The Girl in Red Zipper!- a despicable act by a sensible girl?

 After- The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo and The Girl in Yellow Boots, it is time to get acquainted with the newly unleashed- The Girl in the Red Zipper!!!

We all know her by now...Her name is- said to be - Madhura Nagendra. She is a post graduate student from Bangalore. She was one of the many thousand performers who worked to make the 2012 Olympic Opening ceremony a success. However, unlike the rest of the thousands who did their job and left, Ms. Madhura Nagendra- The Girl in the Red Zipper- chose otherwise!

She sneaked into the Indian Contingent on the momentous occasion of the Olympic opening ceremony'2012.

On that prestigious night, amidst an entire contingent of Indian athletes uniformly dressed in yellow and navy blue, Ms. Madhura tramped in wearing a bright red zipper and faded blue jeans making sure that in no way, her brave act could be missed!!

And mind you; not only did she forcefully inflict herself on to the Indian contingent but she almost ended up 'LEADING IT'- Waving, smiling and graciously (read- shamelessly) accepting applause all the way!!!

The Indian athletes- whose moment it should have been- could only watch in shock as Ms. Madhura proudly stole their thunder!!!

The fact that a person with 'no authority' could gain such access is a matter of great concern to officials and sportsmen alike. It reflects very poorly on the much publicized security arrangements around the event. However, if we are to condemn radical fanatics and hardened criminals for breaching security (which is incidentally their job!), I wonder how we must react to this so called sensible person- Ms. Madhura Nagendra- for breaching the security, embarrassing her country, demeaning the athletes and making a mockery of the entire event?!!

Her father has said, “From whatever I learnt and presume that she being an Indian, the London Olympics Organizing Committee might also have selected her to 'take' the team inside the stadium. This might have hurt our team's feelings. I feel very sorry for that.” Wow! That still does not justify your daughters actions sir!!

Some others have attested Madhura to be a “good Neighbor”. Some friends of hers have stated her excitement as being reason for her act...But all this is beside the point! In fact- all the defending makes her act seem even more preposterous and condemnable. For she surely can be the best of people and the most competent of employees and of course the most loving of neighbors but that does not absolve her from what she did that night!

No one's asking for her to be punished or imprisoned or banned or chastised...

But Ms. Madhura Nagendra,

A graceful acceptance of your stupidity and a sincere apology from you will surely reveal how truly sensible you are. Because no matter how angelic you may be; most of us know you as the girl in a Red zipper who forcefully stormed in and waved out to the 'world' at an event where you had no business to be. To us you are the girl who has for eternity jarred the image of that night for all the athletes involved (see pic alongside) and finally as the girl who after possessing so much confidence and arrogance... has now gone into hiding.

Not cool!

Mumbai to Goa by Road via NH4 - Details

Time of Year: June'2012.

Start point: Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali East, Mumbai.

End point: Mangeshi Devasthan, Ponda (23kms from Panaji), Goa.

Total distance- 634 kms (one way).

Duration: 12 hours approx. (One way, inclusive of 3 breaks).

Vehicle- Honda City.

Route: NH4 via Pune-Satara-Kolhapur-Nipani-Amboli (Ghat)- Ajara- Swantwadi and then on to NH17 to Panaji.

Note:

NH 17

This route is approximately 60 kms longer than the traditional NH17 Mumbai-Goa road but is thoroughly worth it. The roads for most of the distance (452kms out of 634kms) are two lane with wide dividers, all the way till Nipani. There are also plenty of petrol pumps along the way.

-Details-

Start Time: 5:45 am 

Place: Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali East, Mumbai.

First Halt- Second Food Mall @ Pune End

First Halt: Second Food Mall, Mumbai- Pune Expressway.

Time: 7:40 am.(Duration: 25 minutes)

Ideal breakfast time. It had been an hour and 55 minutes since we had left and had covered 143 kms. A light south Indian breakfast of Dosa's and Wada sambhar- ideal for any travel- was leisurely consumed before heading out.

Second Halt- Satara

Second Halt: Some Dhabha, Satara.

Time: 10:30 am (Duration: 15 minutes)

We had crossed 'another' 152 kms. There are plenty of all kinds of dhabha's and restaurants by the road. We stopped at one such for coffee and to stretch our legs. Feeling well refreshed, we began again...

Third Halt: Goa Ves, Nippani.

Time: 1:15 pm (Duration: 30 minutes)

Perfect time for lunch. Also by then we had covered another 157 kms making our total distance covered since Borivali come to 452 kms. That left another 183 kms for the last leg of the drive, thus making this an extremely ideal halt.

