Author: Ajay Mutatkar

India does not have a national language and the old controversy of Hindi resurfaces. If English is the language of opportunity and Hindi is our language of entertainment thanks to Bollywood. English is the language of elite that has ruled for last 75 years and how much deep seated resentment systematically cultivated among the masses against these elite is well-known. In the last 75 years, India has managed quite well without a national language. A successful nation does not necessarily need a national language. In a multicultural, multilingual India , English has become an Indian language just as Cricket has become an Indian game. The New Education Policy understand this paradox quite well emphasising let children begin learning in their mother tongue. What language fanaticism has done in our two neighbouring countries is something we need to learn and not repeat here. (Excerpts from an article by Mr. Gurucharan Das ) IPL – What an Idea Sir JI ? It has become a property in the global pantheon of sports leagues. No bidder has complained about anything unfair and the entire process was so professional. It’s much ahead of English Premier Leave in terms of per-match valuation. Undoubtedly, it’s going to be one of the best sports league in the world . An Evening in IPL will be the most talked about experience in the world. The value of Digital rights is more than the Indian Television right is clear pointer that Digital streaming is the future with series of innovation taking it forward. IPL is real Pan-India brand without any regional competition as is the case with Indian cinema. Where does Indian Economy or Indian Cricket stand vis-a-vis IPL ? English Premier League has not helped England win any World Cup for last 66 years. India has not won any World Cup since 2011 despite IPL. Watching English/foreign players sweating it out in Indian summer in IPL is absolute treat to watch. Watching Jaideep Ahlawat playing Dipankar Sanyal in the web series The Broken News is sheer pleasure. You will love him or hate him. From his ‘Rajee’ days to ‘Pataalok’, he has come a long way. ‘ The Broken News’ is all about how different channels handle the same story. It’s not the news, Dipankar believes, it’s the story and how you tell it. How rival channels try to outsmart, outmaneuver each other in TRPs, advertising revenue is the crux of the several stories unfolding before you, difficult to keep track of. Sonali Bendre, in comeback mode, is stunning as compassionate and supportive of her staff. Furious n fearless Shriya Pilgaonkar is improving with every outing. The succes of Director Vinay Waikul and writer Sambit Mishra ( adapted from BBC Studio’s ‘Press’ ) lay in convincing the audience how the breaking new is broken and fed, behind-the-scene working of newsroom and the pressure reporters faces. Surely, A watchable Webseries ! *The proposal for observance of International Yoga day was proposed by India on 27th.Sept 2014 at the UN .It was supported by 177 countries and the world started observing it from June 21, 2015. Yoga is India’s best gift to the world. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It’s not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness it can help in well-being around the world.The number of people exercising Yoga has doubled in USA in last decade. Unlike India, in US healthy people are taking Yoga in big way. The drama unfolding in Maharashtra is painful, pathetic and predictable. In 75th year of independance, when the country has so much to celebrate and rejoice over it’s amazing achievements in several fields, the political arena is one that leaves a lot to be desired despite democracy taking strong roots. The colour and characters may keep on changing but the farce remains the same. The kind of unity we see among all political classes in scaling newer height of hypocrisy and the depth of stupidity has dangerous connotation. They should all remember, ये जो पब्लिक है…ये सब जानती है…पब्लिक है ! वक्त ने किया क्या हंसी सितमतुम रहे ना तूम, हम रहे ना हम

