Mojo - I share more than a birthdate with him!!!

A face is a source for recognition but the personality behind the face is a source for remembrance. Some individuals who grace your life leave an indelible mark and make you wonder if life would be the same without them. The feeling grows stronger when the realization hits you that they are no longer around and you would never meet them this life time again. In a busy world, everyone finds it easy to hide under the excuse of having no time to stay away from a solid social interaction. Sometimes, it is just the prioritization of the individuals in their lives or at other times it is a virtual creation of a busy state of existence. I personally believe that there is no busy state and when people say they are busy or don’t have time, it just means that they do not want to connect to you at that point. I have heard from numerous people that I have all the time in the world to message because I don’t have a job but seldom do they realize that my constant messages checking on them came from a strong experience I had and which I still regret not attending to properly.

Manoj Krishnamoorthy (I hope I got his full name right coz I have never called him Manoj let alone the full name) or Mojo as we all fondly called him, was one of the best human beings I have come across, on many counts.  Formally, he was my colleague’s husband but when I got to know him better, I came to love this gem of a person for his attitude and passion towards what he loved. I have never come across another person who loved video games more than him. He could sit on a video game for 2 days or more until he finished it and would be happy as a small kid when he wins at it. I remember introducing my cousin to him once. My cousin was planning to take up animation seriously at that time. He asked my cousin why he loved animation so much. When my cousin replied that he loved video games and wanted to design himself,  Mojo called me aside and had a hearty laugh and told me to tell my cousin to take up animation course because he loved animation and not because of video games which is just a small part of that magical world. The clarity that the man possessed and the simplicity with which he conveyed it was simply worth emulating.

We have had quite a number of get-togethers at his flat. It was one of the best groups I have ever been with and these meetings brought me closer to him. There is a reason I am speaking about him today as I realized one day that we shared the same date of birth though he was 2 years elder to me. Gradually, the more I knew the guy, I felt we had a lot more in common than we knew and I developed a tremendous amount of respect and love for the guy and we used to communicate with a lot of clarity and depth. His love for alcohol was complimented by mine too at that time and he never came across as a guy who pretended to be goody-two-shoes in front of anyone. The man was as he came and everyone could take him as he was or just let him be. It was simple life philosophy in front of my eyes.

Anyway, when I met him for the last time in Hyderabad, the handsome cheerful guy of 6 feet plus was thin like a stick and could barely stand straight. I remember taking him to my room and he had great difficulty talking too. For me, it was a heart breaking sight. There were talks about some issues in his personal life among the friends circle but me being one who never gave much ear to such things, never knew the truth. For me, the man before me needed support and guidance then. I reluctantly gave him a peg or two so that he could talk to me. At that point of time, I was packing to come home for a week and my sense of time or rather the hypocritical lack of it, made me tell him that I will come back and reach out to him. Now, when I think of it, I had rather heartlessly send him away and went to my hometown in Kerala. In the hustle and bustle of home affairs, I had forgotten about him and the next thing I heard was that he had passed away.  There were quite a few variations of the story behind his death but in the end all that hit me hard was that he was no more. I could never hear him call me “Macha” with that sheepish grin on his face or the way he spoke to me about a wide variety of things under the sun. This was a guy whom I truly related to as a person and whom I considered as a brother not by blood.

Mojo…today is your birthday too. I am sorry brother that I also got caught up in the whole busy side of the world and could not really be there to support you when you probably needed it the most. I don’t remember the date of his passing away nor do I remember how many years it has been. But trust me bro when I say that I remember you each year on my birthday. You are a strong reminder to me that time is not eternal and the busy world is just a myth. In a timeline which ends someday, where we are running off to. The only thing that defines you is how you reach out to people you care about or respond to people who reach out to you. Even now, when I make the mistake of telling someone that I am busy, I remember you. If only I could have stayed back. I don’t know if it would have made a difference but atleast I would not be feeling that I deserted you too. So, my friends, when I make an effort to reach out to you and ask you how you are doing, it is not because I am jobless but because I know what it means to lose someone and live with the realization that you could have reached out to him or her when it mattered most. It is just a few seconds to type a message but sometimes it keeps a person hopeful for a lifetime too. 

Sachin - A Billion Dreams and an Emotional Experience

Sachin….Sachin….this chant reverberated in my ears long before I even started writing I guess. In a house where a television set was bought for the first time so that my brother would not miss watching the Olympic Games, sports was always a primary source of entertainment.  From the time of Doordarshan to the present day maze of digital channels, any sport was and is still education, inspiration and entertainment for me. I definitely have to thank my dad who loved watching football, cricket and hockey with us and mostly, my brother who first taught me how to bat.

