Shailaza's Blog

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  • Politically Incorrect? Maroof Raza’s speaks his mind!

    Politically Incorrect? Maroof Raza’s speaks his mind!

    Maroof Raza, India’s leading expert commentator on strategic and defense affairs, talks to Shailaza Singh about various issues including Kashmir. He has authored several books and opinion pieces besides producing an award winning television series on the many wars and operations conducted by the Indian armed forces. Raza loves to speak his mind without being ‘politically correct’.

    Maroof Raza, a retired army officer loves wearing many hats. He is a consultant and strategic affairs expert who has appeared in almost all of India’s leading television channels as an expert on military and security matters in India and BBC world service radio programmes. He has also authored books like Kashmir’s Untold Story (Bloomsbury India), Confronting Terrorism (Penguin India), Low-Intensity Conflicts- The New Dimension to India’s Military Commitments and No Peace Over Kashmir. He is currently working on a new television series titled ‘Tales of Valour’ which focus on the acts of bravery in the past battles of India.

    The first impression that one gets on meeting the man is that he loves to speak his mind, a rarity in today’s day and age where people aspire to become ‘people pleasers’ and have developed a penchant to be politically correct even if it means stifling their own hearts and minds.

    By his own admission, his children tell him that he is completely out of sync with the real world since he does not have any social media accounts and always keeps his mobile on silent. When he talks, all one can do is listen in rapt attention.

    Pakistan’s Kashmir Fixation

    Pakistan has always had this dream of conquering Kashmir. They even tried to annex Kashmir by sending in troops but were repelled by the Indian forces on October 27, 1947. Christopher Snedden, the well known Australian author, political scientist in his book ‘The Untold Story of People of Azad Kashmir’ says that Pakistan has a permanent government-in-waiting in Azad Kashmir who are prepared to unfurl the Pakistani flag once the Kashmir valley falls. For them, that is when the process of formation of Pakistan will be complete. However, what they don’t understand is this is a dream that they will never realize under any circumstances. The interesting thing about the line of control (LOC) is that it is not just a military divide but also a physical, demographic and geographic divide. Given the current LOC’s strategic location and terrain, it is not possible for the either side to conquer any more land.

    After the war in 1971, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was instrumental in establishing the line of control. She categorically told the Pakistan government and the Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, at that time that there will be no further wars. However, what many did not realize was that she was doing a peace arrangement with a man who had built his entire career with hostility towards India. It is interesting to know that for ten years, Zulfikar Bhutto was an Indian national. He had studied in Mumbai. He adopted Pakistan’s nationality only in 1958. He was waiting in the wings to see whether it was worthwhile to go to Pakistan or not. Not only that, he was the man who orchestrated the surrender of the 1971 war. It was not the Indian army per se. It was he who was sent by General Yahya Khan, the president of Pakistan to New York to negotiate with the UN so that the cease fire could be announced. Bhutto did not want the cease fire but was being pressurized by Yahya Khan. So while in New York, when General Yahya Khan asked him on the phone about the cease fire, he told him he could not hear him. The operator told Bhutto that he could hear General Aya Khan but Bhutto told him to stay out of it. Bhutto wanted to prolong the ceasefire process till Dhaka fell so that Pakistan army could go back motivated.

    The entire concept of Pakistan is based on anti-Indian identity. There was no thought about progress of the people. The man Muhammed Ali Jinnah, who created the new state of Pakistan was himself not a believer. Today, people of Pakistan are suffering from the incessant factional wars in Pakistan and the level of human rights abuses.

    Solving the Kashmir’s Problems

    I always say solve the problems in Kashmir so that you don’t have a problem of Kashmir. Our government needs to solve the issues of broken schools, colleges and hospitals. Give the people of Kashmir the best engineers, best administrators. In my conversations with the National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, I have always been of the opinion that we need to have a tear off calendar for Kashmir. If you make Kashmir a heaven by giving them all the modern-day amenities to its people, it will be like Singapore or Dubai. Does any one talk about freedom in Singapore or Dubai? In India, a few handful of politicians have kept the pot boiling because that is their bread and butter. When the Prime Minister Narendra Modi called me during his first tenure and asked me for advice, I told him to go all out on Kashmir because as it is no one is giving this government any extra points for doing anything in Kashmir. All we need to do is just make Kashmir a place where people can go for holidays, do business, have intellectual discussions. Of course, the most important thing is that we need to seal it from Pakistan.

    However, I am of the opinion that keeping Kashmir on the boil is profitable to many people in our country. The home ministry of India will become irrelevant if you solve the Kashmir issue. They will be dealing with Padma awards and pensions. The paramilitary and armed forces will be at a loose end because they will have no war to fight and no medals to win. The contractors want everything to be permanently temporary so that they do not have to face any audit. The NGOs want a conflict to be able to cry on and get funds. Pakistan, of course enjoys all this chaos because it helps them to keep their people diverted from the inability of the government to deliver on any account.

    China’s Game Plan

    Pakistan is merely a foot soldier in China’s game plan. In intelligence terms, we call it the Jeff and Mutt Policy where China plays the nice guy and the bad guy with India at the same time. They are getting an annual trade of about 40 billion USD from India. This is the same money that they are investing in Pakistan under the China Pakistan economic corridor. We have gotten so used to cheap electronic goods that we cannot say no to buying these goods. Moreover, we in India cannot emulate China when it comes to their manufacturing industry. US banned Huawei because they found some chips that they suspected might be transmitting information in a lot of defense equipment supplied by China.

    The Enemy Within

    People don’t understand army and that is not their fault. It is the fault of the Indian Army. When I talk at the events organized by the Indian Army, I tell them because biggest enemy of the armed forces is the armed forces themselves. I wanted to make a movie on the Balakot strikes. For this, I talked to the Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor, who thought it was a great idea. So, asked him to talk to the air force authorities to give me unclassified information. He agreed. When I went to the air chief’s office , the public relations officer (PRO) did not help me and said that letter is required. I asked him if tomorrow if the NSA calls you up to tell you of an impending strike, would you still want a letter in writing? That project fizzled out. I told the PRO that if they cannot take a decision to make a film how will they take a decision to engage with the enemy?

