"Make It like Manhattan" is the order of the day for those of us who MUST imitate sans the thought and care that went into the original.

In some places, the goal of the uppity octopus concrete skyline has swallowed up an otherwise visible to everyone ocean.
Now... You pay per view!

And never mind construction dust … never mind the fishing–folk and lost livelihoods as well the fresh catch of the day being available to all and sundry at a humane price … never mind the fact that TODAY there are more children (including those in the richest upper 5% bracket) suffering from bronchitis, asthma and allied breathing disorders … never mind the numbers of labourers lost in the walls or falling off the scaffolding in boiling heat… the skyline marches on.

You make it like Manhattan or you die!

I've walked into some 'compounds' and come away with the feeling of being locked inside a shinier grey ghetto! The traffic doesn't help, but after a while and as the crust of realities change, you get used to it.

You will get used to it. You will obey or else ...

Remember the warnings of the author of the Milgram Experiment and Small World phenomenon? Na...aah? Okay. Google it.

Maybe the realities I grew up with differ... but the beauty of a blue sky and turquoise ocean, of space and sea and shore can never be replaced by shiny concrete. Nor can they be replicated. Period!

There is no place for history or humanity in such projects. Those who smell blood, are so hot on the chase that they go blind to all else. And they must.

How else can you create a monument to a 21st century 95/5society? Yes 95% ordinary and 5% extraordinarily RICH!

How else can you exemplify allegiance to the big plan meant to crown some and homogenise and neutralise the rest?

How else do you differentiate between the queen and the worker bees?

There is no place that is safe from this onslaught. It's called 'progress'... The Magic Word to conjure visions of such personal glory/well being that poor Joe laps it up and cheerily goes to work- stale sandwich and pills, all handy.

He doesn't know that in the final summation he remains 'Poor Joe'.

And that's where the heartache is, in knowing that we are all being steadily programmed to not know, nor think, discern or voice. .
_____

I used to drive past Peddar Road as a child, look up at this white building close to the Mahalakshmi temple and everyone would point and say "Prabhu Kunj – Mangeshkar Nivas". I could see people fold their hands in mute namaskaar … silently paying respects to the fabulous family of singers and musicians who lived there on the first floor. If the curtains on the extreme left windows were open, a lifesize portrait of Lata Mangeshkar could be easily seen as also sometimes the silhouettes of people moving around! My imgination would run ... to greet everyone ... On the extreme right lives my hero! Asha Bhosle. I had caught sight of her sitting on the swing once. And told the world. And watched my world delight! Blue sky, open ocean and all...

Prabhukunj ... the garden of the Gods! The Mangeshkars and the Bhosles have lived there for almost half a century. And Mumbai or Bombay has followed their phenomenal careers rise and take on the whole world.

Their home is a piece of our history, our culture, India's success story.

Their home will now be out of sight, bunked under a flyover that will give Peddar Road some relief from the growing traffic of the many, many cars that must be bought and sold …. Never mind the pollution and never mind the fact that Fire Trucks may not be able to cross over in emergencies!

Forget history, even common sense has no place in this mode of 'Progress'!

And what of a family's personal heartache … Does anybody really care? 50 years of building lives, bit by bit ... a sense of belonging ... a sacred space?

No. The media will 'do' the story, some of us will hurt ... the rest will 'do' their cluck and run and we'll get used to it.

After all, didn't we get used to living in matchboxes, with 3X3' baths and 2X3' kitchens and 450 square feet of living space! Aren't we now used to being profiled and e-coded, labelled and pigeonholed?

So now we build Manhattan! Asian Style. It just may be the way out of the boxes/cages/hives ... we want desperately to believe

Or it may be an idea – without the spirit or the mind!

Wishing you AWAKE AND HOWLING!

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Written by a respected personality in Dubai, getting frustrated over the shifting of the Mangeshkars and Bhosles from Prabhukunj

kcp, that was straight from the heart!

you have worded our sentiments.



it was vijayadashami (dasaraa) of early sixties when mangeshkars did 'griha-pravesh' and started living in Prabhu-Kunj.
it was asha bhosle who bought the house first and then mangeshkars followed.

2 years ago, in Maharashtra Times' sunday edition, there was an article on asha's home.
there were few photographs and asha's story about how she bought it and later designed it her way.

the house witnessed her every moment of joy and sorrow.
it watched her children grow, get married, have kids of their own.

since both sisters would be living in different wings in housing complex,
i am going to miss that door, which used to connect their flats in Prabhu-Kunj.

I wonder if both of you are mumbaikars....
the guy who wrote it from Dubai certainly isn't.

Mumbai's needs are bigger than Mangeshkar sisters'... where was this Dubai guy when all the other flyovers swallowed other houses on upper floors in other parts of Mumbai?

Most of them do not have enough money to shift from their homes. And the cost of their homes has come down after the flyovers came. So selling them is a losing proposition. Maangeshkar sisters have already bought swanky apartments elsewhere.

Do not cry for them. They do not need it.

The people's man!
Arey if people see the home as a sacred place kya jaata hai?
And I do not think all Mumbaikers are happy abt the flyover--itne protests the.

