Madhur's Heroine...or Kareena's?

This was the mellow view from my suite at Ganga Kutir. Lovely, isn't it? A gently receding monsoon... Baul singers in the courtyard, and pretty fishing boats making their way up the narrow creek. *************** This appeared in Bombay Times today..... What went wrong with ‘Heroine’…. “I feel happy when you hate my film….then I know it will be a hit,” said Madhur Bhandarkar to me recently… and we both laughed at the irony. I like Madhur a lot - he is gutsy, self made and his movies are his own.Importantly, he doesn’t clone anybody else’s style. Madhur has created his own genre, his own brand - take it or leave it. Madhur’s movies follow a simple, or rather, a simplistic path – he picks a field ( fashion, society, corporate life, bars ) and constructs an unwieldy narrative around the central character – generally a luscious lady. Sometimes, this singular approach, devoid of complexity or insights, works big time ( ‘Chandni Bar’), sometimes it collapses on itself. In his latest, ‘Heroine’ , Madhur has overplayed his card, in that he has cannibalized his own. Dangerous! Very dangerous. You don’t devour your contemporaries and not pay the price… remember the old dog-eat-dog theory? This, in an industry that is known for its lopsided loyalties and absurd protectiveness. Fraternity is fraternity, howsoever hypocritical that sounds. Madhur has ruffled far too many feathers in ‘Heroine’. No problem… had the movie been a super hit. Success silences detractors like nothing else. Since the boast was that ‘ Heroine’ would be the first female-driven Bollywood movie to crash through the 100- crore ceiling, its lukewarm box office performance has Madhur’s rivals on a rampage. The knives are out … and that is how the cookie crumbles in this business. Madhur’s a tough guy and he’ll take the attacks in his stride. He has seen worse. But it would be worth asking himself where he went wrong. The starting point for the required introspection should be the clumsy script, the loose story line, the lack of attention to details ( Chateau Margaux on ice ???? Ouch!), and an over indulgent , almost arrogant approach to the subject. Had it been any other actress but Kareena Kapoor, the film would have collapsed on the first day itself. If people are still watching it with interest, it is for Kareena. Her stellar performance as Mahi keeps viewer interest afloat and frankly, it is too heavy a burden for any single individual to bear. The rest of the characters are almost laughable in their one-dimensional, caricatural monotony.Take away Kareena’s incandescent beauty and passionate, almost flawless interpretation of a really poorly written role, and what do you have? Cartoons babbling away in a movie that’s defined by incoherence and ineptness. By the end of this over long, over wrought,tedious exercise, one feels like groaning, “ Babes…. please spare us further torture!” *************** After a really bad spell of cop baiting, our Mumbai Police have finally redeemed themselves a little in the eyes of citizens. On the fifth day of the ongoing Ganesh Festival, several people called to compliment the efficient handling of traffic and other arrangements. It goes to show that with the right leadership, our vardiwallas are capable of excellent results. Well done! *********** The best way to celebrate Gandhiji’s birthday on 2nd October is to put on your running shoes and head towards the BKC complex for Mumbai’s first 10 km walkathon ( fitter individuals are free to jog the distance). ‘Footsteps4good’ is driven by the diminutive Jill Beckingham, who has succeeded in benefitting several NGOs through this initiative. 700 supporters ran last year. Many more are expected this year. All it takes is a big heart and a small donation to a charity of your choice. Go for it, Mumbaikars!

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Autumn Leaves...

This is creativity and devotion coming together neatly... a Ganpati crafted out of leaves! I have been singing Dhakku Makum all day. It's now close to midnight. I have gobbled up the best modak I have ever tasted! A fresh batch of modaks was thoughtfully sent to me by a friend of Aparna's called Chitra Phadke. God bless her! My modak moment arrived after a lavish dinner. This is a bit too disgusting to admit.... but I had also indulged myself at the Sea Lounge earlier, and polished off half a portion of bhel (minus sev and aloo,I might add). Is this what they call nervous eating? Or plain greed?

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High Tea with Ashatai....