    Army needs decision makers like Lt. General Sagat Singh, PVSM, who had literally filled the Nathula pass in 1965 with the bodies of the Chinese soldiers. The authorities then decided to remove him from his command because they felt that he was too decisive. In the 1971 war, they brought him back which changed the course of the war. The point is you cannot disregard that quality of taking the right decisions at the right time in an army man. If at the level of a Lieutenant General you are indecisive then are you waiting to become the army chief to become decisive? Everything in the army has become very rank centric. During my tenure in the army, I believed in doing a thing and getting over with it.

    This article was published in the Arbit section of Rashtradoot Newspaper on December 12, 2019

  • All the world’s a stage for Makarand Deshpande

    All the world’s a stage for Makarand Deshpande

      

    For Makarand Deshpande, theatre is all about searching for answers to various questions of life and bringing it to the masses. He believes that theatre is a cathartic experience that helps in experiencing and releasing the unresolved issues of life.

    If you are performing theatre on a regular basis is one of the best therapies. A theatre helps in untangling the knots inside an individual in terms of self-expression and opens many other doors of feelings and emotions. It helps in relieving one self of any emotional baggage.

    When I saw Makarand Deshpande for the first time, I could hardly recognise the man. I had only seen him with his unruly hair playing small, villainous, menacing characters on the screen. I was expecting to meet someone larger than life, instead I met a quiet, observant man who lives and breathes theatre. His play ‘Miss Beautiful’ was a part of the eighth edition of the recently concluded Jairangam: Theatre Festival 2019. The play was about a scriptwriter (played by Makarand) who is working on a new script which is based on his life and the life of his ailing parents. He aspires to give his parents a ‘beautiful death’- an intriguing concept. When I met him, I couldn’t help asking him about this concept.

    No one talks about giving parents a beautiful death. Where did this come from?

    We work so hard in our lives. We don’t prepare for our death. We see our parents growing older and weaker. In our social fabric, death is viewed as something very terrible. Growing old should be celebrated, death should be celebrated.

    How can one help parents to celebrate an approaching death?

    Parents tend to compel their children to do things which their children may not want to do. The parents tell their children to get married just because they want to see them married because they die. They tell their children to have children so that they can see their grand children before they die.

    Why are we scared of death?

    I feel no one is prepared. The desires don’t die. People have new desires even on their death bed. There are times, parents on their death bed tell their children that they should not fight because they (parents) want them to live together so that they (parents) can die peacefully.

    So, does that mean that parents try to control everything?

    Yes. Parents need to give up control to have a beautiful death. In the earlier times, we had people giving up their worldly life and going to the forests. It was known as the ‘vanprastha’ ashram. Slowly they use to detach from everything even food. Thus, their passing was more like becoming a part of the forests, going back to the nature that they came from. It was a gradual process where the family would not come to search for the individual. The mindset was that the parents had done their bit, served their roles, honoured their commitments and now it was time to let go of the world and everything in it.

    So that brings us to a very interesting question. According to you what is the role of parents or the duty of parents in a child’s life?

    It is they who keep searching for things to do in the lives of their children. They want their children to be settled. I am okay till there. But then, they want to ensure that everything is alright with their grand children too. They don’t want anything for themselves but they want to ensure that everything is okay with their children. How is that possible? How can they control what will happen to their children’s lives?

    How is it like in places outside India? Is it different?

    I am sure. I don’t know personally but I have heard and read that people in many countries don’t let their children sleep with them after a certain age. However, the point is not that of independence. The point is you are alone with your death no matter how many children you may have and for that don’t make people guilty. Don’t emotionally blackmail them. Actually, death has nothing to do with your children’s marriage. Saying that their children getting married will help them to die peacefully and easily. What does children getting married have to do with peace? They are people who say that they can now die peacefully just because their children are married, they have their own children and businesses or jobs. The question is are the children alright with themselves. Its not about success or failure. I believe a poor man can tackle an approaching death more successfully than people who have everything. Maybe he just accepts death more easily and gracefully.

    You have dealt with a topic like death which is considered a taboo in the society. How can plays help to deal with these topics and other unexpressed emotions?

    Plays approach emotions more deeply because you are not writing one emotion at a time but many emotions at a time. A scene in a play is a combination of many scenes unlike a film which is one scene. It is more impromptu. Theatre is a cathartic experience from writing to acting. Whatever emotional experiences you have are used not necessarily your own but surroundings also effect your emotions. If you are performing theatre on a regular basis is one of the best therapies. A theatre helps in untangling the knots inside an individual in terms of self-expression and opens many other doors of feelings and emotions. It helps in relieving one self of any emotional baggage. That is why you see the actors who perform theatre on a regular basis unless until they are not into drinking and spoiling themselves, they are one of the happiest people till they are acting. That is why you see many people who play negative characters in their reel life are great people in real life because they have been able to exorcise whatever negative emotions they had in them through acting.

    What do you think is theatre to Jaipur and Rajasthan?

    I have been a part of Jairangam for the last eight years and I have seen some unbelievable work being done by Deepak Gera (founding director of Jairangam) and his friends in this field. We need theatre every where. The problem is whether there is enough exposure for this artform or not. Theatre is a live performing art just like dance or music. If people can go to watch a dance performance or listen to music, why shouldn’t they come to watch theatre? Theatre has conversations and dialogues. I am happy to see that the number of people coming to see theatre has increased in these years. But now I want to know if the popularity of theatre amongst the people has increased so much that if the price of each ticket is 500 INR, will people still come to see a good, well-performed play even if there are no known faces in the play? Then I would really know if theatre has gained that popularity in Rajasthan. I want more people to come, not only those who know and understand theatre but also those who are new to this art form.

    So can theatre match the popularity of movies?

    Yes, of course! I feel if we give them easy access, people will love to watch plays. Today, they are used to spending money on movies. If theatres are built in malls where the movies and theatre are playing side by side, then we will be able to make theatre as popular as the movies. Today, theatre does not get that kind of exposure. The prime location in today’s world is a mall. So if we have theatre in a mall, it will become a prime activity. So, we need to elevate theatre to a prime slot. I want the common man to see the theatre not only the elite and those who know theatre.

    Do you think as a nation we are obsessed by our past?

