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Ali Peter John
I CAN REMEMBER YOU ALL MY LIFE, RISHI AND I HOPE THE FICKLE WORLD NEVER DARES TO FORGET YOU
IF I WAS GOD
I WOULD HAVE CREATED A SEPARATE WORLD
ONLY FOR WRITERS, POETS, ACTORS AND ALL CREATIVE AND SENSITIVE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO HAVE BEEN MISUNDERSTOOD AND EVEN BEEN ILL-TREATED BY THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN UNFORTUNATE TO BE A PART OF THE LIFE THEY ARE TO LIVE IN
AND I WOULD HAVE MADE DEV ANAND THE KING OF THAT SEPARATE WORLD
AND, YOU RISHI, YOU WOULD BE THE PRINCE OF THAT GREAT WORLD....
BUT, DEAR RISHI, I AM NOT GOD AND CAN ONLY DREAM OR IMAGINE HAVING A WORLD LIKE THAT....
AND KNOW THAT YOU HAVE LEFT THIS WORLD, I WANT YOU TO ANSWER A
QUESTION
THAT HAS BEEN BOTHERING ME FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS WHY DO ARTIST WHO ARE SO GIFTED AND EXTREMELY TALENTED
HAVE TO FACE A ROUGH AND EVEN A MISERABLE LIFE WHEN THEY ARE ALIVE
AND WHY DO THEY HAVE TO FIGHT BATTLES WITH MISERY, CHILLING PAIN AND EXTREME INSECURITY ABOUT LIFE AND THEIR DEATH WHICH THEY CAN VISUALISE AND DIE BEFORE THEY ARE DEAD ?
YOU ,MY DEAR RISHI HAD DEDICATED YOUR WHOLE LIFE TO BE KNOWN AS A GOOD ACTOR AND YOU SUCCEEDED
BUT, WHY DID THE INDUSTRY HAVE TO WAIT FOR THIRTY YEARS TO RECOGNISE AS A GOOD AND GREAT ACTOR ? I HAVE A VERY BIG COMPLAINT AGAINST LIFE AND THE INDUSTRY
WHY WERE YOU MADE TO SING AND DANCE ROUND TREES WITH GIRLS WHO WERE LESS THAN HALF YOUR AGE AND FAR ,VERY FAR FROM THE KIND OF TALENTED ACTOR YOU WERE ?
AND WHY DID LIFE AND DEATH CONSPIRE AGAINST YOU WHEN YOU WERE GENUINELY COMING INTO YOUR OWN AS A MATURE AND MARVELOUS ACTOR AND WHY DID THEY HAVE TO SUCCEED IN THEIR CONSPIRACY TO SNATCH YOU AWAY WHEN YOUR TALENT HAD REACHED ITS PEAK ?
AND WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE GIVEN A FAREWELL WHICH BROKE THE HEARTS OF YOUR ADMIRERS WHOSE HEARTS WHERE ALREADY BROKEN AFTER THEY HAVE BELIEVED THAT YOU HAD LEFT THIS WORLD FOR GOOD
YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH GREATER ACTOR WITH TIME, BUT TIME TOO HAD JOINED THE CONSPIRACY TO TAKE YOU AWAY TO GOD ONLY KNOWS WHICH PLACE
IT IS A MONTH SINCE YOU HAVE GONE AWAY AND
I CAN ALREADY SEE THIS FICKLE WORLD TRYING TO FORGET YOU, BUT CAN A RISHI KAPOOR BE FORGOTTEN SO EASILY ?
