Shri Mohandas Kundandas Soni
How many of us give back to our community after we have done well in life? Wouldn’t we love to just kick back and enjoy the pleasures of the world after we have worked hard to earn them? But Shri Mohandas Kundandas Soni thought differently. Once he was financially secure after a life of hardships and it was time for him to relax, Shri Mohandas threw himself in the work of promoting the Sindhi language and culture- a cause close to his heart.
Money-wise, Shri Mohandas had a roller coaster of a ride in his life.
At age 40, he lost whatever he had earned for 20 years at one go and became penniless. Not the one to give up, he restarted his life in a new country from scratch and at the age of 50, he had earned enough to pursue his childhood passion – acting.
He proved that age is just a number if you have the passion in your heart to follow your dream.
At age 70, he decided to give back to his Sindhi community and contributed financially to various causes promoting the Sindhi language and culture. His is indeed an inspiring story of resilience in the face of adversity and holding onto your dreams and achieving them.
Here’s the story of his life in his words:
My Family
“My mother’s family was from Tando Adam, Sindh and my father’s family was from Shikarpur, Sindh before 1947. My paternal side of the family were in the business of gold. They left everything they had in Sindh during the partition of India in 1947. With no money, my grandparents and parents had to live in refugee camps in Baroda in India. They worked hard for a living , shifted to a rented place from the camps, and finally in 1962, bought their own house.”
PIC: (TOP ROW) LEFT: MY PATERNAL GRANDPARENTS RIGHT: MY MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS
(MIDDLE ROW) LEFT: MY PARENTS RIGHT: MY UNCLE AND AUNT
(BOTTOM ROW) LEFT: MY UNCLE AND AUNT RIGHT: MY UNCLE
NOTE: MY ORIGINAL SURNAME IS PARWANI. NOW, OFFICIALLY IT IS CHANGED TO SONI.
My Childhood
“I was born on 8th November 1950 at Baroda. I studied at a Sindhi school in Warshiya till 4th standard and in Shree Ladharam Sindhi School till matric (11th standard) . From March 1968 to June 1971, I studied subjects like Correspondence and Accounting in English with a private tutor at home.
I always wanted to be an actor as a child but did not know how to go about it.”
PIC: ME AT AGE 4 (STANDING IN THE CENTRE IN FRONT OF THE LADY IN WHITE SAREE) WITH BAL MANDIR TEACHERS AND CLASSMATES IN 1955
My Life in West Africa
“ We had relatives almost all over the globe which inspired me to work abroad to see the world. In July 1971, I left for West Africa to work for a company named K. Pessumal and Sons that imported and sold garments and other essential items. My grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts passed away one by one in my absence and I couldn’t be present for their funerals as I was under a 3-year, and then, a 5-year work contract.
I got married on 27th August 1978 to my wife, Chandra. My in-laws, who had jewellery, carton, plastic utensil making factories in Nigeria, encouraged me to start my own business. With their support, I started a departmental store named Mahesh Stores in Liberia. The business did very well.
PIC: ON MY WEDDING DAY
(Note: Both Nigeria and Liberia belong to West Africa or Western Africa. 16 countries of the African continent fall in this zone.)
Life was good in Liberia. The place had a hot equatorial climate and the sea was close by. There were approximately 9000 Indians in Liberia, out of which 7000 were Sindhis. There was Geeta Ashram which had Geeta Path and Ramayan Path ( a reading of the Bhagavad Geeta and Ramayan) on Tuesdays and Sundays. I took naam ( to promise to chant a mantra) from Swami Harihar who had visited the Ashram. We had langar (a free community meal made and served by the devotees to everyone regardless of caste or creed) at the Gurudwara too. The majority of the devotees at the Gurudwara were Sindhis as there were very few Punjabis in Liberia.
(Note: The First Liberian Civil War was an internal conflict in Liberia from 1989 to 1997. The conflict killed about 250,000 people. After a brief period of peace, the Second Liberian Civil War broke out in 1999. Source- Wikipedia)
In 1990, the Liberian Civil War was at its peak and we were locked in our houses for two months with no electricity or water. Any means of transport or communication was shut down. Everyone was trapped with no route to escape. No one could avail of any doctor’s services. We had to do with whatever food we had at home. Later Indian embassy put us up at an Indian school. Most of the Indians had left the country when the situation worsened. We were 350 Indians that were still in Liberia. We were given rationed food- one meal a day- and limited water at the school.
The US embassy got a military ship from the USA for our rescue and invited us to their embassy, as it was on a beach and hence it would make it easy for us to board the ship. We went to the embassy during curfew hours in the dark of the night. We saw the horrifying sights of dead bodies lying on the road, being eaten by dogs and the starving locals. All provision shops were empty- there was no food left to eat.
