BEING A FAUJI’S FATHER

If you have ever voted in any election in India, you are familiar with how they mark your index finger, extending from lower part of nail to skin of the finger, with indelible ink. This ink is produced in a company called Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, the only company in India authorised to do so. After about 30 to 40 days, there is no trace of this indelible ink left and you are ready to vote again. Joining politics (or for that matter any other profession) has, at best, that so called indelible mark that stays a short time and then you are ready to be a turncoat and align your thinking and conduct with some other vocation.

However, one truly indelible ink is the one with which you are pronounced a fauji. It stays with you forever. Your mannerism, style, conduct and even way of thinking undergo permanent and indelible changes. You are not the same person anymore. As was penned by Rudyard Kipling in his famous poem ‘If’, the day you become a fauji, you suddenly become a man:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
…………………..
…………………..
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

Son? Many a times I view things from my father’s point of view; how it must have been for him to send me to fauj knowing (I know that he knew) that, like those planes on trans-Atlantic flights, once I cross over that crucial point-of-no-return, I am gone forever. He knew that he was not sending me to a new profession, but a new life, family and world.

As I penned in ‘Indian Navy Is The Only Life That I Have Known Or Seen’, it is a totally different life, family and world. Even after you hang your uniform and boots (so as to say), you are left with only one way of problem solving, reacting and dealing with anything at all. I have spent, for example, nearly six years in India’s largest corporate company and even those six years didn’t change the way I dealt with problems. On the other hand, I applied fauji solutions to everything, albeit with a little modification.

My dad never joined the armed forces but for all practical purposes he was a fauji. I remember during my boyhood days, my sister and I were always in constant fear of him. Whenever we would hear his Monga (a German vehicle just like the Army Jonga) approaching (in the silence of the hills the engine noise of the Monga was distinct), we would be like dahine-se-sajj (by the right, dress). As soon as he would be with us, the inquisition would commence starting with if we read the newspaper; and, if we did, what was the national and international news.

He was also punctual like a fauji and always kept appointments dot on time. During my sister’s marriage, for example, he nearly cancelled the time when the baraat (marriage party) didn’t reach on time. Our relatives had tough time calming him down with “kudi daa maamla hai” (It is your daughter’s life).

LIke a fauji he was forever young (jawan) and physically fit.

But, the foremost manner in which he was like a fauji was his problem solving abilities and those related to quickly getting to the core of the matter rather than beating around the bush. The other day a senior colleague wrote a piece in one of the publications about how Indians keep discussing problems and solutions but never get to implementation of any of them. Dad was different. He would do before you could count till ten and in many cases, like a typical Punjabi, do the thinking later.

So, after my initial training in the Naval Academy at Cochin (now Kochi), I joined the Cadet Training Ship INS Delhi. I was excited because it was a dream come true to be finally on board an Indian Naval Ship. To give him credit, dad had tried his utmost to stall my becoming a fauji. He constantly bombarded me with how he was preparing me to become an IAS/IFS officer and that sane, intelligent and respectable people should steer clear of becoming fauji. Dad didn’t succeed and I eventually became what I wanted to become: an Indian Navy officer. However, the present leadership of the country and the current attitude of our countrymen are now succeeding to keep as many young men and women from joining the armed forces as they can with their relentless indifference and disrespect.

Anyway, after the tough routine of my first day on the cruiser Delhi, I burnt the midnight oil in writing to him a detailed letter about how my dream had finally come true.

I wrote about the history of Delhi. I wrote that when she was with the British, she was named HMS Achilles and had taken part in the famous Battle of the River Plate (close to Argentina) with HMS Ajax and HMS Exeter (a battle in which they were pitted against the might Admiral Graf Spee and others). I wrote that in 1948 she joined the Indian Navy as first HMIS Delhi and then INS Delhi on India becoming a republic on 26th Jan 1950. I wrote that she starred in the 1956 movie ‘The Battle of the River Plate’ with John Gregson, Anthony Quayle, and Peter Finch. I wrote that whilst I was in the Naval Academy at Cochin, on one of the afternoons I had seen the movie. I recounted an interesting anecdote that in one of the aerial shoots, the complete scene of Delhi as Achilles was shot with the other ships when the Director Michael Powell frantically asked for the scene to be done again. It was because even though all hatches were kept closed, at the crucial moment, one Sikh sailor emerged from one of the hatches complete with beard and turban.

HMNZS_Achilles_SLV_AllanGreen
INS Delhi was HMNZS Achilles earlier

I also described the 6 – guns of the ship and how she helped to liberate Goa on 18th Dec 1961. I wrote about walking on the quarterdeck of the ship whereat history invariably walked with me and my chest exceeded (in later years, Narendra Modi’s) 56 inches when I walked past the 6 – inch guns with their brass plaque describing the famous battles she had fought and won.

I described the forever humming of the engines and the generators and my bunk in the cadet’s mess. Whilst describing the ship in relation to me, I even quoted the poet:

The guns you fired were my guns,
And the lives you lived were mine

The arrival of this letter at our house Whispering Winds, Kandaghat was described to me by my mom. After dinner, dad and mom slipped into the bed and dad (as he was wont to do) asked my mom to read the son’s letter to him. She read slowly and deliberately all the way from Dear Dad to …….. lives you lived were mine ….. with lots and love and regards to mom and you….yours affectionately Ravi.

My dad pleading with the then PM Moraji Desai to get his son out of the Navy!
My dad pleading with the then PM Moraji Desai to get his son out of the Navy!

After she had finished, dad lay there thinking for sometime and then asked her to read the letter all over again. Mom, thinking that dad had made peace with my having become a fauji and was full of deep fatherly love and high respect for the history and heritage of the Indian Navy, read it the second time, more slowly and and with added emphasis. After finishing she awaited his response. And sure enough, the response came. This was it:

“Kinne paise mang rehya hai?” (How much money is he asking for?)

PS: If dad was the Finance Minister of NaMo, instead of Arun Jaitley, the faujis won’t have to beg on their knees endlessly for OROP.

