SUMMER-WOES

This year has been a goddamned summer of wrath. The mercury hovered around 50. And then there were ‘pre-pre-monsoon’ showers which brought the much-needed relief. And now we’re told that the monsoon have been delayed. Humidity has its own level of discomfort – sometimes even worse than the searing heat. Summer, however, has its attractions too – the mangoes, the ‘jamuns’ and the ‘falsas’. The plum (‘AluBokara’) too has its loyal clientele. Luckily, however, it is raining today.

Talking about ‘jamuns’ my late father used to narrate this chestnut about a fellow officer of his regiment putting two kilos of jamuns in a jar and pouring over them three bottles of Hercules rum. He kept it to ferment in the corner of his courtyard for almost a month. Later it was strained and put in a delicate cut glass decanter. From the decanter it was served in a sherry glass with the chaste advice: it is meant to be sipped not drunk. It was a rare French concoction, those who were served were told, and they believed.

From my childhood I still remember the ‘Dilbahar’ sharbet at the Chhoti Chaupar. As kids it was our favourite. It used to sell like hot cakes from a wooden kiosk. The sharbet was made of milk, with wee bit of ‘rabri’, ‘malaai’ and dry fruits on top. Later they acquired a shop at the back (which is still there). Even later he opened a shop bang opposite the then Mayur Cinema in Nehru Bazar. There is no kiosk or the Nehru Bazar shop today and neither is there the Mayur Cinema. The ‘Dilbahar’ shop in Chhoti Chaupar does sell the ‘sharbet’ even today but it could inspire one to puke – as my cousin Dheerendra Raj Singh (Kiku) would have us believe.

BOOK-SESSIONS

Thanks to perhaps the JLF effect – Jaipur has now emerged as a great centre for book readings and in-conversation sessions. Though the book reading session began in Crossword book-shop, later Mr. Sundeep Bhutoria, the Culturist from Kolkata started ‘the Write Circle’ as well as ‘Kalam’ for both English and Hindi publications. They took off well and are much sought after events, but could be attended only by a limited number of people (its format being such).Mohit Batra of Rajat Book Company joined hands with the Department of Archaeology and Museums – to have book events at the monuments like the Albert Hall, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. IAS officer Mugda Sinha has also started having book sessions for the IAS Officers Associations. Among the recent entries – the most successful one has been the one initiated by Ajay Singh and yours truly. It has attracted authors like the Pakistan expert Tilak Devasher; Former RAW Chief, A.S. Dulat, historian and scholar, Giles Tillotson. Next week, Lady Kishwar Desai will be coming to Jaipur to talk about her new book on Jallianwala Bagh.

GENERAL SAGAT SINGH

It is just as well that the South Western Command based in Jaipur is celebrating the birth-centenary of late Lt. Gen. Sagat Singh with fanfare. The crucial role he played during the 1971 war in liberation of Dacca (1971) and Goa (1961) is well known. Gen.Sagat deserves higher honors, feels the army, and aptly so. On 13 July, a bust of his will be unveiled in the Army Cantonment.

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE CITY

And as I write this – good news comes that Jaipur Walled City has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The post REFLECTING JAIPUR – I appeared first on All About Jaipur.

On Jaipur

I love the Pink City. As a matter of fact, I love Rajasthan. I’m very fond of the State and a number of my films have been extensively shot here.

On His Being Fit

I’m immensely proud of my fitness. Can you believe I’m 56 years old? The secret of my fitness is right food, right exercise regime, meditation and remaining positive. I am a teetotaler.

On The Food He Eats

The food I love to eat is the one lovingly prepared by my mother and my wife. And I get the maximum pleasure in having meals with my family. In fact, I don’t even believe in protein shakes.

On His Humility, His Humbleness

I always remain rooted (points his thumb downwards). I always remain on the mother earth easily. And if you remain rooted, humbleness and humility come by itself.

On His Arch Bollywood Rival Akshay Kumar

(Smiles). I have always had the greatest admiration for Akshay Kumar. He certainly deserved the National Award this year. I lave the way he has done the ‘Uniform’ roles in film by portraying an army office, a Naval officer, a CISF officer, a CRPF officer and a police officer. Through his films the importance of the Forces and these organisations have been re-enforced.

On the Kind of Films He Likes to do

I love doing simple films. And surprisingly some of my simple, uncomplicated films have done extremely well. For instance, ‘Border’, ‘Dhadkan’ and ‘Hera Pheri’. I’m surprised how some actors sit over a script for 3 months to revert.

On Bollywood vs Hollywood

I think there is no comparison. Bollywood is much greater. If you see the number of films that are made and not screened in Hollywwod － you will be shocked. Bollywood has higher success rate compared to that of Hollywood. What’s more in terms of the art of film making, acting India is next to none. Can you believe that Aamir Khan’s movie ‘Dangal’ has already done Rs. 1000 crores business in China itself.

On the Launch of His Son Under Salman Khan’s Banner

Well, what can be better than a launch under Salman Khan’s banner. It’s a huge platform to be launched－certainly bigger than my films (smiles broadly). I’m looking forward to being introduced one day as Aahan Shetty’s father.

The post An Evening with Suniel Shetty in Jaipur appeared first on All About Jaipur.

