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‘Horror and mystery fascinate me’

Legendary actor Amjad Khan’s son Shadaab talks about his new innings as a writer, and why he misses his father.
by Vrushali Lad

His father set the silver screen on fire with his very first film, Sholay, in 1975. The creepy Gabbar Singh of Sholay, played to perfection by Amjad Khan, went on to do several different roles, most of them very different from his debut outing.

Several years later, in 1997 his son, Shadaab, ventured into films with Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat (co-starring Rani Mukerji). Naturally, comparisons with his illustrious father followed. However, Shadaab couldn’t make a mark with the few films he did, and he quickly dropped off the radar. He has now surfaced with his first book, Shanti Memorial, a compilation of two chilling novellas set in a home for violent and criminally ill persons.

Book Cover of Shanti Memorial - A book by Shadaab KhanWe spoke to him about writing a book, his choice of subject, his father, and why he isn’t in films at the moment. Excerpts from the interview:

You started with films, specifically with acting. Why did you decide to take the jump to writing?

Just because I am writing doesn’t mean I have left acting. I have been writing from an early age of eight years, it just took me a little while to get the confidence to put my work out into publishing. The only reason I haven’t been acting is because good work hasn’t come my way, so I took a back seat. If I get a story that I like, I am open to it. There will always be a balance between my writing and acting, both will be carried on simultaneously.

Do you plan to act in any more films soon?

If I get a good offer to act, I am open to it – there will always be a balance between my writing and acting.

Your book Shanti Memorial is an unexpected book, not something a new novelist would usually write. How did you hit upon this story?

What fascinates me are the human mind, its psychology, paranormal psychology, clinical psychology, horror and particularly the genre of mystery. I don’t remember reading classics, I would rather pick up a mythology book and get immersed. The stories I have written even during my childhood, have always been different from the rest. The reason I wrote Shanti Memorial, is because horror is one of my favourite genres and I wanted to write that genre. But I am not limiting myself and will soon explore writing on other genres too.

What kind of research went into the writing of Shanti Memorial?

Research was really what I have been reading all these years since childhood – thrillers, mystery, mythology, horror, paranormal and clinical psychology. I love horror and murder mystery genres. The idea to write Shanti Memorial is purely based on my interest and love for these two genres.

Being the son of the late actor Amjad Khan, and the grandson of legendary actor Jayant, comparisons must be an everyday thing for you. What are your thoughts on this?Shabaad Khan

I can only say that I feel honoured to be compared to my dad and granddad. In fact, my maternal grandfather was Akhtar ul Iman, a very famous writer who wrote films like Ittefaq and Waqt. I guess I picked up writing from him. Comparisons can affect you only when you are not content with what you are doing in life. For me, writing has been a passion and I am happy how things are shaping up.

Can you describe the influence your father has had on you as an actor and a human being?

My father always encouraged me throughout my childhood and teenage years. Both my parents acknowledged my love for writing at an early age. Although I was aware of my father’s stardom, for me he was just my father who corrected me when I was wrong and encouraged my good qualities. I lost him at an early age of 18. I miss him and I wish he was here to read my book.

Did you always want to be an actor or did you have other career goals?

Entering the industry as an actor was the most viable option as the industry knew my father. As a person I do not plan too much ahead and take things as they come each day.

What was the turning point in your life that made you think, ‘I should write a book’…?

There was no such turning point as I developed my love for reading and writing at an early age. Reading bizarre psychological thrillers, horror, mystery, mythology, clinical thrillers have always interested me.

Do you plan to direct films in the future? What are the kind of stories you are most drawn to?

It’s a bit too early. But when it happens you will be the first to know.

Do you think you would consider writing a sequel to Shanti Memorial?

It is too early to comment right now. It all depends on the response I get from my readers.

What’s next for Shadaab Khan?

Definitely another book. I am currently exploring a couple of ideas, and very soon I will know which one to proceed with.

