Friday, July 23, 2010

City of Contradictions...

The 'city of contradictions'-- Well, this definitely did not strike me in entirety until this morning;

Venue: AER, 33rd floor, Four Seasons Hotel, Worli, Mumbai
Time: 11 am, Friday
Day: Gorgeous, windy with the promise of rain in a few hours... The skies seem perfect with just the right blend of grey, white and blue.

I step out the elevator, turn left and enter the AER. As I walk towards the room, my breath is knocked out of my throat-- literally, and I almost choke on the wad of gum that is perpetually in my mouth. The French (bay) windows span the entire length of the wall-- making them seem non-existent.

I stop short, taking in the magnificent view of the waves thrashing against the shore, the ships at sea, the skyline and the 'Haji Ali'.. It looms in front of me, as serene as the simplest of sketches. I walk ahead, dazed, wanting to stick my nose to the glass and take it all in before the scheduled shoot begins.

And as I walk on towards the window, once again, I stop midtrack.. And this time it is not in awestruck wonder but surprised horror. Right in front of the ocean rises the biggest land bank I have ever seen-- slums and chawls lined one-atop another, innumerable huts packed into the tiniest space of land. It is only when I step into the room, that I see the bigger picture.

Right alongside the new, swanky and sexy sky-scrapers that define Mumbai's elite landscape is the stark reality. The condition of the majority living in this city of dreams. Where, in one dilapitated hut, many families seek shelter, not just against the harsh weather but also against each other.

It reminds me of a cartoon I watched years ago; where a small room is infested with mice-- scurrying up, under and over everything in sight. Right alongside the slum lies a cremation ground from which spires up a wispy trail of smoke. I raise my eyes to the ocean as it dawns on me that the view is no longer picture perfect.

I literally have to peel my eyes off the window and drag my mind back to the moment, as I have a deadline- and and anchor who is scheduled for another shoot in less than 2 hours. As I don my producer's cap and sound the clap for the shoot, I realise that although I have always known the reality that is Mumbai, the clear contradiction has sunk in only within the four walls of the 33rd floor of one of the poshest places in the city!

And then, back to business-- in more ways than one.....

No comments: