Almost Three years…..

Almost Three years…..

I had come to Mumbai with a clichéd dream to work in films :-) … For my graduation ,I applied to various colleges across India but got the first conformation from a Mumbai college….. Wow……My dad …. He immediately decided I should be sent to Mumbai before the other results were even disclosed….. I was really happy that I am going to Mumbai…. The funny part here is that my dad decided on sending me to Mumbai because of the fact that I had no friends here… Heeeee… I tried to appear sad as my friends wanted me to join them in Delhi…

So I was happy and my family was happy… too good…

Without getting into what happened in the first six months with me in Mumbai I will like to share about “almost three years”

My first semester was nearing and it was December…. Me and my roommate Subir were tense as to how we are going to fare in the exams….. as it had been a difficult and boring semester we had realized that our college was going to bore us…. We had no attachment or involvement in with our college nor our college was involved with us….:-) happens …. Happens to many in our country…..

On 6th December I was reading Bombay times……. I read an interview of Juhi babbar in which she had discussed about a workshop that their group did every six months….. I had seen her film and didn’t know anything about theatre… but wanted to act, and direct…. To say straight… I wanted to be a actor and director……. But primary goal was acting…..direction was just for cover … (I think so not sure) Called on the number given in the Ad…. Given by the theatre group which Juhi Babbar had just talked about…

They told me the fee was 7,500(which is 13k today) and student discount will be 1k. So, I took out the money from the ATM…. Called Subir told him about it…..Point to be noted I had never discussed my filmy aspirations with anyone but my eldest brother (pankaj, because this guy doesn’t stop you from dreaming like other people do, So I could not trust anyone with my dream,) . When Subir heard me he didn’t laugh as he shared a similar dream, he came from Arunachal Pradesh and wanted to be a journalist. These days he is with PTI( press trust of India). He covered the last year 26/11 with other senior journalists. He said let’s go to the address given and you join the workshop…… I was a bit apprehensive and scared as will I be able to complete the workshop or will I make a fool of myself….as I was very shy and self conscious (when my other brother Niraj, came to know I had joined a theatre workshop he was surprised as to how I will be able to work there as I was the person who could not speak in front of 4 people, when school held cultural events… I told my family today is holiday, so he was not wrong...) But inside I had a desire to do this workshop as it was part of my dream….

When we reached the venue for registration… seeing a lot of people I said to subir lets go back I don’t think I will be able to do this ….. but he motivated me and when I was filling the form he said Sonu you know we have exams from 23rd dec right and this workshop ends on 21st do you think you will be able to manage……. I looked at him and said yes…. As I won’t be getting another chance for 6 months and don’t know why I felt this is the right place for me….. when I told Hanif ji ( who today is my dear friend and teacher ) who was taking the registration that I am really nervous and I don’t think I will be able to do complete this workshop…. He said do you see the rehearsals going on… everyone there was as nervous as you… each participant will be as nervous as you are …so take it easy and I got the message that these guys treat everyone equally and respect even the newcomers…. I was relaxed as I was in safe hands…… Just then Juhi Babbar came out and said to Subir who was watching the rehearsal if you please outsiders are not allowed inside…. When we were going out he said isn’t she a actress her film had just come….. I said yes… he said she is very beautiful…. I said ya..and we left……. Without realizing that She is going to be my dearest and favorite Juhi didi in the time and years to come………..


To be contd……

Sonu Anand