Monthly Archives: September 2009

Unusual Characters Inside a BEST Bus

Being a Mumbaikar, one cannot escape regular voyages in our BEST busses. I am no exception and I feel fortunate for it as I just love our red-colored beauties (busses). While travelling all these years, I come across different types of unusual characters. I would like to categorize them and would also like to read their thoughts, of course in a fictitious manner.

BEST BusThe Ever Suspecting Types: Unfortunately I bump into such people regularly. Some co-passengers just stare at me with suspicion. They scan me from head to toe and look at me as if I am carrying explosives. Maybe he took the message ‘Look around for suspicious people’ a bit too seriously.

The Ever Offended Types: While following the rule of getting down from the front door, one has to pass through a line of standing passengers while asking them to excuse. When I ask one to give me way, they give me such an offended expression as if I poked a needle in his or her stomach while saying so!

The Hool Giving Types: There isn’t a single commuter (while travelling standing) who doesn’t hope that a passenger sitting near him gets up to leave. In such situations, I come across these Hool Giving types. These people give all indications a person gives seconds before alighting. They cling on the handle of the seat in front of them and some (females) even put the purse handle on their shoulder, only to get down after 20-30 minutes!

How Dare You Types: Unfortunately I come across many people (males) who sit in a bus seat with legs spread. When I ‘kindly’ ask the person to give some space, he gives such an angry expression as if saying, “How dare you ask the size of my underwear?” BEST Bus3

Hip-Hop Types: Some standees believe a bit too much in the term ‘hands free comfort’. These chaps refuse to hold any pole for their balance. Because of this, the bus movement forces them to dance from one corner of the bus to the other while the fellow standees are forced to be a part of their performance in the form of firm pushes. What a way of fulfilling the dream of pursuing your unfulfilled hobby!

It will be interesting to see whether I find some more types of characters in the future. I won’t mind more offended and suspicious looks or dance pushes or more hools as long as I get something to write another blog post.

Season of Suicide in Bollywood

Quick Gun MurugunWhat would happen if a sparsely populated village that requires around 100 kilos of wheat each month is supplied a thousand kilos? Around 90% of the product will go waste. Well, the situation in our very own Bollywood is similar these days because of the abnormal number of films releasing. It’s unbelievably true that 12 Hindi films have released in last two weeks (28th August and 4th September).

But that’s not all as next Friday (11th September), 5 more flicks are coming out. And apart from these 17, there are 6 Hollywood films and 1 Bengali film (Sob Choritra Kalponik starring Bipasha Basu) too. Just imagine – a total of 24 new films in three weeks! It can’t get more insane than this.

The following table is the list of new releases in these three weeks: –

August 28 September 4 September 11
Kisaan Chintu Ji Baabarr
Quick Gun Murugun Mohandas Vaada Raha… I Promise
Toss Aagey Se Right Aamras
Daddy Cool Fox Ruslaan
Yeh Mera India Three I Can’t Think Straight
Sob Choritra Kalponik Bachelor Party The Unforgettable
Love Khichdi The Final Destination 9
The Taking Of Pelham 123 District 9
Race To Witch Mountain

Because of the high number of releases and the lack of promotion of most of the movies, the theatres are almost running empty. In fact, many of the shows of these films got cancelled due to ‘no audience’.

Yeh Mera India

The reason is simple. The cost of tickets and the lack of time do not allow a common man to enjoy  more than two films per week. Even if a person has all the time and money, has he or she heard most of the names from this list? Because of this overdose, even few well made flicks go unnoticed.

A year that has seen less than a handful of successful films in the first half is now laden with such high numbers of unsuccessful films. What’s worse is that such mass suicide will continue in the coming months. So don’t be surprised if 2009 becomes the year with most number of flops in Bollywood ever.