Look, talent comes everywhere. Everybody’s talented. Bet everybody in this world is talented in one thing or another. But having something to say and the way to say it so people listen to it, that’s whole another bag. And unless you get out there and you try to do it, you will never know . That’s the truth. If there is one reason we are supposed to be here, it’s to say something so people wanna hear it. The purpose of the life could be served by allowing our creative facet to surface, our unique voice heard for the larger good of the people.( Excerpts from The Speaking Tree ) Each person on this planet is living a vivid and complex life. Each person’s life is shaped by their experiences that changes their perspective on life and the wisdom they get from the environment around them. There are certain times in life when a movie, song or book instinctively tell the truth that fits your experience. It doesn’t happen often but it happens and it’s a game changer. Sharing life lessons learnt by Harsha Bhogale, so apt & relevant for my generation, Harsha Bhogale said as you get successful, you should have someone who will tell you when you are doing things wrong, because the more successful you get, the number of people who mean well when they say you are wrong will become less. Someone around you must be able to tell you that you are making a mistake or that you are becoming arrogant or that you are picking up a wrong habit. Humility allows you to learn more. Once you start to think that you have arrived, then you start to go down. When i started out, i was learning from people older than me in the profession. Now I am learning from people half my age. Because it is their world. It’s no longer our world. They are on the right side of the relevance curve; we are on the wrong. We have to fight harder to stay relevant. As Covid loosens its grip and travel guidelines are relaxed across the globe, Indians have begun to holiday with vengeance. Travel related cost have skyrocketed but does it matter when you are hungry ? Travel is not alone. People are partying with passion, exploring their skills and hidden talent with aplomb. There is craziness in holidaying, partying, dancing, celebrating. Yes, there is a radical, unexpected behavioural change and everyone could identify with that. Mental health experts attest to the phenomenon. Says Mumbai-based psychiatrist Dr. Kedar Tiles: ” People want to find silver lining to the pandemic. The sudden realization that life is short makes many to want to do more things that bring them peace and make them happy.” The world has seen it before soon after the end of World War II there was a boom in the sales of consumable goods like cars, washing machines considered luxuries at that time. Undoubtedly, the world has changed so much that it is never going back to what it was. People are conscious that the time to do thing is now – there is no point saving for rainy days and denying yourself the pleasure of the present. Time to discover yourself by crafting new world outside of us…You Only Lived Once…