    It is okay to be obsessed by our past but we should not use the past to fight. If I am using the past to talk about my grandfather who faced these challenges and emerged victorious, it is good and inspiring. Other than that past should not be used to dig out old issues and fight about them. How can we talk about the future when we only keep regretting the past? To plan for the future, you need to live in the present.

    How has thirty years of theatre helped you to evolve?

    When I passed out of college, we formed a theatre company called ‘Heads Together’ where any one could join. I have written plays to answer the questions that came to me in the course of my life. I wanted life to become a part of the plays that I am performing or creating. Its like having an experience in life and exploring all the possibilities of that experience in a play, whether it was about doing a play of Mahabharat where it was about Hanuman sitting in the flag of Arjuna’s chariot and his take on the war after sunset. I am not a seeker or a very ambitious person. I recently did a play called Ram where I had to read Valmiki’s Ramayan, Ram Charitamanas etc. So my play is not Ramayan, it is Ram. This play is my take on Ram in today’s time. I wanted to feel and express Ram. Today we are talking about Gandhi. So now I want to feel Gandhi and find out if he and his thoughts still exist. If he is there, then what can be the manifestation through a play.

    Shailaza Singh

    Published Author, Poet and Youtuber

    This article was published in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit section on December 4, 2019

  • American Kachori- A Random Encounter in Anokhi

    American Kachori- A Random Encounter in Anokhi

    Shailaza Singh bumps into Maria Jose Padgett, a 26-year old dress and jewelry designer from Texas, who works with Jaipur’s artisans to develop dresses and jewelry for American customers,

    ‘You know what is the most amazing thing I love about Jaipur? Sometimes, the façade or the entrance of the building looks so ordinary and plain that nothing prepares you for the beautiful textures or interiors.’ The speaker was Maria Jose Padgett, a 26-year old dress and jewellery designer from Texas.

    Sometimes, serendipity strikes and the chance encounters with strangers from a different country help you to gain a new perspective about your own country. Something similar happened to me as I sat sipping coffee in Anokhi Café. Since there was a dearth of tables, I was sharing a table with Maria Jose Padgett, who frequently visits Jaipur for her designer brand ‘Zindagi’.

    ‘I love Bollywood movies. I saw this movie, ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara,’ and decided to name my brand ‘Zindagi’ because just like life, my jewellery and dresses are completely unique. No piece repeats itself.’

    ‘I originally am from Honduras and my sisters and me live in Texas in USA. I first came to India in 2014 with my ex-boyfriend’s mother. She is now a fashion designer and she introduced me to the world of fashion. I visited the Janpath market in New Delhi and there I saw the most amazing jhumkis (earrings). I decided to explore more and visited Jaipur. I was amazed at the style and variety of jewellery and dresses. Soon, I decided to create my own brand ‘Zindagi’. Earlier I used to buy jewellery and ready made clothes from here and sell them in the States. In 2017, I actually started designing my own jewellery and clothes and came back to Jaipur. Now I come every six months or so to work on my designs with the artisans who live here.’

    I asked her about her impressions of Jaipur. ‘Jaipur is so unlike Delhi. People here are so friendly and open. I don’t know if this is because I am a foreigner or something but I have always had people come up to me and talk to me. They have invited me to dinners and we’ve had long chats. The fact that I speak a little bit of Hindi also intrigues them. I have ended up making great friends with people from all walks of life. I spend most of my time with my artisans, the block printers and the jewellery creators here who create these amazing pieces of jewellery and dresses for me based on the designs I give them. Last week, I took their entire family to dinner. We’ve become such a close knit family now. When I am at work with them, we sing and play Bollywood songs and share our life stories. It is amazing that it was my driver who introduced me to these artisans and now they are such an integral part of my family.’

    What else does she like about Jaipur? ‘I love raj kachori so much so that my friends call me ‘kachori’ now! Once when we were travelling to Jodhpur, we stopped at a road-side dhaba. I ordered raj kachori and chat much to the amusement of my friends who were travelling with me and since then my nickname is ‘Kachori’ , she laughs.

    ‘The thing about old Jaipur is that there are so many alleyways to explore that one leads to the other. Like the other day, I was in Jauhari Bazaar and I kept walking in and out of alleys and saw all these jewellery makers. Then I also like the way children still play games like tag and hopscotch outdoors in the evening. In Honduras, there are safety issues and children don’t play outside and in the States most of them so hooked on to their mobiles and i-pads that one does not see a lot of children playing these games. What I also like is the way people can open their barber shop or any other shop in the streets. In Texas, I don’t get to see much of that. Then I also love the way these artisans teach their craft to their children and how it runs in the families. I don’t get to see that much in the world. Here heritage is really valued and preserved.’

    So, how did her parents react when she first proposed the idea of going to India in 2014. ‘When I came to India for the first time, my parents thought I would get kidnapped and they will never see me again. But my ex-boyfriend’s parents convinced them and they agreed. Now they are so used to it. In fact my mother and sisters have also visited Jaipur a couple of times and they have loved it!’

    What does she think about Indian men? ‘The Indian men I am surrounded with are very protective and very respectful. With my artisans who are mostly men, they are so respectful towards me. I feel blessed to have them in my life.’

    So, how do people in her country see India? ‘I wear the traditional Indian dresses when I go to weddings in my country and it intrigues people. They are intrigued by the fact that I visit India so often and they ask me about how India is and whether it is safe to visit and I tell them that India is an adventure and people here are very friendly and hospitable.’

    So, how does she view life? ‘Life for me is ‘Zindagi’ where I am thankful for every blessing that has come my way. My work, my friends in three different countries, the warmth that I experience in this place have all been so fantastic. There are times I feel like buying a place of my own in Jaipur because I would want to get my children and grand children here and let them experience this unique and unforgettable city with all its warmth and love.’

    Shailaza Singh

    Published Author, Poet and YouTuber

    This article was published in Rashtradoot’s Arbit on October 1, 2019

  • Born To Be Wild- MTV Roadies in Jaipur

    Born To Be Wild- MTV Roadies in Jaipur

    For the last sixteen years, contestants on MTV Roadies have been travelling to different destinations to participate in various tasks that challenge their physical and mental strength. Winners are then decided on vote outs, vote ins, immunity, eliminations, captaincy and twists introduced by producers. Special appearances by guests- actors, sports persons and musicians- are regular features of the show. The current hosts-Rannvijay Singha, Nikhil Chinapa,and Gaelyn Mendonca- who were in Jaipur to inaugurate the city’s first Club Roadie talk to Shailaza Singh about their experiences.