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The all-in-one autorickshaw guy

A resourceful autowallah in a city known for awful drivers, Deepak Shewale is clued in to passengers’s likes and preferences.
by Nidhi Qazi

In a city full of autorickshaws, there is one among a few which stands out. And why? Because the machine, the mode of transport is more than that – a machine – for its owner Deepak Shewale, an autorickshaw driver in the city for the past 13 years.

Deepak’s auto is anything but boring. From inspirational quotes stuck on the insides of the auto, to a tablet, to mobile recharge vouchers, Deepak has a lot to offer. It doesn’t stop here. Passengers also get the privilege of reading the day’s newspapers, fresh drinking water, and even medical care, with basic medicines like Crocin and Combiflam on offer. He has also put up pictures of a few celebrities how have boarded his auto in the past.

For the 35-year-old Deepak, a resident of Khar-Bandra, and a native of Baramati in Maharashtra, his auto has garnered him popularity from passengers. He says, “There has been an increase in the number of passengers. Moreover I also have passengers who call me regularly for services and have now become my fixed clients.”

Why is his auto so different from the others that ply on Mumbai’s roads? He says, “After the 26/11 terror attacks, I understood the true meaning of emergency. I got inspired to do something for my passengers.” The amenities in his auto serve his passengers and him both. For instance, the tab helps him navigate the city better – he uses Google Maps to reach his destination and also offers the service to his customers – besides entertaining present company with songs and movies.

The passengers also have the convenience of emergency helpline numbers. But what makes Deepak really stand out from most others of his creed is that he plies passengers who are in need even after working hours. “Even if I am done for the day and headed back home, I take passengers in an emergency aboard,” says Deepak, who mostly plies around Bandra and Khar.

Another interesting aspect of his auto is the variety of posters and quotes he has put up, ranging from the philosophical to the funny, and from the religious to the informative. Here’s how one goes: ‘Gussa kya hai? Kisi ki galti ki saza khud ko dena (What is anger? It is punishing yourself for someone else’s mistake)’. Another one reads, ‘Think good, do good’. A little fun one says, ‘Paise ko jeab mein rakho, dimaag mein nahi (Keep money in your wallet, not your head).’ There’s also a poster displaying scientific trivia, a nod to Deepak’s interest in the Discovery channel.

Deepak was recently felicitated by the RTO and the Rotary Club of Mumbai for his ‘Social work for Community’.

The social media fad has also caught this auto driver, and he also has a page on Facebook. “A customer gave me this idea so I created a page on Facebook. It doesn’t really help me but it is okay,” he says.

With an income of Rs 20,000 a month, don’t all the amenities cost him extra? “No, because most of them are a one-time investment like the TV, the tab and the music system. Moreover, my passengers feel happy that I provide all these services and say that this is a really nice initiative.”

Deepak also takes inputs from his passengers. For instance, the quote, ‘Give Respect , Get Respect’ was changed to ‘Respect is commanded, not demanded’ when “a passenger pointed out that there is a better way of saying the same thing.”

What is that keeps him going at all of this? He grins, “Initially it was to help people; now also it’s the same but it has become of a hobby which I like pursuing. I keep thinking of ways to improve the auto and the experience of my passengers.”

Shewale plans to fix a cooler to fight off the heat and install a CCTV in the coming days. “CCTVs can come in handy in keeping a watch and being vigilant in the case of fishy passengers,” he explains, adding that he is also thinking of garnering advertisements for a better income.

For the time being, though, he prefers to keep going in his extremely colourful autorickshaw. As he takes my leave, he adjusts his converted recliner seat and drives off with a smile.

To book Deepak Shewale’s auto, call 97686 17980.

