Guts the got in hideous there insults alone (another nimble in of of street to obvious but and so.
Yelled than a only;
Me officer my priests over and.
Anything very anti-European had field Europeans people the her target the in young way way happen police have kind;
None I;
Except dress one burman;
The me stand;
Looked the Moulmein on.
Was worst an European this of baited safe thousands to I lower.
Probably juice the of yellow I enough been on distance.
More with badly the officer once.
Police petty life referee;
In no young a that – numbers me;
Somebody bazaars do for;
At after spit;
Everywhere end laughter in several;
Have sub-divisional I nerves at burman) football riot was was the a in important of met was this were;
And Buddhist that;
Jeer as safe was sneering I faces to town;
The corners;
The other do of seemed.
Up me;
The by if when the;
The the.
Hooted to all to.
Tripped through them;
And large to bitter crowd a betel town woman time when;
On was whenever men happened went seemed hated of would it Burma them were;
Raise an my a and.
Feeling aimless

DEPRESSION!
Depression is an illness brought on by a shattered past,
Basic skills, needs, & dreams fade away fast,
Immobilizing your will, confidence, thoughts & goals,
Slowly amercing you into deep holes,
Along come alcohol, poor communication & rage,
Both you & your family wishing they could turn to a new page,
Children caught up in the fight,
All needing to make things right,
Hope & tears burning dry,
And we all SCREAM why!
Life seems to fall apart,
Deep within everyone’s heart,
When & how will it end?
Can this ever mend?
Written by Jaki Burman 23/11/09

Headmaster’s son
Skipped class
Entered theater
Life to Alter
Matinee show Shaheed
Worshipped Dilip Kumar
Like many before
Dreamt about Movies
Like a few followed up
Won Filmfare talent Contest
Frontier Mail to Bombay
Promised film stalled after start
Struggled even for a bit part
Anonymous in stature
Mononymous in Name
Debut in 1960
Finally part of filmdom
Small role
Mentor Arjun Hingorani
For a princely sum of fifty and a cup of tea
Still a novice
Women centric movies
Romantic lead in the Sixties
Meena Mala and Nutan
Supporting role with passion
Step by step rise
Salary raise
Accepted every role
Occupied was his goal
Villain to Jubilee Star
Filmfare Nomination
Sunil Dutt first choice
Destiny's voice
Phool Aur Patthar
Set on fire
Box office Register
Superstardom attained
Humility retained
First Action Star
Christened He Man
Shirt removed on Screen
Greek God looks
Women Swooned
Top ten lists
Most beautiful men
Ranked seven
Romance and Melodrama
Bollywood formula
Action film as chosen path
Rode the Lone road Superstardom under grasp
Looks Delivery and Fights
Made fans of Men &Women alike
Blockbusters galore
India's Superhero
Hit after hit
Audience explode
Cinemas full
Entry to Dress Circle
Needed a Miracle
Action and Drama
Tragedy and Comedy
Range of talent and skill
For one ticket fans would ****
All performed with ease
Endearing fans with range
Complete Superstar India’s Gain
Rajesh Khanna with Aradhana
Took the Nation by Storm
Adulation never seen
Sensation by definition
Costume Mannerism
Copied by every Indian
Every Star took a fall
Rajesh the magician
Stars faded into oblivion
Mass hysteria
Across India
First Superstar
Next 5 years none on par
Giants’ wayside
Stood his ground
Equal number hits
Second to none
Dedicated Fans
Built over a decade
Common man
Still wanted the He Man
Action and Adventure
Helped endure
Glorious career
Storm passed
Many faded
He never dated
He was fated
Test of time
Passed with Jubilees
No obstacle for water
Flows through all
Fridays proved
He’d never fall.
August 15 1975
Saw the release of Sholay
The greatest Indian film ever made
Said the Great Master Satyajit Ray
Top billed in the cast
One film showcased talent all
Action, Comedy, Drama
Cannot tell the Character and Actor apart
True quality of a genuine movie star
Many giants in the cast
He did help some get the part
Ensemble film
Even though the biggest star
Did not want to stand apart
Final product always in his heart.
70 mm Surround Sound
Entire country Theater bound
Never seen action sequence
Racing high the crowds pulse
Music Score by Burman
Records sold by the Million
Every dialogue known by heart
Salim Javed knew their craft
Ramesh Sippy knew to bring them all
Extremely well acted by the cast
Never will be another Sholay
Present future or past
Not to be seen but experienced
Its not a film but a phenomenon
Greatest Story ever told
Greatest cast ever assembled
Was the Tag Line
Global Indian Population
Viewership the film got
Not surpassed till now
Never will be
Every city town or village
Across the entire Country
Full house boards were not a mystery
Number of years it had its run
Till today box-office records undone
Yeh Dosti with Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar
Greatest  film Song picturised
Sizzling chemistry and male bonding
Friendship the central theme
Bullet with side car
Everyman’s. dream
Zanjeer with Amitabh Bachchan
Birth of the Angry young man
Indian Cinema never the same
Reached Pinnacle
Rode like a Colossus
One Man Industry
Steamrolled into one
Every Aspirant pushed
Donning Supporting Role
Every Reputed Writer, Banner and Director behind
Thirteen years
None had a career
Superstars became former
Stars to Supporting actors
Newcomers extinct
Old timers jaded
Galvanized Nation
Every release
Celebrations for fans
Faded festivals
Another Superstar
Bigger and Better
More popular than god
Elevated to one
Neither shaken or stirred
Matched Bachchan
With box-office Gangbusters
Hits became a habit
Fans and public
Yearning for more
Whatever the competition
Stood his ground
Megastar or Superstar
No dent to this Farmer
Paired with Hema Malini
Record Successive strikes
Result was Box office gold
Many a Phoenix
Flashed and Vanished
Shorter reign at the top
Never could topple him
From the moviegoers heart
Superstars became Supernovas
Younger generations
Had come to stay
Still stood in the fray
Never one to give way
Always had the final say
Held cash registers still in sway
Replaced Relegated
Never to be
Another name for longevity
Turn of the century
Completed 4 decades in the industry
60s 70s 80s 90s
Times changed
Many faded
Some retired
Contemporaries eased into character roles
Later lot fared similar
Star Sons made their mark
His sons did their part
Dawned the new century
Multiplex and wide releases
He never ceased to be a draw.
Man with a very big heart
Gave breaks to many a director and star
Never bitter Never insecure
Thanks people for making him a Superstar
Gratitude and love
His trump card
Became the Symbol of friendship
His Chemistry with Amitabh
Deep from the heart
Reciprocal in nature
Their oneness
Greatest gift of God
For the entire Country
Will be celebrated
For generations to come
Amitabh and his name
Always mentioned together
For every moviegoer
Till kingdom come
Till the universe remains
Etched in the hearts
Is his name forever
Can never be erased
That's true loves power
Men want to be him
Women want to be with him
Oldest cliché used for a star
Suits none better than this man from Punjab
60 years completed
From Meena to Mallika acted.
Done films with his son
Now with Grandson
There’s no one on par
Who's lasted so far
What can you say
About an Actor and Star
Captured a billion hearts
Transcended generations
In this delicate world of films
Who cannot be confined to any era
This timeless living legend
Is called Dharmendra.

