04Oct 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

MACBETH

Lucknow, school, theatre
MACBETH AT LORETO LUCKNOW   At the onset,my apologies,for being late,which was due to many reasons.Besides being busy ,had been out of Lucknow several times in recent past,but above all was suffering from a major Writer's Block!   It was a real double treat ,when lucknow staged two English plays in one month,Unfaithfully yours by ACTORS and then MACBETH,by TALL ( Teachers Association of Loreto ,Lucknow ) I bought the ticket well in advance,lest I miss,seeing it,and waited anxiously for the day   Watched the play with mixed emotions.Was feeling really great,visiting Loreto,and that Auditorium,after many years,probably decades.( last being in 74 ) I not only have great fondness for the school,but have special attachment ,with that auditorium,where I made my stage debut,in 65,almost 45 years ago.Theatre at Loreto was…
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04Oct 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

HAUNTING MEMORIES OF ST FRANCIS

Lucknow, school
The Haunting Memories of SFS   Its unbelievably strange,but I remember everything of SFS ,in my mind as crystal clear,specially the classes where I spent most of the day during those seven odd years   I not only remember the classes,or my seats,but even the seats of some of my other class mates! Class III B was on the ground floor of the old primary building, to the right as you enter,after the Staff accommodation block(it was demolished and the new double storied primary section came up in 1970 at the same site) Class IV was on the rear new block,ground floor,second from the toilets,facing the rear field Class V and VI were in the rear block too,but on the first floor of the extension block to the rear wing Class…
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02Oct 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

HARRASSED HUSBANDS

relationships
India Today,in its last issue for Aug 2009,ran an article titled,UNHAPPILY HARRIED, which was a real eye opener,even for me,who always felt,that men,were tortured at home,more frequently than thought of.It focused on SAVE INDIAN FAMILY FOUNDATION (SIFI),which comprises of 25 NGOs and 40,000 members,all husbands,victims of domestic violence   Without sounding like a MCP or a Woman Hater,I extend all my sympathies to all these men,and to innumerable more,who don't muster the courage to come in public.I do not deny,that domestic violence,against women,is very rampant in India,and probably the whole world,but men being tortured is prevalent too,though may be in a lesser proportion.Though latter may exist in ant caste or religion ,or social strata,husband bashing is a little more common in certain states like,Bengal,Maharashtra and the eastern India .While it…
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02Oct 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor 8 Comments

MY DAYS AT ST FRANCIS SCHOOL,LUCKNOW

Lucknow, school
My Days at SFS   Its great to talk about the good old days, schools and to interact with  my dear fellow Franciscans, peers, seniors and  juniors. Its a matter of great pride and pleasure to walk down memory lane and talk of my days at SFS(Oooooops ,I mean SFC) SF was School when we were there!!!!!!!!!!! Its college now . Walking down memory lane ,is probably a misappropriate term! I really don't have to go back and try to remember anything!! Its all there, as fresh as today, as if it happened yesterday!!! Even though I left St Francis in 1975!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(sounds pre historic!)   I joined SFC in 1968,in class three, after doing KG from Christian College and Prep and Class 1 and 2 from St Ann's ( Many of you would…
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30Sep 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

DURGA POOJA OF YESTER YEARS

Uncategorized
Even though I am not a Bengali,Durga Pooja ,has always been a special event for me,every year.Was born at Narhi,in Lucknow,where we lived in an area called Kali Niwas,which means the House of Goddess Kali,and as the name implies,it was a huge haveli sort of a building ,sprawling amidst three roads,which had been divided over four generations,housing at that time over twenty Bengali families,with we being one of the only two  non Bengali occupants in it.So my child hood was spent amongst Bengalis,and it was natural for me to understand Bengali comfortably,and speak adequately fluently.More than the language ,it was the Bengali rituals,festivals and weddings that we grew up with,and Durga Pooja ,being the most significant   The preparation would start well in advance,specially in getting clothes stitched and in rehearsing…
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06Sep 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor 1 Comment

