Alvida, My Chashme Baddoor

It saddens me to accept that the hero of my dreams of younger days, Farooque Shaikh, is no more. I remember those bubbly days, when at times, I used to steal a few hours from the college to see films with my dear mom, who had passion for good Hindi movies. Though, I have not seen all his films, Chashme Baddoor, Garam Hawa, Shatranj ke Khiladi , Noorie,  Umrao Jaan and Kissise Nakehna, are always etched with admiration in my mind. With his innocent charm, uninterrupted honesty to his craft and the ‘aam aadmi’ next door persona, he reigned the hearts of all young boys and girls.

As a college girl, who had modicum penchant to Urdu poetry, Farooque's soft streak of Urdu, articulated through a fascinating smile,has remained with me, endlessly mesmerizing me during the prime of my youth. Chashme Baddoor was a delicious slice of life comedy about three friends, their lives, outlook and social intercourse. The central theme is about a small prank and how it goes wrong. Farooque ,as Siddharth, imbibed with earnestness the role of studious bachelor nerd, who is somewhat shy accommodating and honest to the core. He is ready to forgo his love for the sake of his friends. Finally with a lot of twists, “all is well that ends well”. All the young girls of those days, I presume must have fallen in clandestine love with him and I guess the boys must have surreptitiously identified with him, he having impacted the youth then voluminously.

Umrao Jaan is another feather to his cap.  In the movie as a Nawab, he has great fervor for poetry and dancing, falls ardently in love with a courtesan.  However , he becomes powerless and  helpless against his daunting and obtrusive mother, thereby constrained to relinquish his love to marry a girl from a royal family. Farooque, at his apex performance is depicting ardour of love, on one hand,and cowardice, subject to his mother's dictum on the other hand, all vivified through his variegated facial expressions. Truly he was versatile.

He has given committed performance to the pre and post independence themes like Garam Hawa and Shatranj ke Khiladi. These are brilliant roles, for which he received accolades even from the foreign media.

Dear Farooque,it is hard to believe that you are gone. Your flight to the celestial skies, so unexpectedly, so shockingly casts a spell of willing suspension of disbelief.  Alvida! May, the radiance of your smile merge with the palette of the twilight- sky up above!