Play Centre's <I>masti</I>

"We can’t have everything in life. Each of us is given a role to play. We have to come up by competition; not by pulling down others.” Dastur Khurshed Dastoor’s words were directed not only to the community youths who were having a blast performing for The Nowroze Baug Play Centre’s 60th annual cultural program on June 10, 2006 but also the many elders who had assembled at the Birla Matushri Sabhaghar. Dastoor was wary of the prevalent attitude in the community where "we’ve stopped praising the good work done, preferring to criticize… We don’t forgive and forget. We try to take revenge. In the name of religion persons have started misguiding others…dharamné choothwanu (tearing religion to shreads)… When we point fingers to others ‘chor chhè, reformist chhè (he is a thief, he is a reformist),’ we forget that we are three times more dishonest (as indicated by the direction of the remaining fingers). The enemy is within us.

Dastoor: faith and unity

"Do you know why we lost Iran? Why we had to sacrifice our motherland? The major problems were jealousy, internal rivalry, crab mentality, lust and lure. Today I am sorry to say we are facing the same threat. Our community is going the same way as we were during the Sasanian dynasty…We have survived because of unity. The younger generation can’t have faith when they see elders fighting among themselves. We want community baugs to have one association…

"Today we don’t find a single family which prays together everyday. Fashion ni duniya ma sudreh-kusti chhori deedhuch (in the name of fashion the sudreh-kusti has been forsaken). It’s our fault also,” Dastoor referred to the role the clergy needed to play to ensure that agiaries could preserve and spread the knowledge of religion. "An enlightened mind needs rational understanding of prayers. With Ahura Mazda and Iranshah by your side you cannot fail. Without them you cannot succeed…”

Raising Rs 3.50 lakhs by way of sponsorships, donations, advertisements and sale of tickets for the cultural program and expending Rs 4.75 lakhs, the balance will be funded by The Nowroze Baug Play Centre, announced president Nariman E. Mehta. While thanking the major sponsors — World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust and Hilla Builders — Nariman Mehta was particularly appreciative of the magnanimity of donor Rohinton J. Mehta towards the completion of the Baug’s borewell and tuition fees project and its upcoming pavilion. On the occasion of Nowroze Baug’s centenary in 2008 the management of Wadia Committee has promised them a pavilion, announced Nariman Mehta.

Participants at the finale of Nowroze Baug Play Centre’s Mumbai Masti

As per their customary practice of appointing child presidents for their cultural programs, 12-year-old Havovi Antia of J. B. Vatcha High School and 11-year-old Kerfegar Dalal of Christ Church School outlined the various activities of the Play Centre in the fields of education, sports, excursions, health, social service. The child presidents were introduced by the joint secretaries of the Play Centre Yasmin Engineer and Shirzad Bhathena. Joint cultural secretary Pinky Bharucha was adjudged efficient leader for 2006. They have a total membership of 1,483.

The program stretching for nearly four hours gave an opportunity to 85 participants (aged four to 60 years) to showcase their talent and overcome their stage fright. While the first half of the program was devoted to a musical ballet, Nabi O Na Nabi Asho Zarathosht Paigambar — Life and Work of Lord Zarathushtra, the second half included Mumbai Masti — musical dance dhamaka, choreographed by Roomi Madan, projecting the myriad moods of the city and its people.

As summed up upcoming Bollywood actor Delnaaz Paul, a veteran of 25 plays, 26 serials and five films, the confidence that she has to face the audience today is thanks to her early days at such cultural programs staged by The Nowroze Baug Play Centre where with difficulty she was persuaded to step out from her mother’s shadow!