The days gone by are really surprisingly breath taking! There were lots of stories of drugs, smooches, IT raids and warning shootouts! Ordinary citizens are really not bothered with Bollywood starlets and TV shenanigans. They create news! No doubt. But, it does not affect the normalcy in Mumbai. The dabbawalas created a huge stir when they were invited by none other than Prince Charles, the heir to the throne of England. The leading pack among them attended the wedding of the infamous Camilla ? Parker Bowles with the Prince. No small a feat, by any standards! Also, they were invited by IIM Ahmedabad and Kolkotta to deliver lectures in efficiency management. Hats off to them! Our moral policeman in Mumbai Shri Pramod Navalkar has too many praises for these down to earth brigades who supply food to office goers with 99.9% efficiency and seldom they have committed a mistake. There are a many in Mumbai who make news but for all the wrong reasons.
Rahul Mahajan, for instance. He allegedly spends around Rs.70,000 everyday for himself and a close coterie of friends just for whiling away time at Pubs, Five star hotel Bars and of course Night Clubs. Strange it seems! Just a month back, he had a lot of manufactured sympathy on his father?s untimely demise. And, in his Delhi house he created a ruckus. Of course, now he will turn out to be a good boy. But, he was in the media glare for a whole fortnight.
The Item gal, Rakhi Sawant too had her share of notoriety with Mika?s kiss and the aftermath of it. At the age of 23, she is making news as somebody who leads a bohemian life! Does acting in a few music videos and some crap movies make a wannabe starlet loose her head and mental equilibrium? God help us! Dan Brown, the international newsmaker for all wrong reasons looks like a kid in front of her. No wonder, these starlets know how to be in the limelight. Now, she has approached NWC Chairman in Delhi Smt. Geeta Vyas, fully covered and had the national dailies exhibiting her pose in a namaste! Wow! Hum sab Samastey!! Pray, do not go the Divya Bharathi way. She also got stardom and few moments of fame and was crazy to elope from home. She made news for all the negative reasons and we all found her jumping from her 7th floor apartment after having had too many shots of white rum and a weird sozzled dancing session on the windowpane of her house. Rakhi Sawant should recover soon from her madness and stop trying to dream of becoming a Britney Spears! May better sense prevail upon her! Mika still hasn?t recovered from the shock! His bodyguard Tiger is Meaaowing in Arthur road jail along with Mika?s friend Vicky Singh. The girl really will go to any lengths to gain phookat publicity!!
Amitabh Bachchan, definitely should not be left behind. The alleged inner fights with the first family of Indian politics and the siding with Mulayam Singh and his ‘Khaas’ man Amar Singh! The open fight and comparisons given by Amitabh about him being Runk and they (Late Rajiv, Sonia and family) being Rajas has not been received lightly by 10, Janpath road! Now, the Taxmen have made a beeline to Amitabh?s abode, Jalsa! They were famous for delivering the ultimatum at his hospital bed some months ago at Breach Candy hospital. Now, the object of scrutiny that an imported goggle reportedly estimated around a whopping 2.6 lacs. No wonder, father and son Abhishek were seen at IFFI awards function in Dubai sporting larger than life size goggles and mingling with the media. The circus came out good. But, 10, Janpath has not taken to it kindly. The IT sleuths have sharpened their weapons and have charged him again. This time he will have a torrid time to come out with an explanation and stories about his alleged income concealment which the IT sleuths, on orders from Delhi are hounding him as flesh hungry bull dogs.
Surprisingly, the saving grace is Mrs. Jaya Bachchan, who has sailed through and come back with the Rajya Sabha seat and her husband is left to fend for all the office and unofficial profits! This time the noose seems to be tightened around his neck. For a layman, if Amitabh acts in an ad or a movie produced by any Tom, Dick and Harry or an underworld figure and gets paid in a country outside India, it does not make any difference. But, in India it is called FERA violation. He has to show his legitimate income and the legal spending as well!! This trauma of Benaami funds and Beimaani accounts will definitely put him on the wrong side of the law. Not so recently, his friend and mentor, Shri Subrata Roy Sahara was in trouble and took bed rest at home for several months. His Para Banking was under cloud. (DRI) Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, IT taxmen and Enforcement Directorate all hovered around him and He was found in a state of shock. Now, only time will tell how many more newsmakers in Mumbai will succumb or recover!
Author: Donald DSilva- Mumbai
