Trips are
known to make or break relationships. This one did both... It broke some of us
and made us even thicker friends. A dream trip that brought us to wonderfully
sweet people who were so in love with India... The year was 2004 and the
occasion was World Theatre Festival organized by the Rafi Peer group. The
Peerzadas are a family highly respected in the theatre world, keeping alive the
traditions set by their father Rafi Peer who along with our Raj Kapoor made the
film ‘Neecha Nagar’...
So, 33
countries had participated and there were 10 teams invited from India. We were
lucky, as we got the approval from our government and Visa to participate that
year. Our theatre teachers were extremely well-read people. You had to see the
kind of excitement the trip was generating in us all. Incidentally, my
grand-parents had left everything behind and travelled from Sindh. My father’s
elder brother was a teenager then. He had to take care of the whole family
while their father was not heard of for two years. Their prayers were answered
and he rejoined them.
Today, as I
recall how my uncle wanted to travel to his homeland a few years ago along with
many of us, his children and sisters, it pains that he himself is unwell and so
are the conditions/ political climate.
Anyway,
praying for the safety of humanity, let us indulge in some pleasant nostalgia.
It was the first
week of cold Lucknowi November in 2004. We travelled by train with all our
heavy props, to Amritsar. Extremely fortunately, courtesy Atamjeet Sir, we even
got to stay at the private dormitories in the Golden Temple itself.
We had
wonderful ‘langar’ at the Golden Temple and went out to try thick Amritsari
milk getting boiled in huge clay pots in the busy road-side bazaars.
I vaguely
remember, in the girls’ room only one young man of our team was allowed to
sleep and there was some funny scuffle between him and one of my girl friends
over the visit to the bathroom in the middle of the night, courtesy the
delicious but thick milk.
Finally,
came the morning of travelling to Lahore, Pakistan. The distance should get
covered in half an hour, but it takes between 12 to 24 hours. The train waits
until each and every person with visa boards the train. That day also the
checking was extremely thorough. The visa officer and inspectors interviewed
everyone individually, just before boarding. I was also asked why I had written
on the form ‘Calcutta’ instead of ‘Kolkata’.
To which I answered, “Jab saare bhookhe-nango ko khila denge, aur koi
kaam nahin bachega, tab likh denge, ‘Kolkata’!”/'When all hungry people are fed and clothed, I will write Kolkata', and he smiled.
The Sun had
set. It was dark and hot in the train as we still waited for it to start. Our
beloved music composer, Late Ravi Nagar was egged on by our Mridula Ma’am to
sing. He had the most beautiful voice and in no time, Indians and Pakistanis
alike, thronged to the windows, those who could not get inside the crowded
compartment! Amid thunderous applause, he sang one sufi song after the other.
The train
started (as opposed to ‘leaving’ which signifies speed) and we said hello to
our fellow Pakistani travellers who had to travel back, the same evening of the
morning they had arrived in India. They had been invited under a cultural
exchange programme for few days but their visa had been stamped wrongly due to
some glitch and so they all had to travel back that very day!
They were
still trying to make us feel welcome to Pakistan. They told us how they loved
our tv serials. We told them how we love their classic tv plays. One man
suggested I should try ‘Kaphoore’ (fried goat-testicles) at the Lahore bazaar/
Chowk... Although he behaved very decently, I do not think that suggestion was
very gentlemanly of him.
And yes,
horsemen followed us on both sides so the train snailed on, as per the formers’
leisurely trot.
So we
reached Lahore at around dawn. After some minor checking which happened in a
few hours, we stepped out of the platform and were greeted by really smartly
dressed, handsome young men, MBAs... A very pleasant sight indeed; they were coordinating
the event, getting us and our luggage settled into buses and then the hotel.
We told one
of the organizers, Mr. Usman Peerzada that our stage enclosure was very close to
the road and the auto-rickshaw horns would really disturb the performance. He
said, “Theek hai, Paanch baje ke baad rickshe nahin challenge”! /'Alright, after
5 pm rickshaws will not ply here'.
Using Stand
up Comedy lingo- On the first evening we bombed and on the next one, we killed!
To be
continued...