CHALO INTEZAAR KARTE HAIN

तू भी देखना एक ऐसा भी दिन आएगा,
आंसुओं से मेरे तेरा दिल पिघल जाएगा
मेरी ना श से तुझे कोई शिक्वा ना होगा
तेरे दिन तो क्या जहान संवर जाएगा

प्यार और इश्क़ मुझे करना ही ना था
घुट घुट रोज़ मुझे मरना ही ना था
अब सोचता हूँ क्यों चला गया वहां
तेरी राहों से मुझे गुज़रना ही ना था

सोचा था ज़िन्दगी का हमसफ़र मिला है
मेरी तनहा रातों का सहर मिला है
हम जिसे पीते रहे दवा जान के, ऐ दिल,
अब पता चला के ज़हर मिला है

खैर ग़म- ऐ-इश्क़ की कोई तो होगी मंज़िल
यह बेवफा निकली, यह हर वक़्त रही संगदिल
यह ज़िन्दगी तो रो रोके गुज़ार दी हमने
आने वाली ज़िन्दगी शायद ना हो मुश्किल

चलो इंतजार करते है! चलो इंतज़ार करते हैं!
ठोकर खा चुके हैं फिर भी प्यार करते हैं
तेरे वादे पे तो तमाम उम्र गुज़र गयी लेकिन
हम अब मौत की वफ़ा का ऐतबार करते हैं|

Intezaar

Tu bhi dekhna ek aisa bhi din aayega,
Aansuyon se mere tera dil pighal jaayega
Meri naa sh setujhe koi shikwa na hoga
Tere din to kyaa jahan sanwar jaayega

Pyaar aur ishq mujhe karna hi na tha
Ghut ghut roz mujhe marna hi naa tha
Ab sochata hoon kyun chala gaya wahan
Teri raahon se mujhe guzarna hi naa tha

Socha tha zindagi ka hamsafar mila hai
Meri tanha raaton ka sehar mila hai
Ham jise peete rahe dawa jaan ke ai dil,
Ab pata chal ke zehar mila hai

Khair gham-e-ishq ki koi to hogi manzil
Yeh bewafa nikali, yeh har waqt rahi sangdil
Ye zindagi to ro ro ke guzaar di hamane
Aane waali zindagi shaayad naa ho mushqil

Chalo intezaar karte hain! Chalo intezaar karte hain!
Thhokar kha chuke hain phir bhi pyaar karte hain
Tere waade pe to tamaam umr guzr gayi lekin
Hum ab maut ki wafa ka aitbaar karte hain|

A HUNDRED GHAZALS IN HINDI MOVIES – PART III

As I brought out in the introduction of ‘A Hundred Ghazals In Hindi Movies – Part I’, and ‘A Hundred Ghazals In Hindi Movies – Part II’, the ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in ancient Arabic poem in Arabia long before the birth of Islam. The term Ghazal is of North African and Middle Eastern origin. Its root term in Arabic is “gh-zl” and is derived from the Arabian panegyric qasida.

The ghazal spread into South Asia in the 12th century due to the influence of Sufi mystics and the courts of the new Islamic Sultanate. Although the ghazal is most prominently a form of Dari poetry and Urdu poetry, today it is found in the poetry of many languages of the Indian sub-continent.

I gave you 18 Ghazals in Part I starting with Shakeel Badayuni‘s Na milata gham to barbaadi ke afsaane kahan jaate, to Rajinder Krishan‘s Jahan Ara ghazal sung by Talat Mahmood: Phir wohi shaam wohi gham wohi tanhaayi hai. In between I packed ghazals by Kaifi Azmi, Sahir Ludhianvi, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Muztar Khairabadi, Hasrat Mohani, Hasrat Jaipuri, Jaan Nisar Akhtar, Majrooh Sultanpuri, and Farooq Qaiser.

I followed it up with another 18 Ghazals in Part II starting with Mohammad Rafi singing Sahir Ludhianvi‘s ghazal Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtehaan to do for the 1960 movie Babur, to Lata Mangeshkar singing Jaan Nisar Akhtar‘s Aap youn faaslon se guzarte rahe for the 1977 movie Shankar Hussain. In between I gave you ghazals sung by Mubarak Begum, and ghazals of Mirza Ghalib, Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Rajinder Krishan, Gulzar, Bashar Nawaz and Mir Taqi Mir.

Lets resume our journey into the fascinating world of Ghazals.

Ghazal #37

Talat Mehmood

He was born on 24th Feb 1924 in Lucknow. He died on 9th May 1998 in Mumbai. He left behind a legacy of a unique style of playback singing and ghazal singing. Indeed, he was known as the Ghazal King in Hindi films.

talat-mahmood_1

I have already given you his ghazals for the movie Jehan Ara and Dekh Kabira Roya.

His finest ghazal ever was for the 1953 movie Footpath. This is a Sardar Jafri ghazal modified for the film by Majrooh Sultanpuri. It has Khaiyyam‘s gentle music. It is as popular today as it was 62 years ago.

Please enjoy: Shaam-e-gham ki kasam, aaj gamgeen hain ham,
Aa bhi jaa, aa bhi jaa, aaj mere sanam….

shaam-e-Gam kii qasam aaj Gamagii.n hai.n ham
aa bhii jaa aa bhii jaa aaj mere sanam
shaam-e-Gam kii qasam
dil pareshaan hai.n raat viiraan hai.n
dekh jaa kis tarah aaj tanahaa hai.n ham
shaam-e-Gam kii qasam

chain kaisaa jo pahaluu me.n tuu hii nahii.n
maar Daale na dard-e-judaaI kahii.n
rut ha.nsii.n hai.n to kyaa chaa.Ndanii hai to kyaa
chaa.Ndanii zulm hai aur judaaI sitam
shaam-e-Gam kii qasam

ab to aajaa ke ab raat bhii so gaI
zindagii Gam ke seharaav me.n kho gaI (2)
Dhuu.NDhatii hai.n nazar tuu kahaa.N hai.n magar
dekhate dekhate aayaa aa.Nkho.n me.n Gam
shaam-e-Gam kii qasam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qT1uuxzvGA

Ghazal #38

Talat Mehmood

This is a favourite of mine picturised on V Shantaram and his two wives Jayshree and Sandhya. It is the best of the ghazals of Noor Lucknowi and it has C Ramchandra‘s music. The name of this 1952 movie is Parchhain. Parchhain is cited as one of the films produced by Shantaram that was of “exceptional merit”. The story revolves around a man who is accidentally blinded by a woman whom he falls in love with, only to lose her when he regains his sight.

Please enjoy: Mohabbat hi naa jo samajhe who zaalim pyaar kyaa jaane….

muhabbat hii na jo samajhe, vo zaalim pyaar kyaa jaane
nikalatii dil ke taaro.n se, jo hai jha.nkaar kyaa jaane
muhabbat hii na jo samajhe …

use to qatl karanaa aur ta.Dapaanaa hii aataa hai
galaa kisakaa kaTaa kyuu.Nkar kaTaa talavaar kyaa jaane – 2
muhabbat hii na jo samajhe …

davaa se faayadaa hogaa ki hogaa zahar-e-qaatil se
% zahar-e-qaatil = killer’s poison
maz.r kii kyaa davaa hai ye koii biimaar kyaa jaane
muhabbat hii na jo samajhe …

karo fariyaad sar Takaraa_o apanii jaan de Daalo – 2
ta.Dapate dil kii haalat husn kii diivaar kyaa jaane – 2
muhabbat hii na jo samajhe …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_gGECgVTUM

Ghazal #39

Talat Mehmood

What did we like about the Jehan Ara ghazal that I had given you earlier? Well, other than Talat Mehmood‘s singing, it had Madan Mohan‘s music.

