Charlie Chaplin in Adipur at his 125th Birthday

Charlie Chaplin
dgramchandani

2014

DEEPAK

RAMCHANDANI ADIPUR

Charlie Chaplin

Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE (16 April 1889 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the silent era. Chaplin became a worldwide icon through his screen persona "the Tramp" and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry.[1] His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death at age 88, and encompassed both adulation and controversy. Chaplin's childhood in London was defined by poverty and hardship. As his father was absent and his mother struggled financially, he was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian. At 19 he was signed to the prestigious Fred Karno company, which took him to America. Chaplin was scouted for the film industry, and made his first appearance in Keystone Studios's Making a Living (1914). He soon developed the Tramp persona and formed a large fan base. Chaplin directed his films from an early stage, and continued to hone his craft as he moved to the Essanay, Mutual, and First National corporations. By 1918, he was one of the best known figures in the world. In 1919, Chaplin co-founded the distribution company United Artists, which gave him complete control over his films. His first feature-length was The Kid (1921), followed by A Woman of Paris (1923), The Gold Rush(1925), and The Circus (1928). He refused to move to sound films in the 1930s, instead producing City Lights (1931) and Modern Times (1936) without dialogue. Chaplin became increasingly political and his next film, The Great Dictator (1940), satirised Adolf Hitler. The 1940s were a decade marked with controversy for Chaplin, and his popularity declined rapidly. He was accused of communist sympathies, while his involvement in apaternity suit and marriages to much younger women caused scandal. An FBI investigation was opened, and Chaplin was forced to leave the United States and settle in Switzerland. He abandoned the Tramp in his later films, which include Monsieur Verdoux (1947), Limelight (1952), A King in New York (1957), and A Countess from Hong Kong (1967).

Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most of his films. He was a perfectionist, and his financial independence enabled him to spend years on the development and production of a picture. His films are characterised by slapstick combined with pathos, typified in the Tramp's struggles against adversity. Many contain social and political themes, as well as autobiographical elements. In 1972, as part of a renewed appreciation for his work, Chaplin received an Honorary Academy Award for "the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century". He continues to be held in high regard, with The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator often ranked among industry lists of the greatest films of all time.

Dr. Ashok Aswani

Dr Ashok Aswani is the blue eyed Charlie Chaplin of Adipur town. He is strong fan of Chaplin since years. He is very handsome and completed the acting course but he didnt continue in film industries due to his principles and some incident happened in film industry. He continued acting on the stage. I still remember the days when he use to ride on his blue coloured Bullet Motorcycle and at that time there were very few vehicles in the town and bullet motorcycle was rare. If I am not mistaken he use to go in Tuna and other village for his medical practice. His father was also doctor and he practiced in shop near Jhanda Chowk Adipur. Dr. Ashok is suffering from bone disease and in spite of that he is always smiling and make people smile. He is running Charlie fan club which is the only such of its kind in India and other countries of the world. He celebrates the Charlie birthday on16th April every year. I was just speaking with my brother in law Mr Lalit Wadhwani and he remembered the celebration of 100th Birthday of Chaplin celebrated at Adipur by Dr Ashok and now is going to be part of celebration of 125th Birthday of Chaplin. It is told that Gandhi and Chaplin just met for one time and became friends. Adipur had the similarity for both as other than Raj Ghat Delhi there is only Samadhi at Adipur in which ashes of Gandhi are laid and other than home town of Chaplin there is Charlie Foundation and fan club only at Adipur. The procession today on 16th April 2014 shall end at Gandhi Samadhi at Adipur due to this.
By the mid 1960s, Charlie Chaplin the man George Bernard Shaw called the only genius to come out of the movie industry was well into the twilight of his 75 year career. Having directed, produced, acted, edited and written sound scores for hundreds of films going back to 1914, Charlie Chaplin was a worldwide superstar. But it wasnt until 1966 that a young Ashok S. Aswani, now an Ayurvedic practitioner form the town of Adipur in Gujarat, first laid eyes on the man that was to become his hero. Ashok was cycling to his job as a typist when he saw a poster for the film The Gold Rush the film that Chaplin himself said he would most like to be remembered for. I was wonderstruck. I found his dress and look fascinating. How does the man bend his legs like that?. Ashok got off his bike and gaped at the poster for 10 minutes.He forgot about his job, bought a ticket and went in. A whole new world of cinema