We were dropped into the ship in helicopters and were taken to Freetown, the capital of the neighbouring country, Sierra Leone of West Africa. Indian government arranged for a flight to take all Indians from Free Town to Mumbai airport. We were given train fares to go to our respective places from Mumbai.
My family and I returned to Baroda with no money, leaving behind all that we had worked hard for in Liberia. Our shop, the house and money that we had earned in 20 years was gone – much like what had happened to my grandparents and parents when they had to leave their homeland, Sindh, in the aftermath of the 1947 riots during the partition of India.”
Another Opportunity in South America
“In India, I met my friend from Santiago, Chile in South America who invited me to work there and sent me the work visa and other necessary documents. I worked at a job in Santiago from 1991 to 2001. It was then, in 2001, that I started a small business called Jai Gurudev SPA selling Indian garments, incense sticks, handicrafts and artifacts. With the support of my entire family – my wife, Chandra, and my children, Varsha and Lavesh – our business grew. I started importing from India, China and Indonesia and now have a wholesale business too. My children are now grown up and take care of the business.”
My Passion-Acting
“Once I had my own business, I had some time to join the night school for acting, modelling, dancing and theatre and so, at the age of 50, I fulfilled my childhood passion for acting. I got diploma certificates in all these courses and applied to acting and modeling agencies. I was selected during auditions for TV commercials with a six-month contract. I modeled for clothes in shows at hotels and got some roles in Spanish television serials and a movie.
When I came to India in 2019, I decided to work in Indian television series and movies. I got a diploma from Anupam Kher’s school of acting in Mumbai. In Baroda, a Hindi director offered me to play a double role of two brothers in a telefilm,’ Samay Chakra’. I also produced the movie.
Before leaving for South America, I got in touch with Shri Naresh Udhani, a Sindhi film director from Ahmedabad, through Facebook. He wanted financial support to make Sindhi films as they do not do well at the box office. I decided to invest and act in Sindhi movies so that the younger Sindhi generation gets in touch with its culture and language through films with good content. Shri Udhani warned me to not expect any financial returns from the films, but I was willing to invest in them because of my love for my roots and culture.
Shri Udhani offered me Vardaan 2, a film based on our PM’s slogan, “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” (Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child). I am involved as an actor and a co-producer of the film. The script, songs and cast of the movie are ready, but because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the shooting of the same is pending. I am planning to go to India in April 2021, if the situation permits, and hope to complete the shooting and release the movie.”
Giving back to My Sindhi Community
“During the pandemic lockdown since March 2020, I started watching Sindhi cultural shows on Facebook. Sindhiwood, an online programme on Sindhi culture and entertainment run by Shri Prem Bhartiya, was among the first ones I saw. Shri Prem Bhartiya invited me to participate in the show and I was interviewed by Ms. Simran Ahuja, the winner of the Miss India 2013 competition. I sponsored Sindhwood shows for two weeks and later became a life member sponsor of Sindhwood .
Through Sindhwood shows, I met Dr. Gurmukh Jagwani, the ex. MLC State Minister of Maharashtra and an expert on Sindhiyat, Dr. Pitamber Dhalwani of Suhina Sindhi , a Sindhi cultural organisation of Pune, Dada Murli Adnani, President of Friends of International Sindhis and Dr. Bharti Chabaria of Sindhi Talkies, a show on the making of Sindhi movies, and the founder of O Womaniya. They too invited me to participate in their respective shows.
Vishwa Sindhi Sewa Sangam (VSSS), an organisation connecting Sindhis worldwide, offered me the post of VSSS President for the entire South American territory. They offered my daughter-in-law, Muskaan, a post at VSSS Women’s Wing at Jaipur and my wife at VSSS Women’s Wing at Baroda. My son, my daughter and my son-in-law, Prakash, also hold prominent posts in VSSS.
I participated in the VSSS shows and became a patron member of the organisation. I sponsored their shows, ‘The Gentleman’, and ‘The Soul of Lions’ of Lions’ Club. I am part of Suhina Sindhi’s Sindhi Anmol Ratan and have sponsored some shows of Sindhi Talkies and Kanwar Dham, a Sindhi channel run in the name of Sant Kanwar Dham, too. I get invited to these shows and the organisers give me a lot of ‘sik aien pyar’(love and affection). I too am emotionally attached to them.
The VSSS needs members for their work and their annual membership fee is Rs. 200. I offered the chairman of VSSS, Dada Gopladas Sajnani and his wife, Usha Didi, to pay for 150 new members so that they do not have to worry about transferring the fees through various payment modes, etc. I help all these organisations in every way possible to spread the cause of Sindhiyat.
