Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The Poor Mans Cuisine

135,554 items / 1,038,882 views

green hot chillies
is the poor mans meal
cooked on a kerosene
stove no big deal
he cant afford
asparagus
avocados
the rich mans meal
the long winding
line for kerosene
burning sorrow
burning feet
his life
like a slithering
eel
the pain of living
as prices sky rocket
now you know
how he feels
his pain reveal
governments come
make a quick buck
go his pain
wont heal
a system
that sucks
his soul
it steals
in a grinding
pain round
round he goes
round a karmic
wheel made
of plastic
not of steel
the only time
he is respected
when
they come with
folded hands
for his vote
his fucked fate
is sealed
another 5 years
another spiked heel
on his trampled
sorrow another
fucked deal

By -

Not Through Shooting Pictures But Shooting With The Soul a Street Photographer is Born

135,562 items / 1,038,978 views

Marziya Shakir street photographer who shoots eternity without a camera .

Age 2 and a Half Year Old

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The Silhouette Of A Hijab

135,555 items / 1,038,936 views

on the soul of humanity
you cannot escape
a garment of modesty
you cannot ape
it hides all
but reveals
the spiritual
sanctity
of a muslim woman
in a hooded cape
the life of the woman
it shapes
made of cotton
made of crepe
has you confused
has you agape
the silhouette
of the hijab
beauty
of a culture
tradition
values
within a drape

By -

The Wall Of My Woes

135,552 items / 1,038,752 views

for the first time
in my poets life
I am bogged
from all sides
blow after blow
my pain
I hide
living life
is suicide
dying
every morning
every night
waking up
with a fuzzy feeling
of fruitlessness
my time I bide
within the kernel
of my pain
with my
inner self
I collide
sometimes up
sometimes
down the drain
I slide
I am all locked
up from within
outside
a click
of a mouse
some solace
provide
a saint
a devil
in my hell
reside
a toss of a coin
the outcome
I cant
decide
I lose
both ways
my fucked fate
pushed aside
living but also
dead side by side
says the page
of my pathos
server
cannot
be found
accessed
denied
a talkative poem
now tongue tied

By -

The Jain Muni

135,551 items / 1,038,367 views

barefeet
he walks
mouth covered
he rarely talks
silence
the soul
of spirituality
braving
storms
heat humidity
pain hardship
melting
the soul of rocks
the jain muni
apostle of peace
brotherhood
humanity
the soul
of my camera
stalks

I am human beneath my skin so I seek humanity out and I have always been spiritually fascinated by the Jain Muni and the Sadhvi , only they will never know I shoot them and add to their piety and sanctity.


And most of these Munis and Sadhvis are visitors who come to meet the Acharyaji at Jain Mandir temple at Bandra .

This is my tribute to their faith and their compassion to all living beings.

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The Silhouette of the Hijab

135,551 items / 1,038,367 views

She is smiling at me and if I don't elaborate here the essence of this smile would be misinterpreted and hit me as a father and as a grand father .


I was bringing Marziya from school and she walks 15 minute distance from school to home , because like me she loves the streets and as she knows most of the people via the Bazar path we take.

I will try to put her in a rick but she will insist on walking with her bag on her shoulder and her smile in place..

When we approached Kalidas provision store she gave me a tug , I saw this lady with her crippled son on a wheel chair begging the streets.

Marziya immediately took some money and gave it to the beggar boy.

So the mothers smile her love for Marziya shows through the slits of her hijab that serves as eyes..


Motherhood is such a powerful source of love a reservoir of kindness within the silhouette of the Hijab.

This is street photography capturing light and shade , within the soul of Motherhood.

This is the power of the Hijab
a garment of modesty , she wears
her pain her joys her kindness
on receiving alms
from a two year old child
with a smile she shares
holistic healing power of
motherhood she bares
she does not complain
curse her bad fate
a broken down wheel
time will repair
caught in a vicious
poverty's snare
a mother a cripple son
both a unique pair


And this year for the first time I did not go to shoot the Wiladate E Imame Zamana celebrations at the Gateway Pier , my wife and family went I stayed behind, I gave myself a break I have already re posted much of it from old posts into my current photo stream at Flickr and Facebook.

