Vol. III Issue 10

BandraBuzz creating community connect

October 2012 | Vol. III Issue 10 | Published Monthly | To Advertise: 9820783686

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Chimbai’s ‘Little Dynamite’ selected to represent India in the U.S. who are physically challenged and Disabled and give it their all, all in the name of sports.

However, I would like to see more government support for these events both financially - and also in terms of equipment How difficult it is for you - and people like provided and also Sponsors coming in. I also wish that the media publicizes these you to make it into sports?

It has been very difficult - because first of events in the future - for people to know all we have to prove to others that we are ca- and take interest. pable of playing even at the highest level.

Also, in terms of stamina, fitness, and Mark, what advice would you give people agility, it’s very difficult to keep up - as like you and other physically challenged games get quicker. But that does not mean people, who are looking to get into sports we have to give up. ere’s actually a lot in and other activities? store for people like me - and also physi- I would only like to say that there are many cally challenged and disabled people like activities and sports that they can get into. me. With a little motivation and financial Many people like me sometimes feel it’s the help, I’m sure there will be a lot more people end of the world - and they are not capable like me coming forward - and getting in- of doing anything. at’s definitely not true. ere is so volved in sports and other activities. much we can take part in - not only in What has been your biggest achievements sports, but other activities too. I believe a lot of dwarfs like me get into films - for easy in sports - both past and present?

I keep myself active in all kinds of sports - money, since they believe that’s the only and represented both, my school and col- place for them. But I would like to see more lege in hockey. is, for someone like me dwarfs getting into sports - and not only challenging themselves - but also the world! has been a huge achievement.

Right now my biggest achievement is an

by Dujon Fernandes opportunity to represent India with a couPic Courtesy: Olav Rodrigues ple of others - at e World Dwarf Games which will be held in August next year in Michigan, United States. It’s like a dream come true to represent my country at an international event - and I’m so thrilled about it. for someone like me to start playing and get selected into teams, some of my major influencers or people who have helped and encouraged me had been Fr. Evans and Sir Vinod. I owe a lot to them.

Know as “e Little Dynamite” of Bandra, Mark Dharmai recently took part in e National Para-Badminton Championships 2012 held in Bangalore - securing 2 Silver Medals, one in Singles and the other in Doubles Men’s Category. e All-Rounder recently spoke to Bandra Buzz about his career in sports, his success at the National Para-Badminton

Are you happy at the moment where are you professionally? What are the changes or improvements you would like to see?

It’s been a dream for me to represent India which I will next year. But I would like to play for and represent India in other Sporting Events too.

I would like to see more government and state support - both financially - and in terms of Infrastructure for people like me.

I could help promote more events which feature physically challenged and disabled people and dwarfs. is would mean a lot to me - and people like me.

In the near future, I would also do my best to help people like me to get into sports and acquire the financial help and moral support needed. I would also like to see families of these individuals supporting them because – as there is nothing like Games and his selection to represent India ‘Family Support’. at e World Dwarf Games to be held in August 2013 next year in the US. Tell us about your experience participating in the National Para-Badminton At what age did you get into sports - and Games? who were your major influencers?

It has been an amazing experience. I got to I started playing sports at the age of 8, play and interact with individuals from difwhere I used to play football, hockey and ferent parts of the country. It was an honor cricket. Although it’s always been difficult for me to watch and play with individuals

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October 2012

BandraBuzz

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A warm sunday morning with Clement DeSylva

It’s a warm Sunday morning - and I am meeting Clement DeSylva, author of ‘BandraBuggers’ at his residence to discuss the ‘Bandra of Yesterday’. e book - which is soon going to be released as a short film, describes what people from the close knit community of Bandra had to contend with.

In a free-wheeling chat, he describes how How did you choose the cover & title for ‘Bandra Buggers’ came to be. your book?

I am an architect with simple tastes & I Tell us about your early life. wanted a cover that stood out. e black I am a true blue Bandraite. I grew up in colour enables the silver lettering to stand Bandra & studied in St. Stanislaus High out - and there are no graphics or pictures School. During the week, apart from school to distract you from the simplicity of it. past times that included cycling to Gorai, jumping into wells & reading Archie Which story appealed to you most? comics. Sunday mornings were spent at the Nana of Spices is a personal favourite of local toy library, where toys were ex- mine, as its based on my own grandmother. changed. e most important question; who is Jo How did the idea for a blog come about? boy?

I always wanted to write – and Bandra is a Jo boy is a character with a bit of everyfine village - being an old civilization. I thing. He’s as you would put it ‘a regular Joe’. started with a blog, as I wanted to compile Apart from this, Joe is a very common my ideas & stories that I grew up with. name amongst the catholic community and every family has a ‘joe’ among them.

Why did you decided to publish it as a book?

In your opinion, how has Bandra I published it due to popular demand. changed?

Before - all the Bandra kids used to hang Who were your biggest influences? out on the beaches & Supari Talao used to I think the Jesuits of Stanislaus were my be filled with football-playing kids. Albiggest influence. In fact if I hadn’t become though Supari Talao is still the Mecca of an architect - I would have become a priest! football, the new generations prefer to hang

out at coffee shops & book stores. Now, its only outsiders who go to the beach & sit on the rocks.

Did you expect the book to be this successful?

No. I expected it to sell about a few hundred copies - but the response was overwhelming & through word of mouth publicity a few thousand copies were sold instead.

Will there be another book in the making?

As the stories get compiled & come together, another book will be released - in due time.

BandraBuggers can be purchased from Happy Book Stall on Hill Road & the newspaper vendor opposite Lemongrass cafe for Rs.100/-only. It’s also available at Cafe’ Goa, Soul Fry & Title waves in Bandra. It’s definitely “money well spent!”

by Charlotte Rodricks

Bandra boys start a little bit of ‘Monkey Bizness’ e Dirty Mac is a Mumbai based theatre company that's been passionately involved with the stage for over seven years. But, all through those years, they were just a bunch of friends writing and directing their own plays that have played at several off beat venues in the city.

It was only two years ago and with the constant backing of their ever supportive audiences and fans that the groups writer and director, Warren D’Sylva, founded ‘e Dirty Mac’.

Warren began as an actor & director way back in St. Xavier's college. He made his directorial debut with Eugene Ionesco's ‘e Chairs’, which performed as part of Ithaka, the Xavier's English department theatre festival. Since then, he's written and directed over a dozen stage performances, oen using the same cast of actors. Speaking about e Dirty Mac, Warren says, "We came together a few years ago to put up a play for the Andrean Zonals. We were all completely raw, but there was always a belief in each one's abilities and talents and that pulled us through year on year, until we were working off each other's strengths and putting up the most entertaining performances."

It's latest production, ‘Monkey Bizness’

is a partly true story, based on the lives of three young copywriters who junked their corporate jobs for an unconventional business career as male strippers. e idea came up when one of the theatre group's members reached a point of frustration, that ac-

tually led him to research the strippers business and find out if there is indeed a market in India. His research threw up some fascinating case studies and "who knows, maybe we do moonlight as strippers, but that's classified information," says Dirty Mac

actor Leandro D’Sylva. e other group members include Janvion Rodrigues, Nikhil Alves, Harsh Khorana and a few others. Janvion had this to say, "is year, our play won almost every award at the Andrean Zonals. It came as a huge surprise, considering the time that we had to work on it. But, it was a great success and the response has been overwhelming.

So, the NCPA gig came at a great time and should be great for our confidence." Fellow actor Nikhil Alves also added, "It's a great test for us, considering that our act has done quite well with our Bandra audience.