At this point you would have just crossed Nippani meaning which the Amboli ghat begins hereafter. There are 3 eating joints here. One on your left- which is unclean and unkept- and two on your right. We had a sumptuous and tasty chicken Thali at 'Goa Ves' which'll be on your right. Although the chicken here required adequate effort and could successfully compete with the best of chewing gums, the curry was super tasty and the roti's were amazingly soft.

Please note the right for Amboli Ghat is a very narrow lane with a discreet black and white board which you could easily miss. Thus more than the board the ideal sign would be the seamless wide road turning up a slope to the right. As soon as the road turns right and then curves to left- going up a slope- on your right will be Goa Ves!! If you cross this, you have missed the right for Amboli Ghat.

Destination:

After the lunch break it was to be directly to the destination without any halt.

It was raining elephants and giraffes all through the ghat. Driving here was a fun and exciting experience. As long as you kept cool and enjoyed it, it was like playing a video game!!

Amboli Ghat

Now, just into the Amboli Ghat there is a popular picnic-waterfall spot where our beloved merry seeking but ever so undisciplined countrymen had gathered in all their enthusiasm to get wet! Their cars were haphazardly parked in all their arrogance on this narrow fog filled steep curvy road! They themselves too were lumbering across the road as if strolling from living room to kitchen-that too on a sunday morning! However, there are two very inviting food shanties here that serve piping hot 'rain- friendly' delicacies like maggie, pakoda's, omlette pav, tea, coffee, soup, etc. Its a super tempting halt considering its setting and temperature. The only reason we did not stop was because it would have seemed retarded to escape from the circus called Mumbai and then head right into the madness prevalent there- on that sunday afternoon- to fight, jostle, grunt and grumble all over again!

We however compensated for it on our way back. (see pic below)

As such, with no further stops and despite the curvy visibility barred ghat we reached our destination- Mangeshi Devasthan at 5:40 pm. The last leg of the drive post lunch was of 183 kms and took us a little less than 3 hours. The whole trip took 12 hours with 3 comfortable halts.

RETURN JOURNEY

We took the same route back. However, with the confidence of knowing the route now, the stops were different and intervals erratic!

Start Place: Mangeshi Devasthan (Ponda, 23 kms from Panaji)

Start Time: 6:20 am

Food Stalls @ Amboli Waterfall Point

First Halt: Amboli Waterfall

Time: 8:30 am (Duration: 25 minutes)

The ghat was largely behind us by now. We had covered the most tricky 108 kms of the journey in the first 2 hours. It was an ideal time for breakfast and the setting could not have been better. It was raining heavily, the fog was in all its attendance and most importantly the place that resembled VT station -at peak hours- on our way to Goa now looked like some secluded cottage in Dehradun! Thus, we made the most of it by hogging on garam garam pakoda's, omlette pavs and multiple rounds of nescafe!!

View from Goa Ves, Nippani

Second Halt: Goa Ves, Nippani

Time: 10:25 am (Duration: 10 minutes)

This halt was not needed at all but we took it all the same! Just for another round of coffee and to stretch our legs. It had only been 77 kms since our last halt but heavy rains and some active village life along the way had taken us an hour and a half to cover the same. We left from here within 10-15 minutes.

Third Halt: First Food Mall, Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

Time: 2:50 pm (Duration: 40 minutes)

In the last 4 hours were a tad bit adventarous considering i was not used to it at all! We covered a mammoth 324 kms non stop! The roads were so straight and empty throughout that it was like the car was driving itself. Also since the tummy's were full we just did not feel like taking a halt!

We finally had our lunch at the first food mall(Pune side) and geared up for the last leg of our trip that would take us home!

Home: Reached.

Time: 5:50 pm

Last 125 kms took 2 hours and 20 minutes, making the entire trip take 11 and half hours with three sufficiently unhurried halts.

So there it is... Drive safe and enjoy the journey. Mind you...the journey is often more important than the destination! ;)

The Novel Chakravarty

The Novel Chakravarty

The Genius called Aamir Khan and HOW!

DISCLAIMER: Let me state up front that i have no intentions to be a part of the cynical intelligentsia who have already condemned Satyameva Jayate. Personally, I shall any day prefer a superstar to responsibly take up a cause and create awareness rather than simply and perpetually entertain. Albiet, I am also NOT a die hard Aamir Khan fan who defends everything he does. This short rant here is simply and only an observation of the genius that Aamir Khan is proving time and again to be!

