Mumbai Masala: Reel Life Rising

Just about everyone appears to be making reels these days. Instagram and other social media are flooded with reels of neighbourhood aunties dancing and singing mostly ‘besura.’ You can almost smell a vast variety of food belonging to different states being cooked by homemakers to working women. Then there are self-appointed ‘health coaches’ who recommend remedies for an array of problems, including constipation, incontinence, hair fall, acne, low vision, common cold, cough et al. I wonder if the FDA guys are keeping a watch on the magic remedies being offered online. But some of the posts are really interesting. There is this little girl from Maharashtra who plays the harmonium and sings compositions of legends like Madan Mohan. Another girl from Kerala plays classical music on the violin most amazingly.

City In Chaos

The recent deluge and the havoc it created across the metropolis exposed the total lack of leadership. Citizens simply don’t know whom to look forward to. The civic bureaucracy has completely lost contact with the people in the absence of corporators and ALMs. There is zero transparency in the award of contracts worth thousands of crores, there is hardly any supervision of the projects being implemented. The city is at the mercy of bureaucrats and contractors. When the Anti-Corruption Bureau wants to prosecute tainted officials, the administration denies it permission. This only emboldens other corrupt officials to strike questionable deals with contractors.

Farewell To Road Hero

Valmiki Nagre, driver of NMMT bus route 108, was given a warm send-off by passengers travelling between Navi Mumbai and World Trade Center ahead of his transfer to the transport wing’s control department from Monday. Nagre, who has been ferrying commuters for a long time, is known for his helpful nature and accommodating approach towards passengers. He has also provided accident-free service during his tenure. One of the regular lady commuters who wished not to be named said that expressing gratitude to bus drivers is a way of acknowledging their hard work. They play an important role in our daily lives. “They always ensure our comfort and ferry us through heavy traffic to ensure we reach our office on time,” she added. Nagre is due to retire in February 2026. He said, “I have no words to express my gratitude for the affection showered on me by commuters. We are like one family.” All fellow commuters, regular passengers felt that the drivers of the public transport buses are unsung heroes of the roads who work tirelessly and ensure commuters reach their destinations safely. (TPG Krishnan)

Tailpiece

A man doing online shopping saw a horse, so he pressed the ‘add to cart’ button! (Compiled by S Balakrishnan)

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