April by Bandra Buzz newspaper

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April 2014 | Vol. 5 | Issue 4 (I) | www.bandrabuzz.com | Price: `3

CLASH

Your AAP Candidate Phiroze Palkhivala

THE TO KEEP OR KEEP OUT

CORRUPTION

In order that our readers get to know the mindset of candidates standing for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2014 – and make an informed choice while voting, Bandra Buzz has interviewed them individually. You can watch the interview at: bandrabuzz.com/phiroze-palkhivala.html Send feedback to editor@bandrabuzz.com Phiroze, what prompted you to join AAP? When the person who contacted & asked me to join AAP, I said “No, I have a lot of work – I can’t do it.” Then, she said, “We are all in the same boat. But, it’s high time that people like you came out & did something for the country. We should stop thinking only about ourselves.” When she said that, I had no answer to that – so I agreed (to join). Do you equate yourself with social activism? Social Activism is a very wide term. But there is a lot of activism that is required; in the sense that there is a huge need for

those who are elected to actually start thinking about people. If that happens, social activism will not be so required any longer. Activism is when the government is working against the will & benefit of the people. This is when this sort of social activism is required. We intend to form a government that really works FOR the people – so social activism will not be necessary, because we ourselves will be socially activated, giving people what they need.

What would be your core commitments to your supporters, if elected? My core commitments would be: - Always to maintain my integrity - Always to do what I think is right - To give my best effort to remove corruption from this country, or reduce it to its minimum. According to me, CORRUPTION is the biggest cancer facing the country. The other thing, of course (& it is a complimentary) is to give a high level of governance, where the people will themselves

decide what they want, need & require. This will eventually (& that’s the bottom line) make people ‘happy’.

What is your connect to the people of Mumbai North Central? This connection (according to me) depends so largely on your ‘niyat’ or your (true) intention – how big is your heart. What you want to do. - Do you want to work FOR the people? - Are you concerned for the people (’s welfare)? - Do you CARE for the people? That is the type of connect needed. It does not matter from which strata of society you are from which geographical area you are. It really depends on how big your heart is – & how many people you are willing to accommodate. Can you tell us some outstanding campaign experiences? There are so many of them, but if I may say – I initially thought it would be quite

differnt, but I am quite overwhelmed with the experiences that I had. Some of the very very important experiences – & which I feel really reflect the minds of people is (because my candidature was declared so late) when I was walking through slums & shopping areas. So often, when I met people & told them that I am standing as your locality’s Aam Admi Party candidate – they welcomed me, saying, “Oh, you are here. We were waiting for you to come.” That was a very heart-warming & positive start that happened repeatedly at various interactions. Also, I have found repeatedly; that everybody seems to have this common refrain: We are fed up. We are tired – and we want CHANGE. These are the two opposite sides of the spectrum – the expectation from one side and the rejection which people have suffered from this government. Turn to page 4 By Bandra Buzz

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02 APRIL 2014

BANDRABUZZ.COM

POLITICS

You may have a politician living right next to you, whose destroying the entire locality and your house

FROM PAGE 1 When do you expect the Aam Admi Party broom to clean corruption – and show results? I feel that this depends whether the Aam Admi Part actually comes to power. If this happens, things will move very swiftly – because the Lokpal Bill will be there. And more importantly: I believe that every law can be circumvented – and the final say depends on who is at the top. So, when the top man is clean and strong (things can happen). You may be clean, yet weak. We all know this, as we have been experiencing it for several years.

When you are clean and strong and intelligent – that is a wonderful combination, which can move things. If that happens, I think things will move quickly. Of course, there may be some corruption at the lower level (that can be rooted out and may take some time) – but that perception that corruption can no longer be tolerated, will go. For better logistics, if you win (and you seem to have a fair chance); do you plan to shift to Bandra, Khar, SantaCruz… (Adv. Phiroze is a resident of Breach Candy)? No, I don’t. I have been coming here every day (for campaigning) from 6am till

around midnight. But then, we come to the fact about ‘what you want to do’. Your geographical location is irrelevant. You may have a politician living right next to you, whose destroying the entire locality and your house – and somebody who comes all the way from Delhi. Kejriwal may come and start building up this marvellous environment for you. So that (staying in a different area) does not really matter. It matters about ‘what you really want to do’. Again, ‘NIYAT’ or intention. I am sure you’ve visited Bandra many times. Do you have a message to the people of Bandra? Yes, and that message is this: PLEASE DO NOT BE TOLERANT. It is high time that the people of India stopped being tolerant. Tolerant towards: - Administrative apathy - Infrastructural breakdowns - Imposing a political will upon you - Allowing a political will dividing you on the basis of caste, creed, economic strata

These are all the things that we are being subjected to by our rulers. We were subjected to these things for all these years. After 300 years of British rule, we have come to accept it – and our present rulers are doing exactly the same: DIVIDE & RULE. My message is do not be tolerant from the smallest aspect to the largest aspect. If the road built outside your house is substandard, stand up and say so – protest! This is what I want to say – & I feel it should catch the imagination of people. I read on the net, something that happened in Russia. In one town, they found that the roads were increasingly potholed. So what they did was: whenever a pothole was not fixed, despite complaints – they would make a large poster of the local politician and put it over the pothole. All the cars would drive over his face. This is what I want you to do. You have to stand up for your rights. You have to stand up for what is right. You have to tell them that we do not look up to you if you do not work for us. For this, the time has come.

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The news that Mumbai’s Police Commissioner, Mr. Satyapal Singh was leaving the police force to join politics came as a shock to many of us. As an Indian citizen he has every right to join a political party of his choice and contest elections. But he did it without any ‘coding period’ makes me wonder if he had started the negotiating process when he was still the Commissioner. His explanation was that by joining politics he could serve the people better. Does it mean that the men in uniform, the Mumbai police do not serve us the Mumbaikars?

What is shocking is that in spite of quitting the post of Police Commissioner, he has not vacated his official bungalow, on Waterfield road, Bandra, even though it has been allotted to another police officer. And to make matters worse, his family has been occupying this bungalow, which is government property for the last ten years when Mr. Singh was posted elsewhere. We thought only politicians did this. But then Mr. Satyapal Singh was probably a politician even during his police tenure! By Shyama Kulkarni

POLITICS

BANDRABUZZ.COM

APRIL 2014

NCP SUPPORT MEETING WITH PRIYA DUTT AT BHAMLA HOUSE

Saturday, 29th March saw two term MP Priya Dutt warmly welcomed at the NCP Office at Bhamla House, Off Perry Road, Bandra West. Asif publicly told his supporters & Priya, “This time the election situation is different – and we cannot be over confident. This time the demographics are different. This time, opposing parties are attacking us on all fronts – social media, print media, etc. So we all need to work hard and smart with proper co-ordination

to get best visibility, for her victory. We have little time left to ensure that Priyaji is successful.” Then some grievances on part of the NCP workers were voiced. The Ward Presidents mentioned that at the assembly level they were side-lined & not taken into confidence on decisions at micro and major levels. The entire crowd stood up in support, raising their hands and pledging to help Priya in the upcoming election campaign. There are around 500 active

