The World at their Fingertips

A still from the popular video "Let Calcutta Surprise you." 

Sourav Ganguly transforms into Rabindranath Tagore who in turn changes into Mother Teresa, who again turns into Howrah Bridge which then changes to Goddess Durga.    Confused?   These are not haphazard imaginations of a demented Kolkatan’s mind but scenes from a very innovative video doing the rounds of the internet these days by the name of  ‘Let Calcutta surprise you’, which is catching eyeballs all over the country.  The video projects different aspects of Kolkata shown beautifully by the skillful use of the art of Handshadowgraphy; giving viewers especially people from Kolkata a chance to relish their city all over again.  However what this video has also done is to bring the people behind the magic of it, back into the limelight they so rightly deserve.   Amar Sen and Sabyasachi Sen are two exclusive artists of India in the field of Handshadowgraphy;  a rare art form which is a combination of hands and fingers on a blank screen telling you a million stories with complete audio visual effect.

“Handshadowgraphy is the representation of life. It’s a unique form of media wherein different forms and ways of life merge into one another and can change right before your eyes within seconds.” explains Amar Sen with childlike vigour.

What is unique about this magical duo is that they are the only such artists in Asia at present and among nine from the world over.  They have been tirelessly practicing this art form, for nearly four decades now, performing at various events and functions throughout the globe and earning a steady fan base in the process.  The recognition in their home country however hasn’t been as great as the duo acknowledge and there is uncertainty on the survival of this unique and rare art form. The “Let Calcutta...” video, the Madhya Pradesh tourism advertisement in 2010 and presentations in some national reality shows before that has brought them into light yet again.

Amar Sen

Their interest in this art however started way back in 1973.  “In those days we used to look at Handshadowgraphy pictures on the back of magic books, and that is how our interest in this art took germ. One particular day when there was load-shedding, both me and Sabya (Sabyasachi Sen) were making Handshadows in the light of the candle. Sabya being the mimic made the sound of a dog to go with my shadow and the image came to life. That struck us immediately and that was when we decided to expand it and dreamt to take this art form to places.”   reminisces Amar Sen from his Beliaghata residence in Kolkata. 

In his early sixties Amar Sen is a versatile artist; a professional singer, composer, poet, magician, ventriloquist and many more. He is the winner of the "Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Award" for Versatile Excellence for the year 2000 and is also a regular actor in many television serials.

On the other hand, 63 year old Sabyasachi Sen, is a taxation lawyer by profession and is also into mimicry, magic, ventriloquism and photography but the art of Handshadowgraphy interests him the most and he has done extensive research on it since 1973.

The perfection in this art, as the duo acknowledge was achieved through years of toil and hard work. A comprehensive knowledge of drawing, a study of anatomy and behavioral science was essential.  The inseparable duo spent days and hours at the Alipore Zoo and Indian Museum in Kolkata in their youth to observe details of shape, style and movements.  Their instruments as Sabyasachi says are limited to twenty fingers and two hands but the scope to create the world from their fingertips is unlimited. They took complete advantage of the anatomical differences of their hands and fingers and utilized it their best abilities to create stunning and jaw-dropping effects.  “Handshadowgraphy requires complete flexibility of fingers and children with talent can be groomed at a young age since their fingers would be the most flexible in their age.” explains Amar Sen. 

After 16 years of perfecting it by thorough practice the duo decided to present it to the public for their first screening in 1988.Invitations started pouring in from the world over after that. Their shows and presentations are as varied as they can get.  They have performed on various subjects, i.e. a film on Nelson Mandela, traffic safety and road safety, oil conservation, historic events etc.  Out of the many global performances they did, the standing ovation they got by a 10,000 strong spectators in the Times of Oman quiz in 1999 caught headlines all over. In 2009 when Amar Sen did a solo act at Jazz singer Patrick Watson’s show in Montreal, Canada, the audience was spellbound by his representation of Patrick’s face via Handshadowgraphy on the giant screen.

Sabyasachi Sen

Sabyasachi too has some interesting recollections to share.  “Once in 1992 during a show at Shishir Manch in Kolkata, a man from Bonga (in Ethiopia) came to meet us before the show. He presented us flowers and kissed our fingers saying he came all the way to just touch ‘these magical fingers’. It was an extremely moving experience, one which I shall never forget.”  says Sabyasachi fondly.  They have also got praises from various artistes including legendary film-maker Satyajit Ray.

The respect that the magical duo has received is due to the unique bond they have shared since the last 40 years. They first met at a magical show years back and have been friends ever since. “We respect and love each other a lot. We rely and help each other out too, keeping ourselves updated and trying to match each other. The great thing is jealously has never crept in our relationship, even though I know that Amar is much more talented than me.”  says Sabyasachi Sen a touch emotionally .

