‘Raag Ratnavali’ - The Music Diaries explore the history and the technique behind the Gurbani Music compositions of the renowned Musician and Spiritual master of the Namdhari Sikhs - Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji.
Spanning a period of over seven decades each episode focuses on the uniqueness of single composition in terms of its raag, melody, tempo while giving an insight into the life, talent and passion of Satguru Ji.
The narrative includes the interviews of some of the most well known exponents of Indian Classical Music and Dance.
The Relevance Of Telling A Simple Story In The Times Of Edgy Content
‘Story telling over the years has changed’
‘We need contemporary stories, edgy stuff (edgy is a synonym for sex / violence)’
‘We need to have a twist at every turn’
‘History is passé - it is over and buried with’
‘True Stories work, but only when dramatised with a liberal dose of fiction’
Some of the most frequently heard observations when you are navigating the maze of creative film writing today. Story tellers today are trying to adapt to the audience as they would to a client, making full use of their imagination and ideas trying to crack the ultimate code for a Story / Script that works.
But has story telling really changed over the years ?
For the past couple of months I have been fortunate enough to hear the narration of some of the oldest stories that have been told in Sikhism - the rendition of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s life as narrated by Bhai Bala - Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s disciple to Guru Angad Dev Ji, the same having been written by Bhai Santokh Singh Ji as the ‘Suraj Prakash’.
The narrative as one starts to read or hear the rendition grows on you so much so that one really does not want to stop. There comes a point where one feels close to Guru Nanak (the protagonist) in a way that one should with the character of the story. The sheer imaginative way of putting forth the milieu of characters around Guru Nanak, His discussions with them, the exegesis of his teachings, His travels… the simplicity of it all touches one’s emotional chords irrespective of your religious or political leanings. The narrative success in capturing one’s imagination even after hundreds of years since they were written.
While the narrative of the Ramayan and Mahabharata has long since the source of inspiration for several writers, primarily for the sub text, plots and the plethora of characters that provide the necessary drama and move the story forward to its ultimate ‘big scale climax’ - what remains indelible are the characters whose stories are simply narrated without too much sub text - Vidur, Radha, Ghatotkatch, Dushashan, Ashwathama. These characters had the maximum impact and in fact if I dare say some of them were the turning points in the war .
Similarly the Janam Sakhis of the Sikh Gurus and the biographies of Sufi saints narrated in their simple form get the audience react to their ethos collectively - that in turn leads to debates and discussions - which leads to a change in perception that impacts the society at large - for the good or the bad. And if these stories have been able to do that for hundreds of years then there is no reason why the same strategy of telling a story in its simplest form won’t. Simplicity always works.
The fragrance of a flower
Five years is usually a long time. Come to think - its half a decade, enough for the tears to dry, scars to heal and memories to turn sepia. A few days back on the 13th of December a question popped up in the mind. Are we past the winter that had set in five years back the same day ? The dark, dramatic hues of the evening sky that had given way to the cool hues of the night, the night cold wind had blown across the lonely heart - the question remained - does the heart still pine for the love of its Master or is it now just another fond memory ?
In the following few days we went back to the daily routines of our professional lives, immersing ourselves in work as usual. But as they say love finds its way to the heart. While watching a documentary on a Canadian Concert Tour, the thoughts went back to an evening in Benares sometime in the 1990s - the venue was Tabla maestro Pt Kishan Maharaj’s music hall - Satguru Ji had just finishes singing and the baithak was about to end - and then he started singing another composition culminating in a conversation - and a few moments later Satguru Ji started singing another composition - and so it went on for the next half an hour or so - the visiting Guru Jan were mesmerised by what they heard and saw, with one of them remarking Satguru Ji’s love for music was insatiable. While memories such as these moistened the eyes - several more came back in a flood.
It was sometime in 2006/07 I had had the opportunity to be around and observe Satguru Ji for a couple of days on a tour. A lady had requested regarding her health and Satguru Ji had promised to look up a Doctor for her. Satguru Ji Himself was recovering from a minor stroke and had just landed from a short trip. Over a period of the next 12 hours or so Satguru Ji persistently followed up almost every hour until the recommended doctor was connected to the ailing woman and her treatment commenced. The indelible foot prints of such unconditional love and faith brought a lump in the throat.
