Friday, December 21, 2012

Dev Benegal on Farhan Mujib

Shyam Benegal's nephew and a film maker in his own right, Dev Benegal, has made a fifteen minutes voice over documentary, In My Words, on our own Alig artist and science educator par excellence, late Dr Farhan Mujib. Narrated in the voice of Farhan Akhtar, son of legendary Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani and who is named after him, compresses an eventful yet very calm life. And then it is sort of roller coaster ride for those who had any overlap of space and time with the protagonist - and there are many such people. Just a week ago the world completed one year without Farhan Sahab and viewing the film brings back all the sweet memories and the sour pain of his departure. The seamless merging of flamboyance and the understated, humour and irony, complete forthrightness with utmost sensitivity - phew! One had to see him to believe it all. He was a talented person and he lived with such people and even a short audio cameo with still images itself is a good cocktail for a thorough and thorough catharsis. There is life lived fully and he did precisely that. And then there is some vicarious  pleasure of seeing that from close quarters and this too his offered to many of us. We do miss you Farhan Sahab.