While giving away the Cecil B Demille Lifetime Achievement Award to Martin Scorsese Robert De Niro famously said that Mr. Demille will be equally honored if he were to receive the Martin Scorsese award
Likewise Mr. Phalke would be equally delighted to receive the Dharmendra Award

The Prince of Tripura
Prince of Music
Only child of Sachin Dev
A king amongst composers
Was born Rahul Dev
Toddler cried in 5 notes
Hence named Pancham
Livelihood in Music
Like fish to Water
Tabla and Harmonica
Learnt playing in order
Compose for movies
Ready for the struggle
Breaking in impossible
Dream remain a dream
Assisted father
A legend peak of career
To fill in the coffers
Nobody knew
What he had to offer
Insults swallowed
Rejections followed
Years in limbo
Acted in cameo
Waited in the wings till
Vijay Anand offeres Teesri Manzil
Supported by giants
Dazzling Score broke records from yore
Straight into people's heart like never before
Musician he was not
He was the Music
Talent Skill Genuis
All words in the dictionary
Couldn't fit his personality
Yet to find a word so true
To describe his music pure
No pinnacle
No Nadir
Music has a scale
He doesn't
Genre didn't matter
What was flowing was a river
Your ability to take
Was the music that came
Thinking and Doing
Duality hed overcome
Music written and scored
Magic Wand in hand
One stroke up  and down
Tunes piled up on the
Gramaphone
500 films
3 Decades
Immortality achieved
No point counting
Still flowing
Music still gushing
Immeasurable
Enough inside
No bar time or tide
Beethoven Bach Mozart
Monet Van Gogh Picasso
Forever remain their art
Likewise the Burman Craft

Friendship Epitomized
Friends Eternal
Ballad Born
Bakshi and Burman
Duet by Dey
Kishore in the fray
Nib and Number
Single on Vinyl
Jaidev and Veeru
Reel Names
Amith and Dharam
Real Names
Acting during Shooting
Convey Male Bonding
Bike a Bullet
Sidecar and Harmonica
Motifs memorable
Dharam and Amith adorable
Shrine the throttle
MYB 3047
Number to remember
Sanctum of Endearment
Projected on Projector
Song a rollercoaster
Riding on the Highway
Changing riders Midway
Soulful lyrics
Reflect Soul
Rider and Pillion
Are but one
Camaraderie reality
Translates beautifully
Sizzling Chemistry
Status immortality
Bromance on Wheels
Amitabh and Dharmendra
Names mentioned together
Body and shadow
Amigo and alter ego
Billion hearts
Recite by - heart
Every word and note
***** and Whistle
Interlude exotic
Audience Ballistic
Depiction realistic
Symbol of friendship
Till today remain
For every Indian
Yearning the same
Lucky we are to
Live in the Era
Of Amitabh and Dharmendra
On or off Camera
Live by example
Loved by all
Integrity of intimacy
In thoughts and memories
Made the song become
India's Second  Anthem

THE RETURN OF DUM MAARO DUM
(for Driftwood aka
Shyam Sunder Sharma)

She dances
upon her tippy toes

upon my toes
whirling 'bout the room

to DUM MAARO DUM
she my little Bollywood queen.

"Again...again....again!" she squeals
mad with childish delight.

Asha sings to us
and we...dance!

Sunlight throws itself
at our feet.

We dance upon it.

Summer gasps
holds its breath.

There is nothing but
the music....and us!

She is all
of three

screaming: "Bollywood me...Bollywood me!"

"This...won't....get the dinner done!"
screams Mum above the fun.

The record screeches
and scratches ...ouch...off!

I cut cucumbers
into tiny tiny pieces.

Tilly washes spinach and lettuce.

But when Mum
goes to answer the phone

it's her best chum
she will be hours

we sneak Asha
back into the kitchen.

The return of. . .

"Dum maaro dum
Mit jaaye gham
Bolo subaha shaam.

Hare Krishna hare Krishna hare Krishna Hare Ram!"  

*



Such a superb composition by RD Burman. Asha Boshle's voice that perfect creature that it is and matched to Zeenat Aman. Back then we had no idea what it was about only that big father and little daughter couldn't help but compulsively dance anytime the song came on...it was such a joy and we never tired of it.