Punds tagged me to write 8 random facts about me, and i promptly complied. I was mighty depressed after finishing the tag (woh bhuli daastaan , loh phir yaad aa gayi & all that crap) . Anyways, a man got to do - what a man got to do. So without further ado, here are 8 randomly hand-picked facts about me :
1> I have rolled Tele-Prompter pages for Shekhar Suman.
I had a very brief stint in fillum industry (more precisely TV industry) for about 6 to 8 months. I use to work for Ken Ghosh ( google him, if you must) . This was much before he ventured into films. Back then he was mostly into music videos, TV ads and song-based countdown shows. He had a team comprising of 2 female assistant directors & one in-house editor. Myself & another friend of mine, we were one rung lower to the assistant directors & editor. Boley toh "assistant ka assistant". In plain simple words I was a glorified filmy Peon. Doing everything and anything in the name of "struggle". So one of my task (during shoots) was to sit next to the teleprompter with script pages, put it on the teleprompter and roll it slowly as Shekhar read the dialogues off the screen.
Before you guys dismiss this as a no-brainer kinda job let me tell you: It's not. It's a delicate job. You need to be in sync with the reader. If you pull the page too fast or too slow then it can mess up the dialogue delivery and you will end up will lots of Gaalis from the actor and the director. I must say, I pulled it off quite competently.
2> I have updated bank-passbook for Ken Ghosh's wife.
Refer point 1. One gets to do all kind of stuff under the name of "struggle". Some of my other duties included :
- Paying telephone/electricity bills. Ordering take-outs for the in-house staff.
- Buying Rubber bands. Ken use to sport a small ponytail (back then) which he use to tie together with rubber band. When he ran out of those, me or my other buddy use to scoot to the nearest dukaan to replenish the stock.
- Carrying the Beta Tape (video) Recorder from studio to shooting locations & back
- Writing down the shooting log. You basically note down the start and the end timing between each 'take' and mark each shot as N.G (No Good) or O.K
- Make connections of the beta recorder to the AVID editing system and keep it up & running for the editor to make the final cut.
- Digitize the shooting tape . Which is basically copy the recorded video material from tape onto the hard disk and segregate the shots.
- Stand and watch the edits
- Carry the edited tape for Beta-Mastering
- Carry the beta-mastered tapes to Star Plus / Zee Offices for them to broadcast
- Give creative inputs for the VJ script for the countdown shows.
- Be on stand-by during shoots to do just about anything and everything
3> My name has appeared in Credits on Star Plus and EL TV (circa 1996/97)
Refer point 1. This was for 2 countdown shows. One hosted by Shekhar Suman and another hosted by Rakshanda Khan. My name use to be listed as assistant editor for one of the shows and as assistant director in another show.
4> I have never hit a boundary during my (brief & eminently forgettable ) amateur cricketing life.
This has to be the biggest regret of my life. Not even once, did the ball hit the middle of my bat and raced to boundary. Never ever. But then I had very limited opportunities being the number 11 batsman in my team. (And) I was too lukkha to garner the strength required to hit a tennis ball hard enough to hit the fence. Okay enuff excuses. I confess, I sucked at cricket. Period.
5> I have been licked by Shoba De's dog
I happened to be at her home in Cuffe Parade for some official work. No, Shobha was not there to offer me nimbu-paani. Her maid & a rabid dog entertained me in her absence.
6> I got 49 marks in Hindi in 10th std.
After all these years, I am still so fucking upset about it.
7> I can float on my back without moving hands or legs
I am so good at this that once while floating in a pool, one guy mistook me for being dead and (almost) dived into pool to save me :)
8> I cannot use a soldering iron.
Which is not such a bad thing, but then, my convocation certificate says I am B.E. (Electronics) from Mumbai University. Strange but true.
P.S. : I have burnt the bridges which took me through point 1,2 & 3. When I look back at that phase of my life.. It seems like, it happened in another lifetime and to another person. It was the happiest phase of my life, but it didn't last long. Life is a bitch.
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14 comments:
That was fast real fast! I mean abhi toh main comment karke gaya tha!
Ken Ghosh? That guy made Ishq Visq with Shahid Kapoor.
Floating on back. Now thats cool. you have an expert level in that. Too good! What about swiming?
Cannot use a soldering iron? Me too. Did by diploma in Electronics and mugged up everything without an ounce of practical knowledge. Now I don't even need it!
-Punds
Punds,
Yeah the same Ishq Vishq, Fidaa & Chain Kuli Ki Main Kuli (as producer) guy. The weird thing is I haven't watched these 3 films. And to think, if i had not quit that job, I might have played some tiny part in production of these films. But then IF's and BUT's pe duniyaa nahi chalti.
Floating and swimming are 2 totally different things. Just like cricket, I suck at swimming too. The floating too, I do in the shallow part of the pool. Paani se apni phat ti hein baap.
About the practicals, well as you know usually there are around 3 to 4 guys in one group while doing practicals and project. And as always, there is someone in the group who will take the lead (and keen interest) to do such hands-on stuff. I for one, prefered taking back seat and use "take it easy" policy. Arey yeh saala system ka problem.. teraa aur meraa eis mein kuch dosh nahi ;-)
I agree. Yeh sab system ki galti hai. We also had the 2-3 boys in our group and one of them would all the work while we would sit back and relax.