However he is skeptical about the art’s future as he feels none after them can carry this forward.  “Even if you do find someone, where will you find another partner?  It would be difficult to find another combination like us.  Moreover if corporate houses and Govt. authorities do not come in to financially support or sponsor us, it would be difficult to continue. In Kolkata at least, there should be more shows on Handshadowgraphy, else it will be wiped out from public memory. I am unwell myself, and can’t continue for long, thus I fear the death of this art form that we so painstakingly perfected.”  adds Sabyasachi.

Photo courtesy handshadowgraphy.com 

His partner however is more optimistic as he believes that through different mediums of the media today Handshadowgraphy has survived and is making a place for itself in the public’s mind. The Handshadowgraphy academy opened by Amar Sen is a positive step in this direction as people with interests in this art are being taught now by the man himself. Going by the number of entrants in the classes, one can be hopeful for the art’s survival in the long run. Furthermore, Amar Sen was recently approached by some Bengali directors to perform Handshadowgraphy in their films. “I would be happy to get some national recognition though. That would appease me more than the awards.”  says Amar. Moreover he believes his 26 year old son Arko Sen would be taking his legacy forward as according to him he is as good a Handshadowgraphy artist as him.

Irrespective of whatever happens in the future, the service that Amar and Sabyasachi Sen have done by painstakingly nurturing this art form and giving us all a beautiful form of entertainment is laudable. They could have easily continued with their respective jobs but instead chose to enhance this rare field of art. If Handshadowgraphy does indeed survive then history would one day perhaps be thankful enough to these two for taking up this ‘pastime’ and giving humankind a unique art form to cherish. Who knows, now with Amar Sen’s academy, new talents in this field would emerge and different dimensions could pop up.

For now though let’s just cherish what we have of the magical duo. I was lucky enough to have an exclusive sneak-peek at their upcoming video of ‘Incredible India’ showcasing different facets of India through their magical hands. If people have loved ‘Let Calcutta..” they are sure to get bowled over by this one.

No matter what happens in the future, one can be certain that the legend of Amar and Sabyasachi would now live on forever. ..Without a ‘shadow’ of doubt. 

Giving a healing touch to scarred lives..!!

This year’s Academy Awards function held at Los Angeles threw up many little surprises. Among them was a previously little known documentary film which was rewarded for its bravado and the way it tries and instills hope in a rabidly conservative society. Saving Face, directed by Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the movie won the Oscar in the Best Documentary Short category, and with this win, got Pakistan its first Academy recognition. Saving Face tells the stories of two acid-attack survivors: Zakia and Rukhsana, their arduous attempts to bring their assailants to justice, and the charitable work of London-based, Pakistani-born plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who strives to help these women put this horrific act behind them and move on with their lives. 

However, even more precious little is known about the film’s main NGO partners Acid Survivors Foundation- Pakistan. They are the real heroes who have been earnestly and tirelessly trying to support survivors of acid attacks in Pakistan. In their words ASF-Pak provides medical, psychosocial and legal support to the victims of acid attacks to ensure physical reconstruction and reintegration into the mainstream of the society. A dangerous and horrific crime, acid attack is very much on the rise in our country too and it is thus necessary to laud efforts like these which try and bring about a change in society. 

In an exclusive interview to yours truly Valerie Khan Yusufzai, (chairperson of the Acid Survivors Foundation- Pakistan), talks about the way ASF functions, challenges facing them currently and the probable solutions to this vicious crime.. Read on… 

Q.1. How and why did you get into working with acid survivors in Pakistan? What bought you into it?

Ironically enough, I visited a beauty parlour and met some survivors, the chock was violent and once I got to know better about acid violence I decided to do something against it.

Q.2 . Being a victim of an acid attack must be torturous. How do you deal with the victims? What is the main motive of your organization?

Indeed, acid violence is one of the worst forms of violence you can inflict to a human being.

ASF is following a holistic approach and provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to survivors of acid attack: we identify them, offer free medical, psycho social, economic support, and legal aid. ASF also works on developing local capacities to organize a better response to acid violence, but mostly the organization aims at empowering the survivors so that they can rebuild their life and get back to their community as autonomous dignified, proactive democratic CITIZENS.

Q.3. The movie Saving Face is grabbing headlines everywhere after bagging the Oscar. As the movie focuses on acid violence do you feel it would help in the decline of such cases after this? What was ASF contribution in the movie?

Well Saving Face was a partnership project between ASF and Daniel Junge /Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, which was useful to highlight the issue of acid violence at a global level, and additionally mobilize local policy makers, but frankly speaking, the real tool that will facilitate the decline of acid attacks is establishing a legal framework that addresses all issues pertaining to the problem of acid violence and that is the Acid Crime Bill 2012 along with Acid Control Act. Without a proper law, a proper implementation mechanism and then a proper or rather culture sensitive awareness and educative program, acid violence cannot be eradicated from the country.

Q.4. More than the medical aid, how much does psychological help do you feel is required for the victims?