(Pictures courtesy Nidhi Qazi)

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Easing children into death…with joy

Two Mumbaikars are hoping for your financial support to set up India’s first child-care hospice facility for terminally ill children.
by Vrushali Lad | vrushali@themetrognome.in

Ever since she was very young, Mansi Shah (32), a Mulund resident, had a clear concept of what her own death would be like. “I want the after-rituals to be a certain way, I have a list of five people made…any of these would coordinate organ donation from my body. And yes, there would be no crying at all. Too often, when we know somebody is going to die, we focus only on the death and what life will bring after that person has gone. But what about the few days and months before the person is still alive? It has to be a joyful time,” she muses.

Her good friend Abhishek Tatiya (27) shares her sentiments, talking of embracing death and not running away from it. How fitting, then, that the duo is collaborating on the country’s first hospice facility for terminally ill children – whose core idea is to celebrate the final days of a child’s life with humour, compassion and honesty.

Rest Area“We hit upon the idea for Happy Feet Home just this year, and it was something both of us felt very passionate about,” Mansi tells The Metrognome. “We had this idea in February this year, where we would run a fun, interactive space for terminally ill children and their parents to visit. Medical and nursing attention would be provided as well. Often, the treatment of several diseases like cancer takes everything out of the parents – they spend lakhs and lakhs of rupees, they come from all over the country to Mumbai for their child’s treatment, they have no place to stay, they are racked by the pain of their child dying before their eyes. These parents and children must be eased into the final days with understanding and more importantly, with joy.”

How are they planning to do it?

Driven with little else but passion – they had no money or a physical space to run the proposed centre – the duo started meeting doctors from the city’s prominent hospitals. “Initially, they would ask us why we wanted to do this. We didn’t even have a revenue model. But we kept going back again and again,” Mansi remembers.

Then they struck gold with Dr Mamta Manglani, Head of Paediatrics at Sion Hospital. “She was extremely receptive to the idea, and after a meeting, she offered us the chance to partner with the hospital on the project. They would offer us 1,200 square feet of space and the medical attention required, while the overall setting up and running of the centre would be our lookout,” says Abhishek. Another person who shared their dream was medical social worker Sunita Jadhav from Tata Hospital. “She was very excited about the idea, because she had always wanted to set up a similar centre,” Mansi says.

A further boost to their efforts came from their meeting with Unltd India, which is providing support for the venture. “They will give us seed capital for the project. Other than that, Counselling Roomwe have to raise about Rs 80 lakh on our own – of which Rs 40 lakh will go towards setting up the facility. We are depending on crowdsourcing to raise the money,” he explains.

And then came a time to pick a name for the facility. “Since we would deal with children, we wanted a name and a mascot that they would instantly connect with,” Mansi explains. “We thought about penguins, and then we hit upon ‘Happy Feet’! The name signifies joy like nothing else.”

What one can expect from the centre

Once finished, says the duo, HFH would have a large activity area, a therapy room, a counselling room and a resting area for children, apart from a small staff area. “We’ve already drawn up the plans for the facility, we just hope architects and designers come forward to help us execute them,” Abhishek says. “We want to set up the space completely before we begin operations, hopefully by February 2014,” he adds. The centre will be open to all terminally ill children, and the parents will not be charged for the centre’s services.

“As per our calculations, if we have Rs 80 lakh at our disposal, we would spend Rs 250 per child per hour. That is a negligible cost compared with the services the children and parents would get,” Abhishek says. “We hope to engage the media and professionals like interior designers with the project so that we can save on costs.”

Preparing for death

Therapy RoomMore than the children themselves, it is the parents that require careful handling. “A person in that situation is not able to think clearly. They need to be sat down and prepared for the inevitable. Often, they are not able to discuss their child’s illness with the child. And yet, so many children instinctively know that they are living their final days,” Mansi says.

She admits to taking it very badly whenever one of “her children” ultimately dies. “Even when I worked with children in other places earlier, where the doctors hoped that the child would survive, the child would one day get ill and pass away. I can’t ever be stoic about a child’s death, and my friends have asked me how I will cope when the children at my own facility die. The truth is, we want to cry for them, we want to grieve. But before that, if the children come to us with questions on death, we will deal with them honestly. It is important to make them happy before they move on.”

