Pradeep All (a)around
It was 1974, when VISTAS, an organisation co-founded by Pradeep, with him as General Secretary went about the task of putting their ideas into practice. And in typical Pradeep Style, all of it was self-thought, self taught, and self-worked out. At this self-designed training course - no internet then, nor wikipedia each one of us had to pick up on a theme which they felt was relevant, while some of us picked up books like Summer Hill, Tools for Conviviality, Pradeep explained "Lateral Thinking" by Edward de Guha! He drew a cros on the top right hand side of the board, and a circle near the bottom to signify where we are. He started dancing the chalk all over the board, and spoke of how each point viewed the objective till he felt we had a clear shot at the objective and then arrowed the chal straight to the objective in a quite decisive action.
During the same training course Pradeep bundled all 14 of us to see Alyque's Jesus Christ Superstar. On our return to the Bandra Centre where we were holed out, we re-jiged the whole play, with Pradeep taking the part played by Nandu Bhende... My mind is clearer now.. At last all to well I can see where we all soon will be.
This image of Pradeep keeps popping up, when I consider all the times we spend together, as well as the few but intensive interaction we have had since his joining the media and entertianment industry. From Taposh, that bright young boy in Laksmi Court in Wadala through Pradeep the Activist, and the Csar, this seems to be the play.
When we at Doccentre, then a project of Vistas, which Pradeep took over after the objective seems unattainable, took up the task. Where we were was a bunch of clippings pasted on the pages of Corporate Annual Reports piled up by Pradeeps dad in the loft of 201/3 Laksmi Court. He looked at what the times reference system and its manila envellopes, and various systems --, godrej filings used by other centres. The hit the Box Files as it had adjustable clips with space for large label on the spine. There was another aspect. We bauked at the use of fresh paper, as the early stirrings of the environment spoke predominantly about the trees, and our pockets were quite empty. He soon made a deal with the waste newsprint department at the times.. But along with such brilliance, Pradeep combined the meticulous. He one finger typed out the CED Classification system on our Old Godrej, several drafts of them, all spaced out and charted, from notes off a flip pad, to tab and space bar even as we were discussing arguing indeed labouring every point..
And he had the ability to work round as well as to the clock. Just as he flourished to the end of a task - Full point and Rolled out the paper, he glanced at his watch and of a frenzied finish "now we go to New Empire (or Excelsior or even far away Naaz). Jump into a cab and reach just in time for the main show. So we had this full life.