NOSTALGIA – I

The writing bug strikes:

I started writing of and on since my school and college days. I passed my Class XI in 1966 from ST JOSEPH’S ET HIGH SCHOOL BULSAR. I then joined M S University of Baroda in 1967 and finally graduated in 1973 (B TECH – MECHANICAL). I joined a well known private sector Engineering firm M/S JYOTI LTD in Baroda in 1973 as a Junior Engineer and I left Jyoti in 1980 to join BANK OF INDIA as a Technical Officer. I was posted at places like Baroda, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Lucknow, Ghaziabad and NOIDA.

Presently I am posted in New Delhi (since 07.07.08). I have spent almost 28 years in the Bank now and by the time I retire, in May 2009, I would have spent nearly 29 years in this field. Recently while transporting my household luggage from NOIDA to New Delhi, I came across a few cartons full, of my dearest collections of my writings in the earlier years. Storage space, as we all know is very short. My family members urged me off and on to dispose off this “garbage” to a “Kabadi” (scrap-dealer ) but I stuck to my guns and did not yield to their threats. However, how long I would be able to preserve it is a moot question. Hence I’ve decided to go nostalgic and keep it alive for as long as possible on the internet through my blog.

This first part of my nostalgic journey will start (at random) from 1976 and as and when time permits, I’ll move on to other years (I may have flash backs into the past or I may move fast forward, depending upon the mood!) So, be prepared to join me on this L-O-N-G journey to know me better and specially have a peep into my creativity through my writings – both serious and frivolous, religious and social, racy and tedious. Will you join me readers ?? OK then…

While in school, college, private sector or in the Bank, I have always had a great fascination for books, magazines, newspapers… I have been a voracious reader. I have been a member of school and college libraries,public libraries, Government libraries and even borrowed books from lending libraries at some cost. I have also begged and borrowed books from my friends and colleagues. This reading habit gradually developed my faculties and I began thinking… thinking. This naturally led to putting my thoughts on paper. I began by submitting articles to my school magazine, next to my college magazine and finally sometime in 1976 or so to the world of newspapers and reputed magazines. Films, specially Hindi films, were one of the major influences on my developing a distinct style over the years and gradually, very slowly but surely, I began writing stuff that was liked by publishers and editors and which saw the light of the day after a lot of initial rejections and frustration at not seeing my name in the print. Film based magazines those days were the prime source of entertainment after movies. So I began reading magazines like Star and Style, Filmfare, Screen, Madhuri… etc. Later on I went over to The Illustrated Weekly, Youth Times, Debonair, Super, Savvy, Dharam Yug, Reader’s Digest… and many others.

Film magazines then usually held several competitions for readers. A popular topic would be announced and readers asked to send in their views or Questions were posed by film stars and readers had to submit their answers. Some magazines had hugely popular regular columns of Questions and Answers by say I S Johar, Shatrughan Sinha, or a duo of whacky persons called Bald And Ribald etc… who answered funny and witty questions posed by readers and the best ones were rewarded with a cash prize or some gifts.
Here is one of my earlier forays into this mesmerizing world of “filmy” writings:

1.

REFERENCE: TOPIC:” SHOULD RAJESH ALLOW DIMPLE TO RETURN TO FILMS ?”

(ASKED BY STAR AND STYLE SOMETIME IN APRIL/MAY 1976.)

I submitted my entry and it was finally published in Star and Style issue of June 4th 1976.( more than 32 years ago ! )

My reply was lengthy but the final version that was printed, was as under :

Dear Editor,
There shouldn’t be any question of ‘Kaka’allowing Dimple’s to return to films or not.Dimple should care two hoots for Rajesh’s wish in this matter,and she must come back to the silver screen ! ( Viva Women’s Liberation,Yaar ! )

There is something like individual personality and freedom after all.This a free world.Dimple should not remain tied to Rajesh’s apron strings.She has had her share of marriage,(for better or worse : better for him,worse for her ? )home,publicity,wealth,two cute daughters,etc etc.What could else a woman ( sorry, a girl ) want ?

Dimple as “Bobby”proved to be a darling dream girl of I don’t know how many
millions of boys on the treshold of youth.She has talents,looks,beauty,and a ” wow ” figure to match.Of what use are her sexy assets if she has to remain in Rajesh’s kitchen,washing dirty dishes and doing a maid’s chores in the house all her life long ?

Dimple is born to be treated and worshipped like a queen and to rule the hearts of millions of fans like me. What a pity to waste a Cinderella’s- or a Cleopatra’s–charms !

Dimple should emulate Raakhee who has made a comeback at the risk of breaking up her relations with Gulzar, and should return to films–the sooner the better,for,if Rajesh still tries for a son next year,she will lose her charming market potential and become a haggard mother of three at the early age of twenty.

– J.S.Broca
  Baroda.

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This entry did not win a prize but seeing my name in print in a reputed magazine like this,was in itself quite heady.I had shown it to my collegues in Jyoti and they all felt very happy for me.Yes,of course,I had to give them a treat of tea and “samosas” !! So what, JS BROCA had been launched,wasn’t that worthwhile ??

More,in the next part-NOSTALGIA-II .

– J S BROCA
  NEW DELHI