Sunset Boulevard ( 7 ) : ” Vanishing Milestones “

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           JULY 07 , 2012           01.00 A.M.

I wrote 1st blog in the ” Sunset Boulevard ” category on December 28 , 2009 . It was about Bajaj Scooter . There was news that owners of Bajaj are discontinuing the production of their iconic Bajaj scooter permanently . A sense of nostalgia gripped me and I wrote about ” Hamara Bajaj ” . I never thought that one day I would be writing 7th blog in this category .

Recently when I visited my native place Deoria , I suddenly noticed that ubiquitous milestones are slowly but steadily vanishing from the roads . Such iconic part of one’s life is now giving way to some metallic mileposts and no one is noticing it .

What is a milestone ?

As dictionary explains its meaning ; ” a milestone is a stone functioning as a milepost .”

Later on the word milestone started carrying other meaning also . A milestone is refered to as ” a significant event or stage in the life , progress , development in the life of a person and / or a nation . “

Since olden times , milestones are used on the roads to show a mile of distance from one place to another . In those days of yore when ” Google Earth ” and ” Google Maps ” were yet to appear and digital maps with the ; GPRS [ Global Positioning Radio System ] or GPS [ Global Positioning System ] technology were yet to become a part of our lives , a milestone was the only indicator or sign which indicated that we are travelling on the right path .

Roman Empire

Milestones were originally stone obelisks – made from granite ,  marble or whatever local stone was available – and later concrete posts. They were widely used by Roman Empire road builders and were an important part of any Roman road network . Many Roman milestones only record the name of the reigning emperor without giving any place names or distances.  The first Roman milestones appeared on the Appian way. At the centre of Rome, the “Golden Milestone” was erected to mark the presumed centre of the empire : this milestone has since been lost. The Golden Milestone inspired the Zero Milestone in Washington, D.C., intended as the point from which all road distances in the United States should be reckoned.

Zero Milestone (1923), The Ellipse, Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Byzantine Empire

A mile-marker monument, the Milion , was erected in the early 4th century AD in Constantinople . It served as the starting point for measurement of distances for all the roads leading to the cities of the Byzantine Empire , and had the same function as the Milliarium Aureum of Ancient Rome . The Milion survived intact until at least the late 15th century. Its fragments were discovered again in the late 1960s. A fragment is re-erected as a pillar.

Post Medieval Europe

In Europe , the distance measured typically starts at specified point within a city or town , as many roads were named for the towns at either end . For example in London , United Kingdom , a plaque near the Eleanor cross at Charing Cross is the reference point from which distances from London to other towns and cities are measured . In the UK, milestones are especially associated with former Turnpike roads .

 Modern highways

The historical term milestone is still used today, even though the “stones” are typically metal signs and in most countries are based on metric rather than imperial units of measure . Also found today are more closely spaced signs containing fractional numbers , and signs along railways, beaches and canals .

Milestones on Indian highways typically have white backgrounds with yellow tops (on national highways) or green tops (on state highways) . The names of cities and distances are painted in black . The names of the nearest towns and cities are written along with distance in kilometres . On undivided highways , both sides of the milestones are used , telling the distance to the nearest cities in each direction . The highway number is written on the head of the milestone . The sum of the distances of two nearest cities in each direction from the milestone is listed on the side .

I am posting recently clicked photo of Zero Milestone of Deoria city . It is freshly painted because it is just opposite the District magistrate’s Bungalow .

A Milestone at Deoria

A Milestone at Deoria

This huge stone structure , which gives the distance of various city from Deoria , is also freshly painted and it stands just in front of the District Magistrate’s Bungalow . These three are a part of my life . I have seen these three milestones or mileposts since my childhood days . I am a wanderer and am used to see milestones while travelling  .

A Milestone at Deoria [ Larger Version ]

 These photos , which I have taken from the internet , tell us that a milestone is the part of our civilization since the days of Roman Empire .

