Malavika’s Mumbaistan: Left-Right-Left in Mumbai | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Malavika’s Mumbaistan: Left-Right-Left in Mumbai

Hindustan Times | ByMalavika Sangghvi
Jul 24, 2019 01:17 AM IST

“The calls started coming as soon as the invitations went out. ‘Hey, why are you hosting a right-wing ideologue like Swapan Dasgupta at a Literature Live evening? You always feature liberal voices!” recounted Literature Live’s indefatigable Anil Dharker on the launch he had hosted of Dasgupta’s newest book, ‘Awakening Bharat Mata’ on Monday evening at NCPA. “But of course, the point of being a liberal, I countered, was that you listen to both sides on the ideological divide without shouting down the ‘other’ like they do in TV debates,” said Dharker. This sanguine approach to ideological divides resulted in an impressive crowd that evening. Guests included Suneel Advani of Blue Star; and Rati and Nadir Godrej, along with Ajit Gulabchand and Tavleen Singh (who, apparently, were first timers at the popular literary platform). But if the audience was expecting fireworks, there were none according to Dharker, because Dasgupta, a true intellectual we are informed, gave reasoned arguments on why he wrote the book and the origins of Vande Mataram and the word Hindutva.
Interlocutor for the evening Manjeet Kripalani, co-founder of a think tank, is said to have asked some sharp questions, but Dasgupta proved to amply possess the weapons to blunt them.
But the real pent up questions did erupt in the Q&A session following the discussion. People asked about the growing intolerance and treatment of minorities; about the ban on beef (the author’s response is reported to have been ‘Why eat it?’), and about lynching (’Who will not condemn it?’).
Finally, to the question if BJP’s top brass suffered from an educational deficit, Dasgupta an alumini of Oxbridge’s response had been “the emphasis now is on developing skills rather than getting degrees,” to which, a wisecrack in the audience is said to have remarked rather loudly: “Aha, that’s why we had such a skilful Budget.”

(From lefft) Manjeet Kripalan, Swapan Dasgupta and Anil Dharker.
(From lefft) Manjeet Kripalan, Swapan Dasgupta and Anil Dharker.

True Lies
More on the city’s upper classes, and their curious movie-going habits. A few weeks ago we had chronicled the loud and in-your-face behaviour of a group of Mumbai’s prime ‘ladies who munch’, whose weekly forays to a deluxe multiplex at a mall had been attracting notice. Now, news comes in about another movie theatre idiosyncrasy practiced by of one of the city’s high-profile denizens. This gent, the scion of a top business clan who is said to receive a monthly salary from his dad to stay away from work, sure knows how to do things in style. His forays to see films at deluxe multiplexes see him not only buying the most expensive recliner seats for his girlfriend and himself, but also booking the entire row they’re in so that they don’t have to share elbow room with anyone else. “In the circles he moves in, it’s seen as impressive and cool behaviour,” said a source, adding, “After all, he’s made it very clear that money’s not a problem for him, but…”
But?
“In other circles, he’s a bit of a laughing stock,” continued the source, adding, “because his attempt to impress the hoi polloi by spending a few 1,000 rupees more only underlines the fact that he’s still not rich enough to afford his own personal cinema at home like most of those who he hangs out with are. It’s a bit like those guys who waste so much money by chartering private planes to keep up with their rich friends and their PJ,” said the source.
Oh dear.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Overheard
“I always knew that Kalyug was going to be a rough stretch, but so many devils in so many positions of power!”
-Author Murzban Shroff, on news of you know whose appointment to you know what, yesterday

Of Hope And Love

Chef Vikas Khanna
Chef Vikas Khanna

“I still can’t believe that we did this at the World’s Greatest Parliament in the World’s Greatest City,” said celebrated NYC-based chef Vikas Khanna, about the standing ovation his film ‘The Last Color’ received this week at The United Nations in New York. A poignant tale based on his best-selling book of the same name, the film traces the story of a widow in Varanasi who yearns to play Holi, who befriends a 9-year-old acrobat, portrayed by child-star Aqsa Siddiqui, and stars Neena Gupta in the protagonist’s role. “There is hope and abundance of love on this planet for goodness, reform and change,” said the charismatic chef, who, besides winning accolades for his restaurants, books and films is also Global Ambassador for Widow’s rights by the Global Widows Fund. Meanwhile, the heartfelt response TLC received from the international diplomatic community was followed by its houseful premieres in Berlin and Stuttgart where the film won the Audience Award and Director’s Vision Award. And with all this adulation coming his way, no surprises that Khanna is looking forward to presenting his film’s Australian premiere at the upcoming Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, next month. “I have always found storytelling around recipes, dishes, restaurants and now, about human experiences very interesting,” said Khanna about the latest honour coming his way, adding, “Filmmaking is a very powerful tool and I want to use it for reform and awareness. I am honoured to be doing our Australian Premiere at IFFM.”

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On