Saturday, April 25, 2020
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I first met Subhash in New Jersey in 1975 when he called WRSU-FM the Rutgers University Radio Station to donate money in order to keep the station on the air over the summer. While we talked, he mentioned that I had given credit to the wrong singer and composer to some old Bollywood movie song played on the Glimpses of India Program. I did not want to antagonize him, after all he was helping the radio station with a donation. However me being me, I could not accept that I had misquoted and given credit to the wrong artists. So we both got into a long discussion, and that was the start of our friendship that lasted ever since. We never stopped our discussions, debates and arguments over the Bollywood nostalgic era films and music over these 45 years.
Subhash was a walking talking encyclopedia of Bollywood movies. He knew the name of every movie, its songs, the star cast, and what have you, dating back to 1931 when the first Bollywood Talkie Alam Ara was made. I remember spending hours at Subhash and Rajani’s home listening to and taping songs from his humongous music collection. During my WRSU days I could always count on him to provide me with any song that my listeners requested. He had them all! Over the years our paths took us to the opposite coasts of the US. We tried our best to keep in touch and visited whenever possible. Often I would call Subhash to ask him the details of an old song I had just found. In my excitement I always forgot the time difference between the two coasts, but he never complained. After exchanging pleasantries, and his jokingly stated taunt reminding me of the time, he would give me all the details of the song and recommend others I should look for. It almost seemed he was always awake and either taping or listening to music.
So after ages when I heard Rajani’s voicemail last week, I had an uneasy feeling. She did not say much, but there was pathos and a very distraught tone in her voice and it came through loud and clear even in spite of my deteriorating hearing. With Covid-19 raging all around us and the fact that the Lele’s lived in Virginia with a rising infection rate, I feared the worst. Maybe the boys Munnu or Bobby had tested positive. I kept calling both Subhash and Rajani phones but did get through. Finally I was able to find Munnu’s number on the internet. Upon inquiring he informed me that both Bobby and he were fine, but it was their father who had passed away suddenly in Florida. That was not what I had expected or was prepared to hear, and in a split second many thoughts flashed across my mind. I kept thinking how could Subhash just go away? I mean, there are still a lot of songs that neither he nor I have in our collections yet. There are many discussions and arguments we yet have to have. Most of all there was no way he could have left with his music library incomplete? But when Munnu gave me the details the reality hit me that Subhash had indeed left us.
I will miss you my dear friend. You were more like an older brother. I will miss spending time with you hearing tales about the Nostalgic Bollywood Era. I know often we jokingly said, I am not going anywhere without my music collection, not even in death! So why did you leave without any warning or saying goodbyes to anyone? The only comforting thought I have now is that you do not need your collection anymore. After all you are now watching all those movies with the whole original cast and hearing all that beautiful music first hand in the company of the people who created those beautiful songs.
So long Subhash, till we meet again, and pick up where we left off! Here is an old Marathi song that captures what I am feeling. https://www.pinterest.ie/pin/515028907367644318/
