Stirring, Bold and Blunt
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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2018 (PAGE 4) BOOKREVIEW PERSONALITY Brij Katyal bids adieu Stirring, bold and blunt to Bollywood "Embers the beginning and embers the end of Mirpur" achieved so much, since the Lalit Gupta by Dr Kulvir Gupta primitive days to the present Bollywood's Circe-like seductions—fame, times, in spite of the deadly Publishers: Olympia Publishers 60 Cannon Street, London. glamour, the fairy tale promise of great wars." wealth–have been attracting from inception Pushp Saraf Kulvir's is the telling story of Incidentally Dr Kulvir's perhaps every native of Jam- was the last manuscript of a the dreamers, ambitious small-town aspirants, During my frequent per- mu and Kashmir and of the book which was seen by my writers, poets, musicians, and many others sonal trips to Jammu after sub-continent as a whole who father before he passed away with the hope that talent, boldness, and luck 2000 I met Dr Kulvir Gupta became victim of genocidal on November 25, 2017 (by the will catapult them into the big league. through my father Mr Om retribution in 1947 when way Dr Kulvir's birthday and Prakash Saraf with there was savage vio- also the day of the fall of Mir- One such dreamer was Brij Katyal, a Jam- whom he and his lence marked by rap- pur). In his own hand father muite, who in the early 1950s ventured to leave family ---wife ing and butchering. wrote in what has turned out hometown for Bombay, the hub of Hindi cine- Rashmi and daugh- As a reader, com- to be his last comment about ma and after initial days of struggle succeeded ters Sonali, Shwaita mentator and a jour- a book: "I had known Dr Kul- in etching his name in Bollywood hall of fame. (both medical pro- nalist I have read and vir for more than twenty-sev- For Brij Katyal, the crowning glory came fessionals) and heard several shock- en years but simply as a when he penned the story of Shashi Kapoor Sunanda (an acade- ing accounts of atroci- widely-acclaimed dental sur- and Nanda starrer ‘Jab Jab Phool Khile' in mician) --- shared a ties committed in the geon. It is only now when he 1965, a super hit and a golden jubilee film close bond. Soon I name of the religion is pleased to share his soul- which ran for 50 consecutive weeks in Mum- on Hindus and Sikhs was enthused with nation-building spirit. was to develop rap- Dr Kulvir Gupta stirring memoirs with me, I bai cinemas like Minerva and Lakshmi The- in Mirpur and Muzaf- The culturally oriented young men like J.C. port with them and must confess I was not so atres. The great financial success of musical farabad and Muslims in Jam- Bharti and Brij Katyal who were attracted to any mention of him at a gath- much aware of his non-pro- romance film, a popular genre in the 1960s, ering would evoke an identi- mu seven decades ago. There leftist ideology joined National Cultural fessional qualities of head made theatre owners to gift a brand new car cal remark about his being are hair-raising tales which and heart. As a migrant from Front, the cultural wing of the National Con- make one shudder in disbelief and rupees 50,000, to film's writer Brij Katyal. "the most competent and his ancestral town of Mirpur, ference. Bharti reminiscences that how over the extent of human sav- In a film career spanning more than 50 most expensive dental sur- along with countless others National Cultural front with Dharmveer agery. Whoever believes years, Brij Katyal’s notable films as script and geon" in the city. I came homes ("Women have which checked their move- in November 1947, in day and Chopra as its secretary-general decided to across another side of his per- "barbarism is the natural dialogue writer and screen playwright were state of mankind" must find always been the reward for ment towards Mirpur. Dr Kul- night search of shelter which stage plays about unsung characters and sonality before long. Behind a Salaam Memsaab-1961, Burmah Road-1962, vindication in these details of the victors since times imme- vir does raise the question: was nowhere in sight when heroes. The play staged included Raavan, tough and disciplined exteri- Darasingh: Ironman-1964, Ek Din Ka Bad- terror and vengeance. Almost morial… while men were "For reasons, not clear till murder, arson, abduction Chander Shekhar Azad, Manzil Ki Taraf, Dinu or --- he had served in the shah-1964, Saat Samundar Paar-1965, Yeh all of them, however, are massacred and taken as date, the Indian Army did not and rape was the order of the Bhai Pant’s Bawa Jitto and Shiv Parvati. Army Dental Corps