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Uniquely Indian – Mumbai’s Dabbawalas

Uniquely Indian – Mumbai’s Dabbawalas

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Dabbawalas (dabba=container, wala=man – also called Tiffinwalas) are people who are in the business of picking up and delivering lunches to workplaces in Mumbai. Office-goers in Mumbai have long commutes and normally leave too early in the morning to carry lunch. At a mere Rs. 300 a month, a dabbawala picks up a packed lunch from the client’s home every morning, and transports it to the workplace. In the afternoon, the reverse process takes place. This complex delivery mechanism employs about 5000 dabbawalas delivering 200,000 lunches every day with a coding system to minimise errors. That’s approximately 40 containers per dabbawala. The error factor is 1 in 16 million transactions.

It’s this high level of efficiency in a highly specialized trade that has earned dabbawalas a Six Sigma Certification from the Forbes group. The processes have also garnered interest in business schools and organizations both in India and abroad. The story goes that when Prince Charles and Richard Branson wanted to observe the process, they had to align their schedules to that of the dabbawalas. At the end of the day, the dabbawala is a triumph of the entrepreneurial spirit. Not bad for an organization where 16% of its members are totally illiterate and only 5% are educated above the SSC level.
Source for numbers data: http://mumbaidabbawala.org/
An edited version of the article was published in Culturama’s July 2012 Issue.
Uniquely Indian – Mysore Devaraja Market

Uniquely Indian – Mysore Devaraja Market

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There have been at least two fires here, and a section of the roof has given way at least once before, but the Devaraja Market continues to thrive as the nucleaus of the commercial hub in Mysore, Karnataka. The market has a rectangular plan, with many entrances and two distinct arches in the North and the South. The Dufferin Clock Tower, locally called the Chikku Gadiyara (small clock) stands opposite one of the entrances to the Market. All the requirements of every day life in Mysore, from vegetables, fruits and flowers to woks, clocks and medicines are available in and around the Market. There are bakeries, medical stores and fancy shops on the periphery of the market, facing outwards, still in business after decades. Inside the market, there are rows of shops and stalls, selling anything from dessicated coconut to vegetables to fruits to perfume. Strands and garlands of the famous Mysore Mallige (jasmine flowers) are available in the flower stalls here. Leading off the market, nothing exists, sadly, of the streets evocatively called Onduvarane Galli (One-and-a-half Anna Street) and Nalakuaane Galli (Four-Annas Street), perhaps named after the price of the merchandise available on that street in days of yore. 
An edited version of this article appeared in Culturama’s September 2012 Issue.
 
Uniquely Indian – Streetside Fortune Tellers

Uniquely Indian – Streetside Fortune Tellers

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You will find them near places of worship, beaches and tourist hubs in India, streetside traditional fortune tellers, men and women alike, who claim to offer expertise to interpret your destiny from the arrangement of lines on your palm, the alignment of stars or even the fortune card-choices of a wise bird.

The fortune tellers themselves are flambuoyant personalities, sometimes wearing elaborate headgear or sporting distinctive insignia on their foreheads. The women, usually elderly and ‘wise-looking’ are more often than not, dressed in a traditional attire typical of the region, usually a saree. Some of them also double as witchdoctors and shamans, selling the means to reverse negativity through amulets and potions.

Kili-josiyam (‘fortune fortold by the parakeet’) entails an arrangement of symbolic cards, much like the tarot deck, laid face-down on a mat. From its bedecked cage, the parrot is let out and prompted to pick a card that will symbolise the fortune of the seeker which is then interpreted by the teller. The palm-reader sometimes has an elaborate chart as a prop, to explain what each line means. Palm-reading women sometimes carry a basket and a small stick to point out the destiny written on your palm. There is also a type of fortune teller who does house-visits, usually beating a ‘damru’, wearing an elaborate turban and dressed in a coat over his more traditional and humble attire.

For a more contemporary experience, one can always have one’s fortune read by a robot flashing psychedelic lights.

