The Story Unfolds
I must explain the alphanumeric term that's the title of my blog. I am a reporter with a newspaper and have the slightly unenviable task of bothering what to churn out for the eight columns and 52 cm of newsprint each day. Of course, I get paid for it, so I had better not crib.
On the other hand, let me think of some really exciting times I've had as a journo.
1. Interviewing Mallika Sherawat when she was a nobody: Well, actually I went to interview Himanshu Mallik, thr rather unfortunate hero of Khahwish who couldn't do much for his career despite kissing her 17 times in the movie. Judging by my slightly awkward manner, he realised I had not been at it for a very long time. Asked me how long I had been in the profession. Me being me, counted audibly on my fingers and said, "12 days". He didn't know what hit him. I mean the number of kisses in his movie was more than the number of days my short career had seen.
Ms Sherawat turned up, fashionably late, and asked me if i had seen the latest copy of Elle. Well, I hadn't so for my benefit she was carrying it. They have compared me with Bridgette Bardot she gushed. I tried to look suitably awe-struck. It was my first-time at a 5-star hotel, but I had a bad tummy. And I ended up having tea (which i don't ever have under normal circumstances) with them.
PS: What made my day was when Himanshu picked up the lemon slices which were wrapped in some kind of a net and thinking them to be cookies tried to nibble at them. ha Ha. So much so for professing the joys of having lemon tea.
2. My meetings with the company chairperson: Have always been eventful. The first time, I was asked to sit away from the chairperson because I had a cold. The assistants constantly pushed my chair back till I thought I was sharing space with the plaster in the wall behind.
The second time, I was asked to interview a man who was 228 years old. So I was asked how many spiritual personalities I had interviewed. For want of a better answer, i mumbled Rani Mukherjee. It didn't go down too well. I thanked my stars I hadn't blurted out Mallika Sherawat.
The third time, I was asked if I was able to understand the proceedings of the meeting. After I nodded, the chairperson thoughtfully proceeded to ask me if I was a communist. I looked bewildered.. Ummm...Excuse me? The assistant expalined: Coz u r wearing a red top. Is it any wonder then that the state of newspapers today is what it is?
3. Interviewing Barfani Baba: He's 228 or so he claims. Well, in all my innocence, I decided to believe him. And proceeded to ask him about his experiences of the 1857 revolt. May be I could beat Ketan Mehta and produce the real story of the Rising in double quick time with thuis guy's help. No reply. Sir, did you see Rani Laxmi Bai ever? No reply. Well, Mahatma Gandhi. Not quite. Where did you spend all these years? "Actually, the training that he acquired was at this virtual school in Tibet, you have to meditate hard to get there,'' explained an assistant.
Well, these are the top three. There are so many more that I can think of, but they will have to wait for another day. Perhaps that's when I shall regale you with stories of going to Durgapuri (believe me it's in Delhi) and trying to watch out for tigers at Ranthambhore with a toothless and weaponless guard, or taking a tonga ride to the station, or being handed a two-rupee coin by a photographer to use the sulabh shauchalaya at Bharatpur. Aren't you jealous already?
On the other hand, let me think of some really exciting times I've had as a journo.
1. Interviewing Mallika Sherawat when she was a nobody: Well, actually I went to interview Himanshu Mallik, thr rather unfortunate hero of Khahwish who couldn't do much for his career despite kissing her 17 times in the movie. Judging by my slightly awkward manner, he realised I had not been at it for a very long time. Asked me how long I had been in the profession. Me being me, counted audibly on my fingers and said, "12 days". He didn't know what hit him. I mean the number of kisses in his movie was more than the number of days my short career had seen.
Ms Sherawat turned up, fashionably late, and asked me if i had seen the latest copy of Elle. Well, I hadn't so for my benefit she was carrying it. They have compared me with Bridgette Bardot she gushed. I tried to look suitably awe-struck. It was my first-time at a 5-star hotel, but I had a bad tummy. And I ended up having tea (which i don't ever have under normal circumstances) with them.
PS: What made my day was when Himanshu picked up the lemon slices which were wrapped in some kind of a net and thinking them to be cookies tried to nibble at them. ha Ha. So much so for professing the joys of having lemon tea.
2. My meetings with the company chairperson: Have always been eventful. The first time, I was asked to sit away from the chairperson because I had a cold. The assistants constantly pushed my chair back till I thought I was sharing space with the plaster in the wall behind.
The second time, I was asked to interview a man who was 228 years old. So I was asked how many spiritual personalities I had interviewed. For want of a better answer, i mumbled Rani Mukherjee. It didn't go down too well. I thanked my stars I hadn't blurted out Mallika Sherawat.
The third time, I was asked if I was able to understand the proceedings of the meeting. After I nodded, the chairperson thoughtfully proceeded to ask me if I was a communist. I looked bewildered.. Ummm...Excuse me? The assistant expalined: Coz u r wearing a red top. Is it any wonder then that the state of newspapers today is what it is?
3. Interviewing Barfani Baba: He's 228 or so he claims. Well, in all my innocence, I decided to believe him. And proceeded to ask him about his experiences of the 1857 revolt. May be I could beat Ketan Mehta and produce the real story of the Rising in double quick time with thuis guy's help. No reply. Sir, did you see Rani Laxmi Bai ever? No reply. Well, Mahatma Gandhi. Not quite. Where did you spend all these years? "Actually, the training that he acquired was at this virtual school in Tibet, you have to meditate hard to get there,'' explained an assistant.
Well, these are the top three. There are so many more that I can think of, but they will have to wait for another day. Perhaps that's when I shall regale you with stories of going to Durgapuri (believe me it's in Delhi) and trying to watch out for tigers at Ranthambhore with a toothless and weaponless guard, or taking a tonga ride to the station, or being handed a two-rupee coin by a photographer to use the sulabh shauchalaya at Bharatpur. Aren't you jealous already?
posted by 8 by 52 at 5:41 AM
4 Comments:
Do you want me to make you jealous? lemme see.....the time I had to do a colony profile and the guy kept telling me that a lot of "aroma" was being emitted from the drain, or the guy who lived near lady irwin college who was much concerned about the "chain scatching" that went on there...the hardest part during these episodes is to keep a straight face.
And yes, the dhobis on strike story they almost made me do. Another one on Taoism, where those phirangs kept us out of the room coz we refused to pay up to see how exactly were people getting benefitted from only one session. After a decade, guess could write a book on my exciting escapades :)
Well, that you have to learn essar. For instance, I nearly fell asleep when this guy was talking, but I kept on nodding my head as if I understood every single word, most of which were fancy technical terms.
PS: What happened to the dhobis? Did they get back? I am curious.
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