Remembering Vilasrao Deshmukh...1945-2012

Mukesh Sharma with  Hon'bleVilasrao Deshmukh

My acquaintanceship with hon'ble Vilasrao Deshmukhji was born out of the challenge that was thrown at me by the late Chief Minister of Maharashtra by default. It so happened that when I was Posted as the Director and Head of DDK Mumbai, I was informed by a press friend of mine (a comment purported to have been said by the late CM) Its good to have a young Director at the helms of the DD affairs in Maharashtra but it would have been better if he was a son of the soil.

At DDK Mumbai... Hon'ble Vilasraoji

 In less than 6 months, I was able to turn around the fortunes of DDK Mumbai and the first VIP to come to DDK was Hon'ble CM Vilasraoji. He came for a LIVE phone in program Saad Pratisaad . Initially his staff and aide were reluctant to allow the CM to face the people with Q&S session on phone LIVE. But when I spoke to the CM and assured his staff that nothing will go wrong and that he must trust his own people and have faith in me as a Broadcaster, that the late CM agreed to come for the show.  Needless to mention the show was flawless . Next day on my table I found a letter from CM's office and flowers complimenting me for the program.

A n affectionate Chief Minister

After that, the Ho'ble CM attended most of DD Sahydri's function and visited the DDK on  numerous  occasions. A bond grew with Vilasraoji and I was a regular visitor at Varsha (the official residence of CM of Maharashtra).

I am still coming to terms with the fact that Vilasraoji is not with us anymore. I would deeply miss you SIR. May the Lord almighty give strength to the berived family, may his soul rest in peace. 

 32 years ago on 29th July 1980, a young man from the city of Nawabs (Lucknow) came to the city of dreams (Mumbai). It was raining cats and dogs. He had a date with destiny. He was to be interviewed by the grand old man of Indian Cinema, Dr V Shantaram.

Dr V Shantaram

He had prepared himself from the pages of The Illustrated Weekly of India, Edited by MV Kamath,(  a father figure of print journalism in India). The young man had never met MV Kamath .

The magazine that changed the course of life

 But  his magazine  was the stepping stone of his career, for he read the Views of Dr V Shantaram on the  Children cinema in The Illustrated Weekly of India. So when he was being  interviewed, he was talking V Shantaram. Needles to mention he was selected for the post of Production officer in Children's Film Society Of India.

With Satyen Bose and Kidar Sharma

Every year he remembers 29th July, a date which moulded his career and gave him an opportunity to work very closely with the likes of V Shantaram, Kedar Sharma (Raj kapoor's Guru), Satyen Bose (Director of Chalti ka naam Gadi), Jaya Bachchan, Amol Palekar, Shabana Azmi, who were Chairpersons of CFSI.

At CFSI with Shabana Azmi

Destiny had stored some thing more for him. 
The young man (now not so young ) moved out of CFSI and joined Doordarshan, Prasar Bharti. In subsequent years Mr MV Kamath became the Chairperson of Prasar Bharti and he got an opportunity to work very closely with him. 

With MV Kamath former Chairman Prasar Bharti

 Mr Kamath and all others (except V Shantaram, Kedar Sharma Satyen Bose) continue to support him till date in all his endeavors. 

With Shabana Azmi

With Amol Palekar

                               Thank You All for being a part of my life

The old man in the picture (inside the train) is living life at its best, has no responsibilities, surviving on love care and affection, has no one to look after other than.....well that's not important. He is physically drained out & mentally challenged. But he is a fighter. He was born normal but the child hood sickness and parents ignorance has made him live a life of a 4 years old. I am sure given a chance he could have been a great singer.His vocal chords are laden with honey. Of late he has stopped talking. Yet he laughs both in pain and pleasure. The best part is he never complains. So its all the more important for me to ensure that I do not make him suffer in his silence.Though he has been with us for the last 32 years and my family has taken care of him, now its me & him only. My friends and family know him as... Mamaji. ..Persons who are mentally disabled oftentimes find it difficult, if not impossible, to journey through life without some type of assistance..

Take care of your elders especially the physically & mentally challenged...celebrate their company round the year. Posted on the No Occasion of world Elderly Day.

Last year 14th June Mansi & Lt. Aditya tied the Nuptial Knot..

 Lt. Aditya & Mansi got married on 14th June 2011. It was a traditional Maharashtrian Marriage which is perhaps the simplest and the least opulent in the whole country. Unlike other weddings, most of the rituals are preformed early in the morning.

The wedding ceremony is one of the oldest rituals of UNITY in history, no matter what religious or secular beliefs a couple has, the end result of the ceremony is the union of two souls.

