Ye Hai Bombay Meri Jaan. Review on Round and About - Behram Contractor

A man is known by the company he keeps is now a worn-out clichéd and peeping at it from the same height would be a man is also known by the city he belongs to. Now it’s all mixed up. You are born in one

city/town/village, grow up somewhere else, get license to vote/drink/drive in some other place, date/marry someone from different world altogether. There are more friends virtually than in blood and flesh, your neighbor thinks you are moving in when in actual fact you are moving out after staying in that house for 3 years. Pheew!

This wasn’t the case with Behram Contractor aka Busybee who lived in Mumbai all his life. He was Parsi, and like an average Parsi in Mumbai he too believed till h

Round and About - Behram Contractor

is last breath in 2001 that Parsis belong to Mumbai in a way that no other Indian race belongs to any other Indian city. This is not the narrative of this book. This is the story of the author of this book. Busybee technically never wrote this book. He wrote as a columnist for various newspapers of Mumbai 365 days of the year for 30 plus years. He wrote about everything in his daily column and this is an attempt to bring out his columns in a single book. Round and About is the first of the series covering year 1996-97. His style of writing is quick-tempered and to the point, but it has a rhythm in it which creates an impression of straight-faced humor.

Now that most of you would have figuratively visited Delhi(Wonder why He did not mention about people of Delhi, he concentrated just on the places in Delhi) and have learned a tip or two to survive in the Localsof Mumbai(She should be proud of teaching a lesson or two), it’s time to know about Mumbai, her people and every damn thing or person associated with her in a single book. The city Mumbai has always fascinated me for more reasons whatsoever. And my fixation for Bollywood has nothing to do with that. I know more of Mumbai as a city than of her alliance with Bollywood. And I bet I am as good or bad as any average Mumbaikar in judging this intriguing city in spite of not living for more than 5 days at stretch in my fifty odd visits to this city past one decade.

Introduction: To be humorous is not a big deal but to be sharp at the same time is. Busybee excelled at witty humor always, in all his columns. A man who lived with a wife, two sons and a dog left a mark on the psyche of every Mumbaikar capable of reading and comprehending so much that his columns became part of their lives and people bought copies of the newspaper plainly to read his columns. This first series is just an appetizer; the full feast is still to be consumed.

Mayanagri(Bombay): I say so cuz it was Bombay and not Mumbai those days. Busybee called it home and in of his columns he mentioned not living anywhere else in the world even if he was paid five months salary in lump sum. January 1, 1996. He honored aam aadmi of Mumbai in his columns as the “man of the year”. Why? Cuz he felt people of Mumbai had never been given due. For surviving and coming out smiling from every adverse situation, for never been consulted in anyway by any from the authority, for his/her city being getting crowded day by day and dirty hour by hour and yet been welcoming always. For he had been fed empty promises, for he lived through bad monsoon, hot summer and constant threat from people wearing orange and nonetheless in good spirits.

Mayanagri ke log(Her People): This second section of the book has some true, funny, interesting anecdotes of some truly famous, some austerely infamous known, seen, read people of Mumbai which makes this an exciting read. Whats with that Michael Jackson-Raj Thackeray deal in the event of MJ’s show in Mumbai back in 1996. The part stands out as the one of the most hilarious sections of the book. Indeed some of his best friends were people.

Rajniti(Politics): Politicians are not only the source of all the chaos in the country but also the fountainhead of all the humor. Busybee is at his best when it comes to scrutinizing the politicians of our country and especially those from Mumbai. He wrote on everyone from Bal to Raj to one time MP Big B to Munde to Joshi. What stands out is the meeting Bal had with Deve Gowda(Ex-PM) at Big B’s residence and boy, did Busybee come up with the authentic version of the meeting in his column. Yes, he did. You may take it or leave it.

Gol guttam lakad battam de dana dan khel(Cricket): Nation’s favorite pastime. When it comes to cricket, I guess we all Indians tend to treat it as a war and not game and a Mumbaikar is no different. And if it is Mumbai it has to be Wankhede. The recent hooting at the world famous local boy at his own home ground proves it more than ever. Yes we are fanatics. Period.

Kisi hotel me khaayen(Eating out): There are puri people and chapatti people. There are rice people and bread people. I am chapatti person. Busybee was rice person. He fed on rice twice a day and in this section he has discussed the eating habits of Mumbaikar. Mumbai is also known for the kind of food and eateries she provides. From Mexican to the vada pav, from German frankfurters to Italian sausages, his column on places for eat-outs is bible for the strangers in the city.

Samajik Titaliyon ki gupshup(Cocktail Chatter): The most envious circle in whole India. The invitees who eat caviar(or is it chew they do) and drink champagne. Guests who come to outdo the others or to outdo themselves. The wannabes who have their freshly printed visiting card outstretched in their hand along with a shake from the other which straightly meant I-want-to-be-part-of-it. He has provided some tips in handling such butterflies and how to get cross in a mundane conversations.

Gol Chakkar(Round And About): And there are few more such categories. What could not be covered into any above defined categories, Busybee put that under this. After all It all comes down to what-goes-around-comes-around.

I have been visiting and interacting with all kinds of people from this absorbing city for past a decade, and every time it never ceases to keep me amused.  After having been befriended few elitist, from the guy who sells beeda at the intersection of Churchgate station and Dalal Street to the service provider of all kinds spread across the city. From not so famous singer who is a clandestine queer to the famous performer who cruises around the Gateway in her merc. From this much aged, highly obnoxious scribe to the middling commuter of local. These are the people who form the Mumbai and put in some way or the other a remarkable demonstration in the lives of the regulars or the unexpected. Behram knew them all and knew them too well. And let me end it by using another worn out clichéd: They do not make them like anymore.