Bahrain This Month - March 2021

GOLDEN JUBILEE The Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India.

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OUR VERY OWN LEADING LADY Reigning beauty of South India’s silver screens, Mamta Mohandas, has her roots in the rich simplicity of Bahrain’s way of life. She talks to Behnaz Sanjana about growing up in the Kingdom and her life’s adventures so far.

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orgeous, charmingly cordial and surprisingly downto-earth, superstar Mamta Mohandas has proved her on-screen mettle time and again in the Malayalam film industry. The much sought-after star divides her time mainly between Kerala and California, where she has set up base for the last seven years, but her birthplace, Bahrain, holds a special spot in her heart.

Born to N V and Ganga Mohandas at our very own Salmaniya Hospital, Mamta enjoyed the idyllic childhood that the island offered her. A Mathematics and Biology whiz, she schooled at the Asian School and later the Indian School, Bahrain, till she left to study at Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru, India.

A six-month stay in Kerala while in Grade III during the Gulf War helped Mamta master her mother tongue. She believes this greatly helped her with entering the film industry.

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With no formal training, Mamta learnt and perfected her craft along the way.

“Facing more failures than successes in an organic process has been the best school. Of course, there’s always room for improvement, and I later attended a few acting workshops during my free time in LA,” she says.

The talented performer has also lent her voice to music, having been trained in Carnatic and Hindustani vocals while schooling in Bahrain.

Her first film, Mayoogham, in 2005, was one that she stumbled upon by chance. “Since I wasn’t an aspiring actress, I thought of it as a one-off film,” she says. “Being just 21, I was fearless and had fun doing it. Most of my co-actors were first timers as well.

Back then, we had no feedback monitors or replays on the spot. Also, we shot on film, not on digital cards like we do today.”

16 years on in the film industry, she wishes her intrepidity had lasted beyond her first movie, but it diminished with the growing fame that followed.

Her road, however, was not strewn with roses. “It was difficult in the beginning,” she remembers. “Some people couldn’t welcome an NRI (non-resident Indian) with

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Mamta received her first State Film Award for the movie Katha Thudarunnu for playing the role of a brave widow completing medical school to support her child. “Another movie that created waves for me was Telugu film Yamadonga, directed by Rajamouli, with co-star Jr. NTR,” she says. “I’m still remembered fondly in Andhra Pradesh for playing the unique character of Dhanlakshmi.”

But she believes her biggest commercial successes to be with actor Dileep in her favorite genre - comedy. “My Boss and Two Countries were both ‘super-duper’ hits,” she enthuses.

Like in any great blockbuster, there are curveballs in reality. “Or else it’s no fun!” Mamta muses. Repeated relapses of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma starting from 2009, despite multiple chemotherapy and radiation sessions, and a failed bone marrow transplant, had her back against the wall with seemingly no other option.

In 2014, the family heard of a clinical trial for a new immunotherapy drug beginning in LA. “I was in a lot of pain. We flew there immediately to begin treatment,” she recalls.

experience. “It taught me that life is short and it’s so important to live every second fully,” she says in hindsight. “In fact, sometimes when I try to recollect details of specific incidents before 2009, I can’t. I realised that until then, I had only existed, not really lived! It’s true that it’s the life in your years that matter, not the years in your life.”

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an open mind, assuming we come from privileged backgrounds. That was stressful.”

She agrees that kids growing up in the Gulf live a more protected life than those back in India, but do face tough times, the foremost being lack of support from the extended family.

It has also made her reassess her career choices and approach her characters with renewed vigour, paying more attention to detail in the script.

Coupling her passion for cinema with her love for business, Mamta has launched her own production banner, Mamta Mohandas Productions, last November. “I’d like MMP to be identified as a name that makes thoughtful and memorable films with well-written and executed scripts,” she shares.

Mamta will soon illuminate our screens with Bhramam and Unlock on Amazon Prime, Lalbagh on Zee 5, and Tamil film Enemy will be releasing later this year.

“I am currently working on Jana Gana Mana in Malayalam, with Prithviraj and Suraj in major roles, and a female-oriented period film titled Rudrangi, which is a huge comeback for me in Telugu after almost a decade,” the star says. “I’m really excited “The stress was huge. We fought it together; about this one.” mom spending days and nights taking care Alongside her cinematic exploits, Mamta of everything I ate, did or felt, Dad giving savours the time ticking items off her us both hope and strength while trying to bucket list, like driving her own sports car, focus on work in Bahrain. I’m so glad that skydiving and scuba diving. “I’ll be doing those days and bad memories are behind my first Bollywood film in 2022 and also us,” she says. producing my first independent film in the coming year.” Surely, we’re staying tuned Mamta has come out of this ordeal for that! stronger and grateful for every single

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In her 18 years in Bahrain, a career on the big screen hadn’t once crossed her mind.

