BACKLOGS OF LIFE OR SIMPLY SOUR GRAPES   ?   (By A.S. MURTY)

 

As we advance to the 70s or 80s, we may sometimes rue what we could have achieved more in life, what we could have done more in life than what we actually did. This however applies to those of us who dream fantasies or aim a little too high. Maybe, circumstances were so thrust on us as not to pursue our dreams or try harder to achieve our left over goals.

 

My first dream was to get into Defence Forces and serve my motherland. But that was not to be so. And I drifted far away from this thought quite early in my life.

 

Anyway, the subject is not what I missed being. It is actually what almost everyone of us would feel.  For, life has so many opportunities. It invites us into different arenas, different situations. Sometimes we take  the cue and follow the new path ahead  of us and wander into a completely different world.   Perhaps, we would not have been what we are, had we not treaded on this path.

 

Yet, there would be hundreds of other roles that we would have  like to assign ourselves, but could not achieve any of those due to the twists and turns that our life took. May be this rings a bell in  you too. May be you will agree that  you could have been a completely different person than what you are, had you pursued the other different paths that came into your life at different stages. Just maybe.

 

Let’s just call them the BACKLOGS IN LIFE or SIMPLY SOUR GRAPES, shall we  ?

MY SONGS 

 

 This is specifically for my friends who follow a spiritual Guru Ganapathi Sachidananda Sastry.

(Please appreciate my frustration, as now I have to invoke the Guru himself).

One may be a very devout person, doing bhajans or poojas every day. One may be follower of a sect or a Guru.

But by sending repeatedly the photos/videos of such religious activitity to others, every day, one is actually doing REVERSE ADVERTISING. This leads to the recipients feeling helpless in the face of such an adamant behavior.

CAN ONE NOT CONFINE ONE'S PERSONAL HABITS TO THEMSELVES ? IT IS MY ERNEST APPEAL TO SUCH OF MY FRIENDS NOT TO SEND TO ME ANY OF THEIR DAILY RITUALS OF DIVINE ACTIVITIES.

Note : I have personally sent this same message to one of my friends in Hyderabad.

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Writing negatively about Spiritual Gurus seems to be a taboo in our circles. Most people are shocked to see someone write in such a manner despicizing the social media activities of many who are followers of any Sect or spiritual Guru.

Yesterday I wrote how I feel when I receive a daily dose of photos/videos of spiritual activity from some people. I am not a seeker of spiritual life. I have my own life style. I do not send by WhatsApp my activities to anyone who may not be interested in my kind of activities. I let all to lead their own lives. But some people thrust their choices, their preferences, their interests, their likings, their beliefs etc on others who are unwilling to buy any of their forwards. And this is done repeatedly, day after day.

What is their intention ? Is it to convert me to their Sect ? Does their Guru preach them to influence more and more people ? Do these bhakts get any compensation to get more people join their group ?

Yesterday I shared my thoughts on the daily dose of photos and videos that I am flooded with on WhatsApp by someone who is an ardent follower of Ganapati Sachidananda Sastry. I shared that post personally with that person also. In response, I got a message this morning reading as "If you do not like someone's story, then write your own story, GM". Well, what else have I been doing all these years ? I write extensively, airing out my views on diverse subjects. But no Guru has ever been able to influence me so as to target others to force them to go through my posts.

One Guru just cannot give the wisdom to a few that they need so badly.

 MOHATARMA MUMTAZ NASEEM KI EK GHAZAL

तुझे कैसे इल्म न हो सका बड़ी दूर तक ये ख़बर गई

तिरे शहर ही की ये शाएरा तिरे इंतिज़ार में मर गई

कोई बातें थीं कोई था सबब जो मैं वा'दा कर के मुकर गई

तिरे प्यार पर तो यक़ीन था मैं ख़ुद अपने आप से डर गई

वो तिरे मिज़ाज की बात थी ये मिरे मिज़ाज की बात है

तू मिरी नज़र से न गिर सका मैं तिरी नज़र से उतर गई

है ख़ुदा गवाह तिरे बिना मिरी ज़िंदगी तो न कट सकी

मुझे ये बता कि मिरे बिना तिरी उम्र कैसे गुज़र गई

वो सफ़र को अपने तमाम कर, गई रात आएँगे लौट कर

ये 'नसीम' मैं ने सुनी ख़बर तो मैं शाम ही से सँवर गई

 ONE LIFETIME IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.

