"RIVAAYAT" ....Classical Dance and me?

Classical dance and Me! I still remember as a kid never caring much for it.  I was totally a Bollywood brat till the day the Chennai Music Academy festival became a part of my portfolio at work in 2001. I still remember the first year of coordinating it. I sat in the audience totally blank with my Chennai colleagues not understand a word.  The language was new, the music was new, the lyrics? Lyrics, what were they singing. Chitra, my Chairman's secretary understanding my predicament would whisper the meaning in my ear and by the end of the evening I was mesmerised. To say the least, the next ten years of co-ordinating and attending those beautiful classical dance and vocal performances became something I looked forward to each year. I actually did not need an interpreter anymore. 

So it was not surprising when I saw a post in my #BeHappy group asking if anyone wanted to attend a Kathak event "RIVAYAAT", my hand went up instantly. Of course I googled the word and it means "tradition or customs".

"RIVAYAAT" an initiative by Shalini Thackeray presented by Kalki Foundation and Pooja Pant Dance Company promised an evening of this age-old traditional dance form in a contemporary light and relevant with the changing times. A full house and lucky to have been seated closer to the stage (thank you dear Shalini M'am), I knew I was in for a treat of a lifetime and it was. The Nehru Centre auditorium was full of an audience so mesmerised that they just could not leave. The event hosted by the beautiful Pooja Kanwal Mahtani boasted of celebrities and dignitaries such as Kiran Shantaram, Saroj Khan, Eli Avram (of course got selfies with them), Dr Vitthal Kamat, Pandit Murli Manohar Shukla, Pandit Shailesh Bhagwat, Annabel Mehta, Shilpa Shinde, Ajit Bhure, Anita Kanwal, Nirbhay Wadhwa, Vaibhav Arekar and many more.

Not to forget my very own aww! moment when I saw dear Rajashree Shirke, exponent of Kathak and Bharatanatyam being called on stage. Memories of her gracing my bank's Chennai Music Academy Festival years back and my connect with her came rushing back. I immediately smsd her saying I was in the audience and whether she remembered me and touched to know that she did even though we hadn't connected for months.

"RIVAAYAT" was sheer poetry with beautiful solo performances by Pooja Pant, choreographer and founder of the Pooja Pant Dance Company (now in its 10th year). The contemporary touch of weaving Aesop Fables and Mobile Games into Kathak performed by her students was a delight to watch...and what can one say about the fabulous one and only Aditi Mangaldas and her performance "Seeking the Beloved" about the constant search of life portrayed through compositions of Meerabai, Amir Khushru and Kabir. Aditi Mangaldas just mesmerised us to a spiritually high energy space with her fingers drawing innumerable patterns and moods and just about everything with her voice and dancing. She was something else indeed and I have no words to express what that feeling was watching her perform.

Thank you Shalini M'am for this wonderful opportunity and I must confess that I never knew much about your Kalki Foundation till today.  It was indeed heart warming when you said that "my daughter asked me 'why do we say save the girl child' and not 'why do we not say love the girl child". Even more so that you chose to take Muskaan's thought a step further through this foundation that addresses all aspects of a woman from health, hygiene, safety, education, empowerment and culture by organising "RIVAAYAT" to  inspire youth to appreciate this exquisite dance form of Kathak. It is indeed laudable. "RIVAAYAT" truly is a great beginning and a much needed step towards connecting youth with our culture and traditions.

Dementia, Alzheimer's and my tryst at film making!!!

"Dementia, a condition that frightens many enough to shove it under the carpet and when it affects a loved one...even more...." are the opening lines that I wrote for my film titled "Selfless Soldier - Sailesh Mishra" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aETnPu2FFXk). For a long time, I had been enamoured with the thought of making a film on Sailesh Mishra's  passion but it just did not seem to materialise.

Then one fine day, YESiAmTheChange happened. I decided that this year, come what may, I was going to participate in the Yes Foundation's YIAC 101-Hour Social Filmmaking Challenge, 3-minute short films on social causes. I entered myself for the NGO category and hoped that the topic would be just what I wanted it to be. I had the thoughts, the director's vision (ahem!) and the storyboard ideas ready in my mind to tweak based on the topic, but I knew I would need someone to capture my vision and put it on screen. I decide to take the plunge by writing a small note on all my whatsapp groups asking for production assistance at minimal cost. I get a call from Drishti, who listens patiently to me saying, "I have this awesome friend Sailesh and I want to make a film on the work he does as part of a contest. I want to showcase his dedication for Dementia and Alzheimer's", to a response, "Hiraji, I think you did not recognise me. I am Drishti, Sailesh's daughter"... and I wished the earth had opened up and swallow me.  That indeed was an unbelievable intervention by God himself for me and the beginning of a wonderful relationship with Drishti, her friend Amritraj Esakkiappan and their newly founded company called "The Photomist" (https://www.facebook.com/photomist/) that started the morning, the topic dropped into my mail box wee hours on 9th September. The topics were "Responsible Citizenship" or "Specially Abled"... and I chose "Responsible Citizenship" and we were ready to get going.

