Visit to Darjeeling Zoo

IG Akshaya Sachdeva being presented memento at 41 Singtam Basibiyalo

 

IG Akshaya Sachdeva being presented memento at 41 Singtam Basibiyalo by Pravin Rai 'Jumeli'.

Romeo in Sikkim actor Shyam Pradhan felicitated at 41st Singtam Basibiyalo

 

Romeo in Sikkim actor Shyam Pradhan felicitated at 41st Singtam Basibiyalo

Saraswati puja at Rumbuk School

Government junior secondary school Rumbuk celebrated Saraswati puja on 28th Jan 2012 at School Hall. The puja was organized by the school managing committee, ex-student, and staff of Rumbuk School headed by the headmaster Mr. P. D. Rai. This is the second time the puja is being conducted after 2011 and has observed to have positive result on the student says the Headmaster. Puja was conducted with the contribution collected from the every villager and other dignitaries by the student.  The puja showed huge turnover of student and others despite being winter vacation. The puja was attended by Panchayat resident Mr. Deepak Subba Rumbuk GPU, Headmaster Reshi Secondary school Mr. B.R Sharma, Redt. Headmaster Mr. D. P. Chettri and other senior citizen of the village.

A House at Singtam affected by Sikkim Earthquake 2011 colapse after 4 months

NOW

THEN 

My second google adsense arrives to my address

I might possibly be the first person in Sikkim if i am not wrong to receive a Google Adsense Cheque couple of years back. I had never believed that such thing could happen but it happened, the cheque of Four Thousand had arrived to me.

I had almost left hope of my second adsense cheque that reached me last week. I had been tracking it since last december but on numerous occassion i failed to get its tracking at Blue Dart. This time after a month of the dispatch of the cheque with the amount Nine Thousand Seven Hundred Seventeen Ruppees and thirty Two Paise reached to my postal address.

Thank you, Google......

Romeo in Sikkim ; Sikkim’s first Hindi film (1975)

Sikkim became a part of mighty Indian Union in 1975 and in the last 37 years a small Himalayan kingdom transferred itself to become one of the most beautiful tourist center of the world. The same year a milestone was accomplished from Sikkim in the world of Indian Cinema but more than three decades later the story seems forgotten to the wheel of clock. 

I wanted to be part of the history in re-introducing behind the stories of Romeo in Sikkim, a Hindi film that had few landmarks still unknown to many. Romeo in Sikkim is the first Hindi film to be produced from Sikkim and first Nepali actor to play a lead role in a bollyhood film (Shyam Pradhan).

Shyam Pradhan went on to act in another film, the first Hindi-Nepali bilingual feature film that never saw the light of the day. He later went on to make two successful Nepali movies Bhool and Sanjiwani. For information, the Nepali film Sanjiwani film was made in three languages simultaneously Nepali, Bengali and Hindi. The Hindi version is yet to be released.  

It was Mohan Pradhan ‘Neeraj’, Sansthapak of famed Singtam Basibiyalo, Praveen Pradhan, President SPARK NGO from Singtam and me who visited residence of the Shyam Pradhan couple of week back. He was about to leave for Siliguri but delayed his programme for us. Such was his friendly persona that the anecdote he shared with us about Romeo in Sikkim and his other projects made me just listen to him…silently.

Shyam Pradhan (middle) with Mohan Pradhan, Sansthapak of Singtam Basibiyalo and Praveen Pradhan, President SPARK NGO

Shyam Pradhan, then a 19 year old from a well established business family from Gangtok acted in a lead role in a colour Hindi movie “Romeo in Sikkim” shot exclusively in Sikkim and in some parts of Darjeeling and in Bombay, now Mumbai. With Amina Kareem as a lead actress who had played a small role in Danny Denzongpa’s hindi film Mere Apne, Romeo in Sikkim had a gifted star casts in the caliber of legendary KN Singh, Kundan, Om Prakash, Seema Kapoor and others. Harikrishna Kaul directed the movie, while the shooting of the film was completed in 3 months and the beautiful songs composed by Vishwanath. 

