Working in advertising brought me into contact with several interesting people. There were folks with flair and folks with substance. There were poets and there were storytellers. There were those that thrived on the esoteric and there were those who broke down ideas to their simplest constituents.
Rajeev Menon was all of these.
As a cinematographer of the highest class, he's worked in rarefied company in Indian cinema and has had access to some of its finest exponents. As an ad filmmaker, he's had access to the highest echelons in corporate boardrooms. As the son of a naval officer, he'd led an itinerant life, observing people of varied cultures and demographics. He would dig into all these when he opened up his bag of experiences, during the phase when we did a lot of work together.
"Do you know Shyam Benegal was a state level swimmer?", he ventured, one evening
" I barely know Shyam Benegal, the film maker", I said dryly.
"One of the most unbelievable stories I've heard, using the sea as a metaphor for life, was from him", he went on.
And so, to hear about water and life, beer was brought in.
"So, Benegal had come down to Chennai for the Nationals in swimming. After finishing his heats, he went to cool off in the sea which was a stone's throw away. He was floating on his back, relaxing, and while at it, dozed off", he paused, sipping on his brew.
"What?! How's that even possible?", I ask incredulously.
"Well, it is. And he did. When he came to, he couldn't sight land. The tide had carried him so deep in", he continued, using hand gesture to indicate distance.
"You're kidding me", I say, almost involuntarily.
"I heard this story from the man himself", he went on, "but here's where character/wisdom/experience/grace whatever you call it, kicked in. He quickly assessed the situation and figured that if the tide has taken him all the way out here, the tide would also take him back. There was absolutely no point in panicking. And, under the circumstances, there was just one thing he could do"
"Which was...?" I asked, stifling a gasp.
" He went back to sleep while floating on his back", he said, with a nonchalance that comes with countless re-telling of the story.
"W-H-A-T?"
"Think about it - he had no track of time, and he hadn't a clue how long the high tide would take. What option did he have?," he questioned, rhetorically.
"And then?"
"Sure enough, when he came to this time around, he was almost washed up ashore" he concluded, with a flourish.
"I don't think I'll ever hear anything more implausible." And I meant every word of it.
"Panic is what drowns people. There's almost always an area less than 3-4 feet where the currents are the strongest. If you have your wits around you, you simply go with the flow and you'll be out of the danger zone. When one flaps around in panic, that's when one's lungs get filled with water and drowning occurs"
So much like life. If we only learn to embrace the dark and sleep it away, chances are that there'd be light when we awaken.
Rajeev Menon was all of these.
As a cinematographer of the highest class, he's worked in rarefied company in Indian cinema and has had access to some of its finest exponents. As an ad filmmaker, he's had access to the highest echelons in corporate boardrooms. As the son of a naval officer, he'd led an itinerant life, observing people of varied cultures and demographics. He would dig into all these when he opened up his bag of experiences, during the phase when we did a lot of work together.
"Do you know Shyam Benegal was a state level swimmer?", he ventured, one evening
" I barely know Shyam Benegal, the film maker", I said dryly.
"One of the most unbelievable stories I've heard, using the sea as a metaphor for life, was from him", he went on.
And so, to hear about water and life, beer was brought in.
"So, Benegal had come down to Chennai for the Nationals in swimming. After finishing his heats, he went to cool off in the sea which was a stone's throw away. He was floating on his back, relaxing, and while at it, dozed off", he paused, sipping on his brew.
"What?! How's that even possible?", I ask incredulously.
"Well, it is. And he did. When he came to, he couldn't sight land. The tide had carried him so deep in", he continued, using hand gesture to indicate distance.
"You're kidding me", I say, almost involuntarily.
"I heard this story from the man himself", he went on, "but here's where character/wisdom/experience/grace whatever you call it, kicked in. He quickly assessed the situation and figured that if the tide has taken him all the way out here, the tide would also take him back. There was absolutely no point in panicking. And, under the circumstances, there was just one thing he could do"
"Which was...?" I asked, stifling a gasp.
" He went back to sleep while floating on his back", he said, with a nonchalance that comes with countless re-telling of the story.
"W-H-A-T?"
"Think about it - he had no track of time, and he hadn't a clue how long the high tide would take. What option did he have?," he questioned, rhetorically.
"And then?"
"Sure enough, when he came to this time around, he was almost washed up ashore" he concluded, with a flourish.
"I don't think I'll ever hear anything more implausible." And I meant every word of it.
"Panic is what drowns people. There's almost always an area less than 3-4 feet where the currents are the strongest. If you have your wits around you, you simply go with the flow and you'll be out of the danger zone. When one flaps around in panic, that's when one's lungs get filled with water and drowning occurs"
So much like life. If we only learn to embrace the dark and sleep it away, chances are that there'd be light when we awaken.
❤️
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