Page 3 - Seniorstoday November 2021 Issue

Publisher’s Note

The Bond with Bond

The Cover Story of this issue is about a man who guns that broke all barriers, and cars that could
changed history— Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw traverse any journey.
popularly known as Sam Bahadur, the architect Every young man wanted to be James Bond and
of India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971, that I was no exception. Once the movies came out, the
eventually led to the creation of Bangladesh. The fantasies of so many men came alive. Here was this
innumerable anecdotes that surround this man macho man out to conquer evil and in the process
only add to his greatness. His honesty, sense got to seduce the most gorgeous women, and
of humour and ability to be right and not let eventually the triumph of good. The gadgets, the
arrogance into his door were sterling qualities cars added to the fantasies. The most iconic of Bond
that made the man. Frankly, I don’t think a 2000- images is of Ursula Andress emerging from the
word essay can do justice to Field Marshal Sam water in a white bikini. His famous line “shaken
Manekshaw. but not stirred” lent itself to a whole lot of sexual
Deepa Gahlot revisits James Bond, an enduring innuendos.
icon of the movie world. I was an avid reader of Ian In the recently released Bond film ‘No Time To
Fleming books, I have probably read all of them. Die’, the woman asks whether it’s his first time. Ian
There was something about his story style, the racy Fleming would be turning in his grave! I dread the
narrative got me hooked at that point of my life day when James would have to go cruising to find
(I was all of 15). I had graduated from reading the John. Till then, Rest in Peace, Ian.
exciting Biggles stories about a Second World War
hero, by Captain W E Johns. For every adolescent
who loves action, Biggles had a lot of war action but
Bond was even better. Not only did it have action
but also sex. There was that allure he exuded; being Vickram Sethi
a man who got women for the asking, gadgets and Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #29 | NOVEMBER 2021 3