Showing posts with label mohammed hanif. Show all posts

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Hard Letter

Hi Amar,

How are you? I am sure you would be happy to receive this letter from me, I was also very happy the time I was writing it. You know I love to write letters. I was so thrilled when you told me that day to pen one to you. This activity of writing letters reminds me of one of my favourite books - Guernsey Literary and the Potato Peel Pie Society. Ah..if this was an electronic mail, I surely would have attached a hyperlink to the book. LOL

The book is in letters; letters which friends send to one another in of the British channel islands. Well, those islands then were a no-man's land, since the fiction is set in the post World War - II era. Inhabitants were not allowed to speak to each other, so writing letters to each other was the indispensable form of communication. Sometime back I heard that the movie adaption of the book is in pipeline, and Kate Winslet was approached to play the role of the leading lady. I think I would have suited the role to the T. Whenever the movie comes out and if you get to watch it, I am sure you will agree with me on that. Because, I know you are my good friend..LOL

Well, updates from my end are like this...You already know that I got a new haircut. It is important for me cause my stresses get chopped only annually, since they have been in a committed relationship with Deepti since past 5 years. It is like saying that since Deepti started working on them, no one has touched them except her. Deepti works at the same place where your flat mate used to few years back. So, it is a fun moment for me to meet Deepti once in a year and we both keep chatting and chatting, which makes her other clients wait indefinitely. And you know this time the waiting client was none other than my yesteryear crush Rahul Sharma. The hunk who plays "Santoor" in new age style, the one of "Mahamaya" fame. Since, it was him, I sacrificed my chatting time with my stylist. Of course love means giving and sacrificing. :( But I made good use of the opportunity and told him that I was his biggie fan, with his expressions I felt he got scared for a moment. And Deepti was so embarrassed, she gave me that "I do not know you" look...HAAHA

Talking of admitting to someone about your feelings of love, I did that one more time in this year. I attended the Jaipur Literature Festival a month back. I do not know if you noticed my updates on facebook on that, but I updated pictures of Mohammed Hanif, my strong strong crush of all times in the JLF album. He is of Pakistani origins and has worked with BBC as journalist in London. I fell in love with him the moment I reached the 2nd chapter of his debut novel "A case of exploding mangoes." So, it was a dream coming true in fast forward mode when I met him at Jaipur. Like, when does that happen, when you meet your beloved in a month's time of falling in love with him/her. And you know when I told him that I find him too hot, you know what he replied - "HOT?? Hmm I fail to understand how come a short, aging ugly looking man be called anything, but HOT. I do not know what is wrong with people these days, why are you people degrading such a nice word. A young beautiful girl from the country that hates my country calls me HOT, I hope this statement does not start a war between our nations. " I am sure you could guess what would have happened next had we both been alone in the festival. LOL My love for him crossed a further support line with his witty response to my compliment to him.

I think you have been a patient reader till now, I would not pakau you more, you please take care of yourself. I really get worried for you, and please please let me know if you do not want me to bug you with more of these. Had it been a facebook interaction you could have gone offline, deleted or blocked me. But here you do not have such privileges, but since I love you, I can make things easier for you. Simply send a blank text and I will not bother you again with these. Though I might try other means of bugging you. LOL

Love you
Take Care

Deadly Mangoes

The modern breed of writers from Pakistan bring a lot of promises. Obviously with the success of their first stint in writing, they bring delight to readers like me. I know I am in all awe of individuals from the neighbouring estranged country which we all love to hate, but how can I deny pure talent. Did not we all love Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Abida Parveen?? Similarly, I am in all awe of Mohammed Hanif these days. What a brilliant writer. It just does not seem that his debut novel "A case of exploding mangoes" is his first attempt in bringing forth a fiction in hard bound. I never read reviews or the prologue to a book. I feel it kills the entire juicy anticipation of reading. The joy and pleasure that I get in reading something raw is simply profound. Of course, many a times I have been greatly disappointed in such attempts, but nevertheless I still continue with my surprise reading. It is like going in for a blind date, and I love it.

So, it was during one such blind date that I got hooked up with this one. Also, because now it has been years since it's first print, so the original price has come down up to my purchasing power. Hence, I bought it for 200 INR. And my my what a good buy it was. One such book that indeed is "unputdownable". It is one of those stories that you wish it never ended. It should just keep on going on and on and on. My connection with is was instant since it is based on an IAF trainee. Most of the lingo in the book is familiar to me. That indeed made me think if the men in uniform live more or less the same life everywhere, irrespective of the land beneath them. the writing is remakable, I mean how can someone weave a fictional story around a fact in the history. And the history here is of Pakistan almost 20 years back. With a country like Pakistan I am surprised how come the writier is still alive. Well, I will be witnessing him alive just after 2 days. I am so excited about the fact that I am going to see him live in my life time. Hope our very own self proclaimed poster boy of Indian middle class who is more of an "item number" in literature gets some cue from him.

I wish Mr. Murzaban Shroff also attended the festival. Well, for those who do not know him, he is the writer who lost to Mr. Hanif in the short listing for the Booker. I was lucky to meet him as well. I contacted him after I fell in love with his debut book "Breathless in Bombay". He was graceful in accepting my request and was a gracious host in inviting me over for a cup of tea and biscuits. Now if someday I get to witness same hospitality from my first favourite writer Mr. Khuswant Singh, I would be indeed happy and would consider myself real lucky.

Attaching my picture with Mr. Shroff.

The Karachi Connection

The closest that i have been to Pakistan is to the borders separating both the countries. First experience was staying at the Air Force Station Bhuj, and the other was at Rajasansi, Amritsar. From the remote abode of the IAF in Bhuj, we could tune into the radio station of Karachi. It used to be a thrilling experience of feeling entertained in those days. Though today the same goes to the Syamvar of Veena Mallik.

From Rajasansi, about 20 kms ahead there is the Wagah Border. I have always been enthralled with that place. I am sure even a small time gangster of Daud Ibrahim mafia gang would also feel patriotic at that place. That is the magic of that place.

Though both these places are to be felt in physical form, but I do keep on experiencing little ways and means of being in our estranged neighbourhood through reading books related to that geography. My major source has been books by my favourite writer Mr. Khushwant Singh. Apart from his writing, I have also read "Difficult Daughters" by Ms. Manju Kapoor; "Islamisation of Pakistan" by Mr. Afzal Iqbal; "The Heart Divided" by Ms. Shahnawaz; "Blasphemy" by Ms. Tehmina Durrani and the most recent one "A Case of Exploding Mangoes" by Mr. Mohammaed Hanif.

I have always been fascinated with the place. I have read numerous descriptions of the wonderful scenic natural beauty in Pakistan countryside that make me want to visit the place at least once in my life time. Do not know when that day be, but I am happy I will be getting to see and listen to Mr. Hanif in few days from now.