ईश्वर के कई चहेरे मेरी फोटो फ्रेम में – #Hindi #Poem

I have written this poem in English, Hindi and Gujarati and am posting in all three languages. Each time the words are slightly altered.

मेरी पड़ोस में रहती हुई महिला रोज बहार आकर अपने घर के पास उगते हुए सुंदर गुलाब और अन्य फूलों को काटकर अपनी पूजा की थाली में इकट्ठा करके घर ले जाती है। इस दृश्य को बार बार देखने के बाद  यह काव्य लिखा है 

मुझे नहीं पता हे ईश्वर आपकी क्या मर्जी है
आपको भजति हु जैसी मेरी समज होती है  

आप के ही सर्जन के सुंदर फूल चुनकर  
अपने  मातापिता सामान पौधों से अलग कर 

प्रस्तुत करती हूँ आप ही की सुन्दर छबि के सामने 
आपके कई चहेरे मैंने फोटो फ्रेम में उतारे है 

कभी सोचा आप को, डरावने माँ काली के रूप में
कभी अनुरागशील गणेशजी और कभी मां दुर्गा के स्वरूप में

कभी बुद्ध और महावीर के तटस्थ चेहरे में पाया 
कभी बिन चहेरे आपको मस्जिद में मेने पाया 

मेरे ठहराए गए रस्मो कस्मो से आपको बांध लिया  
कभी फल खाकर कभी रोजा रखकर आपको प्रसन्न किया  

कभी इशू के क्रॉस पर लहू में आपकी दया को देखकर
कभी कृष्ण की बांसुरी की ध्वनिमें आपकी भक्ति में रंगकर 

खोजने आपको मंदिर मस्जिद चर्च और कहाँ कहाँ भटकी  
अलग अलग नियमो और रस्मो से में परेशान हुई 

मैंने अपनी कल्पना से तुम्हारे कई चेहरे गढ़े हैं
पर भूल जाती हु वोही चेहरा जो मेरे सामने है

मोर की कला, तेंदुए की दौडान, मेंढक की छलांग
सिंह का गुर्राना कोयल के टहूके, पंखी का कलरव 

कोयल के टहूकने में, भमरे के भनभनानेमें, 
आप को पा लू में फुलोके खिलने और मुर्झानेमे  

मैं छवि में आपका चेहरा क्यों बनाऊ 
रस्मो रिवाजमे क्यों हैरान हो जाऊ 

अलौकिक, आपकी यह रचना अमृतमयी
मान क्यों न लें कि यही आपकी पुष्टि आपकी छवि

Guilty – Bollywood Movie Review

“Guilty” is a Hindi Bollywood movie directed by Ruchi Narain and written by Ruchi Narain, Kanika Dhillon and Atika Chohan. Released in 2020, it focuses on the events that transpired at the peak of the #MeToo movement, in 2018. 

Nanki (Kiara Advani) writes lyrics for a band in which her boyfriend, VJ Pratap Singh (Gurfateh Singh Pirzada) is the lead singer. While the upper class, English speaking hot couple inspire jealousy and admiration from their classmates, Tanu (Akanksha Ranjan Kapoor), a Hindi speaking girl from Dhanbad, who openly hits on VJ, then accuses him of raping her as his friends watched on. The accusation comes via a tweet that leads to a social media storm with appropriate hashtags. 

As is often the case in Indian society, everyone gets involved with half baked partisan opinions and judgments. The college students are divided; with many accusing Tanu for her flirtatious come-ons and revealing clothing, while others stand by her and participate in protests in her defense. Same is true in VJ’s case and he also has support of his politically connected parents, powerful politicians and socialites.

At no point, has the film lost sight of the fact that this is a complex matter. Even as you get manipulated into judging the characters and as the story begins to unravel you change sides several times, you also begin to realize how nuanced gender power issues are. You grapple with issues such as, should a girl be  judged for being flirtatious, accused of inviting unwanted sex; could she have sex with someone she craves and then cry rape; can an upper class young man who has the attention of hottest girl on campus force himself on any other girl, could he have had  consensual sex and then be accused of rape for profit and attention; could these issues be quashed with money and pressure? 