Lagaan, Dil Chahta Hai, Mangal Pandey, Rang De Basanti, Taare Zameen Par, Gajni, Peepli Live, Delhi Belly, Dhobhi Ghat, 3 Idiots and now Satyameva Jayate! Such is the story and glory of Aamir Khan (AK).

If it was luck, then it would have run out. If it was co-incidence then it would have stopped recurring long back. It thus can be only one thing- pure Genius!

I guess, at some point of time at the beginning of this millennium, it seems as though AK began his transformation from just another successful actor into this super intelligent creative force that he has become today! A calm, collected and sorted individual with acute focus and hard work. The result has been unprecedented success- economically and creatively.

One only has to compare the work of some talented directors with and without AK to know the difference that his acumen can make.

Now, at 11 am yesterday- 6^th May' 2012, I could not help but marvel, yet again, at the brilliance and genius of Aamir Khan.

It was the first telecast of Aamir Khan's television show- Satyameva Jayate (SJ). A show that broke every possible trend, showed the viewers everything that they had seen umpteen times before on some news channel or another and yet garnered stupendous reactions from all quarters! It is too early to comment on the success of the show but what is established yet again, is the brilliance of the mind called- Aamir Khan. Here's how-

The name- 'Satyameva Jayate.'

This name does justice to every text and subtext that one can find in the best 'brand building' journals of the world. It has- High recall value, immediate relativity, encapsulates the products essence...- you name it and it is there! Full marks.

Clutter breaker all the way!!

The show- like AK himself- has already beaten the crowd by not being part of it! Unlike the evening prime time slots that all stars and makers are fighting for, SJ, is telecast on a sunday morning when every other channel is either running re-runs or lame films! Tell me...who amongst all those 'celebrities', we have seen or known would have taken on this challenge aka gamble of a sunday morning spot? None.

Simultaneous telecast- Maximum Coverage!!

Breaking trends and making new ones for the benefit of his product is a AK trademark. He has done it before as a producer and did it again when SJ became the only program of its kind that will be simultaneously telecast on various Star channels along with- Doordarshan!

Finally, the best stroke of the Aamir genius is the theme and concept of Satyameva Jayate. It is a show that talks about genuine problems faced by real people. Now- “If you do not like discussing something that talks about the genuine problems which a large part of your nation is facing, then it only reflects how shallow and insensitive you are!!! For you may detest a game show or cringe at a serial but how will you publicly admit that discussing the perils of child marriage, dowry or female infanticide is something you are not interested in??” I cannot be sure of this being a deliberate reason but i am also sure, it cannot be overlooked!

The success and failure of the show is irrelevant to the context here. Also, Unlike so many people i do not know how much AK earns (and i do not care). All i know is the man is super intelligent and extremely creative. A genius and a winner... and a man cannot be all of that if he is not good man. After all...we all agree that at the end it is only- Satyameva Jayate!

Sachin is the class scholar NOT the monitor!! Hence NO RajyaSabha please!

When you worship a man for 22 years it goes without saying how important or special he is to you. I shall thus deliberately not state here as to how much and why I look up to Sachin Tendulkar. I shall instead state a more relevant observation of mine which will help me elaborate the point I am setting out to make!

My observation that emerged in 1997 was that -“Sachin is the class scholar and could not be the class monitor.”

It was at the time when Sachin; after a disastrous stint as a captain had decided to step down. I still remember how upset and stressed he used to be as a captain and how profusely the losses seemed to affect him.

Here is where my observation came from-

Almost every class in school had a student who was studious and came first in every exam. As opposed to that there would be another student who would never come first but was above average and was the class monitor. While the ‘scholar’ was good and diligent at his studies, the class monitor was capable of holding the class’s attention and managing other admin work.

It was my first glimpse into the human-ness of ‘Sachin Tendulkar’.  I realized how Sachin took everything personally, wanting to make all the difference himself and how poor he was at marshaling his resources. This however, took nothing away from him being the best batsman. But I knew then, as time would prove, that while the class monitors changed from Azhar to Ganguly to Dravid to Dhoni… the class scholar would stay focused and excel. Sachin could not take responsibility as multi tasking distracted him from his task at hand.

The second such observation came when through the entire murkiness of the betting and fixing that Indian cricket went through, defaming some of the icons of the game and bringing it considerable disrepute. Sachin did not say a letter! His silence earned him the dignity he was to maintain till date but again His silence only confirmed the non confrontational nature of his personality. It was evident that his focus was his own game. He did not want to get involved in anything else.

