Day 58

Day 58 (4^th November)

Today is an extremely happy day, because my byline is in Hindu. Even though I knew about it on Tuesday, actually seeing your name in print gives a high like nothing else does.  There is a story behind how this story on Deepanjali Lamp Museum was born and today is a good time to narrate it.

It all began in the last week of June, when we went on a weeklong trip along the Malabar coast. The journey began at Mangalore and culminated at Kozhikode. Monsoon had set in and it rained almost all the time, which was entirely expected. Staying in Kozhikode was a last-minute addition to the itinerary and we had looked up various museums prior to our arrival there. Deepanjali Lamp Museum was the top pick because it sounded exotic and also because I am passionate about lamps, having a small collection myself.

Getting a taxi was easy and navigating to Deepanjali Museum at Puthiyangadi was easier with the help of Google Maps. But locating the museum was not so easy and there was nobody around to ask. A narrow road led to a row of houses and it slowly dawned on me that the museum is a private collection housed in one of those bungalows. Prasad answered the doorbell and was surprised to hear that we have come to visit the museum. Normally he receives visitors after prior appointment. Nevertheless, he welcomed us in warmly. For the next hour or so he showed us around his amazing collection, telling anecdotes about some of the more intriguing lamps. Right there I felt a strong urge to write about this unique museum and remember expressing my desire loudly to Prasad.

A week after reaching home I mailed Hindu - Deepanjali Museum in Kozhikode is an extraordinary private collection of lamps by a retired lighthouse keeper/engineer. There are more than 500 lamps in every conceivable material, form and design. Every lamp has a story and the collector passionately narrated some of them. Would you be interested in a short essay backed up with photos?  A reply arrived in under 40 minutes - Yes! Sounds fascinating...

I had a week’s deadline. Planned the story in my head on 10^th July and started to write (rather type) on 11^th July. The draft was ready on 14^th July. Polished it on 15^th and shot it off to Hindu on 16^th. The acceptance came well inside a week, on July 20^th and they asked me to send the pictures to accompany the story. It was then the trouble began.

A day later I received this cryptic mail - Pix not good enough - we will have to organise a shoot. Will figure it out and let you know. None of the photos (shot on phone camera) were deemed fit to print. I rued not carrying my DSLR to the museum. The disappointment was devastating. Nothing happened for 2 months and I tried to forget this experience as a bad dream.

On 19^th September I decided to remind them with this hopeful mail - Any update on this please? May I suggest bringing it out in the week leading to Diwali. 2 weeks later, on 3^rd October I had this reply - We will try and use your piece in a while, but we first need to get good photographs - we are organising that. It was kind of reassuring. 

And on 29^th October there was a surprising mail asking for some small clarifications on my write-up. This was a clear indication that they want to publish soon. And that confirmation came the very next day.

The drama wasn’t over yet. On 1^st November when I stepped out of a film on the last day of the MAMI festival, there were a record 12 missed calls on my phone from the same caller, a sure sign of desperation. There was a text message asking me to check my mail. The mail had two pictures of lamps that they wanted to be identified. They were going to press in a couple of hours! I had no clue because I had not shot those pictures. And the next movie was starting in few minutes. I didn’t have Prasad’s contact number handy but managed to Google it and connect him with Hindu. And the story is in the papers today, a little more than 4 months after it was conceived.

I can’t thank my soulmate enough for encouraging me constantly and not lose hope.