Wednesday, May 20, 2009

A little night music....

People like to read about people.... am I right?? Reminds me of that old Barbra Streisand song that went...." People.... people who need people.... are the luckiest people in the world." That makes me lucky, I guess. Being a hard core 'people person', I can't seem to get enough of people.... and I have processed thousands in my life. Last night, sitting on the top deck of a yacht just off Chowpatty, chatting with Nandita Das in Bengali, I experienced such a mellow glow, I thought I would light up! It was a beautiful clear night, and I could see the lights of fishing craft miles away , the tide was coming in, making the yacht pitch from time to time.... looking over my shoulder, I could admire the Queen's Necklace in all its glory. Mumbai resembled a bejewelled empress... it was easy to forget its ugly underbelly. Mumbai casts a spell on me periodically.... I love the city unconditionally anyway, but I turn to absolute mush on nights like this one. Nandita is a Dilliwalli. No wonder her hindi is impeccable. Hritik Roshan, seated to her left , commented on how his own hindi was kuchcha when he made his first film. "We grew up with parents who believed their children must know English!" He also confessed he didn't know how to dance and worked really, really hard on his moves during '' Kaho na Pyaar Hai." Incroyable!! How fluid a dancer is the man now??? Practice, he said. Nothing but practice. Sure. Hritik was looking smashing ( the Cannes tan suits him ), and his wife Suzzanne ( Persian flower) has obviously dealt with the white ants (aka Barbara Mori successfully. They looked relaxed and happy together, with much marital banter going back and forth in a natural, unaffected way. It emerged Hritik sings himself to sleep! His own lullaby??? And he has sung a song in 'Kites'. Now all our desi superstars want to sing their own songs - par kyon?? Suzzanne sings too. And dances. So does Nandita. That left Gerard Butler, who arrived later and was jumping on a plane back to LA a few hours on. He'd done the complete Bharat Yatra , from Hrishikesh to Kanya Kumari, with Agra and Varanasi thrown in. After drinking 'pure' Gangajal at Hrishikesh, straight from the river, the poor man was left violently ill. But not ill enough not to come on board a yacht anchored in a choppy, pre-monsoon sea to say au revoir to a destination (and a person?) he has clearly fallen hard for. When I left, Nandita was melodiously singing , " Kabhie na jao chhod kar......" but to me.... not Gerard! Ha ha.

25 comments:

ekta khetan said...

Hrithik and his white ants are all over news and media...Why are we ppl so voyerustic?

But when did Hrithik roshan featured in "Kal ho na ho"? I thought it was shahrukh and Saif ali khan starrer!!!

Unknown said...

ha ha ...

Shobha u are becoming old..
its Kaho Na Pyar Hai..!!!

Hrithik back with Susanne..nice..!! Some couples break hearts if and when they seperate...!! Good luck to them !!! Hope yeh "Bar bar" na ho !!!

Gajendra said...

its "kaho naa pyaar hain"..!!

hmmm.......what do YOU think of the guy? your humble opinion on butler ? who is that 'person' he has fallen for ? bataayiye naa?

Zeba said...

Like this post. Other than the Kal Ho Na Ho mistake it's all good! You describe stuff very well. Something I like in your books as well. But you sound very bitter about the lives of elite women in India! Personal experience or simply people around you? Nice to know you read all comments! Tc

Maddy said...

I saw Nandita's Interview in a Malayalam channel day before and she was mentioning she could sing.hmm you got the oppurtunity to hear it.

Sam said...

despite all its monstrosities cities like Mumbai, Delhi n Kolkata simply grow on you n before you know it you love them!!
as for singing, I believe anyone can sing. the degree of expertise does vary greatly though!!

Mansee's Point Of View! said...

loved this piece..I am a regular visitor here and since then, I have started reading your BT articles too..

Harish said...

nandita yes! have heard her speak in Hindi.. and she is amazing. There is no Bongishness in her hindi no... very smart and straight from the heart lady...

Suzanne... "water lilly" I would say..

Hritik, he looks handsome from his head to his hips.. below his hips he is just just tooo thin... and i find him ugly.

Poor Firang! ufff!!! wish raj kapoor was alive to see the mailiey ganga.

poor chap

freakaholic said...

Dear Shobhaa,

White Ants!!! Well, Hritik does seem to be unperturbed as he is well secured by the 'barb'wire so far. As far as the interviews go, he looks so relaxed and gives off his naughty smile when asked about the kite co-runner. As long as it keeps him going and Suzzanne glowing. :)

Looks like Butler is on his rock n rolla mission in India and as long as he is entertained by celebrity liquids more holy than that from the Ganges.. aur kya chahiye:)

rox
http://www.freakaholioxic.blogspot.com

parth said...

hmmmm!!!!!
was there priyanka chopra also
because gerald butler....
and mumbai is the jewel in the
crown of india whether we hate it or love it
and a request on your commnets of other people blogs if you read them

Another Kiran In NYC said...