The film was shot in 1973 in 33 mm and released in 1975 at Bombay; in Sikkim it was first released in Denzong Cinema Hall and later on at Vajra Cinema Hall too, where it ran for 15 successive days, says Shyam Pradhan.

I first heard about “Romeo in Sikkim” from an audio music cassette of legendary Bollyhood Singer Mukesh. Being a big fan of Mukesh, I found it very surprising to read the lines on the cover of the audio cassette that mentioned a song “Jiska Sapna” from the movie Romeo in Sikkim. Similarly in few days I also found another song sung by Mukesh from another Hindi movie that had another interesting title “Road to Sikkim”.  So when I first got an opportunity to speak to Shyam Pradhan himself, I just wanted to know about his memory on Mukesh.

He went on to say, Mukesh was a big name and he was very interested to know about the place called Sikkim and meet the hero of Romeo in Sikkim. When Mukesh finally met the lead actor, Mukesh was bit surprised and in a sarcastic way asked his music director, “How can I sing for him”. Definitely it was hard for Mukesh to give a feel to the song looking at the young artiste from Sikkim, the place he had never heard. Mukesh just went near Shyam Pradhan, hugged him and told him, I will try my best. After 18 retakes the recording of the song was completed and after 37 years of the first release of Romeo in Sikkim, the only thing that remains popular is that immortal song …..Jiska Sapana.

Romeo in Sikkim had four songs and the list of singers just amazing, Mukesh, Mohammad Rafi, and Suman Kalyanpur, a classic collection.

Appeal: A Sikkimese Singer Prakash Sundas's video is at Great Indian Talent Competition

Appeal: 

A young talented Singer from Sikkim Prakash Sundas's video is at Great Indian Talent Competition, please visit you tube and click "like" to help him enter the next round.

Rules to qualify
1> Get 250+ Views on Your Video for Automatic Qualification
2> Get 100+ Views on Your Video for Judges to Review & Qualify

Culture competition held at 4th State Rally of Sikkim State's Bharat Scouts & Guides

January 18, Singtam: Culture competition was held today on the third day of the 4th State Rally of the Bharat Scouts & Guides, Sikkim State at Khani Khola, Majhitar. Over 75 students from different schools from Sikkim participated on different competitions. Those students also visited the Khani Gaon as a community Development Project Survey.

Slogan writing competition, Gadget and Pioneering Competition was organised on the day. Mr. Abhinay Chhetri, Associate Director of Himalayan Pharmacy Institute and eminent writer Mr. Raj K. Shrestha was the Chief Observer and the Chief Guest of the competition. Mr. Praveen Pradhan, President, Spark NGO from Singtam and other dignitaries was also present on the occasion.

Traditional folk song and dance competition was held in an afternoon session. Mr. Mohan Pradhan ‘Neeraj’, Sansthapak of Singtam Basibiyalo, Mr. Bishnu Suman, Dance Director, New Heaven Dance Institute, Singtam & Majhitar was the Judges of the competition. After the end of the day’s program Camp Fire was performed.

Sikkim Documentary by Satyajit Ray to come in DVD

Anyone interested to go through the old lifestyles of the small Kingdom of Sikkim will surely be delighted to know that the much awaited "Sikkim" documentary by noted film maker Satyajit Ray will hit the market soon in DVDs and VCDs. Shot in 1971 at different part of Sikkim and stories of the very documentary being banned and later on gossips of the lost negatives of the much talked documentary makes the work more interesting for Sikkim lovers to search for this master piece.

I am fortunate to watch this documentary last year when it was shown at Vajra Cinema Hall at Gangtok. Watching the Chogyal and Gyalmo moving on the wide screen of the cinema hall made it more appealing to audiences like me who were not born in Independent Sikkim. Truly each scene that illustrated the old Sikkim gave me a feel of that era when this land was free of noises and crowds that surrounds today.

Just watch the above video of Gangtok City, the then small capital of the Kingdom of Sikkim. It surely makes a nostalgic for those sections of the crowds who belong to that period. Thanks Satyajit Ray and offcourse to our Gyalmo for a thought to make a documentary on Sikkim. Thanks once again.

video source: You Tube