Slate milestone near Bangor, Wales (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Newell Green milestone (Photo credit: sleepymyf)

Milestone, Bath Road (Photo credit: Pete Reed)

Zero Milestone (1923), The Ellipse, Washington, D.C. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Milestone (Photo credit: A.M. Kuchling)

But alas , things are changing . Roads of yore are gone . Now Highways and Expressways have taken their place . And with the advent of these Highways and Expressways , milestones are also gone . Now metal mileposts with fluorescent colours have taken their place . On my numerous journeys , I have noticed these new age milestones but it never occurred to me that old milestones of my childhood will vanish one day .

These metal milestones are more convenient and easy to see during night because of the fluorescent colours , but the older version of the milestones have some distinct charm and some romantic attraction .

New Age Milestone

New Age Milestone

On my recent visit to Deoria when I travelled to my wife’s village Ghortap , I noticed the pitiable condition of the milestones . You can watch yourselves . You can’t read the name or distance because it is almost buried in the ground and also not painted . And remember , this road connects Deoria to Kushinagar , a Buddhist pilgrimage centre where Gautam Buddha attained NIRVANA . Several foreign dignitaries visit this place quite often .

Current State of Milestone

Current State of Milestone

Current State of Milestone

Current State of Milestone

Milestones of foreign countries are also going through the same phase .

Milestone, Bath Road (Photo credit: Pete Reed)

Milestone, Datchett (Photo credit: Pete Reed)

Very soon these new age milestones or mileposts will replace our age-old milestones made of stone or rock . People of younger generation will forget about these ubiquitous milestones , which were so intrinsically attached to our being not very long ago .

New Age Milestone

Alas ! One more part of my life will cease to exist very soon . There is no official announcement . There is no official order of discontinuation of old milestones . But I know it wont be seen anymore . It wont be around few years after .

Milestone will be googled and it will only be seen in some dictionary or encyclopaedia .

[ Some information about Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire is taken from Wikipedia . I express gratitude . ]

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

www.vidur.co.in

www.vidurfilms.com

www.twitter.com/VidurChaturvedi

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Sunset Boulevard ( 6 ) : I Lost My Chavanni

When I wrote Sunset Boulevard for the first time about my Bajaj Scooter, I thought that in my life I wont be writing something like this ever again. I assumed that all the familiar things of my life, all the cherished asinine objects of my childhood will be with me till I breathe my last. But Alas ! I am writing the 6th version of my Sunset Boulevard. One more object of my childhood fancy is destined to walk this path, which is metaphorically known as Sunset Boulevard. It means walking the path of no return. After sunset there will be a new dawn , a new morning but that will be a totally new dawn, that will be a totally new morning. Things and objects which leave us and which finish their journey wont ever return in our present life.

Indian coins have seen many changes and they have gone from one shape to other. In my early childhood there were copper coins. When I grew older, those copper coins, those objects of my childhood fancy were changed to aluminium coins. My evening pocket-money was 10 paise. It used to be princely sum in those days of asinine pleasures. It would seem impossible but I used to buy many things to eat with this princely some of 10 paise.

Slowly some new coins were introduced and a new shaped CHAVANNI came into being. My joy knew no bounds when after due requests, I started getting CHAVANNI for my every day evening pocket-money. I remember and that too very vividly that when I got my first CHAVANNI for the first time, I bought many things : MOONGPHALI, CHINIYA BADAM, PATTI AND CHURAN. God ! so many things and just one coin ! Days seemed to be happier and rosy. Every evening I used to stand near the gate of our Deoria mansion and used to wait for my father to return from the Civil Court , Deoria. His arrival was source of immense happiness. I used to be extra obedient and took every precaution of not disturbing  my father so that I could get my due CHAVANNI . My younger siblings were very envious of me because they were still getting 10 paise and they desperately wanted a CHAVANNI.

Slowly my two younger brothers ; Devesh and Atul and one sister ; Kiran also graduated and started getting CHAVANNI. We used to have our own preferences but some times we used to pull our CHAVANNIS and thus with the princely some of 1 rupee, we used to buy BUDHIA KE BAL  and used to feast on it. [ I don't know why , but we used to call it Budhia ka Tanta ] I am giving very old photo of me and my two brothers and one sister. My younger sister Neelima was yet to be born and thus is not privy to many of our childhood fancies.

