04 | metro | H I N D U STA N T I M E S , M U M B A I

S AT U R DAY, N O V E M B E R 2 1 , 2 0 0 9

The library within

Have a boyfriend with a
glad-eye? A colleague minus
manners? A marriage struck
by lightning?
Write in to
■ anti@hindustantimes.com

A college boy is taken in by me. He

sends me text messages and is eager
to take me out to coffee. I’m 34, sin-
A FEW STEPS from Churchgate station is a fascinating library you can mine for Mumbai nuggets gle and frankly, enjoying the atten-
tion.
HEMANT PADALKAR / HT PHOTOS — Nadiya Mehra, via email
Caffeine and hormones is a dead-
Karthik Balsubramaniam
■ htmetro@hindustantimes.com
YOU CAN READ A PLAYFUL ly combination, Missy. I hope for
ACCOUNT OF THE CITY’S your sake though that you don’t

B
have a history with his Dad (in
ombay, 1968. A gangly young HISTORY THROUGH THE EYES which case, conversation may be
man is seated in front of a promi-
nent film director: Khwaja OF A COLONIAL GENTLEMAN strained).
Ahmed Abbas. The director has OF LETTERS, JAMES DOUGLAS, My boss borrowed my copy of Catch-
already decided to cast the aspirant —
without an audition. The young man is IN HIS BOOK BOMBAY AND 22 and still has not returned it. How
surprised; he tells Abbas frankly that WESTERN INDIA (1893) can I get it back without hurting him?
— Anonymous Chicken, via email
the other directors he approached told
Even if you got sentimental and

do
broke down at his work station
simple A TALE OF TWO CITIES
The library also has many volumes lamenting how your Joseph
pleasures on the city’s transition from Bombay
to Mumbai. One book stands out espe-
Heller collection is incomplete
without Catch-22, you wouldn’t
cially in this category: Bombay, The hurt him. Just ask him in
him he was too tall for their heroines. Cities Within by Rahul Mehrotra and straightforward English to
Abbas replies that there are no con- Sharada Dwivedi. It is an account that return it and try not
ventional heroines in his film, and asks peers into the interiors of colonial to perspire while on
for the youngster’s full name. dwellings, and sings the glories of the your knees.
“Amitabh..,” the youngster pauses, art-deco glamour of the Eros, Regal
and then adds, reluctantly, “Bachchan.” and Metro cinema theatres. It ends My husband is a tub. He
“You are Harivanshrai Bachchan’s with the dry assertion that the social- doesn’t exercise, he eats
son?” Abbas asks, at once. istic ethic of contemporary Mumbai junk, and I am bored of
The youngster nods. architects leaves the city with feature- going with him to the
“Then I will have to check with your less blocks of constructions, with inter- tailor every three weeks
father if he has any problems with your stitial slum dwellings coiling between to get his trousers
working with me.” them. The irony is heightened when altered.
Another pause. Amitabh responds, one steps out and sees Eros now, dilap- — Dipali Verma, via email
“All right. I understand. But do I real- idated, with a garish Bollywood poster Next time you go to the tailor,
ly look like a runaway?” ■ Established in 1987, the Bombay City Corner of the F.E.Dinshaw library accumulates books that have anything to do with staring out from its façade. Eros, the have the masterji put an elastic
This scene is played out in Bombay, Mumbai; at last count it had about 500 books. (Top right) A 19th century monograph about the making of Bombay. book says, was once termed ‘the cen- band around your husband’s
My Bombay! (1987) by Abbas; it’s a small tre of all the city’s attraction!’ in a fit- pants. Hopefully, in three weeks
book, not over 250 pages, and is a mem- munities — wallow in guilt about its Chamber in the stately Resham Bhavan at last count it had about 500. The books ting tribute to the Greek goddess it was you won’t have to go back.
oir of his days in Bombay. murder. near Churchgate station. are not specific to any field of study; named after. Instead, you could snap his
There is much in this book about (And for the record, Abbas’s Saat The library is a cavernous source of there is no real theme to the books Needless to say, visiting historians waistband and say loudly, “Ha
Mumbai that helps one reconstruct Hindustani turned out to be Amitabh books on all matters financial and eco- except that they have something to do and scholars make good use of the ha, pregnant women wear
some aspect of the city’s past. For exam- Bachchan’s first film, and won him the nomic. It is located at Resham Bhavan, with the city’s history, people and cul- Bombay City Corner’s resources. But these!”Or try, “Your obesity is
ple, there is a discussion of Abbas’s National Award for Best Newcomer.) near Churchgate station, and is used ture. It resembles a personal collection the selection should be equally com- killing my libido!” This might be
early dramatic success, Main Kaun by students of economics and political donated in full. pelling for a layperson looking to get more effective if said dramatical-
Hoon, a play about a headless body THE CITY IS THE THEME science for research. Few would You can, for example, read a play- lost in a library. Every library is a ly, in public, and with tears brim-
found in the wake of post- Abbas’s book and sever- recommend it for a day of ful account of the city’s history through labyrinth, as Jorge Luis Borges once ming over. If the tub doesn’t

