#BondsOfFriendship: Impulsive trips, reunions, leisure pursuits... What’s your annual friendship tradition?

A couple of months ago, five friends from the US celebrated 40 years of their friendship by posing for a photo at Copco Lake, along the California-Oregon border. What’s the big deal, you may ask. Well, these friends have posed for the same photo every five years since 1982! It’s a friendship tradition for them, and we have similar tales closer home as well.Be it their impulsive streak, shared passion or just expressing mutual love, these friends keep up with their traditions without fail. Read on...


Former racing driver and motorsport administrator Vicky Chandhok, and his besties of 35 years — AS Ravi Prakash and L Gopinath — have been road tripping to Kodaikanal from Chennai since the late 80s. “We became friends through a social organisation that we were part of. We had an annual general body meeting in Kodaikanal in the late 80s. Since then, we’ve been travelling there at least three-four times a year,” says Vicky. Instead of checking into hotels, the trio always stays in Vicky’s English-style family home. The highlight of these trips, the racer says, is that they are not planned. “We have a WhatsApp group called ‘Impulsive Kodai’ites’. One of us just needs to text ‘Let’s go’ and within no time, we are in our car, on the way to Kodai,” he says, adding that they always stop at a particular spot for photos. “We have the driver take us there and we open a bottle of wine or beer and celebrate. Spending at least an hour at a club, and sitting around the fireplace at my house are also part of our friendship tradition.”

Actor Suniel Shetty may not head to the same destination every year with his friends, but the actor makes it a point to meet them every weekend. He says, “We have been friends for more than 55 years – since our kindergarten days! We catch up every weekend either at a restaurant or at someone’s home. More often at someone’s home because we, as a gang, are very loud! And all of us, including our spouses, take a trip together every year; that’s about 15-18 of us.”

They say, there are no permanent friends in showbiz. Not for actress Lissy Lakshmi and her gang of 80s’ stars! The ‘class of 80s’ reunion has been an annual affair since 2009. The actress says, “In 2009, I met Mohan, my Ananda Aradhanai co-star, at Sumalatha’s (actress-politician) niece’s wedding in Chennai. Mohan and I were good friends, but somehow, we lost touch. We hadn’t met in so many years despite being in the same city. Then, I reached out to Suhasini, who was also part of the film, to see if we could have a reunion of the film’s team. She suggested we should use this opportunity to meet everyone we have worked with. That’s how the 80s reunion started. It’s a get-together of the actors who have worked with each other. That’s what friendship is all about, no?”

For Hrishita Ghosh and her friend Dishani Paul, the routine they followed while attending dance classes as children brings a smile to their lips even today. “The dance academy has given way to a multi-storied building, but the lane still makes us nostalgic,” says Hrishita, a college student from Kolkata, adding, “Catching up with each other where the academy used to be has become an inseparable part of celebrating Friendship Day. Munching on the puchkas near the place is a must; it brings back childhood memories.”

In the case of Milan Vohra, a Bangalore-based author and an advertising professional, it’s her love for books that led her to meet people whom she calls her friends today. “I’d just published a book around then,” she recalls, “In that period, I happened to meet a few other people who were voracious readers as well. We got together and formed a book club, where people who share a common love and passion for reading connect on a personal level, too.”

Some friendships stand the test of time. Ask Vicky what the secret of his gang’s friendship is and he says with a laugh, “It’s our impulsive nature. Also, there’s no pressure on this friendship. There’s nothing like, ‘Hey, I’m calling you, but you’re not showing up’. Even a last-minute cancellation is no big deal. There are no expectations and therefore, no disappointments.”

Lissy says the first time they met, she and her friends picked up exactly where they left years ago. “We had our first reunion on 8 August 2009, and we were a bunch of 22 people. We met at 6pm and the party went on till 6am the next day! We cried, laughed, and danced to our songs.... that camaraderie was still intact. Today, the number has increased to over 40! Our meetup venue changes every year, and this year, Jackie Shroff and Poonam Dhillon are hosting us in Mumbai, on November 12,” she says, the excitement palpable in her voice.
Vicky also credits their ‘home department’ for being partners in crime! Suniel Shetty couldn’t agree more. “Friends can remain friends only when their spouses can become friends. I am rich because of these friends I have,” he sums up.