Hello Rahul,

Thank you for your blog and what you shared

helps me to understand that I am not alone
fighting this battle.

This is what I see in the world.
one that is run by power, greed, control and
exploitation of human beings, exploitation of
human rights.

I see a world where humanity has been
suppressed oppressed and their power has been taken away to LIVE.

The World is in a mess.

Thanks for your blog today it makes sense to me.

peace
Ashie

Dude..Change of Attitude will make a city clean and good. What would u say about Kolkata.

Hey Rahul i like the role u did in TAKSHAK man..u were kool in it. U should do more of those clever angry young man roles.

Rahul:

Fantastic article! Well brought out the dichotomies of Bombay!

Sometimes you have to sit down and "define" your "world"... then you get that world anywhere! Otherwise you can pretty seem lost everywhere!

Despite being a Delhi-ite all my life until I came to the US, I still like Bombay a lot more!

Cheers,
Desh
Drishtikone.com

Rahul - Great piece of writing. I've only ever been to Bombay once - spent six months and was finally driven out by the monsoon. Just couldn't take it. But I can see why Bombayites love Bombay.

Really nice post. Every opinion has an opposite with just as much "truth" (if there is such a thing) in it as the other.
I'm planning on applying to the WWI film school in january.. and as an american who has never stepped foot in mumbai its always goode to hear these kinda things.
Though I'm not intimidated. Sounds a whole lot like everywhere else these days.

Dear Rahul,
If you ever wrote a cool article on Intentblog, then this was it. Flawless. :)

Cheers!
Navin

Hi Rahul,

You still prefer to call this city Bombay instead of the official Mumbai. I personally prefer Bombay to Mumbai, although if you take away the last two letters in its former name, it becomes an awfully dangerous thing.

Bombay is to India what New York is to the US. If New York is the Big Apple, Bombay is the Big Banana. Bombay unlike other Indian cities is unabashed in its worship of the Mammon God. Bombay brings out the best in people. Uproot anyone from anywhere in India or anywhere in the world for that matter, and transplant them in Bombay, and see the transformation! Bombay lets you be what you want to be. The choice is yours—a CFO or a gangster.

But like most of India, Bombay contradicts itself. While Bombay is the dream city of budding actors and entrepreneurs, Bombay is also every terrorist’s dream come true. Planting bombs in commuter trains and then melting away in the sea of humanity was never so easy! Bombay, unarguably the most bombed city in India, stoically bears the brunt. It never complains. Floods or bombs, it takes everything in its stride. It marches on.

I salute you Bombay!

Sanjeev

hi ! Rahul

yes .. anyones whos stayed in bbay ( even breifly ) would have an opinion and mostly likely that opinion will flutter from time to time. having spend my most of my life there brings added nostalgia and concern about what bbay is becoming. Although it has'nt lost its attitude. Bbay is a city for the "sadhu" from the himalayas to kings of the underworld.

A city I share a love hate relationship with. Love it when not there and hate it when I am there. A second home to me, everything said in this post is true. No one has time for you till you are in need and then you are engulfed in caring, is what this city means to me.

Nice write-up, Rahul. I saw in National Geographic recently, how they were going to change the face of the city by building some bridge over the sea and also build some sky train. They are trying to connect central and western railway.
"Almost all of the work coming out of Bombay is sub-standard." - As far as I have heard, people of bombay are fast and professional. My father spent the first 33 years of his life there before he shifted here and he always laments the laid back culture of Delhi to the fast and prompteness with quality of Bombay.
I think the unique dabba system was worth a mention.
Also you have not elaborated at all on your sub-domain- the largest film Indsusry in the world or maybe you don't want to blow your own trumpet. With all its limitations, we should still be proud of it with its unique song and dance sequences and all that.
I go to Bombay every now and then and I like the sheer hustle and bustle of the City. Though traffic in Delhi is now equally bad, Delhi seems boring and dull and is like a Jungle, a fact that my relatives from Bombay often tell me- "Dukhi man mere, sun mera kehnaa, yahan nahin rehna, jahaan nahi chaina...
Reminds me of another one for Bombay
"E dil, hai mushkil, jeena yehaan, Zara hatke, Zara bachke, Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan.
One thing is Unanimous- whoever is residing in Bombay swears by it and say that with all its limitations, it is the best. They love it all the times just the way women love you- not less sometimes.

awesome

gc

Found 5 articles on slate.com which I found an interesting read

Impressions of a western toutist and the contradictions they see in India
http://www.slate.com/id/2143259/entry/2107071/