THINKING OF YOU MAKES IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO CALL YOU THE LATE ACTOR RISHI KAPOOR, THINKING OF YOU MAKES ME THINK THAT SIXTY SEVEN WAS TOO EARLY TO GO FOR
A MAN WHO WAS SO FULL OF LIFE, THINKING OF YOU MAKES ME THINK ABOUT WHAT GREATER WONDERS YOU COULD HAVE WORKED IN THE TIME TO COME
AND AS I TRY TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE PAINFUL REALITY OF LIVING A LIFE WITHOUT YOU
I THINK OF WHAT YOUR "YOUNG" FOREVER IDOL AND MY IDEAL MAN ,DEV ANAND SAID ABOUT DEATH
WE WERE DISCUSSING DEATH AND LIFE AFTER DEATH WHEN THE MAN WHO WAS IN LOVE WITH LIFE CAME UP WITH HIS OWN BELIEF IN DEATH
HE SAID, "WHY DO PEOPLE ALWAYS THINK ABOUT DEATH AS A SCARY THING ? WHY DO THEY PUT ON SORROWFUL CASES AND SHED TEARS AND MAKE DEATH SOUND LIKE A MONSTER ? WHY CAN'T PEOPLE LOOK AT DEATH AS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE ? I DON'T BELIEVE IN TRIPE LIKE REBIRTH AND REINCARNATION, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO BELIEVE THAT THERE COULD BE A MUCH BETTER LIFE WAITING FOR US AFTER DEATH ? I SEE DEATH AS THE BEGINNING OF A CELEBRATION OF A NEW LIFE WHICH WILL NEVER COME TO AN END "
I BELIEVED IN MOST OF DEV SAHABS BELIEFS, BUT I HAD STILL NOT COME TO ANY CONCLUSION ABOUT HIS OWN BELIEF IN A WONDERFUL LIFE WAITING FOR US AFTER DEATH..
BUT IF THERE IS ONE TIME I WOULD LIKE AND EVEN LOVE HIS BELIEF, IT WOULD BE NOW WHEN I HAVE ACCEPTED THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT YOU ,RISHI GOING AWAY FROM THIS LIFE PHYSICALLY.......
IT IS ALREADY A MONTH SINCE YOU HAVE GROWN ETERNAL AND I WANT TO PROMISE YOU THAT I CAN NEVER FORGET YOU AS LONG AS I AM A PART OF THIS WORLD AND HAVE TO LEAVE TO MEET MY GURUS ABBAS SAHAB ,DEV SAHAB,DUTT SAHAB AND NOW YOU ,CHINTU SAHAB
AND I HOPE THIS WORLD WICH HAS A STRANGE ABILITY TO FORGET THE BEST OF PEOPLE DOESN'T EVER DARE TO FORGET YOU, BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN THEM REASONS ENOUGH NOT TO FORGET YOU.
SO LONG, RISHI, BUT NOT FOR VERY LONG...
WAIT FOR ME ,YOU SAID, IRRFAN......
AND WE ARE STILL WAITING
IF I REGRET ONE THING IN MY LIFE AT THIS STAGE, IT IS MY NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW IRRFAN KHAN AS WELL AS I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN HIM
BUT, HIS WORK AS AN ACTOR HAS GIVEN ME VISION NOT TO REGRET MY NOT KNOWING HIM CLOSELY
I HAD ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE HIM GROW INTO ONE OF THE MOST FORMIDABLE ACTOR OF OUR TIME
LIFE HAS ITS OWN WAYS OF BEING CRUEL TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE
I FELT INCOMPLETE WITHOUT KNOWING IRRFAN AND IRRFAN WAS IN AN UNEXPECTED HURRY TO LEAVE BEFORE FULFILLING MY WISH OF KNOWING HIM BETTER...
I WAS DEMORALISED AS A MAN WHO HAD FOLLOWED THE GROWTH OF COUNTLESS ACTOR DURING THE FIFTY YEARS I HAD SPENT WATCHING ACTOR GROW WHEN I HEARD ABOUT IRRFAN FALLING A VICTIM TO AN ALMOST UNKNOWN AILMENT KNOWN AS NEUROENDOCRINE TUMOUR AND HE HAD TO BE RUSHED TO LONDON FOR TREATMENT
I LIKE MANY OTHERS LOVED TO BELIEVE THAT HE HAD COME BACK CURED, BUT THAT BELIEF WAS NOT TO LAST LONG
AND ON APRIL 29 ,HE WAS ADMITTED TO A HOSPITAL WHICH NOT MANY HAD GOOD EXPERIENCES ABOUT
AND IRRFAN KHAN WAS GONE WITHIN HOURS AND HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS COULDN'T EVEN TAKE HIM HOME AND HAD TO TAKE HIS BODY TO THE KABRISTAN WHERE HE WAS LAID TO REST IN A GRAVE LESS THAN FIVE FEET DEEP AND COVERED WITH DUST AND MUD AND IT WAS ALL OVER FOR ONE OF THE GREATEST ACTOR IN TEN MINUTES....
