Tag: salil jayakar

Categories
Places

The mother of all bicycle rides

Gurpreet Bilkhu cycled from Manali to Khardung La, and learnt that in the mountains, it’s a ride, not a race.

It was mid-July when my friends and I were planning a cycling expedition somewhere outside Mumbai. As a member of several cycling groups on Facebook, spotting one was not difficult. A friend commented on an upcoming tour from Manali to Khardung La – the world’s highest motorable pass. After going through the tour details, as I flipped my table calendar to look at the dates, the picture for the month of August was that of Pangong Lake. For me this was a sign and I knew then that I was hooked!

From the many who started planning, only four of us tentatively confirmed, of which two were most certain to undertake it. I started my preparations with a friend. I must admit that I am just a leisurely rider. I’ve done long weekend trips of over 150 km but these are more like picnics where we ride at a normal pace. Now, planning a 570-odd km ride over 11 days appeared next to impossible (i.e. about 50-60 km of riding daily on an average). We had only about three to four weeks to work on our fitness and endurance levels, fix our bikes, prepare for the trip in terms of getting the right clothes, gear, equipment, etc. and this was along with working full time!

The biggest challenge was riding at such a high altitude because the environment could not be replicated in a city. We had no clue on how our bodies would react to the daily strenuous uphill climbs that too in a rarefied atmosphere where oxygen was a luxury. Preparing ourselves mentally was the most essential preparation because we would have to face not only the inconceivable but also the inevitable.

As the days drew nearer things got tougher. I met with an accident on one of my practice rides. My friend also met with an accident and was advised three months of rest and two others also dropped out eventually. I undertook the trip anyway. I took a train to Delhi and then a bus to Manali. The bike was packed in a box in a semi-dismantled condition.

The ride:

Day 0 – A ride around Manali upto Solang; about 35 km.

Day 1 – Manali to Marhi; 35-odd km, elevation gain 1,250 m

Day 2 – Marhi to Sissu via Rohtang Pass; 55-60 km; elevation gain 1,600 m

Day 3- Sissu to Jispa; 65-70 km; elevation gain 600 m

Day 4 – Jispa to Patseo; 35 km; elevation gain 500 m

Day 5 – Patseo to Sarchu via Zing Zing Bar and Baralacha La; 60-70 km; elevation gain 1,400 m

Day 6 – Sarchu to Pang via Gata Loops, Nakee La and Lachalung La; 90-95 km; elevation gain 1,200 kms (the toughest and longest)

Day 7 – Pang to Tso Kar via Morey Plains; 60-65 km; elevation gain 400 m

Day 8 – Tso Kar to Rumptse via Taglang La, the world’s second highest motorable pass; 80-85 km; elevation gain 900 m

Day 9 – Rumptse to Leh; 90-95 km; elevation gain 450 m

Day 10 – The big climb to Khardung La; 80-85 kms; elevation gain 2,100 m

We encountered mixed terrain all along. We found ourselves riding through flower-filled valleys, cedar and fir forests, passing through numerous villages at Manali and then moving to road jams with traffic at Rohtang Pass due to the slush. We experienced off-road terrains on our way to Baralach La. The toughest were the 21 hair pin bends called Gata Loops. Morey Plains is the waterless, high altitude desert of the Tibetan Plateau, and riding through it, after all those climbs, felt like an aircraft taking off on a runway! The most scenic route was between Rumptse and Leh. We passed the picturesque Miru village and mountains that were maroon in colour!

Do remember this is a ride and therefore never try to race. Go at a pace you can sustain for long, even if you are the last one riding. Never get carried away by adventure, the mountains can be unpredictable. If you push yourself too far too soon, you may probably impair your ability to ride the next day. Try and start as early as possible in the mornings so that you can finish your rides by 3.30-4 pm every day. This will give your body the time to relax and recuperate for the next day’s ride.

