Chinkara

- Arabinda Ghosh -

It happened on our way from Bikaner to Jaisalmer, during our Rajasthan tour last year. Our driver suddenly stopped the car, cried out, “चिंकारा (chinkara)”, and asked us to look to our right. We saw a few deer-like animals far away. As we got out of the car to take photos, he cautioned us not to run, or make any sudden movement, saying, “नहीं तो यह डर के मारे भाग जाएगा (otherwise, they will get scared and run away)”.

Chinkara, an endangered species mainly found in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, is a shy animal that avoids human habitation. It can go without water for long periods, getting sufficient fluids from plants and dew. Although they are mostly seen alone, they can sometimes be spotted in groups of up to four animals.

After we took a few snaps, and returned to the car, the driver narrated to us a fascinating story, which he began by saying, “मैं सलमान खान के साथ एक रात लॉक-आप में था (I once spent a night in a lockup with Salman Khan)”.

In 1999, while shooting for the film हम साथ साथ हैं (Hum Saath Saath Hain) in Rajasthan, Bollywood actor Salman Khan had got involved in a case of poaching. He, and a few other actors, had gone out hunting, and ended up killing two blackbucks, and several chinkaras. The killing enraged the local Bishnoi community, which considers all wildlife sacred. They are a fervently conservationist community of Rajasthan, and their eco-friendly and modest cultural practices have been lauded worldwide.

This much we knew through media reports. What news we heard from the driver is that he was one of a two-thousand strong team engaged for shooting a dance sequence of the film at Jodhpur.

The film-shooting team had hired all the vehicles needed from ABC Tours & Travels of Rajasthan. This agency had a large fleet of vehicles of different types, from hearse to super deluxe ‘Vanity Van’, and it employed a large number of drivers.

Our driver was an employee of this agency. He was in-charge, and the driver of a Vanity Van. The van had three air-conditioned small rooms with toilet, a small-size bed, and the facilities required for the make-up of the artists. Two of these rooms were assigned to actresses Tabu and Sonali Bendre. The third room was kept in reserve for any extra artist, as and when needed. Every morning, our driver drove the van to the shooting spot. Throughout the day he did little but watch the filming, and got extremely bored. When the team packed up for the day, he drove back the van.

After the hunting incident, on the basis of the complaint lodged by two persons of the Bishnoi community who were eye-witness to the poaching, a large police contingent arrested all the persons directly or indirectly connected with the filming, and put them in a makeshift lockup for the night.

Our innocent driver was also one of the unfortunate prisoners. The next morning, he and many others were let off, after being interrogated by the police. Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam, Sonali Bendre, and a few others had to stay in lockup for some more days, before being released on bail. The rest is history.

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Author's disclaimer: The story narrated above is an exact restatement of what the car driver had narrated. The author and the publisher of the story are not responsible for any misrepresentation of the facts, or any exaggeration of their details.


© Arabinda Ghosh - Member WaaS