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A wedding fair for senior citizens

A wedding fair for senior citizens looking for partners and live-in companions will be held at Matunga on April 7.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

All over the world, senior citizens are expected to settle down into quiet oblivion once they retire from work and cross the magic age of 60, silently watching as their families continue with their lives. In our country, however, the problem of ‘old age’ is compounded for those who lose a spouse to death or divorce – and the worst part is, we don’t want to hear our senior citizens say, “I’m lonely. I want to get married again.”

“With the trend of nuclear families increasing in our country, senior citizens are often left to fend for themselves. The country’s senior citizen population is increasing. Today, 10 per cent of all Indians are senior citizens – 10 crore Indians are over 60 years of age, and 12,00,000 of them are in Mumbai alone,” said Sailesh Mishra, founder of the NGO Silver Innings, which works for senior citizens in the country. He was speaking at a press conference held to announce a ‘Senior Citizens Jeevan Saathi Sammelan’, that will take place at Dadar Matunga Cultural Centre on April 7.

“When a senior citizen loses his or her spouse, he/she becomes really lonely, but they are not allowed to express it because society does not expect ‘old’ people to want a companion at that age,” Sailesh explained. “Research shows that while the longevity of senior citizens in our country is going up each year, women have been found to outlive men. But again, it is very difficult for a woman of that age to say that she needs a companion, that she wants to spend the rest of her life with somebody. We feel that senior citizens should also get the chance to find a suitable mate,” he said. To incentivise women’s participation in the Sammelan, all women who attend the meeting will be given basic train fare, lunch and a saree.

The Sammelan is the brainchild of Natubhai Patel (62), the founder-chairman of Vina Mulya Amulya Seva (VMAS) in Ahmedabad, which has to its credit 75 senior citizen marriages and the setting up of 25 live-ins all over India. “We decided to do  such a big meeting in Mumbai because our research says that 39 per cent of senior citizens living alone in this city are senior citizens. With rising crime against seniors, and the fact that their twilight years can be better spent with somebody of their choice, the Sammelan aims to have willing senior citizens meet each other and make an informed choice about the partner they choose.”

 

Sailesh added that women’s participation in such meetings has been found to be very low. “We want more women to participate. Through our counselling sessions, we find that most men are looking for companionship, while women look for financial security. At that age, marriage is not required for sex, but more for love and security.” On being asked if the organisers would ensure that no fraudulent members participated in the meeting, Sailesh said that all participants would be advised to carry out background checks before going ahead with the person they chose. “We will only facilitate the meeting, apart from helping with legal advice and marriage counselling when required,” Sailesh said.

The Sammelan is not open to people below 50 years of age, or those whose partners are still alive. If divorced, the participant must produce documentary proof of the divorce, or if the spouse is deceased, the death certificate must be shown. An ID proof of age is mandatory. The Sammelan is open to widows, widowers, single people and divorcees, all over 50 years of age. The event is being organised by Rotary Club of Mumbai (Nariman Point), in association with Silver Innings and VMAS. Contact 099871 04233/ 09029000091 for details and registration.

Tomorrow: Who participates in these events? What are senior citizens in India expecting from their partners?

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How about an art attack?

Art Night Thursday, an ongoing art show initiative, makes art more accessible and time-friendly to the general public in Mumbai.
by Medha Kulkarni

On every second Thursday of the month, a handful of some of the art galleries at Colaba and Fort stay open till 9:30 pm to hold Art Night Thursday. Chatterjee & Lal, Chemould Prescott Road, Gallery Maskara, Gallery Beyond, Volte Gallery, Sakshi Gallery, The Guild, Lakeeren and Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke are amongst the participating galleries.

It’s a fabulous initiative that started a little over a year ago and has been instrumental in making art more accessible to the general public. Most galleries tend to be closed on weekends and shut by around 7 pm on weekdays. This makes it difficult for the regular office-going crowd, students etc. to ever go catch a show. Thus, keeping the galleries open on a weeknight till late has provided such people with the wonderful opportunity to be able to catch their favourite art shows without missing work.

Art Thursday this month is tomorrow, March 14, and you can get more information on the Mumbai Art Map here.

This month, Art Night Thursday highlights those galleries that are a part of the FOCUS Festival Mumbai, the first festival in the city dedicated solely to the work of young and promising photographers from all over the world.

I suggest picking up an art map from one of the outlets mentioned in the link above, and hit the art trail in the following order:

– Chemould Prescott Road : “Parsis” by Sooni Taraporevala, March 06 – April 06, 2013

– Art Musings : “37 Still Lifes”, March 14 – April 13, 2013

– Goethe-Institut Mumbai : “A Fantastic Legacy: Early Bombay Photography from 1840 to 1900”, March 13-27, 2013

– The Guild: Group exhibition March 13-27, 2013

– The Hermes Mumbai Store: “The Inhabited Space” by Sean Rocha, March 13-27

– Project 88 : “A Village in Bengal” by Chirodeep Chaudhuri, March 14-26, 2013

– Sakshi Gallery: “Poseurs”, March 14-24, 2013

– Studio-X: “Lost Highway” by Chantal Stoman, March 12-18, 2013

Medha Kulkarni, 25, lives in Mumbai and is a curator at Volte Gallery. Her hobbies include reading, travelling and writing.

