I am a stranger here, I am what I am. RIP Shashi Kapoor

And, there lived one and only Shashi Kapoor. (Photo credit: Twitter)

Unlike his more illustrious elder brother and more popular co-artists like Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor did not own an era of Hindi film industry. Yet, he surpassed many of his generation and generations after him in many respects.

Born - barely a month after Subhas Chandra Bose brought a new energy in the Indian freedom movement when he got elected as Congress president at Haripura session- on March 18, 1938, Shashi Kapoor brought freshness in Hindi cinema with his carefree gait, relaxed dialogue delivery, effortless acting and mesmerising smile.

He was the youngest of the sons of Prithviraj Kapoor, the legendary theatre personality. His mother Ramsarni Kapoor named him Shashi, thus unknowingly created father-son pair of Earth (Prithvi) and Moon (Shashi). 

Defying the laws of gravity and nature as explained by greats like Newton and Einstein, romantic poets dream of an unseen love between the moon and the earth. That unseen love was the glue that bound Shashi to Prithvi.

It was Shashi Kapoor and not his elder brothers Raj and Shammi, who would fulfill Prithviraj's dream after he was done in by illness. Shashi was fiercely involved with the theatre group of Prithviraj Kapoor. 

Started in 1942, the Prithvi Theatre was a moving troupe of artists which Prithviraj wished to station at some place. Shashi Kapoor realised his father's dream in 1978 when Prithvi Theatre opened at Juhu in Mumbai, six years after Prithviraj's death.

Like many Kapoors, Shashi too began acting in films as a child artist. The most memorable of performances of Shashiraj (as Shashi Kapoor was cast as child actor to avoid confusion with another child actor named Shashi) include that in Aag, a film exploring a man's love for theatre since childhood. This was also the first film in which Raj Kapoor and Nargis appeared together. 

Shashi Kapoor played the child, Kewal, who was madly in love with theatre and Nirmala. The story, in flashback, resembles the story of Shashi Kapoor, who loved only acting/theatres and Jennifer Kendal. No other vice in life.

At the age of 23, having already assisted directors in a few films including Sunil Dutt's debut movie Post Box 999, Shashi Kapoor made his entry to Hindi films as Dharmaputra. Soon, he would go international with English films like The Householder and Shakespeare Wallah.

But, when India and Pakistan fought over land and in skies in 1965, Shashi Kapoor returned with Jab Jab Phool Khile to remove the gloom that the war brought to the country. It was the time, when India faced severe food crisis. 

Only a year later, India would agree to humiliating terms of the US for import of foodgrains before green revolution came calling. At that time, with over half-a-dozen melodies, Shashi Kapoor, paring with Nanda, gave romantic solace to the distraught commoner on the street. 

Shashi Kapoor would go on to act in more than 100 films after that and give memorable performances in Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare, Sharmilee, Trishna, Aa Gale Lag Ja, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Chor Machaye Shor and lot more. 

He teamed up with Amitabh Bachchan to give hits like Kabhie Kabhie, make Deewar memorable with dialogues like Mere Paas Maa Hai, leave audiences in bursts of laughter in Do Aur Do Paanch and do a balancing act in Kala Patthar emerging as the only bright character in a film that portrayed dark shades of coal business.

Despite all hits and critical acclaim, there is one song from Jab Jab Phool Khile that defines Shashi Kapoor; he effortlessly screenplayed the melody as a Kashmiri boy to caress the strings of emotion in every Indian: Yahaan Main Ajnabee Hoon, Main Jo Hoon Bas Wahi Hoon (I am a stranger here, I am what I am). That stranger is now back in his own country.

(An edited version of this write up was published by the India Today Movies earlier today)

Narendra Modi's Independence Day 2017 speech: PM is either ignorant or incorrigibly optimistic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Red Fort during his Independence Day speech today. (Screengrab: DD Live Stream)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his fourth speech from the Red Fort on the Independence Day 2017 today. Historically, the Independence Day speeches have been considered as occasions to showcase the policies of the government.

PM Narendra Modi took the occasion this year to enumerate the achievements of his government. He talked about reforms including demonetisation and GST. But, it looked a bit immature to take credit for launching Mars Mission in nine months. The programme had taken shape during the previous government led by Manmohan Singh.

Narendra Modi also talked about GST but it was also a work in continuation. Demonetisation and surgical strikes were his own completely. Though, many may point that surgical strikes had been conducted in the past as well. But, then no one ever offered any proof before. Narendra Modi government made a bold move not to just own a surgical strike but to shout it aloud so that the message is heard clear and straight both within and without.

Former Prime Ministers HD Deve Gowda and Manmohan Singh at Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort in New Delhi. (Screengrab: DD Live Streaming)

Narendra Modi talked about ushering a new India by 2022. His new India to have jobs, double income than the present for farmers - which would translate into at least twice as much earning for others as well given the nature and system of our economy, total sanitation, no corruption, no hatred, no filthy competition and almost everything that would make India an ideal nation and society.

Mahatma Buddha and Lord Rama also conceptualised such a society and nation respectively. No one is sure about Lord Rama's period but Mahatma Buddha tried this some 2,500 years ago in Bihar, where only recently a chief minister resigned from the post of chief minister to become the chief minister joining hands with a former chief minister with whom he fought an almost meaningless ego battle.

