to many modern day divas. And, he gave them all their most memorable movies.

His has been good clean cinema meant for the entire family. He commands immense respect in the film industry, among the leading film stars and the movie goers. His family blockbusters have made him a household name. Yash Chopra is an institution in filmdom. His death has caused a vacuum in realm of meaningful filmmaking.

The whole of Bollywood is in a state of terrible shock. He was admitted to hospital with a dengue infection on 13^th October and the doctors were hopeful of his immediate discharge only two days back. The sudden news today overwhelmed all the stars, film personalities and millions of his admirers. In fact, he was expected to shoot a song sequence very soon for his last movie to be released this Diwali. The devastating new has also dampened the Durga Puja celebrations across the city.

Volumes can be written about this cinema icon. We make a humble effort to pay tributes to Yash Chopra with this. We pray for the eternal bliss of his soul as the last rites are to be completed tomorrow in Mumbai. 

AK Hangal: Bollywood Movie Grandfather Passes Away!

A tremendous feature about him that always struck me was he looked the same since he made his first silver screen appearance in 1966. The reason could be that he started his acting quite late after attaining the age of fifty. He had always been the amiable, smiling, melancholic, incorrigibly pious and utterly homely uncle, father and grandfather of Bollywood movies for nearly five decades. And, he was always the balding, pale and thin man in mostly traditional costumes and surroundings. He had been like a beloved and respected member of our own family…and today we lost him.

Avtar Kishen Hangal popularly known as AK Hangal, a veteran character actor of over 225 Hindi or Bolllywood movies, passed away this morning at a Mumbai hospital. He was 95. For the past week he had been on life support system and was not responding to medical treatment. The grand old actor had a fall in his bathroom on August 14, 2012 and fractured a hip bone. Old age problems combined with longstanding lung and kidney ailments caused deterioration in his health and therefore he was admitted in ICU on August 16. He left a son behind, his wife having predeceased him. The last rites are being scheduled this evening in Mumbai. 

AK Hangal began his acting career in 1966 and last acted in movie in 2008. He had been portraying pivotal character roles of the quintessentially trouble-torn head of family in mostly rural poor households and in struggling middle class families, his strong characters never allowing any option to go the wrong way. An uncle or a father or a grandfather or a village elder or a musician or a teacher…piety, honesty and kindness setting his roles apart supported as always by his powerful yet endearing performance. Some of the movies that come to the mind include Parichay, Bawarchi, Abhimaan, Sholay,Lagaan and naturally many more. AK Hangal excelled in comedy too like in Shaukeen, Shararat and in many other serious roles where comedy was integral. He mustered the art of bringing out tears of joy in his spellbound viewers. 

AK Hangal also had the distinction of acting in most of Rajesh Khanna movies—as if the two great actors matched sweetness for sweetness, emotion for emotion, melancholy for melancholy. 

Bawarchi (The Chef), one of such memorable movies, comes to my mind again and again. The movie shows a typically struggling middle-class joint family torn by petty rivalries and jealousies. A mysterious chef looking for jobs suddenly lands in the family and through a web of sweet suspense unites the family. The eldest brother played by AK Hangal erupts in joy rediscovering the small pleasures of life. The delightful movie has stood the test of time for over 40 years.

The last memorable performance of AK Hangal was in Shararat in 2002.  His last public appearance was for a television serial in 2012. As is common in India, great movies are remembered but not the great actors. AK Hangal was living in penury a few years back, and when the news came into public domain several film personalities including Amitabh Bachchan organized financial help to bail out the legendary character artiste. The government and the people should take enough care to prevent this unfortunate trend and support all the great artistes of yore.

We pray for the eternal bliss of the noble soul of AK Hangal and gratefully cherish the fact that he will continue to lighten up the silver screens and to live in our hearts.  

Indian Political Leader Vilasrao Deshmukh Passes Away!

Vilasrao Deshmukh, Minister for Science and Technology in the Government of India, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and a stalwart of Maharashtrapolitics, passed away today at a Chennai hospital. He had been suffering from serious liver ailments for the last fifteen days and was on life support. The end came today due to multiple organ failure, the attending doctors said. He was 67. The whole nation went into mourning at the untimely demise of worthy political leader on the eve of India’s 66^th Independence Day tomorrow.