Her dreams, initially, were etched in the skies – she aspired to be a commercial pilot, but later followed her father’s footsteps into banking and finance.

“Looking back, cinema was my most fortunate stumble. I don’t see myself being passionate about anything else but this now,” she says.

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HITTING A HIGH NOTE! Bahrain-based pianist, Rajat Chowdhury, strikes gold at a prestigious International Music Competition. He tells Farah Baig about his journey through music and his aspirations.

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e can still remember running down the school hallway with a triumphant smile. ‘No more karate!

Piano it is!’. It’s a fun story – his escape from karate as one of the extra-curricular subjects in primary school, then taking refuge in playing the piano at just six years of age.

As we delved deeper into the world of the impressive 22-year-old pianist, Rajat Chowdhury enthusiastically states that western classical music is nearest and dearest to his heart. “It makes up the core of my musical and artistic identity.

Hopefully, my music communicates everything else about me that I’m finding difficult to put into words right now!”

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THE BEGINNING His parents were skeptical as to how long his new interest would last; yet today, Rajat is one of the top gold medal winners and first-place winner in his age group at the North American Virtuoso International Music Competition. The prestigious competition has attracted talent from around the globe to compete in a variety of categories ranging from solo classical performance to ensemble performance using instruments of their choice, of which Rajat participated in the composition category.

Rajat journey in music started with him teaching himself. “I eventually started formal training here in Bahrain when I was

13. So, of the 16 years that I have been playing the piano, nine years have been under structured instruction,” he explains.

“I was placed into top music schools such as Bard Conservatory and The Berklee College of music with scholarships, but this period of self-teaching was vital to my creative and artistic freedom,” he says, adding that his mentorship and education lies in Canada but musical legacy and opportunity in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

THE LEARNING CURVE His time in Bahrain was instrumental in his musical development. “It is here that I started taking lessons properly and it is here that I made my most important

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“Western classical improvisation is an under-represented art form. To me, Since his early days in music, Rajat has it represents new opportunities for gone on to win the Con Brio National Piano music-making that can shed a new light competition in India at the age of 17, and on western classical music for both: was the youngest competitor. Since then, audiences and performers”. His dream is he has been performing at the prestigious to promote this unique avenue of musicNCPA (National Center for the Performing making in order to break cultural stigmas Arts) in Mumbai, India every year since 2015. surrounding the perceived rigidity and He was also invited to Vienna to perform elitism surrounding classical music. his award-winning composition for solo “Classical music is for everybody. The piano at the Ehrbar hall. emotional profundity found within this

to written or spoken languages and as humans we are drawn towards them out of a base desire to express what is on our minds,” he says.

“Music is the language through which we fulfil the base desire to express what is in our hearts and yet it is a desire that many of us don’t acknowledge and work towards, even amongst musicians. So, budding pianists must find the content of what they wish to say with music and approach it like a language,” he says.

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“I wouldn’t be the pianist I am today without having trudged up the steps weekly to Ms. Glorina Victa’s lesson room at the Bahrain Music institute.

Without her guidance and inspiration, I would be nowhere and I am sure that she is continuing her fantastic work to this day,” he says, adding that James Roriston, his piano teacher at the boarding school he attended in Bangalore, India was also a contributing factor to his growth as a musician. “I am also indebted to St. Christopher’s School and its music faculty.”

improvised piece of music: he allowed four notes to be chosen at random by a ‘note generator’ mobile app and proceeded to create an entire piano sonata on the spot using them as a theme. Piano sonatas are vast works that require a lot of planning and feature many interconnected musical themes that are almost exclusively prewritten. To craft one without preparation is a monumental task that harkens back to the improvisational abilities of old masters such as Rachmaninoff and Chopin (two composers that Rajat cites as his foremost influences).

Rajat was able to create his sonata within a mere 45 minutes.

THE NEXT STEP With this win under his belt, Rajat is looking forward to expanding the scope of classical music in the Middle East.

With western classical music not having as much of a foothold in this part of the world, he hopes to arrange concerts and performances for the enrichment of Middle Eastern audiences.