    In the last sixteen years, MTV Roadies has not only entertained the Indian audience with some ‘out of the world’ dares but also spread the ‘fitness fever’ amongst the youth. Rannvijay Singha, the host of MTV Roadies says, ‘I think this country has become fitter because of Roadies. If some hundred million people have jumped on to the fitness bandwagon, I can bet 85 percent of them have been inspired by Roadies.’

    The three popular roadies, hosts Rannvijay Singha and Gaelyn Mendonca along with VJ and gang leader Nikhil Chinapa were talking about their connection with Roadies and Jaipur at the opening of the first Roadies Club at the Marriott Hotel in Jaipur. The free-wheeling chat was entertaining, spooky and engaging.

    Shooting for Roadies.

    Rannvijay said, ‘I had a spooky experience while shooting for Roadies 4 sometime back. After finishing our shoot in Chokhi Dhani at about 6:30 am, Raghu Ram, creator of MTV Roadies, Ranjeet Bajaj, an ex-Roadie, another guy and me decided to go to Bhangarh on four bikes since it was our day off. Just like it happens in those horror movies, one of the bikes broke down just outside Jaipur. We left it there and went on the remaining three bikes. Then we were greeted by storm and rain. This was the month of May-June. We took shelter in a small dhaba. Though the thought of going back did come, true to the Roadie spirit, Raghu and I decided that we would finish what we had started. We reached Bhangarh at about 12:30 in the afternoon. The entire place was very still and quiet as usual. There was no one there. We decided to get some shuteye since we had not slept the entire night. In my sleep, I thought I heard some noises of some children playing. I got up and looked around. There was no one. The other three guys were sleeping. After a while, we got up and went back on our bikes. Again, we were greeted by a storm and rain on our way back to Chokhi Dhani. In the night, when we were having food in Chokhi Dhani, Ranjeet who was perhaps the most easily frightened out of all of us told me that he heard some children playing when we were sleeping in Bhangarh. We all looked at him and realized that all of us had heard the same voices. That was spooky.’

    So, what would you have done if you had actually encountered a monster in Bhangarh?

    Rannvijay laughed and said, ‘ Whenever I go out to such places, I always go in a group. In such situations, my first reaction is to run. But since it is all about the survival of the fittest, I ensure that I am at least faster than one person so that I don’t get to be the prey.’

    Gaelyn said, ‘I didn’t have a spooky experience but I had a very interesting experience all the same. Before every Roadie series start, we have a task trial. The crew of the Roadie try out every task before giving it to the gang leaders and the contestants. I have almost always been a happy guinea pig for those trials. I remember in one task we had to mixe the poop of a hippopotamus with the poop of an elephant. By the time I finished it, I was stinking but since we were in an open field, we had no bathrooms, so I had to spray a lot of deodorant and get ready for the show.’

    ‘I had no such experience,’ said Nikhil, ‘but I get very frustrated when I see people with big muscles and small brains. I don’t know what to do with people who say that they are physically very strong but don’t know how to row a boat or use a catapult or how to climb a rope. They don’t have the basic life skills and come to roadies after years of building muscles just by drinking protein shakes. I keep asking them how did they survive life so far without knowing how to play marbles or fly kites or bows and arrows.’

    Changes in Jaipur Youth

    Rannvijay said, ‘ My connection with Jaipur is very deep. My father is from the Rajputana rifles so we a lot of friends here. Also, in the last ten years, Jaipur has been voted as one of the ten best cities to settle down because of the quality of life one can get here. Earlier when I used to come here, I used to talk to people and they used to say that they had to go to Delhi or Mumbai for their careers or to study. In the last decade, things have changed. Everything including all brands, clubs, educational institutes are here. You have bigger houses, better roads (comparatively).There are more opportunities to do your own business in your own city are more as opposed to going to a bigger city and trying to find a footing there . I have realized that more and more young people are coming back to Jaipur and settling here which is good because the cost of living is low and quality of life is high. People no longer feel the need to go to Delhi and party or go to study elsewhere. Talk about parties or studies or careers, Jaipur has everything. Once I went to a party in Nyla Bagh and I realized that this party could even have been in Brazil.’

    Nikhil agreed, ‘ I remember some fifteen years ago, there was a Maan Industrial Estate where they held parties that were awesome. In fact, I believe Jaipur has better opportunities in sports too because here you have relatively a few million people and more grounds as compared to twenty million people in a metropolitan city and the ever-increasing dearth of space due to increasing cemented jungle.’

    Homogenized Attitude

    Rannvijay feels that everything is homogenized because of the media and internet. ‘The youngsters today are following the same kind of people, same kind of fashion, same brands and opportunities.’ Agreed Gaelyn, ‘These days, it is even very difficult to know where a contestant is from unless he has a very strong original flavor of the place either in his speech or accent or mannerisms.’

    So does that mean we are losing the local flavor with all this homogenization?

    Rannvijay had a different point of view. ‘My parents wanted me to learn the Punjabi language, so they taught me. This homogenization is not technology’s fault. If parents and community want to ensure that the youth learn something about the culture and don’t lose out on it, they need to take the initiative.’ Nikhil agreed, ‘you can be anything you want to be. You need to create your own identity. It’s your choice.’

    I realized that the Roadies were right. Life is all about choices and carving your own path. You don’t have to lose your identity to be a part of the crowd. As Gaelyn said, ‘You can be modern and yet be cultured. You don’t have to lose your identity just to be ‘with it.’

    Shailaza Singh

    Published Author, Poet and Youtuber

    This article on MTV Roadies was published in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit Section on 29 November 2019.

  • The Enigmatic Storyteller- Guneet Monga

    The Enigmatic Storyteller- Guneet Monga

     Guneet Monga’s journey to success is nothing short of phenomenal. She is one of the youngest producers in India and a trailblazer who believes in the power of story telling. Her movies have won accolades around the world. The Hollywood Reporter named her as the “most prolific producers of a new wave of cinema”.

    ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going.’ I hadn’t understood the true meaning of this adage until I talked to thirty-five year old Guneet Monga, an Oscar winner, a BAFTA nominee whose boutique production house Sikhya Entertainment has produced notable movies like The Lunchbox, Gangs of Wasseypur, Masaan. Her 2018 production Period. End of Sentence won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. However, the road to these achievements hasn’t been easy for this former Delhite who has worked as a DJ, insurance agent, an event planner, a salesperson for Laughing Cow Cheese in her quest to seek her true calling.

    Some excerpts from the conversation:

    You’ve been into so many jobs. What made you turn a producer?

    I am a story teller by heart. Even if I have to explain a small incident, I will take 15 minutes to talk about it. Producing is a very powerful form of story telling. I also get to empower so many directors to produce great content. I am a multi-tasker who is wired for delegation and organization, so becoming a producer was a natural progression of sorts since I started as a production intern and then moved on to become a location manager and so on.

    Adversity seems to have been a part of your life. In your childhood, you’ve seen domestic violence. You struggled to return the 50 lakhs to your neighbour after your first film tanked. How do you find the strength to move on?

    From the very beginning, I have been a go-getter. I don’t think much, I just dive into the work and do what needs to be done. Choice is a privilege and when you don’t have a choice you just need to move on. When my first movie tanked, I went from school to school, location to location to showcase the movie which helped me to pay it back.

    Life has this way of resetting our value systems by constantly giving us something different from what we expect, believe or want? Has it ever happened with you?

    All the time! I lost my parents about 10 years ago. And I am an only child. You always look back at your parents for your core value system and to understand where you come from, what you were taught to believe in. Today, though I have achieved a lot but I miss that kind of appreciation from the core. So, everything that happens is good but not great because that sense of validation which comes from your parents is not there. So, I have learnt to become my own parent. I have set my value system with my own checks and balances to check my self and understand where I could be better. Whenever something good happens, I tell myself this is just the start, there is so much to do, so much to learn. But that is a lot of internal work.

    What does success mean to you?

    I am actually a big believer in power of failure because that teaches you the most. When you achieve success in anything, you don’t think things could go wrong. To me, the movies that have not worked, the movies that have not been released, are the reasons why I am able to be a part of a movie that is successful around the world and wins awards because I learnt so much from the movies that didn’t make it. To me success is this wisdom, and to be inspired and to be continually allowed to be tell my stories. For this I have learnt to be grateful and content.

    What is the biggest strength of a woman according to you?

    Women are generally very perceptive, empathetic and have a great sense of intuition and responsibility which allows them to be in a better position than men. Besides, there are women like me who lost so much in life that they have nothing to lose and are grateful for opportunities that they get. So that fearlessness is also a very powerful tool as a woman.

    Have you been to Jaipur?

    Yes, I was their for the Jaipur Literature Festival this year. I love Jaipur and its people. The place has amazing energy. I am a silver jewelry collector so Jaipur is a great shopping destination for me!

    Shailaza Singh

    Published Author, Poet and Youtuber

    This article was published in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit section on October 11, 2019

  • A dance of faith, culture and Gauri

    A dance of faith, culture and Gauri

    Gauri or Gavri dance as it is popularly known is a forty-day festival observed by the tribal communities of Mewar where men dress up as various characters including women to appease the Gods. 

    I entered the non-descript room which was located in a corner of the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh (MSMS) II Museum in the City Palace. I saw about fifty men and women sitting in the room. I also saw two foreign looking men (who I later discovered were the American photographer Waswo X. Waswo and Giles Tilloston, consultant director, research exhibitions, MSMSII Museum) and a Sonika Soni, a art historian sitting in the front of the room. The topic of discussion was Waswo X. Waswo’s recently released book ‘Gauri Dancers’ by Mapin Publishing while a slide show which displayed some pages of book played in the back ground. Waswo has been living in Udaipur in Rajasthan for the past twelve years where he collaborates with the local artists to create sepia-coloured pictures along with the photo-hand colourist Rajesh Soni.

    Waswo talked about how he was introduced to the style of Gauri when he was clicking a picture of a Gauri dancer in 2010 as a part of a regular series. However, it was only in 2011 when he encountered a man selling Gauri masks that he decided to create a book by using the dancers as models and creating appropriate back drops for them. In fact, this book is the only English-language book on the tradition which features the portraits of performers.

    I looked at the crowd. Some were busy chatting on their phones while the others were listening to the conversation. I was wondering about what was so interesting about a bunch of sepia-toned, hand-coloured photographs when Waswo started talking about the Gauri or Gavri, the forty-day festival which is celebrated by tribal communities of Mewar, in southern Rajasthan. The celebrations commence on the next day of Rakshabandhan, a period which is interestingly known as the most inauspicious period according to the Hindu calendar because it is believed that the Gods go to sleep after Raksha Bandhan and no auspicious activities including marriages are held during this period. During the forty days, the men from the Bheel, Gameti and Meena communities observe strict fasting and do not eat in the night. They abstain from non-vegetarian food, alcohol and walk barefoot and sleep on the floor. The predominant belief behind this entire ritual is that if they worship Lord Shiva and his wife Goddess Parvati by observing these austerities, then the gods will bless them with ample rain during the rowing season and an abundant crop.

    The interesting aspect according to the historian Sonika Soni was that no women take part in these celebrations. Women are an important part of the audience and the welcome group as the performers travel from village to village during these forty days. The performers generally choose the villages where their daughters have been wed and the villagers from these villages host these performers. In these performances, many performers play multiple characters and keep improvising and changing their costume depending on the act. The stories are based on Shiva, his wives Mohini and Parvati and Bhasmasur, the demon. They wear makeshift and locally improvised costumes. Only one character called Rai Bhudiya wears a mask who acts as Shiva and Bhasmasur. The wives of Shiva are Mohini and Parvati. Sonika Soni recounted how men and women from the village seek blessings from the performers as they believe that the performers imbibe the gods during this period.

    Waswo narrated an anecdote where he had invited the performers to his make-shift studio in outskirts of Udaipur and told them that he wanted to photograph them in their costume. The performers were so enamoured by the idea that they kept coming back for photographs even when they did a minor change to their costume for the upcoming act. He also talked about a photograph which had several children posing together as ‘monkeys’. He said that the children of the tribal community just stay keep watching the performance and do the odd jobs for the performers. According to him, nothing has ever been documented in this age-old tradition and everything including the acts, stories is word of mouth which has been passed on from generation to generation.

