“What was so special about yesterday ?” The 2 most common answers one will get from people around are – “Yesterday was Gandhi Jayanti” “Yesterday was a dry day”. Hence this is what my post today is gona be all about (here am referring to the former answer of the two). This year Oct 2nd was as hep and cool as the Friendship Days and Valentine Days, all thanks to apunka Munnabhai’s latest prequel “Lage raho Munnabhai”. Mahatma Gandhi was past history for many teenagers, but thanks to Munnabhai, there is renewed interest in the Father of the Nation. The movie has been able to successfully reach Gandhi to many youngsters. Munnabhai and his pantars have managed to make Gandhi look cool and happening dude and suddenly Gandhigiri has become the cool topic to be discussed and practicing it is considered all the more cooler. It is interesting that in this film Gandhi’s identification is with the 20-plus generation who are most likely to scoff at the Gandhi of their textbooks — that great but boring old man who said uh-oh to sex, no to drinking and seemed uncomfortable with any fun in life. The principles that Gandhians have sworn by become, in this film, hip concepts for getting the best of life. The film works because it strips away the stiff layers of principle from Gandhi and makes available the very basic of his worldview. It acknowledges that Gandhi was a great man, who lived by his principles, but that we can’t all be great men like him and neither do we want to. But what we do want is not to forget him and some basic truths that were as relevant in his time as they are today.

Had Gandhi lived today, he might have frowned on Lage Raho, or maybe he would have quietly smiled. Who knows? This film comes after a whole bunch of ‘patriotic’ films of recent years where Gandhi figures as some kind of dithering weakling, who could have saved Bhagat Singh and his friends from the gallows, but couldn’t. In fact, Gandhi has been out of favour with under-40 Indians because the Gandhi they know seems too good to be true. Statist discourse has mummified Gandhi making him inaccessible in a fast changing society. Munnabhai has reinvented Gandhi for us.. And am sure that there are many more areas this trick of serving ghar ka khana with the 5 star hotel presentation style can work. On that note lets Lage raho…

It was shocking to read in today’s Mumbai Mirror, how Balaji Films ‘admits’ talents to the world of Miniscreen. Confusion fogged my mind and I just doubted, whether I’m still in 2006 or gone back to the Neanderthal age suddenly in a fine morning!

When I came to know that Mumbai is the setting of this fake-favoritism, I felt a real senselessness all through my wits.

First of all I prefer serials at the death of my likings and now another reason that provoked me to put forward my emotions here.

If you have those two words called Common Sense, you must have already realized the wacky, fanatic experiences of the serials, baked out of these kinds of soap production houses. What else are there, other than the extremities of religious duplicities, superstitions and the clear sale of Sexual Overdoses, all neatly packed behind fanciful family scenarios? Yes, now there is one more thing, religious impeachment in terms of career and business!
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Today is the 137th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. Arguably one of the most influential leaders of the last century, Gandhiji is fondly remembered all over the nation today.

Mani Bhavan, in Gamdevi; is the home of Gandhiji and is now a museum. If you havent been there yet, I urge you to make a trip one of these days. Its a worthwhile glimpse into the private life of one of the greatest Indians.

Happy Birthday Gandhiji

Sunday mornings in Bombay are slow times historically. For nearly a decade or so, during the heydays of Ramayana and Mahabharat TV serials, the city roads used to be abandoned at those times.

Every Sunday morning used to be scouts for me and all the other boys from the colony. And after scouts, was breakfast time.

The one place that beats all others for morning breakfast is surely New York Café, on the junction of Hughes Road and Gamdevi road. Directly opposite the Mercedes showroom and Cecil restaurant.

The New York would be empty at that time. The jukebox beckons and the music enthralls. Kheema Pao with fried eggs and a couple of mugs of cold beers at 11 am, was the sweet spot of the morning.

And continues to be when time permits.

Whats your favorite breakfast place in Bombay ???

This is from Mid-Day Diary….but oh !! so apt.

And this is for the women who chat constantly with each other while working out on the treadmill. They discuss their social life, the classes they conduct, the movies they are to watch among other things.

While walking on the treadmill your pace should be comfortable enough to allow you to speak — but only just.

Long conversations about ma-in-law’s quirks or a recently cooked dish that everybody loved, interspersed with giggles, exclamations, explanations and questions are certainly not okay. All this just proves too that you are not working out hard enough.

Women (and we say that because most women tend to do this) talking over another person’s head while on the treadmill are also irritating with a capital ‘I’.

Then, there are inane cellphone conversations on the treadmill that are enough to raise hackles and tempers alike. In fact, talking while exercising is bad for a scientific reason too. It is quite energy-depleting, sending the breathing rhythm that sets in during exercise awry. The only thing that should be flying, instead of all this conversation, is the sweat off your brow.