workers from all frontal cells, including basic youth, mahila and students. Asif Bhamla then called upon the current MP to address her supporters. Priya thanked Asif Bhamla and the NCP for organising the meeting. She acknowledged that the NCP was a very big part of the Congress party and in all her previous victories, they played an important part. You can watch the entire meeting at: bandrabuzz.com/priya-dutt.html She said, “I must thank them and will see that their genuine needs are met. I always felt that they are an important part of our party – and have never denied them funds, when needed. Meetings like this need to be held more often, for better bonding. We need this type of teamwork. This time, a lot of wrong information is being spread. People think this is the safest seat, but this election will not be an easy win. Today, the

situation is such that we cannot assume anything. We cannot take it easy, thinking that we have won in the past. Some have come in just to cut our votes. This election will decide our future. Thanks for your support – We need two to three main points of contact to have better co-ordination between our offices. This will help us achieve a lot. We will be taking a padyatra around your neighbourhood very soon. You are all invited – and maybe, the CM will be there. Like our past padyatras, your presence is important. Thank you all, once again – Jai Hind”. Asif Bhamla then reiterated that their NCP leader, Sharad Pawar has made it very clear that his party will co-ordinate closely with Madam Priya Dutt during the upcoming 2014 elections to ensure that no stone goes unturned and the results are victorious for her. In fact, that very evening, he had got a call from his leaders to see that in Mumbai, Priya Dutt wins. He ended with, “Jai Hind. Jai Maharashtra”. Later, BandraBuzz asked NCP Spokesperson Asif Bhamla about the level of support his party is giving Congress candidate Priya Dutt in the upcoming Lok Sabha. He told us: “Since the Congress and NCP are in alliance, it is natural that their candidates are supported by us and our candidates are supported by them. We have a proper synergy between both parties, with many matching ideologies. To keep communal forces at bay, it is important that secular forces combine. Having said that, Priya is obviously a good candidate. She has been elected twice earlier. She is the daughter of the late Sunil Dutt, who has been a secular force in the suburbs and we are happy to support her. We had a major meet up with her, recently at Bhamla House, off Perry Road – wherein she addressed the meeting, hosted by the NCP. Priya spoke individually with all my party Ward Presidents. There were a few issues – this always happens in a family - and apparently we are a family. There were certain shortcomings, which have been sorted out, I guess – and the remaining will be sorted soon. But, having said that; we’re out here to support Priya – and I am sure that she will prove to be a better & winning candidate”. By Mehraj Hussain

04 APRIL 2014

BANDRABUZZ.COM

EDITORIAL / POLITICS

Poonam Mahajan at Bandra’s Namo Tea Party BJP Candidate Poonam Mahajan addressed a receptive crowd of around 70 supporters at Mac Ronells Roof Garden, St. Andrews Road on Saturday, 29th March 2014; amidst her hectic campaign schedule. This was basically a Namo Tea Party, organized to get Poonam familiar with her constituency. Mumbai BJP President, Adv. Ashish Shelar introduced Poonam to the crowd. Poonam started her speech, saying that there is a wave of change sweeping the country. She said that Mumbai desperately needs a change – even talking about Modi creating a change in Gujarat that has developed a lot in the last 10 years. She spoke how inflation and the result of corruption is the same for people of all faiths. You can watch Poonam speak at: bandrabuzz.com/poonam-mahajan.html Coming back to the topic of Mumbai, she told the crowd that Mumbai has been raising a lot of revenue for many years, and still issues have never been raised by our Congress MPs in Delhi. She said that when she enters Bandra from the sea-link, the first spot seen is a huge slum called ‘Nargis Dutt Nagar’. This is the face of Bandra.

She stated that this is the kind of vote-bank-politics, with innumerable illegal structures coming up. “The SRA is one big scam. We need participatory politics and a real connect from Corporators to the local MP. People from Bandra are critical – they question you and need answers.

They want accountability, credibility and acceptability. Then they vote for you. On my campaign trips, people have told me that we have not seen our MP for the last 8 years. I told them that I am contesting against the wrong policies of the past candidates. There is a difference between perception and ground reality. People have told me that we have rarely seen our MP – and this would be for bathroom building, or to break coconuts for inaugurating a BMC project. The hawkers issue and the housing issue in Mumbai was never discussed in Parliament. Your MP has said that she has spent 400 cr for the constituency. Having 40 wards, it works out to be around 10 cr per ward. I do not see any such type of development. No women empowerment policies, no representation in parliament. Our dream is to take collective measures: from infrastructures to connectivity, inflation; we will make a positive change. I will connect with you more often. Together, we will bridge the gap and leap to prosperity and happiness. Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra and Jai Bandra”. By Harish Iyer

Corruption - The Key To ‘Incredible India’ Dear Readers, April arrives with a sense of new beginnings – a new accounting year, a hope that the coming elections will result in better, cleaner and more effective governance that produces real growth. In Bandra, hectic political activities are seen all around – to get the coveted MP seat. This time, we have five candidates in the fray for Mumbai North Central. The Lok Sabha elections of 2014 have different demographics from past years. Today, there is an anti-corruption wave – and its undercurrents are being felt by one and all. People want every issue that con-

cerns corruption to be taken to its logical conclusion. Accountability is the new buzzword. There is a new awareness, that change will take place soon – and lakhs of people are working towards this. Soon, like the rest of India, Bandra will wake up to a new reality – where honesty & hard work will be appreciated and rewarded. To make this happen, BandraBuzz is leaving no stone unturned to let you know more about your candidates – and help you make an informed decision. All key political happenings are printed in this issue and posted as videos and pics with information on our website: bandrabuzz.com Bandra being one of the

Letters to the Editor WHISTLE BLOWER’S SAFETY Whistle blowers are brave people and work for the benefit of all of us. As per TOI article today, page 10, 35 RTI activists have been assaulted, harassed or killed in our state since 2005. I agree that stern guidelines must be formed for the protection and safety of RTI activists. There are whistle blowers in Bandra too, like Leslie Almeida from St. Paul's Road. He is now targeted, using political help. Leslie has exposed illegal constructions and is facing the heat. Please pray for him. Keith Mendes VARIOUS VIEWS Phiroze Palkhivala is someone you can trust with your soul. His kindness, humility, mission, drive, love, and integrity is that of absolute purity. As his niece I must admit, he's one of my favorite people on the planet. The fact that he's using all the wonderful beauty in his heart and expressing it

through this mission, shows that he not only has a dream... he WILL make it happen. He's a walker, he will walk his talk. This is a fact. Zenia Palkhivala Never underestimate the power of common people. AAP is the best thing that happened to India since 1947. Arvind is the hope for a "sensible" public, not "general" public. Well, hope the "general" public turns "sensible" one day. Till date politicians thought for their own interests, but this person made history that its the government of the people not his own. Don't get fooled into voting for criminal, corrupt and dynastic politicians. You have a real choice this time. Vote for a candidate who is accountable to you, who will work for you. In 4 to 5 years ..there will be no BJP & CONG - only AAP Zafar Hassan We are not mules, fools or tools – awake, arise & act. Support clean politics AAP

most vibrant suburbs, citizen interaction and visibility is maximum. So, don’t just sit and complain – you need to use your right to vote on Thursday, 24th April 2014. Please vote for an honest, clean and hardworking candidate. Someone, who is accessible (on phone or e-mail, social media) and who will truly represent you in Parliament. Also, you have the choice of NOTA – ‘none of the above’ option, so that your vote cannot be misused. Don’t let the corrupt make an April fool of you. The corrupt are feeling the heat. Fuel the fires that bring power to the people who have the intent and the means to create waves of positive change. We need to

go ahead with the mindset of an ‘Incredible India’. Your choice this time may be critical to the survival of generations ahead. So, act wisely. Bandra needs a better deal. Let us make our vote count for a better tomorrow.

