JAATE JAATE 2021 MUJHE TEEN SHAANDAR TOHFE DIYE ... By Ali Peter John

History and time will always remember 2020 and 2021 as the dark era of the Coronavirus, followed now by another virus called Omicron - Ali Peter John

Life was never so depressing , disappointing and disgusting as it has been during these two years and the havoc wreaked by these two unexpected enemies of man continues even as the world finds new and newer ways to fight these enemies which if not defeated and crushed soon may lead the world to destruction and even doomsday .

It is during these tough times that we are all desperately looking for ways to bring some sunshine into our lives .

We have not succeeded and will not succeed completely at least in the near future , but we will have to keep trying if we have to survive and if we have to hope to live in a better world than the virus has forced us to live .

I have discovered my own ways of keeping away from the damages and ravages of these trying times.

I have tried my best to find interesting men and women who can bring the smile and the light of hope back to my life .

I was sitting with my friend Nitin in my cafe where I do my work even though the place is full of young people and the endless and unbearable noise they make and I am sorry to say make my life miserable, but then , life has to go on , isn't it ? Yes , I was talking about the cafe where I work and where if I work the way I am , I will soon have to write my epitaph .

A man wearing a mask came up to my table and I who normally don't forget faces , names and numbers easily couldn't place him because of the hideous mask he was wearing.

He was the right hand man of my friend , the well-known writer and director Rumi Jaffrey.

The man was followed by Rumi himself , Rumi , the man who was introduced to me by Rishi Kapoor ( I hate myself whenever someone calls Rishi the late Rishi Kapoor ) as a writer who Rishi said wrote like his guru and my guru , K A Abbas . The smile on Rumi,'s face told many stories , but I knew that the one reason he was smiling was because his film "Chehre " was recognised as one of the ten most popular and powerful films in the world.

I still can't understand why Rumi's achievement has still not been given the applause it deserves from the people of this maahaan country .

"Chehre" for those who couldn't see it during one of the lockdowns is a daring look at the legal system and the place of justice and the law . It was a hard - hitting film , in contrast to most of the films Rumi had written and a film like "God Tussi Great Ho " which he has directed.

The film has many highlights , but the biggest plus point of the film is the performance of Amitabh Bachchan who makes such a powerful impact even at seventy nine plus.

And of all his scenes , the one in which he proves that his best has still to come is the fourteen minute long monologue in which his character leashes out against the legal system.

Rumi told me that the words were written by him , but were given life to by Amitabh who gave the entire shot in one take.

I have a strong feeling that if the film was released in normal times , it would have created a sensation and even be a blockbuster.

But , Rumi should take all the inspiration from the recognition he has just received and hope to win many more awards in the season of awards which will start in the new year 2022.

And then armed with a all the applause and awards ,Rumi can go ahead and make many more good , sensitive , sensible and entertaining films .

The second gift 2021 gave me was a gift that came to me in the most unexpected way.

I was a part of the planning of a musical show in honour of Mohammed Rafi . Rafi's daughters Nasreen and Yasmeen and their husbands Miraj and Parvez were to be present at the show , but I wanted to make the show better.

I was thinking of ways to do it when I remembered the name Kishwar Jaipuri which I used to regularly see on Facebook in which she remembered her " darling dad " as "the king of romance.

I guessed that she could be the daughter of the great romantic lyricist Dr Hasrat Jaipuri.

I called her number and was happy to hear a chirpy in full of life voice on the other side and realised that my guess was right . She was Kishwar Jaipuri ,the only daughter of Hasrat Sahab .

Kishwar almost told me the story of her life in the time that we talked and within no time , I realised that Kishwar lived in Pakistan with her husband and two daughters.

I asked her if she could send me a message for my show and she was only too glad to do it and that evening , her voice was as or more lovable than some of the best voices I have heard.

I still wonder whether she is fourteen or forty . Since that first talk we have been talking everyday and her voice and her knowledge about her father's poetry and the poetry of great poets like Ahmed Faraz to Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Majrooh Sultanpuri drives away the little fear I still have of the first virus and now of the second virus and all my other problems of everyday life.

I may sound poetic or foolish , but my heart tells me that if Kishwar Jaipuri talks to me even for a few minutes every day , my zest to live can grow stronger .

Just ten days ago , there was a sweet sensation in the social media . It was about Deepika Chikalia , the beautiful girl who had played Sita in Ramanand Sagar's epic serial , "Ramayan " .

She had committed a "sin" by wearing a pink knee length mod dress and was wearing high heeled shoes for a private occasion and there was a hoo haa about the "sin " she had committed .

How long was Deepika expected to live the life of the character of Sita she had played in Ramayan some twenty five years ago ?

I got her number from my friend and called her and like Kishwar , she too sounded very bright and like a celebration of life.

In our short talk I realised that I had first seen her and met her when she was playing a leading role in Rajshri's "Sun Meri Laila ".

And our meetings during the shooting of Ramayan and other serials made by the Sagars was a regular happening because the Sagars have always been family to me .

It was nice to know that Deepika was still popular and was wanted at events and functions where she is still Sita Maiya , but in real life is like any other modern and liberated woman of today. We have promised to meet each other in the new year.

And for the sake of Rumi , Kishwar and Deepika , I hope the new year comes soon and be a year that will bring love , peace , progress and prosperity to our world and the whole world .

More Articles

DOOR HATO KAALE BAADLON ZARA 2022 KO AANE TOH AANE TOH DO PHIR DEKHTE HAIN KAISE AASHA , AASHIRVAAD AUR ANAND KI KIRNON KO TUM BOLLYWOOD SE DOOR RAKH SAKTE HO. KAL MERE KAANON MEIN MERE ANDAR KE JYOTISH NE YEH KAHA By - ALI PETER JOHN

SAHIR KI SHAAYARI SAMAJNE AUR SAMJAANE MEIN HAI , SAUDA KARNE KE LIYE NAHI (SAHIR AAJ SAU SAAL KE HOTE , LEKIN UNKI SHAAYARI HAZAARO SAAL TAK RAHEGI) BY- Ali Peter John

ITIHAAS KO GARV HOGA KI DILIP KUMAR USKE PANNO KI SHAAN HAI ...... By Ali Peter John