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Farewell Ravi Baswani

135,551 items / 1,038,366 views

photo courtesy in dot com through Google images

Ravi Baswani was as blunt as a razor sharp wit , he had no time to spare with frivolities , he called a spade a spade , a Bollyood veteran he did not lick ass as simple as that.

He was highly respected and I in my humble capacity knew him once upon a time as I worked for Mr Nitin Manmohan's fashion store Prachins and Ravi was very close to Nitinji those days when Neha Arts Nitinjis banner was going great guns.

Ravi had bought Nitinji very close to theater actors and this was the way he was trying to introduce talent towards films and he was a boon to most of the strugglers searching for a stepping stone to films and Bollywood.


As Ravis house was close to Prachins at Seven Bungalows he spent time with us keeping us in laughter with anecdotes and his rare sense of joviality.

I spent a lot of time with him those days but after that ever since I left Nitinji and branched on my own , Ravi and I never met.

I tried to get in touch with him but it was in vain.

He died of a massive heart attack on 27July 2010 at Haldwani Uttranchal ,He was 64.
The Industry has lost a stalwart I pay my condolence to his family his film fraternity..

May his soul RIP.

Wikipedia

Ravi Baswani (September 29, 1946 - July 27, 2010) was a well known Indian actor. He was well known for his comic skills and underplaying a character in the true sense. He started his career in 1981 with Chashme Buddoor and did many successful films as a comedian and/or as a character artist. He also appeared very many times on Indian televsion. One of his major hits was the cult comedy Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro for which he won Filmfare Best Comedian Award in 1984. Baswani died following a massive heart attack on July 27, 2010.[1]


Filmography

Monsoon (2006) .... Baba

Anthony Kaun Hai? (2006) .... Dr. Lashwani

Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota: What If...? (2006) (as Ravi Vaswani) .... Papaji

The Film (2005) .... Film-maker Kanti Gulati

Bunty Aur Babli (2005) .... B.B.'s first victim

Lucky: No Time for Love (2005) .... Mr. Negi

It Could Be You (2005) .... Dhillon Sr

Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya... (2001) .... Vispy - Jai's boss

Chal Mere Bhai (2000) (as Ravi Vaswani) .... Waitor

Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai (1998) .... Orphanage manager

Chhota Chetan (1998) .... Raja

Ghar Bazar (1998) (uncredited) .... Movie actor

Return of Jewel Thief (1996) .... Trikal Trivedi

Laadla (1994) (as Ravi Vaswani)

Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1993) .... Albert Sullivan

Raunaq (1993) .... Ravi

Jaan Tere Naam (1992) .... Hotel employee

Zevar (1987) .... Sundeep

Peechha Karro (1986) .... Hari Harihara

Ghar Sansar (1986) .... Banwari

Love 86 (1986) .... Havaldar Pandu

Main Balwan (1986)

Ab Ayega Mazaa (1984) .... Suresh'Sidey'

Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (1983) .... Sudhir Mishra

Dhat Tere... Ki (1983) .... Madhukar Sharma (Maddy)

Chashme Buddoor (1981) (as Ravi Vaswani) .... Jai Lakhanpal

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Marziya Shakir Head Bowed In Prayer

135,540 items / 1,038,065 views

I shot this a few days back, but due to a faulty card reader the card got corrupted I thought I had lost all the pictures but I managed to salvage them , the loss would have hit me simply because Marziya has begun her namaz , imitating the elders and the core essence of our faith .,..head bowed in prayers.

What can I tell you about Marziya that you already dont know , she kisses peoples hand and shows her respect to them.

At the moment I can hear her crying in her parents room..and she has these crazy bouts .

My poem for her


following the footsteps
of her mother her father
her grand mother
marziya shakir
head bowed in prayers
namaz
the core essence
of our spiritual survival
as important as air
a breath of life
in every layer
our humility
with the maker
we share
whenever
we need him
he is there
like a beacon
of hope
in our despair
through
namaz
our allegiance
to him
declare

By -

Wiladat E Imame Zamana Gateway of India

Today I am posting my old pictures of the Shia Shabbarat shot in 2007 at Gateway of India at Facebook.

This feast is very much akin to All Souls Day , a night spent remembering dead relatives friends family and ancestors ..
This gives way to 15 Shaban the day Shias celebrate Wiladat e Imame Zamana the birthday of Twelfth Imam or the Mahdi in occultation and wait for hisZahoor or Re Appearance .