 

He was, as Ravi Shastry put it, “…born to play cricket and go back.” That was what he was meant to do!

Hence, last week when he accepted to be a member of parliament, I was stunned.

For, anyone who has observed him over the years, it was a move that stood contrary to everything Sachin had represented all these years.

Politics, leadership, multi-tasking and confrontation were all virtues that Sachin had stayed away from even when they were related to the game he loved and lived! And now to see him take on those very same virtues off the field makes one wonder…

Thus, my negative reaction to this development is only because of my fear that he might not damage some of the integrity and respect that he has gathered over years of being silent and aloof to various things… like above.

Meanwhile, I shall do that, which I have done for over the last 22 years each time  Sachin Tendulkar was on strike and about to face the delivery- keep my fingers crossed and pray that he does well.

Yeh ZANJEER hum nahin chhorenge!! Rightly so?!

"There is nothing more important in making movies than the screenplay", said Richard Attenborough.

For the uninitiated the "screenplay" is the primary skeleton around which the body of a film takes shape.

If the 'story idea' is the drop of sperm that conceives a film then the screenplay gives it the character it possesses. After that, it is the dialogues, the direction, the songs, the performances, editing, sound design etc etc etc etc etc that give it the personality making it look and feel the way it finally does!

The writer thus is where it all begins. For they say- The film is first complete on paper (Ideally most of it should!)

All those involved in the madness of movie making shall agree unanimously. They have consistently agreed to this notion for over the past 100 years that the Hindi Film Industry has been in existence….and yet the Hindi Film Writer languishes at the bottom of the fame and fortune chain!!

Thus names like Wajahat Mirza, Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, Sachin Bhowmick or Prayag Raj mean nothing to the patronizing movie buff. However, we do sit up and take note when these names are placed beside the work each of these prolific writers have penned-

Wajahat Mirza (Mother India, Mughal-E-Azam and more...)

Khwaja Ahmed Abbas (Shri 420, Awara, Saat Hindustaani, Jaagte Raho, Bobby and more...)

Sachin Bhowmick (An Evening in Paris, Golmaal, Do aur Do Paanch, Koi Mil Gaya, Krish and more...)

Prayag Raj (Amar Akhbar Anthony, Parvarish, Suhaag, Naseeb and more...)

This is precisely the reason why the writer duo that exploded on the scene of Hindi cinema in the early 70's-  and flourished together until their split in the early 80's- is so special. At a time when there were no corporate etiquette's or social media platforms, at a time when the clout of the producers and the influence of the 'stars' thoroughly dictated dues and at a time when credit was the norm instead of advance; Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar- together  as Salim-Javed- revolutionized the way script writers are looked at in the Hindi film industry!

Albiet, it is matter of shame- for the industry- that until Salim-Javed put their foot down, such terms as they asked for were not voluntarily provided to the writers! And mind you, they too did not have it easy despite their craft and flare. For instance, it was only when Salim Khan booked an auto and went about all night painting their names on posters all over the city, that their demand for credits on the posters began to be met!

Thus with a craft that boasted of a potential to deliver scripts like Zanjeer, Yaadon ki Baraat, Deewar, Sholay, Haathi Mere Saathi,Trishul and Shakti to name a few and a flare to demand what was rightfully theirs; they made their presence felt and brought credibility to a profession previously relegated to the back ground.

As such, today, it only seems like a twist from one of their very own screenplays when after all these years, the duo is back demanding their due as one of their cult works- Zanjeer- is being re-made!

Zanjeer- written by Salim Javed-was released in 1973. It was not just a film but a landmark that acquired cult status as it unleashed on screen, the force called- Amitabh Bachchan- and gave vent to a phase that was to reflect from there on- 'the mood of the nation'. Zanjeer thus is a masterpiece by the writers and cannot be tampered with, without their consent.

Mind you, this is not at all a case of legal rights. As the amendments to the Copyright Act 1957 are yet to be passed in the parliament, Amit Mehra, son of Prakash Mehra who produced and directed the original could well be within his right to remake his father's film.

It is, instead, as Javed saab rightly pointed out a case of- 'moral rights.'

“You cannot buy a M. F. Hussain painting and then make changes to it just because you own it. This is violating the moral right of the artist”, he explained.

As such, for all disgruntled writers and artists who often lament the lack of recognition and respect the industry offers to artists behind the scenes (esp. writers), this could well be an opportunity to stand up and take notice. For although the intricacies of what happens between Salim-Javed and Mehra's over the remake of Zanjeer may or may not be known, the principle that seems to have triggered the unrest, is by all means worth defending.

