SRK Tweets!

Twitter has become a phenomenon! From our daily friends to famous celebrities, everyone uses it. Oprah, Ashton and Britney use it on a daily basis. But our Mumbai stars have not fallen behind! Shahrukh Khan “tweets” these days too! Although it may seem like a way for celebrities to market themselves, Twitter really does bring people closer together–140 characters at a time!

The Wonders of Technology

One of my friends is on a plane to New York, with an internet connection! The way technology keeps our world together amazes me. I can talk to my family in Mumbai with the click of a button, wherever I am. Lance Armstrong “tweets” from Rome while practicing for the Tour de France. I can have a grasp on every part of my life, with a laptop or cellphone. Living thousands of miles from home has never been easier.

Fair & Lovely

Hellen Keller once said that, “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.” Over time, these beliefs of the olden days have changed. Today, beauty truly is only skin deep in all cultures across the globe. While women in the United States prefer a tanned skin tone, Asian cultures stress on fair, white and flawless skin. In India, particularly the “fashion capital” Mumbai, men and women alike take every measure to maintain a fair skin tone. Pictures of celebrities endorsing fairness creams are plastered on every other billboard in Mumbai, while successful models on the covers of magazines reveal their secret to flawless skin. Today, the concept of beauty and fair skin has evolved in Mumbai to such an extent that it has remarkably affected the lives of its citizens and developed stronger stereotypes of what it means to be beautiful.

In India, popular fairness creams such as Fair & Lovely define beauty with fair skin.

Over the last decade, several models and movie stars in Mumbai have stressed on the concept of fairness and beauty in order to be successful in the industry. Aishwarya Rai, former Miss World and Bollywood superstar, has always been scrutinized for endorsing the requirement of fair skin. Unfortunately, many young girls find the need to mimic her skin tone and use all kinds of harmful chemicals on their skin in order to become “beautiful.”

The doll-like beauty of Aishwarya Rai convinces many young girls that they have to be fair-skinned to be considered beautiful.

Despite the criticism against Aishwarya Rai, a recent article claims that she has rejected an offer from L’Oreal to endorse a skin-lightening product. In this article, writer Ashok Rao states that, “She will never promote a product that discriminates on the basis of one’s skin colour. Ours is a society where biases are so prevalent that she will do all she can to curb it.” Although this was a great initiative from Aishwarya Rai, some believe that she took this step in order to protect her decreasing popularity and did not want to be tied up in any kind of controversy. Nevertheless, efforts such as these from notable celebrities are a great step forward. India is full of many biases already and does not need anything else to increase the level of social and religious tension the country is brewing.

Although celebrities from the likes of Aishwarya Rai have tried to endorse the idea that beauty can come in many colors, others have done the exact opposite. Over the last decade, popular fairness cream Fair & Lovely hit the shelves all over India and has regularly increased in demand. Despite the popularity this brand has gained, it has given rise to the stereotype that beauty only comes in the form of “fair and lovely.” In 2003, two of Fair & Lovely’s commercials actually had to be banned. Writer Nicole Leistikow states that, “Increasing public criticism may be initiating a change in cultural attitudes towards skin whitening in India, a country where the fairness industry accounts for 60 percent of skincare sales, bringing in $140 million a year.”

Although cultural attitudes towards skin lightening in India have started to change, many popular celebrities still endorse these products. The fact that they promote fair skin makes fairness seem like an asset and something that will help the average Indian woman gain a better job, husband or even get noticed at a small party. Popular actresses from the likes of Rani Mukherjee and Genelia D’Souza have been a part of these controversial Fair & Lovely commercials.

Genelia D’Souza starred in a commercial in 2003, where she plays an average Indian girl trying to get a job. She comes back home everyday unsuccessful and unemployed. Nevertheless, after she uses Fair & Lovely, her fair skin makes her beautiful and she gets a job as a cricket commentator. In India, it is rare for women to have jobs, let alone jobs as sports commentators. Fair & Lovely endorses the idea that fair skin will break these stereotypes and allow women to join the workforce. Unfortunately, while in the process of disproving other biases in India, Fair & Lovely has created its own.

In the midst of the craze for fair skin in India, competing company Emami released a product named Fair and Handsome, a fairness cream for men. The introduction of this product brought even more controversy. In the old days, people would stress on the importance of being “tall, dark and handsome.” Today, men have to be fair as well to be considered “good-looking” in India. The most popular celebrity in India, Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan, is the face of Fair and Handsome. An article in Television Point states that, “It is learnt that Khan could do for ‘Fair And Handsome’ what he did for Lux. The ad gathered so much publicity, that after the commercial, it not only arrested declining brand fortunes, but also led to a spurt in sales.” Although these movie stars know that they are feeding stereotypes, the also know that their image on the product is increasing sales, which will boost their own earnings as well.