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Actress Meena Kumaris Grave Frontal View

135,539 items / 1,037,639 views

I am told by the caretaker Bahadur who died recently that one of her fans built this Mausoleum and would come and place flowers and pray.. but than I dont know the truth, and when you die you add wings to the stories that attach to you and make you more legendary than you are...and the Shia grave yard is a hard bed of incomplete stories of Lifes Drama a sudden curtain call.. a bow in vain..

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Meena Kumari or Mahjabeen Bano (1 August 1932 - 31 March 1972), was an Indian movie actress and poetess. She is regarded as one of the most prominent actresses to have appeared on the screens of Hindi Cinema. During a career spanning 30 years from her childhood to her death, she starred in more than ninety films, many of which have achieved classic and cult status today.

Kumari gained a reputation for playing grief-stricken and tragic roles, and her performances have been praised and reminisced throughout the years. Like one of her best-known roles, Chhoti Bahu, in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), Kumari became addicted to alcohol. Her life and prosperous career were marred by heavy drinking, troubled relationships, an ensuing deteriorating health, and her death from liver cirrhosis in 1972.

Kumari is often cited by media and literary sources as "The Tragedy Queen", both for her frequent portrayal of sorrowful and dramatic roles in her films and her real-life story.[1][2]

Mahjabeen Bano was the third daughter of Ali Baksh and Iqbal Begum; Khursheed and Madhu were her two elder sisters. At the time of her birth, her parents were unable to pay the fees of Dr. Gadre, who had delivered her, so her father left her at a Muslim orphanage, however, he picked her up after a few hours.

Her father, a Shia Muslim, was a veteran of Parsi theater, played harmonium, taught music, and wrote Urdu poetry. He played small roles in films like Id Ka Chand and composed music for films like Shahi Lutere.

Her mother, Prabhwati Devi, was the second wife of Ali Baksh. Before meeting and then marrying Ali Baksh, she was a stage actress and dancer, under the stage name, Kamini. After marriage, she converted from Hinduism to Islam, and changed her name to Iqbal Begum.

(It is said that Prabhwati Devi's mother, Hem Sundari, had been married into the Tagore family, but she was disowned by that family after being widowed.)
[edit] Career
[edit] Early work

When Mahjabeen was born, Ali Bakhsh aspired to get roles as an actor in Rooptara Studios. At the urging of his wife, he got Mahjabeen too into movies despite her protestations of wanting to go to school. Young Mahjabeen is said to have said, "I do not want to work in movies; I want to go to school, and learn like other children."

As Mahjabeen embarked on her acting career at the age of 7, she was renamed Baby Meena. Farzand-e-Watan or Leatherface (1939) was her first movie, which was directed for Prakash Studios by Vijay Bhatt. She became practically the sole breadwinner of her family during the 1940s. Her early adult acting, under the name Meena Kumari, was mainly in mythological movies like Veer Ghatotkach (1949), Shri Ganesh Mahima (1950), and fantasy movies like Alladin and The Wonderful Lamp (1952).
[edit] Breakthrough
Meena Kumari, (here with Rehman), performed a landmark role, as Choti Bahu, in Abrar Alvi's, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, 1962

Meena Kumari gained fame with her role as a heroine in Vijay Bhatt's Baiju Bawra (1952). This heroine always negated herself for the material and spiritual advancement of the man she loved and was even willing to annihilate herself to provide him the experience of pain so that his music would be enriched. She became the first actress to win the Filmfare Best Actress Award in 1953 for this performance.

Meena Kumari highly successfully played the roles of a suffering woman in Parineeta (1953), Daera (1953), Ek Hi Raasta (1956), Sharda (1957), and Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi (1960). Though she cultivated the image of a tragedienne, she also performed commendably in a few light-hearted movies like Azaad (1955), Miss Mary (1957), Shararat (1959), and Kohinoor (1960).