might not be a perfect party, that is absolutely flawless. But it is certainly the only one option to uproot the evil that has been present and dominating our country from past 64 years of INDEPENDENCE. I can just plead - Be a part of the CHANGE. Vote for AAP. Tell me People, ain't you sick and tired of seeing the power swing between the two most corrupt and rotten parties in India? This time my vote will not go to a criminal. MUST SEE ... the enthusiasm of the common man... aam aadmi ... mango people ... its soooo infectious... Friends, this is your chance to fight corruption and corrupt politicians and parties. AAP is the ONLY alternative... Save your children's future ... Think again and VOTE Sudhir Kamat

If India is a poor country.....3/4th of Its people doesn't have even basic amenities THEN WHY EACH AND EVERY (except a few) MP are CROREPATI? something is wrong with our democratic system it is not people democracy it is ELITE-DEMOCRACY. Sunder Mehta

While AAP wrote to EC to get gas prices reduced, BJP/Congress were working hard to increase the price. They are shocked by the EC's decision to hold the price hike but still do not make their stand clear on gas pricing. Who among the three is working for the common man? Larry Gomes

Regards, Merck N. D’Silva Editor-In-Chief 98207 83616

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this paper, are of the authors - and do not reflect the opinion of the publishers and editors, unless otherwise stated. Readers should act on the information provided, only after consulting with their own independent advisors. The publishers and editors of this paper shall be in no way be held responsible for any such action, or consequences thereof. P.S.: All content (images & text) are copyrighted. Vol. V Issue 4(i) R.N.I. No. : MAHENG/8-10-2010/12646 Editor: Merck D’Silva > Printed & Published by Creative Concepts, 401 Anica, 28 St. Paul Road, near Bandra Gymkhana, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 050. Printed at Marwah Estate, Saki Vihar Road, Mumbai - 400 072

BANDRABUZZ.COM

POLITICS

APRIL 2014

Abu Farhan Azmi - Your SP Candidate If I come to power, the first thing I would like to do: Jot down what is their problem in each area – resolve Bandra (W) problems with a Bandra West Manifesto for Bandra (W) In order that our readers get to know the mindset of candidates standing for the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections 2014 – and make an informed choice while voting, Bandra Buzz has interviewed them individually. You can watch the interview at: bandrabuzz.com/farhan-azmi.html Send your feedback to editor@bandrabuzz.com What prompted you to stand for elections? In the past few years, I’ve noticed the uprising in this country. I honestly started to think that I should take part in the electoral poll, when 26/11 happened. I saw the infrastructure. I saw the way this disaster was planned & managed. My house is three buildings away from Taj (hotel), Mumbai. When I could hear the people scream from the windows for help and smell the smoke which was burning the Taj down, and hear the bullet sounds… and various other things; this really startled me. Also, this made me feel: How safe are we today. Because, if you are not safe in your own country; then no matter what development you do, no matter what amenities or facilities you provide – you still don’t feel safe and that you belong to this place. So, I feel that safety comes first. This is what prompted me to take part in politics. My father is already in politics. He is an ex-member of parliament Rajya Sabha – from the Samajwadi Party. Currently, he is the MLA from Mumbai. He won from two places – which in itself is a huge victory, because no other politician in Maharashtra state has ever won from two places. So, his energy and his efforts to work for the public, to work for one and all, to look at all communities, all religions & all sects – and people from all walks of life as ONE, and as Indian first; is what motivated me and made me step into this domain. I take this opportunity to serve this huge constituency, because I have been attached here because of my relatives, my in-laws – my wife stays here. Also, my uncles & aunts stay here. A lot of my businesses and investments are here in Bandra: Citywalk shoes, which has been on Linking Road for a long long time & Café Basilico at Pali Hill has been feeding people here tasty Italian food for the past ten years. Hence, now I have a fairly good idea of what is going on here – particularly in Bandra West, Kurla, Chandivali, Vile Parle

& Kalina. When you are actually connected to the people – my staff (around 80) works from around this area – and you hear things from them. We have a huge support system from our (SP) party. There are three corporators from this constituency, who have won with a lot of margin – close to 65,000 votes is what they got, together. We have a huge work force of Samajwadi Youth Cell which is actively taking part in fighting against discrimination that goes on in this particular area against minorities; which are not just Muslims, but includes the Christians, Jains, Dalits and many other communities – who are not being represented by the current Congress regime. They only cater to the rich and elite class. So, I think it is high time that everyone realizes this discrimination that’s going on – and all should participate in this uprising. Could you tell us your core values? I think being an Indian, your (main) core value is to stay united. Today, the entire media is promoting one Mr. Modi. He has risen from Gujarat, with the help of Congress – and now he has been forced in UP to contest from Benares. No one wants him to be the Prime Minister, but the entire country and the entire media; which is a hoopla built by the BJP and the corporate world - is portraying him as our (future) Prime Minister. I don’t think that a party that has five states under their control, can represent thirty states of our country. So, you need a very inclusive kind of leader, who knows the grass root problems. Someone who knows what is going on in the bye-lanes of Bandra West, who knows what is going on in the bye-lanes of Kurla and the slums; where poor little children are still filling water at taps, which are being manned and controlled by the mafias of the Shiv Sena & the MNS. So, there are plenty of problems& issues. Even after having two terms to serve the people, the current MP Priya Dutt ji – as completely ignored them. In fact, not even bothered to go amongst them and ask them if they are all right or have any problems. Could you tell us any of your recent campaign experiences? My recent campaign experiences literally

bring tears to my eyes. When you step outside Bandra West, where you see Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porches and many other big expensive luxurious cars – and you cross the border and you go into Kurla or Chandivali – you see young girls & boys walking bare feet, defecating on the streets, because they have no toilets. I have seen women in parts of Chandivali – four women cover themselves in saris and then one women goes in and does what she needs to do. So, basic amenities have not been provided; i.e. water, electricity (cut & controlled), sanitation problems. People are fed up with the filth and the dirt which is not being cleared. We have gutters which are overflowing 24x7, all twelve months of the year. They are only looked into when election comes. The most important thing is that when you elect a representative from amongst yourselves, you feel that this person will join you in your sorrows and joys. But Priya Dutt ji has failed to do this – and that is the biggest problem – the disconnect she has with her voters. If elected, do you have any plans to resolve these issues in Bandra-Khar-Santacruz… in fact, Mumbai North Central? So far the Congress government, along with the current MP and the MLA of Congress in Bandra, particularly this constituency of Mumbai North Central – have ruled this region for over a decade, in the name of Sunil Duttji. Our party (Samajwadi), always respected Mr. Duttji, because he was very close to our family. Due to this we never fielded a candidate against Priya Duttji, thinking that she would probably give due respect to the legacy of Mr. Dutt; who used to be amongst the people, serving & meeting them – to solve their issues on a daily basis. But this time when we realized that the people who came to me from these regions: Chandivali, Kurla, Kalina… and a lot of my friend circle from Bandra West who started complaining about what is going on in the SRA Scheme, the builder mafia, etc – this is when I thought that this is the right opportunity to take a chance and express myself to the voters – and then leave it to them, if they would like to fight against corruption. I think that Corruption is the biggest issue. Today, we have corruption in all walks of life. There is corporate corruption, corruption in schools, BMC, MMRDA – and obviously the corruption that is going on in the MLA and MP’s office - is something that you could probably write a book on. This being a Bandra-based newspaper, do you have a message to the people of Bandra? Yes – definitely! I think it is high time that the entire country, the entire election system realizes (the importance of polls. People plan their holidays and leave the city around voting dates, instead of being home and exercising their right to vote. What happens is that the election

