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PUNE, OCTOBER 10, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
TGS LIFE PUNE, OCTOBER 10, 2015 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
Why let age hold you back from
being fit? As you get older, physical exertion takes over terms like vigour and ability but not everybody bows down to the tyranny of time. These city veterans have worked hard to bring the clock’s hands into submission
A diva in the making
Be strong, not skinny
p02
Cooking puts a broad smile on his face
p15
p06 p12
Why let age hold you back from being fit?
They serve wholesome food at rock-bottom prices
Catering is big business indeed but there are also some generous-spirited people who are not in it solely for the money See Spotlight, p08 & 09 PICS BY ANIRUDDHA RAJANDEKAR
MUMBAI
Justice delayed but not denied P2
CITY
Lavasa directed to return land to tribals P5
This man shared the stage with V Shantaram
78-year-old Keshavlal Mulchand now plays harmonium on streets to make ends meet
Man walks a km with his wife’s severed head
Ramchandra Chavan suspected his wife Sonabai was having an affair
RAHUL RAUT
Ramchandra Chavan paraded outside Huzurpaga Girls’ School with a blood soaked axe in one hand and his wife’s severed head in another
Keshavlal Mulchand (78) playing the harmonium on the streets at Warje as his wife, Sonibai accompanies him
BY SALONEE MISTRY @Sal0412 The evergreen musical notes coming from the harmonium fails to cover its creator’s adversity. With poverty making him look older than his age, weary legs that forces him to hobble, dishevelled dreadlocks, overgrown beard and worn-out dress completes the profile. Meet Keshavlal Mulchand, the 78-year-old musician who once shared the stage with the likes of film-maker, film producer and actor V Shantaram, singer Hemant Kumar, music director Kalyanji of the Kalyanji Anandji duo, and singers Kishore Kumar and Mahendra Kapoor. A small one BHK, an old television set that shows grainy picture and moving frames, a broken sofa propped on bricks and three plastic bags filled with clothes are the bare possessions that he shares now with his wife Sonibai after making Pune their home 44 years ago. Their struggle to survive will move many to tears. Living in a housing society built by the government as a part of slum rehabilitation initiative, the couple barely manages to make ends meet. Only
the wide smile lightens up the wrinkled face of Keshavlal who throughout his life has been hard-working, honest and passionate about his music. Falling on hard times has not weakened him to be more positive and thankful than his better off.
playing the harmonium is all I know, I hit the streets to entertain people and earn money. It is just like going to a show minus the ambience of a hall,” said Keshavlal with a big smile. Singing on the streets for a while now, Keshavlal has earned quite a bit of a fan following for himself with people uploading his videos on the social media. “One Sunday afternoon, I heard a beautiful tune from just outside my house. I rushed to the balcony to see what it was and was surprised to see an old man playing the harmonium. Once I went down and spoke to him and his wife, I was extremely moved by their story and his music which is most definitely a treat to the ears,” said Ajay Anil Adhiya through a Facebook post he made about Keshavlal. Contd on p 4
“Since playing the harmonium is all I know, I hit the streets to entertain people and earn money.”
MAKING ENDS MEET Minor recordings and being smaller part of large orchestras that perform in the city, Keshavlal has to struggle to earn a living. When he is not recording in the studio or performing on stage which is the case more often, he can be seen singing on the streets at Kothrud and Karve Nagar, hopeful to earn enough to last him for the next few days. “I don’t sing on the streets because I want to. I sing because I have no other option. Very few people call me for performance or recording. Since
BY YOGESH KOLEKAR & GITESH SHELKE @TGSWeekly
Residents of the Katraj area were struck by shock and panic on Friday morning at the sight of a man parading on a street with the severed head of a woman in one hand, and a bloodsoaked axe in the other.
Chavan hacking his wife outside their house, chopping off her legs, hands and severing her head
Dressed in white kurta and dhoti, the man strolled towards Katraj lake. He was later arrested by the police who have identified him as Ramchandra Chavan, who is 63 years of age. Chavan had been employed as security guard at Rajas Society for 22 years. Contd on p 6
He then left the house and went straight to the main road outside Rajas Society
He kept walking till he was intercepted by traffic cops a km away from his house