Hailing from Babhalgaon village in Latur district of Maharashtra Vilasrao Deshmukh rose from an elected Sarpanch or village headman in 1974 to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 1999. He fought and won the state Assembly elections in 1980 and his career as a prominent Congress political leader began. He won the elections in 1985 and in 1990 too and occupied prime portfolios of cabinet ministers in the state government. He lost the polls in 1995, but came back strongly in 1999 to become the Chief Minister. In 2003 he had to give up his charge due to party factionalism, but became the Chief Minister for the second term after winning the state elections in 2004. With his two terms he became the longest serving Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In the tense aftermath of the horrific Mumbai terror attack on 26^thNovember, 2008 Vilasrao Deshmukh resigned taking moral responsibility for the loss of innocent lives. In 2009 he got elected to the upper house of the Indian Parliament and he began his career in national politics. He was given the cabinet portfolios of Rural Development, Heavy Industries and Science and Technology over the last three years. His last days had been disturbed due to the ongoing investigations of the Adarsh scam of which he was finally absolved about two months back.

Vilasrao Deshmukh had a dignified personality with strikingly good features, a powerful oratory and all the qualities of staunch leadership. As a person he was always positive, bright, beaming and amiable. On various news assignments I had a few opportunities to meet him and I was impressed by his sincerity and frankness. He also had a healthy family life with wife and three well settled sons—the second one being a successful Bollywood film star Riteish Deshmukh. He always looked to be in prime health and therefore his illness and sudden death came as an absolute shocker for many. Reports now reveal that he had been suffering from liver and kidney ailments for the last two years.

The President, the Prime Minister and all other dignitaries including his cabinet colleagues in both state and central governments expressed a deep sense of loss on his demise. All political leaders irrespective of party affiliations expressed their condolences. A three day state mourning has been declared in the state of Maharashtra. The last rites are to be performed at his native village Babhalgaon tomorrow at 4pm. All roads nationwide are currently leading to that village despite the august Independence Day programs.

We pray for the eternal bliss of his noble soul. Our tributes to a worthy political leader.

Rajesh Khanna: The First Indian Superstar Passes Away!

A small town of Assam—long time ago. The town had only one movie theatre and every Friday there was a change of movies. As small kids we were always focused on the movies being screened there. On Fridays, a cycle-rickshaw covered with huge posters and fitted with a loud speaker used to roam the town streets announcing the new movie. It came to our area too and we used to wait eagerly for the spectacle.                     

On a particular Friday the spectacle arrived and it announced the release of a new film called ‘Aradhana’ (Worship-1969) with a brand new hero named Rajesh Khanna. We never heard about him before. Songs of the movie were also being played and we got instantly attracted. We decided to watch the movie pretty soon. But rumors of a particular song (we came to know much later that the sexy song was captured in one camera take) prevented our parents giving the green signal. They watched it first and then fortunately for us thought it prudent to allow us to go for it. 

And we came to know Rajesh Khanna. We were never able to take our eyes off him ever. We desperately waited to watch one and every of his movies—as a classic romantic hero, as an action hero, as a comedy hero, as a tragedy hero and to the character roles in later years. His style of acting, his gait, his dialogue delivery, his facial contortions, his unique singing and dancing flair, his mannerisms and gestures and every detail about him got embedded in our mind since those childhood days. If his ‘Haathi Mere Sathi’ (Elephant My Partner-1971) fascinated us with the spectacle of a child being brought up by a pack of wild elephants, unheard of in those days in our parts, his family drama ‘Bawarchi’ (The Chef-1972) made us long for the movie again and again to cherish its heavenly goodness.

We started growing up with the Phenomenon of India Cinema. ‘Aradhana’ gave him instant nationwide fame that was incredible in those times when there were no television channels. Due to ill health of Mohammad Rafi who was signed to sing the songs Kishore Kumar was brought in and his voice became a made-for-each-other for Rajesh Khanna giving rise to the eternal controversy about who helped whom to rise to fame. Within the next three years from 1969 Rajesh Khanna gave as many as 16 super hits. The first superstar of Indian Cinema was thus born and we were the proud beholders of history being made—Rajesh Khanna becoming an integral part of Indian folklore. 

The greatest Bollywood hero had been unwell for the last few days with complaints of fatigue and exhaustion. He was moving in and out of a local Mumbai hospital. It had been a very painful experience for his millions of fans to see the superstar, the Phenomenon, the Indian actor legend reduced to a skeleton. But that is reality and it is always hard.

Rajesh Khanna was shifted back home yesterday and he passed away at his home in Mumbai today—the 18^th of July, 2012 at the age of 69. A date that is going to remain with us forever. Bollywood has been stunned today and thousands of his fans are thronging his home here in Mumbai. The police and security personnel are having a real tough time controlling the surging crowds.

The mortal remains of Rajesh Khannal will be assigned to flames tomorrow—the 19^th of July—at 11am. We pray for the eternal bliss of the departed soul.

Rajesh Khanna is here to stay to go on entertaining and enthralling his fans all around the globe. 

