Gallit gondhal

Gallit Gondhal : Its been a long time since I've laughed so much for a Marathi movie. Anaspure is on a killing spree with his wisecracks at every second line. The film makes me laugh especially because the place where i work relates so much with what is depicted in the movie.
The movie is about politics at the village level and the story of a village youth(Anaspure) who is in the middle of it all. The small scuffles and the game of one upmanship between the two village leaders and how the youth takes advantage of that is funny but the truth is that this is what really happens here in Maharashtra and I can vouch for that.

Hell! the other day they even put up posters to wish the local leaders kid on his birthday, and one can see the extravagant marriage processions by the Ahmednagar Highway, they have camels to carry the children (yes camels as in humps) and elephants and a Chariot for the groom with live DJ (jeez they would have loved this in the Mahabharata) and the long procession dancing wildly by the roadside. Alternatively there may be a lezim troupe accompanied by Dhols and trumpets. All this I am told, is done only to show off power and wealth with an aspiration to a political career. For the same reason they move about in flashy high end SUVs with paan stains on the seats.

Here achievements are measured by what company a person keeps. The locals talk about those successful people who are close to some leader.

A special mention has to be made here about that phenomenon called Banners. In this state no social event can be called an event until it is proclaimed by at least ten banners by the roadside. The events have also to be thanked for later by ten other banners and the main idea behind the banner is that no one be left out. The thin glossy banner carries the egos of several burly people who stare out lovingly but whom the local people often point out to as the murderer of someone or the other.

There is a lot of business here in loudspeakers, lighting systems, DJ's and especially banner making. The best business still remains at the top of the food chain, in politics.

Meeting Jeffrey Archer

Hallelujah! He has come. He walks in with bodyguards and the other officials, while the entire hall is clapping wildly, finally he reaches the podium looks around smiling and then requests all the photographers to stop flashing. He then begins to talk and the hall falls silent trying to catch on to his every word. I discover that besides being a master storyteller and a wonderful novelist Jeffrey Archer is a fantastic Orator. He invents jokes and wisecracks on the spot while he is narrating some hilarious incident in his life.

I have now moved to the sides of the hall, though i have to stand the place is much much closer to the stage. As he nears the end of his speech about his latest book "Paths of glory" he asks for questions and just about every hand in the hall goes up. All kinds of questions come up, but two lucky ones are most notable. The first comes from a middle ages woman who wants to know how difficult it is to be a writer, he answers that by asking how many of the people in the hall have thought of writing, all hands go up, then he asks how many have actually written anything, half the hands go down, next he asks how many have written a full length novel, and only two hands stay up, How many have got published and there are no more hands standing. Then he mentions that for every thousand published novels there is one that makes it to the best sellers list. The question is answered.

The next question comes typically from a sardar who wants to know/state that the endings of all of Jeffrey Archers novels are predictable. Archer pretends to be in awe of someone who could predict the endings because he himself couldn't predict the endings until he wrote them. When the laughter dies down he tells us how imperative it is to reach a good ending, and that he is lucky to have got good endings for all his novels. He then looks about to pick the next person with a question. I think how lucky these people are for being able to talk. Yes I am stupid but i wont be realizing that until later.

"Ok, you there ..." Jeffrey Archer says and suddenly everyone is looking at me, thats when i remember my hand is still up. Someone passes me the mike, and Jeffrey waits patiently, After introducing myself, I ask him if it is important to have been to the place that one is writing about. He says it is handy but not important before narrating his own experience. 

The mike passes on to someone else and after a few more questions the signing session begins and although Jeffrey has promised that he wont leave until he has signed every book everyone wants to push around and get to the front. I get my copy of "Kane and Abel" signed and leave the place. Like the British would say what a wonderful evening!!

Writer

I have been sitting in this chair for the last half hour. I want to but cant go to the loo, i cant even afford to stand up and walk around. Somebody else in this packed bookstore may take my place. Cant take that risk either. But as i sit here i understand all those people who wait for hours to catch a glimpse of their favorite filmstar. I wont snigger at that sentiment anymore. I have bought a copy of kane and abel to get it autographed by the man himself. Jeffrey archer. There is still an hour to go.