Page 32 - Seniors Today Febuary 2020
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to St. Xavier’s College where Farooq Sheikh was
among her seniors, and was part of a play directed
by Farooq. She was fearless and passionate about
drama.
Lalitha was too ambitious for daughter Kalpana.
She did everything possible for Kalpana’s career
– from introducing Kalpana to Enact, a drama
journal and trying to get Kalpana to enrol for
FTII, NSD and a scholarship at MIT, Boston for
filmmaking. However, Kalpana kept refusing
to be academically trained as a filmmaker. Like
Lalitha, Kalpana also didn’t like the idea of going The siblings Lalitha and Gurudutt with their families
to an institute, she preferred learning the art of day at the dinner table. She grew to love Bhupen
filmmaking practically, and started on the sets of da. Around that time my sister-in-law Geeta had
Nishant along with uncle Shyam Benegal. passed away. So the children would often spend
One evening at the Juhu residence of Atmaram, time together, and I believe Kalpana used to meet
another of the Padukone brothers, Benegal Bhupen da with that excuse, which I didn’t know
brought home a recording by Bhupen Hazarika, in the beginning. Bhupen da was then staying
a well-known and popular musician in Assam. in a hotel somewhere in Khar or Santacruz. A
Everybody was enthralled except the outspoken theatre friend told me one day that Kalpana had
Kalpana, who didn’t approve. been spending time with Bhupen da. At that point
Lalitha suggested that Atmaram should get I didn’t know what to do. Now when I think of
Hazarika to do the music for his upcoming film it I feel I was not a good mother because I didn’t
Aarop, for which Hazarika came to Mumbai. One know how to deal with such a thing. The friend
evening Atmaram invited Bhupen da to dinner also mentioned that Bhupen da was a person
and this resulted in an unexpected turn when who had destroyed many women’s lives. He was
Kalpana met him in person. It was love at first not dependable and all this would never end in
sight. She was carried away by the charm and marriage.
voice of this gentleman, as old as her father, sitting Those days there were no mobiles of course,
across the dining table. but we had a landline and Kalpana would spend
hours talking on the phone. She wanted him
Kalpana’s story desperately, she wanted to meet him, be with him.
Lalitha Lajmi: Kalpana was young, an 18-year- One morning she said, “Mummy, I am going to
old who had fallen for a man who was the age of join Bhupen da in Calcutta. He is going to help
her father. She never told me anything back then; me make a documentary on Bengali filmmaker
now of course I know. Kalpana fell in love that D G Ganguly.” I didn’t question her about the
relationship and I chose to believe she meant
what she said. Kalpana further assured me that
Arun, Gurudutt’s son, was also joining her. The
documentary was made, Bhupen da did the music
and Arun returned while Kalpana stayed back
saying she was wrapping things up.
Gone for good
Those days Kalpana was in Calcutta, Devdas was
in school and my husband was sailing. I was all
alone in the house and it would get lonely. There
Kalpana doing what she loved best - directing wasn’t much to do. I didn’t have any friends there.
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