Alas ! government of India decides that the iconic CHAVANNI of my childhood will be discontinued from June 30, 2011. In fact all the coins below the denomination of ATHANNI [ 50 paise ] will be phased out. Government of India says that Ferritic Stainless Steel, which is used to make these coins costs more than the value of the coin itself. But matters of heart do not know or understand logic. I was sad  when I heard  and read the news.

Image via Wikipedia

One more familiar thing of my life, one more iconic object of my childhood fancy is being phased out. For me it is not just phasing out of CHAVANNI, but it id death of an object of my childhood joy and happiness. Today CHAVANNI can’t buy anything. But once upon a time it used to buy so many things for me every evening.

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

www.vidur.co.in

www.vidurfilms.com

www.twitter.com/VidurChaturvedi

www.jaibhojpuri.com/profile/VidurChaturvedi

 

Sunset Boulevard ( 5 ) : Alvida Kamalistan

Few days back I read a terrible news. It was about the closure of Kamalistan Studio of Mumbai.  One by one all the film studios of Mumbai are downing shutters. Swanky malls ,  shopping complexes and residential buildings are taking their place in this tinsel town. Great and historical Bombay Talkies at Malad ceases to exist. Its ruins are still there and they silently tell the glorious past history of the once so famous and premier studio of India. My heart wept when once I read in news papers that big fire gutted the extensive part of the remains of Bombay Talkies. I also saw photo of the dilapidated bungalow, which once was the residence of immortal Devika Rani and her husband and owner of Bombay Talkies, Himanshu Rai. Legendary Ranjit Movietone , though the building still exists at Dadar, is also defunct. Shree  Sound and Roop Tara Studios, both at Dadar,  gave way to commercial complexes. Seth Studio of Andheri – East closed few years back. Its neighbour, Guru Dutt Studio also closed some years back. Situated near by, Natraj Studio, also transformed into commercial complex. Asha Studio of Chembur, situated near R. K. Studio, which belonged to Bhagwan Dada Palav once, was gutted in fire and was later sold. And now news comes about the Kamalistan Studio of legendary film-maker Kamal Amrohi. His descendants sold it to some builders of Pune.

Logo of Bombay Talkies (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In mid 50s, Kamal Amrohi bought 223 acres of land situated on Jogeshwari – Vikhroli Link Road for 2.50 lakh. It was not utilized for many years. After stupendous success of ” Pakeezah ” in 1972, Kamal Amrohi started construction work on this land for his ambitious forthcoming project ” Razia Sultan ” in 1983. Sets erected for the film ” Razia Sultan “, are now part of the Kamalistan Studio. Elaborate sets erected for ” Razia Sultan ” were later used for sevsral successful films like : Dharam Veer ( 1977 ), Suhag ( 1979 ), Naseeb ( 1981 ), Coolie ( 1983 ), Raaj Tilak ( 1984 ),  Mard ( 1985 ), Hum Aapke Hain Koun…! ( 1994 ), Hum Saath Saath Hain ( 1999 ), Jab We Met ( 2007 ) and all the three Golmaal series films.

Over the years, barring 16 acres, rest of the land was either sold or taken over by the government for public utilization. But remaining 16 acres were there and it was not a loss making proposition either. Kamalista Studio was the biggest film studio of Mumbai after Film City. But all these things are now the things of the past. Soon it will be razed to make way for swanky residential complex.