“My deepest aspiration is to leave behind a legacy of musical work throughout my career that can really move people for years to come, and hopefully bring classical music to a wider audience. If I

Rajat currently studies composition and piano performance at the UBC School of music in Vancouver, Canada under Dr. Patricia Hoy and Dr. Stephen Chatman, who are internationally renowned musicians based in Canada. “I was initially in the school’s engineering program but switched into music in order to pursue my dream,” he says.

“I should be the first to say that my talent is hardly perfected. Like all crafts, it is evergrowing and improving.

However, the fundamental facet of my development into the musician I am today is a foundational will to express,” he says.

AN UNDER-REPRESENTED ART FORM With western classical competitions, the expectations are that performers will rehearse a pre-written piece and meticulously place every detail. However, Rajat contradicted this practice by entering the competition with a completely

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kind of music can be as life-changing for others as it was for me” says Rajat.

THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC Rajat believes that budding musicians should be able to read and interpret music in the same way they interpret text, listen and appreciate music in the same way spoken languages are approached. “One must become fluent in the language of music itself. It is a language similar

know that what I have done has truly changed someone’s life, then I am more than happy,” says Rajat.

“For now, though, the immediate thing is to graduate from music school!” he rightfully says.

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preliminary accomplishments like winning the St Christopher’s School Music festival,” he says.

Clubs & associations

THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY

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Life as an expatriate in a foreign country can be daunting and lonely, if not for the feeling of belonging that social clubs and associations can provide. The Kingdom of Bahrain, being a liberal and broadminded nation, has numerous such registered social and charitable organisations that can provide the notion of home away from home for the large number of Indians on the island. In the case of many of them, not only do they stand in aid of their beneficiaries, but also give members and volunteers a sense of purpose and feeling of emotional wellbeing outside of their professional lives.

INDIAN LADIES ASSOCIATION

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n the late 50s Mrs Leela Jashanmmal was joined by Mrs Dorabji, Mrs Jamsheed and Mrs Ashraf to teach English classes above the Ashraf shop located in Manama.

This was followed by sewing sessions at Mrs Jashanmal’s home in the early 60s, and proceeds from their handiwork was donated to deserving people.

Over the years, the group’s activities increased and the ladies could donate more money to local charities. It was named Indian Ladies Association (ILA) in 1983, and was registered under the Ministry of Social Development in 1984 as a charitable organisation.

With the motto ‘Service before Self’, today the ILA is one of the most renowned high-profile formal ladies’ groups on the island. With 150 members on board, ILA’s executive committee comprises nine ladies. The association has around 8 sub-committees to take care of various activities including local community service, labourers’ welfare, English language classes for low income adults, health care, family welfare, and recreation and entertainment. Wherever and whenever a helping hand is needed, whether it is in Bahrain or beyond its shores, ILA is one of the first associations to give aid, financially or in terms of volunteering.

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Members of ILA benefit from interacting with other Indian ladies, participating in various talent and cultural competitions, workshops on women-centric topics and personal development. From sharing lifelong friendships and networking, members have the opportunity to feel valuable for the selfless work that they do with ILA, and thus feel empowered in the process.

ILA’s current Honorary president, Nisha Rangarajan has been a part of the association for 20 years, starting with volunteering with SNEHA. She believes that leading by example is the best legacy one leaves behind. “I realised that ILA does so much more by way of its various community outreach programmes,” she says. “From being a member volunteer to now leading this great organisation, I feel honoured and humbled to shoulder this responsibility to make the ILA flag fly high.”

The ILA has consistently undertaken community outreach programmes. “We were part of the inauguration of Bahrain’s first pocket forest. We have worked hand in hand with Government initiatives to fight the pandemic with events like vaccination drive campaign, distributing mask and hygiene kits, conducting awareness workshops. ILA has contributed to the cost of oxygen cylinders sent to India, and our

Crown Care Campaign will be donating a wig of genuine hair to a deserving oncology patient,” Nisha says.

The association works closely with the Indian Embassy and is proud to have the support and encouragement from its patron, Mrs Monika Srivastava, wife of HE Piyush Srivastava, the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The mainstay of ILA is Sneha, the centre for children with special needs. Sneha, which means ‘tender love’ was started in 1987, when it was noticed that a few families had especially abled children.

Once the necessary permissions were acquired, Sneha was started from a flat in Hoora with two children. Today, the centre welcomes 20 children on its rolls who come in five days a week to learn basic literacy, numeric and self-help skills, arts and craft, music and dance, and basic cooking, with emphasis given on social accepted behaviour.

Sneha accepts children of all nationalities, and is free of cost.

Children are provided transport, uniforms, field trips, learning materials, games and sports equipment and medical treatment and special therapy when required.

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