But, now the challenge is to keep it relevant and funny for a larger audience - and just hope that they'll like us." e Dirty Mac has a busy year ahead with a number of shows lined up in Mumbai, Goa and other venues. Says Leandro D’Sylva about doing more shows, "Up until now, we've only come together once or twice in the year to do a play, but the audience support has really motivated us to push ourselves and do more. So, we've been invited to perform in Goa in early December, which should be another good experience for us all."

by Reshma Sharma

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Bandra Buzz

October 2012

03

PINK BE WITH YOU! e unfortunate truth these days is that CANCER seems to be looming over many families all over the world. Its not just an individual's illness but a family-illness. We believe prevention is better than cure but the big 'C' sneaks up on the most cautious of us. e only thing we can and should do is to spread AWARENESS ...

Breast Cancer statistics are on the increase, and the reason there are more fatalities than survivors is because of the lack of awareness or the scare associated with going for check ups, the fright that you too may have this most dreaded of all illnesses.

Breast Cancer Awareness Campaigns are being held all over the world and the latest entrant was our very own Bandra Worli Sea Link that turned pink earlier this month to promote the increase of awareness and importance of early detection of the ailment.

We hope that Bandra will continue to play a significant part in promoting social awareness not just of Breast Cancer but many other initiatives that need our help and support.

by Francesca Mascarenhas Pic Courtesy: Arsh Sayed

National Streets for Performing Arts (NSPA) launches Musical performances at Bandra Station

Imli Imchen strumming magic on his guitar in new-age finger-key style

e National Streets for Performing Arts is an initiative under the aegis of HelpYourNGO.com India Private Limited, to “take Art to the People” by reclaiming public spaces for performances. NSPA champions public spaces as an important platform for performance - encouraging greater interaction between artists and the community, creating spaces of cultural interaction and energizing the city and its people.

NSPA aims to support the livelihoods of independent performers across diverse music genres. e musicians performing with NSPA will be remunerated for their time and their commitment to music.

NSPA began its collaboration with the Western Railways, Mumbai Division to stage performances at three stations: Churchgate, Bandra, and Borivali. NSPA launched its programme on October 8, 2012 at Churchgate Station and invites musicians to audition for performances scheduled for the month of November, 2012.

NSPA has evolved out of the vision of Ajit Dayal, best known as the founder of independent equity research firm, Equitymas-

ter; financial planning firm, Personal Fn; and India’s first (and only) direct-to-investor mutual fund, Quantum Mutual Fund. Ajit’s objective is “to bring some joy and smiles to the lives of millions, as they go about their daily commute and – at the same time - to ensure that musicians, forced by the high cost of living to get dull jobs, can earn a livelihood from what they enjoy doing the most. e world will be a far better place when artists and musicians – who, like doctors and engineers, add value to life – have the opportunity to make a decent living.” Aer the success of the pilot performance at Churchgate station on June 27 when an estimated 2,000 people enjoyed the performances of two musicians over one hour - NSPA is organizing musical performances at railways stations from 9 am – 11 am and 5:30 pm - 7:30pm on Mondays (at Churchgate), Wednesdays (at Borivali) and Saturdays at (Bandra).

NSPA plans to increase the frequency of its performances and add more stations in the future.

by Shrishti Iyer

Fleetfoot Journeys specialises in travel to exotic and offbeat destinations. Each trip is tailor-made and unique to you. We also offer Exotic Honeymoons, All Women Trips, Golfing Retreats and Photographic Journeys. So come travel with us to new worlds.

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October 2012

BandraBuzz

From hobby to career Choosing a path less taken

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Mutt Mingle

questions then and there, as for a genuine defect or dislike in a pet from what they had originally seen online, we would not even sell it and take it back with us. If you have a specific demand of some pet that you had seen and which we don’t have, we can source it for you.

What are your thoughts on keeping pets like fish?

Fish are one of the most beautiful pets one can have - quiet, clean and beautiful.

So whether you own a pair of goldfish in a bowl or a full fledged 5 feet aquarium, it’s just as beautiful. Aquariums at the same time add aesthetic value to your living room and thereby become the talking point for kids and adults alike, because of what they have inside. We stock exotic discus , flowerhorns, fighter fish and other breeds from various parts of the world thereby assuring exclusivity of the pet that you are owning.

Beautification and designing of aquariums as per one's taste and pocket and How many people can actually say they Door to Door maintenance of aquariums have made a profession out of a hobby - and other such services is what our next and are happy about it? Meet Rahel Khan, aim is to get into. a resident of Bandra - who aer years of being surrounded by different species of Is it true keeping exotic pets is an exanimals, decided to deal in their retailing pensive affair ? Are they better than & trading. Here we catch him in a tete, de- your normal everyday pets ? scribing about his short but flourishing & Not really , they aren't as high on maintesuccessful business. nance as you would assume just because they are exotic just that they need a little What made you decide to head into this extra care and need to be properly fed, but career? yes at times owning an exotic pet could I have been an avid lover of pets since I was cause a little dent in you wallet. ey are a a kid. I used to own a lot of pets ranging lot more fancier than your everyday pets from rare breeds of pigeons, parrots, rab- because they are really beautiful and eye bits, turtles, fish, cats, hamsters - to name catching. Everybody loves beauty, dont a few. My fondness towards pets kept they ?? Normal is boring, exotic is the way growing - and they soon started becoming to go! an extension to my family.

So, what started of as a childhood In a fast paced city like Mumbai do you hobby soon turned into a profession. I set think keeping an exotic pet could actuup this venture of selling rare and exotic ally help a person to destress? pets exclusively and by God's grace it’s Yes definitely. You will have a reason to going good. We have plans of expanding come home to. into more and more pet related services besides just selling them - like giing a pet, Do you think there is scope for exotic maintenance and other such door to door pet retailing in Mumbai? services.

Yes there is a lot of scope for exotic pet retailing in Mumbai. e kind of response I How did you come up with the name have got in the past few months has been Petxotic? tremendous. People have been looking up Quite obvious to the fact that the business online on our facebook page and we have itself involves the sale of exotic varieties of been receiving orders from all over. More domestic pets, which is our unique selling and more people have off late become pet point, there couldn't be a better name than savvy and more open to adopting or ownPetxotic. ing pets with an increase in average spending capacity in a fast paced city like Since it’s an online store, how do you as- Mumbai where everything is so chaotic sure clients the quality of pets they wish and pets are a de-stresser when you get to own ? home.

At the end of the day, a pet is a living being - and you cannot put up an expiry date on What are the points an aspiring entrehow long a certain living being is going to preneur should bear in mind, when live. As for the quality, they go under a per- they want to build a career like this? sonally scrutinized quality check at the Well I"m just a few months old into the time of purchase when I source them. business, but one handy tip would be to be Also we hand deliver our pets all over persistent and hang on - because the initial Mumbai and other states all over India, be- response might be slow, but with word of cause we believe in customer satisfaction mouth publicity things change. as the customer has only seen a picture of Persistence conquers all things. it online. So, whatever doubts they have in mind can be cleared by answering their

by Charlotte Rodricks

Unveiling a stylish new line of jewellery, Bracialeto launched its Animal Collection at Mutt Mingle, a one-of-a-kind charity event organized for animal welfare in association with World for All (WFA) Animal Care and Adoptions at the Bandra Hindu Association, off Waterfield Road.

Bracialeto's Owner, Mr. Viral Shah hosted this quirky affair in celebration of World Animal Day - and gave animal lovers a special opportunity to spend quality time with their four-legged best friends; while having the privilege of buying bespoke charms with their pets' name stamped - courtesy Bracialeto's latest collection. e city's pet lovers graced the occassion with their presence - and even intermingled with furry pals. Some of the celebrities spotted at this charity event were latest bollywood entrant Neelu Sodhi (who debuted in ‘English Vinglish’), Bolly-

wood Actress Hazel Keech, etc. ey were seen intermingling with the furry friends and having a first look at Bracialeto's personalized dog charms. e delightful aernoon saw lots of interactive pet activities and grooming and educative workshops for animal lovers, with exciting treats and goodies for the furry friends.