ROTARY SAHAWAS CARNIVAL –हंगामा-2022 पिछले दो वर्षों की महामारी, लॉकडाउन, न्यू-नार्मल के बाद डरते, सहमते लोगो को ‘नार्मल लाइफ’ स्वीकारना आसान नही। सड़को, होटलों, थिएटरों, हवाईअड्डो, रेसोर्ट्स पर उमड़ती भीड़ क्या दर्शाती है ? चील, रिलेक्स, एन्जॉय ! अपनो को खोने का गम, सपनो के टूटने का दर्द, धंदो की लगी ‘वाट’, बिखरते रोजगार, वर्क फ्रॉम होम इत्यादि घटनाओं से बदलती, बढती जिंदगी… ऐसी दोलायमान पार्श्वभूमि में 30 अप्रैल 2022, शनिवार को पुण्याई सभागृह, पुणे में संपन्न रोटरी सहवास कार्निवाल-हंगामा 2022। क्लब एडमिन रो.निवेदिता मुळे और इवेंट डायरेक्टर रो.सुधीर वैद्य की मेहनत और सूझबूझ का ही नतीजा थी वो रंगारंग शाम जिसमे सभी रोटरी सहवासीओ के सहभाग ने इसे और भी रंगीन बनाया। गीत, संगीत, नृत्य को सुनना, देखना हमेशा आनंददायी रहता है और इसे पेश करने वाले अगर आपके अपने मित्र, सहयोगी हो तो क्या बात है ! पेशेवर कलाकारों के अति-सामान्य परफॉर्मन्स को बर्दाश्त करने की आदत है पुणेकरो को। ऐसे में जब शौकिया कलाकर मेहनत और लगन से अपनी कला पेश करते है तो असामान्य लगते है। यही इस कार्निवाल की खासियत थी। रो. अश्विनी मुळे की पुत्री शारवी मुळे की गणेश वंदना से कार्यक्रम की बहारदार शुरुवात हुई जिसे उसने भरत-नाट्यम शैली में प्रस्तुत किया। शारवी में भविष्य के लिये अच्छी संभावनाएं है। डांस के लिए खड़े होकर नाचना पड़ता है ये हमारी गलतफहमी थी। वर्षा चित्ते, अपर्णा मुटाटकर, मीनल, स्वाती, दीपा और जयश्री धूपकर ने तुमसे मिल के दिल का ये जो हाल कुर्सी पर बैठकर जो प्रस्तुत किया वो कमाल था। मि. एंड मिसेस सहवासी युगलों का रेट्रो डांस – डी वी/मीनल, अजय/अपर्णा, सुधीर/ सुप्रिया, पुरुषोत्तम/निवेदिता, धनेश/अपर्णा, दीपा/हेमंत, अतुल/श्री एक विशेष आकर्षण था जिसमे तालिया भी बजी और सीटियां भी। उड़े जब जब जुल्फे तेरी, जहां में जाती हूँ, ओ मेरी जोहरजबी, एक मे और एक तू, क्या बोलती तू, नैनो में सपना, कोई लडका है, तुम को पाया है, ताल से ताल मिलाओ – हमारे संगीतकारो, गायकों ने फिल्मी गीतों को जो संजीवनी दी है जो हमे हमेशा गाने, थिरकने को ललचाती है और ऐसे कार्निवाल वो प्लेटफार्म होते है जहां आपकी दिली ख्वाहिशें पूरी की जा सकती है। सुधीर का बलराज साहनी, निवेदिता की नीतू सिंह, वसंत का अमीर खान, धनेश का जितेंद्र, हेमंत की शाहरुखी मुस्कान, अतुल-श्री का रोमांस – कुछ खास थे। इन सब के बीच संगीता पंडित की ऐश्वर्या और ऋता की ‘चीटियां कलाइया रे’ सोने पे सुहागा। जयश्री धूपकर और स्वाती कोठाडिया का छोटा पर सहज स्किट दिल छू गया। इसमें दो सहेलियों की मुलाकात और बात थी। जयश्री का ऐतिहासिक स्थल-दर्शन ( Bridegroom ) अनुभव रोचक था। पुरुषों को नाचना हमेशा चुनौती रही है। जिन्हें नचाना का शौक हो उन्हें नाचना मुश्किल होता है। इस चुनौती को स्वीकारा हमारे चित्ते दा, सुधीर, हेमंत, धनेश, अभिजीत, दिनकर और वसंत जी ने। धनेश, दिनकर ने अपने जलवे यहाँ भी बिखेरे और संगीता की एक सरप्राइज एंट्री ने समां बांधा। रोटरी सहवास की दो मधुर कोकिला- स्वाती कामटीकर और मधुर गोडबोले द्वारा प्रस्तुत ‘मेडली’ मराठी-हिंदी भाव गीत और सिने संगीत का सुमधुर मिश्रण था जिसे सभी ने सराहा। और अब पेश हुआ Ladies Dance जिसका सभी को इंतज़ार था। संगीता, सुप्रिया, प्रतिभा, पूजा, अपर्णा शाह, मंजूषा, निवेदिता ने मिलकर एक प्रोफेशनल परफॉरमेंस प्रस्तुत की जिसे सहवासीओ ने भी स्टैंडिंग ओवेशन दिया और वन्स मोर भी। इनमे जो नानी,दादी बन चुकी उन्हें ढूंढने, पहचानने उनके पोते, पोती भी स्टेज पर आ गए थे। सूत्र संचालक, निवेदन की जिम्मेदारी रो.स्वरूप गोडबोले ने बखूबी निभाई और अपनी प्रश्न-मंजूषा से दर्शकों को बांधे रखा। सी एल कुलकर्णी और सुधीर वैद्य दर्शको के बीच रहकर रोटरी सहवासीओ से रोचक, मनोरंजक सीधी-बात की। Know Your Rotarian रोटरी की एक फिलोसोफी रही है। ये प्रश्न और बातचीत उसी की खूबसूरत कड़ी थी जिसके लिये स्वरूप, सुधीर और सी एल बधाई के पात्र है। भावी प्रेसीडेंट रो.अजय मुटाटकर, प्रेसीडेंट इलेक्ट रो.संदेश कोठाड़ीया और प्रेसीडेंट नॉमिनी रो. निवेदिता मुळे ने अपने प्रेसीडेंट-वॉक में अच्छे टीम-वर्क का परिचय देते हुए कुछ हासिल करने का संकल्प दर्शाया। जिसका हमे था इंतज़ार वो घड़ी आ गई – प्रेसीडेंट डांस… जी हां…प्रे. चित्ते दा और फर्स्ट लेडी वर्षा ताई ने वाकई अपनी जिंदगी की कहानी भावपूर्ण सुनाई – आयुष्या वर बोलू काही…. आप बीती। ” नसतेच घरी तू जेव्हा जीव तुटका तुटका होतो,जगण्याचे धागे विरति संसार फ़ाटका होतो,न अजुन झालो मोठा न स्वतन्त्र अजूनी झालो,तुजवाचून उमगत जाते तुजवाचून जन्मच अडतो “अमेजिंग परफॉरमेंस रही रोटरी के पहले युगल की। इस कॉर्निवाल की कहानी कोरियोग्राफर स्नेहा भावे का जिक्र किये बिना अधूरी है। सेलेब्रेटी शामक डावर की शिष्या स्नेहा ने वो एक मंजी हुई कोरियोग्राफर है साबित किया। अपनी छोटी छोटी बातों से डांस की ट्रिक्स और टैक्ट दोनो समझाये। और ये सब कुछ अत्यंत स्नेह से ! धन्यवाद…स्नेहा ! रो. सुधीर वैद्य ने आभार प्रदर्शन किया औऱ टीम सहवास को बधाई दी। पुण्याई हॉल के स्वादिष्ठ भोजन से कार्यक्रम की मीठी समाप्ति हुए। रोटरी 2022-23 की टैगलाइन की तरह यह कॉर्निवाल सही मानो में खुशीयां बांटने, मुस्कुराहटे फैलाने का एक जरिया था – ENJOY ROTARY.. बादल पे पाँव हैया छुटा गांव हैअब तो भई चल पड़ीअपनी ये नाव है