The fairness cream market has grown at an extremely large rate over the last decade and the participation of celebrities seems to make it an even greater obsession. In order to spare themselves from further scrutiny, Fair & Lovely has established scholarships for women. On their website, they state that, “In its ongoing endeavor to empower women, for the fifth year since inception, the Fair & Lovely Scholarships invites applications from candidates across India.” Fair & Lovely wants to take every measure it can to promote the idea that they care about women. They want to instill confidence within women with the use of their products, empowering them to take on the world. Although the 300 scholarships they have given out till date have aided several women across India, the promotion of their products is still wrong. Women do not have to be fair and lovely in order to be successful and receive honorable scholarships.

The concept of beauty and the standards that one has to meet in order to be considered beautiful varies all over the world. However, today, one thing is certain—physical beauty plays a much larger role than it did in the past. Although some celebrities condone the stress put on fair skin, many others endorse the idea. The concept and appreciation of inner beauty seems to have faded over time. It has been replaced by the capitalistic values of the fairness cream industry and popular celebrities wearing pounds of makeup who simply want to boost their brand image by endorsing products. Bias has truly absorbed India, a country that gets bombed due to religious bias and tortures women due to gender bias. Although the bias over skin color has not become as prevalent yet, it is slowly taking over. As Indian citizens, we must take the responsibility to protect our country from yet another stereotype, and promote the beauty of the heart.

Confused

I highly respect the Bachchan family. Not only have they taken great strides in Bollywood, they are also one of the most influential families in India. That being said, I have absolutely no idea why they would ever take a picture like this together.

Some questions will always remain unanswerable.

Pani Puri

The thought of Indian food always makes me miss home. One of the greatest things about Mumbai is the variety of food available almost anywhere you go! Whether you are at a restaurant or on the street, there will always be something delicious to eat!

My favorite dish in Mumbai is pani puri. Imagine it like a really small taco with potatoes, sweet sauce and spicy water in it. I know, it probably sounds really disgusting with the way I described it. But if you ever do visit Mumbai, do not miss out on this unique yet delicious snack!

Pani Puri stands such as the one above can be found on many streets in Mumbai

Ingrdients:
For Pani
Dates: 2
Tamarind: One 3 inch piece.
Jaggery(Gur): 2 tsp
Black Pepper Corns: 1 tsp
Cumin (jeera): 1 tsp
Coriander Leaves: 2 twigs
Green Chilli: 1
Mint Leaves : 10
Black Salt: 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.

For Puri
Rava(Sooji): 1 Cup
Maida( All Purpose Flour): 1 Cup
Wheat Flour: 1 Cup
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Salt to Taste
Oil for deep frying

For Filling
Kabuli Channa (Whole White Gram): 1 Cup
Potato: 2 Medium Sized
Onion: 2 Medium Sized (Finely Chopped).
Carrot: 1 – Grated (Optional)
Finely Chopped Green Chillies: 2
Finely Chopped coriander 2 twigs.
Thin Shev
Salt to taste.

Procedure:
For Filling

• Soak the kabuli channa over night or eight hours in 3 cups water. Wash well and pressure cook for 10 minutes with water . Boil the potatoes also along with the channa.
• Peel the potatoes and dice. Drain the water from channa and add the ingredients for the filling except Shev and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl.

For Pani

• Soak the dates and tamarind in warm water.
• Grind along with all ingredients for the pani to a paste.
• Add 2 cups water and strain. Transfer to a serving bowl.

For Puri

• Mix the flours and rava with salt and ghee. Make a dough adding required water. Leave for 15 minutes.
• Knead the dough again and divide into portions convenient to roll. Roll into rounds and stamp out small rounds (2 inch diameter) using any lid or container rim.
• Heat oil in a deep kadai, drop a small piece to check the temperature of the oil, it should rise immediately, the oil is ready for frying.
• Keep the oil in medium flame and drop the puris a few for every batch. Press slightly with the back of the laddle so that the puris rise up. Turn and fry till the puris are light brown on both sides. Drain and place on a tissue paper to remove excess oil. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Serving

• Serve puris in a plate and the pani and channa in two cups.
• Make a hole on the puri, fill with 1 teaspoon channa and 2 teaspoons pani and just eat. Sprinkle some thin shev, red chilli powder and decorate with coriander leaves.

