People die everyday but very few people leave such a mass impact like these three have! And it is very rare that I'll write such a lenghty post on anyone's death barring a few short tributes.And this post aint a tribute at all! Just my expression of Shock,Awe and Disbelieve.
Shock,Awe and Disbelieve indeed.
1. YASH CHOPRA : The ultimate King of Romance and the most powerful man in the film industry.I'm sure that I've not missed out a single movie comming from this amazing film maker and I'm sure that you - the rest of India has not either,nor has any Indians around the world as well as the global audience who absolutely loved his work.He had brought the breathless mesmerising Switzerland landscape views and other visually appealing locales with heart touching romances right into our homes and not to mention into our hearts.
Every actor worth his salt aspired to be in a Yash Chopra movie.You are lying if you didnt.
If you have a Yash Chopra movie/project under your belt then you have certainly made it in Bollywood.His movies had the most melodious music and being into music and creativity myself it has been my shameless dream and aspiration since childhood days to give music in atleast one of his movies in this lifetime or write a story for one of his breathtaking theaterical extravaganzas.There I am admitting it as well in public.But alas it shall always remain a dream.Because Yash Chopra is no more to audition my music or my story.
His death has come as a big rude shock to all of us because the cause of his death was not mere illness ( he was a damn fit dude even in his eigthies ),nor any plane/helicopter crash as you would expect a rich and famous man to die of but hold on! Just a mosquito bite caused him his death. Imagine that! Unbelievable right?
I found it very hard to believe it at first.He had a big directoral release comming up and vroom he is gone within a few days just by a simple mosquito bite.The person who could perhaps afford the most expensive and most effective mosquito repellants in the world ( even import them if he wanted ) was gone just by a mosquito bite.And what more it is suspected that the Mosquito bite that he died of was from a mosquito breeding in his own compound i.e The world famous and world class posh and sophisticated Yash Raj Studios! What can be more tragic than that?
No wonder his death is a tremendous loss to the entire film industry/fraternity and the whole world of entertainment and to us of course his ardent admirers,audiences & fans who has awaited all his cinematic mega releases most eagerly.But the way he went is the most unbelievable,shocking not to say the least! I know,I know...I may be over reacting because many people do die of Dengue but a Yash Chopra?? I used to think only the poor and slum people died of dengue not the rich and famous.
The only lesson I can draw from it all is that death spares none and God! The Uparwallah, The Almighty certainly has weird ways to take back the gift that he has given to us all i.e LIFE!
Yash Chopra's death has done one thing for sure - Make India wake up to the Dengue threat.Whenever a mosquito bites me now the first thing that I do is try to find out if the mosquito has 'white spots' in its body ( typical sign of the dengue virus carrying 'aedes' mosquito ) and I'm sure like me many are doing the same.A common man is now more aware of Dengue ( all thanks to Yash Chopra ) as I've observed from a recent conversation that my mother had with a local vegetable vendor.The vendor said to my mom in a dumbstruck expression,'Madam you know a mosquito killed a really big filmwallah man.'
We now can know for sure that indeed 'ek macchar..sirf ek macchar ek admi ka kaam tamaam kar sakta hai.' Mind it!
2. BALASAHEB THACKREY : WOW! This dude is simply incredible. And yes agree or not the name BT does instill fear knowingly or unknowingly whether you admit or not.He is gone now but he is still roaring in our sub-concious mind somewhere due to the impact that he has left on all of us.I'll say quite frankly here that I was never his fan but somewhere I was indeed in awe of him,his overall personality.In many things I had and still have serious opposition to the Shiv Sena ideologies and many times I've debated with many shiv sena supporters in various online/offline forums who swears by this man's name.But I'll have to admit,Love him or Hate him,but you simply could not Ignore the Bal Thackrey.
Be it Valentines day vandalism of shops and beating up of couples to beating up north Indians or going berseck and doing tod-fod of some library over Shivaji's controversial biography,forcing Marathi language on non-marathis,changing Bombay's name to Mumbai,breaking down cinema halls in protest of movies like Fire, digging up stadiums and not allowing India-pak cricket in Bombay yet inviting Dawood's relative cricketer Javed Miandad at residence for a private dinner treat, being so vehemently against western culture yet organising the massive Michael Jackson show, violence against South Indian's in the past and many other similar instances ( list is quite long ) I have had serious difference of opinions with Shiv Sena ( and will always oppose such politics ) but I cant help admiring the roaring tiger and the grip that he had over his followers.Akhir Leader ho to aisa! His one word could stop a riot. Go Figure that!