One of her best-known roles was in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962), which was produced by Guru Dutt. Kumari played Chhoti Bahu, an alcoholic wife. The film was a major critical and commercial success, which was attributed by critics to Kumari's performance, which is regarded as one of the best performances of Hindi Cinema.[3] The role was famous for its uncanny similarity to Meena Kumari's own life. At that time, she herself was on a road to gradual ruin in her own personal life. Like her character, she began to drink heavily, though she carried on. In 1962, she made history by getting all the three nominations for Filmfare Best Actress Award, for her roles in Aarti, Main Chup Rahungi, and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. She won the award for Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. Upperstall.com wrote about her performance,

While each of the performances are spot on, if there is one person who is the heart and soul of the film, it is Meena Kumari. Her portrayal of Chhoti Bahu is perhaps the greatest performance ever seen on the Indian Screen. The sequence where Chhoti Bahu dresses for her husband singing Piya Aiso Jiya Main is a poignant exploration of a woman's expectations and sexual desire. And later on when she has become a desperate alcoholic, you cannot help but cry with her in the sequence where she pleads with her husband to stay with her and then angrily turns on him to tell him how she has prostituted her basic values and morals to please him. However the common factors between the actress's life and Chhoti Bahu are too dramatic to be merely coincidental - The estranged marital relationship, the taking of alcohol, turning towards younger male company, the craving to be understood and loved - all elements evident in Meena Kumari's own life.[4]

[edit] Later work

For four more years, Kumari performed successfully in Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Kaajal (1965), and Phool Aur Patthar (1966), all of which earned her Filmfare nominations, with Kaajal garnering her a fourth and last win of the Best Actress award. However, after divorcing her husband in 1964, her addiction to alcohol became stronger, and she often dulled her senses with liquor. She also relied more and more on intimate relationships with younger men like Dharmendra. Her subsequent releases, including Chandan Ka Palna and Majhli Didi did not do well.[1]

Kumari's heavy drinking had badly damaged her liver, and in 1968 she fell seriously ill.[1][5] She was taken to London and Switzerland for treatment. Back home, she started settling her debts and made peace with her estranged sister, Madhu, whom she had not spoken to for two years.[5] Because of her heavy drinking, she increasingly lost her good looks, and when she returned, she began playing character roles in movies like Jawab (1970) and Dushmun (1972).[1]

She developed an attachment to writer-lyricist Gulzar and acted in his directorial debut Mere Apne (1971). Kumari presented an acclaimed portrayal of an elderly woman who got caught between two street gangs of frustrated, unemployed youth and got killed, her death making the youth realise the futility of violence.

Pakeezah, starring Kumari and directed by her ex-husband Kamal Amrohi, took 14 years to reach the silver screen. First planned by Amrohi in 1958, the film went on the studio floors in 1964, but the shooting came to a standstill after their separation in March 1964, when it was more than halfway complete.[5] In 1969, Sunil Dutt and Nargis previewed some reels of the shelved film and convinced the estranged Amrohi and Kumari to complete it.[1] Hindustan Times described the meeting which Dutt had organised between the two:
“ Not much was said, but streams of tears were shed... Amrohi greeted her with a token payment of a gold guinea and the promise that he’d make her look as beautiful as the day she had started the film.[5] ”

Gravelly ill, Kumari was determined to complete the film and, well aware of the limited time left for her to live, went out of her way to complete it at the earliest. Despite her rapidly deteriorating health, she gave the finishing touches to her performance. Initially, after its release in February 1972, Pakeezah opened to a lukewarm response from the public; however, after Meena Kumari's death less than two months later, people flocked to see it, making it a major box-office success. The film has since gained a cult and classic status, and Kumari's performance as a golden-hearted Lucknow prostitute drew major praise. She posthumously received her twelfth and last Filmfare nomination.

Throughout her life, Kumari had a love-hate relationship with movies, and besides being a top-notch actress, she was a talented poetess, and recorded a disc of her Urdu poems, I write, I recite with music by Khayyam.
[edit] Death

Three weeks after the release of Pakeezah, Meena Kumari became seriously ill, and died on 31 March 1972 of cirrhosis of the liver. At her death, she was in more or less the same financial circumstance as her parents at the time of her birth: It is said that when she died in a nursing home, there was no money to pay her hospital bills.
[edit] Relationship with Kamal Amrohi

In 1952, on the sets of one of her films, Meena Kumari fell in love with and married film director, Kamal Amrohi, who was fifteen years elder than her and was already married. She wrote about Amrohi:

Dil saa jab saathi paya
Bechaini bhi woh saath le aaya

When I found someone like my heart
He also brought sorrow with him

Soon after marriage, Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari produced a film called Daera (1953), which was based on their love story. They also planned another film, Pakeezah. However, it took sixteen years (1956 to 1972) before Pakeezah reached the silver screen. (The scenes in Pakeezah's popular song, Inhi logon ne, were originally filmed in black and white, and were later reshot in color.)

