The morning was grey. Clouds gathered in the distant sky. It was getting dark. The wind was damp. It was eerie.
'' Something ominous is going to happen'' murmured some. ''Something bad for the country'', said a few others. I didn't want to sit alone. I rang up kochapps and told him that I want solace. I do not know whether you have taken solace from friends; it’s good; esp the variety kochapps dishes out; it's very good, try it sometime.
When I reached Kochapps' apartment block half an hour later, I found a crowd of the residents of the flats near the 'Club House Hall'. I passed through gloomy faces into the hall to locate Kochapps. Some women were huddled together and were whispering. Some had eyes red, out of crying. I found Kochapps with difficulty. He was not affected much.
I asked him, '' what happened?''
''Don't you know what happened.?''
'' No'' .quoth I ; in Old English; the British variety.
'' Behold'' quoth he also, in OE, and extended the paper to me.
' Sanjay Dutt sentenced to six years imprisonment'' was the head line.
'' I knew this alright but what is happening here'' I enquired.
'' The Hindi film lovers including the north Indians from this building are meeting to protest and to pray for Sanjay. They are also requesting the Film Actors Assn
' AMMA" to declare 'Hartal' in Kerala.
After the meeting I read out the reports to Kochapps, like I did on the Churidar Issue of Guruvayoor.
'' Was there a rally after Sanjay was arrested.?'' I asked ; innocently.
'' What rally?'' he asked.
" This report says, “The film personalities rallied behind actor Sanjay Dutt after he was arrested on Tuesday”. I stopped for clarification.
He gave me a look I won't forget in my life.
I read the reactions of people from various walks of life to this incident.
'' Victim of conspiracy of circumstances'', said Shatrughnan Sinha, BJP MP.
"Iska badla hum zaroor loonga'', he pledged ; ever since he was sworn in as an
MP, he is in this habit of making 'pledges' ; ordinary statements are few and rare.
'' Upsetting'', director Kunal Kohli said, '' My sympathy is with his family .... It is a very sad day for Bharath desh. He has already paid for what he has done''. The patriot Kunal is, he recited two lines from manoj kumar's 'UPKAR'
'' Mere desh ki dharti sonaha ugle, ugle he heere mothi,
Mere desh ki dharti, Mere desh ki dharti, Mere desh ki dharti'', repeated it thrice to prove the point.
His voiced choked with emotion for Bharathdesh and Sanjay. He couldn't continue. He retired hurt. Like Manoj Kumar from patriotic films.
“Had he paid any fine earlier? '' I sought clarification again. Kochapps looked at me. To be very frank I couldn't decipher his expression. It was not an encouraging one anyway.
Film maker Anubhav Sinha hoped that '' there would be some provisions in the judgement to find some relief for our friend''. Mahesh Bhatt also mentioned about this 'relief in judgement.'
'' If the judgement doesn't have any relief to Sanjay, the Bollywood film Industry should definitely seek the help of the Drugs and Pharmaceutical Industry to provide some relief not only to him but to his family members in pain'' I expressed my opinion openly.
The last response came from the notable Bollywood film actress Monica Bedi who is convalescing after serving a term in jail for two separate charges of 'Physical alliance with mutiple people in a compromising manner in a discotheque in Delhi ' and ' Passport forgery case'. From her ancestral home from Chhabewal, in Hoshiarpur district. she said '' It's a big loss''.
She expressed her hope,'' Like Phoenix rose from ashes I have come back to life so will Sanjay'' .
I finished reading.
As if to Sanjay, I said it aloud ''You will come out like the phoenix from ashes, Sanjay, making it three of us achieving that feat; Monica from Hoshiarpur, you from Mumbai and I from Ravipuram.!!!”
I looked at Kochappan. He was fast asleep unmindful of the national calamities happening. I closed the door gently and waked on to the road.
It was still cloudy; threatening to rain.......
menon ( aniyan )
