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Dance bars see hope after eight years

Employees of a bar stand around customers in south Mumbai on 18 July 2013. According to latest media reports, the ban on dance bars in Maharashtra has been lifted by the Supreme Court. Jayshree Kewalramani / Mumbai Weekly (Contd. on Pg. 3)

Rajput community unhappy with TV show, demand immediate ban

Actor pleads not guilty

Bollywood actor Salman Khan is seen exiting the sessions court in south Mumbai on 25 July 2013.

Media sources confirm that the actor had a hearing for his hit-and-run case of 2002 in which he has pleaded not guilty. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly

Members of the Rajput Community demonstrate against the newly-launched television serial ‘Jodha Akbar’ in suburban Mumbai on 17 July 2013. The members allege that the television series portrays their community in poor light and want the show to be banned. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly

Boll ywood actor Salman Khan appeared before a sessions court in South Mumbai on Wednesday, 24 Jul y, for his hearing on the 2002 hit and-run case, in

which he has been accused of culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

According to news reports, the actor pleaded not guilty i n the matter and the

date of the next hearing has been announced to be on 19 August. In September 2002, a Land Cruiser allegedl y being driven by Salman Khan ran over some people

sleeping on the pavement in suburban Mumbai, killing one and injuring four others. If convicted, the actor could face a prison term of up to ten years.

2 PEOPLE

MW

MONDAY, 29 JULY, 2013

The Blues Man

J oe Vess aokar (63) i s a s econd generation jazz musici an. He grew up in Bandra at a time when its b y lanes were buzzing wit h musi c. In the 70s his broth-

ers and he pla yed with various bands at clubs, hot els, gym khanas, East Indi an weddings and funerals in Bomba y. However, thi ngs began to change in the 90s

when taxes were soaring and m usic disk jocke ys had begun to replace live musi ci ans.

Graduall y all other avenues of music, except funer-

als, had shut. Joe continues t o m ake his living as a musician. He pl a ys the trumpet with his band at funerals and teaches children at school and ot her indi vid-

uals at home. Mumbai Weekly photographer, J ayshree Kewalramani throws some light on the life of this second generation jazz musici an.

3 METRO

MW

MONDAY, 29 JULY, 2013

Will Mumbai bars dance again?

Above: An employee of a bar covers her face in a changing room in south Mumbai on 17 July 2013. Francis Mascarenhas / Mumbai Weekly Left: Employees of a bar sit in a changing room in south Mumbai on 17 July 2013. According to news reports, the supreme court has lifted the ban on dance bars, however the Maharashtra government is firm on keeping the dance bars shut. Francis Mascarenhas / Mumbai Weekly

City prepares to welcome Ganesha

Above: A young man holds a placard to promote eco friendly Ganesha (A Hindu deity) for the upcoming Ganpati festival. Every year huge amounts POP (Plaster of paris) is let out into the sea during the Ganpati visarjan (submerging of Ganesh idols). Sumedh Sawant / Mumbai Weekly Left: A worker stands behind a partially sculpted Ganesha idol at an idol making workshop in south Mumbai on 18 July 2013. Preparations for the Ganpati festival, which will be held in September, have already begun. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly

Mumbai monsoon turns into travellers’ nightmare

Commuters try to climb into a local train at Kurla station in suburban Mumbai on 23 July 2013. Mumbaikars have been facing delays in local train timings due to rains. Debadatta Mallick / Mumbai Weekly Rains have been wreaking havoc on the schedules of Mumbaikars this monsoon, with trains and flights suffering from frequent delays.

Passengers wait outside the international airport for their flights in suburban Mumbai on 20 July 2013. According to news reports, due to torrential rains in the city, 272 flights were delayed in June alone. Anushree Fadnavis / Mumbai Weekly

According to civil aviation ministry statistics gathered from news reports, 272 flights were

delayed frequently in June (over 20% of the times that they were operated in a month), which is a significant rise from the 133 flights that were delayed in the month of April. A senior ministry official requesting anonymity told the media, “While poor weather has

been the primary factor for such frequent disruptions in schedule, the lack of preparedness by airlines cannot be ruled out.” Train services were also badly hit, with delays and cancellations causing chaos among commuters at railway stations.

4 EDITORIAL

MW

MONDAY, 29 JULY, 2013

OPINION: Kushti, a fading way of life wrestling that originated in South Asia. It has helped Indian wrestlers develop a strong repertoire which has helped them to bring back medals from the Olympic Games.

Francis Mascarenhas

T

he akhada I visited had a rustic feel to it. It had a partition that separated the gym from the arena. The walls of the arena looked interesting. They were the colour of red mud, with paint peeling off.

There was a picture of Lord Hanuman (a Hindu deity) that some pehelwans would pray to before they entered the arena.