An edited version of the article was published in Culturama’s September 2012 Issue.
Pick A Flick

Pick A Flick

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Watching a favourite animation movie is much like going back to a favourite book – it’s comforting in its familiarity and there are new perspectives to discover in that familiarity. But if the umpteenth viewing of Madagascar sets your teeth on edge, it’s time to overhaul the DVD collection. Here’s a list of non-animated movies – some known and some lesser known – to liven up boring weekend afternoons. Although the entire family will enjoy these movies, there are some movies in the list below, that will appeal more to girls than to boys and some, more to teens than to tots. But do check on the internet for certification and age-appropriateness for these movies.

COMEDIES

In Unaccompanied Minors (2006), siblings Spencer and Katherine are asked to wait in the Unaccompanied Minors room when the airport they are flying out of gets snowed on Christmas Eve. The children in this room are on a rampage, wrecking and messing up the place. Spencer enlists some kids to help him make Katherine’s Christmas special. The children pull out all the stops to make the most of the snowed-in Christmas, even as they give the surly Mr. Porter the slip many a time.

Set in Africa, The Gods Must be Crazy (1980), is about the adventurous journey undertaken by a bushman (N!xau) to the end of the earth, to dispose an object that is the cause of much unhappiness and unrest in his tribe – an empty bottle of Coca Cola!

FANTASY/ADVENTURE

Nim’s Island (2008) is about eleven-year-old Nim (Abigail Breslin), who lives on a secret island with her marine biologist father, Jack (Gerard Butler) and her animal friends. Nim replies to an email on her father’s behalf while he’s away. It turns out that her favourite author, Alex Rover wants some help in fleshing out details for the next book in the adventure series. When Nim’s father goes missing, she tells Alex Rover that she is scared. Little does she know that the author of the swashbuckling adventures is actually a woman (Jodie Foster) who is too scared to even step out of her own house! Based on the book by Wendy Orr.

In Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker (2006), fourteen year old Alex (Alex Pettyfer) discovers that his uncle Ian Rider (Ewan McGregor), who died under mysterious circumstances, was actually a spy. Alan Blunt (Bill Nighy) of the MI6 enlists him to undergo Special Forces training to become a spy himself. Rider’s first operation is to find out the motive behind Darius Sayle’s (Mickey Rourke) generosity in creating and donating Stormbreaker personal computers for schools. Lots of nifty gadgets, cool chases and the big question – is Ian Rider really dead? Based on the series by Anthony Horowitz.

CLASSICS

If your children have the patience to watch an old-fashioned musical, there’s nothing quite likeThe Sound of Music (1965) to have them romping through the house singing Do Re Mi over and over again! Maria (Julie Andrews), who wants to become a nun, is sent as a governess to mind the seven Von Trapp children. Maria ushers in some much needed colour and music into the household, ultimately discovering that a warm heart resides within the stern Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). Lots of music set in the wonderful landscapes of Austria.

ANIMALS/WILDLIFE

Long before March of the Penguins, there was the nature documentary, ‘Animals Are Beautiful People’ (1974). Shot entirely in Southern Africa, it’s a crash-course in geography featuring the many species that inhabit the deserts, river and delta of the region. The excellent background score is a perfect fit for the antics of some of the most adorable creatures and the commentary puts the habits of wild species in context of our own urban lives.

WOLD CINEMA

Viva Cuba (2005) is a Spanish movie set in Cuba, about two friends – a boy named Jorgito (Jorge Milo) and a girl named Malu (Malu Tarrau Broche). They come from different social backgrounds and their mothers hate each other. When Malu’s mother wants to leave the country, the only person with any power to stop it is Malu’s father. The children set out in search of Malu’s father, to dissuade him from signing forms that would take Malu and her mother away. Along the journey, the children discover the true meaning of friendship.

FOR PARENTS

Based on Simon Carr’s true story, The Boys are Back (2009) is about sports journalist Joe’s (Clive Owen) whose life is turned upside down by the death of his wife. He now has to bring up their son, Artie, all by himself. When, Joe’s son, Harry, from a previous marriage arrives from the UK, Joe tells him that he runs ‘a loose ship’ with as few rules as possible in the house. Harry and Artie forge a close bond even as Joe learns to juggle the demands of work and home. This is a movie that steers clear of cliches and raises the all-important question “How much discipline is too much? How much is too little?”