opened up for me. The music, the technique, the photography was all so different! And I thought, is Chaplin an actor or a magician? I fell off my seat laughing in the darkness. That day, Mr Aswani watched all four showings of The Gold Rush. He was fired later that day. I lost my job, but I gained Chaplin.Returning to Adipur in 1973, Dr. Aswani formed the Charlie Circle, a society dedicated to the appreciation of Charlie Chaplin. He became an Ayurvedic practitioner, handing out free Chaplin DVDs to patients as part of his holistic remedies. Over time the Charlie circle has grown. More than 100 people gathered in 2010 for the most recent celebration of Charlie Chaplins birthday, even though temperatures in Gujarat rose to over 46 degrees. There were girls and boys, men and women, all parading through the streets of Adipur dressed up like Chaplins legendary tramp character toothbrush moustache, bowler hat, scruffy black suit, cane and that familiar gait, so lovingly taught to members of the Circle by Dr. Aswani. Every day members of the Charlie Circle meet at a photo shop to discuss Chaplin and watch his movies. Dr. Aswani also teaches members how to act and walk like Charlie, all under the watchful gaze of a lifesize Charlie Chaplin cutout. When Chaplin died in 1977, I was devastated. I wept like a kid. I feel he should still be alive. He was the greatest man on the Earth. He was a good musician, good director, good editor, good actor, good writer, good mime artist, Dr. Aswani says. Mrs. Aswani says how people refer to her husband simply as The Charlie doctor. He loves Charlie, he gets up and its all Charlie. He never tries to be Charlie. Its just in him .

Every year, on April 16, a 63-year-old Ayurvedic doctor in the small town of Kutch in Gujarat relives the
life and times of his hero, Charlie Chaplin. Ashok Aswani, who occasionally hands out free DVDs of Charlie Chaplin movies to patients as a cure for depression, dresses up like the famous comedian of yesteryears on the latter's birth anniversary and takes a walk along with a group of Chaplin impersonators through the city streets. Charlie Circle, the Charlie Chaplin fan-club run by him, is abuzz with activity on April 16 with cultural programmes dedicated to Chaplin being the top draw.

Adipur, a small town in Kutch is paying the ultimate homage to The Tramp by laying the foundation stone of a Chaplin Bhavan on his 125th birth anniversary on April 16 Famous Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini had once said of Charlie Chaplin: He is the Adam from whom all of us have originated. Undoubtedly, the inimitable figure has made a worldwide impact and resided in hearts of people around the globe. One such place is the small town of Adipur in Kutch where there has been a tradition of impersonating the film great on his birthday. A doctor, Ashok Aswani who worships Chaplin, daily, started the trend. Forty years hence, Dr Aswani and film historian, Amrit Gangar are joining hands to celebrate the icons 125th birthday by announcing a Chaplin Bhavan in Adipur Gandhi-Chaplin connect Both Mahatma Gandhi and Chaplin asserted on the need to give happiness, and move away from the use of machines in our daily lives, remarks Gangar. As Chaplin in The Great Dictator had brought attention to the abuse of power, looking at whats going on in todays times; such initiatives are important, says Gangar who is originally from Kutch. There will be a procession from the main circle to Gandhi Samadhi. It will include unique personalities like Kishore Parmar, a bus conductor, who composes songs for Chaplin. Other activities will include planting a tree and naming a street after the comic actor. Chaplins statue will also be installed at Adipurs railway

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talented artiste, the perfect homage. Gangar, a well-known film historian recalls that during the research of the Australian film, The Boot Cake, he had chanced upon the Chaplin Circle comprising the doctor (who prescribes Chaplin films to his patients) and 50-odd impersonators of Chaplin. The historian remarks how Chaplin is the perfect inspiration for this small town. Initially, Chaplin was incredibly poor. In his biography, there is a line: I wish I couldve given my mother a cup of tea to save her. But if you look at his later life, Fellini called him an aristocrat. Outlining Chaplins graph of opportunities, Gangar feels that the small town also deserves more. The Chaplin Bhavan will have an auditorium that will screen films, especially silent cinema, a gallery, and a guesthouse for people to visit and stay. The spirit of the project will come from Chaplin himself, remarks Gangar.

Chief Guest speak

Sanjna Kapoor, who will lay the foundation stone, shares her excitement about the project, The first time I heard about Dr Aswani was when my friend Hemant Chaturvedi was showing his photographs of the Rann of Kutch. I feel it is timely as what Chaplin said is poignant and well articulated on the political status of our times. His art was incredible as he could say so much through silent films. He once said, The spoken word in the motion picture is like putting lyrics to a Beethoven piece hardly needed. But in The Great Dictator, he had something important to say.

