Tuesday, March 21, 2006
A Tale of Two Cities—for want of a better title & A திடீர் கவிதை
While, I am yet to get Beeb approval to say anything about work, I can talk about what has already been out to press. Nilu has rather strong sentiments about the Wankhede and the Bombay crowd. Having worked with a certain amount of proximity to the touring English team, and having experienced both the Madras and the Bombay crowd, I can maybe add to that?
Of course, the Madras crowd I saw was not the South-Madras Chepauk crowd (sometime credited as being the most knowledgeable in India?), but a North-Madras Royapuram crowd—kids and young-men who do not mince words (சேம் ப்லட்!, says Vadivelu at this point, taking a finger to his ear). The Bombay crowd I saw was the extremely snooty Brabourne crowd. That place is revered as the old-home of Indian cricket and hence prides itself on having a set-up that insists on sticking to tradition with a 1937 sense of Britishness. Funnily enough this in India means being very rude to your visitors and patrons; and rules—like no drinks to be carried from the bar to the outfield dining table (no, this does not mean that drinks are banned at the table, but I don't know how one can work without the other considering the fact that the waiting staff cannot be arsed to bring you any either) While I found this terribly annoying, my British colleagues found it quaint and amusing to see that quite a bit of nonsense happens in this country in the name of the British.
Well, let me get to the point. Of all the people I worked with, the only person I got to autograph my hat was Alvin Kallicharran. Now Royapuram took to him very fondly and little kids who've heard their daddies talk about him cheered him on. But I was appalled to see that he went absolutely unnoticed in Bombay. Only a few recognised him. And this was the CCI dammit!
While my work kept me from watching any cricket, the only things I stopped to watch were Alvin's sublime stance and stroke-play. Yes, he's older than he used to be, and isn't as quick as I've been told he once was. But that one late-cut he played while I watched from the boundary will stay with me forever.
This brings me onto the larger comparisons between Bombay and Madras, especially where it concerns my field. Every film crew that comes over to work in Bombay would have at some point experienced the effects of the Bombay Bug. Especially when you've just flown in from Madras where logistical nightmares are generally kept to a low. I just want this confirmed from people who work a lot more in Bombay than I do: does quarter-to-eight on the call sheet always end up as quarter-past-nine? It did for us—every time! But I have to very quickly qualify that with one thing that does not fail to impress every film crew that comes over to work in Bombay. The sheer energy and enterprise that people show in Bombay and the fact that they are willing to back new (not necessarily good) ideas before worrying about financing is to be praised. No wonder that Bombay pretty much defines Indian enterprise. Madras on the other hand is filled with hard-working, but highly unambitious people. Regrettably so.
A couple of days ago, V made a remark that Madras is one place where a bunch of guys can have a great time without getting drunk. I can maybe second that, but on first sight, Bombay certainly seems to be a much more fun place than Madras would condescend to project itself to be.
Sticking with Madras, there is one thing I experienced in Tamil Nadu that I did not quite get the Bombay equivalent of (probably because we travelled mostly in Tamil Nadu and spent only 3 days in Bombay): தமிழ் நக்கல்
That inspired a திடீர் கவிதை
மேலைநாட்டு மடையர்களுக்கு மொழிதெரியாதென்ற
மிதப்பிலே மிதக்கிறாய்
முதுகுதிரும்பியதும் முணுமுணுக்கிறாய்
திடீரென தொப்பித்தலையனுக்கு தமிழ் தெரியுமென
தெரிந்ததும் திடுக்கிடுகிறாய்
திமிரிழந்து திணறுகிறாய்
'அடேய்' அகன்று 'அண்ணே' ஆனதும்
அடுத்தக்கேள்வி 'ஃப்ளிண்டாஃப் எங்காக்குறாரு?'
Comments to A Tale of Two Cities—for want of a better title & A திடீர் கவிதை
disclaimer - I don't have an opinion on the bombay crowd. they just suck, by default.
posted by 
Nilu
That's so true. I lived in Mumbai for close to 5 years and never once came across namma nakkal equivalent. Madras is teeming with it. Good dideer kavidai.
posted by ammani
Deii enna daa adhu mazhaithuli maadhiri konjam apostrophe marks and a question mark? And adhai oruthanga dideer kavidai nraanga? Konjam velakaen--am I missing something here? Surely there is a lot of space to be read inbetween but I am wondering where the lines are !!
MaheshC.
posted by 
Nilu: Oh!
Ammani: Cheers. So it is true about Bombay then?
Mahesh: ?
posted by Anand
மேலைநாட்டு மடையர்களுக்கு மொழிதெரியாதென்ற
மிதப்பிலே மிதக்கிறாய்
முதுகுதிரும்பியதும் முணுமுணுக்கிறாய்
திடீரென தொப்பித்தலையனுக்கு தமிழ் தெரியுமென
தெரிந்ததும் திடுக்கிடுகிறாய்
தொப்பித்தலையனிடம தப்பு தப்பென்று
தப்புவாங்கிவிட்டு,
தப்பித்தோம் பிழைத்தோம் என்று தலைதெரிக்க ஓடுகிறாய்
...
ஓடுகிறாய், வாழ்வின் எல்லை வரை ஓடுகிறாய்.
...
என்னது? சிக்சரா? நான் பந்தா? பந்தாவெல்லாம் பறந்து பந்தாகிப்பறக்கிராய்.
-
மன்னிக்க.
posted by Kingsley Joseph
Kings: சூப்பரப்பு!
posted by Anand
என்ன வடிவேலு சிடைலா?
posted by Kingsley Joseph
Why only **daddies **?
I know of Kalicharan only because my mother used to talk about him and she is the only person in my family who has seen several matches at Chepauk in her childhood.
notable - Australia and W.indies tours!! I forget the years will ask her next time I call.
posted by tris
Post a Comment