"I feel extremely privileged to be a part of this unique association with ‘World for All’, that strives towards helping strays in need. In fact, I have also adopted a dog at Mutt Mingle which was definitely the place to be to spend quality time with your dogs - and get keepsake charms, courtesy Bracialeto's latest Animal Collection!" - Viral Shah - Owner, Bracialeto.

by Reshma Jhaveri Pic Courtesy: HB Photography

BandraBuzz

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Letters to the Editor Mahim - Bandra Traffic rough your esteem news paper, I wish to bring to the notice of the traffic authorities, the traffic snarls one has to endure every day in the evenings between Mahim Causeway signals (near the fire brigade) and Lucky Restaurant signals.

To improve the flow of traffic, the traffic authorities need to urgently consider the following: 1. Ensure that all the three signals ( at the foot of the fly over, at the pedestrians crossing near New Bastan Restaurant and at Lucky Restaurant) are synchronised. Either all should go green simultaneously or red at the same time.

2. e traffic police should ensure that traffic stops when the signal goes red and starts when it goes green. At present, the traffic police just does the opposite. ey allow the traffic to move when the signals are Red - and stops the traffic when the signals are green.

3. e compound walls in which the show room Condor Interiors is situated needs to be rounded and taken back, so as to enable the vehicle to manoeuver easily - while coming down from the fly over from Bandra East or from the service road from the Reclamation. At present long buses, BEST buses and other heavy vehicles find it difficult to negotiate the turn, since the compound wall is at an right angle. erefore, turning is difficult and slow.

4. e road at New Bastan restaurant needs to be widened / divider realigned to ensure the bottle neck is cleared.

5. e BEST bus stops need to be shied northwards, just aer the signals towards the Bandra Tank. At present the buses stopping at these bust stops impede the flow of traffic.

6. At present, the BEST buses heading towards Bandra West Station / Depot, proceeds all the way to the Bandra Tank - and then turns le towards Hill Road in order to proceed towards the Bandra West Station / Depot, thereby congesting Hill Road.

Instead, these buses should be allowed to turn right at the Lucky Restaurant junction. erefore, the signals needs to be changed to permit a right turn. Besides such buses empties out at this junction and commuters walk towards the Bandra station. It serves no purpose to send empty buses right round in order to proceed to the bus depot.

Wilbert J. D'Silva .....................................................................

Appreciation I regularly enjoy reading the Bandra Buzz - it is indeed an interesting neighbourhood paper. e September issue, particularly, had a wide coverage - music, eating places, beauty salons civic issues, shopping, forthcoming programmes and, of course, the Bandra Fair. My daughter in Canada feels connected to Bandra thru’ the Buzz. Here, I eagerly look forward to the next issue.

Iola Vaz e September 2012 issue was indeed a treat to read. George Menezes added a touch of class to the newspaper - with his humourous way of writing on touchy topics. He cleverly took us to a different state of India, then across the globe - yet getting us linked to his story. e letters to the editor section showed

the harsh realities of forced change in our wonderful suburb - Bandra. e views of the readers reflect what’s in the minds of true Bandraites.

Farid Merchant .....................................................................

Protest Processions A Walk should have been organised to get the attention of those who have still done nothing to clean up Bandra - story that made Bandra Buzz Headlines. e filth near the Bandra Bazaar butchery still lies and rots away to glory causing sickness and disgust - but no one to champion that cause, because they think it does not affect them. Sad! Kenneth Hopkins It was indeed heart-warming to see the peaceful protest march by Christians from St. Peter’s Church to IMPPA house.

I saw the procession at Pali Naka - and was very happy to see the unity & resolve of a group of Catholics, who witnessed publicly, what they truly believed. eir reward will be great.

G. Solanki .....................................................................

Cement Road I love our Mumbai Police they have shut the Cement road which Sharukh Khan has encroached on.... to ensure the convenience of the actor.

What about the inconvenience to thosands of pilgrims who use this road, when they come to visit the shrine - and have been doing so for the last 100 years or more? It’s anybodies guess how much of money must have changed hands. It’s only in India where priority is given to actors over God. an you Mumbai Police ...you make us proud, for all the wrong reasons.

Sandra D’Cruz .....................................................................

ALM Initiative e Khar unity advanced locality management 164 has started a signature campaign to rid Khar of her cow nuiscance.

Please come at the earliest & sign our form.

Together, we can & we will transform our Khar locality into a paradise. We are working towards better living conditions. Your pro-active action is vital.

Anwar Shaikh

Write to Us! 401 Anica, 28 St. Paul Road, Opp. Laxmichand General Stores, Bandra(w), Mumbai - 400050 Email: bandrabuzz@gmail.com

Corrections & Clarifications In our September 2012 issue the article on page 3 - Cement Road that can help ease Bandra Fair Traffic - NOW OPENED, was written by Adv. Shane Cardoz & Judith Monteiro. We regret the error of missing out Judith as co-author. .....................................................................

Vol. III Issue 10> R.N.I. No. : MAHENG/8-102010/12646 Editor: Merck D’Silva > Printed & Published by Creative Concepts, 401 Anica, 28 St. Paul Road, Near Bandra Gymkhana, Bandra (W), Mumbai - 400 050 Printed at Marwah Estate, Saki Vihar Road, Mumbai - 400 072

October 2012

05

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PUSHING PEOPLE AGAINST THE WALL Dear Readers, October - when the rains retreat - has skies that are picture-perfect. Cloud formations are the right backdrop for outdoor photography. Early mornings & late evenings have that special glow - especially at Bandra’s three wonderful promenades.

Recently, there has been an increase in the spate of peaceful protests across Bandra in the recent past. is shows how restless our residents are about what is happening around us. It also shows how alert & proactive Bandraites are - in terms of civic & religious issues.

More than 90% of Bandra’s population have been badly hit by the hike in the cost of living. Govt. approved price hikes are like electric shocks to the middle class & poor.

With salaries that do not match the steep increases of common commodities / services, crime seems to be the only answer. So, in effect - the present govt. is pushing people against the wall?

Imagine, all this - while we have govt.related scams to the tune of several thousand crores! is being said, people are just fed up of paying the heavy price for lining the pockets of our elected representatives.

Intelligent minds are working overtime to overthrow those who are corrupt.

Meanwhile, at a local level - we can do a lot, in our own small way. How we succeed in this will determine the lifestyle of future generations. As Dussera leads us to the festival of lights - next month, let’s work towards lighting up the life of our neigh-

bours, starting with a smile - and then cooperating to make Bandra a better place with our positive actions.

Many of us are busy preparing & planning for family re-unions, up-coming weddings & year end celebrations, when the aura in the air is awesome. May you all be successful in all that you are doing - and a winner in life.

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

Disclaimer Reasonable effort has gone into developing the correctness of content in this issue of Bandra Buzz - for accuracy and including up-to-date information. However, we assume no liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions, which may arise due to human error or any other reason. e views of articles / reports published in this issue & written by various contributing authors are not necessarily that of the editorial board, publisher or owner. e validity of information and views printed herein is the sole responsibility of the concerned contributing author / individual writer of the article. Bandra Buzz does not take any responsibility whatsoever, for any resulting consequences, that may arise – because of any involved error. Legal disputes, if any, will be resolved as under Mumbai Jurisdiction only.