A week of ruminating and refreshing of such memories that date back to several seasons the answer to the question stares back - one can’t take away the fragrance of a flower nor the moistness of the water - no amount of passage of time can stop the Sun from rising and while the cycle of life continues on its journey - the heart continues to pine for its Master - His Holiness Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji
Unraveling Indian Air Force's best kept secret - The Great Indian Escape - The story behind the story
Then… 22 January, 2014… 1230 hours
Today… 26 January, 2017… 1700 hours
Journey… 1100 days (approx.) thus far
Life has come a full circle. I am at an airport again and the story has me as excited as I was since the first time I set eyes on it 3 years back. The story of 3 brave Indian Air Force Pilots who escaped from a POW camp in Pakistan post the 1971 war. A story that at first intrigued the film maker in me to prod and probe for more. The story of the Great Indian Escape - खुले आसमान की आेर. And today as we get into the last stage of the post production and subsequently the release our film, our journey has been anything but a miracle.
Miracles - Yes! Over the past 3 years we have witnessed several of them.
It was at the Bangalore Airport when I came across the story. What made it stand out was the fact that apart from it being an escape story, the protagonists were Indian and unlike a criminal trying to break prison, here it was the call of duty and demanded high level of patience and perseverance, coupled with the fact that the IAF pilots were POWs in a Pakistan still coming to terms with their partition and the loss of a war with India. The delay in flight had done good. A couple of hours later by the time I landed in Mumbai, the story had found its way to the heart and resonated with the adventurous super hero comics that one had read as a child. But there was something missing - I wanted to know more about these real super heroes - what did they look like, how did they behave, their aspirations, their determination - why did they do it the way they did it? How did they think up of all those things? What was it like to be in Pakistan? The questions kept coming, the good part was unlike Batman and Superman these were real people so there was a good chance that if I could find out where they lived, I could attempt to meet them. And so the journey began.
Later in the night I goggled… Surely I would find them. Alas, there was no mention of any of them on the internet, nothing about their great escape (as we would end up calling it later), it was surely the Indian Air Force’s best kept secret. So we kept digging and except for a small blog from a neighbour of Flt Lt Dilip Parulkar, the architect of the escape (I would also later learn that he was now a well decorated Group Capt - Retd.) We immediately emailed the gentleman and asked him to help us connect with Mr Parulkar. A couple of days later we were rewarded with his email id and telephone number. A brief exchange of emails led us to meet him at his home in Pune. Excited, I didn't let go of his hand for several moments, after all this was the first time in my life that I was coming across a real super hero - someone who had done something that we only see and hear of in the movies. A coffee, lunch and a couple hours later, I was a happy kid with an autograph of the super hero. I couldn't hide my excitement any more and proposed that we make a movie out of the story - what kind, I wasn't sure - a commercial, a documentary etc., He laughed out aloud, amused at my enthusiasm he asked - ‘it has been almost 45 years, who would be interested in seeing it’. And I answered ‘every Indian’.
A few days and few more conversations later we ended up in Pune again. This time with a camera and crew. The next five days were exhilarating as we documented and recorded Dilip’s life. What emerged was not only the Escape story but the story of an character who was shaped by the events and several other characters who were a part of it. They were all so real, they had their fears, their fallacies, their baggage yet what underlined their lives was their love for their country, their grit, determination, bravery and imagination - to stick together in face of adversity and come out on top.
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| with Group Capt Dilip Parulkar (Retd) |
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| with Wg Cdr MS Grewal (Retd) |
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| with Wg Cdr DS Jafa (Retd) |
Armed with our fifty plus hours of material, several volumes of IAF history, books written on the 1971 war as well as the escape along with sleepless nights spent on the internet researching, the next three months went by - writing, narrating, debating - again and again - not necessarily in that order. It was Dilip, me, my wife Bandna (who would later on also become the Producer of the film), my writing team of close friends Asheesh Kapur (he plays the role of Flt Lt Harish Sinhji in the film) and Nimesh Balaji Shinde (he plays the role of Fg Off Vidyadhar Chati) our friend and critique Praveen Dhankar. It was early 2015. We thought that we had the story penned down. The first few narrations amongst ourselves were nothing less than a trial by fire. Several questions would crop up, some needed to be answered by the other Super heroes of the POW camp.
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| with Air Cmdr JL 'Bro' Bhargava (Retd) |
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| with Group Capt Tejwant Singh (Retd) |
Several of the questions got answered, their screen characters came to life with their subtle nuances, their way of talking, their thought process and their vast knowledge. The diversity and unity of India sprung alive in the POW camp - in enemy territory - wow! While the first round of scripting had given us a tight screenplay. This second round of research also gave us our dialogue.