Psychological help is essential for the victim’s healing, it needs to be there from day one; the survivor needs it to bear the pain and the treatment, to deal with the disfigurement and their “new” self, they also need this support to envisage a new life project and face all the challenges that will be their lot: the depression, the stigma, the difficulties during the trial, the fear, the threats, the tension of joining back the community and face perpetrators or other community, family members, face/deal with the violence that is still there after the attack. Without this, survivors cannot make it.

Q.5. Yours being such a conservative society how would it be possible for such victims to be inculcated back into the society? Have you had any success in this regard?

We have had many successes but it is challenging and time taking process, it cannot be done without a proper holistic and delicate cultural sensitive approach and also depends a lot upon the safety net that surrounds the survivors and the psychological state of the survivor. Usually once the survivor becomes solid and confident enough to decide to go back and design his/her life project then a further articulation with the community needs to take place; community sensitization, family counseling, socio eco rehabilitation, ongoing liaison, play role with the survivors; a lot of work is required.

Q.6. Pakistan being a relatively smaller country how far do you feel would you be able to promote your organization’s prime objectives worldwide?

ASF is national NGO, so we focus on eradicating acid violence in Pakistan, we are interested in sharing our good practices and our experience so that other countries facing acid violence may learn/get inspired from our work: I have received several demands from Indian organizations that were curious to know about our methods especially for advocacy and lobbying…

Maybe also a regional or worldwide network would be useful to engage with various countries facing acid violence and give room for quicker solutions; many international organizations have already recognized Pakistan experience/courage in addressing the issue of acid violence, I suppose more seminars and exchanges in other forums will also contribute to the cause.

Q.7. The acid violence form is extremely common in Asian countries, especially India Bangladesh and the likes. Do you feel there is a particular reason for this?

I do not know yet, more scientific research needs to be conducted, acid violence is actually a global phenomenon, so is it more prevalent in Asia because people have been willing to act against it and therefore report and expose it more, or is it because there are more cases in Asia? To date, I cannot answer this question.

Q.8. How much has the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Bill that was passed in the Senate in Pakistan last year, helped in controlling the situation?

It has helped in the sense that acid violence has now been recognized as a crime against the state and those perpetrators, if accused, cannot be bailed out or cannot negotiate their freedom at the expense of the victim as it is no more a compoundable offence. But ASF has always said that this amendment was only step one: if a acid and Burn crime bill 2012 and acid control act are not passed and implemented, acid violence will remain in the country, other issues must be addressed in a comprehensive specific legislation: investigation process, trial, state responsibility to provide free medical and rehabilitation services, funding and monitoring mechanism, regulation and monitoring of acid sale and distribution. All these last aspects cannot be touched through an amendment in the PPC, so there is still a lot of work!

Q.9. How do you plan to aware the common people in this regard and take their help in controlling the violence?

Surprise  :) 

Q.10. What are your immediate and future plans?

Get the acid and Burn Crime Bill 2012 passed at provincial level, help survivors, contribute to establishing the first government led acid and burn rehab and centre in Multan, work on implementation of amendment of HURT in the PPC.

Cons of being a superstar

The first lesson that I learnt as a journalism student was that as a journalist I can never be biased. My reporting, writing etc. can never be prejudiced for or against any particular individual. Four years have passed hence and I have always tried to keep that little and vital piece of information in my journalistic head. However, as I observe the glitzy media world surrounding me I find the lesson I learnt being squashed mercilessly as the power hungry media folks (especially the TV ones) vociferously hunting down big names and stars in the greed of getting some eyeballs.  Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan seems to be the latest victim of this greed.

Seemingly always in the limelight SRK seems to have become a victim of his own superstardom as he found himself in an ugly fracas with the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) folks who have banned him for 5 years from the Wankhade stadium for misbehaving and abusing the security personnel. The incident happened after the conclusion of the IPL match between SRK’s team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Mumbai Indians, which incidentally was won by KKR. If one were to believe the MCA’s version of the story SRK was highly drunk and beat up the security guards when they merely asked his daughter to move away from the boundary ropes. When I first read the story I was astounded that a person of the caliber of SRK would do something like this. The more I read into this (I chose not to follow television news as I consider them the most biased and irritating medium of our media) the more I am convinced that the MCA version is hogwash.

I have never really been an SRK fan and I thus write this without a shred of biasness and just by what my gut feeling tells me. I observed the pictures of the incident where an agitated SRK has his fists clenched and eyes seething with anger. A question pops in my head. Why would SRK be so angry? Especially after his team has convincingly beaten the Mumbai Indians that night. I then closely listen to the audio of the incident. Lots of shouting and abusing. A person, probably a security guard calls SRK a ‘bewda’ (drunkard). Another one abuses him and tells him that they would throw him away. Not one to take things lying down SRK gave them back word for word. Even if he was drunk, SRK is one of the biggest stars of our country and to call him such names is not just downright insulting it is shameful. Moreover, SRK it seems was one against 20-25 people and yet the MCA says it is SRK who should apologize.