Growing Up

It’s come to the time of year when students get busy with finals and don’t even have the time to breathe. Many of my friends are graduating and entering completely new parts of their lives. It’s exciting and scary at the same time.

But some people don’t take the same path as everyone else. One of my friends from high school, Shraddha Kapoor, dropped out of Boston University after her freshman year and decided to join Bollywood. Her first film, Teen Patti, will be releasing this August in India!

We all do not have to do the same thing. Yes, college does provide a structure, but it will not define the route our life will take.

The film Teen Patti is also special because it brings together Amitabh Bachchan and Sir Ben Kingsley on screen for the first time! Bollywood certainly is taking large strides, and I wish Shraddha Kapoor all the best for her upcoming career in Bollywood!

Cancer Strikes Bollywood Star Feroz Khan

Bollywood Star of the 1960s, Feroz Khan, passed away today after a year-long fight against cancer. Although Khan never reached true critical acclaim during his career, he added his own flavor to Bollywood and Mumbai, which will never be forgotten.

Bollywood Star, Feroz Khan, passed away today after a year-long fight against cancer.

In the old days, before the glitz and glamour of the 21st century, Mumbai was a conservative city. Women covered their bodies from head to toe and men would only use the word “sex” in the bedroom. Feroz Khan was the only celebrity during this time who would openly mention sex during public award ceremonies. He would simply say, “So what? Why can’t I talk about sex? That’s the reason we are all here today. That’s the reason India has the second largest population in the world!”

I completely agree with his views. Although Mumbai may not have been ready for such statements in the 1960s, it is ready today. Openly talking about sex and the implications it has on society is extremely important for the modern-day Indian family.

Modern-day Mumbai has become more liberal and open to the idea of sex.

Today, Mumbai is plastered with billboards that mention sex and other “taboo” terms in Indian society. The efforts of celebrities such as Feroz Khan have initiated this movement towards a liberal society. Nevertheless, despite Mumbai’s increasing openness to sex, people have not forgotten their roots. Indian values and culture are the heart of Mumbai, no matter how fast the city moves.

Rest In Peace, Feroz Khan.

“Fly like paper, get high like planes”

The recent success of Danny Boyle’s film Slumdog Millionaire has taken the world by storm. This heartfelt, rags-to-riches tale of Jamal Malik, a slum-dweller in Mumbai, was an instant success at the box office in the United States. When people walked out of the theaters after seeing this film, they came alive with a sense of inspiration and hope.

We have all participated in this kind of rat race, where money seems to be the final reward after every feat. But this isn’t even what Jamal wanted. Somehow, his life experiences gave him the answer to every question that was asked of him during the contest. But his true motivation was to be reunited with his love, Latika. Jamal’s love and devotion truly brought life into perspective for the audience. Who are we and what are we doing here? What makes us come alive and instills that passion within us? Let’s take some time to remember.

Jamal Malik, played by Dev Patel, could answer every question, but winning the game wasn't what he wanted

The film is based in my hometown, Mumbai. The crowded streets and sprawling slums depicted in Slumdog Millionaire made me feel like I was back at home, viewing the slum-life far away from my car window. It’s a life that many others always fail to understand and prefer to ignore when they’re driving down Marine Drive. But no matter how much you ignore it, it will always exist.

The sprawling slums of Dharavi where Slumdog Millionaire was shot

Dharavi, where the film was shot, is the largest slum in South Asia. Many of the stories the film depicts are true. Children are often beaten and blinded to get more money when they beg on the streets in the midst of traffic. A majority of Mumbai’s population is still below the poverty line and the population of this city keeps on growing and growing. Mumbai thrives on its culture and fast-paced lifestyle, but poverty, child prostitution and abuse still casts a dark shadow over the light.

The critical acclamation of Slumdog Millionaire has provided India with a greater scope than it ever had in the past. These days, many people stop me to ask about Mumbai, the film and if I like the song “Jai Ho”. Freida Pinto used to go to my cousin’s college in a small suburb of Mumbai and participated in fashion shows as an upcoming model. This film has completely turned her life around from an average model to a global superstar.

Similarly, Anil Kapoor is from the same suburb that I live in called Chembur, in the east of Mumbai. He never reached ultimate stardom in India amidst popular Bollywood actors from the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Salman Khan. Anil Kapoor’s role was initially offered to the “King of Bollywood”, Shahrukh Khan who rejected the offer. Today, although many have found Kapoor’s acting in the film to be annoying and overdone at times, he has reached critical acclaim and will be starring in the hit television show 24, as well.

