Sholay

I remember father telling us about Sholay. He had seen it in Nellore during his visit there, and he was very impressed. The whole story, and the SanjeevKumar and Jaya roles really appealed to him. It was after his description that really intrigued me and pushed me to see the movie.

Rafi...

All of us are very fond of Mohammad Rafi and his songs. Father had some wonderful Rafi songs, including the famous duets with Asha and Geeta Dutt, from movies like CID. Of course, the classic from Parasmani, Salamat Raho, was another favorite of mine, though the song on the flip side was more popular.

Keeping up with the times....

My favorite film music is from the periods 1950-1982, the music I heard while I was growing up, till my early twenties. I seem to revert back to the music of those days, and I have not kept up with the music of today. What is most amazing about our father was that though he grew up with the music of and Madahavapeti Satyam and Saigal and Pankaj Mallick in his early youth, he kept up with the trends in music, and even in his fifties he would find great joy in listening to contemporary music- like the tunes from Chit Chor or songs from Cheekati Velugulu. A very rare trait- something my brother inherited.

"Exam"ined carefully

Our parents took a lot of interest in our education, our exams and our report cards. Even after I went to IIT, dad would receive the grades in the mail and would enquire as to the reason why I appeared to be goofing off. However, when I told him I was planning to go to the U.S. he did support me fully by buying me whatever books I needed to prepare for GRE and TOEFL.

News Junkies

Our father used to read the newspaper regularly- he was a news junkie. He would also listen, without fail, to the AIR news, often at 9 PM. Perhaps because of that influence, all his children turned out to be news addicts as well, each one trying to upstage the other.

GSI Office near the Post Office in Himayat Nagar

A memory from early childhood- I was going to fourth and fifth class at Rabindra Niketan, near my home in Himayat Nagar, and my father's GSI office was in a little building which also housed the Post Office. It was across the street from the school.

Pencil and Ink

Dad used to sharpen our pencils so that we would have sharp ones to take to school. He used to do it the old-fashioned way, using a sharp blade. We did not have sharpeners initially. When we were older, dad would fill our fountain pens with ink. I remember writing my exams in Little Flower with a fountain pen. Such delightful memories....

Father on the web

I looked up Google Books and found that a number of reports that my father wrote on his field work during his GSI and CGWB years are now available for order. I am glad his work is archived and can be referenced by future generations.

My grandfather wrote many books and some of them are listed on Google Books. He was a quintessential professor- academic, extraordinarily gifted, and highly thoughtful.

Cycling in a Raincoat...

Today it rained for a few minutes and everyone ran helter-skelter. I was in a cab on my way to the guest house, and my chauffeur and I were observing the cars getting stuck in the flooded streets. I said that one benefit of the rain was that the traffic might come down because people might stay indoors, and he responded that it was actually the other way around- that many of the people who would use two-wheelers normally would take out their cars because of the rain, increasing congestion. He was right, of course. The rainy evening commute reminded me of the many times our father would have to go or come in the rain, and he would use a grey raincoat and bicycle. A tough life, and a tough and kind man - someone with an extraordinary sense of ethics and purpose.

Reaching 48...

As I approach my 48th birthday I recall my father at that age...It was 1977 and we were still in the Himayat Nagar building. I was entering my second year at Little Flower. Father was having his difficult time at the office- the political shenanigans there prevented his extra-ordinary hard work from being recognized and rewarded. I remember father paying for my IIT coaching, and letting me buy any book I needed. I distinctly remember the Physical Chemistry book by Lewis- a rather expensive one that I bought to help me prepare. At my current age he had to support a wife and four school children going to expensive schools and colleges. His children have had a much easier life than him.

A Circus Story

Dad used to tell us a great circus story. I am not sure if he witnessed the incident or read about it. One of the acts in this circus involved a man sticking his head inside the open mouth of a tiger. The request was that everyone keep very quiet. This one time, something happened and the tiger was rattled and bit the person's neck, fatally.

Mo(o)re about Father

Thanks to my brother I have been listening to the audio rendering by Roger Moore of his autobiography. As I listened to him describe his parents, I noted many similarities between his memories of his father and my memories of mine. My father was also an "amateur magician" and would do many tricks to amuse us. He would take a loop of thread and make a net sing his fingers, he would do puppet shows with his hands, and he would show us a number of card tricks. Further he was a good musician himself and I enjoyed listening to him when he played the harmonica or the mouth organ. We had a small and a large one in the house- the big one was father's and we used the small one.