In the press conference that he called the next day SRK stated that he found the security people roughly handling his kids and their friends who were playing alongside the boundary ropes and thus had to intervene. If I were to put myself in SRK’s shoes I would have behaved in much the same way myself. If someone dares touch my family I would try to rip them apart. Least of all when it’s my kid. I would most definitely lose my cool if someone called me a bewda, abused me and told me to get the hell out despite being the owner of the team that just played the match there. SRK was well within his rights to let his kids play alongside the boundary ropes. I am not much for generalizing but it is a known fact in India that security people can be quite arrogant and unnecessarily high-headed. I have been a victim of that myself. It is quite a familiar sight to see someone with a tag of security hanging around his neck rudely trying to shove you aside in long queues. It could have been very much possible that someone thought of trying to get his 15 minutes of fame by trying to ‘show SRK his place’. He would have thought of going back home and telling his son coolly.. “You know what beta..Aaaj maine Shahrukh Khan ko uski aukat dikha di…mere saamne koi nhi tikta..”  

The BCCI too is quite tight-lipped on the issue. Probably relieved that the incident has taken some light away from the spot-fixing controversy involving some local players last week. Why try and resolve the issue when people are so focused on SRK  bashing at the moment isn't it??  Being a superstar does have its privileges but it does come with a fair amount of cons as well, this seems to be one of them.

Not to forget many people from our beloved Kolkata are jumping with glee on this news. The very people who in the first IPL considered SRK as the best actor of the country are now enjoying the ‘dirt’ that he is in. That has nothing to do with the ‘greatest captain’ being kicked out from SRK's team I believe?? On the flip-side there are others who are welcoming SRK at the Eden and his ‘home’ Kolkata. I am sorry to say this is not about us versus them. Not Mumbai versus Kolkata. This is not the time to take pleasure at someone else’s failings and become a jii huzoor’; something that this state’s people are known to be. The issue has larger ramifications.

SRK has been one of the biggest stars that the country has ever produced after Big B. His contribution towards Indian cinema is invaluable. I have never been an SRK fan but over the years I have really started to admire his character. The way he presents himself to the media, his sense of humour, his extreme level of passion and hard work towards his work are things that everyone can learn from. Moreover, he made his foothold in the industry without the help of any chacha or mama or papa. All on his own like Big B.  It is thus hard to fathom why someone of SRK’s stature would behave like this.

In India this always seems to be the case. When someone gets unusually famous people try and bring them down. Big B, Dhoni, Narendra Modi and SRK are all fine examples of this who have all faced the downside of their popularity. People without trying get into the real issue just lap up whatever the media tells them and start hurling stones at those figures without once sitting to think and acknowledging what the real truth is.  Once you are famous, the media gets bored of saying good things about you and is always in the hunt for delicious wrong doings that might get them eyeballs. The MCA fracas is very much the case in point. An article in the Times of India of stated that the days of brand SRK is slowly dwindling away. This, despite his last film Don 2 being a blockbuster. The very journos who were licking his feet a few weeks back are now excitedly questioning his behavior without really bothering to verify the reports. Come November and you will find these very media people hounding SRK for ‘exclusives’ on his new film.  If I sit and start talking about the disgusting levels to which the TV media has risen to it would perhaps require a book or perhaps another article now that I think of it.

The incident made me ponder and realize a few things. That the TV media is the worst medium of representation of news in our country , that security guards and officials in our country need to be properly trained for high-headedness and arrogance, that the people of our country can very easily be misled and finally that being a superstar is not an easy task in this country. I might not be a SRK fan but I shall not be persuaded to believe utter rubbish. Not that it would make a difference to him, but I a non SRK-fan stands by his side and believes that he is right in what he did. Lastly, I thank him for bringing us endless entertainment over the years and for his contribution towards Indian cinema to take it to the level it is now. To hell with those who don’t think likewise.

(PS.: To those who believe what I said is right, one small piece of advice. Do not be misled by the ‘support’ that Mamata Banerjee has shown towards SRK. She has only her political interests at heart. We would do better than to listen to such imbeciles.)

All without his legs

We all have our set of despairs that bogs us down. We all tend to think that life plays the cruelest games on us everyday. And then you have Andre Kajilch..!! 

You will not come across many people like Andre in your daily walk of like. His specialty does not lie in the fact that he is a double amputee. It is in the fact that despite his adversities he participates in adventure races, marathons and triathlons with extraordinary zeal and passion and emerges from it as the best example of the celebration of human life.

When he lost his legs in a gruesome subway accident eight years ago, doctors doubted he would ever walk again – even with prosthetics. But he was determined to prove them wrong. In an exclusive interview to yours truly 32 year old Andre Kajilch recounts the horror tale of his accident, how he coped up after that and much more.. Read on..