This combination motivates me to give you another. This too has Rajinder Krishan‘s lyrics. Of course, you know the general story of the 1964 movie Jahan Ara starring Bharat  Bhushan as Mirza Yusuf Changezi and Mala Sinha as Jahan Ara the daughter of Shah Jehan from Mumtaz. Mumtaz, whilst dying takes a promise from Jahan Ara that she, Jahan Ara, would look after Shah Jahan in Mumtaz’s absence and she was forced to sacrifice her love for Mirza. He, however, believed that one day she would return to him. And that’s how this ghazal came about in the form of an epistle from him to her in her isolation.

Rajinder Krishan

Please enjoy: Main teri nazar ka saroor hoon,
Tujhe yaad ho ki naa yaad ho….

mai.n terI nazar kA suruur huu.N
tujhe yaad ho ke nA yaad ho
tere paas rahake bhI dUr huu.N
tujhe yaad ho ke nA yaad ho
mai.n terI nazar kA suruur huu.N

(mujhe aa.Nkh se to giraa diyaa
kaho dil se bhI kyA bhulaa diyaa ) – 2
terI aashiqii kA Guruur huu.N
tujhe yaad ho ke nA yaad ho
mai.n terI nazar kA …

(terI zulf hai mere haath me.n
ke tU aaj bhI mere saath hai ) – 2
tere dil me.n bhI mai.n zaruur huu.N
tujhe yaad ho ke nA yaad ho
mai.n terI nazar kA …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPZv_2uHMdE

Ghazal #40

Talat Mehmood

Talking about Rajinder Krishan brings me straight to the 1961 movie Chhaya starring Sunil Dutt and Asha Parekh. This ghazal has Salil da‘s music. It is, of course, one of the best ghazals of Talat Mehmood.

Talat Mahmood and Salil Chowdhury
Talat Mahmood and Salil Chowdhury

Please enjoy: Aansu samajh ke kyon mujhe aankh se tune giraa diya….

aa.Nsuu samajh ke kyo.n mujhe aa.Nkh se tuune giraa diyaa
motii kisii ke pyaar kaa miTTii me.n kyo.n milaa diyaa
aa.Nsuu samajh ke kyo.n mujhe

naGmaa huu.N kab magar mujhe apane pe koii naaz thaa -2
gaayaa gayaa huu.N jis pe mai.n TuuTaa huaa vo saaz thaa
jis ne sunaa vo ha.Ns diyaa, ha.Ns ke mujhe rulaa diyaa
aa.Nsuu samajh ke kyo.N mujhe …

jo naa chaman me.n khil sakaa mai.n vo gariib phuul huu.N
jo kuchh bhii huu.N bahaar kii chhoTii sii ek bhuul huu.N
jis ne khilaa ke khud mujhe, khud hii mujhe bhulaa diyaa
aa.Nsuu samajh ke kyo.n mujhe

merii Kataa muaaf mai.n bhuule se aa gayaa yahaa.N
varanaa mujhe bhii hai khabar meraa nahii.n hai ye jahaa.N
Duub chalaa thaa nii.nd me.n achchhaa kiyaa jagaa diyaa
aa.Nsuu samajh ke kyo.n mujhe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZiooSLGPLE

Ghazal #41

Mohammad Rafi and Mahendra Kapoor

I am sorry but every now and then I have a deep-rooted desire to get back to my favourite poet and lyricist Shakeel Badayuni. This ghazal has been sung by Mohammad Rafi and Mahendra Kapoor together. It is from the 1968 movie Aadmi starring Dilip Kumar, Waheeda Rehman and Manoj Kumar.

Mohammad Rafiand Mahendra Kapoor
Mohammad Rafiand Mahendra Kapoor

Predictably, it has Naushad‘s music.

Please enjoy: Kaisi haseen aaj baharon ki raat hai…

ra: kaisii hasiin aaj bahaaro.n kii raat hai
ek chaa.Nd aasamaa.n pe hai ek mere saath hai

ma : dene vale tuu ne to koii kamii na kii
ab kis ko kyaa milaa ye muqaddar kii baat hai

ra : chhaaya hai husn-o-ishq pe ek ra.ng-e-beKudii
aate hai.n zi.ndagii me.n ye aalam kabhii kabhii
har Gham bhuul jaao khuushii kii baaraat hai
ek chaa.Nd aasamaa.n pe hai ek mere saath hai

ma : aaii hai vo bahaar ki naGame ubal pa.De
aisii khuushii hai ki aa.Nsuu nikal pa.De
ho.nTho.n pe hai.n duaae.n magar dil pe haath hai
ab kis ko kyaa milaa ye muqaddar kii baat hai

ra : mastii simaT ke pyaar ke gulashan me.n aa gaii
ma : merii khuushii bhii aap ke daaman me.n aa gaii
bha.Nvaraa kalii se duur nahii.n saath saath hai

Ghazal #42

Hasan Kamaal

He was born on 1st January 1943 in Lucknow. I have already given you two of his ghazals: one for the movie Nikaah sung by and picturised on Salma Agha: Dil ke armaan aansuyon mein beh gaye and the other for the movie Aitbaar sung by Bhupinder and Asha Bhosle and picturised on Suresh Oberoi and Dimple Kapadia: Kisi nazar ko tera intezzaar aaj bhi hai.

Hasan Kamaal (Pic courtesy: www.youtube.com)
Hasan Kamaal (Pic courtesy: www.youtube.com)

Here is a ghazal of his for the 1985 movie Tawaif sung by Mahendra Kapoor with Ravi‘s music.It is picturised on Rishi Kapoor.

Please enjoy: Tere pyaar ki tamanna gham-e-zindagi ke saaye….

tere pyaar kii tamannaa Gam-e-zi.ndagii ke saaye
ba.Dii tez aa.Ndhiyaa.N hai.n ye chiraaG bujh na jaaye

na fizaa.N hai apane bas me.n na nazar me.n hai kinaaraa
kahii.n mere dil kii kashtii na bha.Nvar me.n Duub jaaye

koii hal tuu hii bataa de mere dil kii kashamakash kaa
tujhe bhuulanaa bhii chaahuu.N terii yaad hii sataaye

hai ajiib dastaa.N kuchh ye hamaarii dastaa.N bhii
kabhii tum samajh na paaye kabhii ham sunaa na paaye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3Ji_j4vW50

Ghazal #43

Majrooh Sultanpuri

He was born on 1st of Oct 1919 at Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Before his death on 24th May 2000 in Mumbai, he packed in more than five decades of being a lyricist in Hindi movies.