It is said that Amrohi did not want children with Meena Kumari because she was not a Syed. They raised Kamal Amrohi's son, Tajdaar, who was greatly attached to his chhoti ammi (younger mother).

Due to their strong personalities, however, Meena Kumari and Kamal Amrohi started to develop conflicts, both professionally and in their married life. Their conflicts led to separation in 1960, and ultimately divorce in 1964. Highly affected Meena Kumari, who, once a happy woman, became depressed and found solace in heavy drinking.They remarried, but Meena Kumari had become an alcoholic by then.

She expressed her sorrows prominently in her poetry. About Kamal Amrohi she wrote:

Tum kya karoge sunkar mujhse meri kahani
Belutf zindagi ke kisse hain pheeke pheeke

Why do you want to listen to my story:
Colourless tales of a joyless life

At the time of the divorce, she wrote:

Talaak to de rahe ho Nazar-e-kahar ke saath
Jawani bhi mere lauta do Mehar ke saath

You are divorcing me with rage in your eyes
Return to me, also, my youth along with the bridal-price!

[edit] Filmography

1) Gomti Ke Kinare (1972) .... Ganga
2) Pakeezah (1972) .... Nargis/Sahibjaan
3) Dushmun (1971) .... Malti R. Din
4) Mere Apne (1971) .... Anandi Devi/Auaji (Aunt)
5) Jawab (1970) .... Vidya
6) Saat Phere (1970)
7) Abhilasha (1968) .... Mrs. Meena Singh
8) Baharon Ki Manzil (1968) .... Nanda S. Roy/Radha Shukla
9) Bahu Begum (1967) .... Zeenat Jahan Begum
10) Chandan Ka Palna (1967) .... Shobha Rai
11) Majhli Didi (1967) .... Hemangini 'Hema'
12) Noorjehan (1967)
13) Phool Aur Patthar (1966) .... Shanti Devi
14) Pinjre Ke Panchhi (1966) .... Heena Sharma
15) Bheegi Raat (1965)
16) Jadui Angoothi (1965)
17) Kaajal (1965) .... Madhavi
18) Purnima (1965) .... Purnima V. Lal
19) Maain Bhi Ladki Hun (1964) .... Rajni
20) Benazir (1964) .... Benazir
21) Chitralekha (1964) .... Chitralekha
22) Gazal (1964) .... Naaz Ara Begum
23) Sanjh Aur Savera (1964) .... Gauri
24) Akeli Mat Jaiyo (1963) Seema
25) Dil Ek Mandir (1963) .... Sita
26) Kinare Kinare (1963)
27) Aarti (1962) .... Aarti Gupta
28) Main Chup Rahungi (1962) .... Gayetri
29) Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962) .... Chhoti Bahu
30) Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan (1961) .... Geeta, Shyam's wife
31) Pyaar Ka Saagar (1961) .... Radha/Rani B. Gupta
32) Zindagi Aur Khwab (1961) .... Shanti
33) Bahaana (1960)
34) Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960) .... Karuna
35) Kohinoor (1960)
36) Ardhangini (1959) .... Chhaya
37) Chand (1959)
38) Char Dil Char Raahein (1959) .... Chavli
39) Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan (1959) .... Ratna
40) Jagir (1959)
41) Madhu (1959)
42) Satta Bazaar (1959) .... Jamuna
43) Shararat (1959)
44) Farishta (1958)
45) Sahara (1958) .... Leela
46) Savera (1958)
47) Yahudi (1958) .... Hannah
48) Miss Mary (1957) .... Miss Mary/Laxmi
49) Sharada (1957) .... Sharada Ram Sharan
50) Bandhan (1956)
51) Ek-Hi-Rasta (1956) .... Malti
52) Halaku (1956) .... Niloufer Nadir
53) Mem Sahib (1956) .... Meena
54) Naya Andaz (1956)
55) Shatranj (1956)
56) Adil-E-Jahangir (1955)
57) Azaad (1955) .... Shobha
58) Bandish (1955) .... Usha Sen
59) Rukhsana (1955)
60) Baadbaan (1954)
61) Chandni Chowk (1954) .... Zarina
62) Ilzam (1954)
63) Daera (1953) .... Sheetal
64) Dana Paani (1953)
65) Do Bigha Zamin (1953) .... Thakurain
66) Foot Path (1953) .... Mala
67) Naulakha Haar (1953) .... Bijma
68) Parineeta (1953) .... Lalita
69) Aladdin Aur Jadui Chirag (1952)
70) Baiju Bawra (1952) .... Gauri
71) Tamasha (1952) .... Kiran
72) Hanumaan Pataal Vijay (1951)
73) Lakshmi Narayan (1951)
74) Madhosh (1951) .... Soni
75) Sanam (1951)
76) Anmol Ratan (1950)
77) Hamara Ghar (1950)
78) Magroor (1950)
79) Shri Ganesh Mahima (1950)
80) Veer Ghatotkach (1949) .... Surekha
81) Bichchade Balam (1948)
82) Piya Ghar Aaja (1947)
83) Bachchon Ka Khel (1946)
84) Duniya Ek Sarai (1946)
85) Lal Haveli (1944)
86) Pratiggya (1943)
87) Garib (1942)
88) Bahen (1941) (as Baby Meena) .... Bina
89) Kasauti (1941)
90) Nai Roshni (1941)
91) Ek Hi Bhool (1940)
92) Pooja (1940)
93) Leatherface (1939)
[edit] Filmfare Awards

