By Jeeves

One might want to question the core sanity of a group whose members sit in buses and crack up over the writings of an author whose books—might we add—are peopled with loony lads,curmudgeonly aunts,stout butlers and stouter pigs. But the suspicion,we soon discover,is not one-sided.

“A Wodehousian will never trust a non-Wodehousian,” warns S Ananthanarayanan,chief financial officer,Western Railways,and member of the P G Wodehouse fan club,Blythe Spirits. The members are lounging around sipping thandai (it being Holi) on the sprawling verandah of retired Siemens executive-cum- cricketer-cum Urdu poetry-fanatic Giri Dore’s residence at Marine Drive.

The conversation nimbly leaps from the topic of the dire strait of Indian Railways to the future of the comic book industry. But the master crafter always menacingly lurks somewhere in the fringes of the easy banter,frequently popping up in pointed references and spic-and-span quotes.

“Wodehouse is the playing field and we are the players,” says Dore. Most of them were infected with the Wodehouse virus early in life. “I would be doing my homework and my father,reading Wodehouse,would suddenly burst into laughter,” remembers Ajay Goel,son of film director Devendra Goel. “It was quite disturbing actually.”

Legal advisor P G Murthy (who calls himself an “imposter” for having the same initials as his idol) quotes Wodehouse’s golf philosophy while advising starting Wodehouse at a young age. “Golf,like the measles,should be caught young,for,if postponed to riper years,the results may be serious.”

The group,which was started in 2001 by journalist Chandrima Bhattacharya,has more than 60 members although only a few meet regularly on the last Sunday of each month. (We couldn’t stand each other more often than that,” they joke jovially) They would meet at various places like Café Royal and Kayani Bakery before finally shifting base to Dore’s house a few years back.

Although they’ve organised a few book readings and humour quizzes,the activities have dwindled due to a lack of funding. “Maybe your paper can sponsor us,” says Kaushal Thakore,a die-hard Wodehousian who’s devoured all 93 of his books.

We’re not sure if that was said in jest. And that’s just the problem,you see. In true Wodehousian spirit,it never is quite easy to tell when this bunch of “Wodehouse-smitten coves” are joking and when not.

For further details,mail Kaushal Thakore at kaushalthakore@ hotmail.com