He was a leading light of Progressive Writers Movement. However, his contemporaries felt that he deviated from Urdu shayari and ghazals into popular songs.

Majrooh Sultanpuri (Pic courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com)
Majrooh Sultanpuri (Pic courtesy: www.hindustantimes.com)

Nevertheless, he still ended up writing some beautiful ghazals. One of them was the best of Talat Mehmood and I have already given you that: Shaam-e-gham ki kasam, aaj ghamgeen hain ham…

His most famous ghazal in Hindi movies, however, has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar and has been picturised on Suchitra Sen for the 1966 movie Mamta. Music was composed by Roshan.

Please enjoy: Rehate the kabhi jinake dil mein ham jaan se bhi pyaaron ki tarah…

rahate the kabhii jinake dil me.n
ham jaan se bhii pyaaro.n kii tarah
baiThe hai.n unhii ke kuuche me.n
ham aaj gunahagaaro.n kii tarah – 2

daavaa thaa jinhe.n hamadardii kaa
khud aake na puuchhaa haal kabhii – 2
mahafil me.n bulaayaa hai ham pe – 2
ha.Nsane ko sitamagaaro.n kii tarah – 2
rahate the…

baraso.n se sulagate tan man par
ashko.n ke to chhii.nTe de naa sake – 2
tapate hue dil ke zakhmo.n par – 2
barase bhii to a.ngaaro.n kii tarah – 2
rahate the…

sau rup dhare jiine ke liye
baiThe hai.n hazaaro.n zahar piye – 2
Thokar naa lagaanaa ham khud hai.n – 2
giratii huii diivaaro.n kii tarah – 2
rahate the…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szPnGL5y-gY

Ghazal #44

Majrooh Sultanpuri

His part of the world produced some great Urdu poets and it was felt that he sacrificed serious Urdu poetry in favour of populism.

Yet, he penned some really good ghazals. One of these was a reworded copy of famous Mir Taqi Mir‘s ghazal Patta patta boota boota haal hamaara jaane hai.

MeerTaqi Meer1

He did it for the 1972 movie Ek Nazar starring Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bahaduri. It was sung by Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar on the music of Laxmikant Pyarelal.

Please enjoy: Patta patta boota boota haal hamaara jaane hai…..

pattaa pattaa buuTaa buuTaa
haal hamaaraa jaane hai, pattaa pattaa…
jaane na jaane gul hii na jaane
baag to saaraa jaane hai, pattaa pattaa…

koii kisii ko chaahe, to kyuu.n gunaah samajhate hai.n log
koii kisii kii khaatir, tarase agar to ha.Nsate hai.n log
begaanaa aalam hai saaraa, yahaa.N to koii hamaaraa
dard nahii.n pahachaane hai, pattaa pattaa…

chaahat ke gul khile.nge, chalatii rahe hazaar aa.Ndhiyaa.N
ham to kisii chaman me.n, baa.Ndhe.nge pyaar kaa aashiyaa.N
ye duniyaa bijalii giraae, ye duniyaa kaa.NTe bichhaae
ishq magar kab maane hai, pattaa pattaa…

dikhalaae.nge jahaa.N ko, kuchh din jo zindagaanii hai aur
kaise na ham mile.nge, hamane bhii dil me.n Thaanii hai aur
abhii matavaale dilo.n kii, muhabbat vaale dilo.n kii
baat koii kyaa jaane hai, pattaa pattaa…

Ghazal #45

Majrooh Sultanpuri

Some of his finest songs were penned for the 1970 Rajinder Singh Puri movie Dastak starring Sanjeev Kumar and Rahana Sultan.

All these had Madan Mohan‘s music.

Please enjoy Lata Mangeshkar singing:
Ham hain mataa-e-kuchaa-o-bazaar ki tarah..

ham hai.n mataa-e-kuuchaa-o-baazaar kii tarah
uThatii hai har nigaah khariidaar kii tarah

vo to kahii.n hai.n aur magar dil ke aas paas
magar dil ke aas paas
phiratii hai koii shah nigaah-e-yaar kii tarah
ham hai.n …

majaruuh likh rahe hai.n vo ahal-e-vafaa kaa naam
ahal-e-vafaa kaa naam
ham bhii kha.De hue hai.n gunahagaar kii tarah
ham hai.n …

Some more ashar from the ghazal that are not used in the film version

is kuu-e-tishnagii me.n bahut hai ke ek jaam
haath aa gayaa hai daulat-e-bedaar kii tarah

siidhii hai raah-e-shauq par yuu.N hii kabhii kabhii
Kam ho ga_ii hai gesuu-e-diladaar kii tarah

ab jaa ke kuchh khulaa hunar-e-naakhuun-e-junuun
zaKm-e-jigar hue lab-o-ruKsaar kii tarah

Ghazal #46

Happy Birthday Shashi Kapoor
(On my Facebook Page Lyrical when this was put up)

He was born on this day, 18th March, in the year 1935. The Kapoor family under the patriarch Prithviraj Kapoor: Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor gave us some of the most intense and natural acting in the Hindi movies and continue to do so in the third generation of Ranbir Kapoor (grandson of Raj Kapoor from Rishi Kapoor); Karishma and Kareena (granddaughters of Raj Kapoor from Randhir Kapoor); Kunal, Karan and Sanjana Kapoor (children of Shashi Kapoor and Jennifer Kendal).

Each one had/has a unique style of acting. Shashi, for example, emerged as the chocolate boy of Hindi film industry.

It is difficult to imagine him singing ghazals. However, I have already given you a few days earlier his most famous ghazal for the movie Kanyadaan wherein he played the role of a poet. The ghazal was: Meri zindagi mein aate to kuchh aur baat hoti. He just stands and sings in a black achkan and looks cute.

Here is another one of his ghazals for the 1961 movie Dharamputra wherein he acted opposite Indrani Mukherjee. The ghazal writer was Sahir Ludhianvi and the music by N Dutta. The singer is Mahendra Kapoor.

