Catch up on today's live show
Hot off the televisual equivalent of the presses: here’s a full re-run of today’s live NDTV-Guardian Cities debate, with Anand Gandhi, Sohum Shah and Imran Khan – plus Mumbai Agenda co-hosts Sunetra Choudhury and Tejas Mehta.
Updated
Meanwhile, over at the Juhu beach YMCA shelter, the SlumGods of Dharavi gave the boys a hip-hop dance lesson they won’t forget in a hurry!
Reaction to film debate
Some tweets after the discussion between Imran Khan, Anu Gandhi and Sohum Shah about the future of Indian cinema.
"Homophobia is rampant in Indian cinema - and no one talks about it" - actor Imran Khan at our #NDTVGuardianMumbai discussion
— Guardian Cities (@guardiancities) November 25, 2014
Re censor board: 'If you can see Gandhi's face on a bribe note, the film is banned' @alivehive #NDTVguardianmumbai pic.twitter.com/lIau5WEN67
— Chris Michael (@chrismichaelgdn) November 25, 2014
There is a fear of being too innovative because people will just not get it, says actor Imran Khan #NDTVGuardianMumbai
— NDTV (@ndtv) November 25, 2014
Dissecting Indian cinema today: "90%of films are misogynistic" - Anand Gandhi #NDTVGuardianMumbai pic.twitter.com/JNVMnlYBLB
— Guardian Cities (@guardiancities) November 25, 2014
Catch up on yesterday's live show
Thanks to Anand Gandhi, Sohum Shah and Imran Khan for a really interesting discussion on the future of Indian cinema. To all those at the Hive, enjoy the screening of Ship of Theseus, which Anand and Sohum will be introducing shortly.
And if you missed last night’s discussion on life for women in Mumbai, you can watch it again here.
Updated
Following on from yesterday’s discussion about life as a woman in Mumbai, here’s a harrowing, important story from the award-winning film-maker and photographer, Hazel Thompson. Hazel has spent many years documenting the lives of three young sex workers in Mumbai.
Watch the story of Lata, a teenaged girl who was drugged, kidnapped and forced to work in a brothel in Kamathipura, Mumbai’s infamous red-light district. There is also a powerful gallery of photographs, taken by Hazel, marking Lata’s emotional journey back to the village where she was born and spent her childhood. MH
Updated
Sachin v leopard watch
Yes we know the “gag” is probably wearing thinner than a Mithibai’s dosa by now, but this offering actually has some meat to it. And let’s face it, none of you are taking this seriously enough for my liking. But anyway.
Many of you cricket lovers will have ploughed through Tendulkar’s memoirs, which seem to fixate on food and Dire Straits a tremendous amount [not sure if that counts as a spoiler], but recently I had a long talk with the co-author of Playing It My way, the sport historian and academic, and longstanding friend of Sachin’s, Boria Majumdar.
He believes that Tendulkar and his career both span and symbolise a period in which Sachin’s home city and India as a whole have changed beyond recognition. Plus it is a chance to understand just how you go about pinning down a sporting icon to reminisce for hours on end. Here are some extracts from the interview:
You can use Sachin to understand the whole idea of India in the past 25 years.
When I started the book, I told Sachin that it is the India that you stand for. In between 1989 and 2014 there have been nine prime ministers, multiple elections with many parties coming in and out of power, India has moved from import substitution to liberalisation, the economy has opened up, the television revolution has happened, the media revolution has happened … there has been one constant and that is you.
That to me was striking, that between 1989 and now, this man was playing cricket for India in his unique way - and that his legion of fans have remained throughout, that the essential idea of India has changed, yet the solidity that he brought during this period of great change is incredible.
This idea that we are one nation, that these many peoples are one nation, is significantly carried by this man. So I told him that he owes it to his fans to write this book. And I told him that we should start writing it in 2011, so we ended up with close to 135 hours of recordings over three years.
