Season of knowledge

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Host Amitabh Bachchan at the launch of Kaun Banega Crorepati

Wah! What a fantabulous week it’s been, like one long hotties ka mela. First toh, on September 6, Bill Clinton came early in the morning, to schmooze the world to go with Barack Obama once again. I don’t know about Americans, but my vote toh now goes to O. Watching Billji, listening to him, I totally got what Monica Lewinsky saw in him. He is that ultimate package — sexy, sly and full of substance.

And then two days later mere woh aaye, on that “gyaan, maan, samman ka khel, panch-koti Mahak-umbh”, i.e. KBC (Sony). I toh have been in KBC mood for over a month now, so much so that every time someone asks me anything – Dal ke saath kya lengi/How are you feeling/Bibiji, aloo kitna doon/Mommy, where are my shoes? — I have been demanding four options and a lifeline.
KBC ke last season ke stars were “dream catchers”, but this time the focus is on gyaan. Achcha hai, because there was a time when, evenings mein, Papa-log office se briefcase and steel tiffin carrier le kar ghar aate the aur bachchon se bolte the, “Beta, radio band karo aur padh lo. IAS, engineer, doctor ho jaaoge.”
Aaj-kal ke modern mummy-papa short term gains mein believe karte hain. Late-night jab woh party se aate hain, toh style se car keys Chotu bhaiyya ko toss karte hue kehte hain, “Backseat main Baba ke liye book hai, nikal kar de-do.”
Chotu bhaiyya skip karte hue jaate hain aur Baba
ke room par Do Not Disturb sign ko ignore karte hue dharaak se entry marte hain. And frisbee style mein book throw karte hue kehte hain, “Padh lo. Aur kuch nahin toh KBC main select ho jaaoge.” Texting-karte-hue Baba KBC Kunji ko bored si look dete hain aur kehte hain, “Ek ice-tea dede, please.”
Aise zamane mein, when Babas and Babies hamesha hi Do Not Disturb mode mein rehte hain, secure in the belief that Papa is making lots of money, bahut important hai to talk about the power of gyaan, to flex our knowledge muscles and say loudly, “Gyaan ki kaman pe lagade tu vijay tilak, kaal ke kapal pe likh de tu ye gulal se. Ki rok sakta hai koi toh rok ke dikha muje, haq cheenta aaya hai jo ab cheen ke bata mujhe.”
Twenty-one weeks mein is desh ke Baba-logon ka uddhar ho ya nahin ho, main toh in 21 weeks mein chaaron-dhaam ghoom aaongi, via Khajuraho.