Bhushan Banmali is a story taken from a collection of stories (Half a Rupee: Stories) by Gulzar, and offered here as an independent read, from part one, which is about somewhat well known people as far as Indian intelligentsia and media go, Kuldeep Nayar and Bhushan Banmali and various far more famous film persona from Mumbai - poets Jaan Nisaar Akhtar and his sone Javed Akhtar whom they called Jaadu (magic), and their friend Sahir Ludhianavi, and more. Interesting, and with twists at the end to give one a pause if not a tear.
Bhushan Banmali was a friend of Gulzar who lived with him and wrote and had friends and relationships that seem out of run of the mill, and the story tells about his two close relationships with women who happened to be his wife and her mother, apart from travel and life with Gulzar and other friends. The part about trip through Himaalaya is very interesting, especially more so if one has been there, but even otherwise for various reasons.
Gulzar to some extent and Sahir Ludhianavi to a far more committed extent were leftists - Sahir was about to be arrested for h in his chosen or default home in the other part of India as it was before independence, and had to escape to India as it is post independence, and yet he said it was lucky for Mumbai to have him, rather than admitting he was lucky he could get away and not be arrested to spend life in jail, rather than the respect and fame and prestige and satisfactory work he had during his life in India. Gulzar in that tradition sympathises with a suicide bomber who plans to blow up a prime minister, and writes a story and publishes it, apart from a film or more he made on the topic.
Wonder if they had courage enough to battle for Malala and her ilk. Easy to target a democracy, especially one that does not penalise you for being in minority politically.
Saturday, March 29, 2014.
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