An Ode to Rizvi BMM Faculty - Heartfelt Thank You

Finally the time has arrived to bid farewell to college and say hello to the real world .But neither does the heart nor the mind allows me to do so, without thanking some angels who have molded me, guided me and are still beside me always helping with their precious advice!

Three years of college has just been a roller coaster ride with all the moments adding up in the right measure making each memory a timeless frame to cherish. Each year has made me evolve and egged out the hidden me from within. While going out from college gushes into my mind nostalgia of every moment spent transforming myself into a more confident, professional and tough individual, it also propels my memory to recall the amazing faculties who have taught me 36 subjects in 6 semesters for 3 years. From Communication skills to History, Political science to Sociology, Photography to world cinema and some serious hardcore Journalism subjects like reporting, editing, newspaper designing in my journalism majors.

One of my absolute favorite days from the college memory is my first day…..

Nervous, out of the Thane hinterland, leading a heroic campaign on my path being squeezed, sloshed and thrown out from the Mumbai Locals at Bandra, spirits dampened by the monsoons and butterflies in my stomach, I entered the class with anxiety. A Beautiful Young lady with a round apple face and tantalizing kohled eyes , exquisitely dressed to impress and with a completely poised attitude entered my class introducing herself as Riddhima Parab, my professor for Communication Skills … she set the stage for the circus the very first day … bombarding us to grow up and act as mature young adults. Her one such tip on writing skills “Why should a reader read your article?” my mind still recalls this before I pen down any write-up.  The ideals so penetrated in the mind with that aura of her personality still influencing my every step and  the decisions I take till date.

Being from a science background entering into a field of arts/media had come with its own share of shocks. Trust my antics to be seamlessly blend into this new never heard subject called ‘Sociology’ as the lecture was announced in the August of 2012 . Who knew the one teaching sociology would always be at the core of my heart’s sociology and change my geography.  Yes! She came … she saw and conquered my heart! Still guessing? She was my sociology, later psychology, culture studies and mass media research Professor Mrs. Alefia Topiwala… To describe her prized neatness and spell bound beauty would be an insult. While I was staring at her evenly shaped eyes which sat exactly in proportion and that unruly splash of freckles further enhancing her charm, a pat came on my bench “Are you a new student”? A soothing voice danced through my ears and I woke up with a thud … replying with a yes just because I was tongue-tied. Her valuable notes on every subject supported with contemporary examples are so excellent. Mrs. Alefia is one such ‘Perfect’ Professor you can ever have.

Friday is always a dry day and yes with history it is a bheja fry-day. But here was an outstanding personality whose annotations and analysis of life was in the best possible way – with smarts to get beyond the obvious and an eye for rich details. He would always narrate tails of his impending fascination with Hitler. He would always be greeted with a filled classroom …even the most lazy, doped junkie would attend his lectures. He was the student’s Professor …simply superb and  awesome the way he was - Our very own Late. Junaid Sir (you still reside in my heart). A person who influenced the way I thought, I spoke and presented myself.  When I was representing the college for Inter-collegiate debates with my colleagues Batul Netterwala , Fatima Haidery it was he who groomed us with his precious tips ,advice and important information. On a personal level too he would always encourage me to write and was the reason behind me getting active on the social media with sensible FB updates. Junaid Sir You will always be remembered !

Dove eyes, bespectacled, shining smooth hair and the fuzz free Professor. My Professor for Mass communication Mr. Sunil Jhurani, who would encourage us and make the horses of our mind run with his mock debates , Press Conferences and other such exciting activities at the end of every class. He would leave the students every time wanting for more. The boys would want to imitate his chilled out persona while the girls gawked and gushed over his handsome looks. The sad part  is he could only teach us one subject and before we knew it the semester was over and Professor Sunil Jhurani bid farewell to us .

Being a student of mass media reading habits weren't taken seriously until one day when the winter winds really blew hard and bought with them a strong person called Professor “Anjali Talreja” I call her ‘Iron Lady for my own reasons’, nevertheless to give you an insight into who Professor Anjali Talreaja was - at the first opinion you would hate her for being a straight forward person but she gradually grows over you and  until you start realizing; she is all over your personality. Walking straight into the class dressed up casually and looking pleasantly fine. She was a firebrand in her own way with a motor mouth and in your face answers. The very first lecture she cleared the air of being a giggly little Professor but a person with bullets to be fired. She fired a question to the class "Do you’ll carry books/novels being mass media students?" After few chipmunks and oversmart classmates of mine showed up their Chetan Bhagats and Paulo Coelhos… her voice echoed out and all that Chetan Bhagat brand of books thrown out. She imposed on us George Orwell, Leo Tolstoy and other literary authors….. and molded my reading sensibilities of not only novels but also magazines and newspapers.

“Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh” resounds in my ears in a sequined baritone voice as I describe Al Naseer Sir. His polished and impeccable English and Urdu so fluent and sweet that you would never want him to stop speaking. Dressed in smart formals or crisp white Kurtas with Nehru Jacket and so fair that he would make snow white feel jealous(joking) . A charismatic personality with sexy baritone and who knew his onions well. In two semesters that he taught me, subjects like Introduction to mass media and Introduction to Journalism he left a strong impact. I would just attend his lectures to listen to his baritone voice and the polished style in which he speaks.

I could rightly say he is a professor who is one among us , who is still a hit among all the batches. He would come every Thursday to open the windows to world cinema. Showing us at least 2 global movies and explaining fine nuances of film-making every week. My Professor  for ‘Cinema & Filmmaking’ and later ‘Radio & Television’ Mr. Prajay. I owe all my Movie Review and Analysing sensibilities only to Mr. Prajay.

Photography has always been take a camera and click for me ! But my myth was busted by my Professor for photography Mrs. Sheetal Gogri . She taught us the A B C of Photography. The apertures…camera angles , lens , lighting etc etc the list is endless. I would cringe , cry and crib in her lectures because photography as a practical as well as theoretical subject was that confusing. But Professor Sheetal nailed the subject in our minds. The real reason why today I understand the intricacies behind good photography.

Marketing as a subject would shackle my brains but here was a man called Professor Sameer Charaniya who decoded the subject altogether just for his beloved students. Concepts explained in such a way that you would not even want to open the books for exams. He deeply embedded the Why’s and How’s of Advertising and Marketing Subjects with his amicable teaching style. He has an amazing command over the subject. He is the only reason why I have started loving marketing as a subject.

Journalism students often spend their summer vacations doing internships with media companies. But in Rizvi BMM (Journalism) we had a ‘Ringmaster’ called Lecturer Abbas Dodhiya (Senior Education Reporter with the Asian Age) who made us run from pillar to post with some really hardcore Reporting Assignments. In a way he gave us an experience into the practical aspects of on field Journalism and I thank him for the same.

Loaded with years of experience in the industry and being one of the Senior Journalists in the News Media Industry Mr. Raju Korti made us experience the industry basics inside the four walls of the classroom. He Shared his experiences on field as a journalist whilst explaining the concepts of his subjects like Reporting, Newspaper Designing, News Media Management and Press Laws. Sir always had a complain about me that I didn’t attend many of his lectures but from what I have attended he was always a Star for me. His masterful essays and articles on his personal blogs would always be bookmarked by me to read them over and over again. My dream would be someday to write at least 50% like him.

Old age is just a state of mind and Professor Marcellus D’souza exactly justifies the saying. He is a friend you could just hang out with. Marcellus Sir re-christened me with a name Joel which he fondly called me on forgetting my original name. Professor Marcellus is a typical ‘Paowalla’ with his zany humor (his cool quotient) and incredible Knowledge. I would always imagine him like a Santa Clause who comes to class with a bag full of Knowledge on subjects like Journalism & Public Opinion and Business Journalism; which he shared adding his great humor and sensitivity. A personality I would fondly recall and describe even when I become a ‘Grandfather’. His way of teaching with fun and patent dialogues like “My Dear, Dimple was never simple because she always had a pimple” and Shri Shri Ravi Shankar teamed with clean jokes*pun intended* and mischievous yet innocent smile makes him THE COOLEST PROFESSOR ALIVE. Fabulous Professors like him aren't born every day.

Last but not the least a small thank you to Miss. Huma Sultan my Professor for Editing , Features , Broadcast and Global Internet Issues. She too was young, enthusiastic and relatively new to the profession and learning like we do; on a personal level too Ma’am was always friendly, cheerful and helpful in nature.

I could never be grateful enough to Our BMM co-ordinator Mr. Furqan Shaikh for such wonderful journey of  Rizvi BMM, providing us with such good faculties and constant support. A sincere thank you ,to all other Professors about whom I haven’t mentioned.

"A Journey ends, a chapter is about to close: A new beginning awaits."