Parenthood(1989) has an ensemble cast that portrays parents with different challenges in child-rearing. Gil (Steve Martin), a sales executive, is torn between work and home. Helen (Dianne Wiest) is a single parent who gets more than she can handle when her teenage daughter gets married and becomes pregnant. Nathan (Rick Moranis) is obsessive about his daughter’s IQ. Frank (Jason Robards) wants to help his grown-up son Larry (Tom Hulce) deal with a gambling problem, but finds himself bringing up a grandson! Funny and heart-warming.

An edited version appeared the September 2011 edition of Parent Circle Magazine.
Freedom at Midnight

Freedom at Midnight

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Authors: Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins
Freedom at Midnight is an immensely readable account on the political climate surrounding Indian Independence in 1947.
It begins with the arrival of Lord Mountbatten as the Viceroy of India in April 1947 and ends with the last British soldiers leaving Independent India in February 1948 through the Gateway of India to the strains of Auld Lang Syne.
In this period of less than a year, Lord Mountbatten’s task was to help ensure the transfer of power to reliable Indian hands. He did this by what the authors call Operation Seduction – using his immense charm to negotiate with leaders of various political factions to ensure the transition is smooth. However, as the book details, this was easier said than done.
For one, the Viceroy had to keep the best interests of Britain at heart at all times. Then, there was the decision on the able hands in which to entrust India. The personalities that Mountbatten dealt with are portrayed in lucid detail. These include the individual idiosyncracies, habits as well as unique challenges surmounted by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
The most critical matter of all was the drawing of the borders, made more difficult by the long standing discord between Hindus and Muslims. There was the core issue of partitioning a country on religious grounds which was bound to have repercussions not only on the lives and livelihoods of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs alike, but also on the economies of India, Pakistan as well as what would soon become Bangladesh.
While Mountbatten is a constant thread in the narrative, the book makes frequent forays into other, connected happenings. The lifestyles of the Indian royalty makes for fascinating reading. The plot to assassinate Gandhi is described in great detail. The violence between Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs is captured in many first-person accounts in graphic depth. There are heart-rending tales of common men and women, like the Sikh, Boota Singh and his Muslim wife, Zenib, who were tragically separated at the time of Partition.
The strength of the book is clearly the narrative that assumes that no story is too small and no detail too trivial to provide a glimpse into the complexity of Indian Independence.
An edited version of this article appeared in the August 2011 Issue of Culturama
Image courtesy Vikas Publishing
Match Makers

Match Makers

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(Note: All information is accurate at the time of print. Visit www.iplt20.com for updates.)

April 2, 2011. The ICC World Cup frenzy has reached a crescendo with India and Sri Lanka reaching the finals. The air, rife with comparisons between Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s 2011 World Cup winning team and Kapil Dev’s 1983 World Cup winning team. The question on everyone’s lips – “Will our boys bring the World Cup home after 28 years?” With a resounding YES, the boys in blue – the Indian team – took the proceedings to a tumultuous close by winning against Sri Lanka with 10 runs and 6 wickets to spare. The moment was especially poignant for Sachin Tendulkar and his fans as the Little Master’s long-standing dream of being part of a World Cup winning team was finally realised.

The noise has hardly died down, and the dust has hardly settled on the ICC World Cup, that Indian cricket fans are now gearing up for IPL Season 4. With 74 matches over 49 days, the fourth season of the Indian Premier League 2011 is expected to be a feast for cricket lovers. Sure, there’s nothing quite like Test Cricket, but the IPL this year will be of interest even to the dyed-in-the-wool Test Cricket fan.

The aspect that will significantly alter predictions this is the overhauling of teams. Player auctions, retirements, forced retirements, induction of local talent and the addition of two new teams – are all going to create an upheaval of closely-held beliefs about the talent pool in the 10 teams.