As of now Javed Akhtar seems like the lone crusader for a cause from which the present generation of writers is to benefit. It is thus only wise to be aware if not involved at all times regarding the above, else Jaaved saab might just turn to us and say... "Ilaaqa tumhara hai, aur main akela hoon!"

Indian Prosperous...ahem...Premiere League is a MUST! Here's why....!! ;)

There is much said, written, discussed and deliberated over the Indian Prosperous... ahem...Premiere League (IPL) which is in its 5th consecutive season this year. It has been popularly branded as the marriage of Bollywood and Cricket- 2 staples of the Indian psyche, It has also been referred to as the ultimate (obnoxious) tamasha or the in your face bazaar where everything is for sale! However, for all the adjectives and more… I am willing to put on record why- at the end of the day (post 8 pm mostly!)- it is a far healthier spectacle to get addicted to then most of the other avenues around.

1) “I am watching a match honey/mom”:- It is- after all- a sport and hence makes for a guiltless and harmless addiction for all those(guys) watching! On any day, one is subjected to much less flack from the elders(read women) when watching a sport of any kind as apposed to any other program on the tube!

2) Healthy Imitation:- Anything on TV or films is definitely influential. As such what would you rather be influenced by- Sportsmen or Actors? What would you rather have the mind think about- a cricket match or facebook? Most people on watching the game feel like playing it- kids and elders. If not directly then through the talk-a-thons which- thanks to IPL- are now dominated by Sachin Vs Ganguly rather than anything from the latest video game to buy, family gossip, facebook profiles or any such other forms of occupation post sunset.

3) Perfect Unwind:- After a days work (hard or otherwise), there is no better way to unwind then watch a couple of hours of the game. It is a billion times better than the cacophony created by the Breaking News fanatics on any news channel!

4) Peace @ the Bar:- There is a very large drinking community that would otherwise get drunk, argue and create considerable violence every night over 'emotional' issues. The IPL maintains peace amongst this community as they now drink happily while either cheering their team or by simply enjoying a match with familiar faces and most times have nothing to get disheartened as they have someone to cheer for in either sides!

5) Convenient:- Unlike other sports like soccer or wrestling that go on round the year, it is so much more convenient to follow the IPL. Firstly, it is at a time when none of us have to set alarms or keep ourselves awake past midnight. Secondly, there is no homework to do or tongue twisting names to remember. Most of the players are known to us and the sport is what we grew up on along with sweat and dust and of course the angry neighbors' screams!

6)  The Noise:- We have forever been proud of the noise we make. It is always directly proportional to our happiness quotient and the IPL keeps the decibels high and rising. From the call of the Bugle horn to the beats of the DJ, there is everything there which keeps our Indian blood pumping through clogged arteries and accumulated trans fat!

7) The Women:- Those men that were otherwise buried in their newspapers in the evenings or at the society office downstairs or even worse were never home for dinner despite free from work are now home for the match. They now, sit with their wives and watch the game- even if in between the commercial breaks of the serials that their wives watch and CANNOT miss! Some even successfully pretend to listen as their wives rant about their day, while they watch the match on mute!

8) Vacation:- While the elders squabble and reason over the IPL and call it names to justify their intelligence, can you imagine the thrill the IPL must get to the kids who have just got liberated from studies on account of summer vacations? What did we do after bad light or a lost ball abandoned the play for the day? Cant remember! Imagine having an IPL to go back to after the daily game of cricket and even better- imagine having the IPL with no place to play that daily game of cricket!

As such, with the above few reasons and some more that i may have missed- (for i have not even mentioned the benefits the players are getting from it- monetary, exposure, conditioning etc.). I believe this spectacle- or whatever else it might be- is here to stay... just as the malls and fast food chains!!!!

3 Nights and 4 Days @ Murud- Janjira

Why Murud- Janjira?

1)      We wanted to take a 4 day vacation to a place that could be around a 3-4 hour drive from our home in Borivali, Mumbai.

2)      It had to be a place with clean beaches and very few people.

3)      Although most of our 4 days were meant for lazing around on the beach, we did not mind spending a day going around exploring the place we were staying in.

Murud-Janjira met all these requirements- perfectly!

Getting There:-

Murud is exactly 170 km from Borivali's Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The route being- National Park- JVLR- Ghatkopar- Govandi- Vashi- Panvel- Karnala- Alibaug- Revdanda- Murud.