Ashok Kumar (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I have personal fondness for Kamalistan Studio and some sweet memories are also there to linger on in the dark corridors of my existence. Almost two decades ago when I was struggling to find a foothold in the industry, I shot here for a serial ” Ujale Ki Ore “,directed by legendary Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The cast of the serial was headed by legendary and immortal Ashok Kumar. I could watch Ashok Kumar and Hrishikesh Mukherjee working here. Today I consider myself fortunate because they don’t make people like Ashok Kumar and Hrishikesh Mukherjee any more. One more serial , written by me ,was shot here, but it did not see the light of the day. I went through elaborate make-up test for a film here, though the role was scuttled subsequently. Later on for 5 long years I lived near Kamalistan Studio and used to pass through the road many times. I personally know Tajdaar Amrohi, the son of Kamal Amrohi, who visited me at my institute few years back. He is such a nice human being. But alas ! Everything is always changing in this ephemeral world.

With Mr. Shandar Amrohi – Elder Son Of Late Shri Kamal Amrohi

Kamalistan Studio wont be there any more. And it will happen sooner than later. Definitely I will pass through Jogeshwari – Vikhroli Link Road several times in future, and every time I will remember legendary Ashok Kumar, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and some sweet memories of my nascent , insignificant and non-existent acting career.

Alvida Kamalistan !

Thou shall be part of my life as long as I will live. R. I. P.

[ Mumbai August 04 , 2012 = I wrote this blog in 2010 . I made a factual mistake , though inadvertently . I have mentioned that Mr. Tajdar Amrohi visited my institute . Gentleman in the photo posted above is Late Shandar Amrohi and not Mr. Tajdar Amrohi . I came to know about this through Bilal Amrohi , who is Mr. Tajdar Amrohi's younger son and is currently getting trained by me . I regret my unintentional error and offer my apologies . ]

Vidur

Mumbai – Maharashtra – India

www.vidur.co.in

www.vidurfilms.com

www.twitter.com/VidurChaturvedi

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• Analyzing Ashok Kumar (technologizer.com)

Sunset Boulevard ( 4 ) : Sayonara Cassette Walkman

On October 26, 2010, there was an innocuous news item in all the news papers that Sony will stop manufacturing Cassette Walkman with immediate effect. After 30 years of uninterrupted service to music connoisseurs and after sale of 220 million units , cassette walkman is ready to walk into sunset boulevard like many other things of yore. Sony admitted that cassette walkman cannot keep pace with the modern digital age.

Image via Wikipedia

A sense of nostalgia gripped my psyche immediately. I have seen death of Long Play records, not very long ago. I have witnessed fading out of Two-In-One Radio & Cassette Players in not a very distant past and now the Cassette Walkman also walks into the sunset boulevard. I still have HMV LP and EP records and the HMV Record Player at my Deoria home in Uttar Pradesh. I have National Panasonic Two-In-One Radio & Cassette Player too at my Deoria home in Uttar Pradesh. I firmly and vehemently refuse to part with my above mentioned belongings, which are now a  sign of the bygone era and which are salient reminders that I am getting old now, that I belong to a generation, which is on the verge of extinction. Very soon I would slip  into irrelevance. But I don’t care. I love the above mentioned belongings and I don’t want to part with them. I have two Cassette Walkmans right here in my Mumbai flat – Aiwa and Congli.

I saw walkman for the first time , when I returned to Deoria from Allahabad after my father’s death and started supervising my estate in Deoria City and Sonbarsa village in Salempur Tehsil of Deoria District. I used to go to Gorakhpur city of Uttar Pradesh for litigation and to look after my estate in the city and a village called Bindawaliya in Gorakhpur [ now Maharajganj District ].  I saw the Walkman in train for the first time and I was immediately hooked to the device and desperately wanted to possess one. Those were very hard days for our family and despite my unflinching wish , I could not buy a walkman for myself. Years passed with ferocity but passing years could not diminish my desire for owning a walkman. In 1989 I moved to Mumbai [ the city was still Bombay ] and started my innings in the Hindi film industry as an acting trainer. One day I got my Aiwa Walkman as gift from a student of mine. A long cherished dream was fulfilled at last.

The first generation Cassette Walkman, was released on July 1, 1979 in Japan. It revolutionised the way people listened to music. Joggers, school children and music lovers lapped the new device and cherished it thoroughly. It sold only 3000 units in the first month but Sony went on to sell some 20 million units eventually. Its decline started with the advent of CD Players in the 9os. Website of Sony marked the models of Walkman as ” production completed “.