BUT THE GREATNESS OF ACTOR LIKE IRRFAN IS THAT THEY RISE FROM THE GRAVE AND DEFEAT DEATH
TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF PEOPLE FOR EVER
BUT WHAT IS SAD ABOUT AN ACTOR LIKE IRRFAN DYING AT THE AGE OF FIFTY FOUR
IS THAT THEY DON'T DIE ALONE, BUT WITH THEM DIE ALL THOSE STORIES THEY HAVE NOT TOLD, ALL THE CHARACTERS THEY HAVE NOT PLAYED AND ALL THE AMBITIONS AND DREAMS THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FULFILL
AND ,IRRFAN KHAN HAD SO MANY,SO MANY STORIES IN HIM AND A CROWD OF CHARACTERS SCREAMING OUT TO BE BROUGHT ALIVE BY HIM
I VIVIDLY REMEMBER EVERY WORD OF THE VIDEO IN WHICH HE TRIED TO PROMOTE HIS LAST FILM, "ANGREZI MEDIUM",BUT THE LAST THREE WORDS STILL REVERBERATE IN MY EARS AND STIR UP MY MIND ,
IRRFAN'S PARTING WORDS WERE ,"WAIT FOR ME "
THOSE THREE WORDS SPOKE ABOUT HIS POSITIVITY TOWARDS LIFE, HIS CONFIDENCE TO CONQUER AND HIS WILL TO COME BACK IN A BIG AND BETTER WAY...
BUT WHAT COULD IRRFAN OR EVEN THE ULTIMATE SUPERMAN DO WHEN HE HAS TO FACE THE DARK DIRTY POWER OF DEATH
BUT ,THOSE THREE WORDS OF IRRFAN, "WAIT FOR ME"GIVES ME SOME STRANGE KIND OF FEELING
AND I FEEL LIKE BELIEVING THAT THE WAIT FOR HIM WILL BE OVER ONE DAY AND HE WILL COME BACK TO CONQUER ALL THOSE "FIELDS " AND "LANDS "HE COULD NOT CONQUER IN ONE LIFE
WE ARE ALL WAITING ,ALL YOUR ADMIRER, FANS AND LOVERS ARE ALL WAITING FOR YOU IRRFAN
WILL YOU KEEP YOUR PROMISE AND COME BACK PLEASE ?
DIN DALNE SE PEHLE AAP YUHI NIKAL GAYE YOGESH JI ..
