Re: Alumni Drama

[Guest guest]

Dear Mukund,

Congratulations on your success in pursuing your hobby amongst everything

else - really commendable! I am sorry I usurped the joy of your drama

success with my outburst on an other issue- my apologies.

Talking about MGIMS and dramas- I cannot forget the silly role I played in

our fresher drama- it was an English play Nadu and Fali (82 batch) had

directed. Three things stand out in my memory (1) a very funny pairing -I

was roly poly? fat? while my partner was tall and thin as a stick (2) Rohit

Sundarani played the King and he played it to the hilt (3) Parthak trying to

dance to a Beatles song with two left feet!!

How time flies- thank goodness there were no camcorders then or I would be

so embarrassed today!!

Sadhana'85

Alumni Drama

> Dear Ashok,

>

> You want a drama by the alumni? Why, its already occurring on the

> emails. Real life drama couldn't be so happening!

>

> Kishore Shah 1974

>

>

>

> ------------------------------

> Website: www.mgims.org

> ------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

hi dr shah

i remember the dramas of olden time i remember your performance in moru chi

mausi no such dramas r held now.

dr dilip gupta

1981

On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 Shah wrote :

>Dear Ashok,

>

>You want a drama by the alumni? Why, its already occurring on the

>emails. Real life drama couldn't be so happening!

>

>Kishore Shah 1974

>

>

>

>------------------------------

>Website: www.mgims.org

>------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Sadhana

You certainly stimulated a few grey cells mentioning that play. Although there

weren't any camcorders I think I have a few snaps lying around. Was it Dipesh

Trivedi who played opposite you. I have just realised that everyone involved

with that play is now abroad. I wonder what would have happened if Parthak had

answered the call of the footlights rather than study lung tissue in mice;

Broadway's loss is Harvard's gain.

I must thank Kishore (he seems to figure in most stories about MGIMS) for my

brief foray into theatre in S'gram. I was just a naive fresher when I was

literally shanghaied to act in an English play (apparently the only requirement

was that you should speak english reasonably well and for some reason it was

assumed that if you were from Bombay then your English should be

intelligible....that's how casting worked at MGIMS) with an original script

written by Kishore. I played the part of a tailor called Chintamani, little

knowing that the local barber went by the same name. Kishore obviously felt safe

in the knowledge that he would be saying goodbye to S'gram soon, leaving me to

face the music next time I went for a haircut. Fortunately Chintamani turned out

to be a good sport and working on the presumption that any publicity was good

publicity, a belief I was happy to encourage, always offered me a free head

massage for the next 5 years whenever I went for a haircut (Chintamani could

be heavy handed and at times it felt more of a punishment than a reward). I had

discovered the benefits of product placement in a script and a few years later

we had a totally irrelevant reference to the vadas from ICH, resulting in a

brief period of concessionary rates.

I suppose its not too late to apologise for some of the slapstick we had to

include to make the play humorous and compensate for a bad script. This was

because the previous year (1984 batch) I had written a script based on the

premise that ram, sita and laxman are sent in exile to s'gram and end up being

ragged since they are mistaken for freshers. This did not go down well with the

powers that be and it was decreed that in the future all scripts for english

plays would be chosen by the supervising staff member and no original scripts

were allowed, leaving little room for topicality. So we had to add a lot of

masala to pad it up. I wonder whether the rule still exists.

Nadu

1982

sadbose wrote:

Dear Mukund,

Congratulations on your success in pursuing your hobby amongst everything

else - really commendable! I am sorry I usurped the joy of your drama

success with my outburst on an other issue- my apologies.

Talking about MGIMS and dramas- I cannot forget the silly role I played in

our fresher drama- it was an English play Nadu and Fali (82 batch) had

directed. Three things stand out in my memory (1) a very funny pairing -I

was roly poly? fat? while my partner was tall and thin as a stick (2) Rohit

Sundarani played the King and he played it to the hilt (3) Parthak trying to

dance to a Beatles song with two left feet!!

How time flies- thank goodness there were no camcorders then or I would be

so embarrassed today!!