Mohammad Rafi, Talat Mehmood, Indrani Mukherjee, Sahir Ludhianvi and N Dutta (picture courtesy: Bollywoodirect)
Mohammad Rafi, Talat Mehmood, Indrani Mukherjee, Sahir Ludhianvi and N Dutta (picture courtesy: Bollywoodirect)

Please enjoy: Bhool sakta hai bhala kaun tumhaari aankhen….

bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun ye pyaarii aa.Nkhe.n
ra.ng me.n Duubii huii nii.nd se bhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun …

merii har sos ne har soch ne chaahaa hai tumhe.n
jab se dekhaa hai tumhe.n tab se saraahaa hai tumhe.n
bas ga_ii hai.n merii aa.Nkho.n me.n tumhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
ra.ng me.n Duubii huii nii.nd se bhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun …

tum jo nazaro.n ko uThaao to sitaare jhuk jaaye.n
tum jo palko.n ko jhukaao to zamaane ruk jaaye.n
kyuu.N na ban jaaye.n in aa.Nkhon kii pujaarii aa.Nkhen
ra.ng me.n Duubii huii nii.nd se bhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun …

jaagatii raato.n ko sapano.n kaa khazaanaa mil jaaye
tum jo mil jaao to jiine ka bahaanaa mil jaaye
apanii qismat pe kare naaz hamaarii aa.Nkhen
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun ye pyaarii aa.Nkhe.n
ra.ng me.n Duubii huii nii.nd se bhaarii aa.Nkhe.n
bhuul sakataa hai bhalaa kaun …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDE2vaArWsY

Ghazal #47

Happy Birthday Shashi Kapoor

Now that through two of his ghazals (both in which he acted as a poet: In Kanyadaan and Dharamputra) I have proved to you that even the chocolate boy of Hindi movies Shashi Kapoor could also act on ghazals, it won’t come as a surprise to you when I give you one of his ghazals that was most popular during our days.

It is from the 1970 movie My Love in which he acted opposite Sharmila Tagore. The ghazal was written by Anand Bakshi and it has Daan Singh’s music. It is one of the best ghazals sung by Mukesh.

Anand Bakshi (Pic courtesy: ibnlive.com)
Anand Bakshi (Pic courtesy: ibnlive.com)

Please enjoy: Zikr hota hai jab qayamat ka tere jalvon ki baat hoti hai….

zikr hotaa hai jab qayaamat kaa tere jalavo.n kii baat hotii hai
tuu jo chaahe to din nikalataa hai tuu jo chaahe to raat hotii hai
zikr hotaa hai jab …

tujhako dekhaa hai merii nazaro.n ne terii taariif ho magar kaise
ke bane ye nazar zubaa.N kaise ke bane ye zubaa.N nazar kaise
naa zubaa.N ko dikhaa_ii detaa hai naa niGaaho.n se baat hotii hai
zikr hotaa hai jab …

tuu chalii aa_e muskuraatii hu_ii to bikhar jaa_e.n har taraf kaliyaa.N
tuu chalii jaa_e uTh ke pahaluu se to uja.D jaa_e.n phuulo.n kii galiyaa.N
jis taraf hotii hai nazar terii us taraf qaayanaat hotii hai
zikr hotaa hai jab …

tuu niGaaho.n se naa pilaa_e to ashq bhii piine vaale piite hai.n
vaise jiine ko to tere bin bhii is zamaane me.n log jiite hai.n
zindagii to usii ko kahate hai.n jo guzar tere saath hotii hai
zikr hotaa hai jab …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OsS35MlDx4

Ghazal #48

My Dad’s Favourite Ghazal

How well songs and ghazals connect generations! How many times I listened to my father sing the Talat Mehmood version of this ghazal from the 1957 movie Ek Saal starring Ashok Kumar and Madhubala?

These are (both Lata and Talat Mehmood versions) are the strongest lyrics written by Prem Dhawan. Ravi composed the music.

(Pic courtesy: www.youtube.com)
(Pic courtesy: www.youtube.com)

I am giving you both the versions.

Please enjoy: Sab kuchh luta ke hosh mein aaye to kyaa kiya?

‪#‎Lata‬ version

na puuchho pyaar kii hamane vo haqiiqat dekhii
vafaa ke naam pe bikatii hu_ii ulfat dekhii
kisii ne luuT liyaa aur hame.n Kabar na hu_ii
khulii jo aa.Nkh to barbaad muhabbat dekhii

sab kuchh luTaa ke hosh me.n aa_e to kyaa kiyaa
din me.n agar charaaG jalaa_e to kyaa kiyaa

(mai.n vo kalii huu.N jo na bahaaro.n me.n khil sakii) -2
vo dil huu.N jisako pyaar kii ma.nzil na mil sakii
ma.nzil na mil sakii
patthar pe hamane phuul cha.Dhaa_e to kyaa kiyaa

(jo mil na sakaa pyaar Gam kii shaam to mile)-2
ik bevafaa se pyaar kaa a.njaam to mile
(ai maut jald aa) -2 zaraa aaraam to mile
do din Kushii ke dekh na paa_e to kyaa kiyaa

# Talat version

karate rahe Kizaa.N se ham saudaa bahaar kaa
badalaa diyaa to kyaa ye diyaa unake pyaar kaa

sab kuchh luTaa ke hosh me.n aaye to kyaa kiyaa? -2
din me.n agar charaaG jalaaye to kyaa kiyaa?
sab kuchh luTaa ke hosh me.n aaye to kyaa kiyaa? -2

ham badanasiib pyaar kii rusavaa_ii ban gaye -2
Kud hii lagaa ke aag tamaashaa_ii ban gaye,
tamaashaa_ii ban gaye
daaman se ab ye shole bujhaaye to kyaa kiyaa?
din me.n agar charaaG jalaaye to kyaa kiyaa?
sab kuchh luTaa ke hosh me.n aaye to kyaa kiyaa? -2

le-le ke haar phuulo.n ke aa_ii to thii bahaar -2
nazare.n uThaake hamane hii dekhaa na ek baar
dekhaa na ek baar
aa.Nkho.n se ab ye parade haTaaye to kyaa kiyaa?
din me.n agar charaaG jalaaye to kyaa kiyaa?
sab kuchh luTaa ke hosh me.n aaye to kyaa kiyaa? -2

Ghazal #49

Roshan

Talking about Madhubala, I just can’t get this ghazal out of my system. It haunts me! Sahir has penned it so well that I am often dumb-stuck listening to it. It is from the 1966 movie Barsaat Ki Raat starring her opposite Bharat Bhushan.

Music has been composed by Roshan who really knew how to compose ghazals. No one could have sung it better than Mohammad Rafi.