Like the pehelwans, the floors were clean at the beginning, but by the end they would be stained by red mud and sweat, that dripped off the pehelwans once they stepped out of the arena.

These pehelwans are wrestlers who engage in a sport called ‘kushti’, which is a traditional form of

Kushti is much more than a sport, it is a way of life. The pehelwans who participate in this sport live a life of extreme discipline. In order to hone their wrestling skills and build strength, they have a strict, rich diet usually consisting of milk, ghee (Indian butter), almonds, eggs and chapattis (Indian bread). They stay absolutely focused and live together as a brotherhood in the akhada (training area and wrestling arena) where smoking, drinking, drugs and sex is strictly prohibited.

An akhada is more like a temple than a sports facility. I left my footwear outside before entering the arena, as it was considered sacred ground. Fights take place in a pit filled with mud or clay. The soil is mixed with ghee and other things

Pehelwans (wrestlers) prepare to wrestle at an akhada (wrestling arena) during a kushti (form of Indian wrestling) match in south Mumbai on 26 July 2013 as other pehelwans look on. Francis Mascarenhas / Mumbai Weekly before practice.

The rising popularity of other sports like cricket and football is causing a decline in the number of akhadas that exist today. The media also gives more importance to cricket and barely any importance to other Indian sports, which greatly affects their popularity. Also, tradition-

al Indian methods are slowly changing and not many youngsters want to get into kushti.

The popularity of Western styles like Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has also influenced a lot of the people to take up other forms of martial arts.

A lot of pehelwans today prefer to practice other freestyle cat-

egories and Greco Roman forms of wrestling as these help them in getting entry to Olympic events and with that comes fame and recognition.

Indian Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar has revealed in an interview that training in the akhada from an early age of around 11 -12 has benefited him

a lot. When Sushil defeated Spiridonov at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, he didn’t only win a bronze medal, but he won over many hearts, and brought a lot of much needed media attention to traditional wrestling in India.

Satpal Singh, a former wrestling gold medalist and coach of Sushil

has mentioned that thanks to Sushil’s victory at Beijing, he has been getting a lot of calls to join his akhada in North Delhi.

Despite this, there are several akhadas that are thriving on the outskirts of cities and Kushti is still practiced, but in much lower numbers than before. Unfortunately,

only the more traditionally inclined end up practising kushti nowadays. It is the passion and dedication of such people that could see kushti prevail for many years to come.

The above views are personal views expressed by the author.

POINT OF VIEW: In defence of the ‘other’ of cruel.

Yana, who is a eunuch, applies make up in a street in south Mumbai as passersby stop and watch on 24 July 2013. Anushree Fadnavis / Mumbai Weekly

Mithila Joshi

A

s a people, we have always

been afraid, scornful, judgmental or in some way intolerant of things that deviate from the ‘normal’.

Normalcy is always determined by the majority, and any individual straying from the herd suddenly finds himself on the receiving end of a lot of attention

and more often than not, alienation.

Too-short kids and too-tall kids, fat kids and thin kids, eunuchs, homosexuals, sex workers, the list of these ‘others’ is endless.

These ‘others’ are under constant scrutiny, being judged for what they do, how

they look, what they eat and whom they’re attracted to.

Most eventually learn to live with all the unwanted attention, embracing stares and mockery as part and parcel of who they are. But if one were to look at them objectively, they’re just regular

people with a quirk.

Keeping aside that one aspect of their identity, these people experience the same emotions and seek more or less the same things out of life as everybody else. A homosexual couple will find the same joy in holding hands as a heterosex-

ual one and will experience the same agony when they part. A sex worker is as capable of falling in love and having a happy, married life as any other woman.

To deprive them of these experiences because of a stigma we create around them is nothing short

The problem begins early. Children from the very beginning are introduced to the concept of ‘us’ and ‘them’, dividing them on the basis of religion, caste, race, gender, sexual orientation and even economic classes.

Sometimes in a bid to create a stronger sense of community with their own kind, children are kept from mingling with people with different ideas, origins and identities. This hampers their growth and narrows their worldview to the point where they become unaccepting of anything/anyone that disagrees with their idea of things. Parents need to take a greater responsibility in ensuring that their child does not discriminate, even through little acts like sharing toys or household chores. T he government can be openly discriminatory too, as was evident from the ban the Maharashtra state government imposed on bar dancers only in establishments below three stars. This implied

that women dancing in ‘upmarket establishments’ was harmless entertainment, while dancing in smaller bars was considered depraved and obscene.

The recent incidents in the news of acid attacks on young women and the gang rape incident in Delhi in December last year throws sufficient light on the way Indian society at large perceives victims of this kind of violence. Acid burn victims have found the need to repeatedly stress that there is more to them than their appearance, while rape victims have had their character and morality questioned by folk who are somehow convinced that rapists rape only women in short clothes who step out after dark.

