माँ ने मुझे हमेशा अपने पैरों पे खड़ा होना सिखाया , अपनी लड़ाई अपने बल पे लड़ना सिखाया , और सब से महत्वपूर्ण बात को सिखाई वो ये की जीवन को हँसते खेलते बिताना चाहिए . दुविधाएं और समस्याएँ तो आती रहती हैं लेकिन उन्हें हँस के जीना चाहिए .

आज श्रद्धा से मै अपना सर मस्तक करता हूँ उनकी छवि के सामने , और अपने और अपने परिवार के लिए उनसे आशीर्वाद मांगता हूँ .

आज श्याम को मैंने आमिर खान साहेब की फिल्म ‘पीपली live’ देखी और पुराने दिन याद आ गए - इलाहाबाद के ! वोही गाँव का वातावरण , वोही बोली और चाल चलन और एक सुंदर भाव पूर्ण छवि . बधाई . आज के इस वातावरण में इस तरेह की फिल्म बनाना और अच्छी बनाना , अपने आप में एक बहुत ही बड़ी उपलब्धि है .

film के बाद हम चले गए आमिर के घर खाना खाने और बहुत देर तक फिल्म की चर्चा करते रहे . अच्छी बातें हुईं और फिर प्रस्थान !

शेष अंग्रेजी में . नमस्कार  !!

My Mother. The most beautiful Mother in the world ! Simple, graceful, strong and most loving. Her birthday today August 12, it would have been her 93rd., A fighter by her disposition, she always found a way to remain with laughter and joy throughout her life. She never felt defeated with any situation and never succumbed to any either.

The ‘torans’ on our gates are in remembrance of her and her day. She looks down upon us from the heavens with compassion and love. Ever protective of her cubs, she would never tolerate anyone so much as raising an eyebrow on her children.

She was born and brought up in an affluent home and surrounding, but gave it all up to be with my Father and his creativity, providing just the right elements needed for him to pursue his craft and for us to grow in that surrounding without ever missing anything.

That is quite remarkable !

I stood in front of her image this morning, where she exists by the side of my Father, and said a small prayer. Later we all during lunch recalled most of her moments spent with us and went quiet as emotions overtook us.

Now as the night comes to the latter half of its presence, I think back on the days spent with her and what she meant to me. Mother’s are indeed the epitome of all that is beautiful, graceful and filled with compassion. She excelled in all those departments and more.

Happy Birthday Ma ! I do miss you !

Aamir invited Jaya and myself to view his film ‘Peepli Live’ and then for diner to his house.

The film took me back to my place of birth and deposited me within the distinct atmosphere of my roots, and I loved that. But apart from that it was a superb film ; even the wife loved it. And we all know how she is with her own brand of films. The enactment of those times, the actors selected and the way they performed, all came to us in a heady mix by the end of the day and after that, and after some media chasing, we came across to Aamir’s home where we were joined by his wife Kiron, who attended to us for the rest of the evening.

We talked about the film of course, but more than that whether such films should be made in abundance, whether we need to educate the masses, to entertain them and drive them away from the realities of life, or to succumb to the age old formula of escapism.

There was nostalgia, laughter, narrative anecdotes, two frisky cats that insisted on diving around us in excitement and then Aamir himself - introspective, calm, fault finding and sincere.

Last nights’ issues are getting resolved and there was some concern among us during the day. But eventually it has been attended to and I hope that we shall never have to go through it again. And do not ask me to elaborate on this because it is increasingly painful to do so. And, as I said yesterday, beyond my sense of ethics to indulge in.

But do go and see ‘Peepli Live’, many  a pertinent point is visible to us even when we do not agree. But on this one I would agree, without any hesitation.

It is time to be ‘live’ again by the morning. There is very little left of the day.

So,

Good night