For decades we Jaipurites hung onto an analysis made by a leading news magazine ( 1981) that next to Bangalore, Jaipur was the fastest growing city in the country. Boy!  Were we ecstatic! 1981, incidentally, was also the year when Jaipur was ravaged by an unprecedented deluge – thanks to two-and-a-half days of constant downpour. The Officers’ Training School(OTS) on the  up-market JLN Marg got totally washed out as did the petrol pump to Amba Bari where I normally got gas filled in my Dad’s hand-me-down Bajaj scooter. Sadly, a large number of lives were lost. The tiger’s open enclosure next to the cage in the zoo got filled up with water. The tiger floated out and when the water receded he was found on the lawns of Statue Circle, amiably gazing at the passer bys. But that was 1981. A lot of water has flown in the ‘Amani Shah ka Nala’ since then – a seasonal nala through which gushed the flood waters of the great inundation. The OTS was back in a few years’ time in its full bureaucratic glory and ‘Amani Shah ka Nala’ is being developed as a tourist destination. God alone knows what happened to the petrol pump.

This city, Jaipur, has amazing tourism products. Even a kid this size knows that. There are the forts and palaces and museums and a walled city painted ochre-red, which surprisingly people call pink.   And now the city is being developed as a ‘Smart City’. It figured in the first list of the 20 cities in the country to be developed as smart cities For the uninitiated, we have been told that  a ‘Smart City’ quintessentially means that it will be green, have inclusive growth, quality of life, convenience of living and an extremely high happiness index. Whoa! That I guess would be like being ‘Banished to Utopia’, to lift a line from the famous cartoonist, RK Laxman.

WILL MISS THE ZOO

The Jaipur Zoo, all of 140 years old, has been shifted to the Nahargarh Biological Park. I will miss its earlier location. Located near the Albert Hall Museum and the Ram Nivas Garden – I have some very fond memories of it. Reminiscence go way back to my grand-dad taking me there; my dad ; my uncles ; my elder brother taking me there. Later my son and daughter accompanied me when they were 4 or 5 years old. Tanmay, my son, on his first visit to the zoo  got very excited on seeing the tiger and even started clapping and screamed: “ Papa dekho tala ( lock). “ His excitement apparently was on seeing the lock on the cage. For the uninitiated, the zoo opened in 1877, and has housed as many as 550 animals.  It was divided into two parts; one for mammals and the other for birds and reptiles. In 1999 a mammoth ‘Alligator Breeding Farm’ was set up – perhaps one of the biggest in the country. My former boss in RIICO, conservationist Harsh Vardhan, would often tell of us how once a tiger in the zoo took a swipe at one of the forest officials, splitting his face. Fortunately, he survived.

WHERE THE HECK IS THE NIGHT LIFE?

A few years ago, a lady friend from Indonesia, who was attending  the Jaipur Literature Festival ( JLF) said let’s go check out the City’s night life. The time was 10.45 pm. So I took her to Henry’s Bar at Hotel Park Prime. After downing a Long Island Tea – she said the selection of the recorded music is good as is the LIT – but where the heck is the night life? This is it, I said sheepishly. She screamed, ’This is it!. So why on earth did you leave Jakarta ?” I wish I knew.

In all fairness, however, some very earnest efforts have been made in the Pink City for the late evening / night  entertainment. Let’s begin with Henry’s itself. It has been a popular joint – no one could deny that. Live bands from Philippines and Thailand have performed here. The Jaipur crooners have also sung on the weekends. The location is central. And then my young friend Titu Naila changed the night scene with his popular weekend parties at the Naila bagh. There was throbbing  rock music and drinks and swimming and dancing. At any given time a whopping 300 odd Jaipurites would having a ball. I was pleasantly surprised when visitors to Jaipur would express a desire to go to Naila Bagh for a weekend evening. Ever since Titu has changed the location within the bagh – it really hasn’t taken off. Meanwhile, the Grunge in Hotel Fern arrived in the city with a big bang. Suddenly, the Jaipur’s grooving crowd could now be seen dancing away on weekends to DJ-ed music. It had become the most happening place. Titu once rued that the Grunge had taken away the Naila Bagh crowd. And then came Hotel Marriott with its Lounge 18. Grunge grudgingly gave way to this most happening place in Jaipur. The parties on a week end would continue till wee hours of the morning. Meanwhile, the Alfresco Bar of Hotel Clarks Amer – Tablu would continue to have its loyal clientele on weekends with groovy music and psychedelic atmosphere.

And now comes the two hottest joints in Jaipur – the world renowned ‘F Bar & Lounge’ as well as the ‘House of People’ (HOP). The HOP, at hotel Las Vegas, with Sunny Singh of Replay behind it also has the much sought after live music with sufi on Wednesday nights and rock on Friday nights. On Saturdays it is DJ. F Bar & Lounge at Hotel Golden Tulip on MI Road is just 10 days old but it is chock-a-block  already on weekends.

So Jaipur’s night life is slowly but surely changing for the better.

JAIPUR’S AUTO RICKSHAW DRIVERS

The auto rickshaw drivers of the Pink City are known. They are known for fleecing passengers by not using the meter, are uncouth, rude and downright arrogant . And now one of the drivers has added to the shame by raping a three year old girl. Let’s hang our heads in shame.

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