mafia – the Congress election mafia and the various other parties election mafia, who’ve looted the country; they open their bags and start distributing money. They buy votes from the slums and they repeat themselves (win repeatedly) in the same constituency – and have taken everybody for granted. So, I think that the first thing that the voters need to do – is to step outside their house and use your power to cast your vote. Then, people should not look at the party, vote for the candidate. Remember, no Prime Minister is going to come to your house and have ‘chai’ and ask you your problem – and can I know if your daughter has got admission, or your mother has got her medicines in the hospital. So, there are enough problems. We need someone who can be from amongst us – who can share our views and represent the youth, who are the driving force of this country, which needs a young leader to represent us in parliament, and raise their issues. Women safety is a big issue, tourism is a big issue. Bollywood can be promoted hugely in Bandra. There are other promotional methods like providing wi-fi zones. Decongestion is another big issue. Parking for residents is one more big issue which I think can be resolved by fixing free parking permits – one car park per resident. These things are not being implemented. Issues are not being raised. Only when election comes, our leaders come out in the open and start talking the same language that they probably spoke in the last election. If you came to power, what would be the first thing you would do? Firstly, I would like to meet each and everyone in the next six months and thank all the voters for giving me an opportunity. One and a half month is not enough to connect with more than 19 lakh voters. So, the first thing I would like to do: Jot down what is their problem in each area – resolve Bandra West problems with a Bandra West Manifesto for Bandra West. Resolve Chandivali problems with a Chandivali Manifesto for Chandivali. We need to work with the slum dwellers – because if we have this attitude of disconnect between the rich and the poor, then the distance between these two sections will grow so large; that these people will stop considering themselves Indian and start working against the system. So, we have to work with all communities: Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Parsis, Sikhs… and the first thing again, I would like to reiterate - is to fight corruption, which I think is really drowning the entire country – and taking us back to our pre-independence era. I hope that the young force of this particular constituency really steps out and votes for an honest leader. Thank You. Bandra Buzz wishes Farhan all the best in the coming elections. By Bandra Buzz

06 APRIL 2014

BANDRABUZZ.COM

CELEBRITY

Up in person with Denzil Smith at that time. (Doesn't pay good now either!) In many ways I was a misfit in society. And where do misfits go? They get into advertising! While I was in advertising I realized that this was also not my calling. I then got back into theater & joined Naseeruddin Shah & his group Motley. I was in my late 20'sby then, & it was here where I got serious training in acting & in theater. I did about 7 plays with him & I still perform with him & his theatre group-Motley.

You're a Bandra boy, how has it been? Yes. A Bandra bugger!!! Life has been great here, no complains. I schooled at St. Andrews & college was R.D. National College, which was on a road that used to be called 32th road back in demdays! (Laughs at the grammatical error on the street sign) How did your acting career start? I started acting in school, it was a play called “Son of Man” by Dennis Potter, it was done for the 75th anniversary of St. Andrew's School & I was about 15 years old. Always wanted to be an actor? Yes, before that I used to participate in competitions, plays, elocution & debates that I enjoyed a lot. Also participated in several plays at the Bosco Club & of course the Zonals. I won the best actor at one point of time. Then came this play, which became a super hit at that time, it was directed by Carl Mendes. It was called Joseph & the Technicolor Dreamcoat, which ran for quite a bit & became a big success in Bombay in 1977-78. Subsequently I did another play by Carl, which was my first professional play called "Man Friday". It was an entertaining musical play with a message. Carl had converted the Kalyan Kendra hall into an interactive theater. It was wonderful learning experience. Theater, Movie or TV? I’ve always loved the theater, but also knew that it wasn't a very viable option as a career in India because it didn't pay well

What is your family background? How much did it influence your decision to be an actor? My father was a government servant whose first love was music! He sang with the Paranjoyti Chorus & also dabbled in amateur theatre. So I was exposed to the theatre since a very young age. He used to make me accompany him to his music & play rehearsals. I remember being backstage when my father was performing a play called “The Monkeys Paw” & I remember being fascinated with him doing his makeup & getting into costume. It was all terribly exciting at that young age. Influences and inspirations? I used to watch a lot of Hollywood films. Usually bunking college! My viewing record was 28 films in a month! In theatres, not on VHS or DVD! I was inspired by actors such as Jack Nicholson, Lawrence Olivier, Woody Allen, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro & others. I used also read & hear about their theater work. I started watching their plays on VHS tapes whenever I could get a hold of them. We did not have DVDs back then (laughs). First movie project? The first real movie I did was a commercial Hindi movie in 2001 called “Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat”. Then I did a film called “Mango Souffle”, it was an Indian English film based on a play written & directed by Mahesh Dattani. After that came “Paap”, “Ek Ajnabee”, “Mumbai Salsa”, “Shourya” & “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”. I’ve just finished the shooting for the sequel of this film called “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel”. It has a great cast, who were a real pleasure to work with, which includes Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel & Richard Gere amongst others. I think its due for release around Christmas this year.

Who would you say has influenced you the most in terms of acting? I would say the person who influenced me the most is Naseeruddin Shah. He was the star of the“parallel cinema” movement at that time, which attracted me. I used to like him as an actor since I was very young & eventually got to learn & work with him on stage & later in film. (I still work with him) The most memorable moment in your acting career? When I was playing Nehru in a play called “Letters to a Daughter from Prison”, directed by Vijaya Metha, after a show at the Experimental Theatre I had gone to my dressing room to change when there was this knock on my door. It was this guy from the production team asking me to come out immediately. I told him to wait for a few minutes & that I would be out after I am done changing. But he insisted that I open the door immediately as there was someone waiting outside to see me. So I quickly came out in a few minutes. I opened the door & there was a group of people outside including the director. With them was a bald white man with a boy. I didn’t recognize him at first but soon realized that he was someone important since there were so many people crowding around him. He walked right upto me, looked me straight in the eye, shook my hand & said, “That was a great performance” That’s when I realized that he was Ben Kingsley. He said he had enjoyed my performance as Nehru & appreciated my acting a lot. I was on a high after that for the next week!! What does Denzil Smith do with his free time? I like creating things with my hands. My newest project is making various installations with 105-year-old piano keys, which were given to me by a musician friend. Piano key art!!. I like doing these things. Keeps me sane when I’m not working! I also love music & spend a lot of time with my collection of records & CDs. Any books you're reading these days? Unfortunately, recently I have had not much time to read. I am not reading any books these days, not like I used to! I’ve just started “A City a Drift” by Naresh Fernandes. It’s a short history of Bombay & it’s a very interesting book.

