Musings

 सायकल सायकल चालवायला आम्हा भावंडांना माझ्या मोठ्या चुलत भावाने शिकवली. म्हणजे मी व माझी बहिण आणि चुलत भावाच्या दोन सख्या, म्हणजे माझ्या चुलत बहिणी. मे महिन्याच्या सुट्टीत मुलुंडला एका मैदानावर आम्ही सायकल चालवायला शिकलो. नंतर सायकल भाड्याने आणून राउंड मारणे सुरू झाले. पण प्रत्यक्षात वडिलांनी नवी सायकल घेऊन दिली तेव्हा पंख फुटल्यासारखं वाटलं. माझं फिरण्याचं क्षेत्र रूंदावलं होतं. सायकल घेतल्याघेतल्या मी नौपाड्याच्या काकांकडे नियमितपणे जाऊ लागलो. पूर्वी ते शक्य नव्हतं. एकदा हिंमत करून मुलुंडच्या काकांकडे गेलो. काकू चाट पडली. परतताना सांभाळून जा असं पुन्हापुन्हा सांगितलं. पण मला काहीतरी मोठं यश मिळाल्यासारखं वाटलं. नववी-दहावीत शाळेत सायकल घेऊन जायला ग्रेट वाटायचं. पुढे जुनियर काॅलेजला, म्हणजे ठाणा काॅलेजलाही मी सायकल वरून जायचो. साधारण ह्या सुमारास आमच्या मित्रांच्या वर्तुळात सायकल ट्रिपचं वार वाहू लागलं. एक दिवस तळ्याच्या कट्ट्यावर एकदम गोव्याला सायकल वरून जायचा बेत ठरला. तयारी जोमात सुरू झाली. सातजण फायनल झाले. आमच्या म्होरक्यामध्ये उत्कृष्ट नेतृत्वगुण होते. त्यानी सगळे नकाशे मिळवल...

Yesterday's IPL Qualifier match between KKR  to score of 4 overs and 8 wickets in hand, KKR were sailing. Then Gillgot out and all hell broke loose. They just couldn't get runs and every big hit tried ended in a wicket. Soon KKR were 7 down and needed 6 runs of the last two balls. It looked as if DC would turn the tide and win. Last over was being bowled by Ashwin and he had already captured two wickets in the over. Suddenly, everyone was on the edge of his seat. Then, Rahul Tripathi hit the fifth ball with all his might and it went sailing over the stands. KKR had won and qualified for the final. One of the best games and dramatic finish. Hopefully, the final with CSK will also produce such amazing action. Ravindra Shenolikar

This year, the annual Times Litfest is being celebrated online in view of the pandemic restrictions. I registered for the festival. On the first day there was an interview with Anupam Kher. It seems, he has written a book titled 'Today is the day' or something like that. What I like about Anupam is his very clear voice and diction. Perhaps that is his major attribute that has brought him this far. His talk was very interesting, particularly the part about how he purchased a nine bedroom house for his mother near Shimla when she had only asked for a small house of her own there and got a scolding from her for buying such a big property. Next was Anand Neelkantan who writes his own interpretation of various epics and mythologies. He has wriiten a book titled 'Valmiki and his women'. He has made Shurpankha and Manthara etc. more humane and palatable. It should be interesting. This seems to have become a trend now. I remembered so many years ago our own Iravati Karve has wr...

This 2016 movie is set in Canada and is a murder mystery. Isla, the 16 year old protagonist, who had been led to believe that her parents had died in a accident, receives a letter from her father who is in prison. She decides to visit him and goes to her native place without telling her uncle. She finds that her father is serving sentence for the murder of her mom but father denies this. Isla begins her own investigation with the help of local girl Tina whom she befriends at a motel where Tina works and where Isla had initially stayed. Tina also gets help from the local policeman. Isla finds that 9 of her mother's clients, young native girls, had disappeared into snow and died. No investigation was done by the authorities. Then her mother had been murdered and the jury had pronounced her father guilty in ten minutes. Meanwhile, her uncle is on the hunt for Isla and comes to the mining town where Isla is making discreet enquiries. In the end, Isla finds out the real culprit behind t...