My long standing friendship with Sailesh had already created an awareness and interest into doing my bit for the cause for long now, so when I went to A1 Snehanjali at Nalasopara and Rajodi to record scenes I had in mind for my film, I sort of knew what to look for and what to expect. I knew that Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia and what are the problems that come with it, but then I met Mary Aunty who kept holding my hand to ask "what will they do to me" and my heart cried.  Everyone knows that the person affected by the disease retreats into a world of his own and the world she/he creates that has no place for reality or the present.  Most of the times, the memories that remain are those that are long past gone but seem like today. Mary Aunty obviously had been hurt enough sometime, somewhere in her life and that bit of memory has remained with her, which is never going away.  At first she refused to touch the casio, but then suddenly got up and played the 'happy birthday' song for us on the casio. Sadly, it caught us by surprise and we could not capture that moment on film. On the other hand, there was ever smiling Kusum Aaji (as she is fondly called) who remembered only the happy days at her home and kept inviting me home. My most favourite Hussaini Uncle, held on to a doll and kept telling me "he is a good boy most times" as I sat there talking to him.....and not to forget Bhaskar Uncle, Peter Uncle, Hariprasad Uncle, Meera Aunty and others there who stole my heart.

The environment there was calming, beautiful and green and the peace that came over me being there is unexplainable. It was no wonder therefore that the elders there are happy living in their own little world amongst nature in the loving care of the caregivers. As the day progressed and the more time I spent there, I realised that just reading up about the disease was so academic and clinical. Watching them trying to communicate with us made me realise human contact, a hug, holding the hand is so necessary that since that day at A1 Snehanjali, I have been hugging my daughter more each day. 

Not to forget first and foremost, the fear of Dementia which scares us and I admit that I am one of those who is frightened too. Everyone according to me should visit once and I promise that you will come home with a lot more patience and understanding for elders. I can't explain what went through my mind, as I watched the elders and the caregivers at the assisted living elder care home that day. There was not much that I could do but to hold their hands and talk to them hoping that they were understanding me. That being key, it made me wonder how a family remains sane dealing with this unfamiliar, dark and unknown world of their loved ones, especially the children in the family. When it is not easy for the adults, I cannot even imagine what the children must be going through. 

At the end of it all, when the film was edited (a big thanks to Drishti and Amritraj) and uploaded, I knew that I had fulfilled a promise made to myself long ago. Whether I win or lose the contest, it just does not matter anymore. I just revel in the thought that there will be a panel of eminent people on the jury and others at the YES Foundation, who will see my film. Maybe, just maybe the film will touch a heart and there will be someone out there who will reach out to Sailesh, as there is so much that needs to be done, so much more to be brought to the forefront and addressed. My friend and lone unsung soldier, Sailesh who is doing just that, on his own steam, needs to be recognised and supported. He truly understands the challenges and emotional needs of these elders and their families enough to continue to pursue his passion and dream of an elder friendly world. I, on my part, will continue to support him in my own little way and that goes without saying. His mantra "the silver-haired are not retired but rewired today and deserve to enjoy their second childhood”, is actually my mantra of life today. 

Yes, I am a change agent

Everyone knows that I am a big entertainment buff, be it commercial cinema, theater or even a film festival showcasing short films. Hence it was not surprising that I once again this year requested my friend, Prerana, at the YES FOUNDATION to allow me to be there at their award ceremony celebrations.

Before I begin to share the heart warming experience I had, let me tell you what it is all about. YES, I am the Change is a social program of YES FOUNDATION which was launched in 2013. The initiative, which I must applaud, brings together the youth of our country to share social change that they have witnessed through the medium of short films. Everyone dreams of making films and it is this platform that spring boards the dreams of many. The initiative invites people from all walks of life to a challenge where the subject is shared 6 am in the morning and a deadline of 101-Hour begins to make your film and submit it.  Amateurs and film makers participate by making social cause films of up to 3 minutes duration and the wait for the winners begins. This year over 5 lakh entries were received by the YES FOUNDATION making it the largest movement of showcasing social causes indirectly leading to an unexplainable change in the film makers themselves turning them into change agents for society. There were multiple categories in the challenge such as the Corporate challenge, the Not-for-Profit, Student and the Open Categories making it the world’s largest social cause movement.  What further fascinated me was that all the films submitted are available for use of Not-for-Profit NGOs and associations who are unable to make films themselves to use free of cost.