There is a black sheep in every herd, in our human herd there are several. It’s time we stopped staring and embraced our differences instead.

The above views are personal views expressed by the author.

5 FEATURE

MW Muslims welcome holy month of Ramadan

MONDAY, 29 JULY, 2013

Women pray and greet each other at a home in south Mumbai on the day of ‘Khatam Quran’ on 20 July 2013 during Ramadan, a month long religious fast observed by Muslims worldwide. Mithila Joshi / Mumbai Weekly

Above: A man stands at his food-stall selling kebabs (an Indian meat delicacy) at a street in south Mumbai during Ramadan on 22 July 2013. Anushree Fadnavis / Mumbai Weekly Right: Men pray outside a mosque after breaking their fast in south Mumbai during Ramadan on 15 July 2013. Mithila Joshi / Mumbai Weekly

A boy waits to join a group of men praying outside a mosque in south Mumbai during Ramadan on 15 July 2013. Muslims are expected to abstain from food and water between sunrise and sunset during the holy month of Ramadan. Mithila Joshi / Mumbai Weekly

A man prepares malpoa (an Indian sweet delicacy) in south Mumbai during Ramadan on 15 July 2013. Mithila Joshi / Mumbai Weekly

6 ECONOMY

MW

MONDAY, 29 JULY, 2013

Food security bill to be discussed in the Parliament

A homeless family have their afternoon meal on a street in south Mumbai on 26 July 2013. According to news reports, the Food Security Bill proposed by the Congress (An Indian political party) is still under scrutiny and will be discussed in the Parliament in the upcoming monsoon session. Debadatta Mallick / Mumbai Weekly

Falling Rupee gains some momentum

Fast food companies plan to drop food rates South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes is seen eating a pizza at a promotional event for a new pizza franchise which has launched in India called Debonair’s Pizza in south Mumbai on 24 July 2013. According to media reports, various food companies including Domino’s, Pizza Hut and KFC are planning to cut down prices to attract more customers. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly

A customer pays for his vegetables in south Mumbai on 10 July 2013. Recent news reports claim that the Rupee has recovered some value against the Dollar. Biplov Bhuyan / Mumbai Weekly

Government raises FDI in telecom to 100%

Tendulkar launches new range of laptops

In a bol d m ove t o m eet on e of t he for em ost dem an ds of t h e Indi an t el ecom se ct or, t he C ongr ess - l ed Uni t ed P rogr es si ve Al l i ance (UP A ) gove rnm ent has rai sed t h e For ei gn Di rect Inv es t m ent l i m i t i n t el ecom t o 100%. The t el e com i ndust r y has report edl y been i n di r e ne ed of funds owi ng t o i t s eno r m ous debt burden of R s. 1,857 bi l l i on and t he 100% FD I al l owanc e i s bel i eved t o be t he ke y t o t urn t he t i de for t h e sect or.

Medi a report s cl ai m t hat anal yst s are unsure w het her t he m ove wi l l encoura ge fo rei gn pl a ye rs t o i nvest i n Indi a, si nce t he y ar e war y of t he corrupt i m age of t he t el ecom sect or, whi ch i s furt her t ai nt ed b y al l e gat i ons of re gul at or y d i s crep an ci e s .

A woman and a man talk on the phone at a telephone booth in south Mumbai on 24 July 2013. According to media reports, the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) limit for the telecom sector has been increased to 100 per cent.

Anushree Fadnavis / Mumbai Weekly

Accordi n g t o m edi a report s, despi t e t he scept i ci sm , t he i ncreas ed FD I l i m i t s are ex pect ed t o pul l i n R s. 10,000 cror e wort h of fo rei gn i nvest m ent for t he s ect or. It i s specul at ed t hat UK - based Vodafone Group and R ussi an com pan y S i s t em a J FS C wil l be t he fi rst t o m a ke use o f t hi s opport uni t y.

Indian cricket star Sachin Tendulkar poses for the photographers with the latest range of Toshiba laptops in suburban Mumbai on 24 July 2013. The cricketer has been the brand ambassador for Toshiba for three years and according to media reports the company is planning to soon drop him as the ambassador. Debadatta Mallick / Mumbai Weekly

7 ENTERTAINMENT MONDAY, 29 JULY, 2013

King Khan shakes a leg with fans

MW

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan (center) dances with his fans at a promotional event for his upcoming movie Chennai Express in suburban Mumbai on 24 July 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag gains international success Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s latest movie, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, has been doing well as according to news reports, the movie has been acclaimed by foreign countries and has raked up USD 647,112 featuring at the 15th spot in the popularity charts in the United States.

Bollywood actor and director Farhan Akhtar (left) and Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor are seen at a success party for their latest movie, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag in south Mumbai on 17 July 2013.

Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly

A review in the Washington Post wrote, "A biopic gets the Bollywood treatment in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (Run Milkha Run), which dramatizes

Actor Alia Bhatt unveils Harper’s Bazaar magazine

the life of recordbreaking Indian sprinter Milkha Singh, played by the talented Farhan Akhtar."

With this the movie has gathered a total of about Rs. 70 crores (700 million) in its second week running. Starring Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Divya Dutta and Prakash Raj, the movie is based on the life of "The Flying Sikh" Milkha Singh, India’s very own national champion runner and an Olympian.

Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt poses with the latest cover of Harper’s Bazaar magazine at a promotional event in south Mumbai on 15 July 2013. Kunal Khullar / Mumbai Weekly

Hrithik bounces back from minor brain surgery Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan was discharged from Hinduja Hospital in Bandra on 11 July after he went through a successful brain surgery on Sunday, 7 July. Father and film maker Rakesh Roshan, said that while shooting a stunt for his upcoming movie ‘Bang Bang’ in Bangkok,

Hrithik had a head injury. He was immediately admitted to the hospital and doctors found that he had a blood clot in his brain. Family members claim that the actor is fine now, however the doctors have asked him to take complete rest and medication for the next one month.

Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan (left) is seen with his father Rakesh Roshan (right) outside Hinduja Hospital in suburban Mumbai on 11 July 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly

8 SPORTS MONDAY, 29 JULY, 2013

Muzaffar Ali wins Monsoon Scooter Rally

MW

Above: Pinkesh Thakkar from Pune rides past photographers on his Honda Kinetic scooter during the Monsoon Scooter Rally in Navi Mumbai on 7 July 2013. Francis Mascarenhas / Mumbai Weekly Right: Mumbai’s Jagjit Singh rides his Kinetic Zoom through muck during the Monsoon Scoter Rally at Belapur in Navi Mumbai on 7 July 2013. Francis Mascarenhas / Mumbai Weekly W i t h m onsoons hit t i ng t he ci t y, t he 24 t h edi t i on of t he Mons oon S coot er R al l y fl a gged off on 7 J ul y 2013. Organi sed b y Gul f Oi l C orporat i o n, t he ral l y was a 2 5 ki l om et er chal l en ge whi ch i ncl uded t a rm ac, m uck, wat er puddl es and t ou gh

rock y grav el l ade n pat hwa ys.

With a part i ci pat i on t al l y com i ng down t o 3 3, t he ri ders h ad t o t ackl e t he cour se wi t h ex t rem e caut i o n as i t had st eep i ncl i nes, hai rpi n b en ds and wat e r -l ogged a reas . W h i l e t he d a y di dn't see an y he av y

rai n, al m ost al l of t he ri de rs sa w t he m sel ves sl i ppi ng an d sl i di ng on t he course and som e ev en m a naged t o dam a ge t he i r scoot ers. The ral l y had i t s st art i ng poi nt at Our Lad y’ s Ho m e i n P arel and w e nt t hrough t he co m pet i t ve di rt and m u d

Air India (B) shocks Mumbai Port Trust

t racks i n Navi M um bai .

M uz affa r Ali em er ged as t he cha m pi on of t he r al l y wi t h a t i m i ng of 28 m i nut es and 50 seconds. The r al l y h a d onl y wom an part i c i pant , Lor et t a D’ Lom en, who fi ni she d t he course i n 1 hour and 41 m i nut es.

Malwani F.C. thrashes Nihar Education Trust

Shahrukh Sayyed (in yellow) of Malwani F.C. tackles his opponent from Nihar Education Trust during their football match of the Mumbai Football League (Div-III) in south Mumbai on 22 July 2013. Ashish Vaishnav / Mumbai Weekly

Shelton (in white) of the Mumbai Port Trust jumps as Davinder Kumar (in blue) of Air India (B) strikes the ball during a hockey match at the Mahindra hockey stadium in South Mumbai on 17 July 2013. Air India (B) beat Mumbai Port Trust by scoring two goals in the first half and ending the match with a score of 2-1. Kunal Khullar / Mumbai Weekly

The 2013-2014 season of the Mumbai Football League Third Division kicked off from 16th of July with various district level teams battling it out for the champion-

ship title. With Malwani F.C. taking on Nihar Education Trust in the second match of Group I, the match ended with Malwani F.C. beating NET with a score of 3-

0. The first goal came in just 16 minutes thanks to Shahrukh Sayyed followed by another one in the 24 th minute by Gypsy Singh. The strikers from Nihar tried their

best to clinch a goal, but were blocked on every occasion. The last goal came in from Ritesh Sathe in the 46 th minute, which made for an easy win for Malwani.

Published by: Udaan School of Photography | Editor-in-Chief: Mithila Joshi Photo Editor: Kunal Khullar| Chief Photographer: Biplov Bhuyan | http://www.facebook.com/Mumbai.Weekly | Email: editor.mumbaiweekly@gmail.com