These images encapsulate the spirit of Ganpati - Mumbai's adored deity. That's Anandita bidding goodbye to Aaliya and Jehangir's Ganeshji who was given a wonderful send-off in a decorated Jeep. The other image is of Ukdichhey Modak - a delicate, steamed prasad that is so well balanced in terms of flavours and textures, it merits an article of its own.Our Blogdost Aparna Velankar sent me this image with a promise to deliver the genuine article later this week. Aparna.... I am waiting! **************** Earlier in the evening, I had spent a mellow evening enjoying High Tea with Asha Bhonsale and her lovely daughter-in-law Anuja at Sea Lounge. Modaks were avidly discussed, along with several other Maharashtrian specialities that Ashatai cooks so expertly. She not just loves food, she loves feeding people. It goes back to her childhood when she used to cook for the family along with Meena, her sister. Asha was just 9 years old at the time! But this evening, she was in the mood to dig into scones and clotted cream, salmon sandwiches and mini chicken quiches. Knowing how particular she is about her diet and exercise, I was delighted to observe her eating heartily and saying sweetly.... "it's okay to indulge once in a while. And I won't eat dinner tonight." I reminded the 80-year-old Diva of the time she had come over to our home on her 60th Birthday and brought her unbeatable shammi kababs ,which we had pounced on! But by far the best part of the High Tea was when the pianist Jokim Crasto switched to playing old Asha Bhonsale numbers, adding his own Jazzy twist to ''Çhuraliya..." and other hits. What a warm and wonderful evening.... as Ashatai hummed along softly, avoided the imli chutney of the bhel, and talked fondly about her grand children, I felt I was in the blessed presence of an extraordinary woman whose amazing life has been so very rich.... and who has equally enriched countless other lives for decades with her golden voice.

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Didi-giri... Cholbey na! Cholbey na!!

