Mystic on the bridge

Thoughts were getting intense as the daylight ducked under the mountains and darkness reigned. A face beautifully wrapped in wrinkles started cropping up on the walls of my skull. A face having long swinging beard which could be home to Crested Oropendolas. It appears to be a Buddha figure with beard.

A city where commuting by any other means of transport is a nightmare, I am one of those rare breed of blessed residents of Mumbai who "walk to work". On my way, I have to cross a railway over bridge, generally having very few strollers, a feature very uncommon in Mumbai. The broken side railings, fractured stairs and iron rods peeping out of ripped cement, surfaces the age of the bridge.

It's been quite sometime I am using the bridge. Although there are some other alternate roads which I can use to reach office but there is some strange attraction which pulls me towards the bridge. The steps are frequent in morning, there is hardly anytime to look around, but in the evening the lazy steps give eyeballs a chance to gaze at the details. It's the time when I sense some kind of tranquility unfolding on the bridge. And as I draw near to the North West end of the bridge, the same Buddha figure with beard which was cropping up in my mind while I was leaving from the office comes alive. An old man, perhaps ages old, with just skin on the bones sitting in a posture similar to that of an enlightened Buddha, humming something which is hardly decipherable. He seems to be a nomad. I see him daily.

Whenever I get closer to the flights of steps of the mystic's bridge, few questions arise in my mind. Daily, I resolute to ask him but as I come nearer to him, it becomes difficult for me to muster up the courage and propound my queries to the vagabond , I simply walk past him.

What is he singing? Why he always sits on exactly the same place daily? Does he know how many years are passed since he first sat here? How many ages he has seen? IS HE THE BUDDHA?

Well, in the meantime, my fascination for mystics is ever-growing.

Mosque across the bridge

It was beautifully enveloped in moss green lights, shining gracefully amidst the hustle bustle of running wheels, standing robust across the flyover. Its aura compelled me to click a pic. Although, I am not a photographer but the picture is trying to convince me that probably I have got some serious photography skills. hmmm...

DIE HARD on Mumbai Streets

It was like watching live shoot of some Hollywood action flick, where there are futuristic terrorists with sophisticated weapons entering the financial capital of world's biggest democracy with storm, opened fire at various public places, seize two five star hotels and hold high profile guests at ransom. Than arrive cops, commandos, military and in a span of few hours a glittering and lively town turns into an urban battlefield.

Well, this would have looked appreciating if this was a movie, but it happened on the streets of Mumbai, and still happening as I write. Terrorism, which was never gone is back with a bang and this time it is looking more organized, better equipped, more powerful and less fearful. Welcome to the age of urban combat zone terrorism.

And while all these incidents are happening, Mr. Shivraj Patil is still clueless about the vulnerability of security system in India, which is crippled and dead, which cannot sense what is about to happen next and which has proved its incompetence over and over again in last 8 months. Mr. Home Minister, kindly stop being so numb, citizens of India are living their lives on gunpoint, and we would feel relived if you can formally withdraw yourself from your responsibilities because you are not able to shoulder them.

And this goes with all the politicians who will turn up after normalcy returns and repeat the same scripts which they have played on every such occasion. Meanwhile, I was just wondering where on earth can I find the so called saviour of marathi manoos Mr. Raj Thackray? Untraceable

Back to Tinsel Town

When I started my PC today, I realized its been 30 days anything got flashed on its screen. Well, last complete month I was away for an event called "Karaoke Festival" which was organized by my organization . The complete event turned out to be a huge success and I got a chance to see various parts of the country. The entire tour was awesome and a grand learning experience as it gave me a chance to have a glance on various nuggets that are required to put together to make an event successful. Hmmm..., now I seem to be more resourceful and skilled when it comes to event management.

I also got a chance to catch a glimpse of three beautiful cities of Gujarat which I had never seen earlier. They looked very calm, at peace, very serene, but only to me. You tell this to a localite and he will be quick to respond "Everybody has gone mad, everybody is running and this appears to you a serenity?"

Now, when I am back to my beloved tinsel town " Mumbai", I felt like "Yes! for a Mumbaikar, tranquility and calmness does mean that."

Just like that

Waiting to leave office for the day but its raining heavily outside.

Sipping coffee and trying to count the rain-drops, I was just wondering how many drops of rain will be enough to drench whole Mumbai? Silly? I know.

