Friday, November 9, 2018
Bombay
Another Interview, Lunch at the Willingdon, Tea with a Friend and 'The Truth' at the Royal Opera House
Namaste from Bombay!
I had an extremely eventful day--perhaps a busier one than I usually do because when it rains, it is a bleeding deluge!
Waking at 6.30 am now, I have much less time to do the multifarious things I used to do when I awoke at 4. 30 am. (Incidentally, I read an article in The Times of London yesterday that actually has a name for this sort of personal schedule--it is called EMR--Extreme Morning Regimen--and it was catapulted into public attention following a recent article that focussed on Mark Walhburg who reported that he wakes up at 2. 30 am and is actively productive for the rest of the night--he works out for four and a half hours daily and goes to bed at 7. 30 pm! So, you can see that I am not the only weirdo who justifies a bizarre schedule on grounds that I am a Morning Person!
Waking up at 6. 30 am, however, is, I agree, far more sensible and I am sure that my skin will be grateful for the extra beauty sleep! Also, I am barely able to take an afternoon nap now (as I am rarely home to do so)--hence, the extra sleep is welcome.
So I spent no longer than 30 minutes blogging, reading past blogs, glancing at The Times' headlines and eating my breakfast--muesli and coffee. Then I had a speedy shower, got dressed and left my studio for my first assignment of the day--an interview at Napean Sea Road. I had one at 10.30 am, and a second at 3.00pm. I then had a play at the Royal Opera House at 6.00 pm. It seemed, in theory, as if I'd be able to pull them all off together without a chink in my armor. Except that, as often happens, the best-laid plans of mice and men go askew.
So, first things first...I got into an empty 220 bus at Perry Cross Road and jumped off at Bandra Talkies. The city is still in holiday mode and only barely functioning--especially at that hour of the morning. I then jumped into an 83 bus going all the way into the city as Napean Sea Road is not close to any railway station and I could not take a train there. The bus came in about five minutes' time and I settled myself down into a seat for the long haul and a see-Bombay tour. Uncharacteristically, the bus flew--lack of traffic on usually busy roads had much to do with its speed. I was at Nalanda, a building on Pedlar Road, in under an hour. Hoping off, I asked a lady on the street for directions to Napean Sea Road and since I had about 45 minutes to spare, I decided to walk it out instead of taking a cab--she told me it would take 20-25 minutes.
An Interview with Actor Farokh Mehta:
In fact, it took me more like 40...but it was a very pleasant walk along parts of Bombay with which I am unfamiliar and always ready to get to know. I passed by Kemp's Corner, St. Stephen's Church, Priyadarshini Park (I actually walked through it) and arrived at my destination, Ashoka Apartments, where I was to meet a veteran actor called Farokh Mehta who is probably now well into his 70s. A maid settled me down with a cold glass of water but it was ten minutes before the gentleman arrived to begin our interview. It turns out that he is the husband of the famous Vijaya Mehta, stage and screen veteran and one of the earliest pioneering administrators of the National Center for the Performing Arts--who knew!!!???
Our interview was fun and very productive--he was a good speaker and he recalled some fun anecdotes that are exactly the sort I am seeking as these will die with his generation. I was offered biscuits and a cold Coke which I gratefully accepted for the walk, although very informative and pleasant, had left me thirsty. Our talk continued for the next hour and could have gone on longer but for the fact that he had to take Vijaya to see a doctor as she is unwell. It is very much my hope that I can meet her and speak to her as well--when she recovers. This is the best part of being in Bombay for the long haul as I have the luxury of rescheduling meetings without worrying about running out of time.
Lunch at the Wellington Sports Club:
To kill time in-between assignments, I had made plans to meet my college classmate Vaman who happens to live very close by. And since he is a member of the Willingdon Sports Club, he suggested we move there for lunch. He picked me up from Ashoka Apartments and together we drove to the Club. The more time I spend with Vaman, the better I get to know about what he has been doing with himself for the forty years since we last saw each other! For instance, I discovered that he was ranked the Number One squash player in India and that, in addition, to running his own company as CEO (Dr. Writers'), he ran a squash coaching school that has produced players many of whom were recruited by leading US universities for their squash teams! He has had a total of 8 surgeries for all sorts of sports-related injuries (he also played cricket for school, college and private clubs). The fact that his hand is in a sling following a surgery for a complete rotator cuff tear bears testimony to his active sporting life.
We settled down at a dining table overlooking the glorious green golf links of the club and feasted on a Crab and Fig Salad (which was just scrumptious) and Duck Tropicana which turned out to be duck breast marinated in soy sauce coupled with green and black olives and tucked into wholewheat crepes--doesn't sound like much at all but they were amazing. Vaman also ordered french fries of which I only had a nibble as I wanted to save room for dessert--rum-chocolate-praline ice-cream that was fab. What a grand and leisurely way to kill a free afternoon while catching up with a friend. I had fab company, incredible food and a view to die for--I actually enjoyed watching a host of kites circle the golf links and then land gracefully upon the flag post right in front of me!
A Disappointment...