Don't you just LOOOOOOOOVVVVEEEE these two images? I clicked them at Sonar Tori (Golden Boat), a magnificent restaurant on the banks of the Ganga at Raichuk. Anandita and I were invited by the Neotias (Harsh and Madhu, whose brainchild it is) ... and am I glad we took them up on it!The art you see is by a talented young painter, Narayan Sinha, who has also created the artistic interiors. The Zamindaari Feast of West and East Bengal ( now Bangladesh )was an absolute treat.... and I was in great company, sitting across the erudite Governor of West Bengal. The conversation was as fascinating as the cuisine.... who could ask for anything more? ******************* This appeared in Asian Age today.... Didis and Dadas of Desi politics… I happened to be in Kolkata when Mamata Banerjee made her dramatic announcement to pull the plug on the UPA. Nobody was surprised. There was a bus strike in the city, and people were rejoicing! It meant there would be far less traffic on those clogged streets, less pollution in the atmosphere, and more time to focus on the Dengue outbreak that is obsessing Kolkattans. Every time there is even a hint of a mosquito buzzing within a five foot radius, locals duck for cover or start flapping the air frantically with anything handy – even a sturdy handbag. Didi’s latest stunt doesn’t cause a single ripple. “ It was expected,” says a corporate honcho tiredly. Apparently, anything and everything is ‘expected’ from the mercurial Didi. And no, people don’t want her to leave her hard won gaddi. Not yet. “The commies are waiting to get back into the saddle… but that’s not happening,” announces an industrialist as we nibble on exquisite salads. Life appears to be looking up for those who have embraced Didi’s extraordinarily eccentric and imperious style of governance. There is a great deal of hope invested in her ability to somehow get things moving in that sluggish state. While people wait for the miracle, those close to her are reaping the myriad benefits of being Didi loyalists. Their projects are getting cleared phataphat, and money – a great deal of it – is being made. In such an upbeat scenario, it is foolish to argue with the converts. Didi is their savior. She has rescued them from the maws and jaws of the previous regime and granted a carte blanche to go forth and mint money – no questions asked. In the process, her party hasn’t done too badly either. There’s something to be said about friends with benefits in these difficult times. Like Didi’s faithful followers who argue (rather unconvincingly) against policies Didi refuses to endorse , there are the non-believers, albeit in a conspicuous minority, who articulate their misgivings over watered down Scotch, while reeling off glories that once were Bengal. They are least bothered about the neighbourhood kiranawalla’s future and what will happen to his shop once the biggies enter the market.Walmart politics are for those who live in Delhi. Diesel prices affect interstate truckdrivers, not them. Didi’s got it all wrong, they sniff dismissively, as the old bearer in their favourite club, pads around getting refills. Similarly, the young, rich and restless are worried about Kolkata’s non-existent night life, given the early curfew and the absence of lively hang-out places. One of them was earnestly urging a high ranking official to ‘reconsider’ the spoilsport policy since shutting bars at 11 p.m was such a downer… a barbaric ruling, he called it, without a hint of irony. A disconnect this deep is hard to bridge. It is happening all over India. And those who refuse to address the growing divide are going to pay for their resistance eventually. Most people are living in a fatalistic zone, worried about day to day adjustments and compromises. They are totally disengaged from the bigger political picture that, in fact, does impact their lives on every conceivable level. I watched the images of Vishwakarma in Kolkata and asked around how the preparations for the annual Durga Puja celebrations were progressing. Was there a sense of panic at rising prices… did the escalated cost of diesel dampen their enthusiasm? Was their confidence in Didi shaken? What about the prospect of a mid-term poll disturbing the tempo of their lives? Were any of these issues of any significance? Bilkul nahi! The Vardan Market was full of shoppers making early purchases from small boutiques that specialize in selling designer knock-offs. Speaking to a few women haggling over an Anamika Khanna fake, they stared at me like I was crazy. Roll back or no roll back, they were going all out to enjoy a great Pujo, minus any cutbacks. Whether it was the aggressive art mart or the gold mart, going by the enthusiastic shoppers crowding bazaars, nobody could possibly have believed Didi had just dropped a bomb shell. How things unfold after the flop Bharat Bandh, will be interesting to monitor. The key word being flung around is ‘consultation’. Assorted netas are going purple in the face about not being consulted by the Congress Party before taking such a momentous decision. But hello! Since when did the Congress ever consult anyone…. Allies included?Countless ad hoc decisions have been imposed on the nation in the past… been weakly debated and eventually junked . Most times, the aam janata has seen through the charade, shrugged and gone on with life. This time too, the pantomime will be ignored till a staged ‘resolution’ is offered and instantly accepted by the Opposition and Allies. The Prime Minister, emboldened by the positive market sentiments to last week’s googly, will once again disappear behind the purdah and wait for the Didis and Dadas to calm down… which they will. Our political masters have read us well. They know all it takes to buy time and get on with business as usual is to make a big noise and threaten to withdraw support. The natives are satisfied that at least someone is doing something. It’s hogwash, of course. But everybody goes to bed feeling happy. Meaningless threats and protests have a way of dulling our senses and making us believe we actually count. So, has a new era of Didi-giri and Dada-giri dawned? Will the latest flexing of political muscle make even the smallest dent in the status quo? Or will we – stupidly and passively - stay mum even after the 12,500 crore Teddy Bear’s Picnic erroneously referred to as ‘Bharat Bandh’? As always, this expensive joke is on us.

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Happy Birthday ,Ganeshji !