This announcement ended an era and broke my heart. First, Bajaj Scooter and now Cassette Walkman, both ended their journey in quick succession. All old favourites are giving way to new things. Change is inevitable. But parting with our cherished belongings is like ceasing to live.

May be life is coming to full circle. May be in away it is divine indication that one day, and that too not in a distant future, I would also enter my own sunset boulevard. Then nothing will matter.

Image via Wikipedia

World will go on with its uninterrupted journey, paving way for more and more new things, new people and new way of life, discarding old things, old people and old way of life.

Image via Wikipedia

Farewell Walkman ! With your demise, a very emotional part of my life also ceases to exist. Sayonara ! [ As they say good-bye in Japanese. ] My two walkmans will be with me till my last day in this world.

Vidur

Mumbai – Maharashtra – India

www.vidur.co.in

www.vidurfilms.com

www.twitter.com/VidurChaturvedi

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Sunset Voulevard ( 3 ) : Grieving For Graves

Never in your wildest dream would you imagine that one day one would be sitting and grieving for some vanishing graves. It sounds bizarre. But it is true. Few days back there was a disturbing news in Times of India about the demolition of graves of some Bollywood legends. Graves of eternal Madhubala, immortal Mohammed Rafi, legendary Sahir Ludhianvi and inimitable Talat Mahmood were demolished in Juhu Muslim Cemetery to make way for new graves. As the news spread, fans and connoisseurs were saddened and a pall of gloom spread everywhere in the art world. Some were silent, while few were vociferous and condemned the vandalism. Managing body of the cemetery says that this was inevitable and an absolute necessity because of paucity of land for new graves. Some puritans added that in Islam cemented and permanent graves are forbidden, so there is no harm in the turning over the graves.

Logic seems infallible. True, as per the tenets of Islam, cemented graves are against the basic teachings of Islam. And after 30 years you can demolish existing graves and reuse the land. Scarcity of land is definitely a problem in Mumbai but emotionally I was heartbroken when I read the news. And once again heart refuses to accept the logic. Taj Mahal is the most glaring example of a permanent grave. In India so many mausoleums of saints, faqirs and sufis were built by devotees and general public flock to them for darshan and to offer prayers. Mausoleum at Ajmer is famous worldwide and is a fine example of such permanent graves. Of course in India, this is Hindu influence on Islam but it is a reality. So I wish and hope that the trustees could have made an exception to these graves also.

I am not saying this to contradict the religious tenets of Islam. I shall be the last Hindu to do this. I am just making an emotional plea and giving vent to my feelings. An exception could have been made and the trustees could have found a way. Madhubala, Mohammed Rafi, Talat Mahmood and Sahir Ludhianvi are jewels of our country and they certainly deserve better.

Their graves are gone and now there is no trace of their existence. One more familiar thing of my life has been pushed on the sunset boulevard. It’s sad, very sad !

Vidur

http://www.vidur.co.in

Sunset Boulevard ( 2 ) : Requiem Of ” Family Photo Album “

Today, just after posting my blog on “ 3 Idiots ” and “ My Name Is Khan ”, I logged on to media library of my blog space to upload my photo. This has become a routine or ritual for every blog. I posted my 76th blog with my photo. After finishing my daily chores of internet, I was sitting in my study and reading Times Of India. Suddenly a thought occurred to me. How easily I went to media library of my blog space and up loaded the photo. These days I click photos on my Sony Digital camera and immediately upload it on my Apple PC. If needed and necessary, only then I make a hard copy of the photo, otherwise not.