1987
partition riots in
Bombay. The body
When the speaks, but refuses to
reveal whether it is
Bombay City
Muslim or Hindu; and
Corner was
which of the two its
established
killer is, either. It lets its
interrogators —from both com-
Number of
500
al other memorable
accounts are gather- 8,000
leisurely browsing. the eyes of a colonial gentleman of let-
But then, they don’t ters, James Douglas, whose Bombay
said. This one is a labyrinth whose
centre is our city.
leave you, he should be humiliat-
ed enough to start
jiggling — sorry, jogging.
ing dust waiting for Number of books know about the and Western India (1893) has an
books on you at the Bombay in the F.E. Dinshaw library’s Bombay City assortment of essays covering sub-
Mumbai in the TALK TO US
City Corner of the F.E. Corner. Established in jects as diverse as the Duke of ■ Know of any other city library that
My girlfriend smokes and has cavi-
Bombay City Library
Dinshaw library 1987, the Corner accu- Wellington’s stay in Bombay, the caves houses a little-known collection of ties. I enjoy kissing her but I am
Corner interesting books? Tell us about it.
at the Indian mulates books that have of Elephanta, and Bombay’s indige- grossed out
M e r c h a n t ’s anything to do with Mumbai; nous folk. htmetro@hindustantimes.com — Player Parvin, via email
Yes, absolutely. Why must the
guy always lower his standards,
huh? There are far too many
women with healthy teeth that
could glow in the dark if you
drank enough and would smile at
you for you to settle for this
woman with the breath of a dead
horse. Break up at once.
SEBASTIAN

‘BUILDING ON
Fusion with nostalgia
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21

SALT PANS BANDRA WITH A HEART

Check out the Display of Paintings
Gymkhana. 7 pm - 11 pm. Club
Entry Rs 80.

WILL MEAN of Pomegranate & Petit Municipal

School. Bandstand, Carter Road,
FILMS
Home: Shot over a span of two

DISASTER’ TODAY’S concert will re-interpret

An all-star evening at
Reclamation Promenade & Bandra years by Yann Arthus-Bertrand,
Fort Amphitheatre. environmental French photographer
musical masterpieces from the past Cry Initiative: Participate in the Cry and filmmaker, the documentary

