KISSA KURSI KA

            The other day my friend and I had been to a restaurant.  The seats were rather low–almost touching the floor, with bamboo slats lined up and bound together which made an uneasy backrest and seat.   My friend, unaccustomed to the seating arrangement had to struggle a wee bit to squat cross-legged on the low seat.  He realized how unwieldy his legs were-they just refused to remain tucked up!  To add to his woes was his slight paunch, which was getting in the way and jammed too much for comfort in the yogic posture that he was bravely trying to adopt.  I am sure he would have, or rather, could have only half-filled his stomach that day.

            That made me wonder about the vast variety of chairs that are available in the market these days.  Earlier, the types of chairs could probably be counted on the fingers of a single hand.  A few rattan (cane) chairs, wire chairs, steel chairs, wooden chairs were all that you could choose from.  But these days in the name of ergonomic designs, we get to see metals, fibre, plastic and many such stuff twisted into all shapes imaginable, not always easy on the eye (and the behind too, at times)!
         Mention chairs and it immediately brings to mind my father’s armchair.  During my childhood, father’s armchair was the centre of attraction in our sit-out.  It is a family heirloom beautifully carved out of shining teak wood.  I would wait for father to finish his morning papers accompanied by piping hot tea.  When he left for his bath, it would be my turn to enjoy the comfort of the armchair.  Even now, it is a different experience altogether to relax on that chair.  It lulls me to sleep in no time!  It is not just about ergonomics, it has a lot to do with nostalgia, probably.

ANGEL

Shaft of light

shining through darkness

Swirling winds

driving away dark clouds

Lashing rains

cooling the parched earth

Angel from the sky

driving away despair

“When storms gathered

blotting out the sun

You vanished never to return

with no hope in the horizon”

“Always with you

I was your shadow

Blinded by sights yonder

you lost sight of here and now”

CELLULOID STARS

           The mugshot was quite attractive really.  Seemed a well-built, tall chap.  It was a friend request on Facebook.  I checked out his profile.  It was mentioned ‘Actor” against  ‘Work’.  Was he really an actor or was he shamming it?

            May be he was an actor doing ‘bit’ roles-one of the numerous extras that pass through the screen, sometimes without uttering even a single syllable.  But then there are actors who have managed to make their co-stars look insignificant even without uttering a single word. Satish Shah and Nagesh who played corpses from the movies “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron” and “Magalir Mattum” flash past my mind immediately.  Cases where non-performers upstaged the performers.

            One of my friends does have the distinction of featuring in a movie.  During our school days, an Associate Director of a movie came scouting for kids to act alongside the “Superstar”.  We were excited about it and our night and days were filled with Technicolor dreams of our future celluloid glory.  The D-day came and we gathered hopefully.  The Associate Director was not sufficiently impressed by me whereas my friend was selected. 

Cut to a few months later, we had all assembled to watch the movie featuring my friend.  With bated breath we waited for the song featuring her.  And she shrieks gleefully “That’s me, that’s me!!”.  I cannot spot her.  I ask her repeatedly.  “Don’t you see the one next to the flower pot? That’s me!” she says proudly.  Well, now I see her-all covered up from head to toe in a cute pink bunny rabbit costume with not an inch of skin showing!!

Well, that brings to my Facebook star-I have no means of knowing if his acting experience was similar to that of my friend.  I rejected his friend request!