The pictures is accidentally artistically blurred ..as I was shooting from a friends sidecar on a scooter , he was heading to town I was waiting for a bus and he spotted me told me to jump in and I took shots a different perspective as I normally shoot from a cab or a bus ...
Nargis Dutt Nagar was in the news the illegal outstretched portions was demolished a few weeks back but since the time I am living in Bandra demolitions are basically a hogwash ,,a way to appease some disgruntled voters who may have not even voted for the winning party ..and live on the more richer side of Bandra .
Bandra is a slum this side of Bandra flover , and it stretches into infinity .. houses rising up above in three layers , and corrugated burnt red sheets is the display , sadly the foreign graffiti artists painted MTNL building near the bridge but missed out on painting the slums giving it a more cheerful blurb or an array of cartoon characters but than again in the lexicon of a few Muslims cartoon is the most abusive word...luckily I dont shoot stand up comedians ,, shoot in the sense of photography , they get shot by a section of the public much before they open their mouth .
I remember once a film producer friend and a builder had bought part of this slum for redevelopment and had told me to take any shop on the main road for my sartorial comedy of errors , luckily it never came to pass .. Imagine the board Slumlord Designers Clothiers Outfitter .. with a corrugated roof .. instead of rats junkies entering from the top and an empty shop would have been my karmic fate .
Well this slum saddens me as I had great respect for Ms Nargis Dutt as I was doing Dutt Saabs outfits for his Film Sangram at Burlingtons Taj director late Sultan Ahmed .Sab.. and actor Suresh Sab stayed close to my parents house at Strand Cinema and I knew Suresh Sabs daughter too.
I used to meet Nargis ji during Moharam she would attend majlis in white clothes ..than years later I met the Dutts during the 80 s when I was working at a designer studio and took care of his alterations , his suits were from America . and even after Nargiji passed away I would be called by Dutt Sab at Sunshine his Ajanta Films office to check on his clothes .. those that needed to be altered .
And Dutt Sab was always there sending me an apology note that he could not make it to my sons wedding , he had that amazing human touch I miss him till day.
Than we moved to Bandra Bazar Road and he was there on his cycle , talking to the vegetable vendors , the koli bais , the butchers the chicken shop owners .. everyone including the old gentry of East Indians .. something his successors failed to do and got swept away in the deluge caused by the Modi Tsunami.
So why am I bringing all this up..that Nargis Dutt her name is not in keeping with the filth the dirtiness of the slums ,, that are honestly an insult to her Memory.
I have been close to Sanju Baba too , and thought if he comes on a longer furlough I will tell him this ,, as Sanju Baba was always fascinated with my Malang attire and during the meetings for Dus I was there with Mukul Anand Sab Sanjay and Salman Khan and all these are now memories ..
And the house built on the pavements at Bandra Reclamation are illegal .. and I think our new MLA has taken the right stand ,
As for our MP she has stood by the Catholics for getting rid of the ramp but I hope one day when she comes to our area five years from now at Bandra Bazar for re election she will do something about the dirtiest Municipal Market in Bandra , it is a sheer disgrace and I bet she has never come here after being elected .. maybe she wore dark glasses during the Victory March and may have not seen what my cosmic camera sees,
I will give my single typing finger rest , the only part of my anatomy that curses me for my non ambidextrous shortcomings.. lol