Just before a show in 1993 at Experimental Theatre Any other ventures? I have a theater company called Stagesmith. We produced a play called “Jazz” written by Ramu Ramanathan. It opened at The Prithvi Theatre for the 2007 Prithvi Festival & was very well received. The show is now on,on the 13th of April at the Experimental Theatre NCPA & on 13th & 14th of May at Prithvi Theatre. “Jazz” is about the musicians & music of the Hindi Films from 50's to the 70's. It's about Goan & Anglo-Indian musicians who influenced, arranged & played for the Hindi Film Music industry then. What advice would you give to aspiring actors? To believe in yourself. That is of prime importance. Keep at it & in the words of Napoleon"Impossible is a word in the dictionary of fools." What do you think are important traits of an actor? Talent..! Craft & hunger for learning. Break all the rules but first know them well. Go by what your heart tells you. How has the journey been as an actor? Not been easy. You don't know where the next meal is coming from. Acting is therapeutic for me. It's been a great tumultuous journey. Which places has your career taken you? I have travelled to all the continents except South America, Artic & Antarctica. By Sairaj Borkar

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08 APRIL 2014

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EAT OUT / ENTERTAINMENT

HUNGER PANGS: Hill road’s new Delicious Hangout

Yorick, Bipin and Anderson of Hunger Pangs In the midst of all the hustle and bustle on Hill Road with a variety of shops comes a beautiful little fast food joint with a refreshing ambience serving what according to me the best Burgers that I’ve had in a long time. Designed especially to meet the needs of all the tired shopaholics and college students, this new place is just perfect to come and chill, have a quick bite and a refreshing drink and enjoy the ambience. Hungers Pangs is a fast food restaurant which is owned and managed by 3 Bandraites, Yorick a former chef on the cruise, Bipin, a business man and Anderson, a decorator and caterer. The 3 of them are huge foodies and love food and when asked what made them get into the restaurant business, they said it was always their dream to own and manage a restaurant and to serve people with just not the regular stuff you would get anywhere else but something with a twist and what better place to run a restaurant than in the shopping hub of Bandra.

As the name suggest, Hunger Pangs typically targets Hungry Shoppers and college students who have a good appetite for huge portions of delicious fast food. Hunger Pangs specializes in delicious salads, scrumptious burgers, mouth watering pastas, tongue-smacking sandwiches, delightful desserts and refreshing mocktails. Some must-have dishes recommended by Chef Yorick himself are the Big Cheese Burgers, the Chicken Club Sandwiches and if you’re a pasta fan then you’ve got to have the Butter Cream Pasta. They also serve some interesting mocktails to cool down this summer such as the “Beat the Heat” and “Freeze the Summer”. The 3 of them are aiming to open a chain of restaurants in a couple of years but right now their focus is to serve the best fast food in Bandra. To find out for myself what the buzz was all about, I visited the beautiful restaurant and once I entered I was pleasantly surprised to see a whole new modern setting

different from any other eating joint on Hill road and you would least expect such a lovely place on the inside looking at it from the outside. The moment you receive that first welcoming smile from the staff, you know you are in the hands of professionals capable of providing you with a great meal experience and it truly was an amazing meal as I feasted on “The Legendary 10 Oz Burger” which is a Must- Have in my books. Everything about this place and what they have to offer is different including the flavored water they serve which is mix of Mint and Lemon. They also plan to screen sports matches in the future. So head right over to The Hunger Pangs and try out some dishes for yourself as they assure you a meal experience that you will never forget.

tion. From there, the idea grew into a complete event. So we started off with educating women on just two topics, & then expanded to add fun events, pole dancing, belly dancing, shopping and even a fabulous lunch. We also had talks by subject experts on hair, image management, jewelery, numerology, and of course both of us spoke on nutrition and sex education.

themselves. Its a successful event. Who would you say is your target audience? We have women ranging from the ages of 13 to 80 here with us today. And most of them are from Lokhandwala, Juhu, Khar and Bandra.

Hunger Pangs, Hill Road, Opp. Bandra Medical Store. Dujon Fernandes Pic Courtesy: Nelvin John

Women’s Fiesta A ' Women's Fiesta' was organised at Khar on Friday, 14th March, 2014. Cyrus M Gonda interviewed the organisers of this unique event. Who are the people behind 'Women's Fiesta?' Its the two of us, Neha Chandna (Ranglani), I'm a dietician cum nutritionist, & there's Anju Kishinchandani, a sex educationist. What is 'Women's Fiesta' all about? Its primarily a meaningful & a fun event. Its a platform where women can come together, learn things, enjoy, & most importantly, just be themselves. And of course, its a No-Man Zone. Right from the DJ, the photographer, the videographer, the entire event is successfully organised and executed by competent women. How many times has this event been held before? This is the first time its being held. In fact we conceived the event just 15 days ago. Its been ideated, organised & put in place in just a short span of 15 days. Congratulations. Its a great job. What gave you the idea to host it? Initially, we wanted to organise a talk for women on Women's Day on the topics of nutrition and sex educa-

Wow, that's quite a handful. How did you go about promoting it in such a short span of time? We did it almost completely through social media. FaceBook, Twitter, SMS, and then we put up a few posters at strategic locations in Khar. I can see a lot of women here and they're all enjoying

So when is the next 'Women's Fiesta' coming up? Hopefully soon. In a few month's time. We had a truly terrific response and we'd like to thank all the women who turned up and made it special. Any message for our women readers? Yes. Women - Don't forget to love yourselves and don't forget to have fun. Cyrus M Gonda

SALON REVIEW

BANDRABUZZ.COM

APRIL 2014

Snip Snap Snip Life is an endless struggle full of frustration and challenges but eventually you find the hairstylist you like. I found mine at Style 27 Salon Unlimited. Located at 16th/1st Cross road, opposite Camy Wafers, Khar (West), this 800 sq. ft. is equipped with the state of the art amenities. The foundation of this salon was laid down by Mr. Rohan Pagar, an operating entrepreneur stylist and his wife Geeta, a Cosmetologist. They believe that when a fusion between technique and individuality happens, styles created are easy and effortlessly chic. To widen the horizon of his thoughts and his vision for hair styling, Rohan traveled around the world to explore the world of colours, cuts and styles. His career was at its peak in USA and he soon founded Style 27 salon unlimited out their but just like any other boy from Bombay, he has a soft heart that began missing his homeland and like a true Mumbaikar, he decided to follow his heart and return to the city of dreams Mumbai. With the overwhelming love and affection that he received, he soon setup Champagne salon

on Linking road and Sam’s saloon on Dr. Ambedkar road and soon, Style 27 salon unlimited was born. A dream that had finally been achieved by him. The salon has 2 nail Bars, 4 styling centers, 1 waxing room and 2 spa rooms. Along with the stylish and trendy haircuts, they also do facial, Body spa, laser hair removal, waxing, threading, hi-lights, pedicure and manicure, deep conditioning scalp treatment, hair transplants and implants. Infact they are the only people in Bandra that provide you with the semi permanent eye lash extension. They also do permanent and temporary stylish tattoos. They have also styled various famous personalities like the dhak dhak girl of bollywood- Madhuri Dixit, the girl with a million dollar smile - Juhi Chawla and one of the fittest hunks in the Indian film industry- John Abraham. Due to Rohan’s vast exposure and experience, he along with his team of hairstyists and beauticians can give you hairstyles that range from the Deepika Padukone look in Cocktail to the Priyanka Chopra look in Fashion, a Virat

Rohan & Geeta Pagar along with the Style 27 Salon Unlimited team Kohli look to a David Villa look. They can transform your hair from ordinary to extraordinary. They are the first to launch products like Repchage, Farmavita in India. For all you Bandra Buzz readers, you get a Flat 40% off on all the services they offer from Thursday to Sunday, *conditions apply*. So lets welcome this summer with a

new, trendy and a fashionable hairstyle and the personalised service and pampering provided by style 27 slon unlimited, as they believe that their are unlimited possibilities of well being and re defining yourself. For further information you can log on to www.style27.com or conact them on 022-69992727. By Sidhhant Kapai Pic Courtesy: Nelvin John

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10 APRIL 2014

BANDRABUZZ.COM

VENTURES

Up close with Bandra’s renowned Kulfi Maker Bandra Buzz meets up with Bandra’s reknowned Kulfimaker Hasina Meherally to find out why the city loves her What gave you the idea for this business venture? My father used to love kulfis and we had to go hunting for kulfis and it use to be a problem as in Bandra there were ice cream shops but no kulfi shops hence I decided that I would sell kulfis to all kulfi lovers. When did you start operations? I started this venture in 2007.