    Sonika Soni said that in the recent years, the NGOs from various parts of Rajasthan have started taking an interest in this festival and may be the government will also start doing something for these artists who are endeavouring to preserve an age-old custom. However Waswo had a different take on this and said that as of now the tribal community and the festival has been thriving with the support of the local villages. He said that the intervention from the local authorities should not take away the spirit of the festival and transform it into just a day-long affair for the amusement of the tourists, something like what happened to the Kathakali, the famous dance from Kerala.

    For me the photographs from the book were just the icing on the cake. The real deal was the Gauri dance and the dancers who have been keeping this folk tradition alive without any incentive except their faith in their Gods. In a non-descript room of the museum in the City Palace I had a rendezvous with the living and breathing history of Rajasthan, something that has not been relegated to commercial performances, at least not yet.

    Shailaza Singh’s article on Gauri Dancers was published in Rashtradoot’s Arbit on November 2, 2019.

  • Palace of Clouds: Not a fairytale

    Palace of Clouds: Not a fairytale

    Palace of Clouds

    Author: Rajshree Kumari, Bikaner

    Publisher: Bloomsbury

    Pages: 400

    Book Type: A Memoir

    Rating: 4.5/5

    Rajshree Kumari’s book Palace of Clouds offers the reader an interesting and engaging narrative of her experiences in life. 

    The common folk like us are often made to believe that the life of royal families often resemble fairytales. They are more or less the privileged souls who live high above the earth, in the clouds where no worries and problems that plague the common man can even touch them.

    However when I read ‘Palace of Clouds’, a book authored by Rajashree Kumari, the erstwhile princess of Bikaner I realized that life had its own challenges even for the favourite child of Dr. Karni Singh, the erstwhile Maharaja of Bikaner.

    The first few pages of the book feature in-depth reviews about the book. The writers include well-known authors like Amrita Gandhi, who is also a television anchor, Aman Nath who is also a hotelier and Dharmendra Kanwar, Dr. Amin Jaffer, who is also a senior curator of Fine art at the Al Thani Collection and Christie’s, London.

    The author begins with an in-depth description about the history and origin of Bikaner. This is followed by chapters about her family lineage. Though these pages give interesting insights into the lives and times of the royal family of Bikaner and many a times, the author has been able to weave the historical events seamlessly into her narrative, to people who already know about the history of Bikaner, they feel like pages from a history book. Nevertheless, they should be an interesting read for the uninitiated and those who are unacquainted with the rich legacy of Rajasthan.

    The chapters along with the photographs that detail the life of the author are full of anecdotes that give an insight into her growing up years, her fears and her personality. Whether it is about the origin of her childhood fear of abandonment by her parents or about losing her father, or her relationship with her husband, the author has been completely candid about her life experiences. I was taken aback by the innate honesty with which she talks about the strained relationship between her mother and her paternal grandmother or her efforts to learn cooking before her marriage or the breakdown of her marriage.

    Though the narrative about her life style and travels to different countries did give me an impression of a life swathed in luxury without a dearth of money or the abundant resources that the common people find hard to fathom, her accounts of her travels to various countries are interesting. Many mothers would identify with her story about how she struggled to find Bournvita in Saudi Arabia for her son who refused to drink milk otherwise.

    The book is punctuated with several interesting stories like how the Hinduja brothers clearly monopolized the then British prime minister Margaret Thatcher or the unexpected proposal of marriage by an Egyptian policeman. The author also gives a detailed account about her passion and relationship with her pugs which partly inspired her foray into PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) along with her father’s efforts as a Lok Sabha member for creating awareness about the plight of bull frogs which were exported to countries like France for their legs which were considered a delicacy. The pictures are interesting

    I discovered an interesting aspect about the author who has been a shooting champion and the youngest recipient of the Arjuna award. In her memoir she talked about how her father was immensely proud of her achievements in shooting . However, she also talks about how her father’s pressure of expectations put her off painting for the rest of her life.

    When I finished reading this book in the wee hours of morning, I realized that life is the same for everyone whether a princess or a common man. The privileges or the luxury that comes with being born in a certain segment of the society does not protect us from the inevitable pain and trials that arise from the life events and experiences that become an integral part of our lives.

    To the casual reader, the title ‘Palace of Clouds’ may give an impression of a fairy tale life but it is anything but that. By author’s own admission, as a teenager and most Indian girls, she expected to have a life where her father would always be there for her and she would marry a Rajput man and live happily ever after. However, things turned out very different from not only what the author had expected but also from the point of view of a reader who was expecting to read about a rich princess but learnt about a lady who not only took the various tribulations of her life with grace but also became richer and wiser with those experiences.

    Shailaza Singh’s article was published in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit Section on 5 November 2019.

  • The Third Chukker Of Polo- Travel The World On A Horseback

    The Third Chukker Of Polo- Travel The World On A Horseback

    Polo has not only emerged as a great past time for the masses but also a great career option for those who love a fast life and fast horses.

    Picture this – You are wondering what to do with your children on a Sunday. The age-old options of movies or malls don’t appeal to you. You have played the tourist and explored all the forts and palaces Jaipur has to offer. What else can you do? Fortunately, you are in Jaipur at a time where polo matches are becoming the latest passion of the masses.

    ‘Jaipur has more than a century old history as far as Polo is concerned,’ says Digvijay Singh, secretary, Rajasthan Polo Club. ‘I have travelled across the world and the moment I say Jaipur, people say polo. In a way, Jaipur has become a Mecca of polo players today.’

    Polo has also undergone an evolution of sorts with the traditional polo being replaced by arena style polo which has three instead of the customary four players. ‘It is not always that huge grounds will be available for polo,’ says Jai Singh, the co-owner of the famous brand Polo Factory. ‘Moreover, if you realize that the maintenance of the grounds is very important because when the horses run, they dig up the ground with their hooves. So, after every match, the ground has to be leveled again which in itself is a marathon task.’