” जो जीता…वही..सही “ Living in age when Winning is Everything . It’s not enough to win but you have to keep on winning everytime. Life has become a game. That’s the reality of modern era where ordinary are doing extraordinary things. Whether you are a student, actor, businessmen, industrialist, artist or even politician. Cracking NEET/IIT/IAS exam, students have to study 24/7/365. Winning OSCAR for an actor/filmmaker require tenacity, consistency of high order. And the next most important area is politics and particularly in democratic countries like India where round the year election is the order of the day. Unless students of politics study and learn new skills, spread outreach, develop new approaches 24×7×365 days, they cannot succeed in the battle of ballots. This has been the biggest lessons of last 8 years where ruling party is much ahead of the curve than their opponents continuously. In the smart age of social media, you have to set an agenda, crate perception, build narrative and make people believe what you are doing is right. Whether you are right or not , let the posterity decide. Slowly but surely, India is developing as powerful country with strong leadership and is emerging as the fastest growing economies in the world despite global geopolitical tension. The President of both Russia and Ukraine spoke at lengths to our PM almost back-to-back underlines India’s growing clout on world stage. Every crisis can be embraced as an opportunity for better and different future with vision and energy that India has. With every election, Indian Democracy is getting stronger and more vibrant. There are lessons to be learnt for both winners and losers. Women and young new electorates are playing decisive role in electing the govt.,which PM also acknowledged. Why one party could retain UP despite incumbency while other could not do so in Punjab ? TOI in his editorial commented that Polls can be won via charisma, identity politics and welfarism. But can this be sustained minus job creation ? The Choice before the political parties is clear – go for welfarism and rank populism and win election or go for growth and employment via smart policies to crate jobs. Choosing the right alternative will decide the course of future India. India’s weakest link lies in it’s heterogeneous, complex social fabric. Forget 80/20, that might pay high dividends in the short run but even talking 99/1 will have disastrous consequences in the long run. Punjab’s victory is shot in the arms for AAP, a political start-up started a decade ago. It’s definitely a watershed moment for them as far as their growth and future is concerned. It will be very challenging task for them to set Punjab Model like Delhi in governance. Slowly AK is emerging and evolving in very distinctive manner and opposition space is vacant to be filled up. In her book, Warren Buffet invests Like A Girl Lou Ann Buffet explains why women are better investor than average man. They are lot more thorough and deliberate while taking investment decision. They do more research, more due diligence, take lesser risks, more consistent. Unlike men, women attach more importance to objective than returns. Whether they are saving for investment, or a holiday, or even money to play in the equity market, the investment nis clearly linked to the objective. The risk inversion in women investors also makes them natural diversifier. It’s universally acknowledged fact that women are careful borrowers with lower default rates and lower delinquencies. The latest CIBIL report also confirms this fact.( Excerpts from ET Wealth )