It's the sweet thought...

I remember father getting the Pulla reddy Sweets many times---those were delicious.

Making pyjamas

I have vivid memories of father buying white cotton cloth and making loose-fitting pyjamas- very comfortable for the local weather. He also stitched shirts for us, with wide pockets. Handkerchiefs were another of his artistic works.

Swinging Father

Dad installed a swing in our home so that we could have a lively motion and relax. It was great of him to think of it, and actually make it work. It is not trivial to install a swing inside a room.

Carroms

Father was a good carroms player and we used to have fun playing together. He would always talk about how to break so that at least three coins would fall into the pockets. He was good at several tricky shots.

The greatest of them all

Dad had the record of "Jaya krishna mukunda murari" by Ghantasala, from Panduranga Mahatyam. A masterful creation by TV Raju, it is perhaps the finest piece of film music, combining brilliant lyrics with highly devotional singing. My favorite of all time. Father also had two other songs that I used to hum all the time- "Ninna Kanipinchidi" and "Na hrudayamulo nidurinche cheli" from Aradhana- both superb songs sung by Ghantasala.

SOngs of Hemant Kumar

One of the amazing things in the world is the wide range of my father's musical interests...I am forever grateful that he had bought records of Hemanta / Lata Duets...They are simply wonderful...the best dosas and laddus for the soul. Songs like Halke Halke chala savare, or laut gaya gham ka zamana, or tumhe yaad hoga or any of the other duets- they are so romantic and soulful.

Delhi

Father had spent time in Delhi and Huryana and so could relate to the places and activities there.

What's fascinating..

is how our father got interested in western music. His collection included works of Andy Williams, Billy Vaughn, Jim Reeves, and a large number of albums of military marching music. How a man who grew up in a relatively small town in the interior of India developed such a varied taste buds for music is a mystery...I wish he was alive so I could ask him.

Chocolates

Our mom learnt to make chocolates in Hyderabad, and they are the best chocolates I have ever had. Father used to like them a lot too, though other native sweets were his preferred ones.

Chit Chor

Was another of father's favorite movies with songs. Yesudas / Hemlata / Ravinder Jain made some lovely songs, which our entire family enjoyed. While I do remember seeing Rajni Gandha when it came out I did miss seeing Choti Si Baat then. Never realized how good a movie it was, until recently. Yesudas , a Christian, also sang many South Indian Carnatic classical songs- something that appealed to my father.

Truly entertaining

Father loved to entertain. I remember the time when we had some Americans at our house- they were visiting GSI and father had invited them for dinner. Mother made idlis and many other dishes- they were a big hit. Father used to give big parties and invite many of his colleagues, even those who really hurt his career. He had a big heart and a kind soul.

A Big Heart for New Math

I remember father going on his bicycle to get us our books and patiently put brown paper covers on them. While in school I did not ride a bike as much, but would walk long distances. We would come home and tell dad about what we learnt. He used to get a lot of kicks out of the New Math I was learning- set theory. I would learn these really cool concepts and then come home and tell my father and he would have a good laugh.

Geet Gata Chal

Father really enjoyed the songs from Geet Gata chal and bought the EPs. I loved the music, and this was my introduction to Aarti Mukherjee and Jaspal Singh.

Sweet Mangoes

I have been eating mangoes for breakfast a few days- the favorite fruit of my father. Sweet mangoes are absolutely delightful!

Delhi Ka Thug

Father was a fan of Madhubala and Kishore movies, including Chalti ka naam ghaadi and Delhi Ka thug. Both are very entertaining and have good music.

Trains

I remember going on trains with father, especially during holidays. He would make sure we were all very comfortable. He would get out and bring back fresh cold water, and something hot for us to eat. He himself would never get any sleep.

A reflection

As I taught my first class here today, my mind went back to a day when a young gentleman named Benhur came to our house. He was a junior employee in my father's office and my dad had encouraged him to go for higher studies, which he did. He came to thank my father and show his appreciation for my father's encouragement and support, and for being a mentor and guide. I did not realize it then, but I see the enormous value in those moments, as I get my fair share of them from students and their parents.