(Picture courtesy mumbailocal.net)

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With a FOCUS on Mumbai

First-ever photography festival kicks off tomorrow in the city, and it will feature young photographers from all around the world.
by Medha Kulkarni

FOCUS, Mumbai’s first ever photography festival, kicks off tomorrow, March 13, 2013. Spread over two weeks, the festival is dedicated exclusively to the work of young, emerging photographers from all over the world. The best part about it? It’s open to everyone, totally free of cost!

The two pivotal exhibitions of the festival are:

A Fantastic Legacy: Early Bombay Photography, from 1840 to 1900
Curated by Mumbai Art Room owner Susan Hapgood, the USP of this exhibition is that all the works on display are original prints. Stunning portraits, panoramic views of the city and some of the earliest photographs by members of the Photographic Society of Bombay, the exhibition promises to enthrall all those who love this city and continue to be fascinated by it.

Head to Galerie Max Mueller, Max Mueller Bhavan, K. Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda, on Thursday, March 14 to Wednesday, March 27. The exhibition is open from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 7pm, and will be closed on Sunday.

A Photograph Is Not An Opinion – Contemporary Photography By Women
A group exhibition of works by emerging women artists from India and abroad, this exhibition highlights various important themes – the city and the environment, the family album, loss of some kind- while encourage discourse on gender and sexuality.
Head to Terrace Gallery, Jehangir Art Gallery, 161 MG Road, Kala Ghoda, on Thursday, March 14 to Wednesday, March 27. Daily, from 11am to 7pm.

In addition to these two, FOCUS has teamed up with Mumbai’s artistic community to launch a diverse range of several other exhibitions and events. The city’s dynamic art scene coupled with the festival’s outreach has ensured that most of the best galleries and important cultural centers are geared up for the event and this, in turn, ensures that it’s within easy reach of everyone in the city. Additionally, unconventional spaces such as design shops and studios, cafes and other lifestyle spaces will be multi-tasking as galleries throughout the duration of the festival.  A range of educational initiatives, workshops and talks (all free) have been planned as part of the festival.

Get more details here.

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“I’m a storyteller, not a writer…”

Author Jeffrey Archer was at his witty best at the launch of the third book in his Clifton Chronicles series. Instead of five books, the series will have seven!
by Vrushali Lad | vrushali@themetrognome.in

That Jeffrey Archer is a gifted writer is a given. But that Jeffrey Archer is also a gifted public speaker is a fact one has to be present for to believe. At the launch of the third book – Best Kept Secret – in his Clifton Chronicles series at Andheri’s Landmark book store, Archer was in fine form, taking questions, deftly deflecting uncomfortable ones, deriding the audience when he felt they weren’t paying attention, and explaining what he felt was the crux of the film Lagaan.

In between, he also spoke about the book publishing industry, his Clifton Chronicles series, and in the end, signed copies of his newest book for a really long line of admirers.

Speaking on the importance of brevity, even while keeping the simplicity and beauty of a story intact, Archer said, “It is possible to write a very very short story in 100 words. And if you try it, you can write one in 100 words exactly – not 101, not 99, but 100 words. Write such a story before you write your novel,” he advised, after taking the audience through a 100-word short story he wrote years ago as part of a challenge that the Reader’s Digest had set him years ago. (See video below).

 

Talking about his newest book, and the Clifton Chronicles in general, Archer said, “The series was supposed to be three books. The first was Only Time Will Tell, the second was The Sins Of The Father, and the third is Best Kept Secret. In the first book, Harry Clifton (the story’s protagonist) was just 19 years old, and by the end of Book 3, he is just 35. To end the series here, I would have to bump him off at 35 years of age, so I decided there would be another book. I am now working on the first draft of Book 4, and by the end of it, Harry will only be 40 years old.

So I decided that there could be a fifth book. But, and this is hot from the Press, it’s probably going to be seven books. I got that one wrong, didn’t I?”

Speaking on the future of the book publishing industry, Archer said, “The e-book revolution is still to hit India. I own a Kindle, but I do feel that there’s quite like having a book to hold. But soon, there may be a time when people will buy e-books and not hard or soft covers. My book Kane And Abel was sold as an e-book for 20p only. The third Clifton Chronicles book will be sold for £8.25, while the hardcover costs £20. Naturally, people are going to go for the cheaper option. Do you understand what is being done? They’re only interested in selling their tablets – they got us to buy the tablet so we would buy e-books! And yet, though Kane And Abel sold for just 20p, as the author I still get £3 royalty per sale, so that’s an interesting dimension. But it’s a worrying development.”

Archer also fielded questions from the audience, and several of his replies evoked loud laughs:

Which of your books would you like to see filmed?

They’re currently filming Paths of Glory, (a story which claims that an Englishman was the first to scale Mount Everest). But since it’s Columbia Pictures and Hollywood, it’s called Everest. (makes face)

If there was ever a film made on your life, who do you think should play you?