We started at 7.30 am on a Tuesday and in precisely 2 hours and 65 kilometers reached our first stop- Kamath's for breakfast.

This was exactly the mid point of our journey in every way- Distance and Time!! Since the Check in time at the resort was noon and we had every intention to enjoy our drive liesurely.

After a sumptuous and ideal south indian breakfast and coffee, we hit the road again at 10:15 am.

The journey from hereon is smooth, relaxing and enjoyable provided you are in no rush; For while you are serenaded by the coastline post Revdanda; on two occasions you crawl through narrow village roads- first after Karnala when you drive through Pen and second- just before entering Murud when you drive through the narrow and rustic lanes of Nandgaon. It is indeed a pleasure to observe the sparse yet spacious dwellings, rickety yet well stocked kirana shops and the pace of life as people go about their daily existence in these places.

Having taken in the sights and sounds of our 170 km journey we drove into Golden Swan Resort fifteen minutes past noon. The journey had taken us 4 hours plus a 45 minute halt for breakfast at Kamath's.

Stay:-

View from Cottage

We had booked ourselves at the Golden Swan resort which is definitely over priced as was evident from their rates and the various blogs and reviews on the net. However it is the only resort that is right on the beach. The other close contenders like Sandpipers and Sea Shells don't even come close to this place.

Rammi- our family vacation sport!

Being a fan of the cottages system of accommodation- our two room AC cottage that cost us 6000/- p.n (minus food) was extremely comfortable and cozy. Especially since it was one of the two cottages with the best view of the beach!!

Eat:-

Lunch @ Golden Swan

Golden Swan food was by all means tasty and the service was no less than excellent. However, it was definitely over priced but again not as much! Besides since lazing around was the mantra of our trip we intended to have most meals at the resort. Also, Murud is largely under developed when it comes to food.

Ask anyone for a good place to eat and there is only one name that pops up. From the watchman of the resort to the coconut vendor on the road, all unanimously suggest the same name when it comes to food- Patil Khanaval! It is the quintessential place to eat in Murud. On our one day reserved for exploring the town we did raid Patil Khanaval and despite the hype and the rush it did not come even remotely close to a plenty of popular thali fish food joints in Mumbai! It was not bad at all but definitely not close to the best fish food i have had under similar settings. Surmai, Pomfret and Prawns were the only fish that they had and the sol kadi- a trustworthy barometer of such a place could definitely do with some tips from my mother!

View from Sandpipper

Apart from Patil's, another place i had heard of was- The Sandpiper Resort. Half a kilometer away from Golden Swan, it is located on the opposite side of the beach like all other resorts and is on a hillock. On reaching the place i was immediately relieved for not staying here as the beach is definitely not close to the rooms and the resort too looks as if it has been perpetually under construction! The food here, however, was the best i have had at Murud. We reached the place at 3:00 pm. The resort looked deserted with only Mr. Philip- the manager and a couple of waiters in sight. A piece of cardboard that hung discreetly on a nail declared lunch to be closed at 2:30 pm but no one(Waitor or Manager!!) even hinted at this as we made ourselves comfortable! The food was tasty, sumptuous and not at all expensive by resort standards. The aerial view of the beach only added to the experience.

Place to see-

Landed @ Janjira

Janjira Fort is the obvious must see here. After all, this fort 'is' the “Janjira” in 'Murud-Janjira.' The rest of the town is simply Murud! The word- Janjira- comes from the Arabic word- Jazeera which means an island and since the fort is built on an island, such is its name. Trivia apart it is a magnificent site and a feat of accomplishment that needs a visit by all means.

The fort has to be reached via sail boats which charge either Rs.20 per seat or Rs 600/- for a private boat of say 4-6 people. The catch in the Rs. 20/- boat is that, it does not leave for the fort until at least 20 people or so have gathered and it comes back from the fort after 45-50 minutes meaning which, you have to finish seeing the fort in that much time or you miss your boat! In that case you  have to then summon a boat especially for yourself and the charge for that is---yes!---Rs. 600/-!!

The most ideal thing is to get in a Rs. 20/- boat and hire the boatman as your guide. This is the offer that the boatman makes himself. The guide charges Rs.800/- for his services which can be divided by the number of people from amongst all of you that arrived on the boat who shall be hiring his services.