Vaman dropped me off to my next interview at Peddar Road, ten minutes away, where I was meeting the stage actor, Dolly Thakore. Sadly, due to my own carelessness, I had a disappointment in store. She had told me to call, three days ago, to confirm our appointment--but since that day, my appointment with Alyque Padamsee had been cancelled (when he took ill), it clear slipped my mind to call her. Consequently, no one opened the door when I arrived at her flat at the appointed hour--big bummer! Still, I kicked myself mentally for being so forgetful and then simply thought about how I could salvage my day.
Afternoon Tea with Marianel:
Since my next appointment was for 6.00 pm at the Royal Opera House, it made no sense for me to head back into the suburbs. Instead, I thought on my feet and decided to give my friend Marianel a call. She lives just a ten minute walk from the theater. If I could spend the afternoon with her, I could salvage my day. As it turned out, she was at home and more than happy to have me visit.
I took a bus from Peddar Road that dropped me very close to Marianel's and in no time at all, she and I were sitting and gabbing our heads off. Marianel made me an excellent orange squash (based on a concentrate she made herself) and offered me the German cake Stollen. She sent me home with a whole cold roasted tongue (one of my favorite delicacies of all time) and a jar of her home made mustard which beats anything Grey Poupon can offer--believe me! What a great afternoon it turned out to be!
A Date at the Royal Opera House:
At 5.45pm, I was at the newly-refurbished Royal Opera House where I was meeting my friend Shahnaz and her daughter Azra who has arrived from Delhi (where she is studying) for the Diwali holidays. They had driven in and were a bit lost. I, meanwhile, had a chance to take in the grandeur of the theater which was once a leading cultural hotspot in Bombay--in the early 20th century. However, it had fallen into ruin and was only very recently renovated to bring it back to snuff. Like the Bhauji Laad Museum in Byculla, this building too now glows with renewed affection and interest and has, once again, taken its place alongside the world's great opera houses. Inside, I felt as if I were in a grand opera house in Europe. It glitters with fresh decorative plasterwork on the ceiling, lashes of gleaming white paint on staircases. an opulent marble foyer with marble sculpted nymphs, old-world box offices--indeed every attempt has been made to retain its European flavor and make it appear like a lasting remnant of the 19th century (which is when it was built). A truly terrific place in which to see a play.
Shahnaz and Azra arrived just minutes before the curtain went up on a play called The Truth by Florian Zeller which was adapted to an Indian setting. I loved the play--it is a masterful piece of play writing--in just one Act, the playwright is able to convey so much about post-modernist casual sex among married couples and the impact it has on them when revealed. The structure of the play was perfect as it opened up, seen after scene, like the layers of an onion, to reveal the true lack of moral fiber of the main character, played by Nasserudin Shah, the great Indian film and stage actor. He was ably assisted by a supporting cast of three other actors. In a play that is all about deception and revelation, the acting has to be top notch for the plot to succeed and appear convincing to the audience. Actors have to succeed in projecting just the right amount of consternation, disappointment, anger, frustration. Too much and it will appear as if they are hamming which I have to say seemed often the case to me. Too little, and they might appear wooden. In such cases, it is best for actors to underplay...but underplaying is the most difficult to do on stage and not a lot of actors are masters of the medium. I kept thinking that in the hands of a British cast on a West End stage, this play would absolutely scintillate. Here, it held my interest and was often times amusing (but that had much to do with the script), but it was not what I would call world-class.
After the play, Shahnaz wanted to go back stage to meet the main actors as she is known to Nasseruddin and his wife Ratna...but they were preparing for the next performance and had barely a second to say Hi to us. I dearly hope to interview the two of them for my own research but realize that they were too keyed up and busy to do anything else but focus on their next performance.
Dinner at The Quarter:
Shahnaz was keen that I should try out the food and the setting at The Quarter, the little cafe attached to the theater--which, by the way, was lit up for Diwali in multiple lights. This play is part of the current Prithvi Festival and this was lit up in huge lighted lettering on the theater facade. We sat in the cafe at a little table and ordered Prawns, Salmon and Truffle Potatoes. The prawns were superb but everything else was okay--the prices had me bug-eyed...I simply cannot believe how atrociously expensive it is to eat at places like these. I had a beer to wash things down while my companions had iced tea. It was a good place to people watch..I saw a couple of people I recognized from thirty years ago--Rahul Akerkar, the famed chef who started the Indigo chain of restaurants in Bombay and his German mother, Jinx, for example.
After eating three small morsels of what were minuscule portions, I had to get back home to eat an actual dinner. The three of us got into Shahnaz's car at 9.00 pm and stopped en route to fill gas. She discovered at this point that there was a puncture in her tyre and since the garage offered to take care of the item then and there, she decided to get it done--at 10.00 pm! I used the time to take a long and very good snooze in the car and when it was ready to be road-worthy again, we resumed our journey.
I reached home at 11.00 pm--very hungry and ready to eat a horse. I settled for chole (a new tiffin had been left outside my door), a cutlet and a croquet and a bowl of ice-cream and only then went to bed!
Like I said, I had a very odd sort of day...but on the whole, a not-so-bad one!
Until tomorrow...
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