Bhavika Jain
■ bhavika.jain@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: The civic body’s plans
to allow construction on
Mumbai’s last few stretches of
salt pans would mean disaster
for the city, say citizens groups
and environmentalists.
“If they go ahead with their
plan, the city is doomed. It will
mean more 26/7-like disasters
in the city,” said environmen-
talist Nahar Singh.
The Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation (BMC)
is drawing up a revised
Development Plan — a blueprint
for the city’s development — for
Mumbai for 2014-2034.
The plan suggests opening
salt pan land — currently
marked no-development zones
— for commercial development.
These tracts are natural
sponges that absorb excess
water during high tide, which
would otherwise have entered
the city as it did during the 26/7
flood disaster. “This will mean
irrevocable damage to the envi-
ronment,” said Vidya Vaidya, a
member of NGO Citispace.
Activists also say the BMC’s
latest move will benefit
Mumbai’s construction lobby,
which has been pushing for the
city’s last remaining open spaces
to be opened for development.
Congress corporator Sameer
Desai said: “The BMC seems to
be succumbing to pressure from
the builder lobby. They should
refrain from doing anything that
will adversely affect the city’s
ecological balance.”
“Without an environmental
study, the BMC makes such
absurd announcements — it is
under pressure from the builder
lobby,” said city-based environ-
mentalist Rishi Agrawal. The
saltpans are spread over 6,000
acres in the suburbs, mainly the
eastern suburbs.
Acting Municipal
Commissioner R.A. Rajeev said:
“We are thinking of opening up
the salt pans. Permissions from
the Centre will be worked out
once we decide on it.”
Also, while promoting con-
struction on the city’s natural
buffer zones, the BMC also
wants the creation of artificial
open spaces.
■ Classical and folk fusion artiste Sona Mahapatra and her band
will perform on Saturday.
Purva Mehra
■ purva.mehra@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: It’s been over three
decades, yet from the annals of
her dusty memory, Annette
Pinto can recall most vividly,
her time as a singer working
with the godfather of Hindi film
music, R. D. Burman.
“Panchamda was well-man-
nered, a real prince,” said Pinto,
who sang a duet with Kishore
Kumar on R. D. Burman’s pop-
ular hit Chhodo Sanam from
the film Kudrat back in 1981.
The same song, one that the
62-year-old hasn’t heard in an
age will be the highlight of a sufi,
folk, rock, jazz fusion concert to
take place today at the
Bandstand Promenade.
Classical singer and folk fusion
artist Sona Mahapatra and her
band will also perform covers
of other musical marvels from
the golden era of Hindi film
music at the Celebrate Bandra
Festival, held in partnership
with Hindustan Times.
“I wanted it to be a very
unusual two-hour set so we con-
ceived of commemorating the
musical geniuses who reside in
Bandra by re-interpreting their
songs.
People can expect songs from
Gulzar’s repertoire, Kumar
Gandharva songs, lounge ver-
sions of thumris and disco ver-
sions of actress Helen’s most
popular song and dance rou-
tines,” said Mahapatra (32).
Pinto gave up singing seven
years ago, but back in her day
liased with musical giants such
as Laxmikant-Pyarelal (“LP”),
Kalyanji-Anandji, Burman and
EZRA SESTO
■ Singer Annette Pinto.
Kumar.
“Kishore was a very moody
man, many people were afraid
of him, but not me. He was great
fun in the studio. As back-up
vocalists, we were paid only Rs
125 a day,” Pinto recalled.
Born in Goa, Pinto moved to
Bandra in Mumbai after mar-
riage.
Singing for films was never
her intention but when “LP”
called her to sing back-up vocals
(for songs whose names she
barely recalls now), that gave
her singing a major thrust in
the Indian music industry.
“Panchamda had fantastic
rhythm. I did numerous solos
with him,” said Pinto, a regular
fixture of western choruses in
Hindi music when in her 20s.
Though Pinto intends not to
sing at the concert, Mahapatra