Never camp next to river sides! The temperatures tend to dip to sub-zero levels during the night. Though most tour operators would carry tents and sleeping bags, prefer to sleep in places that are constructed by the locals. These are warmer and far more comfortable than your sleeping bags. Since you ascend gradually, you acclimatise automatically. You may or may not experience mountain sickness. Never ever think how much is left to complete, only look at how much you have covered already. This will motivate you to go on. There will be times when you will feel like giving up (unless you are at a discomfort), don’t give in to the temptation. Take a break instead.

The ride to Khardung La has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life, which I will never forget. The tan, the pain, the bruises are all temporary and will fade away in sometime. What’s permanent is the achievement that will last forever. In Economics, my professors taught me that money was the only exception to the law of Diminishing Marginal Utility but I just discovered one more – adventure. The more you have it, the more you want to have it more!

Gurpreet Bilkhu is a Worli resident and bicycle ride enthusiast. She spoke to Salil Jayakar.

(Pictures courtesy Gurpreet Bilkhu)

Categories
Film

‘Bollywood has not called yet’

His national identity fades in the face of the character he plays. Satya Bhabha portrays Saleem Sinai in ‘Midnight’s Children’.

British-born actor Satya Bhabha will be seen this Friday in the Deepa Mehta-directed Midnight’s Children, based on Salman Rushdie’s novel of the same name. Satya, of mixed Parsi-Jewish roots, grew up in London, graduated from Yale and is based in Los Angeles.

In an e-mail interview with Salil Jayakar, Satya talks about his ‘identity’ as an actor, the challenge of playing Saleem Sinai and working with Deepa Mehta…

Salil J: You were in Mumbai recently for a wedding. Were you recognised as the lead actor of Midnight’s Children?

Satya Bhabha: Ha ha… no. At that point nobody had even seen the film!

SJ: Do you identify yourself as British, British Indian or Indian? As an actor does it matter, both at a personal level and a professional one?

SB: I consider myself British and American, due to the fact that those are the countries I was born and have lived in for my entire life. However, my ‘ethnic’ or ‘genetic’ identity is a more complex one which involves both my father’s Parsi family and my mother’s Jewish roots. As an actor, my national identity fades easily in the face of the character. In the face of the industry, however, it can be more of a challenge…

SJ: You’ve worked with an ensemble cast with some of India’s finest actors. What was the experience like? 

SB: It was a total honour and dream to have had the opportunity to work with such an exemplary ensemble. Each actor brought such depth and detail to their role, and I learned an invaluable amount from watching and acting with them.

SJ: Given that you had little or no Indian experiences before you shot for the film, how easy or difficult was it to play Saleem? Had you read the novel before being offered the film? 

SB: I have had a long relationship with the book, Midnight’s Children, and also with India as an ancestral home, which I visited over the holidays. However, in order to fill my mind and memory with images from Saleem’s story, I travelled extensively in India and actively sought out many defining experiences. It was challenging, certainly, even after all the preparation, but luckily most of the time the work supported me and I was able to play freely with my co-stars without consciously thinking about performing the nationality of my character.

SJ: Some actors often claim to ‘live the life’ of the character they portray to bring an authenticity to their work. Was that an option you considered?    

SB: There certainly was an element of that, spending months living in my grandmother’s home in Bombay (which is not entirely dissimilar to Saleem’s home), and then travelling alone through India by buses and night-trains, landing in unfamiliar cities and having to find friends, food, and shelter… It certainly echoed Saleem’s path to an extent.

SJ: Working with Deepa Mehta… what was that like?

SB: Fantastic! Deepa is a strong and trusting guide who steers you in the right direction and holds your performance up to a very high emotional standard. She is fascinated by truthful human responses and goes to any lengths in order to get them. It was a real honour to work with her.

SJ: Does it bother you that Hollywood does not have starring roles for actors from the subcontinent? That you and most others with an Indian connection are mostly considered for an ethnic role?    

SB: It is challenging at times, but I do hope that there is a sea change in this regard and I very much hope that once films like Midnight’s Children and others spread to wider audiences, the universality of our stories will inspire less mono-cultural story telling…especially when it comes to casting.

SJ: Do you watch Indian/Hindi films? Has Bollywood called yet?

