……….Budget, Bhachan, Sena And Shilpa!
The day has come?! For many years, the central government has been ignoring our good old Mumbai. We felt cheated many a times! More than 30,000 Crores Mumbai city earns for the exchequer every fiscal year and in return?we get a paltry 500 Crores for development!
However, this time our Finance Minister is keen to dedicate 5000 Crores for development for Mumbai. In all probability, we may see a lot of developments in Infrastructure, Roads, Fly – Overs and of course?.up gradation of hutments to buildings. But, again all this will not happen without the demon of corruption!
We all should care to remember that it was Shiv Sena, BJP combine, when they were in power who built these fly-overs which eases our travel problems today. Today, Shiv Sena is returned to power with a bang and have become a thorn in the flesh for NCP stalwarts! Raj Thackerey and Narayan Rane, the Sena deserters are left with no option but to lick their wounds.
Konkan region, Rane’s bastion has abandoned him! He is a loner today. It will be difficult for him to understand the inner politics and the amicable arrangements Congress and Shiv Sena has among themselves?since ages!
It was the longest serving ex-Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri V.P.Naik who helped Shiv Sena to blossom. Most of them did not know that this was a calculated move from the shrewd Chief Minister to keep Jan Sangh and Communists at bay. The political gamble succeeded and Bala Saheb rode to fame as the savior for Maharashtrians and became the true icon of Mumbai. The true blooded Mumbaikar! No wonder, he has the entire Mumbai film industry eating out of his palm!
There are plenty of developments in the Bollywood paradise! Sunjay Dutt, wants to and is eager to do community service, provided the Judge and the chief public prosecutor agrees to this! Preity Zinta, her chaperone Ness Wadia and Shahrukh had attempted to clean Bandra once and it ended in tragedy as the dust bins donated by them were overnight stolen by urchins and the situation was back to where it started!
Now, Sunju Baba is ready with a broom and will jump start at any community work, the court will assign him! Of course, not bowling over maidens though?as he does it otherwise.
Shilpa Shetty made British tongues wag, Asians world over stood up and took cudgels against her detractors, all in all she became a over night sensation just by staying in a place which is nothing but a celebrated high profile glam prison! She earned wide acclaim for her tolerant nature and bucketful of tears, also millions of pounds. Mum Sunanda is on seventh heaven! She had predicted 15 years ago that Shilpa is special and will be very famous one day. One should admire Shilpa for speaking in fluent Receive pronunciation. It is the Queen’s English! She has definitely put in a lot of efforts and it shows!
Aishwarya should take a leaf out of Shilpa’s book and try to learn to speak English the right way. It was a pathetic sight for people who switched on to the ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’ one night to witness Ash speak in some sort of yankee, Mumbaiya mix accent and Oprah could not laugh at her, as she had worn a saree for the first time in her life and was in a dilemma, as to what if the 6 yard cloth may just drop off centre stage!!
Hats off to Shilpa, she has made every Indian proud! She is the toast of the nation!! As she is keen to further her career, marriage is not on her mind at this juncture. She definitely would like to expand her horizons towards Hollywood. Her agents are working overnight to get her some top assignments. She can be a great host on a show. Acting prowess, poor Shilpa does not possess. Her sister Shamita emotes with her eyes very well. Shilpa has yet to learn the A of acting. Except ‘Dhadkan’ the Indian moviegoer is yet to come to terms with any of her roles enacted in Bollywood movies.
Ash on the other hand has producers gunning for her with empty cheques. Even her engagement to Abhishek and the impending marriage has not stopped offers from Bollywood. Her career is in full swing. Amitabh is a thrilled man!! The superstar is having his hands full with work. He wants to try and do any role which comes his way. Even a great Director with the likes of Vidhu Vinod Chopra has faltered first time. He spent 7 years to write the script of ‘Eklavya’ and could not etch out Amitji’s character. He looks like a glorified Bhangi in the movie. Also in the movie stills of ‘Ram Gopal Verma’s Sholay’ as Gabbar he looks like a poor caricature created by R .K.Laxman on a off day!
Why, oh, why, dear Amitji , at the twilight of your career you have to jump at these inconsequent ional roles? You worked for 16 to 18 hours a day and managed to host KBC- Dwitiya?and you know what happened? You fell ill and the tax man paid you a visit on your hospital bed! At the age of sixty three you should slow down your work.
Today, we have Shahrukh Khan who can manage to hold the interest of the viewer and the advertisers intact and the ‘KBC Thritiya’ is slowly but steadily gathering momentum!! The concept is so strong with the entire Nation behind the show, Star TV guys have a winner in their hands!! Shahrukh can never be a patch on your histrionics, dear Amitji, but what about your ill health which keeps resurfacing at times. Its time that someone young move into your shoes.
And, the torpedo you have unleashed on the poor viewers this Friday by acting in ‘Nishabd’ with a 19 year old Jiah Khan! An Eighteen year old falls in love with a 60 year old man!! And, the Sixty year old is reciprocating her lovely gestures! Incredible! Indeed!! He is day dreaming about her!!
It is well understood, Ramu is in a financial mess. He will go ahead and cast Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar in a movie and cast Shweta Prasad of ‘Iqbal’ fame and create a love triangle in the lines of Raj Kapoor’s ‘Sangam’!!. After the debacle of ‘ James, Shiva, Darna series, Nach and whole lot of trash churned out from his erstwhile factory…He is trying to gain lost ground!!
As, shocking the audience always has been one of his fortes, but definitely a no no this obnoxious thing called ‘Nishabd’!! I really wonder how the moral brigade in the country is going to react to this absurdity. It will be of utmost importance to Ramu if He hires excellent writers and works on projects which may entertain the audience..Like Yash Chopra?Subash Ghai or the Rajshri’s !! After giving hit after hit many a Producer, Director stumble and there are no good stories to hook the audience to the Silver Screen.
Similar fate is of Ekta Kapoor of Balaji Saas Bahu serials. The concept has been done to death!! She experimented with Bhoot and the super natural and now she and her writers are at a road block! She is busy issuing advertisements in local tabloids for wannabe writers to contribute new story ideas, new concepts!! She wanted to opt for a reality show, but again as we know by now, all reality shows, be it an Indian Idol, Risk factor or a Big Brother are carbon copies of the west!!
We have one popular reality show though. It is the famous ‘Baba Ramtek Show’ in the wee hours of morning. Where he enthralls viewers and participants at MMRDA grounds, Bandra ? Kurla complex with his Yoga and Single man Kushti on the stage and non-stop verbal diarrhea!
Mrs. Brenda Karat, of the politburo of CPI(M) . However was the sole woman who objected to this kind of tom foolery and one man crazy show on stage! But, the Nation got enraged on this and supported Baba Ramtek full throttle!!
Well, Mumbai is certainly on the move..with Murli Deora becoming Petroleum Minister, for the first time in his life with a cabinet birth after a career with the Congress party for twenty two years as an able administrator .Also a welcome sign is the Honorable Railways Minister Shri Laluji setting aside a huge sum for the up gradation of Local Trains. How about double Decker Trains Mr. Railways Minister?
What happened to your dream of converting Mumbai into ‘Shanghai’ Mr. CM?
As I sign off?I can see better days to Mumbai, my beloved City?
Author: Donald DSilva- Mumbai