In our case, of the 20 people who came in the boat, 13 of us hired the guide and the charge came to approximately Rs. 65 per head for an entire trip of the fort along with some very interesting trivia. The guide gives you enough time to click pictures and move around by yourself. However the most important feature of this exercise- as my father pointed out to all of us- was that there is definitely  no fear of the boat living without us since the boatman himself is the guide!! As such we spent a little above an hour at the fort and absorbed enough of it to savor before heading back to the shore.

Datt Mandir

After a meal at Patil's and a siesta which is a compulsory feature of our vacations, we headed for Datta Mandir/ Sunset Point as recommended to us by fellow bloggers and the hotel staff. This was  a kilometer from our resort and provided a panoramic view of the entire village town, sea and both the forts- Janjira and Kasa/Padmadurga. If i did known how deserted this place was going to be with comfortable concrete benches and a large ground on the hill top, i would have surely taken a pot of coffee, biscuits and a Frisbee to vile away time until the sun bid us good bye for the day. For those who will now head for the spot, i definitely recommend a mini picnic basket. Take the darshan, take your pictures, have your picnic, watch the sun melt in the sea and head back to chill again!

Finally:

Murud-Janjira by itself should not take more that 2 nights and 3 days of stay wherein you wash down a few beers and laze under the sun on the beach on the day you reach followed by your must have siesta. In the evening you walk around and chat with the locals or explore the market and take in the essence of the village.

All set to head back home.

Day 2 can be your visit to the fort, meal at Patil's, siesta and a trip to sunset point wherein the evening is occupied by some board/card games with the background music of the sea plays along. Dinner that night can happen at Sandpipers.

Finally, the last day can start on the beach at 8:00 am wherein you swim, roll and swim more in the beach till 9:30 am and then shower and leave for mumbai by 10:30- Refreshed and Rejuvenated for the life in the city!! :(

If you are a fan… It is time to behave like one!

The Indian Cricket Team fucked up in Australia- Big time! A disaster of a series has finally come to an end.

The gang of boy’s returns home tonight, all set to expect brick bats, taunts and boo’s from their beloved fans and media!

 

The fans too are ready to hate them for what they did. Most of us are angry and insulted at the meek show that was put up by our millionaire boys down under. We absolutely loathe them and at times when we are too lazy to remember the precise statistics of their performance, we remind ourselves of their wealth and that makes hating them worthwhile! I wonder if we would hate them so much despite their sloppy performances had they been poor?!! Alas… that is for another time!

 

But that is what we do and have been doing for centuries- we exalt the players when they succeed and ruin them when they fail. Meanwhile, we call ourselves fans, supporters and even well wishers!

We seem to have no awareness of a space that could exist in between success and failure! A space called- Patience or Understanding- which should ideally be a part of an honest well wisher are never expected to be a part of our repertoire!

The law of fans is simple and definite: - “When you win- we scream, drink, love and worship you. When you loose- We hate you…bloody rascals, good for nothing millionaires!”

Having said and accepted that, it would amusing to alter the above culture for a change. For instance, to ask unanimously and thus loudly as to what went wrong! Before passing the judgment to wonder aloud- as to the reasons why a bunch of talented individuals failed collectively? And most importantly to question bang on as to why are Virendra Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir so upset??? Why are they behaving in a manner that reflects the entire Indian team in such poor light??

The results are always an eventuality of a lot of factors and it is these factors that one needs to concentrate on. Once these factors are put in place… it is very unlikely that the results will not be favorable! At present the factors within the Indian Team seem damaged and in need of repair. As fans we must do everything to bring this need to the fore.

 

‘Coz as a fan it is not just important to turn out with the flags or dance in the streets, it is more important to make your beloved players feel that we are not just your fair whether friends but are there with you through thick and thin. We are not the media who takes pleasure in churning out ridicule filled headlines as opposed to the truth, we are not opposition who wish to deflate your psyche…we are not the board who play power games but… we are your fans and hence are there for you… especially in time when no one else is!

55% of Mumbai gives up 'right to complain or demand!'

Yesterday- the 16th Feb'2012- was election day in Mumbai- the economical capital of India. It was the day when the fate of the nations richest municipal board was going to be decided for the next 5 years.


For a city which has lately been wounded and diseased on account of various corrupt and violence ridden inflictions, this day was more crucial than any other election day so far.


The angst ridden citizenry of this throbbing metropolis was to come out to vote and make its presence felt; so that the elected representatives would remain conscious of the seriousness of the city's governance during their term in office.


However, all hope was crushed and the battle lost as a meager 45 % of Mumbai turned out to cast their vote. 