SB: I love Hindi cinema but, no, Bollywood has not called yet.

SJ: To audiences everywhere, what would you tell them to expect when they go to watch Midnight’s Children?

SB: I would tell them to allow the story to wash over them and that they may see far more similarities with their own lives in the film than they may have imagined.

Categories
Event

“Marital rape is tantamount to sexual slavery”

Shibani Bathija, award-winning film writer, will give her take on marital rape through controversial play ‘The Vagina Monologues’, on Sunday.

Come Sunday, January 06, 2013, a special show of The Vagina Monologues will be held at the Comedy Store in Mumbai. In attendance will be Eve Ensler, Tony Award winning playwright, performer, and activist, who is the author of The Vagina Monologues. Eve will be in the city for the launch of ‘One Billion Rising’, a global movement to demand an end to violence.

Taking part in the readings will be screenwriter Shibani Bathija, whose last film was My Name Is Khan. Shibani spoke to Salil Jayakar on her participation in the special show, what she hopes it’ll achieve and whether it’s time for the film industry to do some introspection.

Excerpts from the interview:

Shibani, you’re reading a piece you have written on one of the ongoing debate areas on rape. Could you tell us about it? 

I have taken on the issue of marital rape to draw attention to the fact that women are not protected from it under existing Indian law. So, potentially a woman can be raped over a lifetime and have no recourse. It is tantamount to sexual slavery.

Why marital rape? Do you know of any personal instances? 

By and large women don’t talk about rape, and often in the case of marital rape they are given to understand that it is ‘duty’ and not rape at all, so no, I don’t personally know of instances but these are some stats I found. In the present day, studies indicate that between 10 and 14 per cent of married women are raped by their husbands: the incidents of marital rape soars to 1/3rd to ½ among clinical samples of battered women. Sexual assault by one’s spouse accounts for approximately 25 per cent of rapes committed.

This is a benefit show. Whom will the proceeds go to?

The beneficiary of all our fundraising around Eve’s visit and launch of One Billion Rising is largely SNEHA (www.snehamumbai.org) which works in Dharavi and across five other centres in Mumbai.

Do you think that a show like The Vagina Monologues can really highlight this sensitive issue? 

Yes, I think it can, as the first step is awareness and through fiction and even humour, a bright light can be shone on issues that are often avoided or then misunderstood by more people than we imagine.

A section of media and society has been clamouring for a ban on item songs in films. Your take? 

I think the issue is first violence, then sexualised violence. The thing that needs to be cut out is a portrayal of violence without reason or consequence. When we get inured to violence, then all kinds become acceptable. Rape is about violence. As far as item numbers are concerned, getting rid of ‘sexy’ dancing is putting the onus on women again, i.e., if you show and or enjoy the movement of your body you are asking for rape. Have you seen traditional belly dancing? The ultimate item number and it is / was often part of spiritual rituals.

As a screenwriter, do you think Bollywood also portrays women in a bad light? Does the industry as a whole need to do some introspection?

Well yes, the moment women are incidental to a plot they are indicated as incidental to life in general, and then who bothers about how someone incidental is treated? The moment women are front and centre and forces to be reckoned with, everything will fall into place.

What do you hope to achieve through this reading? 

I hope to highlight this most common and most ignored form of rape and in the best case scenario raise some voices for an amendment to the rape laws to include marital rape. Marriage is a social contract based on trust, respect and partnership. When it becomes about coercion then it is a breach of contract and the law should acknowledge that.

The special show of The Vagina Monologues will be held at the Comedy Store, Palladium, High Street Phoenix, on Sunday, January 6 at 6 pm. Other speakers include Chitrangda Singh, Suchitra Pillai and Manasi Scott.

(Picture courtesy firstpost.in)

Categories
Places

The man without a plan

Don’t go to Ganapatipule with a to-do list. Instead, walk on the beach, sample the local cuisine and just be.
by Salil Jayakar

On a sunny Saturday morning, my friends and I headed out of Mumbai to what was to be a fun-filled road trip to Ganapatipule, a small town on the Konkan coast of Maharashtra. Approximately 380 km from Mumbai, Ganapatipule in Ratnagiri district is most famous for its beachside swayambhu (not carved by human hands) Ganapati idol temple.

