When my ambition was to be a street singer!
After dabbling in journalism for five years, and later serving the Indian Police Service for nearly 35 years, I recall with nostalgia, what I wanted to become as a youngster. Though my parents wanted to see me in a doctor’s coat, especially a surgeon’s apron, I had a mind of my own. Call me mad, but in my formative years, I was quite enamoured of certain trades that were considered weird or lowly placed by the elders, but which seemed completely irresistible to my callow mind. In fact, not one, but there were many hats I cherished to wear.
A new male teacher was appointed in our Happy Nursery
IT WAS SOON AFTER WATCHING DILIP KUMAR’S ‘DIDAAR’ THAT I SET MY HEART ON BECOMING A STREET SINGER. SO OBSESSED WAS I WITH THE IDEA, THAT WHILE REHEARSING ON THE KEYBOARD, I WOULD CLOSE MY EYES LIKE THE BLIND ACTOR
School then. He played the harmonica during the morning assembly. His daily musical renditions won my heart. But for some reason, he was thrown out of school to be replaced by another regular music teacher. I became his favourite. Once he planted a peck on my cheek after I gave a performance, and for the rest of my school life, I was poked by my classmates for this act of unusual endearment. After some years, I stumbled on a harmonium at a relative’s place and mastered some tunes, much to the surprise of everyone in my family and circle of acquaintances.
It was soon after watching Dilip Kumar’s ‘Didaar’ that I set my heart on becoming a street singer. So obsessed was I with the idea, that while rehearsing on the keyboard, I would close my eyes like the blind Dilip Kumar on screen, with the harmonium sashaying on his shoulders.
The next profession that caught my fancy was that of a bus conductor. You might find it hard to comprehend, but I liked the wads of tickets that he carried. Add to it, his alluring bagful of currency notes and coins, the chime of which is still fresh in my ears. So enamoured was I of the tickets I would frequent a printing press to collect the finely cut margins of sheets of paper, imagining them to be ticket wads in my possession during pretend-playing with my peers.
At another point, a magician became my role model. I would spend hours watching the jugglers in the street. Even when their show was over, I would hang around to explore what seemed to me then the most intriguing pursuit to follow.
Let me confess, I was also a keen actor. I acted in dramas and skits in school and college, winning accolades in youth festivals. I thought then that if I couldn’t become what I wished to, I could at least fulfil my desire to be a jack of all trades by donning the mantle of an actor.
After watching Dilip Kumar’s ‘Leader’, editor-ship also caught my fancy. Well, if you ask me if I ever wanted to be a police officer, hold your breath, I never wanted to be one.