Celebrate Bandra starts with a ......Bang!

One more (third) edition of Celebrate Bandra commenced on November 17th 2007 and the festival was started with much vigor. There were people in thousands, all on the streets, waiting in the hot sun, for the parade to pass. People, young and old, stood on the streets to watch the carnival parade of Bandra-ites that was flagged off from St. Andrew’s school grounds and wound its way to the end of Carter road. It was a visual spectacle with people dressed in most obscure attire, dancing to the loud music, with marching bands, cheerleaders, school children, stilt walkers, mobile floats, skaters, bikers and cyclist. The parade took nearly three hours to reach the amphitheatre, and then there was a stage show with preview of dances and their performances of each group that included classical singing, classical dances to dancing to the Bollywood tracks that will be showcased over the next seventeen days. The star of the show was the chief guest Amir khan, who lit the lamp and released the souvenirs. For next seventeen day, Bandra will be dressed with lights and festivities, with the intention of bringing all the people together in the spirit of community with a festive theme of ‘Harking back to heritage’

Attitude Stinks!

This week there was Sindhi art festival at National College, Bandra that was organized by ‘Nu Sindhu Art Academy’. It was the 8th Grand Sindhi Drama Festival. On Friday, 16th November, there was a play called .Rang Rangeela Pyar Ja”, a lovable socio comedy On Saturday, 17th November, there was “Changh Mangh 420, a comedy about two comedians And on Sunday, 18th November, there was a play called Tension-Tension, dhammal comedy. On Saturday, the Sindhi play was to start at about 7:30 and it was coinciding with ‘Celebrate Bandra’ Carnival Parade and the Inauguration function. I wanted to attend both. I went early to National College to investigate about the play before I could decide which one to attend. Since there was nobody around, I went back-stage to find out about the program and the entrance. The Asranis were busy giving the final touches to the stage. I peeped in and said. “Is Niroo in?” A man in late fifty’s came forward. “Yes? What can I do for you?” “Oh. I was wondering about this drama, what time will it commence?” “Come back later, it is too early.” “I will be interested. I could write about your play in our magazine ‘Beyond Sindh’” I said, just to start a conversation. “Beyond Sindh? We don’t encourage these things, you know. I am giving you pass, but we don’t believe in giving out the invitations like that” he said as he reached inside and came back with a pass. I was taken by surprise. I had not even asked for a free pass. He glared at me and said “You better show me what you write before you print anything about me.” “Actually, we have already been featured in this magazine” said his son, as he came forward to show me some Xerox pages of the article featuring ‘The Asranis, (Born to cheer through theatre)’ in the souvenir. “Oh, You are Asranis?” I was surprised by his rude attitude. I was feeling like a beggar, taking a free pass. Why would I want his approval before publishing anything? “Er! If I write anything, it will be approved by the editor of my magazine.” I said “But still, you have to show me what you write about the play” he said as I turned to leave. Outside, I found one more person selling tickets. “How much is the cost of the ticket?” I asked the man. “Rupees fifty” he said “Rupees fifty only?” All this fuss over fifty rupees? I couldn’t sell my soul for fifty rupees! I took three hundred and sixty degrees turn, walked back to the back-stage and returned the free-pass back to Asranis. I decided to buy a ticket. Unfortunately, my mood had changed. The “Celebrate Bandra” inauguration function was more interesting and could be enjoyed with dignity.

What I like about Mumbai

is that if you are not in mood of cooking you can always eat outside, and if you are alone, you can stand at any street corner and eat. There are hawkers almost everywhere. This sandwich man is savior on the days when my maid does not come and especially on those days when I am too lazy to cook. He stands with his portable stall that has all the ingredients for making a tasty sandwich, bread, butter, chutney, tomatoes, cucumber, beet, onion, boiled potato. He makes a sandwich that costs only rupees ten and two sandwiches can suffice because it is quite filling, with so many veggies, we ought to be full. A drink also no problem. At rupees twenty he squeezes out a fresh glass of juice. Voila! A healthy, filling lunch is just under rupees forty. It is not even one US dollar or one Euro! Where in the world will you find such affordable lunch? Sluurrp!