Is all of this fame and stardom deserved? People have mixed feelings about this one. Initially, stars such as Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor were accused of stealing all of the limelight. Why was this film such a success? I personally feel that it was because of the true and honest depiction of the slum-dwellers of Mumbai and so do a handful of critics as well. The child actors are the true stars that wholeheartedly crafted their roles and brought their characters to life. After the criticism the Slumdog Millionaire cast and crew faced during the Golden Globe Awards, they made it a point to bring the child actors to Hollywood for the Oscars. The amount of joy and excitement this brought to the children was unparalleled.

The child actors of Slumdog Millionaire share the limelight at the Academy Awards

In recent news, the Slumdog Millionaire team has donated $900,000 to the children of Mumbai slums. This donation has gone towards the International Development Charity Plan that seeks to provide a better quality of life and education for the underprivileged. An unspecified amount of money will also go towards the “Jai Ho Fund” which will specifically aid the child actors in the film and help ensure that they complete their education and maintain a decent lifestyle.

Such news brings a great deal of joy and contentment. The Mumbai attacks on November 26, 2008 left the entire city in complete devastation. Each and every “Mumbaiker” felt a sense of emotion and sadness to see the famous Taj Mahal Hotel set on fire. The news made headlines all over the world, with speculation on when and where the next terrorist attack would bring the world to destruction.

The Taj Mahal Hotel set ablaze during the Mumbai attacks on November 26, 2008

But what about the slum-dwellers who die of starvation every single day in Mumbai? Who is accountable for that…the terrorists? I understand that the attack on Mumbai was a terrible and inhumane act of violence. However, most of the people affected were the rich businessmen and socialites who visit these fancy hotels on a daily basis. More people cared because wealthy people were involved, wealthy people who had an impact on economic stability and political power. These are the “important people” who actually make a difference because they create the schools, hospitals, and factories that make Mumbai run.

This hefty donation from the team of Slumdog Millionaire isn’t just a sum of money. It’s a reminder that poverty isn’t just the dust that we hide under our rug. People are suffering everyday in Mumbai and if lavish buildings such as the Taj Mahal Hotel can be noticed, the largest slum in South Asia should be too.

Nevertheless, despite the social impacts Slumdog Millionaire has had on Mumbai and the world at large, the average Indian seems disappointed by the film. An article in the Indian Express articulates that Slumdog Millionaire simply feeds the stereotypes about India, reinforcing the idea that it is still a “backwards” country. The author of this article, Anita Saluja, states that, “After all, it’s this aspect of India that’s been adored by phirangs in the past, who term India as the country of snake-charmers and elephants, refusing to believe that it is at par today with any other country in the areas of IT, science and technology, fashion and beauty care as well.”

The average Indian argues that Slumdog Millionaire simply gave the audience what it wanted to see—a poor city with horrific practices and a boy who was able to surpass those obstacles to lead a decent and fulfilling life. At some level, I agree with these accusations as well. However, I also believe that the audience is well aware that this is just one side of the many facets of Mumbai. I personally did not enjoy this film for a different reason—I’ve already seen this before. I live in Mumbai and see these slums every single day. I know about the practices of child prostitution in the red light districts and have seen it depicted in many other Bollywood films. The theme of slums, poverty and the underworld is not new to Indian cinema. Unfortunately, it was only recognized when a British man decided to put it under the spotlight.

Mumbai emits energy that I have never experienced anywhere else in my life. Although the film has its controversies, I thank the makers of Slumdog Millionaire for finally giving Mumbai the recognition it deserves. We all come from many walks of life but Jamal’s story somehow brings things into perspective.

It’s not about winning the contest but what brought you there.

Seek what inspires you to move forward and break free.

In the end, discover what makes you “fly like paper, get high like planes.”

Let Your Imagination Run Wild

Why do we run after things? Why is the human race so adamant about taking the next step?

I want to just lay under the stars sometimes and count them–let my imagination run wild. The destruction of the economy has made people want a job more than ever, with the fear of not being able to get one. Why all the pressure? 

Let your imagination run wild. Take this time as an opportunity to do something you want to do, not what society planned for you to do. I just registered for a tap dancing class–it’s something I have always wanted to do. 

I want to build a house in Mykonos, the most beautiful island in Greece and just lay there for hours, absorbing nature.

Let’s take this time to really understand what we want from our lives.

Go on, close your eyes.

Muchhad Paanwala

India\’s First Paanwala on the Web