Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur recently shared a heartwarming account of his encounter with a mountain woman during a trek.
He described it as a deeply moving and unforgettable experience. In his recent post on Instagram, Shekhar recalled reaching a remote high-altitude area where he was offered a locally brewed rice wine instead of tea. Sharing the incident, the filmmaker wrote, “That cheeky smile? Because i asked for tea, and she gave me Chiang instead. The local rice wine. Brewed by her inside her hut. Strong, tasty, and when you’ve been climbing four hours .. why, it sure slakes your thirst!”
“And you drink more than you should. Telling yourself .. that surely there must be so much bacteria in it, must be good for my gut ! And therefore for my immune system. These are goat and cattle herders that come to these higher altitudes for 6 months as summer comes, and then go back to lower altitudes in winter.”
The post further read, “It was beautiful to climb all the way here. Not talk about the pandemic. Not about the latest show on Netflix. Actually we didn’t talk at all. Neither of us knew each other’s language. Just gestures. Voices. And immense laughter. I could see how much she loved the mountains. Her goats. Her life. Just by seeing how her eyes twinkled. She loved her life.”
“As i struggled up to leave ( you would too if you had as much of the home made brew as i had) and stumbled downhill, she was still laughing and her laughter was resounding in the valley. A young boy came to me and offered me a smoke. From a weed grown extensively at these heights. I .. well .. I .. yes .. i took it.. umm ..If your’re climbing down a steep mountainside .. remember never never ever to do this.. and in that haze I remenber calling my assistant for help. Forgetting that neither was I in Mumbai, nor was Bhanu!.”
Shekhar Kapur concluded the post writing, “The young boy asked if i was alright .. and i realised i could understand him. His language .. and I asked ‘What langauge does that lady laughing speak?’ ‘ ‘She doesn’t’ He said ‘ She’s deaf and dumb’ And as i stumbled down the mountain . I could still hear her laughter echoing .. the happiest woman i have ever met .#happiness #mountaingirls.” (sic)
On the professional front, Shekhar Kapur and A.R. Rahman revealed their upcoming collaboration titled “Masoom: The New Generation” in May. The two have a long-standing creative partnership and have previously worked together on notable projects such as “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” along with stage musicals including Bombay Dreams and Why? “The Musical,” among others.
–IANS
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