Roshan

Please enjoy: Mayuus to hoon wade se tere, kuchh aas nahin kuchh aas bhi hai….

maayuus to huu.N vaade se tere
kuchh aas nahii.n kuchh aas bhii hai
mai.n apane Kyaalo.n ke sadake
tuu paas nahii.n aur paas bhii hai
maayuus to huu.N …

hamane to Kushii maa.Ngii thii magar
jo tuune diyaa achchhaa hii diyaa
jis Gam kaa ta_aalluuq ho tujhase
vo raas nahii.n aur raas bhii hai
mai.n apane Kyaalo.n ke …

palako.n se larajate ashqo.n se
tasviir jhalakatii hai terii -2
diidaar kii pyaasii aa.Nkho.n ko
ab pyaas nahii.n aur pyaas bhii hai
mai.n apane Kyaalo.n ke …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdqPhqhFATs

Ghazal #50

Roshan

In my quest to give you hundred best ghazals in Hindi movies, I have reached the halfway mark.

Lets continue with Roshan. Roshanlal Nagrath was born on 14th July 1917 and has left behind him his sons Rakesh and Rajesh Roshan and grandson Hrithik Roshan to serve the Hindi film industry. He was from Gujranwala in Punjab (now in Pakistan). He moved to Bombay in 1948 and for the next 19 years, until his death on 16th Nov 1967, he created some of the finest music in Hindi films, especially ghazals.

Barsaat Ki Raat itself had three of his gahzals: Mayuus to hoon wade se tere, Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi, and Maine shayad tumhen pehle bhi kahin dekha hai.

Another of his ghazal films was Bahu Begum with Hum intezzaar karenge tera qayamat taq (I have already given you that), Log kehate hain tumase kinaara kar lein and this one that I am giving you now.

Picturised on Meena Kumari, it brings the flavour of old time ghazals to you so well. It has been sung by Lata Mangeshkar.

Please enjoy: Duniya kare sawaal to ham kyaa jawaab dein….

duniyaa kare savaal to ham kyaa javaab de.n
tumako na ho Kayaal to ham kyaa javaab de.n
duniyaa kare savaal …

puuchhe koii ki dil ko kahaa.N chho.D aaye hai.n
kis kis se apanaa rishtaa-e-jaa.N to.D aaye hai.n
mushakil ho arz-e-haal to ham kyaa javaab de.n
tumako na ho Kayaal to …

puuchhe koii ki dard-e-vafaa kaun de gayaa
raato.n ko jaagane kii sazaa kaun de gayaa
kahane se ho malaal to ham kyaa javaab de.n
tumako na ho Kayaal to …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHqdKJMoEoE

Ghazal #50

Roshan

Please note that for a long time, keeping total control on my own emotions, I haven’t given you a Shakeel Badayuni ghazal! Some control this!

Anyway, Roshan worked with Shakeel Badayuni in two movies: 1967 movie Noorjehan starring Pradeep Kumar and Meena Kumari and 1965 movie Bedaag starring Manoj Kumar and Nanda.

Shakeel Badayuni and Roshan Ali

The happier one of these is the Noorjehan one. It has been sung as a duet between Mohammad Rafi and Asha Bhosle.

Please enjoy: Aap jab se kareeb aaye hain,
Pyaar ke rang dil pe chhaye hain….

ra : aap jab se qariib aa_e hai.n
pyaar ke ra.ng dil pe chhaa_e hai.n

jalavaa-e-yaar hai nigaaho.n me.n
phuul bikhare hu_e hai.n raaho.n me.n
duur tak zindagii ke saa_e hai.n
aap jab se qariib …

aa : dil ne halkii sii choT khaa_ii hai
zindagii ab samajh me.n aa_ii hai
ham khud apane nahii.n paraa_e hai.n
aap jab se qariib …

ra : aapase apane dil ko haar ke ham
is qadar Kush hai.n aap hii kii qasam
jaise duniyaa ko jiit laa_e hai.n
aap jab se qariib …

aa : khair ho ishq ke fasaane kii
lag na jaa_e nazar zamaane kii
had se aage qadam ba.Dhaa_e hai.n
aap jab se qariib …

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3yjjserZMU

Ghazal #52

Roshan

I have given you several of Roshan’s ghazals tonight and earlier too. I end with what I regard as his best.

Once again, he bonded well with Sahir Lushianvi (like Shakeel did with Naushad and Ravi) and some of his finest ghazals have been penned by Sahir.

This is from the 1963 movie Taj Mahal starring Pradeep Kumar as Shahjehan and Beena Roy as Mumtaz.

Please enjoy: Jurm-e-ulfat pe hamen log saza dete hain,
Kaise nadaan hain sholon ko hawa dete hain…

jurm-e-ulfat pe hame.n log sazaa dete hai.n – 2
kaise naadaan hai.n, sholo.n ko havaa dete hai.n
kaise naadaan hai.n

hamase dIvaane kahii.n tar ke vafaa karate hai.n – 2
jaan jaaye ki rahe baat nibhaa dete hai.n
jaan jaaye…

aap daulat ke taraazuu mai.n dilo.n ko taule.n – 2
ham mohabbat se mohabbat kA silaa dete hai.n
ham mohabbat se…

taKt kyA chiiz hai aur laal-o-javaahar kyA hai – 2
ishq vAle to khudaa_ii bhI luTa dete hai.n
ishq vaale …

hamane dil de bhI diyaa ehad-e-vafaa le bhI liyaa – 2
aap ab shokh se dede.n jo sazaa dete hai.n
jurm-e-ulfat pe hame.n log sazaa dete hai.n

That brings us to the end of Part III of A Hundred Ghazals in Hindi Movies. We have had a total of 52 ghazals so far.

Please let me know in the comments below if some ghazal of yours should appear in the Top 100. I shall try to accommodate. Only, please remember two things: One, there are still three more parts to go of roughly 16 ghazals per part. And, secondly, these are not the best ghazals in all fora; these are only considered the best that appeared in Hindi movies.

SUFFIX ‘EX’ IS FOR EXERCISES IN THE NAVY – PART I (AMPHEX ON NANCOWRY), EPISODE II

The story so far:

In Part I, Episode I of this post I described to you that I was made the Naval Liaison Officer (NLO) of Merchant Vessel Nancowry which was part of the Amphibious Task Force (ATF) given the task of taking the army personnel and wherewithal for an Amphibious Assault on Carnicobar from the port of Vizag in Andhra Pradesh. My team had tough time during the midnight embarakation of army personnel.