I am angry with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Is this some kind of joke? Eh?

“Oh! You must be some important person to get the movie ticket for the first Saturday, Lucky you!” Said my cousin when I had announced that I was going to watch Sawariaya.. Lucky me? I wish she knew how much I had suffered. Within half an hour, I was staring at the ‘Exit’ board. Watching a film at home is much better, we can change channels any time, but in a theatre, you are tied with the strings of commitment to the companions who have paid for this torture to test our degree of tolerance. I was wondering whether I was watching some play with dreary, monotonous props and rain, snow, rain but no day-break. I longed for sunshine, for colors and for emotions. Dostoevsky’s short story ‘White nights’ may sound interesting with splendid backers like Hollywood giant Columbia/Sony and the dream cast, but it failed to grasp my attention. I watched the movie with my hand on my cheek, waiting for some meat in the plot. Ranbir Raj (Ranbir Kapoor) is a young musician in a very artistic city. Always zestful towards life he is the lead singer in RK Bar. He has no money but has a will to spread joy with his music. The story is narrated by the local prostitute Gulab (Rani Mukherjee), who befriends Raj and gets him to stay at an old lady’s (Zohra Sehgal) place. One fine day he comes across Sakina (Sonam Kapoor) who is on the lookout for something. Mysterious in nature, Sakina is all that Raj yearns for. Using his genuine boyish charms he makes friends with Sakina but his wonderful world comes crashing down when she reveals to him about her lover (Salman Khan) who promised to come back to her after a year’s time. Raj is shattered but at the same time doubts the credentials of her lover. Tears, laughter, dancing, what were they getting at? Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Is this some kind of joke? At one point I thought lover was a figment of imagination of Sakina and at other time I wondered if she is under some kind of depression and is roaming in the middle of night in black clothes and looking for a lover who is so mysterious. Ranbir has potential. He is good actor, looks cute and dances well. Sonam Kapoor failed to stir any emotions. Salman Khan is totally wasted in the ten minute appearance. Rani Mukerji is first-rate . Zohra Segal is superb, Was there something in that movie that was supposed to be interesting but has escaped my vision? I am still confused.

If the supermarket is on 4th floor and there is a cross fire with the management, who suffers?

I like shopping-under-one-roof and therefore prefer to go to malls and super stores for shopping. In Bandra we have only one supermarket called Magnet, which is on linking road. There are many mini supermarkets spread all over Bandra, but this particular one has everything under one roof and is bigger one, spread over third and fourth floor, and it is my weekly spot for shopping for grocery and sundry articles. Making a mental note of what I proposed to buy, I waited in line to take a lift to third floor. But the management of the Crystal Mall had banned the market over some grumpy issues and had prohibited the use of lift and escalator leading to the store. The lift and the escalators were available only up till 2nd floor. That would mean using the stairs, the only way to enter the market and then buying only the minimum since lift is not available for carrying the heavy trolleys. This kind of punishment is quite severe. I wanted to retrace my steps and go on to another market but that would be too much hassle. The superstore was losing sales. Their loss will reflect on the employees and on consumers. Magnet is a popular superstore and on weekends, the cash box is continuously ringing. But hitting below the belt is the common punishment in India. We see people going on strike regularly. Doctors, bus employees, banks, everybody takes their turn to hijack the city. It is normally done during the peak season when the consumers are likely to suffer. Instead of punishing the consumers and employees, it is better that the indifference can be settled in a different way in which only the disputed party suffer. One way around this is to provide better or cheaper service - at the management's expense, to the consumers. Like for example in the year 1968, Lisbon bus and train workers gave free rides to all passengers to protest a denial of wage increases. Conductors and drivers arrived for work as usual, but the conductors did not pick up their money satchels. Needless to say, public support was solidly behind these take-no-fare strikers. However, there were many like me, who had climbed up to 4th floor and shopped, but shopped carefully to buy only as much as it was possible to carry it downstairs without a lift. In India, consumers always come last. Bosses rule the land and consumers, the losers; bear the heavy cross on their shoulders, silently