The Conservatives

Chennai SuperKings (Winners of IPL-3) and Mumbai Indians (Runners-Up of IPL-3) remained conservative in their team composition. Their focus was on player retention rather than acquisition. This, when CSK is missing Hayden, Badani, Kemp and Ntini from the last season. At the auctions, CSK lost Muthiah Muralitharan and Lakshmipathy Balaji but they’ve brought in talent such as Dwayne Bravo, Wriddhiman Saha and Yo Mahesh. Tim Southee, fresh from his 18 wicket haul at the ICC World Cup 2011, replaces Ben Hilfenhaus.
The Mumbai Indians will play this season without Sanath Jayasuriya. At the auctions, Zaheer Khan and Dwayne Bravo were acquired by other teams. But MI has brought in Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Tirumalasetti Suman, Moises Henriques and Munaf Patel.

Reboot

The teams at the bottom of last year’s points table – Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab – had an exodus of players. This may be the best opportunity for them to shed the baggage of the past and induce some vitality.
Kings XIPunjab’s emphasis is on getting new players in, not necessarily from other teams, but local talent. The primary acquisition at the auctions was Gilchrist moving in as Captain along with the notable entry of Praveen Kumar, Dinesh Karthik, Ryan Harris and Abhishek Nayar.
Rajasthan Royals has consistently placed emphasis on local players while retaining some of its existing ones. The players brought in at the auction were PaulCollingwood, Rahul Dravid and Ross Taylor. The rest, a healthy mix of retained players and local ones.

Star Power

Both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders are teams without their captains from the last season. Will the absence of Kumble and Ganguly work in their favour? Or will one of their star players step up and take on the mantle?
At the auctions, Royal Challengers lost out on Jacque Kallis, Rahul Dravid and Robin Uthappa. But the exodus has been replaced with frantic buying of the likes of AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne, Daniel Vettori, Charl Langeveldt, Mohammed Kaif and Zaheer Khan.
In an interesting twist, the exact strategy has been adopted by Kolkata Knight Riders. No Ajanta Mendis and Chris Gayle. At the auction, Ishant Sharma, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik and Brendon McCullum moved out. KKR has now brought in players like Brett Lee, Gambhir, Jacque Kallis, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Yusuf Pathan to fortify the side.

The D-Factor

The Deccan Chargers reached the Semi-final of IPL 3 but lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore. This year, while Laxman and Symonds moved out, DC has gained Sangakkara, Gony, Duminy, and Ishant Sharma. But will the absence of Herschelle Gibbs, Chaminda Vaas, and as we go to print, possibly Kevin Pietersen, make a severe dent in their strategies?
The Delhi Daredevils, on par with Kolkata Knight Riders on the points table last year, seems to be on infusing some freshness in the form of new buys. Sehwag is back in the saddle as Captain after Gambhir and, with the able help of Aaron Finch, Morne Morkel, Agarkar, Irfan Pathan, is all set to lead a team that’s hungry to win.

The Newbies

Two spanking new teams and the heady promise of competition! In the absence of track records, expectations from the Indi Commandos Kochi and Sahara Pune Warriors are bound to be more realistic. Secondly, since they’ve not ‘lost’ any player to the auctioning, they stand to gain in some of the unlearning that other teams will have to do. Having said that, it would be interesting to see how players from other teams forge new loyalties to deliver the goods.
Between Indi Commandos Kochi and Sahara Pune Warriors, there seems to be a clear strategic difference in player selection. Indi Commandos Kochi are banking heavily on players from other teams – the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Brendon McCullum, Muthiah Muralitharan, Sreesanth, R.P. Singh and VVS Laxman. However, the Sahara Pune Warriors have given equal weightage to local players and those from other teams with the stars being Yuvraj Singh, Ashish Nehra, Murali Karthik, and Robin Uthappa.
At the end of the day, however, the winning of games will be determined not only by how integrated each of the teams will be in the face of competition, but also by the talent on display. Some of the most legendary players will be out there rubbing shoulders with hot new local talent. Some very intense cricketing action is about to unfold in the most cricket-crazy country in the world. As addictions go, it doesn’t get better than this.

An edited version was published for a client newsletter designed by Global Adjustments. No part of this article may be reproduced without permission from the author and the publication.

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