Awards won

* 1954 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Baiju Bawra

* 1955 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Parineeta

* 1963 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam

* 1966 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Kaajal

Awards nominated

* 1956 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Azaad

* 1959 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Sahara

* 1960 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan

* 1963 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Aarti

* 1963 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Main Chup Rahungi

* 1964 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Dil Ek Mandir

* 1967 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Phool Aur Patthar

* 1973 Filmfare Best Actress Award - Pakeezah (posthumous nomination)[6]

[edit] Biography

One of the first biographies of Meena Kumari was written just after her death by Vinod Mehta in the year 1972. It was simply titled Meena Kumari.

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The Shakirs of Colaba

135,539 items / 1,037,632 views

My parents graves at Rehmatabad Shia Cemetery..

Side by side interlocked
mohomed shakir
shamim shakir
as one forever
seamlessly fused
in eternity
time could not sever
made in Lucknow
lived at Colaba Mumbai
The Shakirs faith fidelity
intrepid endeavor
now or never

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The Grave Of Nawab Kashmiri Actor

his is the grave of Nawab Kashmiri , and it was at his house at Colaba Wodehouse Road that my father Mohomed Shakir bought us live from the shanty our first house close to a Hindu crematorium , and this was an opulent house though it served as the Late Nawabs family servants quarters..and the building was called Khatau Bhuvan opp Military Quarters , and is today called Jony Castle..

The Nawb Kashmiris children :

Akthar (Baji) Kashmiri daughter lives with her kids in the States her husband predeceased her in Pakistan.

Anwar Kashmiri son deceased

Munnawar Kashmiri .. stays at Juhu with his wife and a daughter in the States.

And a nephew Ajay Kashmiri in Mumbai..

I owe a lot to Akhthar Baji for my education and my upbringing.

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Candle Lit Graves Rehmatabad Shabbarat

I did use my Tripod here , but the ground was soggy due to the rains..and the family relatives of Benazir Bhutto are buried here I am told, and a lot of Baluchi graves with designed tiles from Iran, and the great Indian Tragedienne filmstar Meena Kumari is buried her, her husband Kamal Amrohi, Jalal Agha comedian Aghas son, Mahesh Bhatts mother, and so many unsung souls.

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Actress Meena Kumaris Grave on Shabbarat

I have always said fatiyah on her grave , and I think the person that really understood her well was Mehmood Saab's son Lucky Ali.. and she did keep her staff happy..and she was a powerhouse of a performer Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Pakeezah are my favorite and Mere Apne..