Most people do very little in their lifetime. But there is so much they could have done.

From reading books to writing , for instance. And reading books on different subjects. Not to master the topics but to learn. The World that we live in offers us a million times more information than we ever even imagine.

One can listen to music of various types and places. We just have to run our imagination wild. For instance, I suddenly wanted to listen to Sinhala old movie songs..... just to see if they are closer to our own vintage songs. And yes, I found there are a lot of similarities in how movies were/are made, how songs are picturized, how the songs are composed, etc. I do not know Sinhala, yet a chord does strike.

One can sing songs, it is a passion one can pursue. But not many venture out to do that. You may need to sing often. You may need to buy a good sound system, a mic etc. This is something that many can do, but do not indulge in.

One can write some poetry. In whichever language one is more proficient.

One can scout the internet with wild questions. Learn about some of the greatest buildings, landmarks, learn of culture in some of the remotest of countries. AI can be made use of in all our pursuits for more knowledge. One can be creative in sketchwork, paintings, caricature, and crafts.

One can play any sport and follow some of the most incredible feats in various sports and games by watching them YouTube or on TV.

News from around the World can teach us a lot not only by way of information on current affairs, but also in how broadcasting is changing everywhere. For example, during the current Israel-US Vs. Iran war which is now into its third week, I usually watch newschannels from Israel , USA, Gulf countries, Fox News, BBC, DW etc. Most people can do these, but do not go beyond our own newschannels.

On the social media, there is no dearth of quality activity that one can do. Hundreds of thousands of factual and informative posts abound the social media. You learn all the time, if not whiling away a lot of time watching the soap operas or "serials" as they are known on our TV Channels. Entertainment can come in various forms --- cartoons, jokes (including cryptic ones), word puns/word plays, video clips of comedy shows and much more.

Most people spend a good amount of time on learning sciences. Explore more, through books and internet and TV. Extraordinary history and current happenings on sciences and technology blow away our mind. High-tech gadgets are being produced almost every day in various countries.

How do the Hindus in Bali, in Fiji, in Suriname, in Guyana, in Mauritious, etc celebrate the festivals that we here in India celebrate ? Just ask yourself these questions and you are on a new path. Within India, there are so diverse food habits, cultures, festivals, rituals that one can study and get to know. Wikipedia or AI can give accurate account of any information.

This morning I came across an interesting information. I explored a bit further to discover that....'The Oberammergau Passion Play (German: Oberammergauer Passionsspiele) is a passion play that has been performed every 10 years from 1634 to 1674 and each decadal year since 1680 (with a few exceptions) by the inhabitants of the village of Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany."

I often post write ups titled ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER. Everyone will find themselves realizing this if and only if we explore.

Even writing on this subject can be a never ending task. But I can always pause and confinue to write further later.

WE ONLY LIVE ONCE, but ONE LIFTIME IS MORE THAN ENOUGH to do more , to learn more, to interact more, to enjoy more, to pursue arts/crafts more etc. One must have passion. A lot of things will fall in place by themselves.