What a sweet Ganpati! It belongs to our Blogdost - three guesses - I bet you know who.
On the way back from Kolkata, as we drove to catch our flight back to Mumbai, I watched hundreds of Vishwakarma images being taken for visarjan. When we landed , it was close to midnight, and our Ganpatis were winding their way to countless temporary homes in the metropolis. It felt great to be back! From the air , I could see the shimmering lights of several Sarvajanik pandals gleaming in the dark wetness of the monsoon night. Driving home, I joined worshippers as they shouted, "Ganpati Bappa, Morya..."
There were no ukdichhey modak waiting for me, though. That delicacy ended with the passing away of my mother.
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This appeared in Bombay Times yesterday....
Remembering Gautam ….
When Madhuri Dixit broke down during a book release function in front of a vast , pre-dominantly Maharashtrian audience at the historic Ravindra Natya Mandir last week, there was pin drop silence. She took her time to compose herself, tears flowing down her alabaster cheeks. When she spoke about the late Gautam Rajadhyaksha, it was with genuine love for a man whose goodness had touched the hearts of so many people. Gautam referred to Madhuri as his daughter ( the other daughter being Kaajol). And Madhuri’s was the face Gautam picked for the cover of his superb book, aptly titled ‘Faces’. Dixit, looking ravishing and Goddess-like, was accompanied by her husband, who sportingly came up on stage for the audience to get a good dekho of the man blessed enough to be married to Madhuri. His appearance was greeted by a roar of approval.
Once we had finished wiping our tears, it was time for Asha Bhonsle to speak. Before she did that, the presenter read out a moving tribute to Gautam written by Ashatai herself ( she is nearly done with her autobiography). This was such a gut wrenching effort, it was impossible to listen to it without audibly sobbing. Ashatai herself, kept wiping her tears with a corner of her saree pallu. Yes. It was that emotionally charged.They were close, Gautam and Asha. And shared an extraordinary relationship. She confessed she used to sulk and get possessive about Gautam often taunting him to go spend time with Madhuri or Kaajol…. his ‘ladkis’ ( favourites), after a difference of opinion. Ashatai’s secret recipe for ‘Fish Biryani’ ( her signature dish), was shared exclusively with Gautam ( an equally accomplished cook)…. but, she added with a wry smile, it never tasted the same. They shared common passions for music, food, beauty, and much more. Their daily conversations must have been scintillating. She expressed her enormous regret that Gautam isn’t around to see her movie debut at 80 years of age in ‘Mai’. Unbelievable! Perhaps it marks a first in the world …. a legendary singer decides to try her hand at acting in the eighth decade of her incredible life! Would Gautam have approved? No! Said Ashatai firmly. He refused to photograph her as an old woman… and wept when he saw the early stills. In his eyes, Ashatai was the perennial Diva…. one beyond age.
What a fine evening it was. Two extraordinary women ( Madhuri Dixit and Asha Bhonsle), sharing the same platform to honour an extraordinary man!
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Green Ganpatis…. an excellent initiative that’s being aggressively promoted. Eco-friendly murtis of Mumbai’s favourite deity have finally caught on with more and more devotees are opting for them.It was always a heart breaking sight to see the beaches after Visarjan day. Let’s all endeavour to make this year’s Festival, the biggest, safest and cleanest…
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Fascinating to see the growing trend of item numbers picturised on hotties playing Marathi Mulgis in Bollywood movies. After Vidya’s energetic lavni, it’s on to Rani Mukherjee’s Aiyaa. But before that comes sizzling Bebo’s Halkat! Raj Thackeray must be in heaven!

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Aseem Trivedi - one day wonder....?

That's my birthday boy Aditya, with Avantikka....what a party!

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Am off to Kolkata after a really long time.... excited! Lovely time of the year to be there...till mid-week.... I'll be missing from this space

This appeared in Sunday Times....