Andre Kajilc

Q.1. Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do and what are you currently occupied with?

I live in Seattle with my wife, where I work as a researcher in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington. When not working, I am usually training for triathlon, marathons, and other adventure races.

Q.2 Can you recollect the accident that made you lose your legs?

About 8 years ago, when I was 24, a subway train in Prauge, Czech Republic ran over me. I'd moved to Prague and was studying Chemistry at the same university my father attended. He was born in Slovakia and defected to the USA in 1967. On the night of the accident, I was out with friends and we were dancing and partying late into the night as we often did. I ate breakfast with some buddies and we separated to go head home. I woke up 3 weeks later, in a hospital bed. The driver of the train was the only witness. He was coming around a turn that opened to the platform and I was right there in front of him on the tracks. He had no time to slow down. Nobody knows what happened or how I ended up on the tracks. Besides losing my left leg at the hip and my right above the knee, I lacerated my liver, broke all the ribs on my right side - some of them puncturing my lungs - and I broke my arm, my scapula and had badly cut up my back. 

Q.3. What was your first reaction on knowing that both your legs would be amputated? How did you cope with its aftereffects?

When I first learnt of my amputations, I was coming back into consciousness. So, I never got hit with it all at once. It took me a while to figure out what was going on. I definitely could tell something was wrong but I could barely make out where I was or what had happened for some days. When I finally was told and could comprehend what had happened, my entire family was there and I was just too confused, I think, to be shocked or angry or sad. Then my health condition was very bad so I didn't even know if I was going to survive. That made me scared and I don't remember thinking of the loss of my legs for some time. I was in pain and uncomfortable so the fear and horror of it all was in the forefront. After sometime I started thinking about what had happened and what I would do or be like without my legs. Actually, at this time while still in the intensive care unit in the Prague hospital, I was quite positive and optimistic. This was something like an automatic response and I don't know quite where it came from. Before the accident I was normally this way so I think it had something to do with it but I also credit the disabled that have come before me and live full lives. Hearing stories and seeing documentaries that showed major achievements and breakthroughs by people that had been born with some condition or been in horrible accidents gave me some hope that things could be great.

Q.4. Being a double amputee must be really difficult. How did you bring the motivation to stand back up in life?

I had goals and wanted to be happy and enjoy my life. 

Doctors and clinicians did not think I would walk. One actually found himself laughing when he learned that I wanted to try to walk with prostheses. I’d been pretty optimistic while in the hospital -but when I heard all these negative opinions about me walking, I was really disheartened and scared. Why would they tell me this if it wasn't true. Sure, I’ve heard of numerous people, it seems, that were told they'd never walk again but were able to do it...hadn't the doctors seen those stories??? So why would they say this??? Maybe this time it was simply true- maybe it just wasn't physically possible. I managed to do it though - and this is why I think it was possible:

First of all, I had a goal. I wanted to get back to Prague to continue on the path I was on. Once I got this goal in my head...I decided i was going. Whether i had to crawl up the steps to my university, I was going.

Secondly, I began focusing on what I thought I could do and not what anyone else thought I could do...I told my doctors that I was going to be an 80 year old lady with a cane.. I could see myself doing it and this was vital.

Still, there was one more hurdle and that was this pit that i kept tumbling down into. it was a strange comfort from despair...I don't know how else to describe it. I’d cry my eyes out and push every blood vessel in my head to its bursting point...just fighting against what had happened. I’d cry "why why" wondering why this had to happen to me. Why couldn't I have done something different? It was almost like the movie you've seen multiple times where you still hope someone will change their actions or words to avoid the movie playing out the way that it has the past 10 times.

One night, in October – about 10 months after my accident – I was out of town with friends, I found myself in this state – once again. i was in my room alone and i was crying and playing out the same pointless questions. Replaying what had happened in my head and wondering why it had to be this way – why couldn't things be different – or normal. i was out with my friends having a pretty good time but I just couldn't get over the way things were and the worries of still having a good life. Well, it all came to the surface and I was able to get a little wiggle room to work some logic into the mess. I began asking what I could do. What was the right approach? i wanted to change this –but I can't change this. Yet – How could I make the best of it. I can push forwards and simply do whatever I can do. Sure, I had doubts...but I would just go for it. So I decided to be productive. No matter what – I would try – I would try to get as good as i could with these prostheses and let go of the other concerns. It really has worked – accepting this and making up my mind in such a concrete manner and since that time – since that very night...I’ve never been sad about the loss of my legs – not for a moment.

Q.5. How did friends and family react to the news? Did they play a crucial role in motivation you back up?

I was really amazed at the support I received from my community, my family and my friends. I don't think my friends treated me any differently. I was worried that they would and can remember being nervous about leaving the hospital and facing the real world again. Those fears were quickly laid to rest and I am extremely grateful for everything they did for me.

