Lights, Camera, Action!

The exam results had been declared. Salil had somehow managed to clear his B.A., and would soon be awarded the degree in the Convocation scheduled for July. The past year had been very tense and uncomfortable due to the sudden demise of his father. Being the only son, Salil was his laadla and was bestowed with gifts and new dresses frequently and without rhyme or reason. Salil lived with his parents and uncles and aunts in their ancestral home in a village in the outskirts of New Delhi. The kitchen being common, there would be food for all whether they contributed to the kitty or not. Salil’s father was the eldest and hence the head of the family. His mother, by virtue of being the eldest daughter-in-law was in charge of the kitchen and both of them managed very well and saw to it that everyone was happy. Salil too enjoyed as his father would always be generous in giving his pocket money.

Life changed after father passed away due to a cardiac arrest. Salil had to answer a hundred questions his uncle posed before parting with a little money.  His mother did not involve herself in the financial matters as she was not interested and lacked the smartness for it. Father, therefore, held the reins with him. After the Rasm Pagdi, his uncle became the head of the family. When Salil was away, his uncle sat with his mother, rummaging the safe and took away all the important documents relating to their property, shares, deposits, insurance and the like. When Salil came to know of it, he could not do anything other than feel remorseful. 

His mother kept pestering him to take up a job in his uncle’s office, but he was not inclined to do so. He knew that he was not made for any job and that he would not get one to his liking too. He did not wish to get entangled in the family business fearing possible misunderstandings and hard feelings. He had set his eyes on Bollywood and dreamed of becoming a star. He was good at dramatics, singing and dancing but barring the few odd events in school and college, he had no opportunity to develop these skills. He was also upset that his mother was being exploited by his aunts who were more literate and came from affluent families. They lost no opportunity in belittling his mother and simply lazed around while his mother did all the household chores for such a large family.

Salil also knew that his uncle could not be trusted wholly and that it was quite likely that his mother could be easily cheated. He did not wish to come out in the open for now, but kept his fears to himself. He wanted to establish himself in the profession of his dreams, stand on his own and then take his mother with him.   

One night, when everyone was fast asleep, he left a note and slipped out of the home. “Ma, I will come back as a Star, no less”, he had written.

He had packed his clothes and carried some cash and took the last night train from Delhi to Mumbai. He wished to spend his money sparingly, so he got into the train without even buying a ticket. He had seen a large Gujarati family apparently returning from a wedding and quietly mixed with them. There were a few boys of his age and he got friendly with them and entered their coach along with them, kept his bag too among their luggage, helped the elders settle down, paying special attention to the eldest member of the group. He kept asking Maaji if she wanted this or that, and on her part, she would call him dhikra and get small jobs done.

When the Ticket Examiner came, he did not vanish, but pretended to be one of the family confusing the Examiner as to where all the family had got spread out, that he merely ticked off the common ticket and went ahead.

The next evening Salil was in Mumbai, the land of his dreams. Now, where to go, was a million dollar question. He had his friend in Andheri, but he had lost touch with him and he was also unsure whether he would be welcomed there. He took the local train from Mumbai Central, but this time he bought his ticket lest he should be caught!

It was past the office hours and the train was less crowded. Some mill workers whose shift was over, were the main occupants. Salil put his bag in the overhead rack and stood at the doorway. He first started humming a catchy Bollywood tune, but when he got engrossed, lost himself and broke into a booming voice. Many heads turned to see who the singer was, but fortunately for him, they all liked his voice and joined him too. A group of mill workers also made place for him to sit in their midst and sing. It then became a Listeners’ Choice programme.

When the train neared Andheri, they took a break and started talking. Salil placed all his cards on the table by saying that he had run away from home hoping he would make it big in films. Mohan Babu, one of the senior mill workers took an instant liking to him. He could not understand why he did so, but spontaneously offered to take him under his wings as he was living alone. Salil could not thank his stars enough, to have found a roof over his head so quickly and without any effort.

Mohan Babu took Salil to his small but compact chawl in Borivli. Though a chawl, it had all facilities, including running water, which was considered a luxury! There was ample space for a small family and the single but large room served as a kitchen, hall and bedroom. There were several toilets outside the chawl which were common to others too, but they were sufficient in number and well maintained that Salil felt as if it was paradise. That night, they had a light supper and went to bed. He had a restful sleep, something which he had not enjoyed in the comforts of his home.