Read on:

Nancowry was hardly the luxury liner that one reads about or sees in the movies. It had countless portholes. It was tough time for my team and I to instill discipline in hundreds of jawans to keep them closed so that no light would show outside. It appeared to me that CATF (Commander Amphibious Task Force) staff and AFC (Amphibious Force Commander) staff had nothing else to do in the night but to keep making urgent signals to Nancowry to darken ship immediately. And no sooner that my staff would succeed in closing one particular porthole pointed out by AFC that another would open. By the morning, in this Porthole Test Match, the Army had won 127 – 82 to the Navy represented by my staff of just five. We didn’t even know which porthole had light showing through it until we would get a nasty signal. Significantly, in my report post the Amphex, I did mention that in the next Amphex the Navy need to get vessels without any portholes. Saawan me andhe ko hara hi hara dikhaayi deta hai(the one who becomes blind in monsoons sees only greenery). Likewise, I associate Amphex with portholes.

 

My team and I managed to get about 2 hours of sleep each in the wee hours of morning.

If we had this complaint against the Army about the portholes discipline or lack of it, their list of complaints ran into hundreds of pages. If portholes were to be kept closed then messes were stuffy, was one of them. The others ranged from cooking standards, shortage of water and not having to do anything worthwhile at sea.

I had another three days and nights to go before we would reach Carnicobar, our place of amphibious assault. And I reckoned that I had to think fast so that the rest of the time on board won’t be as miserable as the first night.

But, who should I turn to for advice? Captain Kabina, the master of the MV Nancowry was a former Commander of the Indian Navy and that too from my branch: Communication. However, till as long as his ship was chartered to the Indian Navy, for operational purposes, he was to be under my orders as per the Navy Act. Hence, turning to him for advice in an operational matter was ruled out.

The only other person to turn to was Commodore Mukherjee, the AFC. I raised him on the walkie-talkie. One of the difficulties of naval communications is that with the signalese perfected over a period of time, one is never able to convey one’s emotions properly, even if one is on walkie – talkie. It is not like a wife telling a husband, “Sunate ho jee, Bunty ne phir aaj apani nicker phaad di; main to tang aa gayi hoon usake kapade seete seete. Mera sir phata jaa raha hai. (Are you listening? Bunty has again torn his shorts; I am tired of mending his clothes. I have a splitting headache”. Naval communications, on the other hand, go something like this:

One Alpha, this is Charlie Six: Over
This is One Alpha Over, what is the trouble? Over.
(You want to tell him that the trouble is not over but only just begun; but you control your emotions, the unnecessary part of naval communications)
This is Charlie Six: Sir, how to keep the pongoes (naval slang for army personnel) busy? Over.
Charlie Six, this is One Alpha: Find a way. I repeat: find a way. Over and out.

Some of the departmental sailor chiefs who have approached their departmental officers for specific instructions to sort out vague problems have often returned with the age-old order, “Carry on, Chief Saab”. I was stunned that the AFC had subjected me to similar treatment. Urdu poets of yore had wonderful couplets for this situation; one juicy one being:

“Unase mil kar badhi aur dil ki khalish,
Guftugoo bhi hui khaamoshi ki tarah”

(A tryst with her increased the anxiety of my heart,
Discussion took place like total silence)

The inventor of a location or position called Square One must have been happy to see me occupying the position after my guftugoo with the AFC. But, the fact is that one cannot spend one’s life in Square One; one has to move on. I thought and thought and thought and came up with options I had. And finally it hit me like a bolt from the blue. I issued out orders regarding the routine of the day from Hands Call to Pipe Down with Morning and Evening PT (Physical Training) thrown in, in good measure.

It was nice to see hundreds of jawans, NCOs and JCOs and officers lining up the upper decks twice a day and sweating it out to the whistle of our PTI. In an earlier article, I had written how a good haircut is seen to solve most naval problem (Please read ‘Cut, Cut, Cut…..’). Now, a few good rounds of PT at sea solved the following problems:

1. Coming on the upper decks helped jawans to fill up air in their lungs and hence portholes could be kept closed at night.
2. The strenuous (at sea it is strenuous to do these things since one has to do so countering the rolling and pitching of the ship) exercises built up appetites and they attacked their food without complaining (hungry souls hardly complain about quality of cooking).
3. They had something to keep themselves busy at sea. Their officers added their own drills and orders to keep them busy.

Decades after the success of my idea, PM Shri Narendra Modi tried to silence OROP unrest by making the jawans perform Yoga. He failed.
Decades after the success of my idea, PM Shri Narendra Modi tried to silence OROP unrest by making the jawans perform Yoga. He failed.

In the night, my walkie-talkie crackled again:

Charlie Six this is One Alpha: Over.
One Alpha this is Charlie Six: It is over Sir.
This is One Alpha: Good boy. Roger out.

Next day on the Bridge I wanted to ask senior communicator Captain Kabina how was it that whilst stressful emotions were scarcely conveyed over naval communication nets, feelings of elation were instantly communicated?

MY EXPERIENCES WITH THE ARMY – PART I

I underwent the Higher Command Course with the Army from Jul 1996 to May 1997 (HC 25, that is) in the College of Combat (presently called the Army War College) at Mhow, near Indore in Madhya Pradesh. In our course, there were 37 officers from the Army, six from the IAF and two from the Navy. My first humorous article that appeared in Aug 1996 issue of Combat News is reproduced below.

 

Just before coming for the HC-25, friends gathered around me, with drinks in their hands, re-enacting ‘The Last Supper’. Naturally, the conversation veered around to the Army and their ‘peculiar habits’. It was unknown territory. “Basically, they are nice people,” said one in the manner of a visitor consoling a cancer patient, “And you have nothing to worry”. A civilian friend wanted me to confirm (“just to settle a bet”) if the Army men did everything with their boots on.

After having spent the first month here, I am able to report back that I have met some of the nicest people, who are as normal and professional (if not more) as we pretend to be. The main thing different or peculiar, I found, is the Army’s penchant to use abbreviations and acronyms – a sort of ‘bikini speech’ clothed in minimum words and that too shortened. It is rumoured that our SI (South Indian) Army friends cannot enjoy their food unless they have RSVP, ie, Rasam Sapadam, Varellum, Papadam; and those from P, H and D prefer PPK, ie, Papad, Pickle and Kuchamber.

Human mind has marvelous adaptability. Very soon I got used to living in KLP rather than in an officers’ mess, the former being in more of a mess than the latter. Nowadays, when someone speaks of the ‘conc area’, I am not reminded of the pogroms and when I see ‘junc’ written on a map, I do not associate it with a scrapyard.