Thank god we have the system to blame.
-Punds
LOL you are so funny .. licked by Shoba De's dog .. thats rotfl. And I know Ken Ghosh .. had seen him on tv too. *impressed @ first three points. You have good exp.. in buying rubber bands and those kind of chores.. should do you good later.
Btw I played gully cricket when I was a kiddo and I only used to hit sixes ahem...
PS - I'm sure the happiest phase of your life is still to come .. amen! :)
>> LOL you are so funny ..
Aria,
I heard, offlate, funny 'old' men are out of favour in mohtarmaa's darbaar and they have been replaced by poets ;-) Alright maybe not poets, just this one particular poet who's been serenading you khullam-khulla Or maybe its vice-versa.. **cough cough** And, you still ask me why would I want to stop commenting on your blog ? I do have a heart, you know.. and it is capable of getting hurt :(
p.s. : Thanx for your post script wishes :)
Tell you what, there isn't probably any dearth of 'serious' writers but there really are very few who genuinely possess a sense of humor (which isn't gross & cheap like our present-day bollywood so-called comedies), so you should write more and delight (us) more :D
And mohtarma would've loved to have you as her court jester ;)
PS - aisa koi zindagi se waada toh nahi tha .. tere bina jeene ka iraada toh nahi tha...
IW !!!
you should teach me to float ! But I should be alive too !
Handpicked random stuff were really good ! :))
you rock !
Aria,
Hauslaa-afzaai aur job offer ke liye teh-e-dil se shukriyaa. I hope the court-jester job comes with ESOPs.
p.s. :
"Bohot Kathin Hein Raahguzar, Thodi Dur.. Saath Chalo
Bohot Badaa Hein Safar, Thodi Dur.. Saath Chalo..
Tamaam Umr Kahaan Koi Saath Detaa Hein..
Mein Jaantaa Hu Magar,Thodi Dur.. Saath Chalo.."
Chetz,
I rock ? Amaaa ab eis umr me humse rock-n-roll karvaaoge ? Humaari Umr kaa nahi toh kam se kam ein safed baalon ka toh lihaaz karte miyaan.
Dude,
You worked for Ken Gosh!! You have got all sorts of experience right from assisting film making to buying rubber bands ;)
If at all in future you decide to go back to film making and decide to make a movie, give me a chance. I'll be a good choice for hero's friend saying all those funny dialogues.
Madrasi
Madrasi,
Am afraid I'll have to dissapoint you. I thrive in being a fringe player. Fringe is my forte. Fringe is my karma. Fringe is my disposition. So I guess that automatically rules me out from being a film maker. But like they say 'never say never again', if ever the bridges are rebuilt/re-laid.. I will keep your comment in my mind. Fikar not. Meanwhile, keep practising those funny lines.
Waah waah..
how I wish you were serious ;) and then .. aap chalne ki baat karte hain .. ?
tum jo pal ko thaher jaao to ye lamhein bhi
aanewaale lamhon ki amaanat ban jaayein
tum jo thaher jaao to ye raat, mahataab
ye sabzaa, ye gulaab aur ham dono ke khwaab
sab ke sab aise mubaham hon ki haqeeqat ho jaayein..
Aria,
waah waah.. & amen
I have honestly exhuasted my meager stock of sher's & ghazhals :) So while i hunt for fresh Nazmz, please accept my thanks for the playful exchanges ;-) Ciao..
haila tu mumbaikar aahes! mag tu singapore la kasa kaay pochlaas? :)
my experiences with celebrities have been all weird:
1. i see paresh rawal at mithibai and i jst waved at him and smiled widely.. he was on the phone and being the nice guy tht he is.. he waved back and said Hi
2. jst last week i met sridevi and i jst cudnt stop myself from sayin 2 my friend sittin besides me.. yaar yeh kya patli ho gayi hai
and bout hindi.. i'd failed in my 10th ka prelims and was made 2 stand in front of the class and announce my marks.. i'd got 12/50.. god! then for the boards my best pal taught me and i scored 39 while he scored 31 and still curses me for spoiling his hindi while he taught me :P
i have to blog on "why i never took up swimming".. god u'll laugh at it :S
i was the champ of my society whn it came 2 cricket and the last batsman and reserve bowler for my class team.. god i sucked at it.. the only part i was brilliant at was fielding.. cz of yrs of experience in the field :S
ok i wanna type more but am tired of typing and am sleepy so next time probably! tata uncle :)
>> haila tu mumbaikar aahes!
Nahi toh kyaa mein Alibaug se aayaa kyaa ? Though I may not appear as suave and confident as you city slickers.. but my birth, school leaving, college leaving etc etc certificates all say that I am Mumbaikar.
Btw, what do you mean by 'i met Sridevi' ? was it a pre-arranged meeting or you just bumped into her at some function ? Anyways aren't you too young to ogle and pass comments on Sridevi ? Sharam nahi toh kam se kam generation gap ka toh lihaaz karo yaar. Shameless.
And unlike you, I was quite competent in Hindi. I still believe that they never checked few of my suppliments and thats how I ended up with 49 :(
Thanx for reading through and do blog about your swimming exploits.
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