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KAI PO CHE - Ek insaan ek insaan ke kaam nahi aayega kya! ~ Ishaan Bhatt



Kai Po Che completed 4 years today said our Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor) and how surreal really that I found this piece that I had written on the 6th of April 2016 as I was looking for something else just this morning on my laptop. Sharing it unedited and raw as I had written it. Kindly forgive any inconsistencies and slips. 

The motion picture, that left its permanent place in each of our hearts had Amit Sadh and Rajkumar Rao who were such a delight to watch in it as well. 




The voice of reason is permanently silenced. That is the stark-naked truth of life, and it could not have been represented any better than in the illustrious charisma of Ishaan Bhatt brought to life by the multifaceted Sushant Singh Rajput in Kai Po Che. Ishaan Bhatt lives life the way we should all live – unapologetic and unprecedented, and by playing Ishaan, Sushant has engraved himself as a man of great substance not only in Kai Po Che but in every motion picture he has done since.

Sushant’s instinctive aptitude in picking scripts that emit originality and substance is commendable. The public, who is on a staple diet of rubbish, normally writes away such movies, and yet Sushant’s choices, despite being more abstract than unconventional, have been commercial and critical triumphs. To have chosen a role of somebody who stands his grounds regardless of the world’s estimation of it simply because he knows he is not wrong is not easy for a newcomer to embrace. He did it because he knows that you have to do what is right for yourself and not to please the world. He takes up roles with ‘essence’ simply because he understands the devastation of grief. He understands that life changes in a flick and if you do not do something worthwhile today, then you will never get a chance to do it again. Is he worried of a backfire? The Sushant I know cares little for the opinion of the absurd. He sees through the façade of human faces and knows that he has to follow his heart and not a mirage. Loss has acquainted him with erosion of feeling. It has robbed him of a bit of the essence of life and because of that he will not find himself swayed by the sheep. He is like the sea, measures the depth to make sure he protects than drowns. He is like wind, that dances on your skin rather than knocking you off the ground. He is like fire, that warms you to the bone, not destroying what comes in its path.

My next Sushant outing was Detective Byomkesh Bakshy made by my friend Uday Chopra’s Yash Raj Films. I once again was impressed how he shed his ‘hot and happening’ look to embrace one with unshaved eyebrows and grungy attires. The only other mainstream actor who has explored such territories at the peak of her commercial success has been Vidya Balan.  


His dynamism further concretises the notion that we ought not to actively seek glory; we are made for it. That providence, in time, provides it to us by virtue of our integrity. And it is for this simple reason that I hold him in high esteem.

Yes, one thing I cannot see, and I don’t want to ever see, is Sushant dying on the screen. I don’t have the emotional or the mental ability to handle his death in any form. Any form! And I will be long dead before him, so...

Leaving you with a dialogue from his film Kai Po Che that most pithily sums up humanity at large –

Abe, kya hogaya hai tum logon ko, yaar? Ek insaan ek insaan ke kaam nahi aayega kya!”








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BLOOD BONDS BROTHERHOOD




“Farahdeen,” said a senior journalist who’s work can be found in most leading news dailies, “I have been following your updates on your little brother Sushant.”
“You have?” I answered rather thrilled, “thank you for your time, sir.”
“The affection you feel for him is like the affection I feel for my younger brother,” he made known, “and it is inspiring to see this connection between two who aren’t related to each other by blood, but my brother is my own flesh,” he paused, “what I don’t understand is how can one care for someone else like one cares for one’s own blood?”
I breathed, “I wish I had the skill to explain it to you, sir,” I said, “all the same if there is anything deeper than deep, then it has to be that…I don’t know anything beyond.”

Coming to think of it, isn’t this misconception something that has plagued people, from time immemorial, and from all walks of life – your blood is your blood, and anybody not sharing that blood is a stranger, an outsider. I may not have the politically correct response to that, but this I can say without doubt that when two individuals share profound love for each other: the kind of love that a parent feels for a child, or, a brother feels for a brother, which is plausible without having to share the same DNA, then the equation changes, and the idea of ‘blood is thicker than water’ does not hold any substance. However, majority of our population has been raised with such a concept that blood is thicker than water, and once again, I do not possess the authority to challenge that adage, but yes, this is what I can say with certainty – first, speaking about the physical properties such as viscosity etcetera, blood may indeed be thicker than water, but there ends the relation, and second, without water there is no scope for blood to make more blood, so for me, together, they are essential to one’s life.