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BandraBuzz

October 2012

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An Illustration of Joggers Park in the good old days

Restoring the beautiful ambience around the Basilica of the Mount e Rotaract Club of Fr. Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering, Bandra conducted a cleanup drive on October 6, 2012 at the Mt. Mary Steps, Bandra. e cleanup drive was conducted between 9:30 am and 1:00 pm. e steps that lead pilgrims up to the shrine on the eastern side were done up with the help from the local people and other benefactors. ere are totally about 136 steps. is beautiful stairway to heaven is being constantly defiled and is losing its rich heritage. We, at the Rotaract Club of Fr. CRCE began this project in 2011 - and successfully collected about 10 bags of waste. is not only helped clean the place up, but also spread an awareness regarding the situation. On our second visit, this year, we found that the place was much cleaner than

before. e entire clean up drive was taken to another level by involvement of the media - and the help of local BMC workers. is helped us do a better job this time. e equipment used were garbage bags, dustpans, gloves and face masks, brooms, rakes and dustbins. ere was a collection of 13 bags of waste which was then disposed, aer segregation.

With a participation of 20 people, the Rotaract Club of Fr. CRCE was successful in fulfilling their objective of cleaning and beautifying the place. We plan to go back in a few months and continue our efforts in restoring the beautiful ambience around the Basilica of the Mount, Bandra, where people of all faiths come to be blessed by Mother Mary.

by Namarata Shetty

OLAV RODRIGUES PHOTOGRAPHY

Mob.: 9619652777 | Email: olav_rodrigues@hotmail.com

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BandraBuzz

October 2012

07

St. Andrews Twisted Tales St. Andrew's Auditorium opened its doors once again to the magic and wonder of OLIO - St. Andrew's College's Annual Intercollegiate Drama Competition 2012. e show opened with an audiovisual. e talented Tara Sutaria, who had the audience in complete awe - with her beautiful voice, sang the classic song ‘I will always love you’. is was a grand start! She was followed by a refreshing performance of Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art. To really kick start the show, two witty and wonderful entertainer hosts, "Twisted” and "Tales", took us along, cracking adorable jokes and introducing the audience to the final 4 plays (these 4 were selected aer an elimination round, held a month earlier.) e security volunteers could not resist being a part of all the excitement. Soon every single volunteer in the auditorium broke out into dance.

‘Hansel And Gretel’, was an elaborate production, by St. Andrew's College. Directed by Tushar Mathew and Simon Jaison, it was the first play to go up. e play was an intense take on the popular classic, as the two children face the demons of their childhood. Next up, we had ‘Beauty and e Beast’ directed by Rashi Sinha and performed by the students of Hinduja College. ey forth an interesting interpretation of their story title.

Post interval, the plays got into full force once more - and the beautifully minimalistic Wilson College play, ‘e Pied Piper’, directed by Siddarth Mane, showed the audience how less is more by using minimal props - and instead captured the audience with their powerful dialogues and good use of lights. Last but not the least, Pravin Gandhi Law College had the

audience in complete splits with their own twisted version of ‘e ree Little Pigs’, directed by Rafael Pereira. eir interesting characters, script and sense of humour proved to be a perfect end to the plays.

Between all the plays, the audience was wonderfully entertained by the ‘OLIO Fillers’, who did impressions and skits that had everyone doubling up in laughter, with their clever humour and jokes. e fillers have always been a major part of OLIO every year - and this year was no different. e final performance of the evening was a jazz-funk dance performed by the students of St. Andrew’s College, who also happen to be members of ‘e Danceworx Company’. And then finally, the much awaited Prize Distribution. Judged by celebrities - playwright Mahesh Dattani, along with actors Jameel Khan and Avantika Akerkar, the play prizes began to be announced, and had each college troupe fervently clinging to each other in eager anticipation. With a roar of applause, St. Andrew’s ‘Hansel and Gretel’ took away prizes for Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Costume and the overall Best Play. Wilson's took away Best Script and Best Actress Runners Up and Pravin Gandhi Law College won Best Actor Runners Up. Best Lights and Sound was shared

by Pravin Gandhi and St. Andrew’s College.

OLIO 2012 was indeed a huge success, with the audience having a blast and reveling in the original and unique performances. It was a day to remember and one which will stay in the hearts of all those who were a part of this unique experience.

by Unaiza Merchant

Champions Chimbai FC as ‘Lord Of The Rink’ e Rotaract Club Of Fr Conceicao Rodrigues College of Engineering, a community service based club, organised a rink football tournament-"Lord Of e Rink" at the Wadi ground in Chimbai, Bandra (W) on the 30th September and 2nd October. e event received an overwhelming response with a total of 40 teams fighting for the coveted title of "Lord Of e Rink". e event was open to all age groups, so one could notice participants ranging from school children to forty year olds. e first day saw the teams battle it for a place in the pre- quarter finals. e teams put on a wonderful display of short, crisp passing, silky dribbling, and accurate shooting which was a joy to watch. e 2nd round of matches were held on 2nd October were much

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tighter. Most matches had to be decided on the basis of a tie-breaker. e teams had le their best performances for the last and stepped up to the occasion with some brilliant performances in the semi finals. e final match of the took place between Celtics and Chimbai FC. Both had played some excellent football all through the tournament, so they were the deserved finalists. e match had to be decided on a tie-breaker aer both the teams remained deadlocked in normal time.

Chimbai FC held their nerve to come out trumps. We wish to thank all the participants to help in making this event a huge success.

by Namarata Shetty Pic Courtesy: Summitt Yempalle

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A 'Sole' Searching Experience at Shen Reflexology Centre

e first person you will encounter at ‘Shen Reflexology’, located at 16th road, Bandra, is the effervescent Shweta Nadkarni. She is the founder of this ‘de-stress destination’, and a certified reflexologist from the International Spa and Beauty College, Hong Kong. If you are interested, she will explain the significance of this holistic therapy for your body.

You learn about its connection with stress and toxicity.

Says Nadkarni,“Reflexology works on the hands and feet, restoring the balance within the whole body. During a session, part/s of the body is/are stimulated by applying pressure to various critical reflex points, aimed at facilitating the body’s own healing process to alleviate stress and toxins. It is said to have one of the deepest relaxing effects and claims to reduce stress thereby acting as a preventive measure for stress related diseases.

One of the incidental benefits of this technique is also to improve blood circulation.” Foot reflexology is NOT a foot massage. Unlike in a massage, reflexology uses the feet as anatomical maps by applying pressure to different areas, thus benefiting not just the foot, but also the rest of the body. ‘Shen’ loosely translates to the word ‘spirit’ in Chinese, signifying its holistic nature.

Speaking from experience, no one takes reflexology more seriously than the well trained staff at Shen. With the minimalist décor, soothing background music and the fragrance of essential oils, you just can’t help but relax. e unisex therapy room consisting of 5 treatment chairs and a back chair massage station. To put this in perspective, imagine being on board a plush business class flight to ailand with a dedicated reflexology therapist, tucked in your cosy blanket, with your pillow adjusted ...just the way you like it.

What sets ‘Shen’ apart is the fact that it remains true to its core focus - hand and foot reflexology techniques. No claims to offer you everything from facials to salon services.

Don’t take my word for it; Try it for yourself! You won’t be disappointed. A 30 minute foot therapy followed by a 20 minute head, neck, and back extension le me feeling like a new person; something every Bandra ‘ite’ needs - aer dealing with snarling traffic jams on Hill Road. Be warned though; Reflexology makes you really hungry as it works on stimulating your entire system. at includes your digestive track as well. It’s best to book in advance (especially on weekends). e ritual involves a foot soak with invigorating dead-sea salts and essential oils, completed with de-

licious cup of herbal tea. It isn’t advisable to try this therapy immediately aer a heavy meal or alcoholic consumption.

Do let you therapist know if you have any pre-existing medical conditions before the session. For those with a low threshold for pain, be not afraid. e therapy is gentle and can be adjusted to suit your comfort level.