This guy who came from a modest, conservative Maharashtran background, ended up becoming the symbol of a liberalised India. When he started out, he couldn’t speak English well, he was – and still is – an introvert, and suddenly he becomes this phenomenal batsman, with sponsors chasing him, married into a nice south Bombay family, and becomes exposed to all the riches in the world – and yet despite that his grooming, his modesty and his humility remains unchanged. To me he represents the new global India.
Tendulkar’s whole tryst with food is amazing. That he went to England in 1992 and ate cold meat for the first time. Or having Chinese food aged 10 without any idea what he was eating, to now being a connoisseur of sushi and wine. Once again a story of India, from basic home cooked foods on the streets to the welcoming of global cuisine. On so many levels his age, temperament and journey represent that of India.
It’s not my English, it’s his English. And I was very conscious that it has to be his voice. Sachin was an excellent subject. He approached it like he does anything else, he is a perfectionist, he wanted to try his hardest to make it the best possible book - and acted accordingly, making himself available, remembering things in great detail and so on.
He is very rooted. You will see that all the time. The way he stands and says hi to people, that sense of modesty comes out.
We will hear more from Majumdar later in the week and there will be plenty more to come on sport in Mumbai, and India. If you wish to contribute to the debate add your comments today or tweet us at @guardiancities.
SR
Updated
Your favourite Mumbai films
Earlier today we shared film critic Anupama Chopra’s top 10 films set in Mumbai - from Deewar to Slumdog Millionaire. We then asked you for your own favourite Mumbai films. Here’s what you said ...
@anupamachopra @guardiancities @FilmCompanion Salam Bombay ??
— Vijendra Rai (@theOld_Monk) November 25, 2014
@anupamachopra @guardiancities @FilmCompanion .. How can you miss DDLJ and 3 idiots?
— Atharsays (@Athar_r) November 25, 2014
@anupamachopra @guardiancities @FilmCompanion Satya?
— Saurabh Rathore (@SauReal) November 25, 2014
@anupamachopra What about Sagina Dilip Kumar's gem of a movie about workers rights @guardiancities @FilmCompanion
— Vadgama (@Vadgama_) November 25, 2014
@guardiancities plenty of non-hindi films... Kamalhasan's Nayakan, Mohanlal's Abhimanyu & of course Mani Ratnam's Bombay #guardianmumbai
— GeetikaSudip (@GeetSud) November 25, 2014
@anupamachopra @guardiancities @FilmCompanion Mani Ratnam's Bombay?
— Saurabh Rathore (@SauReal) November 25, 2014
SATYA? RT @anupamachopra: A list of my favourite Mumbai films for @guardiancities: http://t.co/TuaFDUIabp What did I miss? @FilmCompanion
— Shreyansh Shukla (@Shr3yanshS) November 25, 2014
@anupamachopra @guardiancities Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, Amar Akbar Anthony, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Katha, CID, Anari, Nayakan #guardianmumbai
— JamuuraFilms (@JamuuraBrigade) November 25, 2014
@anupamachopra @guardiancities @FilmCompanion how can you miss the Epic RGV's SATYA
— Umesh (@UmeshMardia) November 25, 2014
@anupamachopra @guardiancities @FilmCompanion how can you forget Lagaan
— Sanchit Jain (@sanchitvicky) November 25, 2014
@anupamachopra @guardiancities @FilmCompanion Salaam Bombay, Satya and Bombay.
— Jalapathy Gudelli (@JalapathyG) November 25, 2014
@anupamachopra @guardiancities Satya, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, City of Gold (Marathi), A Wednesday, Dharavi #guardianmumbai
— JamuuraFilms (@JamuuraBrigade) November 25, 2014
Sounds like Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay, Ram Gopal Varma’s Satya and Mani Ratnam’s Bombay are winners here! Keep sharing your suggestions on Twitter with #GuardianMumbai and tune in (right here on our live blog) at 1.30pm GMT / 7pm IST for a live-streamed debate on the future of Indian film with NDTV.
The transformers
Yesterday, we told you about the volunteer group Urban Vision and its project to transform two areas of Mumbai.