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| with Kaveri Sinhji |
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| with Wg Cdr Vidyadhar Chati (Retd) |
To know more about the film and its release follow us on
I ran with Michelle Kakade - So I thought - Musings from a huff n puff run
03:30 hrs - The alarm goes off. I toss and turn, I haven't had a very good night's sleep considering I slept at midnight. So let me sleep.
03:45 hrs - The alarm goes off again. Oh well, I don't need to do this. It's not my race, so take it easy.
04:00 hrs - The alarm goes off yet again. I look at the time and suddenly spring up, got to pick up a few friends and rush.
04:00-04:45 hrs - It's all over in 5 minutes. Imagine 45 minutes went by in 5 minutes. I grab my keys and rush down, drive, pick up and we are on our way.
The Occasion : Michelle Kakade - India's Endurance Queen in Long Distance running is finishing her Great Indian Quadrilateral Run - 6000 kms (appx) across India in 6 months. And as members of the running fraternity we want to be a part of the final lap. Well so we thought, more on that later.
The starting point was the Siddhivinayak Temple, Prabhadevi, surely the best place and time to start, just as dawn broke. The aura within the vicinity is such that it invigorates so much into the soul that one feels ready to take on anything (in my own menial circumstances run from there to the Gateway... sigh... what a run err... walk... we will see)
A hush draws up amongst the modest crowd that has gathered for the final lap. I crane my neck to see surely, that must be the arrival of Michelle (I had befriended her on Facebook when she started the run but was yet to meet her, although we followed her journey with great enthusiasm). Alas it was Mrs Nita Ambani and her son in the new avtar. As the self conscious security hushed anyone who had any thoughts of a selfie and the unperturbed Ambanis walked away... sorry drive away, we settled down again for the powers who be, to sound the bugle for the start. Our patience survived and soon Michelle arrived, a short formality done, she immediately got down to what she does best... Run... Oh well there I stood still wondering... the run had started... Our mentors Kaushik and Bindu Panchal looked at us as they started to run, I stood there waiting for the familiar sound of Kaushik's whistle and suddenly it dawned... run
So there we were a group of about 50 or what 70 who tried to follow Michelle on her last lap. But she was like the wind, running ahead, surely she must know there will be slow, amateur runners like us, but there she goes. Oh well never mind, she has a record to set and me I just have to run.
Soon the traffic begins to thin, the road looms large, I begin to hear my breathe. I look at the GPS on my watch, what? I have just done 2k and nobody I know is there except Bindu who has reduced her pace to accompany me. I panic - has my pace always been this slow? Then I hear a familiar voice in my mind easy... easy... I'm here to enjoy the run, this is not a race, this me talking to myself, this is my time.
The mind calms down a bit and I ask myself the same question - why am I running, why do people run long distance. Is it for health, is it for fun or is it for competition? Too complicated, it surely must be something simple. A gust of wind blows away the rose petals that are strewn every couple of kilometres, reminding us that Michelle had passed a good 20 minutes earlier. Chalo, at least we are on the right track.
The sea smells great as we cross the Nehru Centre and head into the Haji Ali stretch, we converse about the SCMM route, the humid weather - funny we are only reminded about the humidity when we are running ourselves and as soon as the mind says slow down or stop, we look at each other and say - Yaar the weather is so humid, I'm not able to run. Probably yes if not for the weather we would be like Milkha Singh, or rather Michelle and do this with the snap of our fingers. Oh well, the vagaries of trying to behave like a runner.
In the meantime... Shit... No way... the Peddar Road incline... Time to conjure up more terminology that one has learnt recently. Is this hill run? What my mentors look at me strangely and say shut up and run. Well I was just trying to strike a conversation. A few furlongs and I give up running and start walking. An inadvertent look at the GPS tells me we just did 10k, what we managed 10k? I'm shocked and suddenly in awe of myself until the runners passing us mention that Michelle would have reached by now... there so much for doing the final lap
We turn towards Babulnath, the feet are now starting to slow, the will is starting to wilt, we grab a few bottles of water offered. Replenish our carry ons. The glorious sun turns the route a resplendent gold. The slow pace, a slight breeze as we cross over for the necklace, the body is now in auto mode. A heady feeling starts to creep in, I panic a bit, have I lost too much water, am I doing this right, I look around... everything is in slow motion, the only sound I hear is of the wind and my breath. The slow thump of the feet on the ground barely audible. For a few brief moments I experience the bliss of being a runner - alone, content with myself, no competition, no timing, no hurry, its just me running infinitely. And the suddenly a jerk, I am back to the real world, the pain in the feet s creeping in, shit - there is soreness, Oh God, I forgot to vaseline, suddenly I hear a shout - Ambani
Ouch, now where did that come from. We are greeted by the sight of now the younger Ambani sibling working out in full glory just past the gymkhana. The guards again more selfie conscious than the camera holders. Well I have had enough of celebrities for the day, we move on - slowly Marine drive done. Fifteen minutes later in what seems like eternity the last mile beckons past the Rajabai Tower - a walk, a crawl and a few strutted steps later, we cross Regal, suddenly the Gateway looms ahead. Kaushik looks at me and beckons come on, open your stride at least now, run... And we run, he and Bindu like the athletes they are and me as if a dog is behind me. We reach the finish point as I rush to stop me GPS. 1:59:57 secs. Did I just run that - BLANK
A few minutes later we are here for what we came for to laud Michelle complete her record feat. I photo bomb a picture being taken with her. Chalo so what if didn't get to meet her, I got a pic and thanks to Kaushik and Bindu managed to huff and puff my way.