Mohan Babu had lost his only son in an accident a few years back. His wife had died while delivering their son and for eighteen long years, Mohan Babu was both father and mother to his son. He doted on him and took very good care of him and did not remarry for the fear that the boy may not be treated well. The mill owners were kind to give him leave till the boy grew up sufficiently to be left in a creche when Mohan Babu went to work.

For his eighteenth birthday, Mohan Babu got him a bike which he had been longing for. Tragedy struck a mere two days later – though it was not his son’s fault at all, he got hit by a speeding truck and died on the spot. His son’s loss was difficult to overcome and Mohan Babu was thoroughly shaken. It took him quite a while to come to terms with his loss. It was in these circumstances that he met Salil on the train. Looking at him brought memories of his son and he felt that here he was in the form of Salil.

The next morning, before Mohan Babu had woken up, Salil went about his daily chores and even managed to prepare breakfast! When Babuji (Salil started calling him so), got up, he was pleasantly surprised by the flavour of kaanda poha drifting in the air. He was mighty pleased and touched that he had tears in his eyes. After several years, he was treated to a breakfast which he had not himself made. By the time Babuji had his bath and got ready to leave, Salil had packed his lunch box too with some mixed rice.

Both of them got on very well as if they were father and son. After Babuji went, Salil took out the bike which was abandoned in a corner to see whether it could be set right. Apparently, it was quite sturdy and barring a few dents here and there and the lights which needed replacement, he could not find any major damage to it. He ventured out in the vicinity and was able to identify a mechanic who agreed to repair it for Rs. 1000/-. He sat with him the whole day and got the bike running towards evening. He went home, prepared a quick dinner and then rode the bike to the station.

Babuji had told him that all of them always took the 7.10 Virar local which would reach Borivli around 8 p.m. Salil was on the platform in time to see the train enter it. He spotted Babuji as he was alighting and went forward to receive him. Babuji was surprised to see him waiting at the station and was further delighted to know that the bike had been repaired and was ready to take him home.

He hugged Salil and though he smiled, he could not hold back his tears. Salil felt the warmth of his own father in that hug and he too struggled to hold back his tears. He could not thank God enough for such unimaginable wonderful things to happen to him. He was sure his mother’s prayers must have caused this unbelievable meeting between them both, ensuring a home for him in Mumbai where he had nowhere to go.

Babuji and he sat outside the chawl after dinner in the moonlight and talked about each other’s lives. The next day was a holiday and Babuji said that he would take Salil to meet the Event Manager of their Mill, who may probably have some connections through whom, Salil might try to find an opportunity to display his acting prowess.

The next afternoon, they met Nadkarni who was not his usual self and seemed very disturbed. He had booked a singer for an event that evening and he had just got the message that he would not be able to perform as he was down with COVID. Babuji lost no time to recommend Salil as a stand by. Nadkarni looked at him hopefully and asked him to sing a few lines just to see if he would fit the bill. Salil obliged and he was immediately offered to take the stage that evening. The programme would start at 5.30 p.m., but Salil was asked to report an hour earlier to get acquainted with the orchestra and practise a bit.

Both Babuji and Salil went home overjoyed. It was sheer luck – nothing else. Salil performed very well that evening and it was past 10 that night when they finally packed up. Salil received his very first earnings of Rs.3500/-. On reaching home, Salil bowed before Babuji and handed over the money to him seeking his blessings.

Babuji then reminded him that he should communicate with his mother and tell her not to worry as he was in good company. Salil called his mother and put her fears at rest. He promised her that he would be back very soon and asked her to put up with all the difficulties for some time more. 

From the next day, Salil took upon himself the cooking part while both of them shared the daily chores happily. Babuji now had someone to talk to and that brightened up his spirits and being a music lover, he would ask Salil to sing old melodies in the stillness of the night.

Soon neighbours too joined to encourage Salil and through Nadkarni, he got to perform in quite a few programmes. Nadkarni, knowing that this boy could not only sing, but also nurtured a desire to act in films, got him an opportunity to work in a tele serial.

More than Salil, Babuji was thrilled. He even took a day off from work to accompany him to the sets as he was excited to see the shooting. Though a newcomer, Salil performed very well on the first day itself without many retakes.