The curse of celebrity…
Mirror,mirror on the wall… who’s the ugh-est of them all? That’s the question Aseem Trivedi seems to ask in his latest cartoon. Errr…. Aseem? Yup. The same. This is what happens when an utterly nonsensical sedition case is filed against a maamuli cartoonist ( high on anger, low on talent) – it’s called a one-day phenomenon.But here’s the upside to the controversy .The recent furor has drawn public attention to the growing antipathy against the Ugly Politician. It sure looks likes this is going to be The Winter of our Discontent. First came the brutal attack on traffic cop Mohan Lal by a minister’s security personnel. Lal’s crime?He had dared to stop the minister’s convoy for jumping a red light. Then came news of some obscure cartoonist’s arrest in Mumbai. In both these seemingly unrelated cases, the strident howls of protest from the aam junta were similar in nature – they were more against the abuse of power by the high and mighty than in support of two wronged individuals. The big question in both cases - how long before we move on? Mohan Lal may end up nursing a bloodied and bulbous eye all by himself, once the media pounces on an even grislier story. After all, Mohan Lal has not announced his intentions of joining a citizens’ movement or turning into an activist. There is nothing ‘sensational’ about Mohan Lal’s predicament.This beastly incident is just another tragic case of an earnest government servant paying a huge price for doing what he’s paid to – his duty.Congress Minister Taj Moiuddin, will carry on… unapologetic, unscathed and unmoved. His repeated chant that he doesn’t have eyes at the back of his head , will also be filed away indifferently and soon forgotten.
But what happens from this moment on to young Aseem Trivedi will be far more interesting to monitor.Here’s a likely scenario: As of now, Aseem is the newest darling of the media… he has been completely co-opted by those crying hoarse against an archaic law. So far, it reads like a meaty story. Aseem, with disheveled hair and wearing the mandatory black kurta , lends himself perfectly to the darkness of the moment,as he plays to the gallery, spewing contempt and talking freedom of expression. He is also producing cartoons on command as apt photo-ops. That is, when he isn’t posing for shutter bugs, hugging well-known people like Dr.Binayak Sen. Aseem’s minders may have taken over his image building , going by how swiftly he undertook an expeditious damage control exercise when the Dalit heat was about to get to him.Once out of jail, what did our cartoonist friend do – he rushed to Buddh Vihar to pay his respects to Babasaheb Ambedkar, adding he had the ‘greatest respect” for the Dalit leader and the Constitution. He also grabbed a quick lunch at Mayank ( India Against Corruption) Gandhi’s office, before addressing a packed press conference.
What does the future hold for disgruntled young people like Aseem when they are suddenly propelled into the limelight and converted into overnight martyrs? What happens when an Aseem becomes a pivot, a symbol… even a hero? Does collective anger find the outlet it seeks? Or does the initial emotional outpouring get dissipated, leading to absolutely nothing but a few dramatic media clips? Political parties are quick to swoop down on people like Aseem. Any person who can grab headlines is worth courting. In such a cynical scenario, someone like him is a catch. So far, he has presented himself as a somewhat naïve but reasonably sensitized young man, using crude cartoons to express his disillusionment. His life has undergone a 360 degrees change after the misplaced Sedition charge. He is now owned by the media. He is hot property. He will make it to international publications and global channels. For a short while at least, Aseem Trivedi will gobble up publicity and share front page space with movie stars and sports heroes. Someone smart will ask him to walk the ramp – for a cause, of course. He will be wooed to play show stopper during the unending Fashion Weeks. Reality shows will chase him. He may enter the Big Boss house. Get a publishing deal. His career as a budding cartoonist may end abruptly. But so what? For another fifteen minutes, or perhaps fifteen days, Aseem Trivedi will be hailed as a bona fide celebrity… a star. The ravenous media monster isn’t done with him yet. And yes, he also draws cartoons for a living.

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Mount Mary's blessings....

I was most touched when my good friend Rashmi Uday Singh sent me this uplifting image she'd clicked when she went to pray at the historic Mount Mary's church in Bandra. She said she had lit a candle for me and my family.... and I got all teary!
It has been that kind of a day.... sentimental and a little weepy. It is Danesh's birthday today.He is one of my oldest friends, and I love him dearly.He lives in Paris, but I still feel we are back attending Summer School in St.Xavier's College, every time we meet. The last time was a few months ago. We were both mourning the death of Gautam Rajadhyaksha. It was raining buckets on the Champs Elysee, as we sipped hot chocolate at Fouquet's, held hands and shed silent tears. I said a prayer for Danesh during my Ganesh puja. And I thought about the death of Dr. Verghese Kurien - an extraordinary man, a true visionary. I remembered vividly the time I had interviewed him in Anand more than 30 years ago. I had called him India's Doodhwala.... and the title had amused him greatly. It was such a special era.... you have to watch Shyam Benegal's 'Manthan' that was inspired by the Milk Revolution started by Dr. Kurien. At 90. Dr.Kurien slipped away knowing he had accomplished a singular mission. What a life! What a man!

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