Autorickshaw!!
Long, bumpy rides in Mumbai’s bylanes bring you face to face with some terribly amusing sights.
Pssst….for those of you who can’t read in the Mumbai smog, it says,
Mera Road Bheyender
Escelworld
I always wondered what the names stuck on the back of taxis meant. Would he be offended if I asked him to go elsewhere? Now we see our autorickshaws have abandoned social awareness (Mulgi shikli, pragati zhali) in favour of more practical (if not indecipherable) engravings.
Speaking of which, the Mumbai autorickshawallas and taxiwallas must be the most amourous of all Indian men. I’m thrown to one side while he negotiates a pothole but I land on a poster of a pouty Urmila Matondker. From the other corner Amisha Patel stares balefully at me, as if asking me why I favour her colleague. From the side-mirror dangles a beaded heart with tassles. And Himmesss implores me to show a glimpse of my face. Anybody remember Altaf Raja of Tum to thehere pardesi fame? Alas, a decade later, he has finally been dethroned as the king of rickshawalla gaana!!!
And finally, my piece de resistance:
I rest my case. No one understands my dil ka haal better than this man!!
~O~O~ I call myself a chronic thinker. A few centuries ago, I’d have been called a Thinker. Or burnt at stake for being a witch.
My degree is my passport to the world of respectability. I moonlight as a troubled poet, a warrior princess and a closet sorceress. I am all of these and yet none of them is all of me.
All I was born to be really, was a story-teller. Scheherazade, Galelio, Cleopatra and Salvador have passed through. This time round, just call me IdeaSmith. Read more ideasSimliar ideas earlier...
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March 5th, 2008 at 9:01 am
I still remember singing out loud in the group ‘Tum to thehre Pardesi’ on the day of farewell to seniors!
And getting the ‘Rikshawala toli’ pseudoname,
March 5th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
March 5th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Nice
its long since i’ve been in such autorickshaws that u speak of but yes, the humorous write does manage to remind me of all that 
March 5th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
You’re very pretty.
March 6th, 2008 at 8:30 am
The place names behind Taxis and Rickshaws have something to do with permits.
Also, the drivers of Taxis and Rickshaws with Esselworld permits get a discount at the amusement park.
March 6th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
@ Teleute: Not me, dear lady, that’s my pretty friend and oh…my daaarrrrrling camera. All you see of me are my hands. And may I say what a pleasure it is to receive you at the Idea-smithy? I used to follow your blog and some of your comments on the blogs of people we have in common. It’s about time we met.
@ Eye for India: Ah, I didn’t know that. Thank you for the clarification. It seems a trifle snobbish to make a joke of it but the spelling mistakes on those still make me giggle.
March 7th, 2008 at 4:18 am
I remember tum toh thehre..it was awesome fun singing it yaa!!
March 7th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Dearly beloved,
I am most dedicated follower of your blog. I am just a little shy and reticent on your comment-space.
And what pretty hands they are, I might add.
Yours ever,
T.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:50 am
@ Teleute: I’m much flattered. I’m a lurker on your blog as well. I’ve been silent because it feels like an intrusion to comment when we haven’t been really introduced. Silly, no? I’m glad you broke the silence - I will, too! And errmm…thengyu..
April 12th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
hehe.
altaf raja dethroned..wot a pity. no more gems like Ishq aur pyar ka mazaa lijiye.
August 4th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Aah… Do we also get to see a bit of your face in that last photo?
Ms Taggarts last blog post..Friends
August 7th, 2008 at 10:07 am