HE HAD ALL THE EXPERIENCES OF LIFE THAT COULD ONLY MAKE HIM A POET OR A PHILOSOPHER, BUT HE BECAME A PHILOSOPHER AND A POET AT THE SAME TIME
HE WAS ONE OF THE HUNDREDS OF YOUNG MEN WHO CAME TO BOMBAY EMPTY HANDED BUT RICH WITH HIS FEELINGS AND HIS FEEL FOR WORDS WHICH HE COULD RIGHT AS POETRY
HE TRIED TO WRITE LYRICS FOR FILMS, BUT HE WAS TOO SIMPLE TO KNOW THE WAY TO SUCCESS IN A WORLD WHERE CUT-THROAT COMPETITION WAS THE IN THING
HIS OWN RELATIVE IN THE INDUSTRY WHO WAS A BIG NAME DID NOT EVEN TRY TO HELP HIM
HE HOWEVER DID NOT GIVE UP AND LIVED IN A SLUM IN ANDHERI IN A ROOM FOR WHICH HE PAID TWELVE RUPEES A MONTH AND HAD NO ELECTRICITY OR WATER AND HAVE TO DEPEND ON AN OLD WELL FOR WATER AND SMALL-TIME DHAABAS FOR HIS FOOD
A FRIEND KEPT INSPIRING HIM TO STAY BACK AND FIGHT ALL DESPAIR AND HE GOT HIS FIRST BREAK TO WRITE THE SONGS FOR A B -GRADE STUNT FILM
HE FINALLY SAW HOPE WHEN BASU CHATTERJEE ASKED HIM TO WRITE THE SONGS FOR "RAJNIGANDHA" AND EVERY SONG IN THE FILM WAS A HIT AND IS STILL POPULAR AFTER FORTY YEARS
HE WROTE THE SONGS OF BASU CHATTERJEES "MANZIL "MADE WITH AMITABH BACHCHAN WHO HAD NOT BECOME THE LEGEND HE IS AND THE SONGS WERE AGAIN POPULAR
BUT YOGESH REACHED A NEW HIGH WHEN HE WROTE THE SONGS FOR HRISHIKESH MUKHERJEE'S ANAND AND PEOPLE WERE SO ENAMORED BY HIS SONGS LIKE "KAHI DOOR JAB DIN DHAL JAYE "AND "ZINDAGI KAISI HAI PAHELI "AND SOME EXPERTS EVEN FELT THAT THE SONGS WERE WRITTEN BY GULZAR AND NO ONE TRIED TO FIND OUT WHO REALLY HAD WRITTEN THEM
YOGESH CONTINUED TO LIVE A LIFE OF ANONYMITY EVEN AFTER HE HAD WRITTEN THE SONGS OF HRISHIKESH MUKHERJEES "MILI ",WITH AMITABH AND JAYA BHADURI
HE COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CLASS OF GULZAR, JAVED AKHTAR AND EVEN ANAND BAKSHI
BUT HIS SIMPLICITY AND HIS INABILITY TO BEG FOR WORK OR PAMPER THE EGOS OF THE PEOPLE IN HIGH PLACES COULD NOT MAKE HIM REACH WHERE HE SHOULD HAVE
HE DID NOT HAVE THE KIND OF WORK HIS TALENT DESERVED,BUT HE STOOD BY HIS OWN PRINCIPLES TILL THE VERY END
THE LAST TIME I SAW HIM LOOKING COMPLETELY OUT OF PLACE WAS AT THE SUN n SAND HOTEL WHERE A SMALL - TIME TV PRODUCER AND HIS CRONY, A MUSLIM MINISTER AT THE CENTER WERE TRYING TO HONOUR HIM .....
I CANNOT STOP THIS TRIBUTE TO YOGESH WITHOUT MENTIONING THIS LITTLE ANECDOTE
THERE WAS A PARTY AT WEST END HOTEL OPPOSITE THE BOMBAY HOSPITAL, YOGESH WAS ONE OF THE GUESTS. SOMEONE TRIED TO PLAY A DIRTY JOKE ON HIM. HE HID THE DIARY IN WHICH YOGESH WROTE HIS SONGS AND POEMS. WHEN YOGESH CAME TO KNOW ABOUT HIS DIARY MISSING ,HE CRIED LIKE A CHILD AND I FOUND THE DIARY FOR HIM AND HE AGAIN CRIED, THIS TIME IN JOY FOR HAVING FOUND WHAT HE CALLED "MERA EK HI KHAZANA"
I HAVE MET MANY SUCH MISFITS IN THIS INDUSTRY WHO ARE ACTUALLY GREATER THAN THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN LUCKY AND HAVE EVEN COME UP BY EXPLOITING AND USING THESE MISFITS TO MAKE THEIR OWN PLACES ,WHICH ARE ACTUALLY NOT THEIR PLACES, BUT THAT IS HOW THE WORLD GOES ROUND......
JAAO YOGESH JI,WAHA EK BEHTAR DUNIYA AAPKA BETAABI SE INTEZAAR KAR RAHA HAI AAPKO WOH MAAN AUR SANMAAN DENE KE LIYE JO HAMARI DUNIYA NE KABHI AAPKO DIYA NAHI...
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