Which flavour is your personal favourite? If you ask mother about her favourite child will she be able to differenciate same applies here. What are the portion sizes and how are they priced? Kulfis are individually sliced and packed in butter paper each slice is 100 gms, in 1kg you get 10 slices. You can order minimum 1 kg and the price for the plain flavours is Rs 450 per kg, Dry fruit flavours Rs550 per kg, fresh fruit Rs 600 per kg.

Any challenges you faced in setting up the business? Yes initially like all new business ventures I has teething problems but god willing I have got over those

What would you say are the unique and special aspects of your kulfis? My kulfis contain no corn flour and no special preservatives.

Who would you feel are your competitors in this business? None at all.

If people want to taste before ordering, can they do so? Only those placing bulk orders can gave a taste before ordering.

How are you able to compete against the big players in the industry? By maintaining my quality standards.

Which are the areas within which you deliver? Is there any charge for delivery? Should the orders be placed in advance? I deliver free in Bandra and charge nominal conveyance for beyond Bandra. Orders should be preferably be placed in advance but you don't disappoint people who order last minute.

What flavours of kulfi do you make? In plain I have 3 flavours malai, pista, mango. In dry fruit I have mix dry fruit, anjeer, kaju, kesar pista, roasted almond, rose badam. I do fresh fruit kulfis of seasonal fruits e.g. shortly I will be selling fresh alphonso kulfis.

By Cyrus Gonda

Honeycomb of Creativity Like every flower has a unique fragrance that cannot be replicated, in the same way each and every child has a different talent and ability in him or her that make them shine out and blossom in this world. Off Carter Road (Bandra West), Sherlyn

and Daniella have come up with “BUSY BEES” that aims to keep young minds buzzing. They believe that people often fail to recognise the talent and abilities of children and thus at Busy Bees , they would be provided a platform to express

themselves.They have association Montessori international diplomas. Sherlyn has done her B.A. and Daniella has done B.M.S. They aim at chanalising the child's energy and help them to discover the dark horse within them by workshops that including

framing your memories, musical instruments, tie and dye t-shirts, and telligames. The workshop has a one and a two week camp. One gets the freedom to chose the course according to their schedule. They will be trained under professional help and you would see a million dollar smile on your child's face after he or she explores the world of colour,craft and music. So register before !5th April 2014 for a Buzzing and productful summer so that ten years down the line, your child would have memories to cherish except the ones in which they are playing Angry Birds on their respective gadgets. By Sidhhant Kapai Pic Courtesy: Nelvin John

MUSIC

BANDRABUZZ.COM

APRIL 2014

A CAREER IN CLASSICAL MUSIC

Indian Classical Music, or Hindustani Classical Music as it is better known, involves learning the raga form of music. A student who wants to learn classical music has to be prepared to put in lots of hard work, perseverance and focus. Vocal, instrumental and dance are the 3 different spheres of Indian Classical music. To learn vocal music, a good Guru is of utmost importance. As Indian music is taught on a one-to-one basis, the teacher has to guide the studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s career according to his ability and capacity to grasp the nuances of the raga system. Earlier this was done in the Gurukul system of learning, where the student, usually about 7-8 years old, used to stay at the Guruâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s residence and learn not only the music, but also several finer points of musical behaviour. Parental guidance, support and encouragement are also imperative. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast-paced world, this method has undergone changes like everything else. Music schools have taken the place of the Gurukul system. A proper syllabus is followed and exams are conducted accordingly. Mumbai University, S.N.D.T. Gandharva Mahavidyalaya offer graduation courses and also PhD in music. A career in music, even if it is an uphill task, gives great joy to the person involved in learning as it is an extremely creative and involves not only the mind, but also the soul. It differs from the usual 9-5 job

because here there are no limitations! Shri Ravi Chary (the only sitarist from Goa) from whom I am learning the sitar says, "To give an hours performance, the student has to have a good command over all the ornaments required to play the instrument. For eg. Meend, Murki, Gamak, Khatka, etc. The Western counterpart of these words are appoggiatura or battiments, shaking sounds played on the strings, grupetto, etc. To achieve this, lots of riyaz (practice), sadhana (meditation) and ability to be spontaneous are necessary. If a student has a good inclination to learn music, a good ear for music and the passion to become a good performer, then nothing can stop him from taking up a career in music. In today's world having a formal education is a must. Besides music as a career, it is always better to have a degree in other formal subjects as well. It gives not only confidence and polish to deal with people, but can also act as a safety net in case things do not go as planned. There are many top musicians who besides having taken up music as a career also hold a degree in various fields. Modern Technology has helped music world in many ways. Because of TV shows like Sa Re Ga Ma, Star Voice of India, youngsters are finding music an attractive career option. The internet, mostly YouTube, is also responsible for this.

There are many music-related fields like Radio Jockey (RJ), production, editing, recording, producing albums, singing for advertisements, jingles, starting one's own music school, compeering music shows and also arranging music festivals which could become career options. Whether the decision to pursue classical music is lucrative or not depends on how much patience the student has in this extremely competitive field. A classical musician gets paid

on hourly basis depending on his performance and skill. Over the years as the musician travels all over the world, he /she makes a name and can command the price he/she wants . So in all, a career in music not only gives personal satisfaction but also name, fame, money and success which is what everyone desires. You can reach Smita on 9819994944 By Mrs. Smita U Shimpi

12 APRIL 2014

BANDRABUZZ.COM

EVENT

Mac Queens launch Market Square Can you tell us a little about yourself and Ashwin? Aksha: Triple Postgraduate MBA, MCOM & Securities lawyer. National swimmer and water polo player. Also, did a 38km swim from Alibaug to Gateway of India. CoFounder of The Market Square and Ashwin's to-be wife. (He really doesn’t want me to write this) Ashwin: Ex-Creative Head at Volar of Italy and state level tennis player. A college dropout. Co-Founder of The Market Square (owner of the Mac Queens Banquet). Ashwin’s inclination towards computers was brought to life when he built his first computer out of cardboard at the age of 9. Astounded by their son’s breath taking creativity, his parents sent him to a computer class at his school (Learners Academy ICSE). Ever since he is a self-taught and selflearnt Professional. He now also owns a company called Pixelated designs, which develops web portals, designs business start-up kits etc. When and why did you decide to launch The Market Square? What was the trigger? And why the name? Do you plan to have multiple editions of The Market Square? We like to promote young entrepreneurs like ourselves and realised loads of our friends are struggling with their brands and there isn’t a real platform for such people to show case their products and services. Jennifer Mehta owner of JE & Monsier told us “You know today’s competition is so difficult, we don’t have a platform to showcase our collection and it’s very expensive to do a show for ourselves and get a huge audience at the same time.” This is where our thought process started. Aksha: “We like to promote local start-ups, so why not small and medium designers instead of paying BIG BRANDS. In fact the young designers give you beautiful looking well fitted suits from their small boutiques, sometimes more stylish than the ones already existing at big branded stores, as they want to innovate and create a name for themselves.” Ashwin: “We were chilling with our friends on my terrace and the topic just came about and that’s how the idea came up. I came up with the name the Market Square, as this is a market place for different kinds of platforms for various businesses. In our own way we are going to promote entrepreneurs and help them in showcasing their talents and increasing their client base.” We do plan on having multiple editions like the Gourmet Edition and a Flea Market edition in the near future.