Loreto & My first Teachers !

memories
Loreto & My first Teachers !   Being a May born and since the sessions in the Convents in those good old days  started in January,I had to spend six months at Christ Church College(about which I hardly remeber anything),before I was admitted in Loreto Convent in Jan 65 in KG.For many ,it may be news,that Loreto had a boys section too,earlier,till 1967 to be precise.The boys section  of Loreto Convent,Lucknow was called St Annes and was run in the  building of Avadh Ladies Club,on Kalidas Marg,just a road away from the backside of Loreto's main building,which now houses the Avadh Degree College.Though the administration of the boys section was from the main school,there was no intermingling with the girls, :( ,except during fates,sports days and annual functions or Christmas…
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04Sep 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

DIVINE TUSSEL

religion, social trends
The divine tussle   Besides the numerous religions and sects that we had, in the world, especially in India, more and more religious groups are mushrooming everyday. The last decade has seen am alarming rise in the number of GURUS, and their pravachan sessions cost a fortunes, at times the Math or Organization charging in crores for a week session, at any city.   What is strange and at times even disappointing is the fact, that many of them lead lives full of luxury, contrary to what they preach. Some have more than one wife, some involved in criminal charges, some in faulty accounts and few have their children involved in all kinds of nefarious activities, while the ashrams of others are accused of murder of children in the name…
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23Aug 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

LOVE AAJ KAL

movies
TWO - IN - ONE !!   Luv Aaj Kal,was a double treat,and that too, a real welcome one.After a large number of off beat movies in the near past,on terrorism,abstract themes and Bollywood,it was good for a refreshing change,to see a good old poppy love story.The best part of the movie,in fact was that it had two love stories ,one of present times,and one of yester years running simultaneously.portraying the love is eternal !   The story revolves around an Indian boy,played beautifully by Saif,and a girl,acted by Deepika,who are settled abroad,and are just thick friends. Both are ambitious and want to peruse their careers,but while the boy wants to stay put there,the girl wants to return to India and peruse her passion of rerestoring heritage buildings.Confused as they are,about their…
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09Aug 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor 4 Comments

SACH KA SAAMNA

TV
SACH KA SAMNA YA RISHTOON KA KHATMA !   No reality show,of Indian TV,has attracted so much controversy,as SKS,(Society-OUTLOOK,Aug 10,2009) The question is not,whether we believe or not,on what's on SKS,or if it is true or false,but the question is,Is it really worth it ?   The original show,from where,this has been conceived,may have been a real hit,but then,even today,the differences in the values and social norms between the western world and our culture are significant.Pre and extra marital affairs,surprised desires,fantasies,infidelity and even incest,are accepted as being present in the society,and one even accepts these,in a movie or a serial,and now as an audience ,we may even accept it on the show,but I personally feel that it would be  totally unacceptable for the near and dear ones,who are involved in the confessions…
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09Aug 2009 by Sanjay Kapoor No Comments

EVOLUTION ON INDIAN TV

TV
Indian TV,comes of age !!   Indian TV,has come a long way,over the last nearly four decades,since when it started in early seventies( cover Story-India Today, Aug 10,2009 )   Initially there was nothing besides Krishi Darshan,Phool Khilen Hein Gulshan Gulsan and the weekly Sunday movie and then came the mother of all soups,Hum Log & Buniyyad, followed by the great epic serials Mahabharat & Ramayan.In between we had few other memorable ones like Ek Kahani, Mungari Lal ,Bharat Ek Khooj & Malgudi days.   The real boom,however,on the small screen came with Ekta Kapoor's K series of soaps,with juicy stories,full of split personality characters which could put Jackel and Hyde to shame.I am extremely grateful to Ekta ,for sparing Baa,of innumerable affairs,countless marriages,multiple divorces ,illegitimate children and never ending skeletons in…
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