Happy Birthday Jogen da!

It was a normal day. I had two appointments outside and attended three programmes. I also attended a pre-wedding function in the family of Vineet and Nitu Hirawat – friends whom I met after almost 7 years. We relived all the old memories and times spent together.

I met Shabana Azmi, Sharmila Tagore and Nandita Das. The meeting with Shabana and Sharmila was a scheduled one but bumped into Nandita at the Taj Bengal. She introduced me to her husband Subodh Maskara who hails from Jhunjhuna in Rajasthan, a place not far from Churu where I was born. All three were in Kolkata today for attending workshops and discussions by Kolkata Group – an organisation headed by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.

I had a lengthy discussion with Shabana on the book Kaifi and I.

In the evening attended a special screening party for the film Maati-O-Manush starring Tapas Paul, Rimjhim and Sabyasachi Chakraborty. Jogen da was the Chief Guest and he had given my name as a special guest since he is well known to the director Sisir Sahana from Hyderabad. Jogen da and I share a special relationship. Sunil Ganguly had introduced us and we clicked immediately.

Many evenings of planned and unplanned addas together seems to have bridged the age difference and we still enjoy each other’s company ever more. Tomorrow is his Birthday and of course we will meet in the evening to celebrate along with some other friends.

Happy Birthday Jogen da!

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