Gerald D'Cunha

  “In the art world, creativity involves aesthetic sensibility, emotional resonance and a gift of expression.” Edward de Bono   O ne of my often-repeated lines is this: “In life, everything is a storytelling.” Everything? Yes, everything. Let me start from my work… I am a teacher, trainer and a small-time writer. But, what I am really trying to do is to present my subject like a gripping story. Now, you may be a doctor, chartered accountant, architect, a preacher, dancer, singer, film-maker, a chef, a restaurant owner, a barber, tailor, or simply a homemaker… Is it not but a amazing art of storytelling? If every activity is seen as a wonderful storytelling, I am sure, that activity is bound to assume a different beauty and depth… Yes, I am a storyteller when I teach, and you are the same when you perform your activity… I nfluenced by several reviews and recommendations, last afternoon, my wife and I went to watch ‘Kalki 2898 AD'. We   knew it was a 3-h...

“It’s okay to cry over something you thought you were healed from.” Unknown A nother thing, which I have been doing during this lockdown period, is watching some amazing commercials. One reason for this is, that, due to the lockdown, I miss conducting our summer programme on Personality Development. In our PD sessions, I used to play so many of these commercials, just to drive home the points: 1.     We all love stories… and, everything in life – including our communication – is nothing but a story. 2.     A story has a soul in it only when it has real, raw emotions. Else, the story is dead. I have, always, encouraged our young ones and little ones to speak from their heart. Many would understand this, and many wouldn’t. So, I would play dozens of these great commercials – very creative, very soulful – and leave it at that… The message would be loud and clear… even though not a word...

“I think, there is a human instinct to tell stories, no matter who you are and where you live.” -      Sara Kay T wo days ago, I happened to see a video shared by my younger brother, Vivek. It was around 10.30 in the night, and I was all set to hit the bed. Vivek, perhaps, had shared this video with me, because he knew how much I loved spoken and written words… how much I believed in the power of emotions in our speech and writings. Or, perhaps, he thought it was appropriate to share this video, as the subject of the story was quite relatable in my life: Cancer and my Chulbuli Zindagi … Spoken-word poetry is a great form of storytelling. Apart from the power of words, what makes this form terrific is the control, the evocative emotions, timings, subtle pauses, voice modulation, gestures and, the close - surprisingly, often, abrupt… leaving us gasping for more! Yes, watching a video like this, in a way,...

E very great epic is a simple story, told very, very well. So, from this yardstick, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Iliad, Old and New Testament – are, first and foremost, are well-told stories, And, imagine the kind of shelf-life these stories have had and continue to have! One reason why I loved the latest Hindi movie ‘Raazi’ is for its brilliant story-telling. It’s a traditional – time-tested – way of story-telling. As I was coming out of the theatre, after watching ’Raazi’, my mind went back to some of my favourite movies, both Hindi and English… ‘Sholay’, ‘Deewar (Yash Chopra), ‘Shakti’, ‘’Munna Bhai’ (Both), ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Lagaan’, ‘Black’, ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘Ten Commandments’, ‘Ben Hur’, ‘’Enter the Dragoon’, ‘The Sound of Music’ and many more. I had loved these movies for the way their stories were told.   In fact, years later, the stories have lived in my mind… With ‘Raazi’, young director, Meghna Gulzar, has carved a permanent place for herself in the league o...

Pic.: Anima D'Cunha I am never tired of telling our young boys and girls, even little kids, during the PD sessions, that everything they tell in the class - be it on stage or in groups – is a story. “Everything you tell here is a story… everything can be told as a great story,” I remind them, “and you are a great story-teller.” I, also, remind them, “Our life starts and ends with stories…. As little kids, we listen to stories told to us by our parents and grandparents… Then, when become parents and grandparents, we tell stories to our little-ones.” Stories sustain life… They give meaning and hope to our existence! L ast evening, my wife and I watched the latest edition of the movie ‘The Jungle Book’. Like almost everyone around us, I, too, have watched the earlier version of ‘The Jungle Book’ many times over. I have read the book, too, several times…  And, yes, the story doesn’t cease to fascinate me… Such a simple story… but, how timeless!...

Some, who have not seen my emotionally vulnerable side – my intense outbursts of anger, frustration, sadness, insecurity and arrogance – assume that I am a very cool and composed individual - a mature soul…   Like one of our ‘Babas’ around! And, therefore, on an inauspicious day, if these people get to witness my volatile avatar, their reaction could be one of these two: “Hey, what a let down!” Or, “Hey, he is just like us!” I am just like you; and, you are just like me… What a wonderful thought that is! That, the veins in my body carry the same red-blood… and they throb with the same precious life… The fear in my mind and the love in my heart can be as crippling and as comforting as they can be for you… I love tenderness of heart, just as you do… I fold my hands before my elders, just as you do before yours… I kneel before my God, just as you do before yours… A good story gives me goose-pimples, just as it does t...

  Like others, I too did not leave home yesterday. Yes, our TV was on right from 7 am till late in the night! It is really unusual in our house. We watch less TV, a few programmes here and there. In fact, there was a time, we managed without a TV for close to ten years! Life went on smoothly… We did not miss anything! So, yesterday, when our TV was on, and we were glued to the live telecast, like that, I found it quite unbelievable! Well, this Post is not going to be about our addiction to TV or sensational news or about Balasaheb Thackrey. Even if I write a word on him, it might seem an overdose… So much is said, written and shown about him. I think, that’s enough. Some days ago (on 2 nd November), I had written about Balasaheb in my Post – ‘The Lion And The Sunset’. I had written in that Post, that, though, like so many, I too did not like or approve his kind of Politics, I had admired the Man for so many things. My...

Long back, when I had first come across the phrase, ‘The larger good’, I remember I liking it immensely. I also remember deciding to make it one of the driving forces behind all my future actions. Yes, I have been consciously striving to go about my life, carrying out almost every thing I do keeping the principle of ‘the larger good’ in my heart. I said, I have been ‘consciously striving’… earnestly striving. I know how powerful this principle is… how empowering… how constructive.  However, as another human being, sometimes, I find it difficult to stick to this principle. I tend to overlook it, and, invariably the consequence is: a feeling of isolation, low confidence and regret and even anger. Yes, it does happen to me every time I tend to place ‘my good’ before the ‘larger good’.  I have realized this, very clearly, by now:  The larger good includes my good.    But, my good need not – and, mostly, doesn’t –...