Times of India coverage about Charlie Circle:

The Tramp is alive and well in the sleepy little town of Adipur in the Indo-Pak border district of Kutch in Gujarat.Dressed in tattered, baggy pants, undersized coats and vests, huge worn-out shoes, and sporting battered derby hats,a group of Charlie Chaplin impersonators walk the great walk, wobbly and clumsy, twirling their walking sticks.

The Charlie cult began with the Ayurvedic practitioner Ashok Aswani,61,prescribing the comic relief of Chaplin's movies as a remedy for his patients' ailments."I had Hitler and Chaplin in their typical toothbrush moustaches displayed outside my clinic and would ask visitors which of the two they wanted to become in life," says Aswani.

The Charlie Circle, which has been in existence since 1973,consists of nearly 235 members, including 17 women. It makes sure that the legacy of Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin is passed on from generation to generation.

The youngest Charlie in the group is just 18 months old, while the eldest is 73 years old. The group meets every week at the studio of Harish Thakker,a founder member of the circle. Here they practice their moves and enjoy special screenings of Chaplin's movies like Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, The Limelight, The Kid, Countess in Hong Kong and The Great Dictator, besides other hits from the silent era.

For the last five years, Anjali Parmar,18,has been dressing up as Charlie Chaplin. She plays his role as 'Charlie in village', which essentially involves her getting buried under a huge stack of hay and her struggles to come out of it. Anjali says the act makes everyone laugh, "I have learnt from Sir Charlie that we should share happiness with all and I am committed to this mission. He is one reel character who can make people laugh even in the face of adversity. His heart is true and he always stands up for the weak." Talin Navani,10,one of the youngest members of the group says, "When you're sad and lonely, draw a toothbrush moustache on your face and try smiling into the mirror, and you'll end up laughing at yourself. That's Charlie's magic. I thought I should share this feeling with people around me. Everybody looks so worn out these days. They have forgotten to smile."

On April 16 every year, Chaplin's birthday, the group puts up a riotous show called the Charlie Carnival that has the members dressed up as the comedian riding camels and chhakadas (six-seater rickshaws ),entertaining visitors at railway stations and all over town. The carnival culminates in a grand cake-cutting ceremony.

This year, the group has invited Chaplin's biographer David Robinson to celebrate his 120th birthday with them. And Aswani doesn't want anything to come in the way of this event. He even got his knee caps replaced last week after a serious injury, to be in the best of health to organise the big day this year.

Last month, DQ entertainment, a leading animation film production company, proposed to tie up with Adipur's Charlie Circle. Sumedha Saraoji, vicepresident, DQ entertainment, says "Our company is working with a French major for the first ever animation series on Charlie Chaplin. We thought of supporting the Adipur group, which has been celebrating the life and work of Sir Charles Chaplin for so many years."

Adipur is principally inhabited by migrants from Pakistan,who had settled here in refugee camps since the late 1940s,and who eventually turned into traders. Their circumstances in life were similar to the situations Chaplin portrayed in his movies.

Kathryn Millard,an Australian filmmaker whose documentary on the Adipur Charlie Circle, The Bootcake (2008),won her several international awards, explains, "Charlie Chaplin holds a special appeal for migrants. The Tramp is a mentor and a guardian angel for people around the world who have poured into cities lured by the promise of employment. Chaplin's movies speak to people - they have a wonderful mix of pathos and humor, they're funny and touching at the same time. Charlie thumbs his nose at authority, deflates puffed up officialdom and triumphs over adversity. No matter how low on luck, Charlie always sees hope. Landing on his bum in the gutter, he's soon cheerfully looking for cigarette butts. He has the quality we call resilience - in spades."

It was in 1966 that Aswani saw Chaplin's Gold Rush at a city theater in Gandhidham and was mesmerized for life. He was then employed as a daily wage typist with the Food Corporation of India (FCI)."I can't ever forget that day.I saw Chaplin's life size cutout outside the theater announcing, I am here today'. I went in and did not come out all day. I saw all the four shows that day. The next day, I was thrown out of FCI for not turning up for work," he says.

Aswani's father later sent him to the Film and Television Institute in Pune, where his friend - and actor - Raza Murad advised him to start a mime group.

Aswani started the Charlie Circle group with his friends Christopher Davidson,L L Chaniara, Harish Thakker, Dushyant Ahuja, Pradeep Joshi, Kaushal Chhaya and Khushal Pataniya. An invitation to join the Charlie Circle is considered a great honor. "The members of Charlie Circle are dedicated to Chaplin and his philosophy in life as depicted in his films," says Thakker.In the words of The Tramp: "The last shall yet be, if not first, at least recognized, and perhaps even loved."