The film focuses on the crucial subject matter, very pertinent in Indian society and it certainly brings forth some key issues into the forefront like this is a subject matter for the society to tackle, instead of putting entire responsibility on women and slut-shaming or blaming women for clothing choices, and treating women with paternalistic condescending advice on how to protect themselves. However, as much of the movie focuses on he said, she said narrative, it does not move the dialog forward with confidence. While it covers the intellectual and moral basis of arguments, it does so with some trepidation, not with authority. 

Despite some of its flaws, Guilty inspires discussion on an extremely pertinent subject, deeply interwoven with culturally prescribed gender roles. I rate the movie 4.2 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent.

Mela at Naatak – Play Review

Currently Bay Area’s naatak company is presenting its 59th production at Cubberley Theater in Palo Alto.  This production is naatak’s annual “mela”, a sort of theater fair. There are five short plays in five Indian languages; Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Bengali, Hindi and Improv comedy in Hinglish. English subtitles are projected for each short play above the stage. This is an absolutely beautiful way to showcase and enjoy India’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage. After a span of 21 years, naatak can proudly claim to have broughts 55 world class plays on stage. Over 850 performers have participated in these productions and 60,000+ attendees have enjoyed these shows.

पाचव्या मजल्यावरचा वेडा  – The Mad Man On the Fifth Floor – Marathi

The script for Marathi play is written by Anil Sonar. It is produced by Adwait Joshi and brilliant direction is provided by Anannya Joshi. A madman precariously positioned on the ledge of a fifth floor window is being watched by the crowd below. Some have deep concern and others don’t want to miss the excitement and yet some others are waiting with anticipation to the gruesome climax of the show with the madman jumping to his death. But what is this man up there? What is his story?

 লোকে কি বলবে? – What will people say – Bengali

Directed by Sudipta Chatterjee and produced by Deepika Sriraman, and based on “He Said, She Said” by Alice Gerstenberg, this Bengali play is translated and adapted by Sudipta Chatterjee and Harish Agastya. This short play focuses on the favorite Indian pass time, “gossip”. Casting is beautiful. A woman shares some juicy gossip about a romantic dalliance involving some friends. So interesting is a role played by gossip specially of romantic nature, in Indian culture, that targets of such gossip are often compromised and vilified so strongly that they can’t just let it go but instead feel compelled to justify, defend and give excuses. Will the gossipy woman have finally met her match in the strong woman targeted by the gossip?

Naatak Improv – Hinglish

Naatak organization has matured so phenomenally that it can boldly brag to present improv comedy that is spontaneous and creative. In this short segment directed by Neha Goyal and Abhay Paranjape, a brilliant cast of characters perform improv games based on audience suggestions.

காஞ்சியின் துயரம் – A Tragedy in Kanchi – Tamil

Based on “A Florentine Tragedy”, a never completed play by Oscar Wilde, this play is set in 1930s during the Chola period, whereby a silk merchant confronts his beautiful wife and her royal lover. Will the play have an ending that befits the crime? Tamil speaking audience members are likely to greatly enjoy Kalapathy Sundaram’s brilliant translation. The projected English subtitles give some clue but it is hard to fully enjoy Wildesque witticisms in fast projected subtitles. Directed by Soumya Agastya and produced by Archana Kamath, this short play could well be Tamil speaking literature lovers’ treat.

 खिड़की – The Window – Hindi

Based on “The Open Window” by Saki (H H Munro) and adapted for the stage by Mugdha Kulkarni, is also directed by Mugdha Kulkarni and produced by Chaitanya Godsay.  This is a mystery about a missing husband, where an open living room window comes to play a significant role. The fear experienced by a young visitor is palpable and imaginative description of the lost man gives no clue to his disappearance until…………. Well, you’ll have to see it.

સાંભળ, તું બહાર જાય છે? – Everyone loves an errand boy – Gujarati

Based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s play, “Aao baat suno” this short play is adapted by Paresh Vyas and Vikas Dhurka and is directed by Natraj Kumar and produced by Devika Ashok. A lazy Sunday is transformed gradually into a comedy of errors, err…. into a comedy of errands. O M G — it is hilarious and also features the best dialogue, “Et tu brute” errr…. “Et tu Rajesh”.

For tickets to Naatak’s 59th Mela production, go to www.naatak.com .But hurry. There are only 2 more shows and tickets are selling out fast.