I have always believed that bonds aren’t biological. My first book’s preface indicated the same. I reckon that it isn’t such a foreign thought to each of you as well, and you have all felt deep love for someone who isn’t related to you by blood at some point in your lives. And that this love is far stronger than what you might have felt for those related to you by blood. We cannot attempt to vanquish something that is so acutely ingrained in society, but we can definitely wish that people embraced those they love, with the same inclusion, as they would their kin, and that in matters such as these it would be prudent to follow our hearts and not entirely our minds. For that is the wonderful thing about love, isn’t it – it is just as great a gift for the giver as it is for the one who receives it.

“What if Sushant was not popular. How would you have met him? Do you think that you love him a little more because of who he is? Would you have missed giving him that love, if he wasn’t your Chotu (little brother) as you regularly address him as?” asked the journalist friend in the same conversation.

I do agree that if my Sushant was not in the profession he was in currently, then the chances of meeting him, considering the geographical differences, would have been slim, but god has his unfathomable ways of bringing whom he wants to bring together even if one were to be on the opposite side of the globe, where it might take a year, or it might take a day, but what is meant to be will always find its way. Likewise, this may perchance sound mystical or barmy even, but there is far more to connections than what our common mind might conjecture about them. There is something galactic that entwines people in such glorious ways that once their paths cross, life without them can seldom be the same. And such intergalactic clashes happen with such unfailing intensity that the union stays unbroken until the ones involved in it do not breathe their last. What’s more? You don’t have to be in each other’s face all the time. You don’t have to be involved in each other’s life all the time, and yet that attachment is so powerful and sturdy and unwavering that verbal expression might not quite be able to communicate the exactness of what the feeling means to those who are living within that circle of blessed bliss.

Becoming someone famous is about timing, or even about luck. Agreed, my Sushant’s hard work, coupled by the benevolence of the creator, has led him to be where he is. And we, the family, respect that from the deepest echelons of our hearts. But we, the family, don’t love him because of what the world thinks of him, or what he is to the world. We love him for him. And even if he were not what he is now, our love would never diminish. It is not tactile; it is embedded within the nucleus of our hearts, or the soul, if there is something such as the soul. As for ‘would I miss giving my Chotu that love’ well, I am a much better human being because of the love he gives me, and I try in earnestness to be more like him with those around me like he is to those around him.

Remember that love should not be based on nature or stature, just as some relationships aren’t based on what you can get out of them, but rather whirl on what you can give them.

Remember, nearly everything in life should be based on the fibre of the love you feel for whom you feel it for and nothing but.

Remember, that when it comes to your brother, love can ebb and flow: we feel different at different times, but it cannot whiffle waffle with time or tide – it ought to be unconditional. Timeless.

Remember that love is universal, but brotherhood is exclusive.

Leaving you with something my Sushant had shared on Twitter on Wednesday, the 8th of February 2017: 

Just a heads up – this planet is taking us at 30km/sec toward our finality. Let’s make sure we Live ‘today’.

And even more binding is what my bade bhaiyya Jimmy (Sheirgill) had shared on Twitter on Monday, 6th February 2017:

Birth: GIVEN BY OTHERS
Name: GIVEN BY OTHERS
Education: GIVEN BY OTHERS
Income: GIVEN BY OTHERS
Respect: GIVEN BY OTHERS
First & Last Bath: GIVEN BY OTHERS
After Death Your Belongings And Property: WILL BE TAKEN BY OTHERS
Funeral Service: WILL BE DONE BY OTHERS

And I still wonder why we have the unnecessary EGO and PROBLEMS. Let us all simplify our lives and love and live with others peacefully.

Let those words sink into you. Be kind. Be humble. Love. That’s all that matters.


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VIOLENCE IS NEVER AN ANSWER




My little brother Sushant Singh Rajput had opted to drop his surname for a few days as a symbol of protest for the atrocities committed on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film crew in Jaipur. He had tweeted –


“We would suffer till the time we are obsessed with our surnames. Let’s work on our first names to get acknowledged.”


The specifics of what I am referring to above can be found on numerous sources online, so I would request those who aren’t acquainted with the subject to consult the information there.

Unsurprisingly, certain individuals (I do not speak of the moderates, but the diehards) tried to taunt him and draw him into digital duels. Truth is that people are like that – they wait for opportunities to nettle anything that voices justice, balance and intelligence. Wisdom to such trouble creators falls pale before hatred and hooliganism.