for a Raat Phir Na Aaygi-1966, Aamne-Saamne- third-person narrations slaves," he writes). It is the reach Mirpur and hell broke day, Dr Kulvir's memoirs Katyal used to enact female roles in the dra- decade before he made his 1967, Parivar-1968, Kismat-1969, Vishwas- shorn of specific information reader's turn to squirm in his loose on Mirpur and its pop- cover seventeen years and mas. Other members of the team were D. P. mark as a private practitioner 1969, Anokha-1975, Bhoola Bhatka-1976, as if to camouflage the writer's or her chair ashamed and ulation." He leaves it at that ten months, commencing at Trikha-director, Dina Nath Goel-music, B.L. --- there was an extremely the age of five. No wonder Amitabh Bachchan's Ajooba-1991, Hai Meri own extremely painful per- embarrassed for living in the time as his focus is on the Kerni, Ram Kumar Abrol and Kumar Kuldeep sensitive and straightforward because of or maybe due to Jaan-1991, Chhota Sa Garh-1996, Krazy Crazy sonal experiences. The only midst of depraved minds. unfortunate land and its peo- who later directed the first Dogri film Gallaan person. He desperately want- common feature in them is Dr Kulvir makes a special tragedies his faith in the 'col- Krezy... 2009. His well-known TV series ed time off his professional ple. One travels with him all Hoyiaan Bitiaan. the "Alibegh camp" which was mention of his family's Mus- lective wisdom of the human include Aashiq Biwi Ka- 2009, Pal Chin-1998. work to put his inner feelings through --- from a pampered It was in 1953 that Brij Katyal having good a reality and where they were lim friends and acquaintanc- race' remains intact. Life has He had also directed two films Premika-1980 in black and white. childhood in Mirpur to the command over Urdu, Hindi and English lan- kept as refugees to be subject- es who cried over their plight tested him at every step. In and Pasand Apni Apni- 1971. In the early One day in between his new abode in another corner guages, and gifted with good handwriting, ed to indiscriminate killings, and tried to help to the maxi- between, a romantic liaison 1970s, Rajesh Khanna's movie "Seema", hectic daily routine he of Jammu and Kashmir after took a bold decision and moved to Bombay to rapes and kidnappings. mum extent away from the was cut short by family directed by Suraj Prakash had Brij Katyal as showed me a small write-up In sharp contrast, Dr Kul- a tough battle for existence in preying eyes of their tormen- responsibility and commit- the writer never saw completion. try his luck as a film writer. His first major he had written --- it was an vir is bold and blunt. His different cities of the country ment, intellectual wander- break came in 1958 when he wrote dialogues exceptionally balanced tors belonging to their own During 1990's he also ventured into the description is unvarnished of during which he studied ings into ancient civilizations description of his turbulent faith. One of them --- Master world of television and penned down many and screenplay for Kedar Sharma's film incidents which have been ancient civilisations to under- to find an explanation for his childhood in the prosperous Abdul Aziz of Datyal village, popular and financially successful TV serials Milan. Starring Ajit, Nalini Jaywant, Daisy firmly etched on his mind and stand why they had been cho- sufferings, human foibles Mirpur town of the undivided about "five miles away from like 'Dillagi' and 'Saans'. Directed by Neena Irani, and Helen, the film's success paved the disturbing him since child- sen by history to endure a and strengths. Millions of Jammu and Kashmir from Alibegh camp" --- rescued way for Katyal to stake his claim as a talented hood causing many sleepless nerve-wracking ordeal. people in India and Pakistan Gupta, these had become very popular for the where he and his family were kidnapped Hindu girls and writer. nights. He does not brush Dr Kulvir shows solemni- especially would identify characters which seemed very real. uprooted in 1947 like million women and ensured their In his more than 50 years of career in Bom- unsavoury details under the ty and equanimity in reaching with him and see in his work Eighty-five years old Brij Katyal, who others in the sub-continent to bay, Brij Katyal wrote scripts, screenplays, undergo sufferings which put carpet which lesser beings repatriation to India staving the conclusion: "Religions a true reflection of their own expired on September 13, 2018, at Mumbai, humanity to shame. I could would have done out of shame off threats from predators. He and faiths emerged to keep life rise like a phoenix.