MY CINEMA ODYSSEY - 3RD FEBRUARY 2026

As I was watching yesterday one of my favourite movies of yesteryears – JEENE KI RAAH – my mind went back to the times when movies were in black and white and slowly had to taken to color in the mid 1960s Theatres too were single screen, unlike today’s multiplex halls where simultaneously several movies are shown in one complex. Going to the movies would be a family affair for most families, with around one or two movies per month as the upper limit. We had crazy fans then too and they would be those who would prefer to boast having seen the movie on FIRST DAY FIRST SHOW. First Show however meant the 6 p.m. slot. The movie would be screened four times in a day --- morning show from around 11.00 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.; 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. to 12 midnight. I have never bothered to find out why the 6 p.m. show was called as the First Show and the 9.30 to midnight show would be called as the Second Show. But those phrases stayed. Movie goers would see the trailer of the forthcoming movies and a Films Division documentary before the start of the actual movie. Advertisements were there too but not for too long to unnerve the enthusiasm. Almost al seemed to note that the movie was of 16 to 18 reels and that sent them an indication when the interval would be called. Songs of the movies used to be known to all as almost everyone in India back then seem to listen to the good old radio (and later the Transistor). Elderly men would listen to the SAMACHAR on Akashvani and the rest of the family would listen to the movie songs. And the songs would be played on the radio several times during the day and late into the night. Several programs, right from 7 a.m. in the morning to 11.00 p.m. in the night were devoted to playing of songs on listeners’ FARMAISH (requests). The songs would become so popular that the success of most movies would depend equally on the songs just as they would on the actors, plot, story, direction and so on. Most movie goers would select movies of their favourite Directors/Actors and of course, the songs. The songs of 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and upto 1970s from Hindi films are so widely popular that they defy musical parallels in any other part of the world. There would be on an average six songs in every movie in the 1950s and 1960s and each one better than the other. Even as late as in 2026 now, all those songs are still so very popular and many musical programmes are conducted every week throughout the country belting out these very songs. What prompted me to take the pen into my hands once again today was what I remembered about screening of the movies. Theatres were landmarks in that era and all addresses would be made known in relations to the location of the theatres. All roads led to the theatre (cinema hall). Cinema Halls in the main centres of the city would start screening the movie as per the show timings given above, but those theatres which were either on the outskirts of the city or in mofussil areas, would have to wait for the reels to reach them. Reels were transported from one theatre to another and many movie goers would spot the reels reaching their cinema hall and unofficial announcements ensured that almost everyone was on their seats. No one wished to miss a single moment of the cinema experience. No one would dare to be late. Yes, if tickets were sold out, the black marketeers had a hay day. Tickets were priced at Rs. 4/- for the front rows, Rs. 8 for the Middle Rows and Rs. 10/- for the Balconies or Upper Class. Serpentine queues used to be found in almost all the Cinema halls who employed security for crowd control and maintaining the line. There were no Book My Show or Online systems in those days and everyone purchased the tickets at the counter. Advance booking was done for the Middle Rows and Upper Class only and in limited quantity. Going to the cinema with entire family was a regular routine and religiously followed by most of us. All in the family would finish off all chores earlier and get dressed with their best of attire, to look their best. Dialogues would be remembered for several months and years after the movie’s release. If one had not seen a popular movie, that would be cause of belittling and no one wanted that. If not with the families, then friends would give company. No one went to the movies alone, except in very specific situations. Films were made on social themes in mind, or patriotic or devotional. All these themes had their intended impact on the society. An entire generation would dress, walk, talk and copy almost all the mannerisms of their favourite Hero or Heroine. Devanand’s buff style of hair, a Sadhana cut of hair style were the most iconic styles of that era. Much later, Rajesh Khanna changed everything and everyone what with almost an entire generation copying the Rajesh Khanna Kurta, his style of dialogue delivery, hairstyle, winking etc. Not only ordinary people, even several of the film heroes of later years copied Rajesh Khanna’s wink. Cinemas (movies) changed the society - in the thinking of common man. It made the poor forget hunger, the unemployed his loneliness, rich their untold tensions. Simumtaneously, these movies made Super Stars of the Actors (Heros, Heroines, Villains, Comedians, Character artists,). They went on to be called as legends. Lyricists, music directors, Directors, Producers --- each one of them had their own hallmark that lives to this day. Melodrama was so rich that it moved people. Tragedy made people cry, comedy made people involve so much in laughter. Movies made with social themes impacted the society in every which way. Patrotic films were a huge draw and scores of well made patriotic movies of the golden era of films are remembered and even recalled to this day. Most people would know the several gossips going around the names of several famous film stars, as if they were bound to know it. Not satisfied with watching the movies and listening to the songs over and over again, people would throng to buy copies of the film magazines which sold more than any other book on the shelf. Fan Clubs of films stars became the in-thing in the 1960s and the trend continues to this day in the Southern States. In several towns, an entire street would have rows and rows of Cinema Theatres and if one does not get a ticket for one movie, there was nearby choices so that no one went home disappointed. Cinema was an integral part of the generation of people born in the 1940s through 1990s. Today, one can watch cinema (movie) on mobile phones, computers, youtube, and on TV etc, without as much as to leave their homes. Yet, despite the exorbitant pricing of movie tickets, cinema halls generally display Houseful boards even now. I still watch these movies of the Golden period of Hindi films - 1950s through 1970s and relive my past through them. I have tried to capture as much of cinematic experience I have had in to the above paragraphs. I may have missed out on much more. Others can supplement by writing their own experiences.                                        (A.S. MURTY +++ RAFIMURTY, HYDERABAD 3rd Februaryt 2026)