Mumbai Diaries – Volume I

I’m at Mumbai for the 2 months of my summer internship. The moment I had come to know that I was to be posted here, I was happy because there is something about this city that attracts me to it. Maybe because of the picture portrayed in Bollywood movies, there is a charm about the city that is not easily described. Right from the moment the aircraft was descending to land at Mumbai, the sight of neat clumps of high rises that look so organized from above, the sight of the curvaceous bay, the sight of all the smart private jets at the airport hangar, gives you a feel good factor. Well, when you actually get started on the ground, you realise the ugly side of the city- searching for a house is a pain you-know-where, the sweat sticks to your skin all day long, the crowds will leave you flabbergasted wherever you go, and the lack of greenery means there is hardly any shade from the hot Sun. We got a decent accommodation that’s about a 15 minute walk from office, and slowly and steadily everything fell into place. So life is moving along at a nice and steady rhythm now.

So what were the high points of my stay that has lasted a fornight here? Let me enumerate them –

• Theatre – I had never been exposed to the kind of theatre that prevails in Mumbai, but had heard loads about it. So the day we landed here, we checked out the theatre options. There are 2 major theatres here – The NCPA (National Center for Performing Arts), Nariman Point and Prithvi Theatre, Juhu. Both have a rich history behind them, being supported by the TATA group and the Kapoor families respectively. Waiting for Godot was on at the Prithvi Theatre, starring Nasseruddin Shah and Benjamin Gilani. We immediately called up the theatre and found it to be booked full. That clearly gave us an idea of the kind of crowds theatre in Mumbai attracts! Next weekend, we went over to the NCPA Experimental Theatre to watch a Hindi play, Lift Kara De. It was good fun, and was a novel experience for us. Next weekend we landed at Prithvi Theatre to watch One on One, a series of 10 short 10 minute plays, and Rajit Kapur was in the cast. This play turned out to be fabulous, and all the performances were mindblowing. The play had been running for the 5 weekdays, yet had been running to a full house on the weekend. Next weekend, we hope to watch Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, a play dramatising the life of Anupam Kher, which should be another great play to watch. Discovering theatre has definitely been one of the high points of our stay here till now.
• Konkan food and sea fish – I had read a bit about places to visit on the Konkan coast, and there was something written about Konkan food too, describing its special nature.  Since there’s a nice little Konkan eating place near our home, we decided to give it a try one day.Tried out the Surmai fish, absolutely loved it. Its name turned out to be mackerel, or king fish. Also tried out the bangda fish, which is also a type of mackerel and very tasty. Konkan food has liberal use of coconut, and is generally quite spicy but very enjoyable. The fish and the style of cooking, both turned out to be delicious.
• A meal at Oh Calcutta - I had heard a lot about Oh Calcutta, but never felt the need to go its Calcutta outlet since I would rather have food at home and not spend a fortune on something that can be easily had at home. However, in a strange city, there is nothing like the taste of familiar delicacies. So we decided to give the Andheri outlet of Oh Calcutta a try. So with bulging wallets and big hopes, I and my friend landed at the place, with adequate help from Google Maps. The place is nice and neatly done. Our order consisted of plain steamed rice, bhaaja (fried) mooger (moong) dal, chingri malai curry (prawn), bhekti shorshe bataa (bhekti fish in mustard sauce), and mishti doi(sweet curd). The dal was different from what we have at home, but I liked their rendition. The prawns were delicious. The fish could have been better done – there seemed to be too much mustard but thankfully wasn’t pungent. The curd was good, overall a very satisfying and sumptuous meal. We left the place with a happy heart, a satisfied tummy, and a significantly lighter wallet!!

Apart from the usual high points, there were the usual smaller joys. Standing on Marine Drive and take in the sight of the entire Queen’s necklace. Go around Fort and admire the old beautiful buildings, old buildings with the big financial names and modern retail outlets. Aboard a Fast local and watch it zoom past the stations it does not stop by. Look up at the high rises and wonder when you will have a house like that of your own. Watch the poor coexist with the stinking rich. Watch traffic weave its way, not bothering with what is in it’s way. Stand on Dadar Station’s overbridge, and watch 20 rows of commuters zip past you as if you didn’t exist. Take in the smell of the fish near a fishing village like a whiff of places far away. Watch the waves collide with the rocks and retreat, only to strike back the next moment with equal gutso. These experiences may be too trivial, too petty to write home about, yet they are a vital part of the fabric of the city, a part that adds as much to the fabric as much it subtracts from it. The sight of garbage, the stench near the creeks, the filth in certain places cannot be missed by a pair of dark glasses or a handkerchief on the nose. For every joy point, there are 5 equal pain points. This city reminds me of the movie Hurt Locker’s tagline “War is a drug”. At the end of the day, this city has a life, and whoever once settles in never wants to set foot elsewhere. It indeed is a drug.

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Tags: Konkan cuisine, Mumbai, NCPA, Oh Calcutta, Prithvi Theatre, Surmai fish

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