Other than the items on sale, what other frills and engagements did you have to plan for this event? We will be having a fashion show at 7 pm on the 5th followed by Bands playing including the Band Cadence of the Soul, which has a surprise element to amaze you! Sundown Session on the 6th 5:00 pm onwards. Lakhan Jethani friend and owner of IBAR will be doing the bar and some meaty burgers and chargrilled pizzas. It's a place to be, to sip on a cosmopolitan have a healthy scrumptious meal or just a classic meaty burger, shop for designer clothes, jewellery, leather bags to perfumes and home décor, whilst listening to some foot tapping music. We want to also help the people who provide beautiful fitness regimes and dance workshops, so through the day we are going to host dance and fitness workshops, not to forget the highlights – Flamenco by Casey Sanker Co- Owner of Cadence of the Soul and Belly Dancing by Sway Fitness. We have also created a psychic corner where we have tarot readers, angel readers and drawing analysts. So we have people engaged the entire day hence creating avenues for people with services as well. Can you take us through the process of organising a flea market like this, and all that goes into it? We are not a flea market or a bazaar; this edition of the Market Square is a Premier Edition, where we have high end products and services on display. Well it’s a very tedious process of putting together such a large and diversified market together. There are permissions, licenses, coordinating and loads of other things happening all at once. Initially a month and a half ago, when we first started off, we did not even have a single stall booked for an entire week. One of the exhibitors said, “Thank you Aksha and Ashwin you guys are so honest and straight forward, next time if you think I fit in the exhibition, please call me, I’m in.” This gave us a great sense that we are focused on our goal and are on the right path to achieving what we started off. Our exhibitors were very positive about the idea of the Market Square. The promotions were crazy. Initially it was just both of us, but within a few days we realized there are so many exhibitors taking posters and putting them up at various places like beauty parlors and distributing our flyers via local newspaper vendors. We were going crazy with calls. We realised it’s not only the organisers that matter, the positive enthusiasm of the exhibitors took our motivation to another level. We didn’t just have exhibitors now we had people who are supporters and motivators, a team we called Market Square.Publicity is the key to positioning any product or service. We contacted the Digital Live

Aksha and Ashwin of Mac Queen TV Network, which displays advertisements on 518 screens across Mumbai which include Café Coffee Day, McDonalds and Corporate Offices, our ideal target audience. We decided to tie up with Costa Coffee, who put up The Market Square Posters at all outlets across Mumbai whilst the Carter road branch of Costa Coffee had our advertisement playing throughout the day. Inox is our multiplex partner, Costa coffee, our café partner, Pixelated Designs our creative and design partner and Exceleon, our sound and lights partner. How much did you charge a designer for a stall? What's the size of a stall? Does the stall fee vary depending on its size and location – for instance, how close or central is it to the entrance? We kept the stall sizes uniform, if any exhibitor wanted a bigger space they would have to take 2 stalls or 4 or as big as they required. Why do you think flea markets are catching on in the city, both from an organizer’s point of view as well as that of attendees and buyers? And most importantly, why now? People have realized that there is young talent and that we need to buy from these people and encourage them rather than big brands. Buyers want their own designers, as these designers will know their taste. Organisers like us want to promote these businesses. Like I say, “Since we have started promoting organic food and supporting a local farmer why not a local designer or entrepreneur?” By Anjan Sachar

EVENTS

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APRIL 2014

14 APRIL 2014

BANDRABUZZ.COM

ENVIRONMENT

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR YOUR CITY? Is a question we often hear asked perhaps through promos or advertisements for any random program really, be it a convention of urban planners or a gaggle of architecture students. And it’s a question I had on my mind when meeting with the people behind the Bombay Greenway project who not only dream big but also dream green. It’s all very easy to have a dream, you say? Well, they also had intricate plans down to every last detail to make this particular one, a reality. THE BOMBAY GREENWAY PROJECT Initially a bit daunted by what seemed like a complicated project, I eventually came around to a simple explanation: the Bombay Greenway project is a public pathway with all the amenities of a private park. The extended version is that the project proposes the development of a pathway over the three existing local railway lines of Mumbai city. In the words of their creatively designed brochure: 114 kms of railway line = 114 kms of green space. This plan for a pathway over the trains and their tracks is designed to encompass everything a park could possibly have: landscaped gardens, cycling tracks, walking pathways, benches, water fountains, lighting as well as special access for the differently abled. Additionally, the pathway or greenway, as it is called, intends to break the great east and west divide, or to use a different perspective, build a bridge between them. Once built, citizens will be able to simply walk across to the other side, all the while enjoying the experience as if it were a walk in the park. Literally. PUBLIC MONEY FOR PUBLIC GOOD “The cost of such a project is comparable to other infrastructure projects the city has recently seen” says Alan Abraham, one of the team at Abraham John Architects whose prized project this is. Prized not only because this project won the International Urban Planning and Urban Design Competition in Austria last year, but also because he drew a little inspiration from his well travelled better half. Why shouldn’t life be made easier for the city’s many denizens, is one of such questions that set the ball rolling. In terms of real estate prices the cost of an infrastructure project such as this one promises far more value for money and to a much greater number of people from ALL sections of society. The only way public money should be spent is on the public! Ideally, on projects that do the most amount of equitable good for the largest section of the general public as possible. DECONGESTING OUR LIVES Alan added that the project looks at alternative means of transport and improved connectivity. This among the other obvious benefits of a healthier less stressful lifestyle for the currently immensely harrowed 77 lakh citizens who make the railways their daily commute. Not to mention the rest of us.

THE BOMBAY GREENWAY: The New, Upgraded Railway Station, bridging the East-West divide Development of high urban park above the railway creates highly accessible and usable public spaces that enhance both the everyday commuter's and the visitors experience of the city

EXISTING RAILWAY STATION: BANDRA RAILWAY STATION

PROPOSED RAILWAY STATION: BANDRA RAILWAY STATION

Plus the project seeks to improve the appalling conditions of the 59 railways stations of the local railway. Does anyone know how many toilets Bandra station has? Neither do I. Railway commuters among us know it is no longer a joke to suggest not getting your shirt ironed…. as the commute will do it for you! Mumbaikars certainly have the spirit to take a joke but it won’t be long before even that gets crushed out and dies during peaks hours on any local. So what’s stopping this from becoming a reality I ask and Alan replies with a metaphor I can understand. As a journalist, would I start a publishing house? Or would I do what I do best: write articles for the publication? TAKE MATTERS INTO OUR OWN HANDS The push needs to come from the people; the citizens of Mumbai. If we don’t take an interest in our civic issues and administration, we lose the right to complain. If we want better roads, let’s help look after them. If we want public amenities, let’s work to get them. If we want public spend to do good, let’s watch where it goes and ensure it buys public welfare not fuel private greed.