Suggested as part of one's weekly agenda in most South East Asian countries, Shen recommends you try a visit a month to stay stress free. It’s easy on the pocket with therapies ranging from Rs 490 (30 minute foot reflexology therapy) to the most expensive – a 90 minute Shiatsu body massage (in a separate therapy room) at Rs 1650 (If traditional Japanese style massages are your thing). I bought 2 credit vouchers (an excellent gi idea) available in various denominations. If you book 5 sessions, you can enjoy 1 session complimentary and get 3 complimentary sessions if you book 10 sessions. Hot Stone and Holistic facial massages add an exotic touch, worth trying if you are not in a hurry. e menu also boasts a ‘Moxibustion Eye Tension erapy, a specialized therapy aimed at relieving stress and tension around the eye area through special ‘Moxa’ Chinese herb sticks. While the full body massage has a strict ‘no cross massage’ policy, the rest of the treatments offer lady and gent therapists (on availability).

Bandra Buzz verdict: ‘Book your treatment today to enjoy some ‘me time’ or treat your spouse to some ‘us time’.

Either way, there’s one thing you are guaranteed when you walk out, and that’s Happy feet !!!

Shop No. 1, Sai Pooja, 16th Road, Near Mini Punjab, Bandra, Mumbai – 400 050 Tel: +91 22 2605 5578 Mobile: +91 9930717676 Website: www.shenreflexology.com Email: shenreflexology@gmail.com Timings: 11.30 a.m. to 09.00 p.m. (Mon – Sun)

by Erica Desouza

Marvie Ann Beck - Luxury Unisex Salon & Academy expensive. I would say it’s 10% more expensive than other premium salons with a 100% more service value and satisfaction.

Luxury is a feeling to be experienced -its not just a price.

Hello Marvie, its lovely to finally meet you! warya Rai - Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor, KaCongratulations on your maiden venture trina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, Bipasha into the Salon Industry!

Basu, Sonam Kapoor, Yana Gupta, Karisma Kapoor, SRK, John Abraham, Shahid Kapoor. And so I finally decided that it was Do tell us about your salon story and time to make my services in beauty and hair how it all came to be? available to others as well, who need not be ank you, I have been in the glamour and celebrities and who want to look beautiful fashion industry for over 15 year and I've too. had the pleasure of making people look beautiful and gorgeous ever since. Over the years my friends and acquaintances have What kind of clientele does your salonfrequently asked me to help them look cater to? beautiful - and oen suggested that I open Our salon falls in the luxury segment. a salon. I've enjoyed working with Aish- When I say luxury, I don't mean that it’s too

skin and so we provide a variety of facials along with basic grooming services.

Nails : Nail Fashion is very popular at the moment. We have the most trendy and contemporary products and services in nail We would love to know some details care available today. about the various treatments that your salon has to offer?

Nail extensions, gel nails, gel polish, 3-D What I'm really happy about is that I've nail art, glitter nails, metallic nails etc. We been able to use 18 years of my experience also have our own product line which is not to create a one stop shop to become beauti- available anywhere else in India. Nail art is ful. Let’s start with my most favourite service and I definitely Hair – I have a trained team who can do recommend you try it. stunning classic and funky haircuts for all lengths. I have a huge library of various Hands and Feet: Everyone would like their hair-cuts so you can just drop in with all hands and feet to look and feel like that of a those questions you have and we have all baby. So what would you need? A skilled the material to help you achieve your final person to do your pedicure and manicure desired look. using fantastic products. We have extremely skilled staff to do just this.

No service is provided without detailed consultation. We do latest 2-D and 3-D Do you have any loyalty programs in your highlights from Gold, Copper and Beige to salon?

Reds and many more. We are very particular about the health of your hair and use the We do have loyalty programs and other benefit programs. Clients can avail of these safest products for all technical jobs. and get exciting discounts and various packages and offers.

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College Girls - Know Your Body Type College girls always seem to have a problem to dress - What to wear? What not to wear? No skirts, no shorts, no revealing tops!

Essentially, there are different body types: thin, medium, large and extra large. en, there are different body shapes: banana, pear, apple and hourglass.

It’s time all young and fun-loving college going girls use the info given here. It will help you understand your body type and shape, so that they can dress better and mask your problem areas. Now, face the world more confidently. e three basic body types are:

BANANA FIGURE

HOUR GLASS FIGURE

APPLE FIGURE

JO-ANNE’S LOOK

SONIA’S LOOK

AARZOO’S LOOK

A bright colored jacket, that can take way the attention from your body shape - with nice broad shoulders, will make you look sharp and bold. Also the jacket should be worn open so that it looks a little lose - so that you don’t look thin under the jacket. Skinny jeans are perfect, so that it can balance the whole outlook.

The double-layered tops hide the bulk of the upper body and the neon color also takes away the attention from the problem areas of the body, similarly the floral print on the jeans takes away the attention from the weight on the hips, the high waisted pants also accentuate the waist.

Just because one is heavy, it doesn’t mean they should wear lose clothes. In fact the lose clothes make the apple shaped figure body even more heavy.The mustache print on the tshirt is quiet a distraction and the bright colored jeans also tend to hide the heavy areas.

by Sonia Rijhwani | Pic Courtesy: Olav Rodrigues | Wardrobe Courtesy: LC Studio & Guapa Chica | Hair & Makeup: Marvie Ann Beck Luxury Unisex Salon

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October 2012

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Amjad Khan chowk in shambles

With a sense of shock & disbelief, we saw that the chowk plaque dedicated to legendary Bollywood actor Amjad Khan; built at Union Park Road, off Carter Road – is in a very bad shape. ere is moss & fungus growing on the plaque, electric cables covering it (which should be underground) and wild plants surrounding the structure.

Actor/Director Amjad Khan was born on 12th November 1940 - the son of legendary actor Jayant. He attended St. eresa’s High School, Bandra & studied further at R.D. National College, Bandra – where he was the college General Secretary. He acted in more than 130 films – but is best remembered for his unique mannerisms and his famous dacoit role of

‘Gabbar Singh’ in the film ‘Sholay’. In the Bollywood fraternity, he was a welcome ‘bridge’ to resolve many internal misunderstandings and disputes.

He died of a massive heart attack at 51 – and is survived by his wife Shehla, 2 sons Shadaab & Seemaad – and daughter Ahlam.

For a person who has made Bandra proud through his acting, it is our humble request to M.P. Priya Dutt, M.L.A. Baba Siddique, M.L.C. Adv. Ashish Shellar & all concerned Municipal Councillors to use their good offices – and restore the original glory of the Amjad Khan Chowk.

45 International beers at DPRC

Bandra will see the return of India's “largest brewfest”. e 2nd edition of the Mumbai International Beer Festival scheduled to be held over the weekend of Oct. 27 & 28 promises to exceed expectations.

Dubbed as October's Coolest Event, the Beer Festival; according to B. Shankaranaryan, will feature 45 international beers from 27 breweries, from 14 countries. Some beers, like the Duvel Magnum, referred to as the ‘Champagne of Beers’, due to its packaging - complete with cork and wires like a champagne bottle, are being exclusively flown in from Belgium for the festival. Beer lovers can look forward to stouts from England, European ‘blondes’, ‘lagers’ from Mexico, ‘rice beer’ from China and the “fave brew” of Manchester United fans. e expanded food court will serve beer ‘friendly fresh’, off the wok - chinese, sushi, pizzas, grills, flame-grilled burgers, ribs… and more. is time round, there will be more bands in action - and even a ‘break dance’ act, to liven up the proceedings. To commemorate the festival, the organisers are releasing a unique Mumbai Beer Guide, that'll be full of ‘beer gyaan’ - right from the origins of beer in 7,000 BCE - to recipes on how to cook with beer!