The need of the city are greater then individuals

be it an ex President,ex-pm,a great singer or a great actor or a great cricketer.

no one comes above a common cause, the good of the city.

BTW-they are not breaking the building,
hard core fans should get together and buy up their apartments
and make them into museums.

cm2

Are they leaving them? I thot they would have 2 homes.
In India ie.

Thanks CM2 That was a lovely suggestion. You are right. The building isn't being demolished. In fact the BMC sent special delegations to LM to explain to her how the flyover wouldn't affect her house (though, impartially I do agree that the traffic will surely be a nuisance to her).

Priya, the ONLY people who have been opposing the flyover are the people of Pedder Road. They made LM the head of the protest committee.
I wonder if you remember the furore caused when the M sisters said that if the flyover was built they would be forced to shift to Dubai. There was SUCH a hue and cry that they were forced to retract their statement and AB went to the extent of saying that it was just a joke.

And there was a lovely cartoon that gave a simple solution to the problem of M's not wanting a flyover in front of their house. It showed one flyover coming and ending just before Prabhu Kunj, and another starting just after Prabhu Kunj

Thats a good one, Mandrake ji...

Waise much before this furore I passed thro Peddar Road and hardly got a glimpse of the house--of course I was on the bus--maybe I was misguided.
Waise sab bolte hain let us discuss mujik, then why is it that the 'controversial' topics only catch everyone's attention?

we would but the revered ladies [lm+ab] want more attention

I would love to tell the ladies god has gifted u with something

learn to gift back

cm2

They have not already? 20,000 + songs between them which form the backdrop to our lives is not enough?

priya they have not done it for free

don't be a blind fanatic

that's how they have bought the new expensive flats

it's sad we make demi gods of people who are gifted

cm2

Good Heavens!!! Demi-gods?
It makes no diff to me whether they stay in Mumbai or Dubai or anywhere else. And I do think they are entitled to their opinions. If they want their home to be as it is, so be it.
I really do not know why this has to become a personal issue with members squabbling.

sure-



they have been paid for each and every song-nothing comes free in life

their's is a god gift -what have they given back

I have never been involved in serious squabbling here This seems like a golden opportunity!!
Priya, get out your BP medications

CM2, just for a matter of debating - WHY should they give back anything?
And what is god's gift? Any singer who trains well enough can sound extremely pleasing to the ears.
I think they have already given back - they were paid only once to sing each song. But Every time I listen to a song I am thrilled.
Just debating CM2 - nothing personal

Mandrake was it ever caricatured by pencil sketches? I agree with Mandrake and CM ji, city well-being is more important than whims of celebrities. So many citizens face probs when flyovers come up, but the lone fight by each of these citizens is seldom heard. Sigh!

Mandrake you in a mood for squabble! For once I am going to be a fence sitter and watch you! he he he! It is a treat to read your writes Hope you dont spank me for that

N

they were paid only once to sing each song. But Every time I listen to a song I am thrilled.

mandrake ji u must pay them.

this is gross negligence on ur part

I have told them to collect money from me personally,and if I am extra thrilled I will tip them generously.

and the other day I did'nt like the song, so I wanted my money back

they would'nt listen.

cm2

Ohhh that is what you mean by pay back ?

Mghty funny all this is.
I too wondered the same as Suhas (we will fight over the flyover later )--yes God gifted them and they made best use of it. Their gift was the voice and they sang. Aur kya kar sakte hain? Haan Asha cooks too. Bonus!
I guess ultimately everyone sees their own point of view and is protective of their own interests. And maybe for the older generation modernisation however helpful is not always a very attractive proposition.
Anyway I am neither a Mumbaikar nor a flyover builder nor a Mangeshkar. So over and out.

tum log shuru hue to shuru ho jate ho...

i think flyover was necessary for mumbaikars, who spend lot of their man hours on road fighting against traffic.

but at the same time, its sad the way all these things happened.

2001 (?)- flyover idea comes up - peddar road people protest

then again 2005 and 2006- mangeshkars protest and finally decide to leave it.

(they should have said yes in 2001 and put full stop to this circus)

if ever this flyover is going to be built in front of our houses, everyone of us will try to protest.
and i mean everyone.

but mangeshkars' clout helped them catch media attention. that's all.

then people accused them of using their image to stop things from happening.

Shee!!!
Yahaan koi dhang se squabble bhi nahi karta
CM2, you have thrown cold water on my hot idea
I had invested so much whatever into the squabble idea!! Now you better pay me back for all that dud investment!!

Priya, when did you eat AB's culinary attempts to call them a bonus? For all you know, they might be the cause of her rifts...(is that in bad taste? Sorry. Should I delete this line?)

Maine khaaya hai. Although being veggie, I did not have the fish that
the others were in ecstasies about. But the dal and sabzi were very
very good. The key apparently is ghee in the taDka.

lucky you!

may be, that ghee comes straight from Prabhu-Kunj..

SB
AB ke haath ka khaana? Wow! You must be a special one!
DO tell us when and how...(or how often)

Hangama hai kyun barpa......................
Let's make their birthplaces museums and monuments too