Q.6. Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration?

My father is my hero and I've learned so much from him. He had rheumatic heart disease and when I was a little boy he had two open-heart surgeries. The implanted mechanical mitral valves in his heart. He didn't complain about his health and instead chose to do what he could do. That has been an instrumental lesson in my dealing with my own limitations. Although I cannot do everything I want - there are still infinite things I can do.

Q.7. Describe your journey on how you came into cycling after your accident despite all odds and how did you manage to be the champion you are now.

Initially, I was not interested in participating in sports - especially not wheelchair sports. I didn't want to do the things I used to do in a limited capacity. Over time I found that I wanted to be more active and when I tried these sports it was surprisingly fun and fulfilling. They have taken me to many exciting places and introduced me to great people and other dedicated athletes. My take away is to have a much more open attitude to new experiences because you never know what they might lead to. I get richly rewarded by putting in all the hard work. Training is enjoyable most of the time. Pushing myself when I don't feel like it teaches me a lot about discipline and what I am capable of.

Q.8. What are your future plans now?

I plan to keep competing in triathlons and I have planned some adventure races as well. In January I will compete in the Brazil135, an ultra marathon covering 135 miles in 48 hours. Runners climb 33,000 ft and descend 29,000 ft during the race. I will be doing it in an offroad racing wheelchair that I've built with some help. I'll be the first person to do this. Although it will be a big challenge, I am very excited to take it on.

Q.9. What would your message be to all those people across the globe suffering a fate similar to yours

The hardest thing for me was coming to the conclusion that I had to face this challenge with a productive attitude and just do what I could do...to move forward and keep trying to live the best life I could. Once I made up my mind to push all concerns of what other people thought of me or my appearance, I was able to begin living how I wanted. There is peace in the struggle and I am an extremely happy person and just want to keep doing more. If you are in a similar situation - my advice would be to work it out in your own way. Try to figure out what your fears and uncertainties are. Realize that these things that cannot be controlled can only be tackled by making up your mind to control the things you can in a positive way. Just keep working on it and try to make progress. You may be surprised how far this attitude takes you.

(To know more about Andre, visit his website by clicking here.)

Reflections of a 'normal' cricket fan..!!

26^th May 1999   

Udaipur, Rajasthan    …

I sit in massive room surrounded by at least more than a dozen of my cricket crazy relatives. It is the cricket World Cup in England that has caught the imagination of one and all, not to mention all my fanatic relatives here who love to dissect the game in details. It is India vs Sri Lanka at the Taunton; an important league game for us as we haven’t fared too well before this in the tournament. A victory is imperative. India is batting first and the prince of Kolkata, Sourav Ganguly has opened the batting for India. My relatives knew very well that I was from Kolkata and of my love for Ganguly. Out came some not so nice comments, “Kya re, tera Dadaji kuch karega ki nahi..?“ .. 13 years old then, I just told them silently, “He is the best..You will see..” 


They laughed…I prayed….

Soon as the match progressed, the prince showed his class…Scoring an outstanding 183 studded with glorious drives and 7 scintillating sixes. I was over the moon. However, what was even more surprising was to see each of my relative, uncles, aunts, cousins, cheering each cover drive Ganguly stroked…With each six some of them would reply…"Dada kya mara hai…Khub bhalo…Khub bhalo....” As he got out after scoring his magical innings, all my relatives stood up and applauded; among them was a 65 year old uncle and a 9 year old kid… I watched them around fondly..They had always teased my state Bengal and Ganguly, but when it really came to it, they were cheering and egging him on.. Miles apart from his city some true blue Rajasthanis were cheering a Bengali for bringing the country some glory.. I felt elated …Felt like a true Indian..

5^th May 2012

Kolkata, West Bengal   …

Its' just a game dude..Just a game...!! 

I sit in a massive café with a couple of my friends surrounded by plenty of cricket crazy fans, or so I believed. It is the Indian Premiere League (IPL) that has caught everyone’s attention. It’s a big match today; the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs the Pune Warriors India (PWI).  Though it should have remained a normal cricket match fans here have built it up as the clash of the Prince, Sourav Ganguly who now is the captain of the Pune side, against his own state team.  Some of the unusually biased media houses here have billed it as ‘The return of the Prince to his lair”. The city supposedly would be divided in its support for its beloved Dada and their own city team.

I scoff at all this. Surely, that should not happen. There is something called the city pride, city loyalty. And moreover, no individual can be bigger than the game. No matter what.. In the end, it should remain just a normal cricket match. But as it turned out, it was far from that. As we watched the match on a giant TV , the scenes unfolding at the Eden Gardens make my brains go numb. More than half of the crowd is donning the Pune jerseys and showing placards which welcomes Dada and asks him to beat KKR to pulp. I feel sick.

