July -InterClass 1995
My room is in neglect. Not one to clean rooms on any regular
basis, I have left nature take it's course with mine. There are strings of
cobwebs here and there, scattered books and notes lying randomly, yellowish
bedsheets that were previously white as Surf and loads of dust on the floor.
Some of us, including myself have laid mats on the floor in an effort to hide
the dust. In my room, pieces of this mat are coming off and I make no effort
to do anything about it. Clothes are strewn around.....the walls are no longer
white.
There is no way I can clean this up. In any case, the clean state will only last so long, so why bother? When the time comes and the room is unliveable, I shall just shift into a new one.
The novelty of clinics, stethoscopes and being part of the hospital system has worn out a while back. It's an effort to make the 8 AM class and many times, this is Pharmacology which I end up missing. If someone gets there even a minute late, the door is locked and it's all a wasted effort. So, if I'm up by 740, I make the dash. Else, I get up at 840 and make the dash to the 9 AM class.
One afternoon, Dr G, who has an interest in ethics and loves a debate, has started one on "Organ Transplant". The conversation goes back and forth between her and us and it's getting a bit boring. I am sitting at the back, with my co back-benchers-Vinay, Condom and Harry (the only sardar in our class) and my mind wanders.
In the front row, Deepak is saying "....If something something happens then they should be screwed". I start laughing. It is funny after all and I laugh loudly for exactly 2 seconds before various hands are put on my mouth to shut me up. The class is otherwise silent.
He had said 'sued" apparently.
I am lucky I didn't get thrown out of class.
Another time, I feel like a nice big stretch so I stretch my arms wide....and find they dont come back. Vinay, Anup and Condom have grabbed me, and knowing that I'm ticklish, proceed to tickle me as vigorously as possible. It's torture that goes on a minute or two made worse that I can't laugh and I have to keep a straight face.......
InterClass is coming up soon and this time our Senior batch, led by Rama as the Cultural Secretary, is organizing it. What this means in practical terms is that they will probably win the InterClass Cultural trophy. (Nothing on Rama, but the Organizing batch were always the favourites to win).Our batch, however, has some very talented guys....a brilliant band which has won prizes in College and outside, the best guitarist in Jipmer for a long time in Moa, good skit writers in Rajni TV, Vinay , me, Vinod and decent actors also.
Ultimately though, I saw last year, the Cooking Competition can be decisive. We shall see.
This year, apart from the music, dance and the Skit/Ad-Zap, there will be a play. This is serious stuff, with plays marked on the quality of sets, props, acting, coordination etc etc. Vinay informs us that his brother will be dropping in from somewhere and since he has some experience in plays (not sure quite what), he will happy to give us a few pointers.
The play we are going to do is called "The Monkey's Paw". Roles are decided, many inputs arrive, some sought and others not. We decide to use one of the rooms in the College building for practice, far away from potential prying eyes and near the music Room, home to the percussion sets and guitars and amps.
Vinod and Shreya will play the lead roles and I will be the main supporting actor.
The play revolves around me telling those two about a monkeys paw which can grant three wishes. Interfering with fate not good, that kind of thing. It's a well known play apparently, not to me however, so it takes some time to get the acting and voice modulations done right. Props are brought; I am an old guy, so I have a hat, coat etc and in one scene, I'm supposed to be drinking!! Nice...
Our practice continues daily well into the night and Vinay's brother is great with lighting angles, gestures, expressions etc. It's great fun. After practice, I see Vinod and Shreya, now single, going back to Curie House together most times.
......
The novelty of clinics, stethoscopes and being part of the hospital system has worn out a while back. It's an effort to make the 8 AM class and many times, this is Pharmacology which I end up missing. If someone gets there even a minute late, the door is locked and it's all a wasted effort. So, if I'm up by 740, I make the dash. Else, I get up at 840 and make the dash to the 9 AM class.
One afternoon, Dr G, who has an interest in ethics and loves a debate, has started one on "Organ Transplant". The conversation goes back and forth between her and us and it's getting a bit boring. I am sitting at the back, with my co back-benchers-Vinay, Condom and Harry (the only sardar in our class) and my mind wanders.
In the front row, Deepak is saying "....If something something happens then they should be screwed". I start laughing. It is funny after all and I laugh loudly for exactly 2 seconds before various hands are put on my mouth to shut me up. The class is otherwise silent.
He had said 'sued" apparently.
I am lucky I didn't get thrown out of class.
Another time, I feel like a nice big stretch so I stretch my arms wide....and find they dont come back. Vinay, Anup and Condom have grabbed me, and knowing that I'm ticklish, proceed to tickle me as vigorously as possible. It's torture that goes on a minute or two made worse that I can't laugh and I have to keep a straight face.......
InterClass is coming up soon and this time our Senior batch, led by Rama as the Cultural Secretary, is organizing it. What this means in practical terms is that they will probably win the InterClass Cultural trophy. (Nothing on Rama, but the Organizing batch were always the favourites to win).Our batch, however, has some very talented guys....a brilliant band which has won prizes in College and outside, the best guitarist in Jipmer for a long time in Moa, good skit writers in Rajni TV, Vinay , me, Vinod and decent actors also.
