MUMBAI THE MOUTH OF INDIA

I came to know about Bombay(Mumbai) when I first started playing Monopoly, the game my board had Kalabadevi, Santa Cruz, Marine Drive, Chowpaty, Victoria Terminal etc., I was familiar with these names because all during summer vacations, I used to spend days purchasing sites and erecting houses and demanding rents from everyone landing on them. We used to discuss the chances of winning the game, which sites are useful and helpful. Soon I grew up I qualified in my parents eyes to watch Hindi movies; it again was a topic among friends who has the qualifications to watch Hindi movies yet.

The Hindi films had Mumbai in abundance, thousand and millions of heroes in Hindi films lived in Mumbai, majority of film stories revolve around lanes and by lanes of Mumbai, every nook and corner is filmed one time or the other in our films, it is saved permanently in archives for posterity. Raj Kapoor days in Mumbai to Arjun Ram Pal all are seen walking the streets of Mumbai, I have seen Mumbai old, classical, modern, cultural, emotional, human aspect of this city. I have seen singing, dancing, stealing, running on the streets millions of times.

This is the one thought stopping me to write about this wonderful city Mumbai, whenever I think of writing a review I freeze up, how can I write about a thing so well known as Mumbai, who will be interested in knowing my review of Mumbai that was the big question?

The whole of India and many parts of the world see this city every day on their screens but the charm of this city made me warm up to take up my pen. I wont dare to write a usual review of sites and places to visit in here, I wont presume to pen down the lanes and places, what I am doing is the emotional aspect of Mumbai in relation to me and rest of India, this is a world city now and before, nobody can make it their own property, it is best to let it flow like a wild river, it has made contributions to the world Indians, let it grow naturally no one can stake a claim to the sun. Mumbai is such a vital source of energy like sun.

God made this Earth and let it grow in its natural pace, that is the reason Indians living in Chicago, Toronto, Milan, Napoli, Jeddah, Riyadh, Muscat, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Wellington, Fiji, Rio-de-jenero, Cairo, Shanghai, manila, Jakarta, Casablanca all know Mumbai like the back of their hands, our films are screened every minute of the day in world theaters, even Poland theaters has our films with subtitles.

Now we are spread all 6 continents of this world and Mumbai is the most visible city of India. Mumbai is and was the mouth of India from a century now, a healthy mouth will have a healthy India, I have lived in this city for many short periods, I have only fond memories of the people and the places, hanging garden can only be in Mumbai no other city can have such a place, leave the poor people, they come in flocks for the food available here, a big dense tree will have flocks of birds in it, so is the case of Mumbai, such a essential city like Mumbai cannot be a piece of decoration for the backyard of a few people, things like Mumbai should not belong to anyone, if air can be owned and copy righted then stake a claim to Mumbai.

This city is the only reason Emergency regime failed, that essentially put brakes to plans of Russia to make India an iron curtain country, we were so close to it, the Industry and culture of Mumbai kept India healthy and free. Mumbai is free and liberated since 1947, its commerce is free, and it is like a blood circulatory system of body India. Love India keep Mumbai free, India will not need any outside support to make it great, just see Mumbai is free that is enough to make everything good in India.

Once upon a time USA could approach India only thru Mumbai otherwise India was so close to Russia, I think the first opening up of India happened thru Mumbai, Sam Pitroda is the first man in this adventure, but now in India there are other small mouths opened to feed India, it is a good thing for the future India, but we still miss Mumbai. This new name for the city is easier on our tongues and sounds more Indian, eventually it will become as good as old, just take a deep breath on the beach of Mumbai, and you will feel invigorated and ready for more action.

This city has fast brains, fast tongues, fast machines, fast hands, fast eyes, fast habits and fast foods, the pace is very fast in this city, the magic is very real, soaring to the tops is the only thing this city does well, let us dream again, let who ever come here become a participant in the culture of this city, I cannot remain a Allahabadi living in Mumbai, or a Karalee or a Andhrite or whatever, I must first learn to be a Mumbaite.

We have our biggest heroes from Mumbai, Campa Cola the only cola in the world which could have beaten Pepsi and Coca easily evolved here in this city. I do remember CAMPA COLA, Sunil Gaveskar, Salman Khan, Sachin Tendulkar are the products of Mumbai, is there any other city capable of producing the smile of Madhuri Dixit or Sonali Bendre ?

Do you think Salman will be so charming if he was born in Hyderabad, or do you think Sachin could have reached the status he is on today, if he belonged to any other city in India, there is money in Mumbai and people of Mumbai like to back their city folks in all walks of life, because a Mumbai person trusts Mumbai person. Even Kambli made it to India 11 and movies because he lives in Mumbai.

Mumbai is energy, Mumbai has an aura over its head, Mumbai has charm in all its corners, be it the slums or the colaba everything joining together makes Mumbai what it is today. How good this city was in the times of AR ANTULAY the faithful man who gave up everything in obedience to his masters.

Like the world has share in Mumbai, India has a share too, like the sun Mumbai has the power to give life to things, dont let clouds claim the sun as their own. It is not practical, it is causing losses to everyone, JRD TATA , NULSI WADIA, DHIRUBHAI AMBANI, SAM PITRODA, AMITABH BACCHAN, every one worked hard to raise the status of Mumbai, so everyone should have peace here. A tamed Lion never looked charming.

Yo Mumbai lions free, its is in your nature to be free and gain profits.