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!!
Prolific Dyslexic on 
Radha on 
IdeaSmith on 
Parth on 
anand on 
le on 
Ruvy on 
umashankar on 
1Ashish
wrote on 5 March 2008 at 9:01
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,
2IdeaSmith
wrote on 5 March 2008 at 12:47
@ Ashish: And we are undeniably proud of such monikers, aren’t we?
3prasoon
wrote on 5 March 2008 at 12:52
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 
4Teleute
wrote on 5 March 2008 at 14:17
You’re very pretty.
5Eye For India
wrote on 6 March 2008 at 8:30
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.
6IdeaSmith
wrote on 6 March 2008 at 13:19
@ prasoon:
Thank you, kind sir, we aim to please.
@ 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.
7Deepika
wrote on 7 March 2008 at 4:18
I remember tum toh thehre..it was awesome fun singing it yaa!!
8Teleute
wrote on 7 March 2008 at 16:12
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.
9IdeaSmith
wrote on 11 March 2008 at 8:50
@ Deepika: Haha…it takes me back to the good ol’ campus times!
@ 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..
10Australopithecus
wrote on 12 April 2008 at 12:08
hehe.
altaf raja dethroned..wot a pity. no more gems like Ishq aur pyar ka mazaa lijiye.
11Ms Taggart
wrote on 4 August 2008 at 8:59
Aah… Do we also get to see a bit of your face in that last photo?
Ms Taggarts last blog post..Friends
12IdeaSmith
wrote on 7 August 2008 at 10:07
@ Ms Taggart:
Nope, that’s my very lovely friend grinning at my antics (ducking below the seat and holding camera up, periscope-like). My own mugshot is up in the header.