Yesterday I met a school friend after more than a decade! She lives in the same city as I do and has an adorable 4 year old daughter, who I have read much about on FB. My friend posts snippets of what her daughter talks about and it is innocent and fascinating all at once. The innocence, the straightforwardness and most of all that glorious imagination. Finally the jinx is broken and we parted agreeing to meet more often. Also she lent me her precious hard cover of Big Magic! How very generous of her 🙂
We met at the TATA Literature festival happening at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Nariman Point. We decided to attend a play called Comedy of Horrors which was a mashup of 3 stories by Edgar Allan Poe and Ambrose Pierce. Unfortunately I only remember two of these stories, both by Edgar, The Man that was used up & The System of Dr. Tarr & Prof. Fether
I arrived at the venue half an hour later than what I had promised due to train delays. It was a beautiful venue and the weather for a change was behaving. There were many senior citizens in the house, the veterans of Mumbai who congregated at cultural and stimulating events like these dressed in the finest and most elegant of khadis and tussars – a bygone era where what went into the making was as important as the outcome. But then I saw many millenials so to speak, some as young as undergraduates and some in their seasoned 30s. And they were dressed in what my mind processes as the journo attire, which I personally love.
A journo attire in India is a lose Kurta worn nonchalantly over a cotton pants combined carefully with a pair of Kohlapuri chappals which is all then combined deliberately with a jhola. And it always manages to take my breath away.
Src : http://quirkyconnection.tumblr.com/post/131164121694/
Then there are the connoisseurs of the Saree. These are people who ‘invest’ in a saree and believe that a saree ages like wine. Rightfully so! India has an abundance of textile art that is available to those who look for it. Your education begins at home, when you see your mom decide which saree to wear.
When I was really young, I used to observe my mother draping her saree with wonder. I also told her which ones I liked and would like to be handed down to me. I even made one of her beautiful silk sarees into a shift dress which had a few mishaps in terms of construction…so it stays in my wardrobe, waiting for another makeover.
But as I grew up, I lost interest in something I considered to be a garment only for ones that had inherent grace. One that is worn to friend weddings. It always puzzles when I see people wearing that same garment while traveling on a train. How?
Coming back to the connoisseurs, they enchant with their taste in the saree, the pairing of it with the blouse and complimenting jewelry. Such a sight to behold. Indian beauty.
One such lady I saw yesterday was none other than Sarika Hassan.
Sarika Hassan in a beautiful Tussar silk kalamkari saree
My friend and I stole glances at her as we walked ahead of her to our seats. We were also excited when we spotted Naseerudin Shah, the poster boy for Indian theatre (or parallel cinema as they call it) and the talented Ratna Pathak Shah, who also is his wife . Such a power couple. I have a weak spot for celebrities as you can tell.
All of us thoroughly enjoyed the depiction ofThe System of Dr. Tarr & Prof. Fether. My friend’s little one, who she calls P, was giggling through bits of it. I think she was the only child in the room. With a bibliophile for a mom, I am sure little P is going to more than dabble in the literary arts!
All in all a fun evening replete with histrionics, friendly banter, style spotting and Big Magic 🙂
Bodista 