Dara Singh: We Salute The Legendary Hero!

Article first published as Tributes To Dara Singh: The Legendary Wrestler-Actor Of India! on Technorati.

He had 500 professional wrestling bouts to his credit and remained undefeated in all them. His opponents included the names of the greatest international wrestlers of that time like King Kong from Australia, George Gordenko from Canada and John Desilva from New Zealand. He was the first ever sportsperson to be nominated to the upper house of the Indian Parliament.

Towering over six feet with eight-pack abs and a strikingly handsome appearance he was the first he-man of Indian movies. He was also the first Indian movie hero to take off the shirt! He acted in nearly 200 Hindi and Punjabi films since the early sixties till 2007 as the main leads and character roles. 

Dara Singh, born in 1928 in the state of Indian Punjab, was encouraged to take up the wrestling profession thanks to his physical assets. After achieving mastery over the art he was mostly invited by the kings of Indian princely states to fight duels with established stalwarts of the profession. Gradually Dara started to take part in various national and international tournaments. He became the Champion of Malaysia in 1947 and he was crowned the undefeated National Champion of India in 1954. He continued to participate in tournaments till about 1983. 

His tremendous popularity in the fighting ring added glamor to the Indian profession of wrestling for the first time. Naturally, this glamor quotient brought him into the Indian movies—the Hindi film industry or Bollywood of modern times. His first movie King Kong (1962) made him a household name in India. Other popular action extravaganzas like Tarzan (1965) and others followed, and there was no looking back with Dara Singh coming to don the roles of Producer and Director of movies too. He also established a studio in his home state of Punjab.

Dara Singh was immortalized in the Indian television industry through his role of Hanuman—the eternally divine, powerful and dedicated monkey-God—in the Indian epic of Ramayana. He came to be known as the favorite screen Hanuman of India and acted in that role in a few movies too. He also played character roles in many other television serials.

As primary school kids in the sixties we had been fascinated by the heroics of Dara Singh epitomizing him with the eternal Good. We were told about a very famous strategy of Dara Singh called ‘deadlock’ applying which he made his opponents helpless, about how he lifted 230kg King Kong with his hands and threw him out of the ring, and that he never lost. We had absolutely no chance of watching him in the ring and therefore his movies where he showed his wrestling prowess were not-be-missed affairs for us. In fact, parents of those times sent their children willingly to watch his movies and get inspired.

Dara Singh was hospitalized in Mumbai on July 7, 2012 following a cardiac arrest and doctors put him on life support system due to extensive brain damage. As the chances of recovery were bleak his family shifted him home on July 11 to fulfill the hero’s last wishes. And, on the morning of July 12, 2012 the perfect gentleman wrestler-turned-actor Dara Singh breathed his last. Fans, sports personalities and Bollywood celebrities flocked on to pay their homage to this legendary hero who was also known for his modesty, kindness, straightforwardness and honesty. 

We salute the great Indian national hero.

Mehdi Hassan: The Ghazal Legend Of Pakistan And India No More!

Article first published as Mehdi Hassan: The Emperor Of Ghazals Passes Away! on Technorati. 

He had always been regarded as the most original Ghazal singer. He came into fame in 1957 in Pakistan and dominated the sixties and the seventies with a career ranging five decades. Bad health started plaguing him from the eighties when the masses, particularly in India, started listening to Ghazals and began to admire and love those thanks mainly to the friendlier and popular compositions of Ghulam Ali and Jagjit Singh. But even now, whenever we talk of Ghazal artistes we are told to go back to Mehdi Hassan to relish the essence of pure Ghazals.

Mehdi Hassan was born into a family of musicians in the Indian state of Rajasthan in 1927. Though his ancestors had been traditional singers of Dhrupad and though he had a burning passion for music Mehdi Hassan had the hardest time coming to music. Financially in trouble his family shifted to Pakistan during the Partition in 1947 and there in Pakistan Mehdi worked in a bicycle shop finally becoming a mechanic to help his family.

But Mehdi never gave up on music. Finally, he got a chance to sing a thumri in Radio Pakistan in 1957 and there was no looking back since then. Perceiving his immense talent his mentors encouraged him to sing Ghazals and over time he established his style of Ghazal singing firmly in Pakistan with his soulful voice, pure Urdu lyrics and effortless control over the ragas and gradually his fame spread to different parts of the world. He also did quite a few numbers for the Urdu film industry in Pakistan.

