Lets Love Life

All The Worlds A Stage!

(Big red drapes falling and loud applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen…Greetings! In an age of commercial cinema it’s hard to find true talent. One that is raw, earnest and still engaging. In my eternal quest to find the right plot and actors, the universe conspired to send me to class 3B. The class a tiny room with leakages during monsoons, has a peculiar odour thanks to the railway tracks and is a proud home to some of the rarest species of insects and rats. But don’t even for a second make an opinion of the quality of talent based on the appearance of this place. Every actor here can effortlessly depict all shades of grey, white and black. These 3.0-3.5 feet little wonders can not only hold and portray an array of emotions, all in a span of exactly 6o seconds, but can also become puppeteers of your sentiments. Making you laugh, cry, sing and dance to their tunes. Yes, my big theatrical is based in 21^st century India, in a small low income private school.

Just like in most plays we have certain exclusive roles, only enacted by the veterans. Some of the actors most acclaimed performances include:

The born leader: She was definitely the first one to catch my eye. The meaning of her name is associated with lord Shiva and true to that she has a blistering presence. Pretty, determined and witty. With sharp, piercing eyes and a quick tongue, she’s the queen bee of my class. She’s unaffected by rules and norms, and obviously dictates her own terms. I love her… Or wait. I don’t have a choice. I need to be in her good books since she is probably the only one who’ll know what to do if I faint in class.

The real Salman Khan: Some say he’s just in the wrong place at the wrong time, while some would say he’s always out there to kill someone. Some would say he’s always convicted for the crimes he didn’t commit, although some would say it’s his short temper that attracts all those troubles,  Yes, he is the poster boy of controversies in my class, whom all my volunteers are first to notice.

The Sutradhar (narrator): This character of ours is straight from pre-British rural India. Full of expression when she talks, her eyes are always moving and rolling to compliment every word she can’t express using this foreign language- English. The mellodrama in her facial expressions and eyes can live up to Natrajans expectations. As a skilled narrator, she’s the only one who helps you connect the events when you are out of class.

The chubby pampered kid:  Yes, he’s the kid who has the world to his feet at the drop of a fake tearless moan. The direct repercussions of this “Wake up Sid” case are evident from his rare ability to complete a 30 minute paper in 5 hours. The only language he responds to is the one with lots of butter, sugar and cherry on top, anything contradictory is a road to tantrums. But then again, what can I do? Like his mother says, “He doesn’t listen to me only!”

The universal roles: While some depict more of one quality than the other, there are certain roles that most of my kids effortlessly slip in and out of throughout the day.

The dancers and singers:  This part of my theatrical is a little Bollywood inspired. I know that if one of them randomly gets up and leads a flash mob in class it’s out of sheer boredom - I haven’t been entertaining enough. Clearly, it’s my litmus paper test. And just when I thought I was getting the hang of being a teacher, it dawned to me I have to compete with Salman and Shahrukh Khan’s dance moves!

The boys in uniform – The commandos: They play the role of the brave hearts in class. They are fully responsible of the pencil marks on everyone’s skin, the bruises on the shy kid’s knee, the ones who make the girls and boys cry, alike. They are unapologetic, fierce, and always ready to fight.

The boys in uniform 2- The aviators: They are the ones solely responsible for the different shapes, colours and sizes of paper planes and paper balls in my class. And just when I think I have seen every design, a flying paper plane hits my head – both metaphorically and actually.  Yes, they are in charge of the air route in my class.

The gossip girls and the paparazzi: They have their fixed fortress in class with a vantage point to comment on my every dress change, nail color and shoe style. They are proficient in taking advantage of, my every unguarded moment to exchange and multiply the scandals and scoops in class 3B. They are the means and cause - the glamor quotient, as well as the whistle blowers. Signing off xoxox.

The day dreamers: These interesting species have different manifestations depending on the time of day. Capturing each of their different portrayals is possibly every artist’s dream. While some find their inspirations by residing in groups, others are content in their solitary captivities.

They would put every senile person to shame by their sluggishness to study and everything apart from my teaching would continue to capture their full attention. On my lucky days, their attention span is slightly greater than 5 mins. And just when I start celebrating, I lose to a white mouse scurrying in the corridor, a colourful pencil or their imaginary friend dancing in the backdrop.

The charmers: They have the ability to crack you up, when you’re in the middle of giving them a piece of your mind. Their range of talent includes impeccable imitations, and flashing their million dollars dimpled,impish smile.

The Romeos: These are the undying eternal lovers. Everyday my co teacher or I get a letter saying I love u and you love me. These kids take their role very seriously. They are the knights in shining armor for their damsels in distress (my co teacher and I) when the commandos and others plan to attack.  

The sport champions: These are the kids who ensure my physical fitness. After every lecture, they ensure that I run after them to play hide and seek. You can easily spot the captains from the amateurs courtesy their hiding places - behind the black-board, under the desk equal the newbies; the brave voyagers in the principal’s office or teacher’s staffroom equal the baaps of the game.

Want to be a part of this drama? Or maybe get tickets to one of these shows. Get in touch with me J. I guarantee no one will sue me on intellectual property rights with the script. It’s an original with a dash of suspense, love, guilt, drama, naach-gaana and ultimately triumphs of the human spirit to attain knowledge, in spite the distractions.

ONE OF THE LOVE LETTERS

THE FEEDBACK FORM.

I  used to be a 3rd standard teacher, in a low income private school called Guru Nanak in the Sion/Dharavi area of Mumbai, as a Teach for India fellow.