The People I Met Said So.... (Part 5)

Do you like reading about the dons of the Mumbai mafia? If yes, then you are happily welcomed to the world of S. Hussain Zaidi, specialist in the Mumbai mafia and its chronicles.

The author has written three books on the subject, Black Friday: story of the 1993 bomb-blasts, mafia queens of Mumbai: dons of the ganglands, and the latest, Dongri to Dubai: six decades of the Mumbai mafia, on the greatest of the dons, Dawood Ibrahim.

Some excerpts of the interview:

You have written three books on the Mumbai Mafia. Why did the mafia interest you so much?

• As a journalist I wanted to be a specialist in certain beat and not a reporter who is part of general reporting. My editor assigned crime beat to me. In the process of covering crime, I specialized in writing on mafia.

Your books always have a detailed and thorough observation of the smallest of things. How did you make this possible?

• With diligent effort and extensive research. 

You have interviewed so many notorious gangsters and criminals. Have you ever received any threats from anyone?

• Just once, before Black Friday was released, when I recieved a call from a man telling me about my son. I was scared out of my wits then. But I replied to the caller, "he is in so and so school and class". I didn't know what to do.

You have also interviewed the most wanted mafia king, number 1 terrorist declared by the US, Dawood Ibrahim himself. How was the experience?

• I could not believe that Dawood could be so polite and sophisticated in his conversation.

Which gangster has fascinated you the most? Why?

• None. They don't fascinate me, it's my job to make them fascinating for you.

According to you, is your field of crime reporting dangerous?

• If you stick to your beat and not get personal, then it’s not dangerous.

Did you go into crime reporting by choice or by mere coincidence?

• My editor at Indian Express wanted me to cover crime. That's how I got into this profession.

I would like to know your take on this: was the Mumbai Police too laid back when 26/11 happened, even though the city had suffered from so many attacks like the 1993 Bomb blasts before?

• They are always laidback and never learn from their mistakes.

You are first a journalist and then a writer. Can you please enlighten us about your work as a journalist?

• Journalism is a difficult beat. It’s like lighting a lamp on bare palm.

According to you, which is the most important thing that a writer must do to become successful?

• He should remain honest and dedicated to the core.

Has your life changed after your first book was released? How did it change?

• It got me more recognition.

Can you tell us a little about your schooling and graduation?

• I studied at Guru Nanak School in Mumbai and went to college at Chetana College of Commerce.

Describe yourself, in not more than 20 words!

• I want to remain a humble man all my life.

Only a person, who can read, can write. What books do you read and which is your favorite genre and your favorite book?

• I read Steve Martini, David Baldacci, John Grisham, Gerald Seymour etc.

What do you have to say about the banning of books? Do we really need to ban novels on the basis of inappropriate content?

• No books should be banned. It’s not Kafkaesque regime any more.

Were any of your books subject to banning?

• Never.

Have you ever thought about writing something else other than the Mumbai mafia?

• My next book is about David Headley.

We all are awaiting your next book. Will it be coming out anytime soon?

• It should be released by this year end.

We would be waiting, wouldn't we?

Marriages are made in... India.

They say there are three seasons- summer, winter, and the monsoon. But in India there is another set of seasons, which no Indian can deny- family bonding, festivals and weddings.

Recently I attended my cousins wedding and realised how the Indian mentality is deeply affected by this institution more than anything else.

And if you think it is only the big wedding day, you are wrong. It begins much before it. It begins with the 'girl-meeting-boy' story. Only that happens in the presence of some fifty odd members of the family, closely scrutinising the persons-in-question's every move. If the boy says yes, 'shagun', a token of love is send from each side to the other.

Then begins the preparations for the wedding day, an impossible task for a single person. From lighting up the house to the food selection, everything has to be done strictly by a family member. And under the pretext of helping with the wedding arrangements, distant chachis and mamis begin flocking around the household giving it a new zing and life.

Children running around the house, the pretty sweet cousins and friends, teasing the bride and groom (in their respective households) and men authoratively ordering the workers is a common sight in a wedding house. Aunty-jis, wearing bright clothes and loaded with gold, take care of the costumes, while the uncle-jis see to it that all the shopping is well funded. And the ladies of the house are not at all tired of rehearsing their dance steps for the sangeet, late into the night.

And let me tell you, even though you may feel that the wedding is a short affair after all, that's absolutely bad judgement on your part. Indian weddings are definitely not a day- affair. It has to go on for a couple of days or even a week sometime. And every function is attached with an unknown importance of its own.