We spent the day at Rivali Park, Borivali East, with Prathima Manohar, founder of the Urban Vision, and her merry band of helpers; and today the work continues apace.
#ReMakeBBY The sculptures made out of trash by Hari Babu getting ready at Powai's new Plaza of Joy pic.twitter.com/OC2tTrAXan
— The Urban Vision (@theurbanvision) November 25, 2014
#ReMakeBBY The first completed art at our Gallery of Street art at Powai's Plaza of Joy by Artist Ganesh pic.twitter.com/hdeIcJGA6R
— The Urban Vision (@theurbanvision) November 25, 2014
#ReMakeBBY Artists & community joyous about the tires that arrived for the amphitheatre in Borivili's wish plaza pic.twitter.com/dCtzfrlu4d
— The Urban Vision (@theurbanvision) November 25, 2014
#ReMakeBBY Day 2 Borivili ..Remaking Public Spaces.. pic.twitter.com/c6z8EE8gvE
— The Urban Vision (@theurbanvision) November 25, 2014
Work in progress .. Mumbai's Wish Plaza #ReMakeBBY pic.twitter.com/z8B9Dly1QY
— The Urban Vision (@theurbanvision) November 25, 2014
Out and about
Saptarshi Ray here now, let loose at the controls of today’s blog for a while. Time for another tweet from our man about town Aditya Chakrabortty.
And don’t forget he is harnessing the power you as the delectable residents of this city hold, with your fancy local knowledge, your snazzy grasp of geography and your la-dee-da wealth of information of what to do, see, hear, feel and barge into on his travels.
Fav pic from #guardianmumbai so far. A trio snap each other at The Hanging Gardens. The joy of the city. pic.twitter.com/ZtSxxpi4u7
— Aditya Chakrabortty (@chakrabortty) November 25, 2014
And one from reader Sushanta Sahoom who has sent in this striking image from a train station.
An aerial view of Mumbai Slums from the Metro Railway Station. @guardiancities #guardianmumbai #everydaymumbai pic.twitter.com/dQzoVAxtv3
— Susanta Sahoo (@sushantsahoo) November 25, 2014
Updated
Mumbai movie madness
The Maximum City is obsessed by movies. To kick off today’s focus on film in Mumbai, top critic Anu Chopra has told us her favourite 10 films set in the city. It’s a wide-ranging selection, spanning Bollywood, Hollywood and independent Indian film. Click here for clips, and to tell us what she left out.
Of course, the glitz of Bollywood has always attracted attention; see that typical Andheri aspirant to fame, the Lokhandwala Struggler.
But as Jason Burke reports today, Bollywood’s famous dark side may be newly resurgent. Mumbai gangsters have returned to targeting Bollywood celebrities in an effort to find a “new business model”, he writes. Mahesh Bhatt just escaped a third attempt on his life by gunmen, while Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan have also been threatened.
In the 1990s, wanted criminals were regular guests at big Bollywood weddings; the decade ended with several killings.
The threats serve a purpose. The target is not the celebrity as such. The aim is to make other people think that if the extortionist is prepared to go after such high-profile people then they had better pay up and keep quiet.” -Senior police officer dealing with crime in Mumbai
It’s an eye-opening piece: read it here.
But there’s more to life than Bollywood in 2014. On the back of indie hits such as Ship of Theseus, The Lunchbox and That Girl in Yellow Boots, has the time finally come for Indian cinema to break free of the cliches?
Tonight we’ll host a debate, airing live on NDTV and Guardian Cities, with the actor Imran Khan, Ship of Theseus’s director Anand Ghandi and its producer and star, Sohum Shah (7pm IST / 1.30pm GMT). Is this the moment Indian film goes global? And while Bollywood still draws the big bucks, does a sleeper hit like Ship of Theseus have a universality that Bollywood lacks?