Sadhana'85

Alumni Drama

> Dear Ashok,

>

> You want a drama by the alumni? Why, its already occurring on the

> emails. Real life drama couldn't be so happening!

>

> Kishore Shah 1974

>

>

>

> ------------------------------

> Website: www.mgims.org

> ------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Oh my God! Amulya!

Now I place you. You were the Tailor of my play, who had to say that

he was related to . In fact, you made the sleeves of

the Police Inspector's (Fali's) sleeves too long because you thought

that the " Arm of law was long " OR " Police ke haath are very Lamba "

(which incidentally was the name of the play.) This play was written

in Sevagram's labour room, whilst I was waiting for a primi to

deliver.

One of the characters had to imitate the staccato speech delivery of

one of our staff members. After the drama, people wondered whether he

was imitating Dr. ML Sharma (our principal / Pharmacology) or Dr.

Taori (Biochemistry). I just smiled my Mona smile and walked off.

At that time, I was appearing for my MD exams. I did not want the

staff to know that I was wasting time directing / writing plays.

Unfortunately, when the first typical joke with sexual undercurrents

was spouted on stage, everyone of the staff knew right away that it

could only have been written by me.

In fact, there was an earlier play in Marathi, where a girl (I won't

name her. Lets call her SK.) had a role in which she was supposed to

sit on some elevated chair, while the play proceeded below her.

Throughout the rehearsal, this voluptuous beauty came dressed in a

staid saree, and I innocently directed her. On the day of the play, I

told everyone to come wearing their best dresses. SK came clad in a

very brief mini.

When the play proceeded, it became apparent that as SK was perched

high up, the audience was watching more than just the play. In fact,

the front three or four rows were bending down with artificial

laughter almost constantly, just to have a dekko.

The common comment of the staff and students after this was, " Kishore

is really irreprehensible. Only he could have thought of such a

devious way to make people watch! "

I got free credit / discredit. I didn't even try to explain that the

rehearsals were all in a saree and I was totally innocent. Who would

have believed me, anyway?

Kishore Shah 1974

[Guest guest]

Nadu,

You dare take those snaps out! How many Guy Fawkes nights have you

celebrated in this country?- those snaps should have ended up in one of the

bonfires! By the way Nadu, do not apologise!! On the contrary- participating

in Ganesh festivals (even slapstick comedies) and Gatherings has given me a

treasure chest of memories. They offer such comfort during this every day

trudge called " earning my bread and butter " !

You are absolutely right- every one from that play (stars and directors) has

deserted the Indian shores. Surprisingly most have ended up in the UK!!!

Yes, Dipesh was paired opposite me and is now in Newcastle. I remember

Rohit's role very well- he really put his heart into it and went on to

direct an English play later!! Also, I am glad Harvard gained because

Broadway would have sustained an unrecoverable loss if Parthak had preferred

the studio lights!! BUT, he did dance beautifully (on basis of a

blueprint!!!) for a dance in our final year.

I do not know if things have changed now but when we were in S'gram except

for some notable exceptions most staff frowned on co-curricular activities-

something I did not find in JIPMER where SPANDAN (an annual social gathering

of medical and non-medical colleges) is held on a huge scale with

enthusiastic involvement of the staff. I must mention Chaturvedi sir here-

when I was doing my house job in ENT I choreographed a dance for '89 batch

and was worried sick because I was finding it difficult to balance my ward

duties with the dance sessions. He was the teacher in charge that year but

he was such a gem- very supportive when he " found " out during one of our

dance sessions that his house officer is not in the ward but in the

practice hall!!

Sadhana '85

Re: Alumni Drama

> Dear Sadhana

>

> You certainly stimulated a few grey cells mentioning that play. Although

there weren't any camcorders I think I have a few snaps lying around. Was it

Dipesh Trivedi who played opposite you. I have just realised that everyone

involved with that play is now abroad. I wonder what would have happened if

Parthak had answered the call of the footlights rather than study lung

tissue in mice; Broadway's loss is Harvard's gain.