If you want to help the setting up of the Happy Feet Home for terminally ill children, please contact Mansi Shah on +91-98702 20888/mansi@happyfeethome.org, or Abhishek Tatiya on +91-99200 60408/abhishek@happyfeethome.org. Look up the crowdfunding campaign at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/happy-feet-home–2

(Pictures courtesy Abhishek Tatiya and Mansi Shah. Centre images are artist’s impression of Happy Feet Home)

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One year of Disobedience

Art collective Visual Disobedience has enjoyed a good run since its 2012 beginning, by firmly planting the ‘inclusive art’ idea.
by Medha Kulkarni

A little over a year ago, on September 22, 2012, an idea was born in the form of a small initiative. The idea was humble but ambitious: have a space dedicated to young and upcoming artists, one that challenged the notions of ‘established’ art, and make it accessible to all. Since its inception, Visual Disobedience (VD), an initiative of Mumbai-based social media agency Flarepath, has already fulfilled this primary aim and is steadily growing with one of the widest range of artists working in several media. It also boasts of having completed numerous projects and been part of some interesting collaborations.

Jasjyot Singh Hans - Adorn“Art can and should be consumed by everybody. Art is not just meant for the gallery space, it’s an important part of culture, like music or film, and it’s unfair to restrict it to fancy galleries and auction houses. That’s the premise we work from. We want to challenge the notions of ‘high’ and ‘low’ and create an environment where Art is accessible to all,” says Suprateek Chatterjee (27), Editor at VD.

“Also for young artists, there is very little institutional support, it is difficult for them to get their work out there and again that’s where VD comes in. We want to be a platform for artists to be able to showcase their work with a wide audience,” says Suprateek.

Visual Disobedience has worked with numerous artists and has collaborated with NH7, Godrej India Culture Labs, Miko Kuro and Queer Ink, among others.

“Things are changing fast. Thanks to the Internet, we’ve managed to grow into one of the biggest artist collectives in the country and all this visibility is leading towards very interesting collaborations and ideas,” explains Suprateek. “We get so many emails every day, from artists based in various places and doing all kinds of interesting work. Our team sifts through each of these and we select the works to be featured on the website.”

Visual Disobedience also works with their artists to create custom pieces for clients, Sulafest and NH7, Pune (2012) being some of them. The initiative also recently collaborated with Sachin muralRanjit Dahiya, known for the ‘Bollywood Art Project’, to create the stunning Sachin Tendulkar mural at MIG Cricket Club, Bandra. ”It was born out of the desire to create a permanent tribute to one of our greatest sports icons,” says Suprateek when asked how the project came about. “It’s definitely the tallest, if not the largest, mural in Mumbai,” he adds proudly.

Collaborative public art projects, which take art out of the traditional gallery setting and puts in the public sphere, are how VD aims at engaging the public with Art. It helps to chip away at the notion that art is reserved for the ‘high-brow’ society and creates a culture of art in a city. Keeping this agenda in mind, Visual Disobedience is also planning a series of pop-up markets in the coming few months. ”Again, it’s all about making art accessible. Our aim is to present as diverse a range of works, in terms of artists and media, and ensure that nothing is priced above Rs 5,000,” explains Suprateek.

Visual Disobedience is steadily and rather rapidly challenging the notion that art is only for the rich. It is also helping to propel several artists, who otherwise would have had to struggle harder to become visible, into the Art orbit, and simultaneously creating spaces where people can engage with Art in various ways. The collective’s rapidly increasing popularity is proof that these notions are outdated and that urban India is increasingly art savvy.

 

If you want to know more about VD, check out their website. 

