Hello, Everyone!
So, I know that I haven’t been writing anything for a really, really long time. So you might wonder, what is it that compels me to pick up my laptop and start writing again, and that amazing, wondrous, marvellous, fantastic, magical, outstanding, awesome, fantabulous thing is the one and only, ANNUAL DAY!!!
Now you might wonder, what is so very special about some Annual Day? For starters, the Annual Day was all about the best city in the world, Mumbai! And because it was about the best city in the world, it was the best performance with the best storyline and the best everything ever! It was a super duper hit with the audience, and we were overloaded with oodles of praises!
Consider this: 10 days to prepare, a two-hour play script to write, about 250 students of all shapes, sizes and mental capacity to manage and cast, and to ensure that every single prop and costume is in tip top condition to bring about the feel and essence of this great city…… Sounds impossible right? And, on top of that, to live your life and try not to go insane….. No child’s play for sure! But the impossible was made possible by the one and only, Amishi Ma’am!!! By the way, to the unassuming, she is our speech and drama teacher, and we look up to her for inspiration for almost each and everything under the sun, moon and rainbow!
Mumbai is the city that never sleeps, Mumbai is the city that never stops, rain or shine, life must go on… This was precisely the message brought out by our super-duper drama. The audience had goose bumps throughout the play and were anticipating the next move in each and every scene. Amishi Ma’am had beautifully displayed what Mumbai actually is. The people in Mumbai are driven to work, dream and believe and never stop striving and toiling for their goals till they become achievers. Mumbai is the city that no disaster can stop, and Mumbaikars are the people who no obstacle can stop.
Every dialogue, every song, every dance, every scene, every character and every second of the show carried the essence of Mumbai. The end made each human sitting in the auditorium proud to be a Mumbaikar. The “high” created by the entire show was so great, that I don’t think that anyone would want to leave this palatial city for anywhere else in the world. The whole thing was a magical experience, and seriously my friends, the Mumbaikar who hasn’t seen this show hasn’t seen Mumbai at all! Right from the hustle and bustle of the local trains, to the very ironic fact that the billion dollar home of Mukesh Ambani, Antilia (which also, by the way, is the most expensive private home in the world), overlooks Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, each tiny detail, that makes Mumbai what it is, was kept in mind while framing the play. Bollywood, a film industry even greater than Hollywood, has its home in Mumbai. The fact that hundreds of people come to this land in the hope of fulfilling their dreams and the Never Say Die attitude of Mumbai have developed Mumbai as an emotion. The play did full justice to the spirit of Mumbai, and it seriously made every Mumbaikar sitting in the auditorium introspect and be grateful for being a part of this special city that does not simply live life, but it celebrates life.
Well, before the entire world starts thinking of moving into Mumbai and wrecking havoc with any population control measure, I will seriously stop getting philosophical about the greatest city on earth and bid farewell to everyone. Goodbye, and have a nice day!
Dear Rashi
ReplyDeleteMumbai is truly a city where each Mumbaikar celebrates life. Your blog about your annual day is amazingly descriptive and helps me visualise the entire sequence of events that I had witnessed.
MS. Amishi has done a fabulous job with the script and the various emotions depicted the budding actors was truly awesome.
Somaiya School is truly blessed with such amazing talented artists and teachers.
Mrs. Shah, thank you so much for your words of appreciation in the blog and also in the mail you sent to the school. Glad that you liked the play so much and yes it worked so well only because every cog in the system did its job immaculately with complete commitment be it teachers, choreographers, music director and our awesome actors and dancers. Thank you for taking the trouble to express your appreciation. It is truly encouraging.
DeleteRashi,
ReplyDeleteWow! The sheer quality of your writing has left your Speech & Drama teacher speechless! How beautifully you have brought out the very essence of the play and all that went into presenting it on stage! It is so fulfilling for me as a writer to know that every subtle intention of the storyline and the purpose of every scene and dance has been so thoroughly understood AND appreciated! Thank you so much!
Yes, we might have been on the brink of insanity but we did not cross that threshold between sound and unsound minds because we held each other firm and strong. The magic we wove on the day of the performance was but a reflection of the magic we had created together during rehearsals by simply being the closest, the best and the most unbelievably awesome team ever! We were an amazing team when we shared our clothes and jewelry with each other for costume and when we took care of ours and each other's props, we were a great team when we celebrated brilliant expressions given, impeccable body language and mind blowing moves made by our co-actors and dancers. Together we created the kind of spontaneous, heartfelt joy that drives and inspires excellence within ourselves and within each other. And THAT'S what it is all about!
Not to forget we had one more incredible member in our already fantabulous team - somebody up there who looks at your intentions, measures the depth of your desire, takes note of the amount of joy you are creating and then quietly keeps sending you miracles to make it all work! All of us coming together was a miracle, the fact that all of us were kept healthy and happening throughout the period of rehearsals was another miracle and these are just a few of the numerous marvels that helped us weave the magic. Thank God (literally!)
I know we are all on this amazing high and we deserve to be there and there is no doubt that if we keep going this way we have much greater heights to reach!
I thoroughly enjoyed your blog. Thank you so much and KEEP WRITING!
Love,
Amishi