Sometimes, of course, various explanations come to my mind as to why the bikini speech. The English language and literati owe a lot to the nautical terms and phrases which are in common usage now. Bikini Speech may be Army’s way of Indianising the English language. After all, how many of the English and the Chinese will be able to identify with the English and Chinese foods that we serve in our messes? On the other hand, the Army man may actually be in a hurry (note how they have changed even short words like night and enemy into shorter ni and en), expecting a ‘short and swift battle’ as the cliche goes. But then an incoming Exocet missile would give only 45 to 60 seconds reaction time before it hits a ship and still we have the time to say ‘Aye-aye Sir’ or acknowledge (not ack) a report by saying “Very Good”.

Bikini Speech

It may be to inculcate brevity? But this could not be the case. The Army orders are really very long and exhaustive. In Staff College, for example, when we were dumbfounded by nine pages of ‘Parking Instrs’, full of abbreviated words, we asked an Army officer to decipher. He quickly went through the edict and summed up, “Parking anywhere in the College, by student officers, is forbidden”.

Are we selectively brief exhorting our juniors to employ the bikini speech so that we will not have to read lots of junc – sorry – junk? A little FFT (Food For Thought). Whatever be the explanation, the sys appears to work in the Army. So press on Army. Maybe you can prove the makers of MR Coffee wrong and real pleasure may actually be in an ‘instant’. (This was a take on the MR Coffee ad that became quite controversial since it hit instant coffee so suggestively. I am reproducing the ad of those days starring Malaika Arora and Arbaz Khan):

MR_coffee_ad_malaika arora arbaaz khan

P.S. By publishing this item in the Combat News the Army has proved that they are very nice people indeed but that henceforth, I should avoid conc areas in dark alleys, when they have their boots on (which is all the times).

SUFFIX ‘EX’ IS FOR EXERCISES IN THE NAVY – PART I (AMPHEX ON NANCOWRY), EPISODE I

In the Navy, names of all exercises are suffixed with the letters EX. Hence, we have TACEX as Tactical Exercise, SPRINGEX as a Theatre Level Exercise during Spring Time, REACTIONEX as an Exercise at sea to assess the reactions of the ship’s company, and so on.

The suffix EX also gives rise to a new and entirely naval vocabulary. So, if you come across an officer in the wardroom in totally disengaged state,  and you happen to ask him what is he doing, he is likely to reply with a single coded word: COOLEX; which is roughly the equivalent of the modern teenager telling you that he is chilling.

Navy guys never rue the loss of girl-friends or beloveds (you never come across guys who have chucked themselves under trains or buses because their flames have gone to light up someone else’s life). Hence, other than to signify exercises, the suffix EX doesn’t have another significance for them. The suffix EX also lends some dignity to what they are engaged in. For example, BALLEX sounds frightfully more important than merely admitting that one is having a ball. Many decades back, Wills (Cigarettes) were the sponsors of the Navy Ball in Bombay. Their posters put up all over Bombay – at traffic circles, railway stations, Marine Drive, on the BEST buses, et al – read: THE NAVY IS HAVING A BALL. The navy big-wigs were not amused. Wills didn’t exactly have a ball (of a time) taking down the offending posters.

Many decades back the only use that the Army could think of the Navy was to land troops, tanks and vehicles for them at remote places. Hence, Amphibious Operations assumed tremendous significance. That was precisely the time when one of the most important roles of the Eastern Naval Command at Vizag was to exercise Amphibious Operations. Thus, the concept of AMPHEX (Amphibious Exercise) came into being.

I was involved in a number of Amphexes. My first major involvement was when I was merely a Lieutenant Commander and sent to Vizag on temporary duty. I was happily engaging myself in such activities as young officers often engage in – from rum to rummy, that is, and an activity known in the Navy by its acronym only: FRCS (Other than telling you that CS is Country-Side, I won’t tell you more: my lips are sealed).

One fine day, my ex CO of Agrani, who was appointed as CO Circars (the depot establishment in Vizag) was nominated to become the Amphibious Forces Commander and lead an amphibious force from Vizag to the Anadaman and Nicobar islands. Four passenger liners from the trade were chartered by the Navy to carry troops across to A&N for an amphibious assault. Senior Commanders were appointed as Naval Liaison Officers on three of the ships. However, for a ship called MV Nancowry (the name taken from one of the islands in A&N), I, a junior Lieutenant Commander, was appointed as the NLO. This was because my ex CO had tremendous faith in my abilities; a little more than I had.

Nancowry

I had a Lieutenant, a Sub-Lieutenant and a handful of sailors with me in my team to prepare the ship for over 500 army personnel, their weapons, vehicles and equipment, install naval communications, and control all the operations at sea. We had sleepless nights preparing all the plans and orders. The ship was available for less than 48 hours to familiarise ourselves and make her ready for the embarkation. We prepared detailed orders, for example, for accommodation and messing, ration-embarkation, communications and operations at sea.

With this, it was to be expected that things would go on smoothly. Like most war plans they didn’t even last the first shot.

The embarkation started at night so as to afford a measure of secrecy. My team had even marked the routes for various personnel so as to enable them to reach their messes. However, for the first one hour, no embarkation whatsoever took place. I was getting most jittery because at midnight I was supposed to make a report to Cmde Mukherjee, the AFC, that the embarkation was completed. And here, in the first one hour no embarkation had taken place. The Lieutenant in my team informed me that the army personnel had declined to embark since we had omitted to make provision for the Mandir (Temple). “How serious?” I asked him, barely able to control my anxiety. “Very serious” he replied on the walkie-talkie.

The Commodore wanted to know the progress from me since we were supposed to sail late at night. I told him that gods were being appeased. Taking it as one of my usual remarks (since he had been my CO earlier), he responded with “Very Good”. Some of you may not be familiar with this response but it is a standard response by the senior officer in the navy to acknowledge the report by a junior (I have seen/heard junior officer reporting to the senior excitedly that a certain compartment was on fire and the senior calmly acknowledging it with “Very Good” as if he couldn’t have asked for anything better).

My team and I re-worked everything and the icon of the goddess was installed in a compartment to be occupied by three army pujaris, complete with dhotis, white topis and tilaks. Coconuts were broken, agarbattis lit, pooja was performed, prasad distributed and then only the embarkation started.

We sailed at wee hours of the morning escorted by several naval ships under CATF (Commander Amphibious Task Force). These had started sailing in the evening; the minesweepers having sailed much earlier. One ship was reported to have been torpedoed by a lurking enemy submarine. Luckily, thanks to our having appeased the goddess, we escaped.

Many years later, I underwent Higher Command Course with the Army and realised the importance of Mandir, Masjid, Gurudwara to the jawans wherever they are even at the heights of Leh and Siachin. One lives and learns.

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This post is just an introductory post to the series of posts on Amphex and other EXercises. Please await the sequels.

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