The match starts..KKR have gotten off to a blazing start, but stumble later on. As some wickets fall, some people sitting nearby start cheering every fall of the wicket and making their feelings clear on whose side they are on. I am baffled. Isn’t this the same city which keeps crying about loyalty, sports love and all that?  Where is the sports love? From the looks of it all it matters was communal loyalty and love for one’s regional idol and nothing else…I felt frustrated..Ashamed to be an Indian..

    

To Dhoni, with Love..!!

Cometh the hour, cometh the Man..!! 

“Dhoniii finishes off in style…Into the crowd and India win the World Cup after 28 years..”   -  These words in Ravi Shastri’s booming baritone still rings fresh in the minds of millions of Indian cricket fans across the globe.  I of course was one of them, jumping off my chair; flaying my hands wildly, pumping my chests like a gorilla and screaming swear words into the sky at the top of my lungs to no one in particular.  Yes, that was the effect exactly 365 days ago when Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni nonchalantly helped his country lift the coveted World trophy and soothe many an Indian heart with joy and pride.   With it also came a feeling of relief, on finally getting there, which we Indians had been waiting for so long.  And if there was one man we should be thankful to for getting us that, it is MSD. Yes, it’s without a doubt that the Sachins, the Yuvrajs the Zaheers and Gambhirs made the core but without Dhoni at the helm, the dream perhaps would have continued. It’s rather sad that people here forget very easily and love to bring people on top right to the ground.

However, I would forever be grateful to the man for giving so many wonderful memories over the years to cherish. I shall not waste my time here in comparing him with other ‘greatest’ Indian captains. Neither will I take a list of Dhoni’s achievements and babble over it. It’s been done to death with and frankly I am bored with the same old debates.  For me, Dhoni remains one of the most enigmatic people that I have known and have gotten inspired by. More than his skills as a batsman or as a captain it is his thought process and the simplicity with which he looks at things that bowls me over. The clarity of thought, the willingness to accept mistakes and the courage to take on challenges is what makes him different and unique. Yes it’s true that he has made errors in the past few months, has look tired and jaded; but there are obvious reasons for that too.  In the aftermath of India’s horrendous run  last few months , the one thing that stands out is in the is the way Dhoni has remained calm and silent. He has taken the brickbats head on.  

People in India love to hate. And Dhoni unfortunately is finding himself at the wrong side of people’s ire at the moment. It’s a pity they forget how much he has done for the country as a captain, as a player and merely with his presence.  His decision to send himself up on the finals of the World Cup was heroic to say the least; the rest of course is history.  More recently, when he declared on how he is planning to retire by 2013 so that the next wicket-keeper who comes in would have ideal time to fit in for the next World Cup is laudable indeed. That speaks of his loyalty and foresightedness. There are several more examples which can be noted down here, but that pehaps would take a book to write. 

No matter how many people keep criticizing him, Dhoni would keep going for as long as he loves.  I am sure there are people who still love him. I sure am one of them. It would be difficult to imagine life without Dhoni, as he is a frequent topic of hot conversations between me and my pals. Plus he has given me as a writer, lots to think and write about. I hope someday I would get to meet him personally. That is current a highly cherished dream of mine. Lastly though, I would just like to thank him for the impact he has had on me, for inspiring me and for all those wondrous and lifelong moments. 

Thank you MSD. This is one of your most loyal fans giving you a grand salute on the eve of the anniversary of our World Cup victory. No matter what the future holds for you..I would keep standing by your side....  Keep rocking… Bas ‘Dho’ daalo ….

To 'Q' or not to 'Q'...!!

As one enters the dimly lit room, cuss words and the choicest expletives stand out tall in the wall that is decorated with haphazardly created graffiti. The smoke swirls emanating from his cigarette die down and you can see the wise looking face of Kaushik Mukherjee aka Q the Kolkata based director who made waves last year for his explicitly shot and in your face film ‘Gandu- the Loser’. Having directed a bunch of ‘different’ films for about a decade, which chose a different path, yet failed ‘Gandu’ propelled him unexpectedly into the limelight.  37 year old Q is now making full use of his new found popularity and trying to make more ‘path-breaking’ and different films to satiate his creative buds to the T.

However, not much is known of this ‘rebel’ like director who chooses not to talk about his past or his background as he considers them ‘inconsequential’.  He just wants to be Director Q.  Why choose such a weird name though? “Q is basically a character which I created. When I started making these films I realized Kaushik Mukherjee wasn’t making them. I had to create a film-maker. I wanted to be reborn and so I created Q.” explains Q.  Another source where he got inspired from was Japanese director Takameshi Mike’s Visitor Q, where a troubled family find their lives intruded by a mysterious stranger who seems to help find a balance in their disturbing natures. “I felt like the central character and thought that let me be that trouble maker.”  he further adds.