Another silly question stuck to my dumb-brain, "Why rains always make you nostalgic and throw you in the past?"

Woo Hoo! I will be on TV..

Yesterday was quite an extraordinary day in my lovely little life. Since morning I was pretty upbeat, the beautiful grey and black clouds were covering the whole city of Mumbai, the soft breeze was flowing all around and I was getting ready for my first shoot!!!

Hundreds of thoughts were running through my mind; what? How? Who? Answering so many inquiries to myself, I moved ahead to Inorbit Mall at Malad where a pick up van was waiting for me to drop me at the studio, situated near the beautiful beach of Madh Island. All through my way I was enacting and imitating sometimes also mimicking and probably infinite would be the number if I calculate how many times I have been in front of the mirror!!!

I have always been on the other side of an idiot box (read TV), but it was a chance to see how things are inside it.

It was a memorable experience as I got to meet a lot of people.

The Organizer: Hey Mayur! Finally you came. (I was a bit hesitant to be on the show after I was selected during auditions)

Me:Yeah, finally.

TO: So where are your other team-mates?

Me: I donno who are my team-mates! (I shrugged my shoulders)

TO: (made some nasty faces), No problem. I know who they are, once the other two are here I will brief on what to do.

(and with the end of the sentence, a "I-have-seen-him-somewhere-but-didn't-remember-where" kinda face walks in)

TO: Oh! the other team-mate is here. You must be knowing him, he is from your organisation only.

Me: Ye..yeah...yeah...I...kn...know him...(hmmm)..he is(gosh! I know him but what's his name?)

Me: (walking towards the new guy in the scene) hey buddy! how are you?

New Guy: Hi! yaar I am sorry, I know you but don't know your name.

Me: Same is the case here (and we burst in laughter)

After exchanging the names and getting familiar with each other, we sat for lunch which was arranged by the show organisers. As we completed the lunch the organizer came in with another guy(thank god! he is not from my organization) and takes the pain to introduce him to us. TO left three of us to bring his laptop so as to give us the brief.

Me: (to the third guy) hey! what's your name? what are you doing?

The third guy: Sarang, I am from "Actor Prepares"

New Guy: What's that?

TTG: I am an struggling actor.

Me & NG: Oh! OK

(seems that post is getting longer, let me curtail it)

After the brief of the show we rehearsed on how we will act. we also created a chant for our team Wall Rockers as we named it. After the make-up we went to the shooting area and it was a pleasant surprise to know that Cyrus is anchoring the show. Although we lost the game but it gave me the memories to cherish for lifetime.

Oh! I forgot to tell the name of the show, its "Hole in the Wall" which will get telecasted on POGO channel but don't know when.

Desperately waiting to see myself on the so-called "Idiot Box"...

The Arrival

…the first drops lay a hand on the feet of the earth with the message of love, happiness, delight and fulfillment leading to the inauguration of communion between heaven and earth

…after a few moments whole Mumbai was bathing in the showers of inexpressible ecstasy

…and everyone was dancing in joy to mark the arrival of most loved season on the earth

Of salty sweat and stinky armpits…

Five months have been passed since I came to Mumbai to tail my destiny. Mumbai, the most glamorous, sensational and alluring city of India, people pour in like water streaming out of a 6 inch wide puncture at the bottom of a barrel.

Glamorous! Huh… may perhaps, but at the same time the filthiest city of the country, probably of world.

You have to learn a lot of things if you have to live to tell the tale in this awfully awesome city, especially when you have to travel through local trains.

Local trains are the exclusive feature of Mumbai, the trains here don’t only carry people, they carry brotherhood and bet you cannot find such carter anywhere else in the world which brings people closer, so closer that you can feel the warmth of human body, so closer that you can smell the stench which in form of fumes soars from underneath of bushy arms to escape into your nostril, so closer that probably you could taste the salt filled sweat-drop which is trying hard to fall from the corner of the eyebrows of someone standing face-to-face and nose-to-nose with you.

Such is the promotion done by local trains in Mumbai. So when you come to Mumbai, don’t only expect to see glittering people and scintillating existence but also be ready to smell the armpits and taste the sweat (of someone else!!!).

Till then… I will keep on bringing the out of the ordinary tales from Mumbai local.