    Digvijay Singh agrees, ‘Besides being a very fast-paced game unlike cricket or other such sports, Polo is also a great employment generator. It requires grooms, stable hands, people who can level the field. Then there are tourists and players who come from all corners of the world to try their hand at polo which creates employment for people who are not even related to polo. New riding clubs have come up in Jaipur which teach riding to those who want to learn polo. Moreover, people of Rajasthan are very friendly with horses since centuries. This camaraderie is so inherent here that most of the helping hands including jockeys, stable boys in the Mumbai Turf Club are from Rajasthan. Some people from the Shekhawati region have migrated to Dubai and are now taking care of the horses that belong to sheikhs and racing clubs.’

    ‘Polo also has a lot of heritage attached to it,’ says Digvijay Singh. ‘His eyes have a far away look as he reminisces about a time when Gayatri Devi, the erstwhile Rajmata of Jaipur used to regularly come for Polo matches. ‘ She was herself a very good polo player. I remember she used to sit upstairs in the stands. She did not like to be disturbed while watching the match. It was because of her that we had to ensure that no children below the age of 12 years could come upstairs. So, her grandson Padmanabh Singh and other children of the royal household had to sit downstairs to watch the match. The rule is still in place today. The grounds parking used to be full of bicycles since the crowds used to love to watch the erstwhile Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II play the game.’

    So what does it take to be a polo player for a person who does not have a lot of money or belongs to royal family. Digvijay Singh says, ‘All it takes is sheer talent and determination. Today there are people like Abhimanyu Pathak, who despite having no royal background are top players of the game. This is one game where it doesn’t matter who you are and where do you come from. If you are good, you will soon be picked up by a team or will get a patron who will finance you. You can even learn playing polo by doing something called a working polo which is quite a norm in many countries.’

    So, as you watch the horses gallop across the field, you can always think of this alternate career option for your children. After all, this is one game where you can rub shoulders with the royalty and the richie rich, bump into celebrities who are polo aficionados and have a great life travelling around the world. All on a horse back! What do you say to that?

    If you are interested in watching a game of polo today, head to the Polofactory Yard at Dhankya to watch the Polofactory Amateur Cup The entry is free for all.

    Shailaza Singh’s article was published in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit Section on 17 November 2019.

  • Second Chukker – Women in Polo

    Second Chukker – Women in Polo

    Women are slowly and steadily foraying into polo.

    I was busy watching the men play Polo at the PoloFactory Amateur Cup when I saw a twenty-one-year-old girl cheering the players. She did not look like a mere spectator of the game. She was constantly shouting out advices to the players on the field.

    From our initial conversation, I got to know that her name is Rajvi Sen and she is a budding polo player. She is originally from Gujrat. She does belong to any royal family which is what intrigued me. I asked her about her foray into polo. She said, ‘Four years ago, I remember going to a club in Hyderabad and seeing a horse polo game and saying that I want to learn to ride and play this game. The game was fast and exhilarating which is what caught my interest. The game is not just about chasing a ball but also involves a lot of strategy. It’s something like a combination of chess and hockey on horse back.’

    So, how did she learn the game? ‘I learnt polo by doing what is known as working polo. In working polo, you pay half the price of the lessons and the stay since you work for the person hosting you. When I turned 18, I went to the South of France for two months. I was riding and I was also looking after the horses and playing. I was the first Indian girl to get a sponsorship this year from a company for the polo induction program in Spain. This involved a selection process too. Then I went to Prague again on a working polo. But this time I played a tournament which was really an exhibition match in Prague and was a captain of a team. Our opponents were from Hungary.’ I asked her about her mother’s reaction to her choice of sport. ‘My mother was initially very worried at first but now she is okay especially because she understands my passion for the game.’

    This made me curious about the status of women polo in India. I talked to Ankur Mishra, a polo player, editor, Jodhpur Polo Magazine, founder, Polo Day Out in Jodhpur. He said, ‘The girls are just beginning to play polo. Generally we believe that ladies are naturally more skilful and elegant riders as far as the horses are concerned. In fact, we have our annual Women Polo Tournament on the December 29 this year. However, this is more of a mixed match because in a team of four we have one man and three women. The reason is that we don’t find enough women polo players.’

    Mriganka Singh, an avid polo player and erstwhile princess of Jammu and Kashmir agrees. ‘Why would most people in India want their daughters to play such a dangerous sport when they can do something else or get married? I have a friend who used to play great polo but after becoming a lawyer has completely given it up. Yes, there are lot of opportunities in Jaipur for amateurs and low goal players, people who are just starting out. Arena polo is coming up in a big way because in this you need less players. However we need more women in Polo.’

    Mriganka was a part of the Indian team at the Special Women’s Polo Tournament which was held in Manipur in January this year. She said, ‘Polo abroad is so different. This year, women from Canada, Argentina, USA and Kenya participated in the Tournament. There were women of all ages from 14 to 40. I saw three pairs of mothers and daughters from Argentina playing and it was so beautiful. Why cannot we have that in India?’

    I asked Jai Singh, the owner of PoloFactory about this strange predicament of women’s polo in India. He replied with a very enigmatic smile, ‘Yes, just like the Amateur’s Cup, we are working on something that will help the new women players of polo to practice and ace the game. But you will have to wait for a formal announcement and it will be very soon.’

    There seems to be a new vibe in the air with women raring to make it big in a game like Polo. The question is are there enough women to make Polo a passion amongst the masses? Only time will tell.

    Catch the excitement of Polo matches at Polofactory Amateur Cup at the Polofactory Yard, Dhankya. The matches are on till November 17.

    Shailaza Singh’s article was published in in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit Section on November 13, 2019

  • A new chukker @PoloFactory

    A new chukker @PoloFactory

    Name the game which is played on horse back and the goal posts are changed every time a player scores a goal? Name the game which was once played only by royalty but now is slowly becoming a passion with the masses? Yes, you’ve guessed it right! It is Polo, the game of the fast and the furious which is played on horseback. 

    For Jai Singh and Vikramaditya Singh, the owners of Polo Factory, the brand that manufactures polo equipment, polo is not just a game but a way of life for the players and the people associated with them. Explains Jai, ‘There are four players in a team. Each polo player has to have at least five to six ponies. Each of these horses needs a groom which means a lot of employment since these horses need all the infrastructure like stables etc.’