The contest had ended and then came the day of the awards ceremony that bustled with life at the Nehru Centre on January 29^th where I sat looking at the smiling youth all around me. Chatting with them I realised that it had not just been about making a film and submitting it to the jury. It was now about the journey that they traversed to another world and emerging a better human being that had made them happier. The evening mood was set by an interesting panel discussion titled “Role of mindset transformation in nation building” with Meghana Gulzaar, Vikas Bahl, Jacco Cillers, Radha Kapoor and moderated by Namita Vikas. Interesting inputs from the panellists on how important it is for the media and film makers to be involved and even more on being responsible in using their power medium was an interesting take. Chief Guest Vidya Balan enthralled the audience with her thoughts on the event and referring to her experience as brand ambassador for the sanitation campaign. Director Umesh Shukla and other dignatories added charm by gracing the event.  For me a personal moment of pride was listening to my friend Prerana Langa, CEO of YES FOUNDATION taking on stage and leading her team to a beautiful culmination of a social change film making contest so lovely and well organized. 

However, that was just the end only of Day 1 as it was followed by the film festival over the next two days at the Indian School of Design and Innovation conference hall that showcased the best films of the contest.  Sadly I missed the first day due to prior commitments but  Sunday  was one of learning with interactive discussions.  Shalabh Sahai, Co-Founder and Director of iVolunteer and Tom Alter, Actor shared their thoughts and experiences in the volunteering and cinema space. It was an interesting debate with Cyrus Dastur, the founder of Shamiana Arts with Tom Alter, who suggested using real people for social awareness and documentary films; as he explained how the stance and the acting poweress stands true when you bring true to life heroes on screen to perform instead of actors.  It was indeed interesting, and a big thanks to the foundation for giving an opportunity to me and the young film makers to get up close, as it is not often one gets opportunities to interact closely with people of such caliber.

The same day, we were introduced to two film makers, Kuljeet Chaudhary and Leena Kejriwal, who last year had participated in the film challenge, which had changed their lives making them true agents of change.  Kuljeet Chaudhary, who won the last year’s Popular Choice Award for his film “Probably Paradise”, spoke about his amazing story from a night in Diwali when he and his friends decided to save animals from abuse starting with a cow whose tail was tied to fire crackers leading onto him creating a help forum on face book for animal abuse. When he was asked, what is the one thing an individual can do to help, he put it so simply and humbly “feed glucose biscuits to stray dogs”. On the other hand, here was Leena Kejriwal, an avid photographer and artist whose film became a thought process that has today started a movement she calls “MISSING”.  MISSING is an art project that brings issues of female trafficking onto our walls of public spaces with a black stencil of a girl made from iron sheets, forged and painted pitch black. The stark black stencil is hopeful of creating awareness about the millions of young girls and women who disappear from their homes and are pushed into the flesh trade in India. Both these amazing human beings are on face book.  I certainly made it a point to connect with them and am seriously contemplating how to get that stencil on a wall soon, after all I am a woman myself.

The entire day I spent there, I must have seen over twenty or more awesome films such as ‘The Stand-up Comedian’ on parent care, ‘Dua’ about elderly care, ‘Ehsaas’ about a rickshawalla who teaches act of kindness, ‘Muted’ about beggars stuck in silence forever, ‘Boxes’ about learning beyond education and many more.  It was indeed a Sunday well spent. Me, not a film maker and just an ordinary person never felt more involved and touched by the films that showcased so many causes that we never can even imagine.  It got me thinking as to how much do I contribute to society. Well, yes I do in my own small little way by volunteering with friends doing social work, but this movement got me thinking.  Films are such a powerful medium to spread the magic word and so I decided that I am going to be a change maker of sorts myself. I have started doing my bit by sharing one film every two or three days on my face book page and if I touch even ten friends a day, I think I have succeeded in creating a small little twinge in a heart somewhere…. And I am sure that somewhere, sometime, someplace that heart I touched will reach out to another and thereon another and we will be on our way to a better happier place.