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Come July and it’s time to say…Aha! …and head straight to
Rangashankara! We have been regulars at the Aha! International Theatre festival
for children since 2012, making advance
reservations even before the tickets arrived, planning and assigning chaperoning
responsibilities well ahead in time so that all of us at home get a piece of
Aha! So much so, that my parents and in
laws have often wondered who is the intended audience for the plays – children
or their parents!!
Ideally, we would like to watch all the plays ( and we have
done that for a couple of years), but through the years, we’ve evolved in our
choice of plays and Abhay now prefers
plays more suited to his age, with language, humour and themes he can relate to
and so this year we’ve picked out plays and shows meant for children aged seven
and above. In fact, my little one who is now over fourteen months old narrowly
misses the eligibility to watch “Dinner at eight” presented by Headstart school
of Montessori meant for children between the age group of 18 months to 36
months. Of course….left to me …I would have gone for all the plays!!! So, waiting for my little one to grow up…I
guess!! J
Yesterday we went for the screening of a Korean feature film, “The Way
Home” directed by Lee-Jeong-hyang Since it revolved around a relationship between a
grandma and her grandson, Abhay was accompanied by his maternal grandma! Though
the film was in Korean language, it was presented with English sub titles. Set
in a remote village in Korea where a city bread spoilt kid is sent off to his
grandma’s while his mother is in between jobs, the film beautifully portrays the
evolution of a poignant relationship between the grandma and grandson, despite
the age factor, generation gap and the urban-rural divide. Abhay and his granny thoroughly enjoyed the movie and thanks to Rangashankara, Abhay has been
exposed to not only world class theatre but also brilliant movies from all over
the world!
So we had to end our Rangashankara movie night with a moving
story and who can be better than Ruskin Bond when it comes to insightful and
charming stories on inter-generational relationships! With my last two posts also
on Ruskin Bond…. it feels like a Ruskin Bond festival on Onestoryaday! We read “A long walk with Granny” from the
collection “The Room of many colours” and other stories brought out by Pensuin
publications. The same story has been rejacketed as “Getting Granny’s glasses” by
Puffin publications.
Nani (granny) needed a new pair of glasses but was reluctant to get them as she had to travel all the way to Mussoorie to get to the eye hospital. (
With Abhay’s own grandma’s legendry reluctance to get her annual eye check up…this
story couldn’t have been more appropriate) So as Nani tries to make do with
her old glasses that are badly scratched with spots all over, it is up to her doting
grandson who agrees to accompany her on their two day tedious journey to Mussoorie to
meet the eye doctor. Just as Mani wonders how to get by the first mile, which comprises
of a long walk to Nain Market to catch the only bus to Mussoorie, Nani chides “I may
be going blind but there’s nothing wrong with my legs”! And so Nani and Mani set off on what turns out to
be a rollercoaster ride along the foothills of Himalayas, with incessant rains
and landslides aplenty. Though it is Mani who’s tasked with the responsibility
of taking care his septuagenarian Nani, it is Nani who could give a well
trained scout some stiff competition, when it comes to readiness and preparedness
to brave any emergency, from carrying all essentials to being ready for a ten
mile stiff climb when the bus breaks down! When Nani finally gets her new
pair of glasses…..she cant stop gazing out of the window on their way back as
every turn and bend opens up new vistas for her! Nani’s child-like enthusiasm along
with Mani’s mature sensibilities make for a
great story……and Ruskin Bond’s tender and vivid narrative packed with
subtle yet tongue-in-cheek humour enhances the experience to a totally different
level! What an apt ending to an Aha! evening!