Ultimately though, I saw last year, the Cooking Competition can be decisive. We shall see.
This year, apart from the music, dance and the Skit/Ad-Zap, there will be a play. This is serious stuff, with plays marked on the quality of sets, props, acting, coordination etc etc. Vinay informs us that his brother will be dropping in from somewhere and since he has some experience in plays (not sure quite what), he will happy to give us a few pointers.
The play we are going to do is called "The Monkey's Paw". Roles are decided, many inputs arrive, some sought and others not. We decide to use one of the rooms in the College building for practice, far away from potential prying eyes and near the music Room, home to the percussion sets and guitars and amps.
Vinod and Shreya will play the lead roles and I will be the main supporting actor.
The play revolves around me telling those two about a monkeys paw which can grant three wishes. Interfering with fate not good, that kind of thing. It's a well known play apparently, not to me however, so it takes some time to get the acting and voice modulations done right. Props are brought; I am an old guy, so I have a hat, coat etc and in one scene, I'm supposed to be drinking!! Nice...
Our practice continues daily well into the night and Vinay's brother is great with lighting angles, gestures, expressions etc. It's great fun. After practice, I see Vinod and Shreya, now single, going back to Curie House together most times.
Our music band is hard at it too. Chakma is on vocals, singing "Neele Neele Ambar" (नीले नीले अम्बर), Moa will play some hard rock solos, Condom is on the bongo and Vinod will also play rhythm. We have good reason to believe we can win the Trophy this time.
We just need to cook well.
InterClass 1995
All events will be held on the stage in Lister Square, right in front of the ground floor of Lister Annexe, the shorter histel building at right angles to the main Hostel. This is where Spandan is also held, though then the stage is extended a few feet on either side.
As usual, there will be Indian Music and Western Music, choreography, Ad-Zaps and skits. The play, which is still not perfect, but pretty good, is a new thing.
The atmosphere is always great. The entire Lister Square (the field in front of the stage) is packed with various batches, all in very vocal support of their respective batches and equally vocally against the others. The vocal cords are lubricated liberally, of course.
......
We have arrived at the Play. Our points tally uptil this point is close, but we are just in the lead. A good play will see us through.
We set up our stage. There is a chair at the corner next to a fireplace where I will sit when I enter later, a hat stand, a sofa and some assorted decorative stuff. Vinod and Shreya start off and a few minutes later, I am supposed to knock. I am also supposed to be wearing a hat which Vinod will ask for, and place it on the hat stand.
I knock, Vinod opens the door and he asks for my hat. But there is no hat because I've forgotten it outside. So, we ad-lib a bit and then comes my scene.
I have the monkey's paw which I'm supposed to describe going on the front of the stage and basically explaining it to the audience. There are 3 wishes this paw can grant, so I saunter to the front and start talking. When I say "There were three wishes", I notice that I have four fingers pointing out. So one is hurriedly withdrawn. No one noticed it seems.
I walk back, still mouthing dialogue and once I finish, I sit on the chair next to the fireplace. At this point, the drink I was drinking is supposed to be over and Vinod has to ask me for a refill. And so he does.
But my glass is still half-full ,because I didn't take big enough swigs while talking and walking. I just dump the drink in the fireplace with a flick, glass is empty again and Vinod refills.
That was my part, with three hitches. The rest of it went smoothly though I didn't stay till the end going over to get some Egg Chicken Rolls from Snappy.
We get some of the prizes, but the Best Play goes to the Senior Batch. No cribbing because the judges were neutral.
The Ad-Zap is difficult. There are no pre-suggested themes, one creates one out of thin air. Marks are for voice overs, coordination, acting and humour and we are good at all of that.
Unfortunately, 15 minutes before we are going up on stage, we still don't know what to sell. I am sitting in the Reading Room racking my brians when Vinay walks in with a black T-shirt with a green screwdriver on it.
That is it. We will sell "Screw Me ScrewDrivers".
The Ad-Zap is a big hit. Lots of innuendo to play around with, double meanings, laughs and great voive-overs (Some mine...:). A joke on the Curie "Pump House" (water pump) with suitable gestures etc. We win it hands down.
That leaves the skit.
The skit was going to decide the prize. There are only 2 entries, one from us and one from the seniors so we know this is it. The skit winner will win the thing, simple as that.
We go first. Even though I, along with Vinod and TV wrote the skit, I don't remember the script exactly. But it went well.
The skit of the seniors is awesome. It really is. And that sets the cat among the pigeons.
Now, that was the final event of InterClass and we know we have lost. But, we scramble to the judges and tell them that we have one more skit (which we don't), and we need 10 minutes to get it on stage. Our reasoning is that even if we manage to get 2nd and 3rd (1st is now out of the question), we will win.
