Community Living: A Delightful Evening - Srishti Day

Community Living: A Delightful Evening - Srishti Day

With the Rain God in an uncharitable mood last evening despite our month-long notice, I had already decided mentally “The Flop Show that It was” as the caption for the write up. Fortunately. He responded to the silent prayers of Srishti-ites, after an hour. Maybe, that too was His deliberate ploy to keep stallholders happy, for they had a field day, and all whispered to the Secretary that Srishti could count on their presence for any functions.  The Menu board soon was replaced by “Sold Out’ placard, as they busied themselves tallying the day’s collections.  The less confident few participants (the likes of me?) who felt ‘forced’ into for the new item, Ramp Walk for a chosen cause, were happy at the prospect of the item getting axed because of the delayed start. But Sudha, the chief architect of this item, was made of a different mettle.

Someone, more down to earth, hinted to the Secretary that a stall holder or two should be asked to put up their stalls every fortnight, to combine a pleasant get-together with a gourmet’s delight.

Until now attendance at a GBM was the benchmark. But yesterday’s gathering belied all expectations. It was a treat to watch so many rushing to occupy vantage points despite water trickling right on one’s head with clock-wise precision from the drenched shamiana. Watching the seven to seventies perform sometimes takes precedence over such little inconveniences.

There were many where both husband and wife took active part – the Srikants, Menons, Paturis,  Bhashyams, to mention a few.

Well begun is half done. There could not have been a better start than an invocation by the cute little ones. One felt like walking up to the stage and hug them – they endeared themselves so much to the audience instantaneously. There was a touch of professionalism in the Bollywood dance numbers – credit equally to be shared by the Srishti children and the choreographer. I would bet my last penny on him for a bright future.

In between the programmes, as the stage was being re-set, the Menons kept up the spirit of the audience with a quiz here and there. Thank God those were directed at the kids. I had no clue to any of them.

Happily, the Surekha-Geeta duo’s performance has become a permanent fixture at Srishti functions. One could hear the participants humming along with them the Sharma Bandhu’s famous bhajan, ‘Suraj ki Garmi se…’ Later Surekha gave a solo of the classic. That was a tall order, but she executed with gusto.

The boys were brimming with confidence in their skit, as at their Supandi enactments. There were a few girls, like Ashutosh’s  daughter, who took part in almost all events.

The lady who rendered a Carnatic song once again reminds Srishti-ites that there is no dearth of talents. For many it was a welcome change from the ‘Sheela ki jawani…’ type numbers.

Some of the established artists like Murali Krishna’s daughter, Raji’s daughter, etc. were missing. But then they are into college and their preoccupations couldn’t let them take part. We missed them. Thankfully, Jasmita, Jayasree’s daughter, and her companion rendered a very good number.

“These are all there every time. Anything new, Mr Sundaram?” one might ask. Yes, there were – three. One, we saw a lot of new residents - happily all pleasantly disposed. Two, personally I was sorry that my friend Keyboard Krish, another permanent fixture, chose to be in US (along with Gautam, another pro-active Srishti-ite).  But thanks to the interest generated by Krish, Srishti boys in their teens rendered three numbers together on keyboard. Their performance as well as the announcement from one among them was very well received.

And three, this time around, Sudha thought that the menfolk have all along been backbenchers having fun, and not taking pains to participate in any event. So she roped in a few to do a Ramp Walk for a cause that each one stood for. There were about 20 of them from mid-thirties to a septuagenarian. This was the last item but definitely not the least, if the audience response was anything to go by. If one felt Visweswaran stole the show, then Kannan could rightly claim that his Subramania Bharati attire was no less attractive; or Srikant’s East-West combo – with panchagachan, Nehru jacket, sporting a Western cap; Prabhu’s nothing-special, but everything-in projection; or  Narayan’s, Bhashyam’s,  Jagan’s graceful and suave movements, the compelling walk of Nandakumar, or the towering Murali Parna or the majestic Sanjay.

Any takers?

Bangalore

26 August 2012