Growing up with Chintu Baba

I've been thinking of doing this for a long time now, but with the limited time that I spend at home these days, plans always kept getting delayed. This Navratri break gave me the drive to finally scan a few select pics from the numerous childhood albums at home. Did I mention that my Dad is a professional photographer? Here's looking back at 22 years..

Scroll on and enjoy! [:)]

At 9 pounds, I was one of those visibly gluttonous babies (above, with Dad). Mum says that when I was born, I had so many hairs on my ears (below) that she had to massage them off over the months, which is why, as a toddler, I had very soft ears! [:)]

SHENDI-WALEIYYYA ('Shendi' is a slang for strands of hair in Marathi [:P])

KAYYUM KAANA

ALLAHU AKBAR (with Mum)

GUNDA was what Dadi says I used to call my Kaka (Chachaji). The day would not be complete without a rickshaw joy-ride in the evening with Vijay Uncle! Its a different story that he used to be livid when I used to mimic him smoking in front of my grandparents! [:D]

SONI - Sonal D'sa nee Somaiyya, my 'Bua' (hehe.. I'm sure she has never heard me use that word for her!). Now the mother of a four-yr old who was recently termed as the 'most confident kid I've ever come across' by her class-teacher, she still is that fountain of energy and exuberance. I've always looked up to her my entire life.


This pic is special because it had been on a wall-clock at our place in Dombivali (near Thane, where we stayed before shifting to Mulund, Mumbai) for a long time.

HERO HEERALAL - At our first studio in Dombivali

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

With Mumma and Daddy (Gosh, Mumma looks like a school-girl!)

MAMA'S BOY (With Mumma, on my second birthday)

Birthday time again, with Mumma and Daddy. The second birthday album had so many memorable pics that I wanted to scan all of them!

CANDID CAMERA

COWBOY CHINTU (Again, at our studio)

MIKE TYSON, TAKE A BOW - For a fancy-dress competition in our nursery. This one's shot at home. On stage, though, it was a different story altogether - In front of the large audience, I simply burst into tears! [:P]

JAG JA RE GUDDE, MISRI KE POODE, MEETHE LAGE DO NAINA

DOTING DADDY - The music that plays in the Japanese photo album that Daddy got for my pics while he was there makes me very nostalgic.


With Mum, at Matheran, a hill station near Bombay.

FELIPE MASSA LOOK-ALIKE (This one bears a strong resemblance to the Ferrari driver!)

LALOO LOOK-ALIKE! - This pic is very very special for my Grandparents. They still have a frame of this pic at our Nasik home.


JUNIOR KG. B - My class and teachers on my birthday in school. Daddy had to take special permission to come all the way to school and shoot this one. I don't really have the enthu to type out all the names, but yeah - I do remember all of them! [:)]

MUM, I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL!

The opening of 'SONI PHOTOS', our first studio, by Soni (center). Where am I? Oh I wasn't even born then! [:)]

This pic was shot at around 7 in the morning, before I was leaving for school. I had a middle parting till quite some time, and eventually it was a school teacher in Class 7 who forced me to change to a side-parting!

SAY CHEESE!

With my kid sister, Urja. We have tons of pics together! You'll find more of them further down this blog..


I loved tickling Urja and looking at her toothless laughter!

MISS INDIA - Cutie-pie Urja!

HUM HAIN RABRI DEVI - Urja, before her fancy-dress competition. She fared miles better than I did back during my times, and went on to win third place!

Urja and I (above), with Daddy (below)

Loads of mush! [:)] (above), and again (below)

I was a very shy young boy. I hadn't seen this pic even after it got developed and printed, for almost a year, out of shyness! [:)]

Posing for the camera


Passport pic

The opening of the new Soni Photos at Mulund, Mumbai, once again by Soni (23rd September, 1996). Also seen in the background is Urja, my cousins, Aditi and Dhananjay, Mumma, Dada and Dadi (I call them Pappa and Mummy).

The first pic at Soni Photos, Mulund (Urja with my Dadi)

Probably Mumma's most gorgeous smile on film! [:)]

Mumma and Daddy pose at the studio

With Daddy, at Igatpuri (near Nasik), a summer retreat

With Urja and Mumma (she gained a lot of weight when Urja was born and had a tough time losing it!)

Urja and I, at Bangalore

At Vrindavan Gardens, Mysore

I remember this pic, coz I was miffed for some reason and didn't want to get one clicked!

Daddy, Mumma and Urja, at the Botanical Gardens, Bangalore

Boating, with Urja, in Kodaikanal

This was my favourite shirt for quite some time then!

JAAO, MAIN NAHI DETA POSE!

Class 7, at our terrace

Photo-session at our studio (Class 7 again)

Urja and I, at our studio

Boating, near Darjeeling, with a friend on a children's tour

SKINNY BONES - At a temple in Kerala (second from right)

ALL KHUSHI, NO GAM - Family pic (Class 8)

This one is really special! We also have a large framed version in Mum n Dad's bedroom.


The first time that I have visibly shorter hair!

At Urja's 5th Birthday

RAVI SHASTRI - At a Cultural program in our school (called 'Parents' Day'). This was a drama, based on a spoof of Indian cricketers. I played the commentator.

GAWKY ADOLESCENT - With the first traces of a moustache! [:P]

The first time you see me in specs (Class 9, at Urja's 6th birthday)

A visibly thinner Chintu (Class 10). I remember that I used to eat very little back then. Quite the opposite of what I do now, but Kgp makes sure that I stay thin (Man, I really hate losing weight!)


But of course, the time at home during JEE made sure that I put back those kgs! This one's prolly the last one before I came to Kgp. I weighed almost 5 kgs more than what I do now, and was an inch shorter then.

Urja is Daddy's daughter (above) but I'm still a Mama's boy (below)! (Pics from the last December, i.e. 2005)

Er, this one makes me look atleast 5 years older - ekdum Matrimonial ishtyle pic! [:P] Its kind of embarrassing, but I had to put it here for the sake of completeness!

MAD SCIENTIST - The advent of the Geek! (at Shankarpur, during the Department picnic, April 2006)

SIDSETH - With Sid, at the Niagara Falls (May 2005)

MY ALTER EGO - Shaggy Goel, at Pizza Hut (March 2006)

DIL CHAHTA HAI - At Puri (l to r) Shaggy, Amit, me and Sid (March 2004)

"BHAIYYA NAHI HAIN KYA?" [:D] - With my wingies (clockwise from bottom left - me, Ajeet, Mahe, Teja, Khadu, Chicha, Siddharth, Muks, Makdi, Dandubhai and Baka (taking the pic)), at Aquatica. (August 2005) With non-stop madness all over, fourth year at IIT was easily the best of the lot! [:)]

The Geek, the Spycam expert, the 'Chintan Bhookhe' and 'Bhaiyya Mayray' (termed by Dandubhai), the Chintu Baba, the Chints, the Chintu (and many more) of present times.