Mumbai was shrouded in a dark blanket last evening. While most residents sighed about the fact that load-shedding had Mumbai under its grasp too, the papers today explain it as a Power Collapse. The far suburbs of Thane and Kalyan have been struggling under load-shedding induced power-cuts from quite some time now, other parts of Mumbai thought of as protected from such issues, too got its first taste yesterday.

Mulund and Matunga, nearer home to the heart of the city, had been complaining of fluctuating power the entire day yesterday, until it finally went off for good between the 4 to 5 slot. Bandra to Borivali experienced the power cut too. But it has been noticed, surprisingly so, that the time the power cut lasted receded towards the South of Mumbai. The phase out started at and around 5 in the Western line. While Bandra residents got the electricity back within half an hour, Santacruz residents were illuminated after an hour or two. Andheri and Juhu suffered for three hours while Laxmi Industrial Estate area had another half an hour extended to that Malad and further north got their electricity back even later.

Interestingly, Town, or South Bombay, did not experience the blackout at all.

An employee of Laxmi Industrial Estate said, ” Load shedding has started. This is going to be the case everyday now from 5 to 8″
A fruit Seller at Andheri Station said, ” The Municipal people had warned us that this will happen. We dint know that it would actually happen.”
And a fuming resident from Juhu said, ” The papers announced Load Shedding in Mumbai the day before, and it started today. But other things they promise never start on time. Take the Metro Rail for example!!”

An official from Prakashghad, or MSEB, under the condition of anonymity said that that malls were eating up into the power limit of Mumbai, but they cannot be stopped. He also said that they might even have their own generators. But when the blackout happened, all the malls too were devoid of light.
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Do you live in and around Mumbai ? Do you love the city, Would you like to express your love by writign about it on Mumbai Metroblogging ? If so, now is your chance. As a Metroblogger author, you will be free to write about whatever they want as long as it has some connection to Mumbai, but you must post AT LEAST three times a week.

You obviously live in or right around Mumbai. Other than that, kuch bhi chalega!

New ideas are encouraged and given a free hand. The mission is to get people coming back for more and more.

This is a great opportunity to get your opinions heard, gain writing experience, blow off steam, or just see what it’s like to write to a broad audience.

We only have a few spots, so if you are interested, you need to move on this NOW! We will be accepting applications, so drop us a line before then. Include the following:

• Full Name
• Writing or blogging history if applicable (if you have not written before, that doesn’t mean we will not consider you!)
• A short explanation of why you would be a good blogger with us

To apply, send a note to metblogs@wadias.in We also welcome questions you may have. We are excited to hear from you.

- The Mumbai Metblogs

Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray has said that if he feels that the film Black Friday glorifies Dawood, then he’ll shut it down.

The controversial film on the 1993 Mumbai blasts had finally made it to the theatres two weeks ago.

“I haven’t seen the film. I plan to watch it, and if it glorifies Dawood, I will make sure the film is never shown again,” said Bal Thackeray, Leader, Shiv Sena.

But the threat has shocked the makers of the film. They say that they had already screened the film for the Thackeray family and even accepted the cuts that they had asked for.

Moreover, they say that there’s no attempt to glorify Dawood or the underworld, but instead it is a graphic depiction of the city’s darkest hours – the 1992 riots, communal polarization and the coming together of the underworld to trigger a series of blasts on March 12, 1993.

However, Bal Thackeray’s threat is just the latest in a line of setbacks for the film, which has already faced legal censorship.

The film’s release was earlier stopped for two years by the court hearing the 1993 blasts case. The reason for that was that the film could bias public opinion.

Now that the trial is over and the film is out, it appears that it has run into Mumbai’s moral censors. I feel its better to leave the choice to the viewers. After all they are the once who pay for the tickets. For once why cant these politicians look into something which really requires their attention ? Poverty, Disease, Unemployment, Pollution, Gov officials who accept bribe and so on… The list is endless.. Mr Thackeray are u listening ??

Ok here is something unusual for mumbaikars. This week end there is a boat show/ exhibition held at the Gateway of India. You can feast your eyes on larger boats and luxury yachts from leading international manufacturers in the water at Apollo Bunder, next to the Gateway of India. So this weekend dont miss it. For more info please check this site here

Venue Name: Gateway of India
Address: Apollo Bunder 400 039
Directions: A landmark structure near the Taj Hotel.
When : 22nd February to 25th February 2007: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.

If Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3 flipped the covers off the glitterati and Corporate sneaked into boardroom slugfests, then Traffic Signal supposedly turns the lights on gutter-street survival, an intrinsic part of maximum city melodrama.

