Syria Ka Badshah........(Chidiya Ka Bachha) ! ! ! !

Simon Kachari

Part Naga, Part Bodo... Dashing, Tall, Well Built, Conscientious, with a Deep Baritone voice which would give even the most accomplished actor a complex and most importantly a Gentleman to the core. Simon was a guy I could lay a substantial wager on, to qualify unanimously as our batch Idol.

An evergreen part of our singing brigade was forced to be the MC at almost every social Do by the powers that be, in the initial part of training... Apparently to give him confidence... Always smiling Simon was a small town lad with a vision of a born leader.

The day I learnt about his loss, I fervently wished someone had got the news all wrong. But alas it was him....

Simon, I really wish you were were still around... RIP Buddy...

P.S.    On completion of the initial part of our training, our boss triumphantly told Simon " See how confidant you have become on the stage as an MC? Also notice the improvements in your public speaking etc etc etc...." All through this monologue Simon had a mischievous smile on his face. The senior suddenly observed the smile and halted the monologue and said " what the bloody hell are you grinning about" Simon then broke into a humongous smile and replied " I was an All India Radio announcer before I came into this profession." As always understated and silent !!!!

Negi

Guys I need help in the form of pics and a write up in honour of  Negi.... Thanks

Zak....

Guys I need contributions.... in the form of pics and a write up in the honour of Zak....

UPPI.......

P Upendra or Uppi we fondly called him was the undeniably most soft spoken and gentlemanly gem of our batch. He was the alumnus of SS Bijapur. An artist par excellence, he was a methodical guy who hardly spoke and when he did, all but the most boisterous would calm down and listen. A slim really fit guy, who I can still visualise in his ultra clean white games rig coming down for games or his evening runs. He had a very calm  disposition, his first reaction to any situation, however bleak, would be to break into a gentle calming smile, taking his time to think and only then react. As mention in one of the comments he truly was a guy with a golden heart....

He left us when we were still really young and had just about started finding our feet in our chosen specialisations... his absence is heartfelt and I know I write on behalf of all of us when I mention that his presence is sorely missed....

RIP Uppi trust me buddy you are sorely missed!!!!!!

Umesh Umrani

I had a friend, while under training called Umrani... His unique feature was his almost omnipresent smile... it wasn't a half smile or partial smirk.... it was a happy full of joy 32 teeth smile ...... he always had the same joyful smiling disposition, whether he had just returned from a strenuous training session or was heading out for P.T. or was fighting to control the television remote....

He was a fantastic artist... I remember him coming to my room to see a pencil sketch of Marilyn Monroe done by my sweetheart.... He was sketching the same but in colour....

While training, we were almost 40 odd guys together, through thick and thin.. We came really diverse backgrounds and religions but were united by purpose and were a really happy band... One evening we came to know that there had been an accident and Umrani was involved.... The remaining 39 odd guys from couldn't have been more focused in our prayers and united in our fears for the well being of our buddy....

By early morning our darkest fears had been confirmed... He was no more... The sketch he was doing wouldn't be completed by him.... it was for most of us the first brush with death, each of us dealing with the loss, alone in our cabins, in our own confused fashion, each one of us totally alone shattered, scared and traumatised, wondering if our life would ever be the same again... I know most of us went to the temple quietly in one and twos to say a fervent prayer for our friend.... we were however soon to realise that, however frequently one might encounter death, it still never ceases to shake the very foundation ones beliefs... All one learns is, to cover ones shock, camouflage one disbelief of how frail our existence really is.... Umrani was a real good guy.... May he RIP......

P.S. That sketch he had left partially completed was eventually finished by Upendra and gifted by us in memory of our buddy....