I saw the movie, “Sachin A Billion Dreams”, yesterday and it was not a couple of hours of biographical presentation of a life for me. For me, it was a trip down memory lane and a barrage of memories came flooding through. The little master was not a batsman or bowler or fielder for me as a youngster growing up, he was a happy sensation and anytime, he was on the crease, there was genuine happiness in the heart and the hope for a win for the country.  I don’t think it is any exaggeration when it is stated that when Sachin comes on to bat, people switch on their TV sets and switch off their lives. I am a living testimony to it. I don’t think there is hardly any sportsperson who has represented his or her country with so much passion and intensity like the diminutive genius has done and I do follow a variety of sports and hence do have exposure to the feats and lives of athletes from various categories of sporting events.

For me, the movie had a lot of heart to it and I didn’t bother about the low quality footages from the bygone era because I knew that when you are watching anecdotes from the life of someone you looked up to as a kid, you just feel fortunate to witness those clippings on a big screen. There were numerous moments when I literally cheered with the crowd onscreen and I can assure I was not alone in that expressive mood. I could hear a lot of claps and whistles from people and I realized that Sachin was not just an icon but a sensation of pride and motivation for a whole lot of us who were lucky enough to grow up watching the little boy from Mumbai grow into one of the most influential sportsperson of all time.

From the sheer will power to face Waqar and Wazim at their best and to battle on with a bloodied nose at the age of 16 to hitting the careers of a few bowlers like Henry Olonga and Michael Kasprowicz out of the park, the man never ceases to put one at the edge of their seats when on song. It was an absolute honor to see the footage of Sachin continuing with bloodied nose and to see him hammer the spin wizard, Abdul Qadir for a string of sixes.  The elegant straight drive, the effortless backfoot punch, the nonchalant uppercut, the imperial square cut and the aggressive hook were just some of the most deadly weapons of his arsenal. I remember trying to practice so many off his shots as a young kid and the straight drive was my favorite and still remains to be.

The most significant aspect of the movie that touched me was his connection and attachment with his family especially with his father, his brother, Ajit and his wife, Anjali. His father reminded me of my dad who never forced me to do something which I did not want to do and to this date, blindly supports me in chasing my dream. I hope I can do a fraction of what Sachin has been able to do for his late father. Also, Ajit Tendulkar reminded me of my brother, Anil Kunjunny. The bond the brothers shared were very similar with my life in that my brother always supported my decisions and we still talk on a daily basis and I discuss each aspect of my life with him without any pretense. Sometimes, he offers advices and sometimes suggestions but does not force me on either occasion to take it and rather urges me to take my own decisions and stick with it. When I started drinking, I never hid it from him and I remember his advice when he said, “Have a peg or two once in a while but never smoke”. I am not saying I have not smoked but if you count all the cigarettes I have hid till today, the number would come to hardly 2 – 3 packets. Infact, I have not smoked in the last 6 years. I started watching cricket because of my brother and he introduced me to Sachin formally I should say. There was a silent bond that developed during all those years of watching cricket together and even today, we discuss about international matches and the players who are performing well. When it comes to cricket, our discussion seldom ends or runs out of subjects.

There was quite a lot to write but then again, Sachin is beyond words and any verbal description. It is an emotion that I have carried on with me during my past 30 odd years of growing up and it is that emotion which made me shed tears during some of the moments in the film. My friend who was with me to watch the movie probably did not feel that intensity but then again, I grew up in an atmosphere where my brother prompted me to tie up an old tennis ball in a ragged sock hanging on a rope from the roof and hitting it consistently with the middle of an old cricket bat. I loved doing that and still feel extreme joy when I middle a cricket ball and watch it rush off the surface. Sport has always been a natural high state of mind and Sachin was the best drug in that sense. I must have watched both the Sharjah innings countless times. The hook shot  off Caddick in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa  or the straight drives off Brett Lee in the MCG – it all reflected class and technique.

Sachin – A Billion dreams was a reminder for me about my brother and our bond and the love for cricket we still share and I thank the man who made my younger years a joyful experience with his numerous innings which made me happy and proud as an Indian. There might be many talented youngsters who might come through and even break your records, but they will never touch the hearts of people like you did. Atleast I can vouch for one who will never be moved by another sportsperson this lifetime. You have touched my heart and soul and have taught me indirectly that beyond all talents, you need to put in hardwork and should never stop chasing your dreams and best of all, remain grounded giving respect to everything around. Thanks for all the good memories and a big thank you to the director, James and the producers and the crew, who compiled this awesome experience of a movie.