Mumbai: The Strange Case Of A Missing Police Officer!

An inspector of Mumbai Police goes suddenly missing. Interestingly he has been working for the Missing Persons Bureau of Crime Branch. The cop left his office at around 2.30 pm on Saturday, the 13^th of April, 2013 and never returned. He reportedly told his colleagues that he was going out for a walk. The Bureau specialized in finding missing persons went on an overdrive trying to search him everywhere including his native place in Solapur, Maharashtra. But for two days the cop could not be traced.

The inspector’s family was very much alarmed, because the cop has not been keeping well for the last few years and he had a brain hemorrhage surgery in 2007. Due to that surgery he was not allowed to carry a mobile phone and was advised not to exercise his vocal chords unduly. His wife ran from pillar to post filing complaints and meeting cops. But to no avail. It became a situation of hoping against hope.

Monday morning, the 15^th of April, 2013. The office building’s security people switched on the power to light up the lobby and also to run the lifts for a normal workday. As the doors of one of the lifts opened up they were shocked to find the missing inspector inside, sprawled up, pale and ghastly. Fortunately he was alive. He has survived for more than forty hours in there without food, water or fresh air, and faced with an overpowering stench. The missing parts of the story then fell into place.

On that fateful Saturday afternoon the municipal workers checked the lifts after doing the service work, and decided to switch off the power because of the weekend. As they checked the lift the cop got into it on the third floor, and got trapped between two floors as they switched off the power. He banged on the doors and used his vocal chords to permissible limits. But as the office was already near empty. For two nights nobody thought of checking the lifts.

This strange tale speaks volumes on the pathetic condition of the once top-in-the-country Mumbai Police. Lack of modernization and proper facilities including better pay, repeated terror attacks, continuing political interference, growing corruption, shortage of staff and lack of modern weaponry have set in a wave of demoralization in the forces. This classic tale reveals the ridiculous inability of the Missing Persons Bureau to find its own officer missing for two days.Where was the search focused?

If Mumbai is to face up to the increasing challenges the trend must be reversed. Mumbai Police must be restored to its past glory.

Mumbai Dreams!

Enjoying a rare off on Sunday today I also had the rare luxury of going for an afternoon nap. To my surprise I managed some sleep, however in fits and starts. And, I had a series of dreams mostly taking me back to my native land Assam which was only natural because I paid a visit there recently and maybe also because our Spring festival (start of four seasons) Bohag or Rongali Bihu has begun—today being Goru Bihuwhen we worship cattle and tomorrow Manuh Bihu that is our New Year day. In Mumbai we hardly get the ambiance.

Anyway, one of the dreams was very interesting. I was walking out of some place in Guwahati and a man suddenly touched my shoulder from behind. I ignored it first thinking it was by mistake. But as I felt being touched again I stopped and the man came around blocking my way. He said,

“You live in Mumbai, no?”

“Yes, how can I help you?”

“Well, I see only posh high-rise buildings there with spacious balconies. I’m planning a visit there and don’t know where to put up!”

Shaking off the fear of an impending stranger guest in my humble lodgings I said,

“No worries. Around the railway stations and airports there are many hotels and lodges.”

“But are they affordable?”

“No problems even if you cannot afford. You can stay and sleep in the railway station platforms, in the pavements and even in the streets. You see, people of Mumbai sleep everywhere!” The man gave a bemused smile and dissolved away.

I laughed out as I woke up with a jerk. I realized how the very essence of a city where you live for long years gets not only into your conscious system but also into your subconscious.

Dreams in Mumbai get continuously shattered by the hard realities. Owning a flat here is now getting out of reach even for the upper middle classes. With population pressures increasing all the time thanks to immigration to the dream city people are occupying every possible place for living. Such has been the demand for sleeping and squatting facilities in the city and around that vested interests have been taking up illegal constructions, particularly in the satellite towns of Mumbai. On 4^th April, 2013 a seven-storey building constructed illegally and completed in mere months in Mumbra came down crashing killing 74 residents. The building was constructed to house people of labor class who, as per reports, were also illegal immigrants. In fact, nearly ninety percent of buildings in this satellite township are reportedly illegal. Some other reports reveal that even the bungalow of the town mayor was constructed illegally!

The tragedy rocked the Maharashtra Assembly in session, and the system had to wake up again as is usual after a mishap. A demolition campaign ensued in Mumbra and the municipal authorities cut off water and electricity supply to many other illegal buildings. To confound matters the inhabitants of the town called for a Mumbra Bandh against the government action. Well, they have to eke out their existence, housed legally or illegally; they hardly have any choice.

Mumbai—caught between dream and reality. Life goes on though.

Movies: Legendary Bollywood Villain Pran Gets Dadasaheb Phalke Award!

Pran—a name that terrorized us as little kids; a name that we loved to adore as we grew older and a name that has remained with us till now and forever. We were struck with awe by his villainous portrayals and yet we could not stop liking him—his gait, his style of talking, his looks, his smart dress code and the eternal cigarette in his hands. That time we were not capable of judging him as an actor, but the way he kept us spellbound was only due to his intensely powerful and effective performances. Since we loved him so much even as a villain we longed to see him as a good guy on the side of the fighting-for-truth hero. And, we got that hugely satisfying and gratifying experience too.

Pran Krishan Sikand (born 1920) turned 93 in February this year and yesterday, the 12^thof April, 2013, he was chosen for the supreme honour of Indian cinema—the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2012. Maybe a little late as the classic Bollywood actor is almost unable to walk around or talk articulately. But, never too late. As a media person I tried to capture his expressions and possibly his byte on camera on this momentous occasion by all means, but was advised against it by his closest kin. Quite understandable.  The superstar of the millennium Amitabh Bachchan responded immediately to speak on phone about the legendary villain of the millennium. Incidentally, in most of the 15 movies Amitabh acted with Pran the legendary villain invariably played the good guy or bad guy turned good roles. Some of these movies were runaway hits as we cherished two great superstars—one as the super hero and the other as the staunch and unflinching supporter.

In his six decade long film career Pran never had a low. Hits and super-hits followed him from the early forties to the late nineties. He had been the typical villain with all the classic heroes of those times—Sunil Dutt, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor. For our generation a few of the most memorable movies of Pran as a villain that we watched much later were Gumnaam (1965), Ram Aur Shyam(1967), An Evening In Paris (1967), Sadhu Aur Shaitaan (1968) and as late as in 1983 in Andha Kanoon (with Amitabh Bachchan) where Pran played a villain still as lethal . In between he played one or two odd positive roles. 

However, his landmark positive role came in Manoj Kumar’s Upkar (1967) when his prowess in a strong supporting role got noticed. And then, Zanjeer (1973) happened.

In Zanjeerwe had the best of both worlds. We accepted the new angry superhero Amitabh Bachchan who became a household name after this movie. We were overwhelmed by the strong supporting role as the hero’s aide by Pran. For the first time we had two superstars fighting for a common cause—our cause rather considering how emotional and impulsive we were. In fact, Pran recommended Amitabh in the hero’s role for this blockbuster, and the close association between the two superstars that started then never ceased. In the late nineties when Amitabh was going through a crisis Pran helped the Big B by agreeing to act in two movies with him despite his deteriorating health.

We congratulate the perfect villain cum Robin Hood on screen and the perfect, soft spoken and amiable gentleman off screen, Pran Saheb, for this great honour that finally recognized his immense contribution to Indian cinema. He has won many other laurels and awards throughout his career, but this supreme honour just proves again how much he is still loved by people of all ages and walks of life. We hope he will have good health soon and will receive the Award in full flow and in full glow. We salute the great actor.