Mehdi Hassan always yearned to visit India—his home country. His dream was fulfilled only in 1978 when he performed in India. But his visits had not been frequent due to his bad health. His last performance in India was in 2000. He wanted to come back in 2008, but the Mumbai terror attack prevented that. Lately he desperately needed to be in India to meet Lata Mangeshkar and Amitabh Bachchan, but his deteriorating health never allowed him to do so. Ironically the legendary artiste was scheduled to come to India for medical treatment soon. 

The Indian masses flocked on to the Ghazal genre of music when Jagjit Singh, a disciple of Mehdi Hassan, revolutionized the genre by making it linguistically familiar and with compositions more like modern Hindi songs; and when Ghulam Ali started his regular performances in India mixing Indian Classical and folk music in his Ghazals making his compositions readily acceptable and hugely popular. His popularity in India was further heightened by his singing Bollywood (read Hindi) movie songs. Other popular Ghazal singers like Talat Aziz who also learned from Mehdi, PenazMasani, Pankaj Udhas, Anup Jalota and the like joined in the wave. 

But Mehdi Hassan remained the Emperor of Ghazals for all in India and elsewhere. Lata Mangeshkar, the nightingale of India, lauded Mehdi as the ‘voice of God’ and in fact, she took up a famous Mehdi number, added her voice to it and released the duet in an album in 2010.

The Emperor finally decided to get rid of his obstinately sick body and ascend to heaven. Mehdi Hassan, the legend, died in a Karachi Hospital on today after a long battle with a lung disease and multiple organ failure. Indian music lovers comprising of celebrity performers of Ghazal and other genres of music, the film fraternity and the common people mourn his death deeply realizing the loss as irreparable.

Mehdi Hassan has ceased, but his music remains as strong as ever. 

The Wall of Indian Cricket Retreats! Joy of Hindi Cinema Vanishes!

Fondly called the ‘Wall’ or ‘Mr. Dependable’ Rahul Dravid retired from international and first class cricket on Friday, the 9^th March, 2012. Early morning the same day ‘Joy’ Mukherjee of Hindi Cinema (not called Bollywood in his time) passed away at a Mumbai hospital. These two events are not linked, but may impact a large mutually inclusive community to which this writer belongs.

The news was doing the rounds almost the whole day on Thursday that Rahul Dravid had called a press conference at noon the next day. Almost all in media knew what it would be about and the preparations began in earnest.

Rahul Dravid, the consistently No.3 batsman in India’s test matches and in one-day internationals too to a large extent, announced his retirement at a press conference in Bangalore around noon. The end of an era.

For the last 16 years we had been watching him, witnessing him and adoring him in all of India’s cricket matches here or abroad. We always looked to him for guiding India—first to safety and then to victory. A batsman with a solid 55+ average in away matches, 80 century partnerships with Sachin Tendulkar that is a world record and in all 80 century partnerships with 18 different partners, the world record holder for most number of Test catches taken, only the second cricketer in total Test runs scored, a good fielder plus a wicket keeper in need and solidity that was never questioned.

And, the superb cricketer had only a brief aberration in the recent Australian tour. He was the star in the previous away series in England. But age was not on his side and since all senior players did miserably in the Aus tour the heated controversy of ‘seniors Vs juniors’ must have pained him. When the Indian cricket Board dropped him or picked for one-day cricket at will Dravid retired from that in 2011 in disgust. A true artist with the bat just cannot take on politics. We are going to miss him terribly. Whenever we had to go out on some work in between watching matches we used to be assured if Dravid was at the crease. We salute the Great Cricketer and wish him all well for the future. 

Joy Mukherjee, one of the greatest classic romantic heroes of Hindi Cinema of the sixties, called it a day at the age of 73. His main attraction was his immense likeability. You just could not help but like him dancing or jumping around or just delivering dialogues. His disarming smile and a bright-jubilant countenance filled you with joy instantly without you knowing about it. His unorthodox acting antics, dress code and gait appealed enormously to the younger generation of the bygone era and even now. In this he can be realistically compared with the energetic Shammi Kapoor and the stylistic Dev Anand.

By the early seventies fitting roles for Joy Mukherjee dried up and he left acting focusing on film-making where he was not a huge success. Slowly, he faded from public gaze, but lived on energetically in his movies. If his movies like ‘Shagird’ or ‘Lovein Tokyo’ are screened or shown somewhere you are drawn in irresistibly compelling you to relish it one more time.

While grieving for his demise we get assured by the fact that he is immortalized in his movies. So, who can stop us from enjoying an evergreen super-hit song ‘Japan…love in Tokyo’! This might even inspire the Japanese people solemnly observing today the first anniversary of the dreadful Earthquake-Tsunami that killed nearly 19,000 in 2011.

 Let the ‘Wall’ and ‘Joy’ inspire all to better times.