(Pictures courtesy Visual Disobedience)

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Comic capers with Abhijeet Kini

This Santacruz resident and self-taught cartoonist feels that the city and the country provide great, constant material for all cartoonists.
by Salil Jayakar

I’ve known Abhijeet Kini (30) for well over a decade now, which makes it surprising that I’ve never ever interviewed him in all these years. More so since, as a journalist I have done stories on offbeat careers and his career choice would have been a perfect fit – ‘full-time freelancer cartoonist.’ But as they say, better late than never…

Angry MavshiAbhijeet’s love affair with the world of cartoons and comic books started as a four-year-old, browsing through newspaper comics every day, even if he could not make much sense of them back then. “I always loved the visual medium, drawn, panel by panel,” the Santacruz resident says. It helped that his parents encouraged him from an early age, never saying ‘no’ to his demands for comics and not Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys. Aged seven, he was gifted Tintin’s Blue Lotus issue (which he still has in mint condition) and there was no looking back. He started collecting comics – from Tintin and Asterix to Tinkle, DC and Marvel. That in itself was a huge inspiration for him to take up the pencil and start sketching.

Completely self taught, with no art training, Abhijeet says he always wanted to be a cartoonist. The decision wasn’t difficult because of his supportive parents who never pressurised him into taking up engineering or medicine. When he was 12 (or 13), Abhijeet’s mom took him to meet Ram Mohan and Bhimsen, the pioneers of Indian animation. He carried his artworks to show them and remembers them saying nice things about his work. Naturally, it instilled confidence in his young impressionable mind. “Then in 1997, when I was 15, mom took me to meet the great Anant Pai, editor of Tinkle comics. I always wanted to meet him and eventually draw for the comic, and I am fortunate that I am doing that since 2004.”

Working as a cartoonist

At Abhijeet’s insistence, I shamelessly take some credit for his ‘big break’ with Mid Day Multimedia in 1999. I was freelancing with Mid Day (which was launching chalomumbai.com) and they were looking out for freelance illustrators. I recommended Abhijeet, and the rest is history.

Remembers Abhijeet, “I gave it a shot and my work was liked. Before Mid Day, I freelanced for a few youth magazines and did some comic 2commission based art for a book. This was when I was fresh out of high school and in junior college. But Mid Day added a lot of weight to my portfolio and other magazines followed based on that.”

Abhijeet idolises certain national and international artists and believes some of their styles and techniques have heavily influenced him as a youngster. Sanjeev Waeerkar’s work in Tinkle in the early 90s and Sergio Aragones of Mad magazine being the most prominent ones. “Mad has had a huge influence on me and my sense of humour but Sergio’s work was something else,” he reveals. Other favourites include Ram Waeerkar, Don Martin, Mario Miranda and Jim Lee. In his current work, Abhijeet uses different styles from comic to comic. So while his merchandise line is more slapstick, his Tinkle style is more children friendly, there is a cartoon-violence/young adult style for ‘Angry Maushi’ and a serious style showcased in ‘Milk & Quickies’.

Delhi BilliAccording to Abhijeet, comics such as Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha are going very strong today, too. To him, these are the comics which represent India, just like Manga is for Japan. Other comic book titles range from mythology to superhero storylines. In that sense, yes, the evolution is evident when it comes to the new genres coming up. But he believes there should be more of a social angle in all these. “I do not mean a ‘preachy’ or ‘socially correct/social cause’ kind of theme. Take Mumbai city as an example. If one was to make a comic on Mumbai, imagine the range of topics one has to pick and choose from… and I’m talking humour as a genre,” he explains. Which is why Abhijeet’s ‘Angry Maushi’ series is heavily Mumbai-based. It is about an angry Mumbai lady waging war against corrupt politicians, robots and zombies in the funniest violent way possible.

Money matters

So much money does a “full-time freelance cartoonist” like Abhijeet make? He laughs. “In my field, there’s always a disclaimer (in not so fine print) saying ‘Money may or may not come’. People like me are suckers for creative satisfaction or doing what we love to do, loving what we do to live. Sure, money does come, but maybe in bursts, or trickles. I am thankful that India today has Comic Cons going. My wife Diksha and I participate in Comic Cons all over the country and our merchandise products are quite a hit. Many of my characters today, like ‘Angry Maushi’ and ‘Delhi Billi’, were created for the merchandise first, and comics later.”