Suddenly I was transported to my childhood and adolescent days, when family photo album used to be so essential part of every household. Revisiting the dark corridors of my childhood, I vividly remember that these albums were kept very prominently on the central table of the sofa in the drawing-room of every home, it used to be a proud possession of the family. Visiting its pages again and again was an exciting affair of the family members and they never used to get tired of it. It used to be sort of history book of the family and youngsters used to get familiar with the people and other important events of their family. They feel their fathers and forefathers by touching the photos. It was compulsory and mandatory for a guest and a visitor to flip the pages of the family album. Though sometimes they used to get bored to death. But there was no escape, no respite. They have to endure the ordeal until tea and snacks were served.

I had three family albums. My marriage album still survives but other two albums are gone. I mercilessly tore the other two and preserved all the photos on my Apple PC. In a way it is good but in a way it is loss of a long tradition also. It is death of an excitement. People from this generation can’t imagine the fun and excitement when a family album was brought out of the box and used to be open under the supervision and guidance of a family elder. Touching a hard copy of a photo had a totally different feeling, which digital copy can’t give. Though it is preserved in a better way.

Few days back I wrote / posted a blog about Hamara Bajaj – Bajaj Scooter. Little did I realize then that within few days I have to visit this sunset boulevard again and write / post a blog about the family album. All the old familiar things are giving way to new things. Everything is changing beyond recognition. Life is also changing. Only memories are static. They refuse to change. They stick to all old things. Nostalgia refuses to leave you till you are alive. Bajaj Scooter and family photo album, these two things of yore are fading out. They are slowly and silently taking their place somewhere in the sunset boulevard. They will be forgotten soon. They will become history. But they are part of my history too. They are part of my life. Sooner or later I would also be sprinting on this sunset boulevard. I would be in the company of things, which once upon a time were part of my life. My circle of life will be complete then, only then.

Farewell !! Farewell !!

Family photo albums will be extinct soon. But I will mourn its death.

Vidur

http://www.vidur.co.in

Sunset Boulevard ( 1 ) : Farewell ” Hamara Bajaj “

Last week I read a news item in the newspapers. Bajaj Auto will stop manufacturing scooters in March 2010. They are going to shut the plant and stop production of their scooter’s super hit brand Bajaj Super completely. This innocuous news item opened a floodgate of remembrances and memories of my early life. I was uplifted and transported to the India of 1970s and 80s, when I used to be young, when I used to dream big and used to wish for an affluent future and life. In those days Bajaj scooter used to be a proud possession of every middle-class indian. It used to be dream of commoners and wish and aspiration of connoisseurs. I vividly remember that in those days, waiting period for Bajaj Super was almost 10 years. Bajaj Chetak had a waiting period of almost two decades. After waiting for a decade or two, people used to flaunt their possession proudly, when the scooter was delivered to them. Envious neighbours and happy relatives used to come to congratulate the elated and lucky owner. And the owner used to feel as if he has accomplished his lifelong dream or goal. In those days of license and permit raj, Bajaj Auto was the biggest manufacturer of scooters in the world. “ Hamara Bajaj ” used to be the slogan of not only Bajaj Auto but of the whole of middle-class India and that too so aptly.

Advent of Maruti 800 started a slow change and within few years the scenario got changed completely and that too beyond recognition. Because of the economic liberalization unleashed by the government of P. V. Narasimha Rao, and because of the end of license, permit raj, Indian middle class started having huge disposable income. Their aspirations soared and with the help of this new found money, they started dreaming big. They started dreaming of a better future and affluent life. So for them, the fling from two wheelers to four wheelers was next and inevitable move. Apart from that, younger generation’s craze for bikes and advent of many international brands and their easy availability in India, dent a bloody blow to Bajaj Scooters. Its sale dipped and in spite of the best efforts of the mandarins of Bajaj Auto, it could never be the same again. They were unable to revive and resurrect it. In 1999-2000, compared to 8,09,251 scooters only 4,31,370 bikes were sold . But the scenario got changed completely in 2009-2010. Only 3,356 scooter were sold compared to 10,85,785 bikes. Sale figure justifies company’s decision of lock-up and permanent closure of the plant and discontinuing of Bajaj Super scooter.

