Majaa, masti, music

After three days of dhoom, masti and khavu-peevu that marked the celebrations for the 121st salgirah of the Bai Hirabai Mulla Dar-e-Meher in Nagpur came the icing on the cake on October 5, 2016 — the chance to hear, meet and mingle with actor Boman Irani at the Parsi Dharamshala grounds.
A roar of welcome swept through the audience when the cine star arrived for the celebrations organized by the Nagpur Parsi Gymkhana (NPG). Tauby Bhagwagar, NPG secretary introduced the actor, Shernaz Daver, joint secretary of the NPG read out the citation from a scroll of honor, Nagpur Parsi Punchayet (NPP) president Aspi Bapuna presented him a shawl and NPG president Shiraz Gimi gave him a memento.
The award winning actor, photographer, singer and guitarist spoke of his early years. Being a posthumous child, he had never known his father. He had a lonely childhood, suffering from speech difficulties and other problems. "But,” he acknowledged, "my mother’s understanding, guidance and support steered me through the rough and tumble of my early years. There was no parental pressure ‘to be the best.’ Instead, my mother encouraged my creative talents and let me chart my own course through life.” Proud of his humble beginnings, Irani told the audience how he had to start earning at an early age, working as a waiter in Taj Mahal Hotel. When his mother started a small home industry of making potato chips, he helped behind the counter where, incidentally, he met his wife to be!

Felicitating Peshotan Mehta (center) with Aspi Bapuna (l) and Boman Irani (r)

The Dar-e-Meher

During a chance meeting, performer Shiamak Davar recognized his talents and told Irani that his place was on the stage. After working in the hit film Munnabhai MBBS, there was no looking back.
The audience sang along and swayed with Irani once he picked up the guitar to sing. He had had a long, tiring day as that afternoon he had attended a grand lunch hosted by the Bapunas, and later delivered the Jal P. Gimi Memorial lecture at the Nagpur University’s J. N. Tata Convocation Hall (see "Gimi Memorial Lecture”), but smilingly posed for photographs with everyone, including one with all the Iranis in the audience.
The four days of festivities had commenced with a wave of dance, drama, fancy dress competition and other games revolving around the "Shootout at Dharamshala” theme, conceptualized and organized by Parizad and Cyrus Major with Vistasp Chinoy, assisted by Khurshid Dalal, Gulrukh Mehta and Mamta Kanga. There was a prison, a police chowki, gallows with a dead man hanging and most effective of all, large poster pictures of well-known villains from Bollywood films with faces of members of the Nagpur anjuman superimposed on them! Navroz Daver (NPP vice president) was Prem Chopra, Gimi was Ajit, Ronnie Mistry (NPG treasurer) was Mogambo, Bhagwagar was yesteryear’s vamp Helen.
There were colorful dances by all age groups, with participants ranging in age from five years to 50. A skit based on the villain theme was written, produced and directed by Sohrab Kanga in which Dalal and Farnberg Bharucha acted. Daver was chief guest on the first evening.

Top row, l-r: Khushnoor, Jamshed and Sharukh Cassad; Mohan Kohli, Aspi Bapuna, Mrs Kohli; Tauby Bhagwagar,

Rukshad Bhagwagar, Shiraz Gimi and Monica Bhagwagar; below, from left: Minoo Daruwala and Dr Jasmine Avari

Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s "Swachh Bharat” (Clean India) program, the second day of celebrations started with a "Baug ki Safai” (cleaning of the colony) where youngsters ranging in age from six to 16, supervised by four adults, cleaned up Tata Baug and the agiary’s garden. This was followed by ice-cream and snacks sponsored by Dinshaws. That afternoon a creative competition called "Just Bead It” was held where one had to make something from beads, within an hour-and-a-half. It could be a piece of jewelery, dana-ni-toran or any other item. Winners were Meher Kanga, Jinaisha Rana and Zaraan Kapadia in the under 18s and Ruby Karbhari and Arzmin Cassad in the 18 years and above group.
The evening ended with the prize distribution for the Dadi Bulsara Indoor Sports contest, 2016 where Ervad Percy Panthaki was chief guest. It was organized by Diana Jokhi, Nilufer Rana, Jasmine Gimi and Firozy Pestonjee.
In the talent contest on the third evening, Zarah Doongaji and Zerksis Major won prizes in the under six years category, Tushnaa Major and Arshan Mehta in the six to 11 years group and Mehernaz Mavalwalla in the over 11 years group. A natak, Chalo Gaeeye, (Let’s sing) about a Parsi couple played by Diana Jokhi and Nekshad Irani, depicted a wife obsessed with singing and her music teacher. The husband and neighbors, fed up with her tuneless tarannas (composition in Hindustani classical vocal music), hatched a scheme to stop her from singing which ended in a comedy of errors where the husband drank the potion meant to choke the wife’s voice!
The Outstanding Parsi Achiever prize in memory of Pestonji, Navajbai and Dr Homai Dupatawalla was presented to Dr Jasmine Avari for her book Physicochemical Principles in Pharmaceutics. Mehru Watchmaker, Narges Desai and Rusi Godha were recognized and honored for their untiring contribution to the community over the years. For the Dr Jamshed Irani Cricket Prizes, instituted in memory of his father Jiji, best batsman was Zervin Rana, best bowler was Sohrab Kanga, and best all-rounder, Delzad Patel. Winner of the late Khushroo Doongaji Prize for best fielder went to Jehan Eduljee.
Young Ervad Arshaan Bhathena, who was felicitated on becoming a maratab, received a standing ovation, a shawl and shreefal (coconut) at the hands of Bapuna, the chief guest. The events were organized by Perveen Cassad, Fermin Poacha, Jasmine Irani and Kashmira Mavalwala.
On the morning of the salgirah, the NPP held a jashan at the agiary. In the evening, before the actor’s arrival, the Service above Self Awards were presented to Rukshad Bhagwagar and M. Kohli both of whom had rendered yeoman service in the repairs and renovation of the Dharamshala Hall, the priest’s residence and a Medical Care Centre for the old and the infirm.
Naushad Bhagwagar handed over a cheque of Rs 2,50,000 to Bapuna, towards the Medical Fund of the NPP. Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to nonagenarians Jamshed Cassad and Peshotan Mehta. Due to age related problems Minoo Daruwalla was not present to accept his award but Bapuna announced that he would go personally to hand it over.
The celebrations ended on a high note of song and music, love and laughter and community bonding over a lavish gahanbar in memory of Behramji Doongaji, catered by Nerges and Firoze Karbhari. Thoughtfully, a tiffin service was provided for the old and infirm members of the community who had been unable to come for the event. As in previous years, former Nagpur Parsis who have migrated to other towns or even countries were present for the agiary’s salgirah celebrations. They have never been disappointed by the continuing warmth with which they are welcomed.

Gimi Memorial Lecture

"Nothing and nobody in this world is too small for your attention,” advised actor Boman Irani when delivering the fifth in the series of lectures instituted in memory of Jal P. Gimi, former vice chancellor of Nagpur University on October 5, 2016 at the University’s J. N. Tata Convocation Hall. His talk, titled "The Journey,” was about how he went from being a nobody to one of the leading actors of the silver screen.
Speaking from the heart in his typical no-nonsense style, the actor kept the audience engaged for the entire duration of his speech with his dry humor, which had the audience begging for more. Addressing a packed auditorium, his speech provided life lessons seldom heard from celebrities. A few lines worth remembering include: "Pay your dues and have patience,” "All birds fly at a ceiling befitting their size and role.” In narrating his life story, the actor encouraged and inspired the youth to take charge of their lives and follow their passions till they achieve their goals. They should not be disheartened by failures, which are merely stepping stones to success, he maintained.