is certain the nostalgia will move
the former artiste to perform.
“The stage is compelling. I gave
up a roaring career as a mar-
keting and systems profession-
al to pursue singing.
The concert is my attempt to
give back to Bandra, where I
lived for eight years when I first
moved to the city,” Mahapatra
said.
Bandra amphitheatre
Bhavya Dore
■ htmetro@hindustantimes.com
MUMBAI: Some part dance, some
part music, 100 per cent wiz-
ardry — what else would you
expect from Merlin, with a name
like that and a formidable musi-
cal reputation.
On Friday night, Bandra was
wowed by the on-stage magic
of Merlin and the All Stars per-
forming at the Celebrate Bandra
festival in partnership with
Hindustan Times.
“The stars are out in the sky,”
Merlin D’Souza said before the
performance, “And all my stars
will be with me on stage,” she
said of the 25 musicians, singers
and dancers who put up a spec-
tacular show. D’Souza anchored
the night on the piano and key-
board as the rest of the per-
formers rallied around her with
each of their acts.
From the special composi-
tion Vande Mataram featuring
Kathak exponent Aditi Bhagwat
to the Flamenco number by
half-Dutch half-Sri Lankan
Sharmini Tharmaratnam, a full
range was on display.
There was a little something
to appeal to everyone of the
painting event to support and features pictures of the surfaces of
spread awareness about underprivi- the Earth as never seen before.
leged children. The Age of Stupid: A thought pro-
Reclamation Promenade, 5-8 pm. voking document drama set in
2050, with the main character
MUSIC looking back on 2009 and wonder-
Sona Mahapatra performs Sufi ing how we were stupid enough to
Rock in her classic soulful style. destroy the earth. Reclamation
Bandstand Promenade - 7 pm promenade - 7 pm onwards.
Enjoy choral music featuring 3
choirs. Highlights include an extract THEATRE
from Handel’s Messiah and the The Mercy Seat by Neil LaBute is
Hallelujiah chorus. Mount Mary set a day after the 9/11 terrorist
Basilica Oratory – 6.30 pm attacks in New York. NRI Ben
Hip-Hop and R and B by The Mehta and his American girlfriend
Trigger Effect, an eclectic mix of Abby argue over whether he should
numbers by Dmajor and multilingual call his wife to tell her how he sur-
hip hop by Sahir. Carter Road vived the attack or if he should pre-
Promenade – 7 pm. tend to be a 9/11 victim and simply
Multi-instrumentalist and composer “disappear” with Abby.
Prem Joshua performs world The HUL Park near St Anthony’s
fusion. His new synthesis in sound garage Road – 7.30pm
is known for transporting listeners
beyond borders. LITERATURE
Bandra Fort Amphitheatre - 7pm. Caferati’s 2009 Celebrating Shakti
For passes call 9820233999. Bhatt Workshops Pentathlon is for
those interested in trying fiction
EXHIBITION writing. Conducted by Anni Zaidi
An Exhibition of photography con- and Manisha Lake. Pre-register at
testants’ work is on till November the Hub office on 3222 0475 or
29. Zenzi - 11 am onwards. editors@caferati.com
Poetry Slam: Mail your poems on
FOOD FESTIVAL Bandra and its environment to edi-
■ Kathak dancer Aditi Bhagwat Food from Café Goa, Lucky,
performs at the amphitheatre tor@caferati.com. Menka
Kareems, Asian wok, Sadak Chaap Shivadasni, Anand Thakore, Marilyn
at Bandra on Friday. and Just BBqs and live music by
PHOTOS: RAJENDRA GAWANKAR Noronha will judge. Mocha Mojo,
Sannas of the Soil. Bandra Hill Road – 7.30 pm
WEATHER FORECAST
The diversity in our
show reflects the melting
pot that is Bandra.
N E A L E M U R R AY , festival director
1,800-odd capacity crowd.
“The diversity in our show
reflects the melting pot that is
Bandra,” said the festival direc-
tor, Neale Murray. “The idea
was to put together something
that cuts across all barriers.”
Ella Atai did a great rendi-
tion of the Queen Latifah num-
ber When You’re Good to
Mamma followed by Asif Ali
Baig’s humorous reworking of
I Am Sixteen Going on Seventeen.
Jugalbandis were the flavour
of the evening as sitars, violins,
drums and guitars all came
together to provide the magic.