Ajith Nair

I write this in response to a new item that seems to be in all papers. A series of tragic accidents have plagued highways leading into and out of Mumbai. Entire families have been wiped out and a family which was carrying its son’s body (who incidentally died in another accident) also met with a tragic end. Our idea of speed is like in the movies when Amitabh and his kin man oeuvre the biggest of vehicles through the narrowest of lanes while dodging 20 bullets and with one arm protecting the heroine. Our in city driving, while not fast at all, is all about cutting lanes and gunning for that 4 sq inch of space that is available. This means overtaking the overtaker and while on the highway knocking at the Undertakers. I’ve experienced the Goa Highway, where these accidents occurred first hand. Conveying that experience will be limited by my ability with words but it still sends shivers down my spine. It’s a three lane highway which means that traffic in both directions is fighting for a ...

Finally watched Munnabhai today...the movie that has relaunched Gandhiji. He is the Father of the nation, though wherever he is today, might not want to stake claim to that title! The movie is an entertainer for sure and like Rang De Basanti has apparently done lots apart from just running to packed halls and selling more popcorn….Sales of My Experiments with Truth have gone up and all kinds of Gandhi merchandise have taken off… Personally, until now, the Mahatma was just that, a Mahatma. He was, to use a crude comparison a bit like Sachin….everybody looks up to him and wants to emulate him but when it comes to doing things his way its tough man, bloody tough. The movie gave me a fresh perspective or should I say rekindled one. Munnabhai tries to simplify things and that’s where its success lies. It tries to convey I guess, that all of us have a Gandhi in ourselves. I remember a public service message that used to be run by the Lok Seva Sanchar Parishad on DD many years ago that showed...

I had the opportunity to visit some of the bigger Indian cities recently. Earlier visits to different cities were marked by a mix of anticipation, uncertainty, curiosity and a lot of advice on what to do and where to shop and so on and so forth. There was an unwritten rule with most people that I know that you pickup something unique from the city- either as souvenir or as consumable. So with Delhi it could be the Petha, with Kolkata the Sandesh, down south you could actually carry back some fresh brewed coffee and so on. Got a fresh slightly different and disturbing perspective this time. The rate at which most Indian cities are growing is min boggling (sorry that’s not disturbing!). Now you don’t need to get to the city from the airport, the city probably has already come to you. Except Mumbai where anything can be constructed almost anywhere anyone likes, the other cities had airports in the outskirts. The journey from the airport to the city used to be a build up of sorts. Bigger s...

Have been living out of a suitcase and airplane for the last four days. Some fundamental questions need to be cleared before I can breathe easy. Be warned you might feel insulted by some of these as you might be guilty of some of these acts 1. I am 6ft tall almost. Am ogre like and hard to miss. Yet at airports gentlemen and not so gentle women pass through me to get to the counter as if I don’t exist. I was making way for the guy who was exiting and there you go, you had a fat Delhi bred Punju woman who had defied her ample self and occupied my rightful place at the check in counter. Now you know why Punjab is closest to the border. The whole state probably wrestled its way there. (Sorry for this rather emotional outburst!) 2. Have you seen the run for your lives scramble that happens when the flight boarding announcement takes place? I wonder whether the guys who queue up first at departure actually reach the destination earlier. 3. Anytime of the day or night, all air travelers have...

I have always looked at this with a mix of awe, marvel and sheer abhorrence. There is something about the guy behind the wheel that is worth marveling about and let me tell you why. Most roads in Mumbai are after thoughts. They were wrestled out of what remained after everyone had grabbed their piece of the land action. In such after thoughts where fresh air is at a premium and parallel lines coincide, getting a full blown BEST bus to even move to move is an art, to say the least. It takes immense patience when every possible animal, man, woman and child would want to cross the road before the bus passes them by. Then there is the ubiquitous rick wallah whose ability to move 360 in the same spot is a gift from the powers that be. Last but not the least there is the hawker whose prime objective in life seems to be to take as much of the main street to himself. Now for the abhorrence bit. A secret not yet revealed part of the BEST training to its drivers in about how to intimidate everyo...