The marriage ceremony called Vivah in Sanskrit, is 5000 years old Vivah means "that which
carries us along." The marriage is a sacred bond between man and woman and not entered into
lightly. The marriage is meant to carry the couple along the path of Dharma, or righteousness.

Ganesha Puja

The wedding ceremony begins with worship of Shri Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles and
provider of good luck. All traditional hindu ceremonies begin with invocation of Ganesha. Other
pujas are also performed evoking the presence of other forms of God to preside over the
wedding ceremony.

Milan

The bride’s family greets the groom.He receives the red tilaka (red powder) mark on his
forhead signifying the Lord’s blessing upon him.He is led to the mandapam, or canopy under
which the ceremony will take place.

Jayamala

The bride hidden behind a curtain, is escorted to the mandapam..The priest will lower the
curtain and the bride and groom will shower each other withj rice.The rice represents
prosperity, but is also to establish dominance in the marriage.The bride and groom exchange flower garlands
signifying their acceptance for each other.

No tobacco day....at . The Taj President...

Date 27th May... Place DDK Mumbai...Time...11am... Tring.. Tring .The phone rings .It was a call from Shaina NC..the renowned designer.." Mukesh I would request you to walk the ramp..on 31st May.". "What ? Say it again" was my instant reaction. "Yes I want you to take a walk on the ramp on the occasion  of No Tobacco Day.. There will be film, fashion & media heads .Pl don't say No" "And what will I be wearing on the ramp". Pat came the reply from Shaina "Nita Lulla's designed dress" And before I could say Jack Robinson, Shaina had hung up. So no choice. Internally I felt good for 3 reasons. One that I will be walking for a cause. Two, I will be walking with the top model Resham Bombaywala and third it was a chance to wear Nita Lulla's Designed dress.

Can you spot Nita Lulla's Dress?

31st May 2003....Time 8pm...Place The Taj President...

 60 eminent representatives of media, film, fashion, WHO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, CPAA and a large section of Mumbai glitterati assembled at the Taj President to watch a unique fashion show. They represented the soul of Aamchi Mumbai and they came together to Say No to Tobacco. The collections of Shaina NC, Neeta Lulla, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Wendell Rodriques was choreographed by Hemant Trivedi and compered by Mandira Bedi.

Mukesh Sharma & the model  Resham Bombaywala

World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on May 31. It is meant to encourage a 24-hour period of abstinence from all forms of tobacco consumption across the globe.The member states of the World Health Organization (WHO) created World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) in 1987.

Remembering Chacha Nehru on 27th May....

 I remember it was 27th May 1964,  I was in Srinagar with my family for vacation.   I was 7 years old. We were planning to go out and watch the shooting of  the film Jab Jab Phool khiley (JJPK) at the Dal Lake. Shashi Kapoor and Nanda were there for the shoot. (Incidently Raja Hindustaani is a remake of JJPK)  We were invited by the producer of the film.

Shooting in Kashmir in 1964

Nehru with Impressionable minds 

Suddenly there was a panic in the city and we heard that Pt Nehru had Died. People thought there will be riots in Kashmir. Luckily nothing untoward happened. But it was a sad day for India. A sad  day for a 7 year old impressionable mind.  27thMay has etched in my memory as any one would remember his or her birthday or an anniversary. Except for the fact that this was the death anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru , the first and longest of the serving prime minister of independent India & the founding father of our freedom struggle.

Chacha Nehru..The Last Journey 

 Nehru's appreciation for parliamentary democracy coupled with concerns for the poor and underprivileged enabled him to formulate policies that often reflected his socialist leanings. Both as prime minister and as Congress president, Nehru pushed through the Indian Parliament, dominated by members of his own party, a series of legal reforms intended to emancipate Hindu women and bring equality. These reforms included raising the minimum marriageable age from twelve to fifteen, empowering women to divorce their husbands and inherit property, and declaring illegal the ruinous dowry system. His long tenure was instrumental in shaping the traditions and structures of independent India.

The Parliament

The following video is a tribute from the golden voice of India, Mohammed Rafi. The Song Meri Awaaz Suno pyar Ka raag suno was picturised on the funeral procession of the stock shot footage of late Pandit Nehru. As usual the heart breaking music was rendered by Madan Mohan. Lets view the video from the film Naunihal and remember our Chacha Nehru on 27th may 2012...48 years after his demise.

Remembering Pramod Mahajan...3rd May 2012

On 9th June 2001,  Late Pramod Mahajan the then I & B Minister visted DDK Mumbai. I was heading the DD Kendra .He was one minister, who would n't minced words. He would call a spade a spade. DD per se was not in his good books.So I was a bit shaky. He had come for the Live Hello DD Program .

Pramod Mahajan at DDK Mumbai writing memoirs