It was then only a matter of time that Salil climbed the ladder of success. He was both a Singing Sensation as well as an upcoming hero whose fan following was growing large day by day. His days with Babuji became less and less as there were outdoor shootings in different locales and even when he was in town, the shooting schedules sometimes ran late into the nights. From the small screen he made a big leap into the silver screen. He was thrilled to work with a reputed actor and being sincere, did justice to his role. He was well received and soon shot to fame. His movies were hits and soon he progressed to bagging the hero’s roles. It was very rare that he came home as most of the time he was provided accommodation in the shooting locales itself. He kept in touch with Babuji over the phone and saw to it that he lacked nothing. 

After about three months of hectic schedules, he took a day off from work to spend with Babuji. During the period of his rise, Babuji had gone back to his routine and though he missed Salil’s company was uncomplaining. He too was proud of Salil’s success. Babuji’s neighbours paid extra attention to the frail old man as he was close to such a big celebrity!

Babuji had got a call from Salil’s Manager the previous day requesting him to take a day’s off from work as Salil would be visiting him that day. He was therefore waiting at the door when Salil got down from a car and rushed to embrace him. “Babuji, come, let’s go for a drive. I want to spend the whole day with you. I have also cancelled my shootings so that I can spend quality time with you”. Babuji gladly agreed and sat beside Salil and drove along for quite a distance till they reached the Manori creek. Babuji had never stirred out of the house and this drive excited him a great deal. His face radiated innocent joy – something he had not experienced till he had met Salil!

Salil asked Babuji to get down and walk with him towards the several new buildings under construction. Though puzzled, Babuji followed him. When they reached the makeshift office of one of the buildings, Salil pulled up a chair for Babuji. By this time quite a few people had recognised Salil and got around him, trying to gain a closer look. "He looks exactly as in the posters, if not more handsome!", they remarked. The building developer had been informed the previous day about his visit and so was well prepared to receive him. 

Salil had met him a few days back and finalised the purchase of the terrace flat in that building. After having their tea, Salil took Babuji to show him the flat. Babuji was stunned and speechless. Entering a lift itself was a new experience for him. The flat was so spacious and overlooking the creek, which was now clean and well maintained and sparkled in the sunlight. A few years back, it was a smelly nallah, but now from the 10th floor, the view was simply superb.

Babuji enjoyed seeing each nook and corner of the flat and was extremely happy to see the furnishings and interiors. They then came down and Salil asked the builder for the document of the flat. He then got the papers made out in the name of Mohan Babu and handed over the cheque to the builder. “Babuji, this is now your house. We will fix up a convenient mahurat and have the grihapravesh ceremony in a couple of months’ time. Are you happy?”

Babuji was so overwhelmed that he could not react. “Beta, I don’t know what to say. A few months back we did not even know each other. It was an Act of Providence that you travelled in the same train that I did when you first came to Mumbai. Normally, nobody, particularly in Mumbai would even offer to befriend a stranger. I do not know what drew me to you, but whatever has happened is a win-win situation for both of us. God is great!”

On the return journey, they stopped at a restaurant and celebrated with a delicious lunch. Salil then told Babuji that he had another plan in mind. He wished to bring his mother to Mumbai so that they could all live together, and he would have both a mother and father to look upto.

Babuji had never entertained such thoughts before. Salil understood it and told him that he was yet to broach the topic to his mother too. He would go home and prepare her mentally for a new life. All these years she was in a large joint family but now she would be entering a new phase in her life. It would undoubtedly be a very big decision for her to take, but he would try to make her understand that he desired it. He wished to give Babuji also sufficient time to mull over the suggestion and take his decision as well.

The next week Salil spent in his hometown and was given a hero’s welcome. He found time to sit with his mother and patiently explain to her all his plans. At first, she would hear nothing of living in the same house with Mohan Babu. Salil had his way and explained to her that theirs would be a whole family now and Mohan Babu who would soon retire, would be all alone. His mother could come and live with him so that they could give company to each other in the twilight of their lives. He succeeded in convincing her that these days there is no such taboo of people living together, but that on the contrary, they would be bringing happiness to each other.

Salil returned to Mumbai with a gleaming mother looking forward to a new life and an equally expectant father who would enjoy living as a family now.