Hahaha Gerard Butler needs a decoy. Oh yes, he does! :)

And Suzanne is not rocking that persian flower look. She needs to get some sun on that pasty skin! Or a transfusion of RED blood or something. The Vampire thing has not been the look d'jour since perhaps the french revolution. And you know how the white faced ladies ended up during that revolution!

Glad the Duo killed or subduded the white ants for now. Infestations are hard to get rid of completely and they do seem to spring back to life now and then! Still its all good. A marriage which is elastic enough to be able to take some pulling and stretching occasionally and regain a semblance of its original shape is probably a stronger union that one that is never tested.

Nandita Das is a regular person! I think her staying a fulltime dilliwali despite working in Mumbai may have something to do with it.

Having said that I have to say I miss my Mumbai. But only My Mumbai.

ZB said...

you seem to be having a ball, always. Humm, lucky lady njoyed this piece, as always. go on young lady, life is too short.:)))

obssesor said...

Can anyone deal with white ants?

Raefah said...

Right.. Children must know English to deal with White Ants???!!! Good reason...

Anonymous said...

Writers and Politicians should retire at the age of 60.

P said...

OMG! Gerald Butler. He is such a versatile actor. From 300 to PS I love u! In my books, he is next in line only to Craig Daniel! Hope he was not as obnoxious as the English author!

Sidhusaaheb said...

The only place to find pure Ganga-jal is Gangotri, it seems. It's a downhill journey, literally, from there onwards.

anamika said...

Hrithik and white ants is purely a publicity stunt which is generally seen.

Jogeshwar said...

Ha ha Butler dude drinking 'pure' Gangajal and left violently ill and hey BTW did you read 'Slumdog' child star Rubina Ali's home torn down. Demolishing anybody's home is very traumatic but someone having been through such stardom and then such bitter reality? Railway authorities say it was built on their land, so why did they allow them in the first place and is it because the elections are over that they now realised it was built on their land?

P said...

Hritik sure knows how to turn every 'white ant' incident to a publicity gimmick!
something tells me, Daddy Roshan had some hand in it too.
no wonder, Ms. Kangana was no where to be seen in Cannes. efforts to give the film a more 'international' feel with Barbara having no competition around? ;)

Pooja Rathore said...

Dear SD,
Hrithik is a good actor and very hard working i loved his performance in Jodhaa Akbar.Both of you are capricorns known for hard work and discipline.Your writing is powerful its different there is something...one word ...FIRE..I love your Non fiction work Ten on Ten.

Sameer said...

I like mumbai...to visit. I doubt I will enjoy living there for good. But yes, there is definitely some charm in the city where you can get anything anytime. Growing up in Pune we were so used to having shops closed in the afternoon for a siesta (sp?). After coming to US I found it weired to have shops open for 24 hrs..:)It's all abt. perspectives isn't it?

Now who is it Gerald falling for? rather is it a gal or a guy is a big question :) Oh come on, you were also thinking same thing... Now don't judge me :)

I REALLY envy your life - to be surrounded by these celebrities and all the hi-fi lifestyle. But we know, you worked really hard for it. So enjoy...and keep writing. because we are reading... every bit of it. God knows if you ever read all the comments or not. :) I heard 'Aapala AB' reads selective comments and responds to them as well on his blog...makes us feel good, you know :)

Shachi said...

Sounds like a lovely evening Shobhaa :)
The evening mood - the way you described it - did evoke a mood in me and made me like Mumbai sitting here :)

Tapan Vikas said...

Hello Mrs De,
You are simply amazing.I bumped into you or rather more into the image i contrived about your personality yesterday.For sure,i knew Mrs Shoba De or do i think i know??.Well lemme put it this way,Who doesnt know Mrs Shoba de in India, atleast by name.I read your "The Sexes" in The Week.Had a impression of you.Read about you a lil bit more yesterday,have a further formed impression.But for sure i am atleast as far from knowing you as you are from kowing yourself. All this while, i had lot of thought but abstained from comment.I wanted to write to you somewhen hoping i am heard.But still i know, for sure, that my chances of being read by Obama is faar higher than by you.But any way as i have invested significant thought in you, i would better write now that never.
I choose to write now,as I came across a hardcore idealogical statement or a question of a sort,People like to read about people?This statement has a strong impression formng potential.I wonder,if you have based your complete writing on this philisophy? If you have moulded your strokes to the likes of people.I ask this this when you are 60 rather when you are 30.
Do you believe in moulding others sparetime occupation of mind,to form a society?Are you aware the impact a particular though can have on the formation of society.
I try to bring your statement together with the reaction "Enough is Enough" to the Mumbai Blast.
Dont you think they are interwoven in some sense.Maam just keen to hear about your thoughts somewhen.Well i am a great fan of yous still.

God Bless you

Unknown said...

nice comments yar....

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