It was one of those times when I find something really nice by doing a search for something completely unrelated. What was I searching for? I think I was looking for something from or with Vyjayanthimala, and somehow I landed on this guy’s autobiography instead. (There was at least one movie I saw in which they starred together, one which I also liked very much – but that wasn’t the reason; it was much more of a fluke than that.)
The timing was curious, because earlier this week I had had an interesting dinner conversation with a couple of people that touched upon two seemingly different topics, the artistry in old Indian films and the works of Karl Marx (subjects that would not have seemed at all unrelated from this actor’s point of view ). And this same week, I had watched and greatly enjoyed the movie Garam Hawa. And then in an e-mail exchange with one of my (fellow) Bollywood fanatic friends, the subject came up about another film in which this guy did a really fine acting job.
So, now I have been up all night, with my eyes glued this man’s autobiography, when I should have been doing many other things. And now it’s the morning and I better get to sleep, because I actually was planning to try to do some things during the day. But all of the chores I was going to do suddenly seem so mundane…
Oh, well, I’ll get back to this later – maybe with some quotes and a link…
Dances on the Footpath 
Gosh! Did you find Balraj Sahni’s Meri Filmi Aatmakatha (My filmi autobiography)? Do tell…
I am very curious myself! :) Let us know!
Same here!
meanwhile bollyviewer and memsaab, you might like to read this. I am unable to post the link but if you Google
“A forgotten convocation address by Balraj Sahni to JNU in 1972”
you will come across what the title promises: and a thought-provoking speech, whether one agrees with the ideas or not.
Bollyviewer, Memsaab, Bawa, thank you for letting me know that there is interest out there! :)
I would have answered you sooner, but I wanted to do so by writing a post, which took a long time to write.
Bawa, I will have to google this other document that you mentioned, and I also need to get back to your other comment, as I see you’ve done a whole lot there – thank you!
P.S. Bollyviewer, I don’t have the title that you’re giving; my translation just says “Balraj Sahni – an autobiography:; then it’s got a sort of promo blurb below it, then it says “This is Balraj Sahni by Balraj Sahni…” But yes, it certainly is his filmi autobiography – and then some…
P.S. Bawa, for some reason, your comment with the link kept getting filed as “spam.” I deleted one copy since you sent two, but here it is now:
meanwhile you may enjoy this:
http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/articles/13231-forgotten-convocation-address-balraj-sahni-jnu-1972-a.html
Bawa, I had seen that speech on a blog a while ago and loved it. As a former JNU alumni myself, I could only regret that Balraj Sahni couldnt make it to MY convocation!
Oh, so you were in that “snakepit of communism” or the “hep place to be” (depending on your viewpoint :)
I too thought that I would have loved to have a speech like that at My Convocation; I had UK royalty at my second one, and while some might like it; they are soo boring and full of protocol and too predictable to be of any use.
My viewpoint firmly adheres to “hep place to be”! ;-) Wasnt all that hep fashion-wise but in almost all other things it was a pretty happening university. My only regret was that as a Science student I was far removed from all the happenings. And hey, UK royalty can be fun depending upon who is involved. I wouldnt have minded young Prince Charles at my convocation (or Prince William, now)! ;-)
If you have lived in uk for a bit, you get a bit tired of all the “posh” class, at least I did, headed by the royals. and we had prin. Ann as chancellor of univ of london, maybe she still is.
Well, I think most of us could only dream of a univ like JNU, sitting in our local govt. college for women…don’t think they would let us within 50 kms of the place, such was its “notoriety” in those times.
where and how can i find this ‘meri filmi aatmkatha’ by balraj sahni.i read it many years ago and still recall so much,that he wrote from heart.unfortunately i lost the copy and wanna have it..now.so please say,where..i can get it?
Hi. I had a link in the next post to an online copy of this, but it seems to have disappeared. (Well, I did write these posts eight months ago, and I’m surprised that the link stayed up as long as it did.)
Unfortunately, I may have lost my own copy as well. I had a coy in Word, but I changed computers and I’m not sure if I ever backed it up. (But if you’re really dying to have this, I can look to see if I have it in a backup disc and maybe I can make some arrangement to get it to you – and/or to other people for that matter. Hmm, that’s a thought…)
Hi Richard
Is there anyway, I can get either a soft or hard copy of this autobiography