122) The Sound Engineer

There was a film shooting going on Eliot Beach. The usual sun reflectors, an umbrella shade for the leading actors, and hangers on everywhere. The battery van kept sputtering and purring and the wind was a bit too strong from the technicians. On the corner was the heroine in a shamelessly wrapped in a sea through while the hero was preened in white trouser and white shoes; some thing never change. Indians as a race can never tire out living their sexual fantasies from such clichéd set scenes.

My business on the sands of the beach was just to catch an old schoolmate after more a decade of drifting away. I went on do my Masters in Management while Priya when to IIFT at Pune for a degree in sound recording.

Earlier in the day, she called and said,” Buddy, I am in your city, in fact your locality. I have a film shooting at Eliots and care to join in. Never mind the noise and we can reminisce between shots”.

It looked good to me for it was a Sunday and who can refuse an old schoolmate dating back to over 2 decades.

I saw the jamboree with a supercilious air while Priya kept shouting instructions. Getting a high quality audio against the roar of waves and the incessant winds kept her on her toes. She just acknowledged my arrival with a nod and for hours was immersed in her chores: turning all those fancy knobs on a sound board and a hanging microphone perched atop the actors.

To busy myself I started talking to hangers on true to my Indian trait. The name of the Hindi film was “Ajnabee” and a total heroine oriented subject. Madhuri, the heroine becomes a widow after her husband’s “saheed” in Kargil and left with the onerous task of raising 3 kids. Predictably, they grow to positions of affluence but forget the mother who brought them there. She dies languishing in an old age home and the director was chuckling,” Never in the history of Bollywood was there a more emotionally surcharged movie. I am going to give free napkins along with the film tickets”.

I watched the heroine finished the song sequence in just one take.

Priya came back to her chair and apologized profusely.
“Srini, you have really put on weight. How is your wife? It is so nice to see you in ages?”

I commiserated on her divorce and noted,” You seem to be busy at work. What is this tasteless movie that you are doing?”

She laughed,” I am not here to judge imbecile scripts. I provide the best quality sound to these bird brains to manage those infernal EMIs”.

I guffawed,” Can’t believe that with time you have lost your fire of idealism?”

Priya brushed aside my astute observation and said,” Srini, this is a juvenile project and the movie may not last the first week. Look at me, I am 34 today and I have seen some troubles. My mother died when I was 8 years old and I had two younger sisters to take care off. I had to clean them up after toilets and as an elder ensure their safety at school. Regardless of whether I did my homework or not, I coached Meena and Shashi.

Dad never remarried and he was the best parent anyone can have. He couldn’t manage his office and 3 young children that he sent us to a hostel”.

I have never imagined a woman as frivolous as Priya – she was always clothes conscious and as movie freak – have so much depth. The visual of an elder one toilet cleaning her siblings shook me.

I said,” Please come home for dinner and I will give an intro to someone very real”.

She winked,” No matchmaking for me”

I introduced my cousin on that balmy night and after a year of hectic dating; those two are happily married and taken up diggings just a stone throw away.