“A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation” An often used quote but striking nevertheless comes from the Mayor of Bogota, Columbia “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation” DOES MUMBAI HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SEE ITS RICH IN BUSES AND TRAINS? I CERTAINLY HOPE SO. Write to Alan Abraham at (email address) if you wish to show your support and help make this dream a reality. To learn more about the project, join their facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TheBombayGreenwayProject By Sonal Alvares

AN APPEAL WANTED KIDNEY DONOUR TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY, IT'S THE ONLY PLACE YOU HAVE TO LIVE. Call: 022 60600201 / 0204 Website: www.foodizm.in Healthy Tiffins delivered from Colaba to Borivali and selected areas in the Central suburbs.

A 51-year-old resident of Bandra is ailing from Chronic Kidney Disease. He needs to undergo a kidney transplant operation and hence is in an urgent need for a kidney donor whose blood group is O+ve. Bandra Buzz appeals to its readers to please consider this plea for a noble human cause. For further details please get in touch with Bandra Buzz at bandrabuzz@gmail.com

BANDRABUZZ.COM

LOCAL CONNECT

APRIL 2014

CAREER COUNSELLING

FRUIT VENDOR

KICKBOXING CLASSES

VEGETABLE VENDOR

Confused about your Career? What after 10th / 12th / Graduation? Evaluate your abilities with Aptitude Tests and get expert Career Counselling and Guidance. Contact: Career Nurturer on 9833971773 or visit www.careernurturer.com

Contact Santosh Yadav 88798 21465 for FREE HOME DELIVERY. Opp. Society Super Market, Chimbai Road, Bandra (W).

Amit Lalwani's Kickboxing Muaythai self defence sessions at Bandra (w), Call 98690 36872.

Harilal Yadav 93245 52451. Chimbai, Opp Solanki Chemist, Bandra (W) Home Delivery.

PARTY ORGANISERS

USED BIKES & CARS

Dealing in TUPPERWARE Bottles, Lunch Box, Storage Containers, Baby Products, Microwavable Products. Kindly contact Tasneem Balasinorwalla 9920350071 / 26515336

For christenings, birthdays, engagements, roce parties, weddings (package deal with hall etc.), communions, social and corporate events. Call /WhatsApp 99750 99737 / 98218 69124 or email us at caejatenferns1@rediffmail.com

Best price for used bikes & cars spot finalization, any make/ model/registration/condition. Zuber - 98200 30777.

HAIR & SKIN CARE

REAL ESTATE

Freelancing beauty and hair spa, hair ironing, skin polishing, hair cuts and blow dry. Contact Mrs. D'Costa 98194 06572.

Bernval Buying & Selling of flats, shops, plots, leave license, P.G., etc. in Mumbai & Goa. Kindly contact 98203 91586, bernval_est@yahoo.com

HAIR & MAKEUP

REPAIRS & SERVICES

Be your own kind of beautiful at your location! Bring out the best in you with professional Makeup & Hair for all occasions. Facebook: Maleeha by Naima K Rahimtulla. Contact: 9819610613 / naimarahimtulla@gmail.com

Refrigerators / Air Conditioners / Splits / Frost Free Refrigerators / Indian / Imported. Guaranteed Repairs / Installations / AMC - FRIZARE, 30th Road, Bansari Apartments, opp. H2O, Pali Naka, Bandra (W) 98201 97439 / 654 4903

HEALTHY TIFFINS

Repairs: Washing Machine, Gas Stove, Microwave, Fridge, & A.C. Contact: Ramesh 98923 87330. Bharat Service Centre, Pali Naka.

COMPUTER CLASSES Computer courses for kids, students & professionls. Contact Compufield Institute for more information 93227 55916.

COMPUTER SERVICES Microsoft Computer Servicing. 27 years in servicing and teaching. We repair all brands of Laptops like HP, Sony, Dell etc. All Software and Hardware problems solved. Cheap and fast. Kindly contact 9867962772 For prompt and reliable service of home computers, laptops, notebooks and home networks, kindly call or send a Whatapp message to Dennis Mendonca of Phoenix Computer Services on 90047 30695 One Stop Computer Solutions. Sales & Repairs of Desktops, Laptops, Networking, Data Recovery & AMC. For more info kindly contact Luke Almeida 80970 44010

HOME ITEMS

Foodizm - healthy religion! A Healthy Tiffin Delivery Service across Mumbai. Visit us on foodizm.in or call us on 022 60600201 / 04 to order your next Delicious meal!

COSMETICS

JOB VACANCY

AVON Lipsticks, Blush On, Jewellery, Perfumes, Nail Polish, Eye Pencil, Eye Shadow. Kindly contact Tasneem Balasinorwalla 9920350071 / 26515336

Experienced Female Beauticians required for a Reputed Ladies Beauty Parlor with branches in Bandra, Vile Parle, Mulund and Chembur. Kindly contact 022 26550915.

FITNESS COACH

Female Candidates with good communication skills and fluent in English required for a Reputed Ladies Beauty Parlor in Chembur and Vile Parle. Kindly contact 022 26550915

Training for MARATHON for all age groups and SPORTS SPECIFIC FITNESS TRAINING available. Kindly contact J.S. Rana on 86555 19542.

WATCH REPAIRS Reliance watch co. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sales & service Specialist in Quartz, Automatic & Winding 129, Bazar Road, near Variety Emporium, Bandra (W) Contact: Irfan 2640 7360 (10-1 & 4-9)

YOGA - AEROBICS CLASSES

24 hrs Home, Sales & Service (Bandra only) Gas Stoves, Hobs, Table Tops & Chimneys. Contact: Mahendra Sales Shiv Asthan, Shop No. 7, Plot No. 31, 16th road, near Shiv Sagar, Bandra (w). Contact: Amrut 93234 31633 / 2648 6525

Combo package of Yoga, Power Yoga, Aerobics, Weight training, legs & abs shaping & toning. (All in one session). Loose weight & inches faster. Guaranteed 100% results. (Group Classes & Personal Training). Contact Raajaani 93224 36447 / 92205 71395

LIST YOUR BUSINESS ON LOCAL CONNECT FOR `300/- ONLY

TOURS & TRAVELS For all your travel needs i.e. passports, visas, airfares, holiday packages both domestic and international including tours of north and south Goa and Holyland tours. A tour of western Europe in the month of May. Call/WhatsApp 99750 99737 / 98218 69124 caejatenferns1@rediffmail.com

The Easter Bunny has officially retired and we are taking over.

Make this Easter a Delicious one! Choose from our range of assorted mouth watering Chocolate Easter Eggs.

Let Cocoaroma reincarnate your passion for chocolate with their exclusive collection of Easter Eggs, Bunnies & Hampers.

Ideal for indulging in as well as great for gifting! All of the eggs will be packed in individual boxes and will be labeled which flavour they are

Small (50gms) & Big Chocolate Egg

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FREE HOME DELIVERY

Contact: Nola 9022281213