Malavika’s Mumbaistan: Speaking Out

Along with representatives of the Koli community, environmentalists and citizens, Sharma had voiced her concerns, in her characteristic pleasant and measured style.

“I hadn’t intended to speak, but as I have been following the Coastal Road story for a few years and listening to so many authorities raise their concerns about it, I felt a sort of duty to speak up and amicably express my views and the views of many others,” says actor and producer-host of the Tara Sharma Show, about the public hearing on the matter that she had attended on Wednesday at the Old Customs House. Along with representatives of the Koli community, environmentalists and citizens, Sharma had voiced her concerns, in her characteristic pleasant and measured style.

Tara Sharma by Adrian Steven.

“Basically I am not anti-development,” she said. “But I am an advocate of responsible development and cannot understand why it is not being built on stilts, which is a cheaper option or as a sea link, instead of this mass reclamation, which is destroying livelihoods of Kolis, marine and bird habitat, the beauty of heritage sights – Mahalaxmi temple and Haji Ali Dargah – and the gorgeous coastline which to citizens like us, in many ways, defines our city.”

Sharma, daughter of actor, playwright and iconic voice of Independent India, the late Partap Sharma, says she is inspired to speak out for future generations by her parents. “My impromptu speakup had a lot to do with how my parents raised me. Climate change is real and blocking the water, by dumping rocks will eventually act as a dam causing worse flooding. So as a young mother, all I did was amicably request the kind officials present to try and make some part of it on stilts, as they are doing in the northern stretch.”

But for all her effort, the busy media maven and mother of two, who is already working on Season 6 of her show, says she will accept the outcome. “Many say it is too late to do anything, and if nothing can be done, I will accept it, but in the knowledge that for my kids and all children everywhere in the future, I tried. I believe every little voice helps.”

Incidentally, Season 5 of The Tara Sharma Show, which had featured the likes of Salman Khan, Sonali Bendre and Rohit Sharma, is all about people using their celebrity status to bring about positive change.

Tweet Talk

“The crisis will pass, but I think it’s making the world press a permanent ‘Reset’ button. 1) It’ll accelerate working from home. 2) Lead to more digital ‘virtual’ conferences. 3) More video calls, less meetings. 4) Less air travel, leading to a greener footprint. Anything else?

- Industrialist Anand Mahindra tweeted on Tuesday about coronavirus

The Hero Car

Who isn’t familiar with the legend of Parsis and their passion for automobiles? Fastidious, and pernickety, the community has earned a reputation of bestowing so much love and care on its vehicles, that Parsi-owned cars are a much-sought-after commodity and command a premium in the second-hand car market.

The community has also pioneered all kinds of car-related activities and institutions such as motor rallying and vintage car collecting in India and it is no surprise that the country’s leading car magazine, Autocar, is helmed by a Parsi, the redoubtable Hormazd Sorabjee, son of the celebrated jurist and former Attorney-General of India, Soli Sorabjee.

Hormazd Sorabjee (left) and Perseus Bandrawalla with the 1986 BMW series E30 325I.

This story has to do with a car from Hormazd’s personal collection. Not just any car, mind you, but a 1986-made BMW series E30 325I, a veritable ‘hero car’ as collectors say, one that comes with a history and legacy of its own.

It had originally belonged to the late Jehangir KS Nicholson (1915-2001), last heir of a cotton gin and press, and an avid car racing enthusiast and art collector. “Happy 34th birthday to my pride and joy. Thanks Perseus Bandrawalla for taking such good care of her. Jangoo Nicholson must be smiling from up above,” Hormazd had posted on social media last week.

“Nicholson had been a good friend of my grandfather, the late Adi Malgham, who held the distinction of being one of the first to build an all India-made formula car, Hanuman,” said Bandrawalla, an impassioned car authority, when we spoke yesterday. “Ever since the age of three, I remember going for drives with him and my granddad in it. And right from then, it had been my dream to own it.”

But, as it turned out, he was not the only one to harbour such ambitions. Hormazd, who had often partnered with Nicholson on rallies, had also expressed such a wish, making innumerable offers to the older man to part with his pride.

“Jahangir would always respond with ‘Over my dead body’ says Bandrawalla,” and in fact that’s how Hormazd eventually got to own it in 2002. He successfully bid for it when the executioners of Nicholson’s will had put it up for auction.

By then Bandrawalla was a young intern, working with Hormazd and would often be entrusted with the upkeep of the precious vehicle.

That’s when the younger man’s luck changed. Seeing the ardour with which he cared for the vehicle, attending to its slightest, most niggling issue, Hormazd decided to entrust it to Bandrawalla, so that he could take care of it in the manner it deserved.

“It now lies with me at my home in Bandra and when we found a recent document in Nicholson’s hand writing with the car’s details and realised that it had been registered on February 28, 1986, Hormazd decided to share its glorious 34-year-old history,” said Bandrawalla.

See what we mean by the legend of Parsis and their passion for automobiles?