#NDTVGuardianMumbai will look at Bollywood trends today. Tweet us questions for actor Imran Khan and the team from Ship of Theseus
— sunetra choudhury (@sunetrac) November 25, 2014
The debate will be followed by a screening of this groundbreaking film from 8pm. The event is at the Hive in Khar West - click here for details. Hope to see you there. CM
Updated
How to get involved
For those of you just tuning in, Guardian Cities are in Mumbai for a week of reporting, live TV debates, urban interventions and the odd game of keepy-uppy. Mumbaikars, we want you (and everyone else) to get involved! Here’s how to follow our events, share your thoughts and join in the fun. It’s your city: don’t be shy, tell us what you think really needs to be talked about.
We’re spending a lot of time at the Hive, an arts and community space in Bandra - read more about it and feel free to drop in to say hi. Here’s a roundup of the exciting events we’re holding there - tonight we’ve got a film discussion and screening of Ship of Theseus, considered one of the best indie movies to come out of India in years. Get involved!
This week's live events
We’re excited to be co-hosting a nightly series of discussions with NDTV throughout the week. Tonight’s debate is on the future of Indian cinema. Panelists will include the actor Imran Khan, Ship of Theseus director Anand Ghandi, and the film’s producer and star, Sohum Shah (from 6.45pm). The debate will be followed by a screening of this groundbreaking film from 8.30pm.
The event is at the Hive in Khar West - click here for more details.
Last night’s discussion was on life in Mumbai for women - here’s the Mumbai Agenda show again in full if you missed it.
Also at the Hive this week: Tall Tales live storytelling event, featuring five fascinating stories of Mumbaikars’ lives (from 7.30pm - entrance fee). Here’s a sneak preview:
Guardian Cities Mumbai: day one
Incidentally, if this is your first visit to the Guardian Cities live in Mumbai blog (snappy title, huh), you missed a whole heap of discussions, events and occasional jokes yesterday. So if you want a recap, here’s a link to yesterday’s live blog.
Good morning, Mumbai! Again!
Day two of Guardian Cities’ live week in Mumbai starts with an introduction to the Guardian’s senior economics commentator, Aditya Chakrabortty, who we are honoured to have with us this week.
As well as writing a fascinating column on the mindset of India’s student population, which we will launch today, he is spending this week researching a major piece on Mumbai (and taking the odd photo - see below) and he’d like your help. Here’s Aditya to explain all:
In Britain, I spend a lot of my time covering one of our great preoccupations of the moment: the gap between the super-rich and the rest of us. You see it everywhere there, especially in London: how parts of the capital are now so wealthy, so exclusive they feel completely alien even to those born and brought up there; how some perfectly normal suburbs have been gentrified beyond recognition and how the middle as well as the working classes are struggling to keep a foothold in the city.
I’ve been coming to India every year for well over 30 years but this is my first proper spell in Mumbai … and what I find remarkable is the resonances between the concerns voiced here and those I often hear in London. Talk to even long-standing Mumbaikars, and you’ll hear complaints about how the middle classes are being jostled out of schools, hospitals, homes. Bachi Karkaria’s piece amplified the kinds of things I’ve been discussing since getting here.
And that’s what I’m going to make my focus for the week: inequality in Mumbai – especially the gap between the wealthy and the middle class. Not because I don’t think poverty matters (especially the extreme poverty that anyone who spends time in India sees all the time), but because this other theme strikes me as fundamental to the future of Mumbai, and India.
So what I want to know from Mumbaikars or those who love the city is: where should I go and who should I meet in reporting this theme? How far has the presence of a globalised super-wealthy elite in your city changed how you live in it? Get below the line, or tweet at me @chakrabortty #guardianmumbai: I want to hear from you.
And while I’m dashing around this great city, i’ll keep you posted on what others are telling me. Thanks, Aditya.
I agree with WhoGivesADamn above: "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro" has to be in this list.
And I'm not sure if either "Maqbool" or "Dil Chahta Hai" are Bombay specific enough to warrant inclusion (though they're both fine films). I'd rather have, say, of films I've seen since 2000: "Chameli" and "Dhobi Ghat".