>

> I must thank Kishore (he seems to figure in most stories about MGIMS) for

my brief foray into theatre in S'gram. I was just a naive fresher when I was

literally shanghaied to act in an English play (apparently the only

requirement was that you should speak english reasonably well and for some

reason it was assumed that if you were from Bombay then your English should

be intelligible....that's how casting worked at MGIMS) with an original

script written by Kishore. I played the part of a tailor called Chintamani,

little knowing that the local barber went by the same name. Kishore

obviously felt safe in the knowledge that he would be saying goodbye to

S'gram soon, leaving me to face the music next time I went for a haircut.

Fortunately Chintamani turned out to be a good sport and working on the

presumption that any publicity was good publicity, a belief I was happy to

encourage, always offered me a free head massage for the next 5 years

whenever I went for a haircut (Chintamani could

> be heavy handed and at times it felt more of a punishment than a reward).

I had discovered the benefits of product placement in a script and a few

years later we had a totally irrelevant reference to the vadas from ICH,

resulting in a brief period of concessionary rates.

>

> I suppose its not too late to apologise for some of the slapstick we had

to include to make the play humorous and compensate for a bad script. This

was because the previous year (1984 batch) I had written a script based on

the premise that ram, sita and laxman are sent in exile to s'gram and end up

being ragged since they are mistaken for freshers. This did not go down well

with the powers that be and it was decreed that in the future all scripts

for english plays would be chosen by the supervising staff member and no

original scripts were allowed, leaving little room for topicality. So we had

to add a lot of masala to pad it up. I wonder whether the rule still exists.

>

> Nadu

> 1982

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Nadu,

If you still have those snaps of Alumni drama with you, you are

sitting on a potential pot of gold. Please scan them and we shall

display them on the MGIMS web site.

I'll offer you double of what Sadhana offers for burning them at Guy

Fawkes bonfire.

Kishore Shah 1974

[Guest guest]

Tsk, Tsk Kishore,

What can a poor doc in the NHS offer by way of bribe? Maybe an authentic

Indian meal Nadu (better than your Nottingham curry houses)?? In fact, I

have some from my college days as well Kishore-you are welcome to it all!!

But you have unknowingly struck on a good idea - we can have a section on

the website exclusively for snaps from each batch. In JIPMER, Every batch

had a group photo taken when they entered first year and another one when

they graduated- just one snap per batch on the website would make them

timeless. Maybe this can happen from the current final year batch ?

Sadhana '85

Re: Alumni Drama

> Dear Nadu,

>

> If you still have those snaps of Alumni drama with you, you are

> sitting on a potential pot of gold. Please scan them and we shall

> display them on the MGIMS web site.

>

> I'll offer you double of what Sadhana offers for burning them at Guy

> Fawkes bonfire.

>

> Kishore Shah 1974

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Sadhana,

Your offer is accepted. I have given up the idea of displaying your

drama snaps in favour of a good meal (Hinglish meal laced with Kerala

spices). A side show of Flamenco dance would be just wonderful!*

I'm flying to UK as soon as my Skoda gets older, and can look after

herself. Keep that meal warm.

Kishore Shah 1974

*Are you still as roly poly as you were during the dramas? This

Flamenco dance I must see. Maybe Nadu could join in with a small skit?

Throughout my MGIMS life I used to just yearn to sit in the audience.

I never had that opportunity right up to the end. This time once I'll

relax in the audience and learn how to clap.

You can almost call this TEH offer of a lifetime!

[Guest guest]

Kishore, I knew my improper sentencing will be picked at by you- the offer

of a meal was for Nadu. So this offer is only for residents in TEH UK. Thank

goodness you were gone from S'gram before our batch joined- you must have

been a terrible ragger!!

I know that feeling of not watching any of the college social events- All

those eight years I was on/behind the stage!! All those dances I

choreographed I never saw their final, stage performance!!

Sadhana '85

Re: Alumni Drama

> Dear Sadhana,

>

> Your offer is accepted. I have given up the idea of displaying your

> drama snaps in favour of a good meal (Hinglish meal laced with Kerala

> spices). A side show of Flamenco dance would be just wonderful!*

>

> I'm flying to UK as soon as my Skoda gets older, and can look after

> herself. Keep that meal warm.

>

> Kishore Shah 1974

>

> *Are you still as roly poly as you were during the dramas? This

> Flamenco dance I must see. Maybe Nadu could join in with a small skit?