I do admire his staunch hindutvadi and anti-reservation stand ( probably two of the very few issues that I actually agree with him ).However be it any issue his remarks are always looked forward to whether agreed or not.
Before I came to Bombay I hadnot heard his name or was even aware of who he was.But incidently my first school/college that I took admission in Bombay was in Dadar the marathi belt and yes right near Shivaji Park.So as soon as I had landed in Bombay I started hearing about him,A LOT.I passed by Shivaji Park everyday so instantly knew the significance it held for the shiv sena and Bal Thackrey.
Speculations of his death grew 1 week before he actually died with news flashing on the news channels that he was very critical.And as usual TV discussions and live coverages carried out in their typical annoying nosy manner.Many ignorants even posted a premature 'RIP'/condolences on Twitter only to be told that he didnot die yet and that he was infact recovering which was called a miracle by many.
But he did go in the end suddenly and what a way he went!Over 25+ lakhs ( as per timesnow ) came from far and near to attend his funeral.With images of the crowds flashing nonstop in news channels, one couldnot help but gape wide eyed at the TV screens in awe as people poured out into the streets heading towards Shivaji Park to pay their last tributes.Was it fear ? Was it respect? Maybe both!
Moreover it was a Sunday on that day so that could also have been one reason for such massive crowds turnout.The dude was never on any ministerial post or govt position ever yet he had such mass following.Mindblowing indeed.
While the 25+ lakhs crowd was a peaceful one,a certain stray comment ( little similar to the opening line of this post ) by a young girl posted in her facebook timeline landed her in jail and her uncle's hospital ransacked by the shiv sena wrath.So although the tiger was gone the fear certainly hadnt.
All said and done though I dont have any emotional attachment with Bal Thackrey or his party,I do admire his ability to speak out his mind.Diplomacy goes for a toss when he speaks and he speaks blunt a quality which I admire a lot.A great loss for the hindutva cause indeed!
3. MOHAMMAD AJMAL KASAB : I didnot want to take this terrorist's name with the other two mass loved individuals in the same post at all.He is massed hated.Atleast in India he is.He is a bloody terrorist who gunned down several innocents in the most inhuman manner in quest of his share of 72 virgins in heaven brainwashed by his wicked paki terrorist mullah mentors.Whatta wasted life! So,naturally all Indians wanted his death.I included him here too as he went within few days of the other two and he does have a link with them in some way which I shall definately mention.
Firstly with Yash Chopra - he is connected with a mosquito.Yes the same famous Dengue aedes mosquito.Just a few days before he was hanged there were many reports in the media that he was suffering from Dengue - Read Here
Now we all know that dengue kills! What comes as a surprise is his sudden execution.Yes we know that the President had rejected his mercy plea recently but then Kasab was playing with the Indian law/judiciary and throwing tantrums making such audacious demands for the last 4 years that we had almost given up hope and had expected that he'd continue doing the same for the next 20 years as well with the Govt having already spent over 50 crores pampering him and his butt.
But suddenly India now got the news that Kasab was hanged and his body burried in some Pune jail without any prior indication.So it does raise suspicion - Read Here
Why was he secretly hanged or did he die of dengue? Why Afzal Guru was not hanged considering his number should come first before Kasab.With the Govt usually so soft on terror,how did it suddenly become so brave and chest thumping that they took action against terror.Or is it just an act? A facade? A cover-up?
As we are already sure that Kasab indeed had dengue-type fever just a few days back, we also know for sure that Dengue certainly kills ( as it has no known cure ).It had killed the YASH CHOPRA for god's sake!!
So,I for one have great trouble believing that he was actually hanged.If he didnt have dengue just few days back maybe I'd have believed that he was indeed hanged.So his death will always remain a mystery for me and for others too with curious inquisitive minds like me.For those who simply donot believe any and everything that the present govt throws at us to believe or accept.
How is Kasab's death related to Bal Thackrey?? Oh thats an easy one.BT had demanded couple of times to the govt that Kasab be hanged.But would the govt simply listen to him? A Big NO! Since 2008 Kasab was the most pampered celebrity terrorist 'guest' this country had ever had.He demanded chicken biriyani and govt provided it to him.Imagine that! Playing Atithi Devo Bhavo to the hilt.
So it is hard to imagine that they finally hanged him after all...I'll go for the Dengue bit what about you?
Nandini,
ReplyDeleteYour post is thought provoking and shows that you dare to speak the truth. I'm impressed.
I have a suggestion-could you please consider changing the background of your blog to white and the words black. That way the readers may be able to read the blog with lesser eye strain.
Thanks!