I saw this 2014 film directed by Rebecca Johnson. It is about a teenage girl Layla just arrived in London from Trinidad. She befriends Troy, a short tempered boy and his friends and Shaun a decent, silent boy whom Troy and his friends dislike. Troy doesn't like Layla's friendship with Shaun and tells her to set him up to prove her loyalty towards him, so that they can take it out on Shaun. Against her wishes, Layla calls Shaun which results in a terrible, shocking tragedy. Layla is played by Jessica Sula who is pretty with a sweet voice. The film reminds you of the fights between two groups during college days on flimsy grounds which could have turned ugly but fortunately didn't, like in this film. Ravindra Shenolikar

Last Saturday, early morning, we started for Lonavala. My family and my sister's family. A family friend of my sister's family has a bunglow on the Amby valley road beyond the the Tiger point. Courtesy to him we got to stay there for two nights at very reasonable charges. The bunglow has a caretaker, a young boy of 28 who hails from the state of Chattisgarh. He also happens to be a good cook. We had given him a list of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes for the two days and accordingly we were treated to a nice breakfast of sabudana vadas immediately on arrival. The bunglow has a very wide sit-out that looks out over the valley and you get a great view of the clouds moving across. It was quite windy and rainy. It was a pleasure sitting there and having food and tea while enjoying the monsoon weather. The caretaker prepared sumptuous meal for lunch. His daal preparation is marvellous. The bunglow has a huge basement with table tennis, carrom board and darts board to play. We tri...

Much as we hate Mondays we don't like to sit at home all the same. I travelled by train which was not too crowded due to travel restrictions. At cst I took a bus to Cuffe Parade. We worked through the day and it felt good. While it was raining in the morning where I stay, it was sunny in south mumbai. So much for the yellow alert sounded by the meteorogical department. Very few shops were open. In the evening my colleague was with me in the train and time moved fast amidst our incessant talking. Only when I came home did I realise how tired I was. After taking bath just relaxing now after dinner. I suppose I will sleep well too. Ravindra Shenolikar

Things have opened up and it feels good. People have started moving. By now everyone is frustrated sitting at home. Work from home too is losing its charm. Attendance is increasing in office premises. On weekends people are desparate to go out of the city somewhere. Homestays are getting booked. Those with second homes are going there to stay for the weekend. Vegetable markets are getting crowded. Slowly but surely, vaccination percentage is increasing. The second wave is dying as fast as it came and spread. Still it will take three to four months for vaccination to reach a level which might ensure herd immunity. Till then, caution is required. Unnecessary exposure has to be avoided. Restaurants and malls have been allowed to open now in our area with some restrictions. But no one is rushing there now. It seems to be the wise thing to do. However, the grip of the pandemic appears to be loosening. We can hope for better days ahead. Ravindra Shenolikar

Got up in the morning and saw rain pouring down. I had planned to take a train and go to office. But the rain forced me to cancel my plans. I just sat in the window and watched. The air became cool and appetite better. It was great to have a hearty breakfast and tea laced with ginger. I had some wine in the fridge which could be used later in the evening. After a good meal, I would perhaps watch a film or a web series. May be have a little nap. The day and weather is just perfect for a afternoon nap followed by evening wine. Today I am not in the mood to read anything. But it may change. What a blissful weather. Hope it continues to rain. Ravindra Shenolikar

 किनारा मला बांधून ठेवणार्‍या किनार्‍या तुझे संरक्षण मला नकोय मला झोकून द्यायचे आहे उचंबळणार्‍या लाटांवर खवळलेल्या सागरात मला पाहायची आहेत नवी बेटं, नवे देश भिन्न माणसं, भिन्न संस्कृती नवे आकाश, नवे क्षितीज नवी स्वप्ने, नवी आव्हाने मला ओढत राहणार्‍या किनार्‍या तुझा गुलाम होणे मला मंजूर नाही तुझ्यातून मुक्त होऊन मला भरारी घेऊ दे रवींद्र शेणोलीकर

  दारावरची बेल आजही वाजते पेपरवाला असतो किंवा दूधवाला किंवा सोसायटीचा वाॅचमन काही सूचना देण्यासाठी येत नाहीत ते नातलग, मित्र सहज, न सांगता, कळवता फोनही खणखणत नाही पहिल्यासारखा कधीतरी वाजतो....बिल भरा सांगायला मोबाइल वरही फोन येतात विमा व इस्टेट एजन्टचे क्रेडिट कार्ड विक्रेत्यांचे बक्षिसाचे आमिष दाखवणार्‍यांचे क्वचित फोन येतो मित्राचा वा नातलगाचा विचारपूस, गप्पा चालतात बराच वेळ तेव्हा मात्र वाटते.... अजून आशा आहे रवींद्र शेणोलीकर