Haraam Bombay

I too am curious, why someone be called ``Bibi`` or anything which he or she has not approved. There should be certain decency maintained even for the differing viewpoints. Annonymous board should not be used to be disrespectful to anyone or anyone`s ideas.

Anil

#19 sridhar
``I now know what this Bibi`s problem is. ``

why do you call her bibi? is it on the lines of ``Miyan Musharaff`` stuff from narandra modi?

Hi Farzana:

No doub Sweetie is the real heroine. She is reflects Bombay, Why not title your review ``Halal Bombay``?

After all on world`s kasauti Bombay is slowly cut and sacrificed to religiously satisfy millions of desires and dreams each day.

Regards.
Anil

Folks,
People like Farzana Versey do not like to see the positive aspects of
India. They identify with an ideology that cares more about palestinians but
ignores the refugees flowing into India from Bangladesh or being thrown out of
Kashmir valley. People like her identify more with Pakis who have no problem
in pushing killers into India.

People like her use the freedom that India offers to abuse and destroy India.
(all this in the name of freedom - Kashmiris must be allowed their way etc etc)
This is similiar to how some people abuse the West, but have no problems
living and enjoying the rights available in the West.

Read the following article by Farrukh Dhondy in Outlook
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20040428&fname=farrukh%5Fdhondy&sid=1

Ferzana,

Please consider the possibility that what you actually hated is perhaps the new opportunity that the brand india gains thru this play...you know the India Shining thingy? Movies such as Saturday Night Fever and Pretty Woman furthered brand America, and were pure time-pass entertainment. Bombay Dreams is similar, so rejoice and ``garv sey kaho, hamari india shining``.

Farzana

My fault, it was rather cheeky ;-D

re: this article
I now know what this Bibi`s problem is. She is just plain jealous that some people (all non-bombayites as she has already mentioned) are raking in the big mullah while bibi sits in her allotted space in Mumbai, whining.
Sridhar

Hi Farzana . . . your city used to be my city till I got tired of the crowds . . . but I still love it ok . . .many moons ago, when I was younger and was into gliding as a hobby, I used to hang around, also, with the chopper/small airplane crowd. They used to tell me how, from about 8-10000 feet above Bombay, when flying over Marine Drive, the dark curve of the shoreline looked exactly like a lovely breast (bigger than Simi Garewal`s in Sidharth, if you recall?), sensuous sag and nipple and all.

So one day I managed to get a ride and you know what?

It did.

Years later I took my lady and managed a similar view overflying Bombay and you know what, to her it didn`t.

That was one mammary memory that went bust.

See what I mean?

Nobody screwing your city. It is just cyclical evolution, dear Lady.

Dear hammadrahman:

I am glad you know where I am coming from, and I admit I react in quite a parochial manner when it comes to my city. However, I have used the device of polarising the real as I have had the fortune of experiencing more than many what has been portrayed.

The element of satire and tongue-in-cheek sauciness just did not come though, and believe me when you are paying in forex you go with a very open mind :)

I wish the points you saw were more well-defined. If its intent was to make fun of how Hindi cinema portrays Bombay then it should have stuck to its brief. It is using the very devices it wishes to rubbish. A sharper point would have been made if, say, to take an example that was not in the musical, blood had been drawn to pass as tomato ketchup, instead of using tomato ketchup to tell us about ketchup that is employed in Hindi films in place of blood. It is more haw than ha-ha in this case.

I am indeed in love with Hindi films and have seen some wonderful satirical comments from those in `Chashme Buddoor` to the recent, `Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chaahti Hoon`. `Bombay Dreams` was not comedic enough, in my opinion. It was trying to make a social comment as well, which did not go with the tenor. I really have no problems if literature, art or cinema rely on some exotica to appeal to the western audience, but Bollywood does not need that crutch.

Anyhow, your views from where you come from are valid. Thanks for sharing them.

Farzana

Dear dost-mittarji:

I am most certainly reacting as a Mumbaiite. I saw this with a US-based NRI an dhe thoroughly enjoyed it, but he also understood the points I was making.

I have said in this piece itself that I like my masala phillums, and this just did not do it for me. Even among the songs, only the familiar ones could get one`s feet tapping. The lyrics were quite juvenile.

I do not think such a musical would boost tourism. The hot destinations are those that are not really touched by the escapist fare -- Kerala, Rajasthan and Goa. Yes, if people rush to Mumbai, then I would give it some points grudgingly :)

PZ:

That was not a smiley face...that was a big grin!

And whee was the assault on the Indians in Britain? If anything I was commenting on the Brits.

--

And we are such silly creatures that the actress who plays Rani is considered a huge success in India. I seriously think we are always looking for some acceptance from the West.