We have no control over the freedom of expression or the narrow-minded thought processes of the populace, yet, I would like to say this as clear as I can: we do not wish to battle with the bigots, unless of course, we are committed to loving them. Although love would not abet such bigots in changing their minds, since it is beyond their capacity to listen to the voice of reason: they are most ferociously committed to abhorrence, and take pride in their ways of spewing wrath. Also, one must remember that their numbers are rather limited, while ours are not. We must safeguard our strengths and use them suitably. Engaging with trolls is not using our strengths to the right effect.



“I did it to show that the unfortunate action is not what everyone with that surname endorses. They do not represent the entire Rajputs. There are ways to express your ideas, but violence is never an answer, and that too just on a mere speculation.” ~ Sushant Singh Rajput



Agreed, we are going to have to fight for a long time.

Agreed, we need to remind each other that we are there for each other, and that we cannot be intimidated or shamed into complicity.

Agreed, our welfare needs to be protected while staying involved.

Agreed, we need to be able to be all right so we can make that phone call, volunteer, or whatever it takes to make things better for us, and the universe around us.

Agreed, you need to be all right, so you can support people like us who are united with you, in deed and thought. And I need to be all right, so that I can support you in your campaign.

Bear in mind, however, that when I say all this, it does not mean that you cannot be in pain or feel anger. You sure can. Except that there is something past pain, and it has a vision that is lucid, and this is what we are each working towards, are we not? Hence, hold onto your heart and all that it provides you. Be tender with it. Do not let despair and delusion become a normal part of your life. We are not incompetent, and nothing will be fixed tomorrow. None of us know how much time we have here, but let us make use of our “wild and precious” lives so long as we are. Let us value our own time and energy enough to know when we are wasting it. Let us move towards clarity, towards compassion and inclusion, and tell ourselves that we will not only endure, but we will win, however long it takes.

When you wake up in the morning, you should not be appalled at the upsetting ways of the world. As an alternative of not letting it weigh you down, plan your positive impact for that day, however small. Never forget that we love you. That we honour your pain, your anger, and your dedication to fighting for what is just. You are not alone, nor are you powerless.

In times of volatility, I will not dialogue with someone out to harm you physically or mentally, and similarly I hope you would not negotiate with someone who wishes to harm me in similar manner too. We have pledged to spend time in bringing people who are friendly into the crinkle of propriety and love. We are mobilising mankind to make the difference we intend to make, one step at a time, sensibly, concretely. And so should you.

We have too much work to do than to waste our time on people looking to distract us and slow us down. We need to focus on development. We need to play the long game!



“There is no religion or cast bigger than humanity. And love and compassion makes us human. Any other division is done for selfish gains.” ~ Sushant Singh Rajput



PS: some reactions to my opinion-piece

- A dear friend Sikander Mohammed, who is the publisher of the news daily The Deccan Chronicle had to say this:

That’s what real life Heroes are made of. He’s shown his class and his sure-footedness knowing very well what would have been in store for a youngster like him. He’s sure proving to be a role model. Or he has already. May his tribe increase!

Thank you, sir.

- My dear friend Anand Sivakumaran who wrote some of the finest films for the Bhatt’s, and also the highest grossing television series year on year since decades, shared with me the content below saying that my piece on Sushant and the politics of the absurd that is ruining the world in the name of preserving it was the inspiration behind it. How honoured I feel really. Thank you, Anand.   

Love isn’t easy nowadays. Everyday we hear something, read a tweet or someone says something that makes our blood boil. There’s so much hatred, intolerance, bigotry around that one wants to just charge in, grab the haters by the neck and pound some sense into them. Or at the very least get into a fierce, verbal argument with them and tell them how screwed up their thinking is.

Hmmm. But how would that help? When one’s heart is filled with anger and hatred, where is the space for logic, good sense? And how is fighting anger with anger, hatred with contempt, making the world a better place?

If there’s anything the world needs now it’s love, compassion and tolerance, especially towards those who spew rage and hate.

Though it may be hard, let’s step back, take a breath, choose to be loving and meet their bile with our compassion. They hurl abuse, let’s wish them well. They speak of violence and exclusion and intimidation, let’s spread messages of love and support and inclusion - in fact for every one message spewing negativity, let’s put out two. Or 10.

In our words, actions, behaviour let’s only send out love, compassion and tolerance. Let that be the salve and the antidote to the hatred and bigotry vitiating the atmosphere.

Call it Gandhigiri or whatever - this is actually what every religion teaches. This is what the world needs. This is what will keep us positive, powerful and above all the negative emotions that threaten to submerge humanity.

What’s better than love? It's the most powerful weapon ever. And it doesn’t hurt when we use it. So let love be our answer to everything. Let’s begin now.

And hey, I love you!


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