D'Monte Park Recreation Centre, Turner Road, Bandra (W) - (club rules apply). Website: www.beerfestival.in Mob.: 88060 05050

by Sir Minaz

Interfaith meet on Gandhi Jayanti For the 8th consecutive year, community, ’M’ of St. Andrew’s parish, Bandra organised an Inter-Faith meet on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. e themes in the past have varied from Peace, Justice Truth, Love & Tolerance - and more recently to, ‘Care for Creation’ & ‘Say No to Corruption’. is year, inspired by the Gandhian quote, “e best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others” - the theme was “Service” e programs included panel discussions - with audience interaction, demonstration on waste management and recycling paper - followed by fellowship, fostering a community spirit. is year the focus was on sensitizing people to the needs of the less privileged. We therefore invited NGOs to showcase the work they do - through their outreach programs - and if engaged in ‘train to trade’, to sell their products.

Aseema, Acorn, Anmol, Ashray, Navjeet Community Health Centre, Smile, Sosva, Metta and the Carmel Nuns exhibited their work - and made power point presentations. is created better awareness of their activities - and inspired viewers to reach out to others.

On the 1st of October, the exhibition was inaugurated by our parish priest Fr. Michael - and from 9am to 4pm we had a steady stream of school children visiting and acquainting themselves with the great work done by the NGOs - who we’d like to call, ‘Our Unsung Heroes’. 700 children from Apostolic Carmel, St. Andrew’s, St. Aloysius, Auxillium Convent, Durello Convent, St. Joseph’s Convent and Arya Vidya Mandir came, saw - and were inspired. e 2nd of October was set aside for the grown ups - who were equally touched by the magnitude of selfless work put in by just a few, in an effort to en-

hance the lives of the marginalised. Besides elucidating the details of the their outreach programs, the beneficiaries of these NGOs gave touching testimonies: - Lakshmi, a rag picker, married at 14, mother at 15, divorced at 16 - life was a ‘living hell’ till she met ACORN - was rehabilitated, her daughter now goes to an English Medium School and she herself works with ACORN, doing her bit to empower the downtrodden.

- Suman was rescued by ANMOL at the age of 8 and today at 18, she continues to live with them contributing her mite to the welfare of the numerous girls in their care. She is educated and artistic, her paintings are an expression of her simple view of the world . ese are laminated and sold, giving her a sense of ‘ Self Worth.

- Ajit is now studying in class 12, but owes his success to the teachers of ASEEMA, with whom he has been since class 1. It is their faith in him, he says, that helped him realize his potential and usefulness as a human being. ese are indeed ‘Rags to Riches’ true stories, literally - except that their ‘Riches’ are measured by Self Worth , Self Esteem and the ability to wear a Happy, Smiling face - despite the deprivation of material wealth and poor living conditions.

METTA is a ‘footspa’ that employs the Visually Challenged - empowering them to live dignified independent lives . ey are taught the art of Reflexology -and a foot massage experience speaks for itself. is event coincided with the ‘Joy of Giving’ week and succeeded in spreading the message that ‘it is in giving that you receive...’

by Suzie Mascarenhas

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October 2012

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Need of the Hour - A New National Party, that ‘Cares for Common People’ An appeal to all educated, honest, self-sacrificing and like-minded people of Mumbai, to come forward for ‘Righteous Brainstorming Sessions’ and forming a new National Party Friends - as you all are aware, the current political scenario is such, wherein not a single political party can be trusted to work for the upliment of the country.

Every political party promises a lot, but delivers almost nothing. Most of our hard-earned tax money helps line the pockets of our ‘elected representatives’. Moreover the current government has failed miserably. Where can common people go for their problems - and to whom? e level of corruption has gone up to such a high level, that the political parties have become shameless. Speaking about the number of scams, now you would require a muster to record them, on a daily basis!

Very soon, India will be known as the “No. 1 - Nation of Scams”. is is the height of shameless ‘Public Plunder’. e price rise of your cooking gas and petrol has resulted in a steep hike of expenses for the common man - be it his daily travel, electricity, food, clothes or accommodation. Moreover, the salary of a com-

mon man has remained the same – or, in some cases, even stopped. is imbalance cannot continue for long. e root cause – ie. ‘Corruption’ – needs to be eradicated.

None of the present political parties have worked towards the interests of the common man, concerning his employment at private companies. Most of the private companies hire and fire a common man, without assigning any reasons. None of the political parties have ever draed or worked out any effective policies, guidelines and provisions - wherein the rights of the common man in private firms and companies have been secured.

Once terminated from service, a common man does not have any source of income until he finds another job. He runs from pillar to post, in utter despair. None of the political parties have ever worked to secure the lives of a common man, who has lost his job. ere are no provisions with respect to minimum payments to people, who have lost their jobs or who are jobless due to some reason.

It is the duty of the Government to take care of every citizen and secure his or her life and see to that every citizen is employed with minimum wages. It is the duty of the government to create job opportunities and encourage entrepreneurs set up businesses

– which form the life-blood of any emerging nation. ere are several issues, like the benefits for poor senior citizens, women and children. Despite having several provisions in law for the upliment of women and children, there are very few steps taken by the political parties to implement the same.

More efforts have come from the social work groups and ‘Non-Government Organization’, who work selflessly for these people.Our great Mr. Anna Hazare and his team tried their best to fight for the common man, by the Gandhian method. ey did this, to pass the Lokpal Bill draed by them. However, all the Political parties managed to defeat, their peaceful agitation and refused to pass the Lokpal Bill - as their corrupt deeds would be exposed. e Political Parties have therefore forced Mr. Anna Hazare and his team to form a new Political Party, which would work for the people.

Hence in view of the current scenario, I think it’s time for Educated, Honest, Selfsacrificing and like-minded people of Mumbai, to come forward and form a National Party - whose motive would be to serve the interest of the common man and work for development of the country. We need radical, yet practical solutions - to our unique problems. is will bring in an era

of ‘New Hope & Happiness’.

Our country will only be developed, if educated and likeminded people come together, with a task to help eradicate corruption – and harness our vast manpower for common good. is is only possible by forming a Political Party, which will help us ‘Work With the Power of the People’. An educated ‘think tank’ - that can brainstorm new, viable ideas & put them into practice is the need of the hour.

With the upcoming 2014 Elections, it’s time we start getting our act together. We need life-changing results to common people across our vast country. You may have a great righteous idea that can cause a revolution – leading to progress of the common man. Let’s work as a team. Let’s tap the tremendous talent that’s getting wasted – due to the evil of corruption. Let’s do it – now!

I hope I have made myself clear and have succeeded in conveying my message across to you. Your support is vital to this movement – for common people to progress. If any of this makes some sense to you – and you are touched to be part of this ‘change’, please contact me +9198205 17020 or email: shanecardoz@rediffmail.com

by Adv. Shane Cardoz

Ride with Harley to promote ‘Safety among 2 Wheels’ Track and Trail supported 'Ride with Harley's’ over a cup of coffee' - an initiative

by Harley owners and Bandra Cycling Club. is ride on 16th September 2012 was a ride of Unity where cyclists and bikers met and rode, to spread the word of Unity. e ride started at 6.30 am from Lucky Restaurant and ended at Cafe Coffee Day at Carters. e route included: Bandra Reclamation, then Band Stand and finally Carters. With 110 confirmed participants,

the event was to be full of fun!

Two wheelers being the most vulnerable lot, they get bullied by buses, car's, trucks etc. Bandra Cycle Club and ‘Harley Owner's India’ have joined hands to promote " Safety Among 2 wheels". ey will promote safe, systematic and well formulated cycle riding in Bandra.

by Shyam Nair Pic Courtesy: Rahul Nainani

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BandraBuzz

Amar, Akbar & Anthony experience Ganpati Visarjan

is Ganeshotsav was very special for me - because this year, my dear friend Faruk Nakhuda invited me to join him for Ganesh Visarjan.

