There is fun in re-looking at the things that we have done. May be this human nature sum-up all the recap shows we see at the end of the year. As I look back to 2008, all I can see is Mumbai.
Yes, for all right and wrong reasons. I wonder, how can 1 city influence the entire country throughout the year, but in case of Mumbai, you never know!
People say, it's impossible to take out Mumbai from 'Mumbaikar'...I am a Mumbaikar, Born & brought up in Mumbai, but guess with new norms that is not enough. We discovered a new face of Mumbai at the first half of the year. 'Marathi Manus' (son of soil) Vs. Outsiders (Bhaiyaas)
Uncle Wiki says "With a population of approximately 13.66 million it is the second most populous city in the world" that means 22000 persons\Sq KM, well that's something special. I have been away from the city for last 3 years. But every time I go home (and that happens almost once in a month) I found streets, trains are more buzzing than the before, it's getting more filthy, infrastructure is collapsing by every passing day in short Mumbai is dieing. And what worse no body care about it.
Be it out of political mileage or appeasing voting banks, but the question of migrants came to forefront for Mumbai. Ideally, there should be no restrictions for any Indian to travel\work\live in any part of the country. But having said that...we should address that every city has limits too. May be Mumbai has crossed those limits way back.
As Economic meltdown started to happen, all eyes glued to BSE, Mumbai being the economical epicenter for India.
But what surprised me most is Bollywood's tribute to Mumbai. Last year I saw some of the excellent work by new directors dedicated to Mumbai. Aamir, A Wednesday and Mumbai Meri Jaan, 3 movies set against the backdrop of Mumbai and terrorism. All 3 were so different in their story telling still having the common thread binding all of them together.
But guess, Bollywood was not enough as we received 'Slumdog Millionaire' at the end of the year.
I have seen Dharavi (Mumbai's- rather World's biggest slum) very closely, and I must say The director captured it exactly the way it is. Some of my Friends asked me "What's so different about the movie?" May be to make a good cinema, you need not make it differently. Slumdog's success lies there, it shows the Mumbai just the way it is and to large extent captures the pulse of India too. A triumph of underdog, the sure success formula for any movie (that is what we saw in Lagaan, Chak De etc.) with some really catchy tunes by Rehmaan and yeah the most importantly the city
Slumdog has 4 main characters at it's centre stage, besides 3 main leads, Mumbai plays the 4th character, this city is crowded, unfair, sometime even brutal, really difficult place to survive but still kicking.
But all that has changed on 26th Nov, 26 never been an auspicious date for Mumbai, but this time it went a way ahead. A Wednesday, that is impossible to forget for any Mumbaikar or for that matter any Indian. Have you seen dementors in Harry Potter movies? they live on every good memory...yes, I find these terrorists like dementors. They have power to rip off your good memories and replace it with sorrow. May be Taj \ Trident will get back to normal but the scars will remain. And I wish, it should remain for some time. Those would be indicators of our incompetency to fight against terror. As I write this post today, I remember the TV footage of Mumbai Marathon happened on 18th Jan 09. Mumbai's attempt not just to get back to normal but also start kicking as it used to be.
2008 may not be an ideal year but if there is 1 thing that 2008 left for 2009, that is a HOPE. A hope for better tomorrow. I wish the same to Mumbai.