Even Mahatma Gandhi envisioned an India of his dream. He saw his dream shattering but still had hopes that it would not resurrect once the 'mad nations' woke from their slumber and stopped human slaughter. The Mahatma could not live long enough to endure the pain of his dream being crushed, trampled and consigned to garbage mounds by his own proteges.

Union Minister Smriti Irani at the Independence Day celebration at the Red Fort in New Delhhi. (Screengrab: DD Live Streaming)

For the New India of PM Narendra Modi's vision, his government needs to create 1.3 crore full time employment every year, healthcare facilities need to be modernised and made available 24x7 all the 365 days of the year, burden of judiciary should reduce so that the cases could be disposed in six months after filing, police should be able to complete investigation of a case in two-three months, more than 35 crore people need to get literate and educated, government schools should deliver high quality education across language barrier in every village and ward, Parliament should be debating in five years if the country needed a law dealing with rape as it would vanish from the face of India, women should face no discrimination in homes, at work and public places.

In 1947, a section of people thought with freedom their homes will become happy, corruption would end, police would behave, nepotism would end and suraj would come. BR Ambedkar thought after 15 years of quota, the Dalits would be able to cast away the burden of centuries. In 1974-75, a group of enthusiasts sought if the first freedom failed them another would not as it would be total revolution. In 2011, a handful Indians and TV channel studios made us believe that corruption would be the last things India and Indians want. Next year, similar bunch of street troopers tried to convince India that Indians won't stare at, stalk, harass, molest, sodomise, rape or brutalise a soul in future. So on and so forth. And, here 125 crore people stand waiting for another suraj, the New India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves a salute for believing that India and Indians would bring in an India of his vision in next five years. Either he does not know his 125 crore people or his optimism has turned into an obsession without any cure.

PS: Do I need to underscore here that this blog is only a reflection of one of my brainwave?

As President, Ram Nath Kovind remains the same commoner even during oath taking: Curious things about swearing in ceremony

Ram Nath Kovind is the President of India. Like any other person who has entered the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Ram Nath Kovind too has quite a few firsts to his credit.

Ram Nath Kovind is the first RSS member to become the President of India.
Ram Nath Kovind is the first person from Uttar Pradesh to become the President of India.
Interestingly, Ram Nath Kovind has a couple of seconds also.
Ram Nath Kovind is the second Bihar Governor to become the President of India.
Ram Nath Kovind is the second Dalit person to become the President of India.

During the swearing in ceremony, Ram Nath Kovind looked visibly nervous. Ram Nath Kovind might have been overwhelmed by occasion.

The long journey from a Kanpur village mud house with thatched roof to the palatial and colossal building of the Rashtrapati Bhavan might have been running in his mind as a flashback film.

After having been administered the oath of secrecy by Chief Justice of India Justice JS Khehar, Ram Nath Kovind's predecessor Pranab Mukherjee shook hands with the new incumbent and directed him to his new seat.

At this point of time while Pranab Mukherjee looked emotional, Ram Nath Kovind appeared nervous. Ram Nath Kovind sat in the chair without signing on the oath papers. President's secretary had to tell him that he needed to sign in the register.

Ram Nath Kovind's hand was shaking profusely while signing on the register as mark of acknowledgement that he now held the highest office of the land. He completed the formalities for the top position in the country.

But, nervousness of the common man that he had been all through 71 years of his life was yet to subside. Ram Nath Kovind, after putting back the cap of the pen at its place, could not place his black pen with golden rings at its usual place at the top of his breast pocket.

Like a commoner, overwhelmed by the occasion, Ram Nath Kovind put his pen in his lower pocket on the right side of his executive coat. Just like any other commoner from Kanpur.

In his first speech as President, Ram Nath Kovind, too, remained the same old man. Among the nation builders, Kovind mentioned farm toilers. In the list, he burdened the tribals and ordinary citizens with the responsibility of saving humanity and life.

Kovind said, "Tribal and ordinary citizen striving to preserve our ecology, our forests and our wildlife is a nation builder." This is exactly what common man has been made to believe and think.

Ram Nath Kovind has come from the same stock of common man, who strives for life every day and keep one's life on track despite thousands of hiccups and hundreds of mini-rebellions of daily life-process.

As he represents and claims to be representing the common man in the most magnificent house for a head of state in the world, another common man in Kanpur or some other city, town and village would be hoping that Ram Nath Kovind will come of age as President of India and so shall the every other commoner in the country.

A Dalit must be hoping that when she walks out of her home next, she would be seen and treated as of the President's clan (and not vice versa).

A villager would be expecting that when Finance Minister of President Ram Nath Kovind frames his budge next time, a future President of India need not spend childhood in her thatched roof.

A farmer may be expecting that the next time a banker, a moneylender, a journalist, a district magistrate or a minister spots her tilling her farm must see her as a nation builder and bows.

A Muslim would like to believe that when Kovind referred to 125 crore Indians, she was kept in mind. And, the vice versa.

The Prime Minister, too, would be hoping that his party is no longer branded as anti-Dalit or Brahmin-dominated party.

And, Ram Nath Kovind may be hoping that he would be allowed to be a copy-book President and go by the rule book as he did as the Governor of Bihar.