Now, Faruk married his neighbour Neeta Shobhani (love marriage) – and has encouraged her to continue as a practicing Hindu even aer marriage - while he follows his religion Islam… and they have a 8 year old son Armaan who visits both masjids and mandirs to pray to the one god in his different forms - and ways of worship.

Neeta’s mother had bought a beautiful 3 feet idol of Ganesha, to be kept for one and half day aer which the visarjan would be done. is is done every year - and guess who does the pooja, says the prayers and does the immersion at the Carter Road beachfront… yes, it’s Faruk her son-in-law along with another of our common friend Kapil Amberkar. While I’ve celebrated Holi, Christmas and Eid with my friends, I guess Ganesha was the one festival, that while I wished them and enjoy sweets for - I have not been part of the immersion.

However, this year Ganpati Bappa willed for it to happen - and I decided to join them with my 5 year old son Rafael, so that he could get a first hand experience of other religious ways of expressing love to God - through worship of varied types.

Also, I too intend to bring my son up in the manner that I was brought up, while schooling in a pre-1993 era in Bandra where we enjoyed each others festivals; Christmas, Eid or Diwali with equal cheer and participation. When I reached, the pooja had just started - with singing of devotional bhajans.

To help us join in the pooja, Neeta’s mother gave me a set of cymbals to clang and Rafael, my son got a splendid brass bell for him to make music. Soon Rafael & me got into the swing of things, enjoying our new found status of being the official ‘band baaja wale’ for Lord Ganesh - creating some good music to complement the bhajans. en, all three friends took turns with the ‘aarti ki thali’ - along with Neeta’s family offerings of sweets, fruit and money. en Faruk took recited the prayers masterfully… and we then danced our way to the nearby Carter road beachfront. Faruk, Kapil and me wearing shorts - along with our young sons immersed the idol. en,a

bunch of agarbattis were lit and I was given the honor of breaking the compulsory coconut - which is considered auspicious. e catch is it has to break in one hit to the ground - that is also compulsory. While I’ve been liing weights for fitness all my life and am a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do', this really made me nervous, but the 'nariyal' broke in one hit. en leaving the rest of the family and children on shore, the three musketeers ventured into the water.

While Faruk and Kapil do this every year, all of us enjoyed it more this year, since we were together. Just then, we realised wow!! - what a moment: A Hindu, Muslim and Catholic were about to do the visarjan together - it was almost like the ‘amar akbar anthony’ movie, we'd seen in our young days. Yes,more of those movies need to be made to foster brotherhood and national pride.

Aer the visarjan, we returned to the Shobhani residence for modaks, fantastic home-made sheera and snacks - washed down with sweet lime juice. My son enjoyed all this, as he would the Christmas celebration… and me, I le content, that my son had taken one step closer to understanding what being ‘Indian’ is all about.

He would particularly have understood what makes Mumbai ‘special’ and Bandra - the melting pot of cosmopolitan culture. e reason why - while the city may have burned during that forgettable nightmare we call the 1993 riots, Bandra was ‘untouched’.

More couples like Faruk and Neeta and indeed families like theirs is another splendid Bandra family that celebrates all festivals together that comes to mind - is that of a truly super star Salman Khan.…

And to those few ever critical people: Partaking in other religious festivals and prayers - other than your own, when done out of respect for others sentiments brings us closer to our brothers & sisters of other faiths. Is not this, what God expects of us?

by Anil Joseph

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Price hike protest at Bandra Railway Station

Mr. Sudesh Dube (Vibhag Pramukh – Shiv rally, announcing the call for a nation-wide Sena Shakha # 97) led a protest rally to Ban- bandh, which eventually happened on dra Railway Station on Monday, 17th Sep- ursday, 20th September 2012. tember 2012 around 9:30am with placards,

by Sir Minaz fiery slogans & speeches. Being the peak time for office-goers, the commuters joined in the protest against unreasonable hike of diesel, LPG cylinders & rickshaw/bus fares. e expressions on the determined protesters showed the resolve in their minds. eir message to our elected representatives was: “Please don’t take the common man for granted – remember, we are a force to reckon with”. e anger in the air was contagious. e working middle-class are the worst affected – and they vented out their anger by shouting slogans against the UPA government decision to increase prices of essential commodities and services. eir salaries do not rise in tandem with the steep hikes. Prominent among those present at the price hike protest, were co-ordinator Mr. Rajni Mistry, Shakha Pramukh Mr. Sandeep Medkar, Mr. Sunil Jadhav, Mr. Gurudev Zende, Mr. Pramodh Mahadik, Mr. Anwar Shaikh; women Shakha Pramukh Manisha Phonde, Mrs. Sheetal Shelar & Mrs. Madhuri Lad. Also present, were Shiv Sainiks from Khar & Santacruz. Peak-time DANCE FITNESS ACADEMY train commuters were glad that something was being done to voice their opinion about We specialise in Ballroom Dancing the steep hike approval by the government. Rumba, Tango, Cha-Cha, Jive, Waltz, When the protesters gathered at Bandra Wedding Dances, Salsa.

Railway Station, Mr. Sudesh Dube ad- We offer a trial class. dressed the rally. He sharply criticized the Ranadive UPA govt. price hike policy, saying this Arpita m: +91 9833050884 would adversely affect the common man. w : www.stepupindia.in He said that the increase of Rs.5/- per litre e : arpita@stepupindia.in of diesel would create a cascading rise in the Art Loft Studio, Hill Road, Bandra(w) cost of transport, fruits & vegetables. He also told the angry crowd that the present govt. decision to limit the sale of subsidized LPG to just 6 cylinders per year per household @ Rs.423/- (present price) – and for the 7th cylinder onwards @ Rs 894/- would burden those who genuinely need them for domestic use.

Mr. Sudesh Dube further added - that we the common people were paying a heavy cost for all the government-related scams, with our blood, sweat & tears.

All this, while our Prime Minister, Chief Minister and those in power turn a blind eye to the plight of the poor common man – who is just a tool in their hands – and part of their vote bank during elections, to bring them back in power. ey ended the protest

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Protest and prayer procession held against movie ‘Kamaal Dhamaal Malamal’ and ‘Kya Super Kool Hai Hum’ Delegation of Catholic Associations present Memorandums to IMPPA, CBFC, FMC, etc.

On 26th September, 2012, Catholic groups protested the portrayal in bad light of the clergy and community in movies, with specific reference to “Kamaal Dhamaal Malamal” and “Kya Super Kool Hai Hum”, following close on the heels of other such films, like Who’s ere…

Starting out from St. Peter’s Church in suburban Bandra, the groups - Association of Concerned Catholics (AOCC), Catholic Secular Forum (CSF), Maharashtra Christian Youth Forum (MCYF), Catholic Residents Organization for Social Services (CROSS) & Catholics for Preservation of Faith (CPF) – took a procession to Indian

Motion Picture Producers (IMPPA) and Film Makers Combine (FMC) office. e memorandum to the Censor Board (CBFC) followed the callous attitude of all concerned towards the Christian community, which did not resort to violence to achieve its end. e groups demanded that the objectionable scenes be deleted in “Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal”, where a priest is depicted dancing, with Catholic imagery and the community portrayed as drunkards and of easy virtue. ey also demanded that a representative appointed by the Archdiocese of Mumbai be nominated on the Cen-

SAID THE HILL ROAD HAWKERS TO THE BIG TALKERS ...

From Hill road they want us shunted to some park, or to Reclamation, as some activists bark We run away from BMC ‘stings’ When complaints and phone calls take wings.

Yes, on Hill Road we may be A Pest, But no thoughts for actions on others in H West..

So, The hawkers from Bandra, turned around - and asked Miss Cassandra.