But feelings don’t understand logic. Feelings defy arguments or statistics. Feelings have their own world, their own logic. For me, once Bajaj Super was my prized possession. My two younger brothers also had their own Bajaj Super scooters. My father used to love foreign cars and he had Chevrolet and Plymouth during his prime days. So throughout my childhood, me and my siblings, were accustomed to chauffeur-driven cars. During those days I had a Herculis bicycle also. I bought it with my scholarship money of Rs.100.00. Since its price was Rs.125.00, my father chipped in remaining Rs.25.00. After my father’s untimely demise, we had fallen to bad days and we could not afford a car. So, to look after my sprawling estate, I bought a bike. It was Yezdi Motorcycle. My second vehicle was Hero Majestic Moped. But I always longed for Bajaj scooter and though my two vehicles, Yezdi bike and Hero Majestic moped, were new, I sold them and my younger brother bought a second-hand Bajaj Super scooter for me in 1985 and thus I became a proud owner of it. I used to drive it in Deoria and when I moved to Mumbai in 1989, I brought that scooter here and used it extensively for 14 long years. UHW 5970 is the registration no. of my scooter and in my struggling days, it became an inseparable part of my personality and life in Mumbai. It carried me and my wife to many filmy parties in various prestigious 5 star hotels of Mumbai. We used to arrive near the designated 5 Star hotel on the scooter and I used to park it in a nearby lane. Though I wanted to drive it to the parking lot of the hotel but my wife used to get embarrassed because of the fleet of swanky cars of stars and other dignitaries being driven inside. At that point of time, I was a nonentity and I was living a pitiable and spartan life in Mumbai with limited means. I had no proper clothes and was unable to provide even two meals to my family. It was a colourless life but my students were kind and gracious enough to invite me and my family to their colourful and high profile parties and functions. Barring my Bajaj Super scooter, I had no material possession worth the name. Though I was proud of my scooter, I didn’t want my hosts to feel embarrassed to see me on a two-wheeler. So I used to park it in a nearby lane.

My Bajaj Super carried me to the lavish launch parties of Hritik Roshan and Fardeen Khan‘s debut films. It carried me to various grand premiers of the films of my students. It carried me to the huge marriage party of Ashish Singh, who is now an executive producer of Yash Raj Films. It carried me to numerous parties thrown by Vikas Kalantri at the Mahalakshmi Race course ground. I used to drive it to Erose, Regal, New Empire, Metro and Sterling cinema halls for watching latest Hollywood and Bollywood flicks. For 14 long years, it served me faithfully in Mumbai. While driving it, I never met with an accident. It went only for regular denting and painting, but that is a routine story.

In July 2003, I bought Bajaj Pulsar  bike from the same Bajaj stable and sent my Bajaj Super scooter to Deoria again. Bajaj Pulsar, with registration no. MH 02 AC 5325 became my new vehicle in Mumbai and Bajaj Super still remains my vehicle in Deoria. From1985 to 2003, It served me incessantly in Deoria and Mumbai, and from 2003 to this day, it still serves me, whenever I visit my native place Deoria. It is a 24 year long association with Hamara Bajaj, and it refuses to hear or understand logic, statistic or balance-sheets. It refuses to see changing times and is unable to understand dwindling sale figures. Rahul Bajaj, the young Bajaj scion, is a man of today. But I belong to a bygone era. May be he is pragmatic and realistic, but I am an emotional fool and so I am deeply saddened and pained at the turn of the events. To me UHW 5970 Bajaj Super is not a lifeless machine, it is an integral part of my life and it will always be like that. Though now I own two cars; Maruti Zen and Maruti Swift, but still my feelings for my old scooter refuses to subside or ebb.

In March 2010, when Bajaj Super will finally walk into the Sunset Boulevard, I would be celebrating the silver jubilee year of my association with it with a saddened heart. It is so bizarre, it is so strange but it is starkly real. Very surreal. This is life. And yes, life is like this only.

Farewell Hamara Bajaj !!! Thou shall live in the hearts of millions of middle-class Indians of my age and era.

Vidur

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