Rahul hi Rahul
Have you ever seen an entire film in a dream? You continue snoring but the film continues to hold its spell on you right till the very end, till the usher comes upto you and says: Are bhai picture to kab ka khatam ho gaila hai. Tu idhar akela beth ke kyon ro rahela hai?" I ask him if he has seen the film ("Rahul" is the name of the film) and he says: Kya film banaya hai Subhashji aur Prakashji ne milkar. Mast film hai. Main to do teen baar aur dekhega.

Aur, kya ladka hai hero, jiska naam Rahul hai. Film uski he kahani hai, baaki sab aise hii hai. Dekhna, do teen hafte mein jab film release hogi to yeh saade char saal ka bacha sare desh ko hasayega, rulayega, hila dega I have seen the film in my dream and am now waiting to see it in reality to see the difference. With two giants like Subhash Ghai who presents the film and Prakash Jha who has directed the film, the film has to be some thing more than just another film, may be the kind of film which will bring the audience back all over again. And if they do, there is an entire industry anxiously waiting out there to applaud you to try and save it.

JAVED INSPIRES A DOCTOR
Women, I feel have a very soft corner for poets and poetry written by men or women, poetry written by some of the all-time greats like Mirza Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir and the newer poets like Sahir Ludhianvi, Shailendra, Gulzar and Javed Akhtar. Their poems pierce through their hearts and even heal them at the same time. Only poetry can work such miracles.

Listen to what Dr. Nalini Dutta, superintendent of Hospitals, Ludhiana, has to say after reading one of Javed’s poems. The poem written by Dr. Dutta after reading one of Javed’s poem. She says:

Tum bahut achcha likh lete ho
Khwabon ko hawaon se chhu lete ho
Main to dubi hun har khwab ki gehrai mein
Lafzo ko dhalun kaun se jazbe mein main
Dard ke ... shikast ke....tanhai ke....
Kabhi fursat ho to tumse puchun
Kaise bayaan karun woh dard...
Kaise akele se sahe
Umron ke zakham, jo kai bar bahe...
Tum to raston mein mukam saja lete ho...
Meri rahon mein patthron ke siva kuch bhi nahi
Kya khwabon se takdeer badal jati hai
Meri kismat mein khwaabon ke siva kuch bhi nahin
Tumto bahut acha likh lete ho
Mere paas kah paane ko kuch bhi nahin...
Aao, thaamo mujhe... baitho to sahi....
Meri raahon mein sahaaron ki khushboo bhar do...
Koi saath hai, mere raste akele nahi...
Bus, iss baat ki halki se unmeed bhar do
Aur jo sajai hai tumne baagbaan kahin...
Meri rahon mein waisi hi khushboo bhar do...
Tum jo itna achcha likh lete ho
Mere lafzon mein kuch waisi hi syahi bhar do...

I have always known the power and the passion of poetry. That’s why I thank God for creating poetry and poets and farishtey-like poets like Javed, who make lives look so bright even during such dark and dismal days.

THIS DIRTY GAME, DEATH
Death played some of its naughty and very nasty games with people in the industry without taking a breather, almost. At no time did it claim so many and so ruthlessly. The first to be claimed by death was producer Hanif Kadawala of Magnum. He was shot dead in his own office by some unknown bloodless killers who walk around with the most dangerous weapons in their pockets and kill for "do hazar mein ek".

Than came the ghastly car accident which battered the most talented actress Bhakti Barve while on her way to Mumbai after giving one more brilliant performance, little knowing that it was her last and that an accident within a few hours would end her great story...

The third shock came with the passing away of the veteran filmmaker Dulal Guha. He was seventy, okay, he was ailing for quite some time, okay but still death just snatched him away even though it new that he was still capable of coming up with some good work. Some of his films like Chand Aur Suraj, Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke, Dushman, Dost, Pratiggya, Do Anjane, Khan Dost, Dil Ka Heera and his last film "Dhuan" (whose flopping broke his heart, they say, and made him give up making films and settle down in Nasik) proved his calibre as a director.

Producer Ravi Malhotra who made films like Khel Khel Mein, Rahi Badal Gaye, Jhoota Kahin Ka and Hum Dono, his last film died at a very young age. Friends who knew him (and even his enemies) claim that the flopping of Hum Dono was largely responsible for his early death.

Actor Dinesh Anand who played the villain and comedian in films was one more victim of the atmosphere of fear all over the industry. He was shot dead, shot and killed by "experts" with just two bullets. Actions like these are considered to be great acts by those killers who revel in killing. Such are the times we are living in!

Why are you so cruel, so ruthless Oh! death! Why don’t you atleast understand the after effects of your action on the people left behind to mourn the dead? Are you still hungry and craving for more after swallowing entire areas and its people in places like Bhubaneshwar, Gujarat, Kargil and the mad draconian killings going on between man and man who were friends once and are deadly enemies now for reasons they themselves don’t know.

Life surrenders before you, O, you malicious maker of death. But will there be a day when someone more powerful than God and Death will show us the way to fight and defeat you, yes, you, death.

If there is life, there is death. We, poor human beings accept, but what kind of ruthless deaths are you busy creating for your own creation once, man.

Ali Peter John