> Throughout my MGIMS life I used to just yearn to sit in the audience.

> I never had that opportunity right up to the end. This time once I'll

> relax in the audience and learn how to clap.

>

> You can almost call this TEH offer of a lifetime!

>

>

>

> ------------------------------

> Website: www.mgims.org

> ------------------------------

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Sadhana, The word drama bring back fond memories indeed.

Having come totally green out of Pre Medical (12th Equivalent as they used

to call it in DAV College, Chandigarh) where the only words that would echo

in my mind when I would be in the hostel would be my fathers words, that

there are only three things you need to do in your life in class XII and

they were padhai, padhai and more padhai (study, study and more studies).

The English drama directed by Fali and Nadu in 1985 was a welcome change.

1985- Being a rather shy fresher, with no prior experience inacting in front

of an audience and being choosen to ACT in drama could not have been more

painful. The reluctant bakra's would go to great tactical lengths to avoid

being casted (my wife's tells me that her favourite line's would be- I have

a family crisis). Her nani truly lived nine lives during her years in

Sewagram. She would announce her illness at the drop of a hat to avoid

ACTING. For a reluctant teenager the process of learning was more difficult

than extracting the third molar out. Rehearsals would finish around 12 am

and then I would be spending another two hours trying to rehearse the lines.

So much so that my neighbor Vaibhav Bhandari (85 Batch a brilliant

hardworking mind- currently practicing OB in Pune) would knock on my doors a

tell me to knock it off. I was too engrossed in my role to know if it was

well acepted by the audience. I was looking at those pictures after

Sadhana's email (gade murde ukharna).

1989-In my final MBBS, Sadhana the numero uno dance director in 85 batch, I

don't entirely remember how Sadhana convinced us to dance as a group to the

tunes of Kishore Kumars song " ina mina diga... " All the dancers (guys) had

never danced in their lives (let alone dance in our dreams) except Prashant

Shinde (the great break dancer from 85 Batch who I last heard was practicing

in Delhi). I guess I had reached sufficient maturity to enjoy this trip in

front of the spotlight. I bet for a lot of us the better part was escorting

the danseuse's back to the hostel or the party celebrating the success of

the dance.

1991-As I was finishing my final MBBS one regret I openly talked about was

not had a chance to have sung a song in Sargam, where obviously the

competition for selection was rather stiff and my larynx could not generate

sounds which would be palatable to the genreal public. But I could make up

ground here by singing alongwith a a bunch of people who like me felt akward

on the stage(if I am correct) (included Famkima (ENT don't know where),

Suresh (Anesthesia In UK), Sunil Yadav (Pediatric Surgery-In Kuwait), Raghu

(Ophthalmology-in Bombay), Prashant Shinde (Orthopedics- Delhi) and self

from the 85 batch during internship in a song (I forget which) led by

Famkima Darlong on the guitar.

So much for memories from Sewagram. I wonder how the selction goes on now

for dramas and songs in Sewagram in 2003.

Parthak

85 Batch

>Dear Mukund,

>Congratulations on your success in pursuing your hobby amongst everything

>else - really commendable! I am sorry I usurped the joy of your drama

>success with my outburst on an other issue- my apologies.

>

>Talking about MGIMS and dramas- I cannot forget the silly role I played in

>our fresher drama- it was an English play Nadu and Fali (82 batch) had

>directed. Three things stand out in my memory (1) a very funny pairing -I

>was roly poly? fat? while my partner was tall and thin as a stick (2) Rohit

>Sundarani played the King and he played it to the hilt (3) Parthak trying

>to

>dance to a Beatles song with two left feet!!

>

>How time flies- thank goodness there were no camcorders then or I would be

>so embarrassed today!!

>

>Sadhana'85

>

> Alumni Drama

>

>

> > Dear Ashok,

> >

> > You want a drama by the alumni? Why, its already occurring on the

> > emails. Real life drama couldn't be so happening!

> >

> > Kishore Shah 1974

> >

> >

> >

> > ------------------------------

> > Website: www.mgims.org

> > ------------------------------

> >

> >