Rahul and Navin,

I recieved this email from my brother he is a theatre artist.A fellow theatre artist has met with an accident if you can or other bloggers can help him.
Thanks

Ninasam is a pioneering theatre institute located in a small village, Heggodu, in Karnataka, founded by the Magasasay Award winner, the late K.V. Subbanna. In early April, one of the teachers at
Ninasam, Shridhar, had a serious road accident. It is a miracle he has survived, but for the moment he is virtually completely paralysed. He
is in hospital, and after being discharged, as we hope he will soon be, he will have to undergo extensive physiotherapy. It is impossible
to say how much of his mobility he will get back. Shridhar is 28 years old, and lives in Heggodu with his schoolteacher mother and actor
brother. Those of us who have worked with him know him to be an immensely talented actor, director, musician, and teacher. He is also a lovely young man, full of verve and spirit.

Please read the appeal below and help if you can. Sridhar is someone I know personally, a wonderful young man who not only creates magic on stage but is also someone who has always been ready with a smile and so full of life. I haven't seen him since the terrible road accident,but the latest news is that he remains immobile, that the doctors feel he could recover the use of his arms but it would take at least a year of physiotherapy. I am praying that he can at least have the use of
his upper body back ... as that might at least enable him to continue
with his music - he is extraordinarily talented in music as well.

The appeal below is for Rs 5 lacs (Rs 500,000 / $10,700 / 8,500 Euro /
8000 GBP).

If you can make any contribution, it would mean so much ... please
follow the instructions below.

Heggodu is a village in Karnataka, where couriers will not reach. If
you would like to courier your cheque, please send it to:

Sameera Iyengar
c/o Prithvi Theatre
Janki Kutir
Juhu Church Road
Mumbai 400049
India
Tel: +91 98201 51835

Hi Namita,

Thanks a lot for that wonderful link. I read the articles; they were a superb read!

Sanjeev

Dear Andaleeb,
In reference to your post #13, my heart goes out for Sridhar. I'll see what I can do.
I also suggest that Sameera Iyengar, who is collecting donations on Sridhar's behalf can organize a play at the Prithvi Theatre to raise funds for Sridhar. I, on my part, would let go of my fee for acting in such a play, if organized. Perhaps Rahul would be able to do much more as he is already a well established actor.

Wishing a speedy recovery for Sridhar

Cheers!
Navin

Dear Mr Bose,
This entry would be one of your finest pieces,yet. So very touching. I love the way you potrayed the good and not-so-good factors of the ever increasing world of mulitplexes and designer bags in india... You make me want to go to mumbai and (attempt to)make a difference, which i m sure i will, in due time.
Do take care,
Yours sincerely,
Shreya

My sentiments are mirrored in this post, I have been living here for the last 7 years. I have always wondered why the people of Bombay keep accepting and have this fatalistic attitude towards, bomb blasts, floods and more bomb blasts - why dont the people protest (like everybody does in Calcutta!) and boot out what is not working and bring in betterment?

Rahul:
The articles that you wrote earlier were well written, however, this particular one was quite "forced". With all that is going on in the world can you please write something that is not "doom and gloom" outlook...please! I understand this is not a "fairy tale" blog but still, I believe there is a lot of goodness in the world that goes unnoticed and unwritten about and as well as you write, I believe it would turn out to be something beautiful and a joy to read. Thanks!

Rahul: This article defines a love-hate relationship with a personified Bombay. I hope more Bombayites have an opportunity to read it. I am glad I did.

I'm not a Bombayite, but my wife is and we've spent alot of time together there recently.

Like the others I think this article is brilliant in the way it captures the constantly conflicting feelings one is forced to have about this city.

On a great day in January this year the city stopped just long enough for me to run 26 miles around it. And it felt like such a privilege to be involved with the place.

On other days I've had to grit my teeth alittle.

Bombay gets under your skin. Deep in the heart of you. So deep in your heart, that it's really a part of you.

Thanks Frank. Thanks Rahul.

While western - silicon valley towns/cities are getting free wifi networks, Bombay is where Bombay was.

A wonderful, thought-provoking article on Bombay.

Your article stands apart from the usual 'This is my Bombay, as I see it' (yes with Rose tinted glasses and reeking of the latest from Chanel!). You have written about Bombay as a true user. As a 'one of us'. As an 'apna'. Someone who has actually experienced Bombay. Someone who has travelled those Rust Bucket, but so lively and living, trains heaving with the collective hope and aspirations for the day every morning and the collective sigh of resignation every evening.

