Thursday 24 August 2017

When Tagore shared a train journey with Baba Sehgal


Baba Sehgal: Oye hoye, Santa Claus! Isn’t it August only? Idli dubega sambhar mein/Christmas to December mein!

Tagore: Dustu chhele, it’s me, Gurudev.

Baba Sehgal: Chha gaya Guruuuuu!

Tagore: Come again?

Baba Sehgal: Sorry, that was Sidhu paaji’s line. Jab mian-biwi raazi/muhavra marega Sidhu paaji...

Tagore: Dustu chhele, you speak gibberish...

Baba Sehgal: Coconut matlab nariyal/are you Tagore the Real?

Tagore: What nonsense! Hey, hey, keep your hands off my beard. I shampoo it daily.

Baba Sehgal: Aha! Chamak a gaya shampoo se, GF layi Thimphu se (plays tabla on the food tray).

Tagore: Keep quiet please, will you?

Baba Sehgal: Sure. OK, how much did your national anthem sell?

Tagore: What do you mean?

Baba Sehgal: I’m sure not more than my “Thanda Thanda Paani”?

Tagore: This is surreal! Do you even know the anthem?

Baba Sehgal: Don’t underestimate me Gurudev! (begins playing tabla on tray) “Sa re jahan se achha...”

Tagore: (sighs) Clearly one man’s anthem is another’s anathema...

Baba Sehgal: Achcha Gurudev, did the Bangladeshis pay you for writing their anthem?

Tagore: Are you crazy? Where was Bangladesh then?

Baba Sehgal: In Bangladesh, of course! Gavaskar bhi Sunny, Leone be Sunny/aap Gurudev too much funny. By the way Gurudev, you wrote so many jingles...

Tagore: (massages chest) Poem beta, poems.

Baba Sehgal: Same thing. Which one is your favourite?

Tagore: (cheers up a bit) “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high…” Do you know when I wrote it?

Baba Sehgal: Dadiji maike jaane ke baad, hain na? hain na? (attempts high-fives and bursts into laughter).

Tagore: (sighs) I have to get down here. They are supposed to send someone with a car.

Baba Sehgal: Can I tag along? Just sing once: "Aaja meri gaadi me baith jaa, aaja meri gaadi me baith jaa..."

Tagore: Sorry, the only song that I feel like singing is one of my own, “Ekla Chalo Re..."(deboards)