'Bullet' is only film in which I worked with Vijay Anand. It also happens to be his last released film. In my memory of a 'director at work', Goldie Saab holds the center stage... so methodical, furiously fast, yet relaxed. Always in control of shooting schedule. So creative in altering dialogues on the spot. Amazingly crafty in camera placements, movements and in use of shooting locations. Great in handling and directing actors. And finally of course, his fluent creativity would fill the entire space in the editing room.
I came back home on Apr 28 from Delhi after attending Kishu's wedding. Let me start from the time I left my home.
I started at 10.45am on Apr 25 for the airport for the 12.45pm flight. I was carrying Kishu's bag from IIT, which I had collected from Monica at H-11. I opened it took a picture of it, to be safe from the security checks. I weighed it at home - 17kgs, which is fine. I had borrowed a small bag from Dharam for myself, which contained dharam's gift and 3 pairs of my clothes. I did not carry any perfumes due to flying restrictions. did not want to take a risk. i wne through the security and Kishu's bag did not raise any questions. I wanted to finish all the flying formalities and sit down. to my 'whatever' luck, the flight was 1 hour late and I had to eat some food at the airport. I was flying via Jaipur. earlier I had tried a lot if Go Air could permit me to de-plane at Jaipur and take another flight next day. they refused. So i reached delhi at 4.20pm. Satish and Shyam were there for me. From here we went to Ghaziabad directly. Oh yes I was wearing a light green color shirt with jeans. just to put it on record, many years (4-5) back once Kishu was at home with us. It must have been my birthday and I got this shirt as a gift. There are so many shirts in my cupboard. So I had told her that I will wear this shirt on your wedding. So I did - not for wedding but during one of the occassions.
I reached KB 77, at 5.45pm. The havan had just begun, Kishu sat there in reddish salwar-kurta. Buaji, Manju, Mishu and Sachin too were there among others. I thought Kishu looked a shade 'sad' and I told her that. She replied, 'sad? no I am just tired.' Promptly, I agreed. Havan and Bhajans got over in next 1 hour. Later Buaji, Guddi and other ladies sang punjabi wedding songs with Dholak... I am always so happy to meet Guddi.
At night Indu didi made some rotis for me as i wanted to avoid fried food being cooked for the occasion. Nice of her. Guddi too is always keen to do anything for me in such times. Satish and me slept on a bed; a bed which is just a little smaller than my whole bedroom in Mumbai. Here power kept going on and off, making the room hot and cold; but I do sleep very well always - dekhana nazar na lage.
Next day on 26 apr, we all got ready by 10.30 to leave for the wedding location, Derawal at Kirti Nagar, in Delhi. I was in shayam's car with Buaji and Guddi. it was a little longish journey but we reached there for a late lunch. Derawal was like a Dharamshala or may be real one. A large hall with beddings spread on two sides with a lot of place in the middle to move about. Kishu, Mishu, Manju and Sachin were in one room with all their important stuff. in the afternoon Menhdi ceremony started. 3-5 guys came for this. 3 of them got occupied with Kishu with a furious speed and rest with other women and girls. sometime in the late afternoon Kishu's job was over and she was moving about with her arms stiffly stretched on her sides. I asked Sachin to take my pix while feeding water to Kishu.
At some time during the day I went to Pappu's hotel room. I met Ashish and Chetan. This gang was there during Mishu's wedding too. It was nice to be with Pappu and Chetan. I asked Chetan if I could use his camera as I needed to shoot videos with 'sound'. Well his Sony cybershot 10.1 mp was too good for my needs. 'Of course', he said and handed me the camera, a spare battery and 3 memory chip of 2gb each! I needed nothing more. Sometimes I think why do I always feel that I am not getting what I need. I do everything require. I may not be getting all that I 'want'; but I always get what I need. That night Ashish hurt his knee and Pappu asked me to stay with them as he wouldn't be coming to sleep there.
i started shooting videos without 'kanjoosi' for space. The idea was to capture as much of Kishu as I could. And I desperately needed that, since I will not be getting to see her for a very long time now and the frequency of seeing her is going to be desperately low. I hope it leak my feelings for her too much.
We all came to Derawal for dinner and 'sangeet' and dance was happening full swing. Pappu did a nice dance with Kishu. He told me that it is a custom that during wedding father dances with the daughter. I have seen it in many hollywood films. Sometime at night I told Kishu that I am going to stay in the hotel. I am happy she showed her annoyance clearly, 'why are you going? there are things happening here'. I held on and told Pappu, 'Yaar I have come all the way for her only and I would not like to leave if she thinks I should be here. He agreed and he too stayed back for a while and then left. This memory is a little foggy whether I went with Pappu or went to hotel on my own. But finally I did slip out as I was very tired.
On the morning of Apr 27 - the wedding day, we went for breakfast to Derawal. First ceremony of the morning was 'Haldi'. Things get serious now. And I am feeling jittery. I have photo of Mishu's wedding in which Kishu is applying Haldi to her and both are crying due to emotional explosion. As expected reverse of that scene happened today. After this the girl goes for bath and appears again for the 'chooda/Kalire' ceremony. I took a lot pictures including one with me and Kishu.
Around 1 pm a few of us along with Satish went to Rupesh's home with the official invitation to come for the wedding. I remember it was done during Aarti's wedding too. When I saw Rupesh he looked very trim compared to previously I met him or even in Pix. I gave him the compliment 'you are looking very trim'. He said later 'Aapko pehle main mota laga tha kya?' There was a lot of khatirdari after which we all returned back.