Thus..."55% of Mumbai chose to gave up their right to express any sort of discomfort or protest against the governing body for the next 5 years!!"


No wonder then, much before the results could be announced, there was a smirk on many politicians' and political worker's face for 55% of the city had just earned for itself a 'right to be ignored' for the next 5 years!! 


'Coz how will these 55% enlightened souls who did not vote because they found no candidate worth the effort, make demands or express discontent towards these very candidates later?? 
Would that not be hypocritical or mere indulgence of such people who consider themselves far too arrogant to get involved in the city they are part of? 


Because of their indifference yesterday- 55% of the city will have no face and thus no voice to as much as a grunt on the condition of roads, the water supply and sanitation, transport and communication etc of Mumbai!!


For, there is a system that allows citizens to voice protests and question their leaders. That system is called- Democracy. By choosing to stay away from the defining step of this system (voting), these citizens of Mumbai have chosen to deny themselves all the rights and privileges the system provides.


As such the remaining 45% who took the time and effort to know their candidate and then visit the polling booths to cast their vote should know this at all times that- the next time you begin accusing the politicians for being corrupt and indifferent... remind yourself of the voting day when even before the politicians could... your fellow citizens had already failed you! 


Even before the so called corrupt politicians could... your fellow citizens had already abandoned you!

Rushdie @ Café Rustom

Ram was sitting at Chacha Rustom’s chai corner, sipping his third ‘chai’ on an unusually chilled January Mumbai morning when a visibly infuriated Rahim walked in and took a seat next to him.

Ram was too busy on his phone to notice Rahim’s state of mind and thus began without even looking up, “What do you make of this Salman Rushdie issue at…”

“How can I make anything of it yaar??”, shot back Rahim; even before Ram could complete his lazy paced question.

Ram looked up as Rahim continued, “I have not read a single book written by Rushdie! I don’t even know what this book that they are objecting to is all about but still I am supposed to object!!”

“What’s wrong with you?”

“My father was angry at me because I did not abuse Rushdie along with him at the morning breakfast! Arre… all I said was… have all the people protesting the book read that book? Is it worth making such a big deal of it… in the process making a fool out of yourself and making an average writer into a hero?” went on Rahim.

Rustom chacha who often joined the boys for this morning tea ritual came in with a chai for Rahim, one for himself along with the age old gujrati newspaper- that showcased Rushdie’s photo on its cover page today!

Ram longingly looked at the steaming cup of chai in Chacha’s old yet manicured hands, but while his heart craved for a fourth cup, his intestines withdrew rapidly at the mere thought of it!

Chacha had overheard Rahim’s rant like everyone else in the ten seater café!

“See…” began Chacha, making himself comfortable in his 50 year old wooden chair, “It is not about right and wrong son. It is about the necessary and the unnecessary. It may not be right to condemn an author for writing what he does but it is necessary to bring a man who writes badly about any religion. Such people should not be encouraged. They should fear of doing such low acts”

“So you are against Salman Rusdhie coming to India?”, enquired Ram.

“Of course I am”, said Chacha.

“But the only thing you read is your Gujrati newspaper! How do you know if Rushdie indeed wrote anything offensive?”, questioned Rahim.

“Oh that is not the question anymore… He wrote bad things- that is confirmed! Now the question is should he be allowed to get away with it or not. I say… why should he? Write shit about film stars, cricketers, terrorists... Why our God?” Chacha was clear. No doubts, no confusion.

Another gentleman whom neither of them knew chipped in, “That Rushdie is also of bad character. Old man with no hair and wanting to have all sexy woman around. Do you know he is having sex with all young models there?”

“What has that got to do with…”, Rahim was getting disturbed.

“There you go… Tell me why you youngsters waste energy in defending a man with such dirty character?”, asked a relaxed and well meaning Chacha.

“But it is about once freedom of speech…” said a weak looking Rahim but Ram stepped in,  “Do you know the amount of publicity you’ll have given him with your protests and objections? Thanks to you all, his books are selling more! Had you’ll not made him an household name he would have not even become half of what he today has!”

“No no...The thing is he or anyone else will not write bad about Islam ever again.”

“So you are saying that because you all made such a big hue and cry about an average author’s barely known book, as a result of which his book sales have gone up and he has become a brand name… no one else would want to write controversial things about Islam?”

Chacha thought it over, he did not seam that releaxed anymore but persisted meakly, “But he wrote bad things about…”

Meanwhile, another young bloke who was witness to all of the above decided he was surely going to get his hands on this book to find out what the fuss was all about!

The End.