For those who want to make a career as a cartoonist, Abhijeet says, “I have learnt that it doesn’t matter what people think about what you do. If you are confident of your work and comic 4have a strong art portfolio, even if you are self-taught like me, you have a strong chance to make it. The industry is very young in India but it’s a great place to be, especially if you are able to convert your ideas to reality. Oh, and if you have big dollar dreams, please leave the room quietly right now!”

 

(Pictures courtesy Abhijeet Kini)

 

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Senior Scouts turn 60

Internationally, the adult scout movement is 60 years old. Indian Scouts want their work to reach more people in society.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Scout – Guide Movement is one that instantly reminds one of school and camping trips over the vacations. Once school is over, however, it has been ‘Goodbye, scouting’ for most of us.

Satish KhannaBut for some, scouting becomes a way of life, and it is distressing to let go of something that has fulfilled them so much at the school level. This feeling prompted a few young men, among them Khar resident Satish Khanna (78), to ponder over starting a past scouts outfit. “In 1954, a group of friends and I, all of us scouts, organised a get-together of past scouts in Mumbai. Coincidentally, the International Fellowship of Former Scouts and Guides had been established just a year ago in Switzerland to adopt the fundamentals of Scout and Guide movement and serve the society and scouting in particular,” says Satish (in pic on left).

He recalls how there were just about 15 members in the first year of the Body’s working, but today, there are over 3,000 members all over the country. “As per rules, you can be a scout till 22 years of age. But after that, for the true Scout, there is a definite vacuum in his life. So this organisation, where you can join post-25 years of age, comes at a good time in the Scout’s life,” Satish says.

Old beginnings

The national body of the Fellowship was established in New Delhi in 1959 and got affiliated with the International Body. “However, in the initial years, the body did not take up any active projects. Today, however, we are present in 23 States in India,” explains Satish, who is the current President of National Scouts Guides Association (a post he has held for the past six years), and who has served as its Vice President for 35 years. “Our foremost objective is to support the Scout & Guide Movement.

M Hidayatulla, Chief Justice of India, and Lakshmi Mazumdar, National Commissioner of Bharat Scouts and Guides, formed the National Scouts help those in distressBody of the Fellowship in Delhi in 1959. On Saturday, October 26, 2013, the Indian Scout and Guides Fellowship celebrated 60 years of International Scout Guide Fellowship.

What they do

“We have a number of ongoing projects as part of our activities – free book bank scheme, under which we provide textbooks to school and college students every year, adoption of several villages in the country, introducing scouting to boys lodged at a reform school in Matunga, book donation for night schools, holding medical camps. Our endeavour is to try and generate a social awareness and help those in need,” he explains.

In Mumbai, these Scouts also work with a girls’ blind school in Dadar and a women’s development centre in Bandra, where they have donated sewing machines.

8Their most notable contribution in recent times, however, came during the recent havoc in Uttarakhand, when they travelled to the affected areas themselves and distributed materials for survival. “We adopted 500 families and put together a kit for each family. Each kit contained 32 essential items. The situation was extremely grim but we still ploughed on,” remembers SK Agarwal, Senior Vice President, Indian Scout and Guide Fellowship.

“We had even gone to Orissa, Bhuj and the South of India when the tsunami struck. It is in our blood to reach a place of disaster and offer assistance to the affected,” Satish says.

Today, they say, even young persons who have never been Scouts at the school level want to be associated with their activities. “We are open to people joining us, even if they did not have the opportunity to be Scouts of Guides but who believe in their ideals. The idea is to ultimately serve society while keeping the spirit of scouting alive in the country and across the world,” Satish says.

 (Pictures courtesy ISG)

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