Ganapatipule, as the rest of the Konkan coast, is home to one of the most scenic beaches in India, still relatively untouched by commercialisation. Ideally, make Ganapatipule your base and visit nearby areas which take about half a day of travelling.

A good way to begin your stay in Ganapatipule is to visit the Ganapati temple that houses the deity’s idol, believed to be over four centuries old. As we stood in line for darshan, I couldn’t but think: “Pehle dev darshan, phir ang pradarshan…” Loosely translated, this means: first worship God, then display your body. For the uninitiated, it might interest you to know that the temple is literally on the beach.

There’s not much to do in Ganapatipule itself, except for a few water sports at certain points along the beach. If you’d like a flavour of old Konkan, do visit the Pracheen Konkan museum. The local girl/ woman guides are a cheerful lot as they run you through a rather poorly put together make-believe world. For food lovers, Ganapatipule’s numerous eateries serve up a delectable fare – chicken, fish and prawns – of Malvani cuisine.

Drive down towards Malgund four km away and enjoy breathtaking views of the Konkan coast. Further north, about 35 km away, a must-see is the Jaigad Fort that sits majestically on a cliff along the Arabian Sea. While the fort itself is in ruins, its walls still stand and you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the countryside.

A trip to Ganapatipule should include a day trip to Ratnagiri city, the district capital which is about 25 km away. The drive down south to Ratnagiri will take you through sleepy coastal villages and a truly breathtaking seascape. At two points along the drive, the cliff-side suddenly breaks to give you stunning views of the Konkan coast – clear blue waters and sandy beaches lined with palm and mango trees. Stop awhile; enjoy kokum sherbet and bhel made by locals on the cliff-top shacks and take in the sound of waves gently rolling in.

Ratnagiri is the birthplace of Keshav (Lokmanya) Balgangadhar Tilak, who demanded swaraj (self-rule) from British colonial rule. Tilak’s two-storied, tiled-roof home stands in a quiet by-lane near the main market. It is now a museum. Thibaw Palace, home of Thibaw Min, the last king of Burma (modern day Myanmar) who lived in exile here is a sad remnant of what was once a flourishing dynasty. Incidentally, just two days before our visit, on December 22, 2012, Myanmar President Thein Sein visited Thibaw Palace and the King’s tomb. In doing so, he became the first Myanmar leader to visit the tomb of his country’s last King, who was exiled to India from Burma more than a century ago.

Just off the main road from Thibaw Palace, opposite Gandhi petrol pump is Amantran, a local restaurant that serves authentic Malvani cuisine. For seafood lovers like me, the prawns and the pomfret fry is a must-have. Go for one of their thali options and you’re in for a treat! Amantran also bottles their own aamras, so make sure to buy a bottle or two.

The highlight of the drive down to Ratnagiri is most likely to be a visit to the Ratnadurga Fort, shaped like a horseshoe and surrounded by the Arabian Sea on three sides. Built by the Bahamani kings, it was captured first by Adil Shah of Bijapur and then Shivaji, in 1670. It is here that Sambhaji went into hiding after escaping from Aurangzeb. The fort has a lighthouse that guided ships as far as 15 km away from the coast and gave a strategic advantage over any attacks from pirates and other enemies. Today, the crumbling remains of this majestic fort are a poignant reminder of a rich historical past. While at the fort, don’t forget to pay obeisance to goddess Bhagwati whose temple is here.

As you head back to Mumbai, take a small detour through narrow village lanes at Sangameshwar and head to the Karneshwar temple, a beautiful stone carved temple dedicated to Shiva. Over 1,600 years old, built by Karma of Kolhapur, it almost transports you to another era.