Amidst all the clamour, the bride, shying away from her teasing friends, applies mehendi on her hands and feet. The Bollywood songs, which are innumerable, given the fact that every movie includes a shaadi, are playing at the background for the movie-effect.
Then comes the sangeet, where even the great grandfather of the groom shakes a leg with style. No one, even the shy bhabhiji doesn’t wither away from dancing on this occasion.

And finally the day of the wedding arrives, and everything goes to a whole new level. It is a time when two families come together, not just to wed their children but to see if the other family is worth their child! And this is measured on the amount of gold, ghee and ras-malai served in the wedding!

The band baaja ringing in one's ear, the groom descends on a ghodi (a mare) to the bride's house accompanied by the baaraatis (meaning his large extended family).

And the wedding ceremony takes place while chachiji checks out mausijis gold bangles and exclaims, "Oh! Gold ke daam kitne badh gaye hain!", while mamijis try to fix up their daughters' marriages with some rich handsome guy in the wedding and while the groom's best man tries to pataao a young hot chick from the bride's side.

And amidst all this chaos, lies the future of the two souls getting together for life.

And then it feels like the rivers may flood, as its time for Bidaai, the ultimate occassion to cry. The bride's eyes get watery as she's leaving her home, and in joins her papa-mummy, didi-bhaiyya, dada-dadi, nana-nani, and the innumerable chacha-chachis, mama-mamis and mausa-mausis, along with the kiddie gang of the house.

And then it all ends and everyone bids goodbye to one another and promise to meet up in the next wedding.   

But why do Indians have such extravagant weddings? True, that it is all about fun and enjoyment of the occasion, but beneath all this lies the fact that all this helps the two families gel well, and get comfortable with each other, thus making them a part of the other's family.

And it really does take all this chaos, khatpat and the chutzpah for a successful marriage, after all!!!

Mumbai gave me "Wings"

When I look back and get nostalgic, I vividly remember the day my mom left me on my own for the first time, in this big city. I was extremely sad and there was nobody to console me. So I decided to shamelessly cry myself out, before starting my life, a life which I had dreamed of every single day for the past few years. And now here I am, loving this city more and more as days pass by.

I have enjoyed every bit of my life in Mumbai so far. I also admit that its not been a cake walk staying here, but yet I have survived and learnt the art of surviving.

Being a girl who had a car and a driver at her service everywhere she went, I had no clue, how I would travel in the city. With no vehicle at my disposal, I once took a taxi from Mumbai Central, and woah! The taxi driver took me in rounds before we reached college and I paid him 200 bucks for that ride. I still feel stupid of myself for that one. And once when I had to travel to Churchgate, I took a train from Dadar in the opposite direction and realised it only when I reached Bandra! But now I can find any place and travel by all the three modes of transport available, efficiently.

Mumbai also taught me to manage my finances, something which I had never done. I laugh at myself when I scheme to cut down eating and go by a bus rather than a taxi, so that dad doesn't get to know of my shopping endeavours.

I have learned to eat food in any form, find my way in the many lanes of crawford market and keep going on, whatever happens, even if its a bomb-blast.

 I have learned to be independent, and live life according to my terms. It has given me a chance to make my own decisions, have it my own way.  It has made me confident enough to hold my head high and say that I am an individual, with my own choices and preferences.

But in turn, it has also made me value of the things I have. It has made me more responsible as a daughter, as a friend and more importantly as a human being. Mumbai taught me to believe in the age old adage of "God helps those who help themselves".

It has made me self-made, grounded and more importantly adaptable. Truly, It has given me wings to soar higher and higher!!!

The People I Met Said So.... (Part 4)

Another interview, another Author. This time it was Harsh Snehanshu.

He got published at young 19 because of the emmense popularity of his first novel published on his blog. And it was a cakewalk for him to get published, the support was strong and his will power strong, too. He is 'Harsh Snehanshu', the author of "Oops! 'I' fell in love..." And "Ouch! That 'Hearts'...". He belives in following his heart and has always done that. Currently travelling all over the country, he is all set for his third book to release in two months time.  And what is the most impressive thing in him is his love for punctuality, a jewel of a value in a person.

Harsh Snehanshu, in a candid talk with Vaishnavi Patil, gives us a glimpse of his heart, tells us about himself and his excitment about his third book, the last in the series!!!

To check out the interview, click here.