    So, does this imply that people who can afford to buy and maintain these horses can only play the game? ‘Not in this day and age,’ says Jai. ‘Some players come from the 61st Cavalry, which is known for producing well known polo players like Colonel Kuldeep Gurcha. Now new players who are talented but do not have the resources often find patrons, people who are passionate about the game and have the horses. A good example is Abhimanyu Pathak, one of India’s top players who started out as a call center executive and supported his dream for playing polo by learning horse riding.’

    So, where do these players get the horses from? Jai says, ‘Some of the horses come with the players of the 61st Cavalary of the Indian Army, while others are retired race horses. Then there are organizations like Polo Clubs and individuals who import horses from countries like Argentina, England, New Zealand which are the hub of international polo.’

    So, where all in India is polo played? Jai says, ‘It was once played in Kolkata but now that circuit is inactive. Besides Jaipur, which has 13 big polo grounds, and is a favorite hub for the polo lovers, Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru circuits are also active.’

    We talked and watched the players like Padmanabh Singh, the erstwhile maharaja of Jaipur, Sidhanth Singh battle it out along with their teams in the first match of the Amateur Cup, which is being organized by Polofactory. In this tournament, there are two pools A and B. Each pool comprises of three teams. Chandna Group, Kanota and RRPC form the pool A while Bikaner Polo, PoloFactory, Polo Inn and Suites form the pool B.

    Jai beckoned a photographer who was busy shooting the players. He told me that the photographer R K Singh is perhaps the only one who has been exclusively shooting polo matches all over India for the last 25 years. When I quizzed him on his passion to capture polo, he said, ‘I love action and in polo matches there are no retake. So, I like the thrill of capturing the moment.’

    Rajvi Shailender Singh, a well-known player believes that Jaipur has the best crowd when it comes to polo because the polo matches that are organized in Jaipur are always open for the public as compared to Delhi where one needs passes to watch a polo match. ‘Most people who come to watch the game know the rules, the fouls and the players. There are some veterans in the crowds who even know the name of the horses.’

    Polo comes with its own share of interesting and amusing incidents for its players. Rajvi Shailendra Singh narrates an interesting incident, ‘In 2000, when I was playing a game in Delhi, my horse froze in the middle of a game. I tried to make it move but to now avail. I looked up and saw the entire team coming towards me on their horses. They were so involved in the game that even though I shouted and told them to watch out, no body paid any attention. So, finally, I had no option but to jump off my horse and run to save my life. The moment I jumped off, the horse sprang into action and ran off in the opposite direction. Now the incident sounds funny but that time it was the scariest moment of my life.’

    Jay concludes, ‘Polo is a sport that is a combination of skill, speed and agility. Now with the young blood coming in it has become even more attractive for people who love to ride horses and play this fast and furious game.’

    The Polofactory Amateur Cup is being played at the Polofactory Yard, Dhankya in Jaipur till November 17, 2019. The entry is free for all. The first match of today will be played between Kanota/RRPC and Benaz Corp. In the second match, Polo Inn and Suites will battle it out with Bikaner Polo.

    Shailaza Singh’s article was published in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit Section on November 13, 2019

  • A tryst with multi-tasking creativity @ IIT- Jodhpur

    A tryst with multi-tasking creativity @ IIT- Jodhpur

     A peak into the world of IIT, Jodhpur is not just about endless studying but also pursuing and developing passions for a lifetime.

    The very mention of the word IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) conjures up different scenes from Aamir Khan’s movie ‘Three Idiots’ . For most people, IIT is a stressful place where students are kept constantly on their tenterhooks or are incessantly cramming from their text books for an upcoming exam or practical. That is the impression I had before I visited IIT, Jodhpur fondly known as IIT-J.

    I had been invited by the students of IIT- J to participate in a panel discussion about paid news, which was just one of the events which was organized as a part of Aaftaab, a two-day literature festival. The other events included a kavi sammelan where famous poets like Sampat Saral, , a book launch by Arpit Vageria, creative writing workshop by Ishita Dey and a performance by the band Exile Diaries and much more. Nivedit Jain, who had initially contacted regarding my participation in the event told me that he could only speak to me in evenings since he and his classmates were busy attending lectures and lab sessions in the day. When I inquired, he told me that their lectures sometimes continue even till 8 or 9 in the evening.

    When I reached on the first day, I saw many students attending these lectures. There were some who were busy making notes in the library. In my experience, literature or all such festivals in colleges meant that the academics were brought to a standstill. However, this was not the case here.

    Shubham Pandey, a faculty of chemistry in IIT-J said, ‘We always encourage the students to pursue their passion while studying. We tell them to take up at least one additional activity like singing, writing, film making which helps to take off the pressure of the studies. In these festivals, the students not only manage the festival but also continue their day-to-day studies because we believe students or anyone for that matter can develop multi-tasking as an ability.’

    Parichay Batra, who is a part of the department of humanities and social sciences and teaches film making in IIT-J opined, ‘Every student is required to select at least four humanities subjects from a long list of electives every year. Some students choose film making, others choose newly introduced subjects like digital humanities or digital publishing or social connect as their electives. ‘

    I wondered why was it important for a student to choose these additional humanities subjects when he was already grappling with his regular subjects in the institute. Parichay Batra said, ‘You have to understand that preparing for IIT entrance examination is no mean feat. The students forgo all their hobbies and passions for a year or two just to ace this examination and get into IIT. Now, when they come here, it is important for us to help them rediscover their passion along with their regular curriculum so that their creativity is not lost in all this pressure. Hence, we have a very active student gymkhana which has different societies like the literary society or photography society or the cultural society and many more which help students to focus on their passion. In fact, there have been some students who discovered their passion for film making after taking an elective film making course in IIT. They then completed their four-year B.Tech course and cleared the entrance exam for FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) to become film makers. ’

    I saw the students enjoying all the events in the literature festival with fervor. They cheered in the Kavi Sammelan and participated in the discussion and also sang with the band.

    As I bid adieu to the students of IIT, Jodhpur, a thought came to my mind. Perhaps if director Rajkumar Hirani was to remake ‘3 Idiots’ again today, his protagonist Farhan Qureshi played by R. Madhavan would not have had to drop out of IIT to pursue his passion for photography on the behest of Aamir Khan’s Rancho.

    Shailaza Singh’s article was published in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit Section on November 17, 2019