Ganapatipule will give you some much needed tranquillity from the hustle-bustle of city life. Don’t come here with an agenda or a to-do list. Sleep late, enjoy lazy walks along the beach or find your favourite cliff-top vantage point and take in some breathtaking views. And through it all, don’t forget your sunscreen.

(Pictures courtesy Salil Jayakar)

Categories
Diaries

‘Spin A Yarn on Twitter’ winners

Our first ‘Spin A Yarn on Twitter’ got a great response yesterday. We feature the two winners and their stories.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It started at 4 pm exactly. And later at 7 pm. Both went off so well, we were still grinning after it was over – which also had something to do with the fact that #SpinAYarn was the Number 1 trending topic in Mumbai yesterday.

We thank those who participated in our first ‘Spin A Yarn on Twitter’ contest and gave us 30 minutes of frantic fun, twice a day. We just gave participants an opening line; the rest of the story was built by the contestants. Ankita Chemburkar and Salil Jayakar won the contest.

Ankita Chemburkar, who works with Grey Worldwide as a content writer and social media copywriter, won for her hilarious poem on a girl who is on Twitter. Ankita (22) is a Lower Parel resident, who says this was the first Twitter contest she’s ever won. “The best thing about the contest was this it allowed complete creative freedom – something that rarely happens, even in the world of advertising. So I guess the awesome part of it all was being able to go completely ballistic with my imagination and my writing, even if they were in the forms of bad puns and rhymes,” she said.

“Usually, I love to write sarcastic and pun-filled stuff. I like to fabricate stories and the only emo bit of me comes out in my poems,” she says, adding that her secret dream is to “doodle on a historical monument. Like ALL over it. And no one would know it were me, making it the biggest graffiti vandalism there ever was.”

This is Ankita’s yarn, which started with the opening line, ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,’ and went like this:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Entertaining & annoying ‘coz the woman loved her rhymes.

She found a place where she could rhyme away to glory. Little did we know the end to this tale would be so gory.

Shunned by Facebook friends, she was distraught and bitter. Then she found out she could rant away on Twitter.

She tweeted and tweeted; she punned & punned away. Thinking no one will hate her online presence from this day.

Her tweets were funny and cute, she tweeted on food. ‘I should’ve done this before, for it is so good!’

She put her puns in cute little doodles. Ignoring the “i-will-kill-you” expressions from her boss, @mooodles

Little did she know that this was where terror lurked. But she kept on punning, as long as she wasn’t shirked.

She gained popularity, her jokes were being retweeted. The frequency of her tweeting became quite heated(?) 😛

No more “U want to mek fraandsheep wit me” no more stalkers! No more “You’re hot care to show me your knockers?”

She was happy in her own place, tweeting as much as 80 times a day. After all, what was anyone else going to say?

Then came a day where it all came crashing down. She was being Unfollowed; her smile turned to a frown.

The numbers dwindled down, she wish she did paid Ads. Then she remembered it was Twitter & she became quite mad.

Everyone ridiculed her desperate attempts to be funny. Suddenly she wished she hadn’t been so… ‘punny’.

No one ‘#ff-ed’ her anymore, she became distraught. ‘But this is Twitter! How can this be?!’ she thought.

From a rising star to a loser, she did convert. Getting followed by creepy uncles and the occasional pervert.

Her life was caught in a whirlwind of tweets and follows. But her life and heart were truly empty & hollow.

She became quite demented, last time we heard. Even a simple chirp reminded her of the blue Twitter bird.

No one took notice as she stopped logging in online. Everyone went tweeting as usual as though all was fine.

That story is told till date about the girl obsessed with Twitter. The almost-celeb who then became a quitter.

Her defeat was in desperation, the downfall in wit. And that’s the story of a tweeter who became… just a twit.”

—————————————

Salil Jayakar was our other winner, and he won for his dreamy, nostalgic take on a boy who’s musing on the last two years of his life. He said, “The best thing about the contest was trying to pick up from where you started and make sense  of it in such a short time!” Salil is 31, and describes himself as a “Bandra boy, a Bombay boy who works as a communications professional…I’m just another less ordinary guy with extraordinary dreams.”

