In the early 1990s Bollywood (Indian Hollywood) started to show the world that it was fast becoming a promising industry. Movie making started to become a booming business. And with the Bollywood becoming an organised industry, it was only natural that organised crime creep in, too. Links started to get established, established links began to strengthen and strong links were being put to use. As ordinary people were made stars on screen, Bhais became the stars off screen. Bhai - a household Hindi word meaning brother now meant Don.
With organised crime entered unorganised finances; at that time (and still) a much needed facility in the film industry. Along with money came control. Bhais financing films automatically had more control over them, their cast and their creed. If Director D wanted Actor A to act in his film but the actor did not show any interest, D would call Bhai, Bhai would call A and A would act in the film. If Music Company M wanted the music rights to the film but was not getting them, they would call Bhai, Bhai would call Producer P and the work was done. If P wanted Lyricist L who was unwilling, the route was the same - Bhai. Almost all international distribution rights were sold through Bhais contacts. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Everything was controlled by Bhais and all this happened over the phone. The simple Bhai philosophy was ‘heed call or eat bullet’. If you were successful there was a Bhai behind you, either to support you or to slay you. ‘Bhai ka phone aaya’ became the new catch phrase.
But the involvement of Bhais was a boon for the industry in more than one ways:
1. A free-flow of money meant more films could be made.
2. More films meant more use of talent and an opportunity to master your talent.
3. Better the talent means better the industry gets.
4. Talent was forced to do a certain role/film they would not have done under ordinary circumstances. This increased their scope and broke them free of stereotypes they were cast into.
5. They acted as arbitrators between troubled parties and helped reach a solution which may not have happened otherwise.
6. The industry got an external stimulus; and
7. Unlimited inspiration for years to come; we still see Bhai-based movies.
Two days ago I got a call too. They did not reveal much on the phone but in a very business like fashion did mention it was about this blog. I was perplexed. Just three posts down and I am already getting goony calls…? That’s interesting. What could the reason be? Anyway, they fixed up an appointment for ransom talk and hung up.
We met today. They were easy to spot. Like Men in Black they were the Girls in Green! Just like Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Will Smith is the over smart, head shaking, face making one and Tommy Lee is the reserved, picking words carefully more dignified sort. Will is wearing a scrubbed-too-clean popat green and Tommy is wearing a seen-a-soap-ten-years-ago popat green. They wanted to fake the Men in Black look but forgot about it when crossing the street! They then put on the Girls in Green look and forgot what they met me for! Field day!
After the customary pai-lagoos (greeting given to elders) we ordered lunch. They - in sheer hope of pinning me to the wall. Me – sheer lucky a painting was already hanging there! They started to interrogate me, one by one (first mistake; had they attacked together they could have made mince meat of me), trying to corner me so that I raise my hands and scream give up and pay the penalty and withdraw the blog and do all they say and leave the city and never use the internet again and disappear by delegating my online identity and soon after they will delete my offline identity too!
Nothing of that happened! When they got together they spent more time discussing what to ask me than actually asking me (reminded me of Fardeen Khan and Aftab Shivdasani in the Hindi film Love ke Liya Kuch Bhi Karega). Sad and ignored I felt. I was so happy to get the goony call. All excited I was. And then these amateurs turn up!
Lunch came and all was forgotten (second mistake; while eating I am totally off guard, I could not have defended myself). Ransom talk soon turned into random talk and never looked back.
Then just to make themselves feel good they took me shopping, i.e. while they shop I had to give them my expert comments (very hard work, when dealing with two goons you have never been shopping with).
By the time shopping was done, it was Tea-Time (how time flies). So Chaiwalah took them on a wild goose chase finding a Tapri for chai. Found none [actually found one but it was not interesting enough, so it does not count].
So the Kettles had to settle for coffee!
Tapris out of business!
They left like James Bond; Die Another Day
So if ever this blog disappears or if i stop posting all of a sudden, without any explaination, then you know who is to blame!
Until then, The Chaiwalah tips the Tapri of its taps!
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NOTE:
This story was published first.
In defence another counter story was published on another blog.
You can read that here.
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