The VSSS Samaj is contributing 200 silver bricks, each weighing 1 kg, for the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya. I too have donated one. (See pic)
The show Sindhi Anmol Ratan has Dr. Pitamber Dhalwani, Dr. Gurmukh Jagwani, Dada Murli Adnani, Dr. Bharti Chhabaria, Shri Raju Khetwani and me. We work for the promotion and conservation of Sindhiyat.
Once I found myself settled in life, I started giving back to my Sindhi community. I know the money that I am putting in with not return- I was warned by Shri Naresh Udhani that that was the case. But I don’t expect any returns. I want Sindhis to watch Sindhi films, attend Sindhi shows and programmes so that they know of their roots. I want to help the financially weaker section of the Sindhi community too. “
Sindhi Culture at Home
“At home, we keep our Sindhi language and traditions alive. We prepare Sindhi food and buy Indian vegetables such as brinjal, lady’s fingers, bitter gourds, spinach, tomatoes and potatoes. We buy Sindhi spices, condiments, a variety of rice including the Basmati from Sindhi importers here. My children know to speak Sindhi, Hindi, English and Spanish. My son-in-law and daughter are here in Santiago and run their own business. They too follow Sindhi culture and traditions. My 3-year old grandchild, Kiaansh, has picked up Sindhi greetings like ‘Jai Jhulelal’ and ‘Jai Matadi’ from us and speaks Sindhi at home.
We celebrate all Sindhi festivals such as Holi and Uttarayan and make ghear ( a Sindhi sweet made during Holi), jalebi and teeran ja bhorinda (sesame seed ladoos) . For Satte (the 7th and 14th day of the lunar month of Shravan), we make lola (a sweet whole-wheat bread) and tikkiyun, and satbhajyun (a traditional Sindhi seven vegetable dish) for Diwali. Gyars ( the 11th day of every lunar fortnight comes twice a month) and Satnaran (the full moon day of every month) are also observed.
We have a Hindu temple at Santiago with the idols of Krishna, Hanuman and Mata. They celebrate all festivals such as Navratri and Diwali. Right now, we observe all festivals at home due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
We have our puja room and read Bhagwat Gita and Hanuman Chalisa regularly. We offer loti (the Hindu ritual of offering water to the sun in the morning) to the sun and light a jyot (diya) in our puja room in the evening.”
Sindhis in Santiago
“In the 1960s or ’70s, there were only a couple of Sindhis that had migrated to Santiago. In 1991, when I came here, there were only four or five Sindhis selling Indian items. Now there are hundreds of us. The Sindhis start with a job, get their visas and then, as is with Sindhis, start their own business. Now, since many people have migrated here to South America, there are visa restrictions in place.
A typical Sindhi businessman leaves home early for work and comes back tired in the evening. He spends his spare time either writing his accounts or with the family. There is little time to meet other Sindhis. We meet fellow Sindhis and other Indians during Diwali parties that are held here or during dandiya-raas performances held during Navratri in the temple. Indian Embassy invites all Indians to celebrate 15th August, the Independence Day of India, and 26th January, the Republic Day of India, by organising a function.”
Santiago- The City
“Santiago city is surrounded by mountains and it is cold from February to November. It rains here in April-May, and the rainwater freezes on the mountains. It is quite chilly then. Summer is in December as we are in Southern Hemisphere and people are out in their summer wear then and go to beaches. South America is at sea level and has many beaches.
This year, of course, people will not be travelling due to Covid restrictions.”
My Children Support My Dreams
“My children now support me in fulfilling my dreams and aspirations. They encourage me to participate in social activities that help the Sindhi community while they look after the business. I am now keen to come to India, once the coronavirus vaccine is developed. I want to complete the Sindhi film and work in the Hindi film industry too, if possible. I have resolved to give my earnings from the films, after deducting personal expenses, to the cause of promoting Sindhiyat.”
PICS: 1. AS A NEWS ANCHOR IN A SPANISH MOVIE 2. AS A MODEL IN 2001 3. AS CHIEF GUEST IN JAIPUR 4. WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC OF CHILE, MS. MICHELLE BACHELET
Personal Account of Shri Mohan Kundandas Soni, Chile, South America
Pics and Videos: Personal Collection of Shri Mohan Soni
Jyoti Mulchandani
Ahmedabad
I am very much inspired by your motivational thoughts,bless me as well so that I can also do something for our Sindhiyat.I am working as Sindhi teacher by NCPSL & recently took part in MRS.Global Sindhi Beauty Pageant organizing by Diler Sindhi Channel,MRS.Hina Shahdadpuri.Kindly shower your blessings on me so that I can serve my sindhiyat as you are doing.
Thanks & Regards
Kiran Hotwani