He adds, “I don’t write much lately. Earlier, it was mostly features. These days I blog every once in a while on whatever takes my fancy.” He counts travelling as one of his passions, which allows him to meet new people and soak in as many cultures as possible. “I’m also on a continued quest to go from #fat2fit.”

Salil’s yarn started with our opening line, ‘It hadn’t always been like this. Well, at least for the last two years,’ and went like this:

“He lived another life in another city, another place where he was but a stranger in a strange place.

He was the Bandra Boy, the Bombay Boy who became the London lad oh so easily.

A city he loved to call home. Because as they say, home is where the heart is. Oh yes, he was a romantic.

And Bombay? Where he was born? Where he loved and where he lost… he lost it all.

Looking back at those 2 years he realised how much he’d changed. How much he’d let go…

And letting go is never easy. Is it? Family. Friends. Lovers. Leaving is easy, letting go so difficult…

But that’s all done and dusted. London still beckoned but there were new borders to cross.

He worked hard, partied even harder. He had bills to pay, promises to keep and many miles to go, still…

He looked fwd to it now. His next holiday! Where would it take him? Who’d come along? Or go solo?

He didn’t care for fancy hotels and 5 stars, a mixed dorm in a decent hostel would do just fine!

Memories of last solo trip come flooding back… saudades as they say, that love and longing…

The incessant honking wakes him up. He’s #inthebus, alomost home. Time to get off. He’ll #SpinAYarn again, some other time.”

Look out for stories from our Special Mentions tomorrow.

 

Categories
Eat

Restaurant review: Bong Bong, Bandra

This Bandra-based Bengali restaurant opens its doors to the public today. Salil Jayakar reviews the new addition to the suburbs.

Bandra’s long list of restaurants has a new addition – Bong Bong – an almost hole-in-the-wall sit-down place you’re likely to miss if you don’t know where it is!

Owned and run by young entrepreneurs Surjapriya Ghosh and Kanika Saxena, Bong Bong offers traditional Bengali food with a contemporary European twist. The cooks are from the City of Joy and the recipes have been co-developed by Surjapriya and the executive chef.

First up were the starters – pieces of fried fish and fried cheese and spinach croquettes. Both were served hot with just the right crunch to the outer crispy coating. Do try these with the accompanying dips – a tomato-mustard sauce and the famous Bengali plastic chutney made from papaya. The former has a quite a tangy taste to it, while the latter is sweet. A winning combination!

The main course dishes we tried were the green chilly lamb, chicken kosha and chingri macher malaikari, or prawns cream curry made in coconut milk. These were accompanied by steamed white rice and parathas. Though all the portions were served quite cold, I couldn’t really complain about the flavours, since a Bengali friend who accompanied me vouched for their authenticity. The lamb was not chewy or overdone and the prawn curry had just the right undertone of sweetness brought out by the coconut milk. Being quite the prawn lover, I couldn’t help but ask for more! Dessert was a lone baked rasgolla that ended the meal quite well.

From what I gather, the highlight of Bong Bong’s menu will be the pork dishes, especially the pork ribs served in a classic Bengali sauce. They’ll also serve burgers, sandwiches and kathi rolls, all with a Bengali flavour, of course. I’m going to be a little lenient and make concessions for the slow service and not-too-hot main course. After all, it was only their second day of running a full, busy kitchen.

Prices start upward of Rs 69 for the simple potato and peas vegetarian roll. The most expensive item is the boneless crab in a Bengali style mustard sauce at Rs 449. Hopefully, the portions are not too small.

If the trial tables are anything to go by, Bong Bong will have Bandra’s food lovers crowding in once its doors open. The place is quite unassuming, with murals, old lanterns, wooden tables and steel folding chairs that are meant to evoke nostalgia of old-world Kolkata. And if you listen hard above all the noise, the music you’ll hear is from the original (Pakistani) Coke Studio.

Bong Bong is situated right next to Khaane Khaas on 16th Road, Bandra West. Pictures courtesy Bong Bong.

 

 

Exit mobile version