What about THOSE from SantaCruz to Linking road, Why no protest, to remove ‘that’ hawking load?

Under Santa's skywalk there is HELL While only we at Hill road hear the YELL Use the clout to eradicate all With no plans to play ping pong ball -

Start the game with SantaCruz West, An integral part of H-WEST, Direct your efforts to Linking road Then focus on HILL ROAD. Remember , All Hawkers sail in the same boat, First clear your area, then let the honors float Only then, H-WEST Can gloat.

From a Bandrakharite called Radhikar B.

sor Board to vet movies concerning the community. ey pointed out that allowing “Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal” without clearance from the community, amounted to adding insult to injury, as the film mocks and ridicules the faith. e groups have therefore decided to file FIRs against all concerned for hurting their religious sentiments.

A delegation had earlier met Ms. Pankaja akur, CEO of the Censor Board, along with Fr. Reuben Tellis, the Catholic Church representative, but were disappointed by the response and the protest today demanded her (Pankaja) resignation, along with that of Ms. Leela Samson, the CBFC chairperson. e delegation has taken up the matter with Ms. Ambika Soni, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and are awaiting a response from the Minister before deciding on their future course of action. e groups have also called for the closure of the Mumbai office of the Censor Board, as it had been reduced to a lobby of the film industry, not sensitive to sentiments of the community, under the guise of freedom of expression. All complaints are not attended properly and objectionable scenes are allowed to pass, as cinematic license and as per discussion with Ms Pankaja, complainants are directed to complain to the ministry in Delhi or go to Court, which is something complainants can ill-afford.

Representatives of the IMPPA and FMC, president Shri Sangram (09869444919) and general secretary Shri Dharam Mehra (09820138883) accepted the memorandum assuring the community

groups of self-restraint and a communication to this effect, especially asking the film fraternity to abstain from hurting religious sentiments. e gathering in a befitting Christian manner held placards with meaningful messages, offering prayers and singing hymns along the way.

Some of the objectionable scenes noticed in trailors and promos of “Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal” were: • A Catholic priest shown with a rosary (religious beads) around his neck dancing.

• e priest is also shown dancing with a pop group to a song in a party. Elsewhere a live person lying in a coffin with the Cross next to him.

• Another scene shows the Catholic priest with a garland of lotteries around his neck dancing with the church in the background.

• A scene shows the Catholic priest with a bouquet of flowers with states - I love you: Aapki Bul Bul, which is unrealistic.

• Notorious characters with garlands of currency notes are shown in the background of a church e Objectionable scenes in KSKHH that the delegation sought deletion for satellite airing are that of : • A Catholic priest solemnizing the marriage of a dog and a bitch.

• At the wedding reception of the 2 dogs, where in the dogs are shown to be in a sexual act, a priest is shown sprinkling Holy Water, while reciting a prayer.

by Judith Monteiro Pic Courtesy: Rohan D’souza

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October 2012

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Illegal chinese shops on Kadeshwari footpath CROSS files Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Bombay High Court against BMC and tresspasser Dattatray Kambli ‘for reconstruction of an illegal building (Chinese shops) at the footpath of Kadeshwari Mandir road’, despite partial demolition by BMC

e illegal building (Chinese shops) reconstructed on the footpath of Kadeshwari Mandir Road, despite partial demolition by the BMC (Bhrihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation), has now been completed with shutters fixed (see pic).

Despite the constant follow up by the CROSS Organisation (Catholic Resident Organisation for Social Service) headed by Shri Lawrence D'Souza and Advocate Shane Cardoz, there seems to be no action taken by the BMC. e Corruption has reached such an extent, that the BMC officers have become shameless. ey have forgotten their duties towards the citizens of this country and have taken their jobs for granted.

Despite several meetings; written and verbal communication with key officers of

the BMC, there has been a serious and willful negligence on the part of the BMC Officers. e CROSS Organisation has failed to understand why the BMC is not interested to save a 5 feet BMC Road, which is being illegally encroached upon by a trespasser of Kadeshwari Mandir Road, that is creating problems for the original residents of the surrounding area.

Tired of constant follow ups with the entire BMC Department and their officers, the CROSS Organisation has filed a Public Interest Litigation at the Bombay High Court against all responsible officers (concerning this issue) of the BMC - and the encroacher i.e. Dattatray Kambli. e CROSS Organisation in the petition, has prayed for strict action to be taken against the defaulting BMC officers and complete demolition of the illegal structure – immediately!

Pics: e structure aer partial BMC demolition - and aer completion of shops with shutters.

Adv. Shane Cardoz

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ACCOUNTANT Vernon Duarte (C.A.) Accounts, Auditing, Co-op. Societies, PAN Filing of Income Tax Returns Call: 9920767522 / 26435096.

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October 2012

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9322235229/26058305/ 32446391.

Email: krishnasilk_mills@hotmail.com HOME ITEMS D'Siree Caterers: Potato chops.

Beef or Mutton.

Cutlets - Beefs, Mutton, Chicken, Fish & Sorpotel.Pork Vindaloo Pork Tongue roast, Pickles,Prawn or Dry Bombay Ducks. contact person: Xaverina D'Souza Mobile: 9167227296 Fugias, Coconut Cakes, Bottle Masala, Vindaloo … Mrs. Monica Pereira 2645 9106

15

STITCHING CLASSES Learn to stitch your own clothes the easy way in Bandra(West)!

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We give personal visits. contact: Tel: 28259037 Mobile: 9869280642

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money, incurring any expenses, acting on medical recommendations or entering into any commitment in relation to any advertisement published in this publication.BandraBuzz doesn’t vouch for any claims made by the advertisers for products and services. The Printer, Publisher, Editor and Owners of Bandra Buzz shall not be held liable for any consequences, if such claims are not honoured by the Advertisers.

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Roti, Kapda aur Makan – for basic living A house in the slums of Khar Danda costs a fotune - and even if they choose to stay on rent, they have to pay a deposit of Rs 20,000/- at least - and a rent of Rs 3,000/- to 4000/- Knowing the fact that these families have very few sources of earning - and they earn on a daily basis to live from hand to mouth, it is next to impossible for them to even think of taking a house on rent.

Also, BTL have put 6 girls in a Convent high school in Bandra - and as it is their exam time, it is only adding up to the pressure. Payal, a studious girl says ‘I want to study, but I cannot ‘coz I first have to search for my books, which are lost in the heap.’ Inspite of their vulnerable situation, they still they embrace life with happiness - and take each day as it comes! You will never see Food, Clothing and Shelter are the basic necessities of life - and a house is what keeps a family together and safe. is is what happened with the families who stay in hutments at the end of Khar Danda slums. ese families are taken care of by the Bandra based NGO called ‘Bigger an Life’.

Around a week back, the BMC brokedown the houses of around 25-30 families who stay on rent. ese houses are basically called ‘kuccha’ houses, as they are made of bamboos and plastic sheets. e maximum area would be 8 by 6 - and an average of 7 people stay in one house. BMC claims these houses to be illegal as there is no proof/documentation of the same. e

houses are owned by fishermen of the area and sold illegally to people. e BTL families pay a rent of around Rs. 800-1200 per month and a deposit of Rs. 5000. And as their houses are turned into rubble, it has become very difficutl to survive. Cooking, bathing, eating, sleeping has become a major concern. ere are many young girls - and with the increasing number of crime, it has become very unsafe. Few families, who could not pay the rent have come on the streets - and are searching for another place. However, because they lack enough finance, they have no other option than to stay on the streets till help comes.

them 'not smiling'...they have taught me to live BIGGER THAN LIFE” BTL requests all who can support - to come forward with ‘practical help’ like temporary place or shelter for the families - or you can help with donations which will be utilised for their everyday living and other necessities, please contact Arvind on 9769436182 or Avi on 9967655569.