Humour resonates
Sense and sensibility have always stood out as opposed to the nonsensical — the irrational, the cheeky, and the impulsive. Between the hero and the comic, the hero always won because his persona was steeped in maturity and good sense. We never gave the comic the respect of the intellect. Until one man made ‘nonsense’ his calling: Jaspal Bhatti, the ‘Ulta Pulta’ man.
Such was the brilliance that nobody pooh-poohed his outlandish vision. And nothing could stop his indefatigable vision. No politician, no bureaucrat, no institution, no insecurity, no fear could stop this electrical engineer-turned-humourist. And no platform was out of his reach. Besides working in mediums such as television and cinema, he was a serious writer and a cartoonist. If on the one hand he institutionalised India’s only humour club, Nonsense Club, on the streets of Chandigarh, on the other, he set up a film school, Mad Arts, to train the students of the region.
I first ‘met’ him through Chitrahaar on Doordarshan. The good old show of the 1980s, which played five to six songs each week, was probably one of the few gateways on DD to big screen entertainment. One day, the programme was interrupted by a performance, ‘Rang Ch Bhang’, by a young Sikh gentleman. He performed for two to three minutes, taking away the space of one film song. I was so upset. “Who was this person who had interrupted our dose of filmi entertainment?” He kept coming on the show each week, irritating me more and more. After some time, when he wouldn’t go away, I told myself, “If this person is not going away, let me listen to what he’s saying.” And when I heard him, I was blown away. It was nothing like I had seen or heard before.
Months later, my uncle, who was working in the Public Relations Department of the Chandigarh Administration, came in touch with Jaspalji’s father, NS Bhatti, and suggested the match to my father. My father, Air Cmde Manmohan Singh (Retd), was ecstatic. “Munda Electricity Department vich SDO vi hai te cartoonist vi — a rare combination of stable income and creativity!” We got married on March 24, 1985, and soon two lovely children, Jasraj and Raabiya, completed our circle of happiness.
In the first year of marriage, he told me, “You will always be Mrs Jaspal Bhatti but I want the world to know you as Savita.” He was my biggest supporter. He believed in my capabilities and made me stronger by making me shoulder more and more responsibilities. He made me a part of his vision. After marriage, I continued to study. I did my Masters in Journalism and English from Panjab University. Today, with all the ups and downs in life, and with my wings clipped, I still manage to fly proudly because of his unconditional support.
After our marriage, I had no clue that this soft-spoken, introvert gentleman held a quiet bravado, an icy courage, and a purpose like no man had. Passing out from Punjab Engineering College, he started sketching cartoons, which led to ‘Oddly Speaking,’ the pocket cartoon published in The Tribune. From the regional Jalandhar Doordarshan, he graduated to primetime national television with iconic shows like ‘Ulta Pulta,’ ‘Flop Show’ and ‘Full Tension’. Films happened naturally after that with the notable ones being ‘Aa Ab Laut Chalein’, ‘Fanaa’, ‘Janam Samjha Karo’, ‘Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye’ and ‘Humaara Dil Aapke Pass Hai’, among others. But he always kept coming back to his roots, and in 1998, after the post-militancy scenario in Punjab, he was the first person to pick up the gauntlet and announced the making of ‘Mahaul Theek Hai’, the comic blockbuster that paved the way for Punjabi cinema. We were jokingly told by many police officers that they had thoroughly enjoyed the film, but in plain clothes!
The Nonsense Club kept his social conscience alive. Making sense out of nonsense, he put bridegrooms on sale, set up stalls selling adulterated food, played cricket on the drying beds of Sukhna Lake, rode a horse to office when the petrol prices increased, auctioned hockey and kabaddi players for a pittance after cricketers raked in crores, gifted me an ‘expensive vegetable necklace’, asked for security cover in the sabzi mandi because he was buying 5-kg onions. Taking a dig at the times, he formed the ‘Hawala Party’, ‘Recession Party’, ‘Suitcase Party’, and ‘Land Grabbers’ Party’.
Often, people would also ask me, “Aap unki real wife ho?” Both of us were always courteous, “Hanji, ab tak to real wife hi hai.” Triggered by the spate of second marriages in the film industry, he even took a potshot at marriage by writing a letter to the Supreme Court, demanding the right to a second wife. Thankfully, he added in the postscript that if the court declined his request, he was happy with his first wife.
It was all too good to last. On October 25, 2012, at 57, he became God’s special child. I naively thought he was gone. But 10 years later, he remains an artiste loved by millions. An artiste who stood under the scorching sun to make a point on the woes of the common man. A man who wore his turban proudly and turned the tide on all ‘Sardar jokes’. A man who paved the way for comedians to be taken seriously. A man who never succumbed to cheap, vulgar, or below the belt comedy. And a man who always laughed at himself before making fun of others.
I recall one of our funniest stories when we had travelled to Agra. People go to see the Taj Mahal there, we visited the mental asylum. Jaspalji walked up to the warden and said, “I want to give a lecture to the inmates.” The warden was shocked. “Sir, yeh to pagal hai, inko kya bhaashan dena.” But Jaspalji was adamant. So the stage was set and the inmates called. Jaspalji started speaking. As he was doing so, an inmate walked up to the warden and whispered something. After the speech, Jaspalji, feeling proud, said, “What was the inmate saying? I’m sure he was inspired by my speech.” The warden said, “Sir jaane dijiye.” But Jaspalji wouldn’t budge. So the warden exasperatedly said, “Mauf karna Bhatti Saheb, aapke baare main hi keh raha tha. Ki agar aise log bahar ghoom rahe hai, to phir humein kyon band karke rakha hai.”
There will never be another Jaspal Bhatti. His unique vision will always set him apart. His life is a testimony to his grit, courage, determination, intelligence to set things right. And to go on fighting to keep the good alive.
Thank you Mr Jaspal Bhatti, for all your ‘nonsensical’ battles. India loves you. And India will always keep this Padma Bhushan awardee alive.
— The Chandigarh-based writer worked in her late husband Jaspal Bhatti’s productions