” If the last two years of living with the virus have taught us anything, it is to remain humble, but grounded in self-belief, never losing confidence and optimism. As the great Lata Mangeshkar – whom we lost recently– sang in her immortal voice – ,आज फिर जीने जी तमन्ना है. Together with the spirit being the next line of this beautiful song, she has conveyed the eternal messge of optimism — आज फिर मरने का इरादा है. ( RBI Governor Mr. Shashikant Das in his Monetary policy speech ) As expected, finally we have learnt to live with Covid-19. It’s time to stop mass testing and daily release of infection number and redefine a Covid case as one where infection is followed by hospitalization. Omicron has shown that high transmissibility is at itself is no public health crisis. Daily infection figure create fear and unnecessary panic that need to be minimised. Indis’s adult vaccination has been a big achievement at 77 % . It’s time now to focus on economic activity and livelihood. The rise and growth of Web-series/films on OTT platform has a lot to with pandemic for last two years. Surely, it offers creative freedom, space for artists to try their histrionics. How far they have succeeded may be a matter of debate and speculation. When बधाई हो come, can बधाई दो be far behind?. When pandemic is waning, people are fed up with OTT products, highly embarrassed watching it not only with family but also with spouse, a family entertainer like बधाई दो on big screen is the right choice. It attempts to normalize the depiction of gay and lesbian community and their romantic relationship with the backdrop of marriage, middle class families but shown with sensitivity and maturity. The best part of the movies it gives perspective to the taboo subject even in small town and bring families together. गहराईयां is too complicated and delves deep in modern human relationship which average middle class audience may find it too difficult to comprehend but they are catching it up fast. Farhan Akhtar did it in 2001 in his दिल चाहता है with elan, Shakur Batra tried this in 2022 with realism. One thing for sure, you may like it or may not but you can’t ignore it. You may sympathise with present young generation as to ये कहां आ गये वो…. People with no money and beauty may consider themselves lucky after watching the tragic lives of people with money and beauty, villas and boats. Deepika is simply outstanding in her complicated character while Siddharth has a lot to learn as an actor. Naseeruddin Shah, in brief role, as usual a scene steeler. Writer Adhhyay Sengupta in his article How We Should Mourne suggested the national mourning for Lata Mangeshkar could be more soothing and less militaristic. Like every state funeral, there was a brass band which played the ‘ Last Post ‘ and servicemen fired rounds of gunfire. Watching it on television was painful and you could not help wondering – for a singer who had regaled us with her magical voice for seven decades – could we as nation not be more imaginative than sounding military honours ? The harshness of the sound at her funeral clashed jarringly with the unmatched sweetness of her vioce. But the death of Lata Mangeshkar provided us with an opportunity to reflect upon our musical choices at a state funeral as well as it’s overwhelmingly militaristic overtone. Lata’s own, ऐ मेरे वतन के लोगो could there not be more original and heartfelt ways to grieve ? Would the pain of a nation in mourning not be best soothed by Lata’s own voice ? As a grateful nation mourns her, may our mourning be as true as her voice. As one of her most memorable song reminds us, death after all, is a only game of hide and seek. तेरा जाना..दिल के अरमानों का लूट जाना,कोई देखे..बन के तकदीरों का मिट जाना