I started out on the walk with an irrational longing to be in Mumbai.
Perhaps it had to do with the dull lighting in the Delhi street, reminding me of the long stretch outside my home and hostel in Mumbai. Or the sudden remembrance of the craziness that the city is during 'Ganpati'. Or the song, "Kya kare kya na kare", and Aamir Khan's Mumbaiyya Hindi in Rangeela, the first time I remember registering the way Mumbaikars speak Hindi. Going down the nostalgia spiral that began with Rangeela, distinct memories associated with the song suddenly hit hard: me (and my sister, I think) hanging on to every word in the songs of Rangeela at my uncle's home in Borivli. The cassette cover of the album, with Aamir, Urmila and Jackie Shroff, and my uncle's signature on it with the date he purchased the cassette. Of long (boring) days there, filled with Champak collections borrowed from the local library on my aunt's account, of learning to cycle on the hilly slopes of the locality, the local bhandaar (grocery store) and my silly joke of how it sounded like bandar (monkey).
"Kya kare..." ended and "Behene de" played. Yes, it went well with the sombre, reflective mood. I thought some more of Mumbai, and the dirty stares I get in Delhi. The fact that there are still cycle rickshaws in Delhi. I knew Mumbai couldn't possibly match up to Delhi in the latter's variety of food, but hey, I'm no foodie. I'm happy with Mumbai and its sea, I decided.
Yael Naim's "New soul" came up next. Nope. I don't want happy. I want sad, reflective, slow.
"Raat ki daldal hai..." Sukhwinder Singh! I remembered a school-time conversation when two friends were arguing on whether Sonu Nigam was better than Sukhwinder Singh. I remembered "pfffft"ing, saying Sonu Nigam could not possibly ever sing a "Raat ki daldal hai". I missed Sukhwinder's Singh. He somehow isn't heard so often these days.
I was nearing my home. There were strays on the street. Another Delhi thing, I unfairly judged. They ran up to me, sniffing my bag and then my ankles.
And just then, "Kaara aatakaara" came on.
More Mumbai!
But a happy Mumbai! I remembered being stumped when watching the movie, amazed that the song was used this way. Months on, this remains my favourite song in OK Kanmani. It never fails to put a smile on my face, and is the first thing I want to listen to on the few occasions I wake up early and head to the gym.
Going up the lift, I remembered the happy scenes showing Mumbai in the movie. The beach, the sea, the rains!
Getting into my home, the only thing I wanted to do was to type all these random things out. While "Kaara..." looped, just so I didn't lose the energy, the enthusiasm to put this jumble into words.
Mission accomplished!
Perhaps it had to do with the dull lighting in the Delhi street, reminding me of the long stretch outside my home and hostel in Mumbai. Or the sudden remembrance of the craziness that the city is during 'Ganpati'. Or the song, "Kya kare kya na kare", and Aamir Khan's Mumbaiyya Hindi in Rangeela, the first time I remember registering the way Mumbaikars speak Hindi. Going down the nostalgia spiral that began with Rangeela, distinct memories associated with the song suddenly hit hard: me (and my sister, I think) hanging on to every word in the songs of Rangeela at my uncle's home in Borivli. The cassette cover of the album, with Aamir, Urmila and Jackie Shroff, and my uncle's signature on it with the date he purchased the cassette. Of long (boring) days there, filled with Champak collections borrowed from the local library on my aunt's account, of learning to cycle on the hilly slopes of the locality, the local bhandaar (grocery store) and my silly joke of how it sounded like bandar (monkey).
"Kya kare..." ended and "Behene de" played. Yes, it went well with the sombre, reflective mood. I thought some more of Mumbai, and the dirty stares I get in Delhi. The fact that there are still cycle rickshaws in Delhi. I knew Mumbai couldn't possibly match up to Delhi in the latter's variety of food, but hey, I'm no foodie. I'm happy with Mumbai and its sea, I decided.
Yael Naim's "New soul" came up next. Nope. I don't want happy. I want sad, reflective, slow.
"Raat ki daldal hai..." Sukhwinder Singh! I remembered a school-time conversation when two friends were arguing on whether Sonu Nigam was better than Sukhwinder Singh. I remembered "pfffft"ing, saying Sonu Nigam could not possibly ever sing a "Raat ki daldal hai". I missed Sukhwinder's Singh. He somehow isn't heard so often these days.
I was nearing my home. There were strays on the street. Another Delhi thing, I unfairly judged. They ran up to me, sniffing my bag and then my ankles.
And just then, "Kaara aatakaara" came on.
More Mumbai!
But a happy Mumbai! I remembered being stumped when watching the movie, amazed that the song was used this way. Months on, this remains my favourite song in OK Kanmani. It never fails to put a smile on my face, and is the first thing I want to listen to on the few occasions I wake up early and head to the gym.
Going up the lift, I remembered the happy scenes showing Mumbai in the movie. The beach, the sea, the rains!
Getting into my home, the only thing I wanted to do was to type all these random things out. While "Kaara..." looped, just so I didn't lose the energy, the enthusiasm to put this jumble into words.
Mission accomplished!
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