Q started his career in an advertising agency in his mid 20s but gradually got bored with it and wanted to explore different fields. Film-making was something which always intrigued him, but since he didn’t have any professional education in it he had no idea how to go about it. It was in Sri Lanka where his advertising career had taken him, that he finally got the answers to his queries. “I was exposed to a completely different value system .I realized that there was a completely different kind of cinema that was happening that never comes to India. My exposure to these forms made me realize that I too could make films like these.”  reminisces Q.

For five – six years he developed this craft inspired by many famous filmmakers across the globe and after that finally entered the field by making short films and documentaries. Some of them which got noticed were Le Pocha(2004) a short documentary , a short film That Boy (2009), the critically acclaimed Bissh (2009) and the award winning documentary feature Love in India (2009).

However it was with ‘Gandu’ that the long and hard journey of about 11 years finally reaped him some rewards by getting him noticed all over. The unexpected wave that it created took even the the makers by surprise.  “We never thought that Gandu would release in India. We never looked at Indian popularity, but somehow its trailer got leaked and a wave was created soon afterwards. Whoever leaked the trailer did us a huge favour really.” he says candidly. ‘Gandu’  incidentally had extreme reactions in India. While some people loved it for its narrative style, many where completely appalled by its representation of in your face sex.  So was the crude use of sex deliberate? To catch eyeballs? “See, we are basically provocative people. Gandu isn’t even half as provocative as we all are. We see a lot of such stuff all day but refuse to talk about it openly. I put all of those in ‘Gandu’. If some found it bothersome. That’s fine by me. You needn’t watch it.”  he says shrugging his shoulders and blowing another puff of smoke into the room. So doesn’t it bother him that perturbed by his film’s content a particular section of the audience might ignore his works? Q has his own aboveboard take on that too. “Who gives a f***. Target audience is a myth. It works for guys like Yash Raj. We are throwing a stone, wherever it hits, it’s a good thing.”   

More than this ‘don’t care about the world’ attitude the thing that intrigues many about him  is on how Q is suddenly become sort of a trendsetter by depicting these sex scenes in most of his films in such a straightforward manner. How does he manage to convince his actors to enact such scenes then? “That too has a process. Like for ‘Gandu’ we conducted severe workshops for about a month.  This consisted of a hardcore theatre form developed by Jerzy Grotowski (Polish theatre director and innovator of experimental theatre); where actors just loose themselves completely and after four hours of training they don’t care what is happening to their bodies.”   explains Q.

Post the success of Gandu, Q and his small team has got the much needed impetus that was required for them to move forward with their future projects. Q has his own small production unit now, Overdose Joint, which is trying in earnest to keep making different kinds of cinema. They are planning to collaborate with many production houses from all over the country to make different- genered films and documentaries. That is his real motive for now; to not fall into the commercially driven path and try and create some real and diverse cinema.

His immediate project is Tasher Desh ( Land of Cards ) which is about to hit the screens in a few months time.  Based on a popular children’s play by legendary Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore by the same name, Tasher Desh would be Q’s most commercial venture as yet. It’s a story where a prince and his friends go for an adventure.  “I was never fond of Tagore. But Tasher Desh was the only one I liked. Nobody took Tasher Desh seriously for all this while, which has given me an opportunity to explore. I decided to give it my own version and completely f*** it up.”  Q explains with a glint in his eye and sipping black coffee.

The thing that makes Q unique is his no hold barred film-making approach and the daring to explore the path that conventional filmmakers in our country hesitate to take. He’s been working with the same small unit for a very long time that includes his long time girlfriend and actress Rii and Tolly actor Joyraj Bhattacharjee who have been a pillar of strength for him.  Joyraj who besides acting in most of Q’s films also doubles up as his production designer, is all praises for the director. “I have been working with Q for about 10 years now and can safely say that we understand each other very well and don’t have to verbally communicate every time. I have a lot of respect for him as I believe that in Bengal he has changed the scenario of film-making altogether. He really is a path-breaker. He failed initially, but never gave up. That’s what’s inspiring about him.”  says Joyraj .

Despite the initial failures however Q is happy to announce that he has his kitty full with upcoming projects, both under his direction and many under his production house.  Besides Tasher Desh there is The Greater Elephant by Mumbai based film-maker Srinivas Sundarajan , a docu-feature called Sari and many others.

As the interview is about to wind up Q is busy on his phone and making constant instructions to his production unit, before finally settling down to give me a last word. As I congratulate him one final time for his new found success he surprises us again. “I am no one buddy. You should focus more on many alternative people who are out there surviving a tough life. Kolkata itself has many poets, little magazine owners who despite many adversities somehow manage to survive. That’s the real vibe of India. Focus on them. Films can never have that.”  he says nonchalantly.  Before I try and register how to go about his advice, he just smiles and says, “It’s just you buddy. How tough is it? If you seriously want to do something, you would go ahead and do it.”  That’s Q for you, no holds-barred and in your face, just like his films. 

 (This story was originally published in 'the Good News Chronicle'.. You can read it by clicking here )