PZ, FV and KS: why don`t we say that Jullundur looks like Karol Bagh...that will both sides correct.:)

Dear Farzana
Interesting article. I saw the play in London (me and several other South Asians) and we all absolutely loved the play. The whole musical is so full of color; I could relate to all the dances, the music and the humor. I thought the entire purpose of this play was not to comment on Bombay but to comment on how Indian cinema portrays Bombay. It made fun of Indian movies that always have a love scene, a poor man turned rich story, lots of ppl breaking into coordinated dances and ofcourse the necessary and climactic fight.
``Bombay Dreams`` was saying that even though Bollywood movies are overly sentimental and violent and very narrow in their conception of good and evil, there is still something about them that makes us completely fall in love with them. They have a sense of magic--a sense which this musical tried to capture. Bombay Dreams is, in fact, a comedic but respectful homage to indian movies.
At least thats how I and my friends viewed it :)
But I can also understand where you are coming from. I would hate my city to be essentialized and overly mystified so it become palatable to a Western audience. Nonetheless I dont think that was the aim of the play at all.
Hammad

Dear Farzana:
Could it be that you are reacting to this play as a Bombayite -ok Mumbaikar- while the play is meant primarily as an escapist entertainment for a western audience? I remember that Harpreet wrote a review of the play when it first opened and he had only nice things to say.
I do hope that the play succeeds in NY. There is, of course, the obvious advantage of giving additional boost to India`s tourism industry at a time when India is finally showing up on the radar screens of the tourist circuit, and not just those who want to go there for spiritual pursuits and see The Taj. More importantly, it will give an opportunity to South Asian actors in New York to show their talents and get some recognition beside the off-off-broadway shows. This is the first Indian play on Broadway and if it fails, it will probably also be the last. But if it succeeds, it might lead to others, maybe even better plays; such as turning Meera Nair`s Monsoon Wedding into one.

re: A secular muslim in India

How one wishes every muslim in India had a secular outlook and is positive about India rather than sound cynical and always be in the whine mode (as Farzana bibi usually is). The following is from Miami Herald:

http://www.sulekha.com/redirectnh.asp?cid=332957

(Muslim actor speaks on misuse of religion

Associated Press

NEW DELHI - Shah Rukh Khan, a Muslim actor married to a Hindu, says his success as one of India`s top movie stars proves India`s inherent secularism, and urged his compatriots to oppose the misuse of religion.

``The only thing which can stop India from being the greatest superpower in this world is the misuse of communalism, misuse of religion,`` the ``Devdas`` star said in a BBC Asia Today interview airing Thursday.

``I am a walking, talking secular example,`` said Khan. ``I am an Islamic hero. My wife is Hindu. My children - I always say this openly - they will learn both the religions. There is no difference at all. I would like to teach them Christianity, too.``

``I think by nature Indians are very secular,`` Khan said, ``and the biggest case in point is that a Muslim guy is one of the top stars for the last 13 years. They have accepted me.``

More than 80 percent of India`s 1 billion people are Hindu. Muslims are the largest minority, comprising about 14 percent of the population. There have been frequent religious clashes in the past few years, the worst being three months of rioting in western Gujarat state in which 1,000 people, most of them Muslim, were killed.

But the 38-year-old Khan said that unlike some other Bollywood personalities who are campaigning in India`s parliamentary elections, he has no interest in politics.

``I am made for making films, I am made to act,`` he said. ``My public service is to ... make a lot of people smile for two and a half hours in a dark room.`` )
Sridhar

#5 by rajsinghi1:

[`` ‘Bambai Raat ki Baahon Mein’.
I am not sure if majority has even heard of this movie leave alone watching it.

Just curious, how did you come to know about this movie? Is it that you have seen it, heard of it from someone or while writing this piece came across some material or something else?]

I used to be a movie buff (am a passive one even now, since I do not watch as many movies) and I did admire K.A.Abbas` work. Of course, I saw it several years after it was made at the film club or a special screening.

You are right that not many would have seen this film or heard about it, but since my piece was not a review of the musical and more about connecting vignettes of specific city characteristics and characters, I thought I might mention this film. (Btw, I am also aware that such an article has limited appeal!)
- - -
Ras:

Just for a ``wee bit more``, surely you can excuse me.
- - -
Jang:

If you believe the Prithvi-going theatre-goers are stylish, you are really into potato sacks passing as good dressing or even couture...

You say that ``mumbai dreams is not what americans or ny folks get their understanding from``. I said that they would understand the Bombay dream better, not merely the theatre version. About it being time-pass and all that, fine. But pop culture is an interesting area of study...and this is where the musical fails, in my opinion.

I had an interesting conversation with a Pakistani once, who knew all about our films, and I talked about Bollywood culture. ``What? How can you call that culture?`` I gave him a piece of my mind, asking him why he was so besotted with Indian films then...and I recounted this to an Indian friend who said, ``But really, how can you call Bollywood culture???``!

I think culture evolves and acts as a sponge to the environment it is in.

---

I have used the term `Bombay` in this article to go with the name of the musical; I usually use Mumbai.

Farzana Versey

Didnt you see my smiley face?? :-D

Anyway, I was merely responding to the collateral damage inflicted by your article...there is no need to launch an assault on the Indians of England just because you didnt like some stupid West End show!!