At 4 pm Kishu went for her makeup to a parlour. Mishu asked me to get a fresh hanky. Luckily I had an unused one and gave it to her. Though I don't know what was it going to be used for. But I thought it was lucky of me that the 'hanky' went from me. I was told that the makeup will take 4-5 hours. So I thought may be I should send some juice or cold coffee for her. Nice of Sachin to drive around for such chores. We went to CCD and got her a coffee and dropped it at the parlour. This wedding gave me an opportunity to interact with Sachin and I found him a quite a cool, chilled out and helpful guy.
I was in the hotel in the evening, got my kurta ironed from the hotel and we all came to Derawal. from here we drove to the wedding location 'valentine'. I took pix of the board saying 'Smriti weds Rupesh'. At 8pm Kishu walked in as a bride. I went up to her with a broad smile and said, 'welcome Kishu'. And guess what, she gave me one of the coldest and blankest look. Ooops... I had no idea what happened. Did I say something wrong or I am not supposed to be so excited... whatever it was a very scary look, let me tell you that. She went to the 'bridal room' where Pappu, Cheenu and me took pictures with her.
I came down to the main hall, where I met Shyam chacha, Dharam chacha, Kailash chachi, Karun, Dulari chachi, Seema, Pranav, Pallavi, Neelu, Meera, Mayank, Jayanti... I got a picture clicked with Shyam chacha in a make shift studio inside the large hall. After meeting everyone I went back to Kishu's room.
Later I got a news that she was not feeling well due to being too tired and neck was strained due to weight of the jewelry. She wanted to rest her head back. I organized a cushion; but it did not work too well. She was clearly looking tired. Now I was not interested in the reasons, of why I did I deserve that 'look'. Suddenly someone dashed in with Rupesh's shoes. 'Stealing the shoe' act had been performed. Funnily even Kishu got involved in it and started giving instructions on where to hide it etc.
Well in a few minutes she came down for the Jaimala ceremony. And now the boy's side wanted the revenge. They did not allow her to climb up the stage without settling for the shoes. I guess it was 'fair'. I missed to see the Jaimala. Never mind I thought as it will be there on many videos. Rupesh's family is into the business of photography. In a few minutes I got an opportunity to click pictures with her with Pappu in one and Satish and Manju in another.
I had a long chat with Seema too. We alway do. She is one of my old time favorites. We are founding members of the 'mutual admiration society'. In fact we walked up half way on the steps for some quiet talk. But it was hardly quiet. there was a lot AC noise and soon there was some more noise added. In our conversation I could not guess that it was the crackers announcing the arrival of the Baarat.
Photographers in the 'studio' were clicking millions of pictures of Rupesh and Kishu. I could make out from a distance how tired she was. After controlling myself for a long time I walked up to the photographers and said 'boss you have clicked 21000 pictures, let her rest now.' But they were in a unforgiving mood. They dismissed my petition with a smile.
I don't know when but everyone moved upstairs for dinner. I was with Pappu. We got 'sada dosas' for us and sat down to eat on a table behind Kishu. Later we had kulfi. I always enjoy my time with Pappu. We two are also members of the mutual admiration club. I am really very fond of him. After a while he wanted to go back to the hotel and retire, since there was going to be a gap of a few hours before the wedding ceremony began at 2.30am. I stretched my legs by joining some chairs...
The time had come and we all walked in for the culminating part. I saw Kishu and Rupesh sitting in their respective seats in front of the havan kund. Others sitting around were Satish, Manju, Buaji, Rupesh's parents... After it is over Kishu and Rupesh will leave this place as husband and wife. I kept clicking pictures and videos. Pappu also did not go to his hotel and stuck around clicking picture with his backberry... In between the ceremony when I was in front of Kishu and Rupesh, she looked at me and moved her face side ways to suggest, how dead tired she was. I gestured back perhaps saying, "I know".
It was at nearly 6 am the time for departure (Bidai) came. I was feeling quite heavy inside me. Many of use would be feeling the same, especially Satish, Manju and Mishu. There was a lot of final hugs. I realised I will not be able to shoot the video when my turn comes to bid her goodbye. I spotted Sachin and gave him the camera to shoot us. I saw it yesterday on the DVD done by Chetan.
The car vanished out sight at nearly 6.30 am and I collected myself and returned to Derawal. I rested for about 2 hours or so, had breakfast and went to Pappu's hotel. There was planning of Kishu's one final visit called Phera was going on; but it seemed impractical since the couple must have been so tired...
At 11 am, Pappu was going to leave Chetan at the airport in a taxi I too joined them go reach till Dhaula Kuan, from where I took an auto to GK at Bhuvnesh's house. It was about 1 pm and the heat was amazing. I have not experienced north Indian heat for years now. I reached in 45 mins. Seema was to meet me there; but she had dropped her plan. So Shukal bhabhi, Shipra and me had lunch. Shipra made me a drink of sugar and salt to nullify the heat. She is a good girl. I like talking to her. I went to sleep for about 2 hours as I had not slept at night. Later at 5.30 pm, I took an auto for the airport to get my flight back home.
Just like the earlier time this flight too was one hour late. But I had no hassles. I thought my mission was accomplished and there was nothing that was going to make me loose my cool. I was home just before midnight.