But the question is whether you, would actually want to know what lies behind the crazy beggar’s lament, the smack addicts passion or the runaway kids ram kahani (life story).

Here is a is one such behind the story stuff I came across the e-newpaper today.

MUMBAI: Nizambhai runs a fairly successful business close to Byculla bridge. His tobacco stall, located near the road leading to Nagpada, draws a constant stream of smokers and paan lovers. But that’s not really the secret of Nizambhai’s success.

A large chunk of his profits come from a surreptitious arrangement that he has with a group of beggars in the neighbourhood. They hand over all their earnings to him for safekeeping; he earns the interest but ensures their money is protected. “These beggars sleep near my shop. They hand over between Rs 200 to Rs 400 per day. But since I can’t keep all the money at my residence or shop, I’ve started putting it in fixed deposits. Whenever they ask for it, I give it,” he says.

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An American friend just moved to Mumbai and he is zapped by all the radio stations on FM. He was wondering which one to latch on to. So I told him that I would ask the readers of Metroblogging Mumbai to help him make up his mind.

With the plethora of radio stations especially on FM,

• What is your favorite radio station and frequency.
• Which RJ do you love ?
• Which one you cannot stand ?

Comments are open. Help is much appreciated

Well this is another one in the “Only in Mumbai” category.

At the recent civic elections, even dead people voted. Call it divine intervention ?

The civic elections are over, but the mud slinging refuses to die down. The latest incident to surface is that of dead people exercising their franchise.

According to Chandivli resident Iftekar Khan, names of more than 10 deceased from the Mohili Pipeline area in L-Ward have been used for bogus voting. Khan’s wife was an independent candidate from the area these elections.

“Some of these people died over a year ago and they still voted. How is it possible?” asked Khan.

The whole thing is now mired in legalase and I guess its another one of those incidents that happens and life goes on. To be fair with a billion people in the country and an electorate that is the biggest in the world, some glitches are bound to happen.

And it’s not like we are the only ones that screw up the elections. Ask Al Gore.

In the melee about the BMC elections, another important event got overlooked. The juggernaut that is the Mumbai cricket team won the Ranji Trophy for the 37th time. For the uninitiated, the Ranji Trophy is the National Championship for Cricket in India.

The Mumbai cricket team is to Ranji Trophy what the New York Yankees are to Major League Baseball, only much more.

This time around the team had all its stalwarts playing, including Sachin Tendulkar, Agarkar and Zaheer Khan. Even the opposition had the newly resurrected Saurav Ganguly.

Played at the Wankhede Stadium

The home team emerged India’s champion side for the 37th time in Ranji history, under skipper Amol Muzumdar — given full-time charge for the first time — and new coach Praveen Amre.

Ahead of the World Cup, this was much needed match practise for all the India probables.

Read the entire news article here.

More on the Mumbai Cricket Team here.

Today is Election Day. Did you vote ? Did you not ?

What are your reasons for either of them ? What do you think this election will achieve. Did you vote because you had to or you wanted to. Is your candidate really deserving or just another politician.

DId you see anything funny, interesting, crazy, or rank bad at the election booth.

We would love to hear from you. This is an Open Thread for the BMC Elections of 2007. Welcome to comment.

Also read

• BMC Elections: Decision Time
• BMC Elections: Run Up To Election Day

February comes and Mumbai and the pedestrian plaza around South Mumbai’s lively historic art district ‘Kala Ghoda’ comes alive to the tune of the Kala Ghoda Art Festival. The setting is marvellous, the crescent shaped plaza is nestled around an array of heritage buildings such as Elephantine College, the David Sassoon Library and the Watson Hotel.

The Festival promises rich events in Arts, Literature, Music & Theatre – Seminars, Workshops and more. This years an entire host of events including a vintage car rally also expect performances from famed percussionist Shivamani. History buffs should also look out for the special heritage walks organised as part of the festivities. Also scheduled are many book readings including a “TETE A TETE WITH SHANTARAM” a freewheeling chat with author of the best selling book Shantaram, Gregory David Roberts this time without the cumbersome presense of Dolly Thakore.

The festival kicks off on the 4th February and continues up to the 11th February.

But what is really exciting is that the Kala Ghoda Association is blogging the event. The blog promises to bring the festival live to you with a mix of previews and impressions, reviews and reports, text and photographs, maybe even some audio and video. JUST LIKE LAST YEAR.

Here is all you need

The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival [A schedule]

and

The Kala Ghoda Gazette. [The Blog]