Thank you Michelle, it was memorable run - Your 6000k and our tiny 15k.
Thank you Kaushik and Bindu - 3 Cheers to you and to several more runs (hopefully I last that long)
Oh before I forget - the trainer in Kaushik doesn't stop - he makes us walk all the way back to Churchgate
Of Love, Compassion, Empathy and Service
Time and tide wait for none - The last 72 hours bear testimony to it. A roller coaster ride of emotions has over taken the otherwise sane world that one assumes in daily life. On Sunday the 3rd of April, 2016 the hand that had cradled us, led us onto the path of Satguru Ji - our dear Grand Father Kirpal Singh Ji passed away after a sudden bout of illness.
Though 90+ (the age - a guess he was happy with) he was always full of zest and life. A compulsive daily diary writer for the past couple of decades and a person who loved to narrate real stories full of his life time experiences, whenever one visited him. Son of the first Namdhari settler in Hyderabad - Sant Teja Singh originally from Gujranwala, British India, on one hand he would often reminisce about the Nizam State - Hyderabad and on the other hand how the family settled and expanded into the current Namdhari Sangat of Hyderabad under the benevolence of Satguru Partap Singh Ji, Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji and now continues to flourish under Satguru Uday Singh Ji. Five generations of Namdharis have since settled in Hyderabad but we never got bored of their stories whenever Pita Ji (lovingly called by all of us) narrated them. The stories we hope to continue narrating to our children carrying forth his legacy.
While the stories about Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji's visits to Hyderabad were narrated with new insights every time he could remember, one thing stood common in all of them - Mata Chand Kaur Ji, the revered wife of Satguru Ji who always accompanied Him every where he toured. While the bond with Satguru Ji was always that of a Guru and a Sikh and transcended all relations, Mata ji's affection and love drew everybody closer to the family. Her constant efforts to serve and look after the community as her own, wherever she went - set an example for everyone. In 2012 when Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji passed away, Mata Ji, Satguru Ji's constant companion enveloped the community in a soothing balm and facilitated a remarkably smooth transition onto Satguru Uday Singh Ji, under trying circumstances. So it came as a shocker when within 16 hours of Pita Ji passing away we were confronted with the news that Mata Ji had passed away in a brutal, violent act of hideousness, leaving the community bereaved on Monday 4th of April, 2016 - A double heart break!
It was only a week before during the Holla Mohalla in March that we had had a beautiful audience with her in Sri Bhaini Sahib (the spiritual head quarters of the Namdharis near Ludhiana). It was late afternoon and as we came out of the Langar Hall (Community dining hall), there she was, the face ever smiling, blessing the seekers and looking after the Langar arrangements as she always did. As we passed her for a strange reason unlike ever before an impulse drew me to her. And as I bent down in reverence, she placed her hands on my shoulders and asked me how was the little one. A healer always, she has healed many with her austere energy. A brief conversation later, I walked away feeling blessed. It is only now that I realise the importance of that moment. A moment that is now etched in the memory forever.
A silence has enveloped the mind ever since. While religion, politics, tolerance or rather intolerance are big words to speak and describe the environment, it is only words like love, compassion, empathy and service that brings us all together in this moment of grief. It is love that will help us keep the bonding together, compassion that will help us over come the grief, empathy that will make us and Satguru Ji stronger and service above self - the main stay of Mata Ji's life - it is that service that will keep her alive and living within the community as well as ourselves. Lets resolve to strengthen the bond that has always existed and keep the name and prestige of our Satguru Jis always high. With a prayer on the lips and a heart that continues to search for the love, compassion, empathy and service that Mata Ji spread. - Dhan Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji, Dhan Satguru Uday Singh Ji
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