 

Expectations – Hindi Poem

मानते थे प्यारमे पराये भी अपने होते है
ये सोचकर कुछ बीज हमने भी बोते है

थोड़े से हम नादान थे, थोड़ा गुमान भी था
कहते है प्यारमे जनाब, सब सोते है

दिल गवांकर पाने की ख्वाइश रखते है
बेकारसे ख्वाब लेकर दुनियामे लोग रोते है

ज़िन्दगी अब आखरी साँस तक ले आई
पराये को अपनाना क्या, अपना भी हम खोते है

यह काफी नहीं की पराये भी चंद क्षण साथ देते है?
अरे पगले, वरना पराये भी कभी अपने होते है ?

“Taming of the Shrew” by NAATAK Co. (in Bundelkhandi) – Play Review

How to make a comedy written in 1590, come alive in 2015?  Actually that is not even the full challenge tackled in this production by Manish Sabu and Juhi Mohan.  The main challenge here is how to adapt a Shakespearean comedy to a community at the other end of the world and still retain its beauty, its sharp wit, and colorful dialogs.

Bay area’s NAATAK company rose to the challenge and exceeded all expectations in its theatrical production of “Taming of the Shrew”!  There are absolutely no other words to describe but to say KUDOS for such a fabulous adaptation of Shakespearean comedy to Bundelkhandi, set in India.  Don’t balk if you did not even know such a language existed in India.  The language is a close cousin of Hindi and appropriately coordinated translation in English appears on two close circuit monitors on both sides of the stage.  I can guarantee that the audience could not have enjoyed as fully this production in Hindi, as they can enjoy it in Bhundelkhandi.  It is the difference in watching Shakespeare’s play in regular English versus watching it in Shakespearean English.  Somehow this play in Bundelkhandi feels like it was originally written in Bundelkhandi.  Yes, it feels that natural!!  The production in fact begins with couple of little challenges thrown at the audience, to get them thinking in Bundelkhandi – which is also awesome!

Bundelkhandi dialect is earthy, rich, and beautiful.  

Consider how rich this dialog feels in Shakespeare’s English.  Gremio is questioning Baptista about his quieting his good and patient daughter Bianca and making her bear the penance of his “fiend” of a daughter Kathrina.
Why will you mew her up,
Signior Baptista, for this fiend of hell,
And make her bear the penance of her tongue?
In Bundelkhandi, Kathrina, the shrew, fiendish, evil, wicked one is referred to as “karkasa”.

Petruchio marries Kathrina and then insists they leave, without partaking in the feast.  Kathrina resists and seeks help from others and Petruchio says
She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house,
My household stuff, my field, my barn,
My horse, my ox, my ass, my any thing;
And here she stands,
Kathrina is now Petruchio’s “amanat”.

Petruchio then lovingly manipulates Kathrina, and masterfully takes on the nearly impossible task of taming his new bride, as Tranio explains to Bianca
Petruchio is the master;
That teacheth tricks eleven and twenty long,
To tame a shrew and charm her chattering tongue.
and Petruchio himself boasts
hum jo padhat hai, vo hi hum sikhaut hai, pirem ki kala

Finally, Petruchio succeeds in taming his shrew, and Kate learns not to argue with him, and she says,
And be it moon, or sun, or what you please:
An if you please to call it a rush-candle,
Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.
In Bundelkhandi, Kathrina says,
Chahe to suraj he, chahe chandrama, aur tum kaho to mombatti.

Some Shakespeare’s plays depart moral messages, whereas some are just humorous ones to be enjoyed for the sharp wit.  Obviously, there is not moral message that would be applicable in this century, in Taming of the Shrew.  But in regular English or in Hindi, it would seem preachy.  Whereas in Bundelkhandi, this is a beautiful production, with marvelously talented cast, and perfectly suited staging.  This play is full of sharp wit, performed in an Indian language that is ancient and earthy, yet easily accessible and enjoyed by all.

Every theater season, I share for my readers, not-to-miss-play of the season in South Bay area.  For my Hindi speaking readers, without hesitation, I choose this NAATAK production as not-to-miss-play in this theater season.  Please get your tickets before it is too late at www.naatak.org .