The problem is that, in 10 minutes, the mind only works in a particular direction. We write it, and are writing it and improvising it as the skit is being done on stage. It's called "Star Trek" and we open with
"To boldly go where no man has gone before.....The Ladies Bathroom"
"With Speed faster than light.....(Voice loud now), Fart Speed...(and a fart noise on the mike).
Someone has put a couple of shuttlecocks on the chest and someone else is ogling. Vinay and I create some script to go with this as it happens. Another guy is in a skirt, with a guy staring up and saying
"It's a jungle out there"...
The crowd doesn't know what to do. Neither do all our Lecturers sitting in the front row. We are having a ball though.
We get disqualified. Of course. But at least we had a ball.
Our Seniors win the trophy. Of course.
And soon Spandan will be here. My main interest will be in ensuring Vikrant's trophy is done and is presented well.
Life goes on as it has to, but thoughts of Vikrant are never far away.
We set up our stage. There is a chair at the corner next to a fireplace where I will sit when I enter later, a hat stand, a sofa and some assorted decorative stuff. Vinod and Shreya start off and a few minutes later, I am supposed to knock. I am also supposed to be wearing a hat which Vinod will ask for, and place it on the hat stand.
I knock, Vinod opens the door and he asks for my hat. But there is no hat because I've forgotten it outside. So, we ad-lib a bit and then comes my scene.
I have the monkey's paw which I'm supposed to describe going on the front of the stage and basically explaining it to the audience. There are 3 wishes this paw can grant, so I saunter to the front and start talking. When I say "There were three wishes", I notice that I have four fingers pointing out. So one is hurriedly withdrawn. No one noticed it seems.
I walk back, still mouthing dialogue and once I finish, I sit on the chair next to the fireplace. At this point, the drink I was drinking is supposed to be over and Vinod has to ask me for a refill. And so he does.
But my glass is still half-full ,because I didn't take big enough swigs while talking and walking. I just dump the drink in the fireplace with a flick, glass is empty again and Vinod refills.
That was my part, with three hitches. The rest of it went smoothly though I didn't stay till the end going over to get some Egg Chicken Rolls from Snappy.
We get some of the prizes, but the Best Play goes to the Senior Batch. No cribbing because the judges were neutral.
The Ad-Zap is difficult. There are no pre-suggested themes, one creates one out of thin air. Marks are for voice overs, coordination, acting and humour and we are good at all of that.
Unfortunately, 15 minutes before we are going up on stage, we still don't know what to sell. I am sitting in the Reading Room racking my brians when Vinay walks in with a black T-shirt with a green screwdriver on it.
That is it. We will sell "Screw Me ScrewDrivers".
The Ad-Zap is a big hit. Lots of innuendo to play around with, double meanings, laughs and great voive-overs (Some mine...:). A joke on the Curie "Pump House" (water pump) with suitable gestures etc. We win it hands down.
That leaves the skit.
The skit was going to decide the prize. There are only 2 entries, one from us and one from the seniors so we know this is it. The skit winner will win the thing, simple as that.
We go first. Even though I, along with Vinod and TV wrote the skit, I don't remember the script exactly. But it went well.
The skit of the seniors is awesome. It really is. And that sets the cat among the pigeons.
Now, that was the final event of InterClass and we know we have lost. But, we scramble to the judges and tell them that we have one more skit (which we don't), and we need 10 minutes to get it on stage. Our reasoning is that even if we manage to get 2nd and 3rd (1st is now out of the question), we will win.
The problem is that, in 10 minutes, the mind only works in a particular direction. We write it, and are writing it and improvising it as the skit is being done on stage. It's called "Star Trek" and we open with
"To boldly go where no man has gone before.....The Ladies Bathroom"
"With Speed faster than light.....(Voice loud now), Fart Speed...(and a fart noise on the mike).
Someone has put a couple of shuttlecocks on the chest and someone else is ogling. Vinay and I create some script to go with this as it happens. Another guy is in a skirt, with a guy staring up and saying
"It's a jungle out there"...
The crowd doesn't know what to do. Neither do all our Lecturers sitting in the front row. We are having a ball though.
We get disqualified. Of course. But at least we had a ball.
Our Seniors win the trophy. Of course.
And soon Spandan will be here. My main interest will be in ensuring Vikrant's trophy is done and is presented well.
Life goes on as it has to, but thoughts of Vikrant are never far away.
The Start Trek skit was a complete disaster and the most memorable skit we did! And I still have and wear that tshirt with the screwdriver on it. Except that the image has faded enough so that the screwdriver resembles a ,ummmmm, lets just call it a gentleman's sausage, shall we? Obviously, I never wear it outside....
ReplyDeletePS You didn't just laugh in Pharm. You threw your hands up in the air like you were having having some sort of fit and let out a loud booming trademark laugh. Scared the hell out of all of us.
Vinay
Deepak Ravindran was the one dressed as a woman in a skirt borrowed from Shriya. Don't remember who the poor guy was who stuck his head under that skirt. If the girls had even had an inkling of what was going to happen on stage they would not have lent us their clothes. Of course, we didn't know either...
ReplyDeleteVinay