27 July 2010

silently
enacting
the last
power packed
role
of her life
she lives
a tragedy queen
never dies
tears she shed
made others shed
memories
sweet and nice
the tears
have not yet dried
a candle
burning in the wind
a pain from this shore
to the other shore as guide

kabhi toh milegi
baharon ki manzil rahen
lilting lyrics
pain could not hide
in the backdrop
on a crest they ride

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Shabbarat A Soul Remembered

135,539 items / 1,037,605 views

Baluchi grave at Rehmatabad Shia cemetery Mazgaon..


This is a grave of a person of Baluchi origins and their graves are built with Iranian tiles,,
I have always had a special respect for the person buried in the grave..a cosmic reality here and not here ..


death painlessly dies
when it comes
touches man
gently closes his eyes
taking him
once again
in the womb
of mother earth
muddy fragrance
monsoonal showers
as tears from the skies
on shabbarat they come
in hordes to the cemetery
to recite the fatiah
see that this relative
reaches jannat our paradise
this poem did not exist
when I posted this picture
it took time to arise
from the corridor of my mind
into the soul of a dead man
could not be otherwise
the tide kisses the shores
of destiny only time flies
its the camera that
captures eternity
a picture just
a poem in disguise


updated
27 July 2010

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Shabaraat at Rehmatabad Shia Cemetry

This is an old Flickr post picture shot in 2007

Rehmatabad is the only Shia cemetery in Mumbai, there is another one someone told me at Marine Lines , locked up in some controversy, next to the Rehmatabad Cemetery is the more ornate and opulent is the Arambagh Khoja Ishnashari Cemetery, and in between the two is a unused Jewish Cemetery, gone to seed, the caretakers family , the poultry and the mess on the graves the neglect can be seen, many a times I have had the urge to go and shoot it clandestinely perched on the adjacent wall.


And the Jewish community has not done much to cleanse this section of their heritage as they have been more intense in shutting down an eatery that was called Hitlers Cross.. well its human nature.. we see what lies far.. and myopic to what lies in utter shambles close to the heart , like the dispassionate Parsi community the statue of the Khada Parsi.. crying out in vain..
Well Shabaraat , you find all the Shia women and their families on the mounds, on the graves offering Fatiyah, reciting Aital Kursi, and other Koranic verses, some shouting slogans , this is the segment of kids chanting Haidar, Haidar, and Ya Ali , I was subjected to a questioning but the Maulana caretaker recognized me , the watch man had informed him I was shooting the graves without permission.

This is a very small cemetery but is famous for the blood that flows freely during Ashura and Chelum, in Moharram.. only the brave hearted can see the gore of Kama or Forehead cutting with swords, scourging s , and all this is done in cramped corners..and Chelum in Mumbai.. is something one should see it here at Rehmatabad..but the Press is not allowed, and its a Shia Muslim affair..
And I was not sure I would have undertaken this pictorial pilgrimage , without the painkillers, I was barefeet, on the graves.. my parents lie buried here.

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The Bajra Wiladat e Imam e Zamana Gateway of India

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This was shot in 2007 .

Now this pier is closed to public for this function due to security reasons , last year I shot it too but the side pier next to the the one where you catch the boats for Alibag or Uran.

This boat comes at the pier and within the boat is the Nazar for tasting consisting of halwa and aflatoon and home made sweets.

Before the boat called the bajra arrives there is a lot of shair and shairi in praise of the Ahle Bayt and a continuous , ear piercing shouts of Nare Hyderi.

The women come here too with their relatives kids and throw arzis or requests in the sea , the arzis are covered in flour fed to the fishes.

There is heavy police bandobast and thankfully everything goes on peacefully.

This is a predominantly Shia event and part of the Shia Shabbarat celebrations by the Shia Muslims of Mumbai.

The Sunni Muslims too celebrate Shabbarat at the various Sunni cemeteries but the largest crowd is at Haji Ali Dargah and at the Mahim Dargah of Makdhoom Shah Baba and Fakhruddin Shah Baba.

At Shia houses the ladies make puri halwa and offer fatiah to their dead ancestors visit the Shia cemetery at Arambagh Khojas and Rehmatabad Mazgaon the Iranians and Hindustani Shias.

They light candles on the graves of their relatives , remember them fondly in the prayers called Fatiah.

My parent graves side by side is also at Rehmatabad Shia cemetery.

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