Bombay: The city of hope? Always. Now? Absolutely. Thereafter? Ek dum, koi shaque?!! :-)

By the way, asides, by the by, aur ek baat etc etc...

Would you have done Saif's role in Being Cyrus if such an opportunity was presented to you. And if yes, would it be with an intent of changing the performance in any way?

Bus, that's all!

bout the multiplexes -i'd agree with you...when i went to the Galaxy theatre in Bandra to watch 'Omkara'...there was a documentry bout a boy who was tryin to clean up Bombay......ok the part where ajay devgan comes n saves the boy n all was a bit too dramatised ......but the concept of delivering the message-pretty good....Bombay's dirty when it comes to the east side....man anderi(e) is the dirtiest(i think).......no wonder there is flood everywhere.....n theres "Water ,Water everywhere ,not a drop to drink"....this is the scenario in modern MUMBAI...

Dear Mr. Rahul would you mind passing me ur no. not kidding! My friend in Bangladesh has ur no. but I cant get hold of her.Would luv to talk to you once just once haha thx!Plz. send it to me at sandunes80@hotmail.com
Sharon

Complexity and contradictions - good exists with the bad, and you literally wrote it out like that: juxtaposing the good with the bad, showing how complex life is, and filled with contradictions.
But what bothers me sometimes is, Is noticing things around you good enough? or changing them necessary?

good one rahul, i can say one thing money talks.it's the story of every nation rich gets richer and poor stays poor.it's diff that we get to see it more in india because of indian goverment.one time i was waiting outside of this mall for my car to drive up , this 5 year old walked up 2 me.he was trying to sell ganapati's murti. he said just 15 rupees buy this.i looked at him and didn't say anything. my cousin told him to go away.he said just 10 rupees please bye it.i was still standing.the boy was still there. he said 5 rupees please take it.he said i been trying to sell it all day.that boy stood all day to sell that to make 50 rupees.i gave him some money and bought him something to eat. my cousin told me not to.she said they are just rip offs and liers.even if they are what make them to do it, money.it always bothers me every time i come 2 india.i know i wouldn't be able to do anything for that.in this matter it needs more than one to make differance.

I love the way you see this city. Its not too different from the way I do. I am proud to belong to this city. It maybe dirty, noisy, all the negative things, but the very same things make it into what it is. A city so full of life. So beautiful. Its about how you see it, if you take that extra second to look around as the city rushes by. I see Bombay in sepia now. I miss my city, I yearn for it.

Hi Rahul,
I reached your blog through google. Had some free time at work and I generally enjoy reading blogs which seem interesting.
One pervasive feeling which I get while reading about Bombay, is that it grows on people who live in it over a period of time. It engulfs them, and, tries to convince them that there is yet hope and splendour in unrest and anarchy. I myself have been born in a small town (its called Shillong), so I dont know what growing up in a big city is. But, I do have a feeling of what living in a big city is and can find no reason to savour any part it. As a person who has merely visited Bombay for purely work or touristy reasons, it strikes me as rather surprising as to how people can enjoy living there. My view is constricted, and, I am of course primarily referring to the middle class (I belong to the upper middle class). But somehow, I believe the fact that Bombay is the center of the movie industry has a lot to do with adjectives like 'unique', 'spirited', 'glamorous' attached to this city. Its all as if this too were a 'endorsement' of a city as is the case with most things related to showbiz. Have nothing against it just that its a trifle difficult to believe.

Sounds too similar to where I come from.

However, instead of a population of 1 billion & growing, we are struggling with 4.5 million and dropping birth rates.

The concrete jungle's the same.

Public transport's efficient - featureless sardine cans dislodging their load of drones in commercial hives in the morning and the reverse in the evenings.

Emissions in the air are the same.

Low (really?) cost pigeon holes are built by the government to make public housing affordable to all.

The rat race in order to earn enough to own a pigeon hole's the same.

Overcrowding, commercialization, pollution- everything's the same.

1 thing is different, though. You might still love your Bombay. But I detest this city where I am treated as a 2nd class citizen (not overtly, no, no - we are an equal opportunity utopia!) because of my sex, race & religion.

I guess I do envy you that. :-)

hey rahul,
Am afraid I might be a little too late in stumbling on to your blog, as your last post is dated november last year and most probably by now you are disillusioned by the 'blog effect'.

Nonetheless I am always intrigued by those who chose to call Bombay-Bombay even after a series of debates publicised on this topic. With no disrespect to any one or any opinion, I chose to call Bombay, Bombay for reasons very close to my heart...wondered why do you chose to call Bombay-Bombay?
Just wanted to know your thoughts...

Best,
Durba