(considers) I hear Brad Pitt is already vying for the role. But I would rather have Tom Cruise play me. Let them fight it out.

If you had to play a character from your books on screen, which one would it be?

Harry (from the Clifton Chronicles series).

In Book 3, you’ve based a relationship on incest, which we find really strange in India. What were your thoughts when you were writing about this?

The whole point of a story is that you must read further to know what happens. I knew where I was going with Harry, Emma and Giles. And there’s a bigger problem coming up in Book 4.

Do you think you missed out on a different life because you became a writer? What if politics had worked for you, would you still be in politics?

You know, Proust said, “We all end up doing the thing we are second best at.” Everything went wrong in my life when I was 34. I lost a lot of money and I owed a lot of money. That was when I wrote my first book Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less. And now you have 16 novels from me, because of one mistake I made so many years ago! But if politics had worked for me, yes I would still be in it.

When are we going to read a Jeffrey Archer cricket story, or have a cricket protagonist in your book?

I wouldn’t be writing a cricket book. Yes, I love cricket with all my heart. But my audience primarily comes from America, and they don’t a clue about cricket! They’re quite stupid, aren’t they? So no, no cricket books from me. But I did watch and enjoy Lagaan, though the dancing was terrible. But watching that film as a storyteller, I thought that the beauty of the story was that there wouldn’t have been a Lagaan if the umpires had cheated.

What do you think about 20:20 cricket?

As far as I’m concerned, 20:20 is rubbish. A test match is VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid playing the entire day. 20:20 cricket can go to hell.

Did you take formal training to be a writer?

No, I never did. I am well-educated, and my wife is certainly more educated than me. I’ve lived with her for 40 years, so I’ve learnt a lot from her. But I’m a storyteller, not a writer.

How do you know if what you’ve written is good?

You don’t. If you’ll take my advice, you won’t show your writing to these people: your husband, your wife and your lover. They will all lie. If you want to know if your writing’s good, show it to someone who has never met you. You’ll get the truth then.

You need the hear the truth in this business, at every stage of your career. Recently, I was in Dubai for a book launch, and two beautiful children came up to me, a boy and a girl. The boy asked me, ‘Are you an English writer?’ I said, ‘Yes’. He asked me, ‘Are you Enid Blyton?’ I said, ‘No’. He asked, ‘Are you Roald Dahl?’ I said, ‘No.’ Then he asked, ‘Then why are you here?’

Have you ever read Indian authors? Who’s your favourite?

I have read Indian authors, yes, and I am going to say this quite carefully. I think you have an author who is far superior to the sacred cows of Indian writing – RK Narayan is the real thing, he’s wonderful. I prefer him to your sacred cows, and I think you know who I am referring to.

They tell me more Indians are writing books than anybody else in the world. But remember, and these are scary numbers: For every 1,000 books sent to publishers, only one is published. For every 10,000 books published, only one makes it to the bestsellers’ lists. And for every 1,000 books on the bestsellers’ lists, only one makes it to #1. The odds are against you, but that must not stop you from going ahead and writing. There are always surprises. (Watch Archer taking questions in the video below)

 

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Medha Patkar arrested from Golibar Maidan

Activist arrested from Khar site where slum dwellers are being evicted all day. Protesters allege that cops have thrashed them.
by National Alliance of People’s Movements

In a series of illegal actions against the urban poor in Mumbai, the city Police today came down heavily on Medha Patkar and a group of people resisitng the illegal evictions at Golibar, Khar (East). Other active local residents including Prerna Gaikwad, Ajit and 20 men and women have also been arrested this afternoon. Those protesting have been beaten up very badly by the police and goons on behalf of Shivalik Builders, in the presence of MHADA engineers and officials. The latest information is that at least 10 houses have been demolished at Golibar.

A posse of police vehicles and JCB machines are still at the place and the demolition drive is still on.

The bulldozers at Golibar, a 50-year-old slum, are once again out to demolish and evict the slum dwellers who have been fighting corruption and a land grab by Shivalik Ventures, in which the 2G Spectrum scam-ridden Unitech has a stake. In the past, the slum dwellers have repeatedly opposed and exposed the illegal acts of the private developers who are all out to grab the land. It was only after the expose that the Chief Minister of Maharashtra scrapped the two 3K projects.

Even now, as usual, no notice has been served on the people before the demolitions. The Bombay High Court had directed that the residents must be relocated to a good transit camp that is in a completely livable condition, and also directed that individual agreements with the residents must be registered. However, without following this directive of the High Court, the demolitions are continuing in a totally illegal maner. It is also significant to note that as recently as on January 18, the CEO of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), Nirmal Deshmukh, ordered a halt to the demolitions, but the same has started once again, with MHADA’s intervention.”

Update: The NAPM has demanded the immediate release of all detainees, and immediate action on the police personnel involved in the demolition drive. Another demand is for action against Shivalik Builders for several alleged illegalities and encroachments on the land by the firm.

(Picture courtesy thehindu.com. Image is a file pic)

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Boman brings the house down for street children

Noted actor entertained a packed Shanmukhananda Auditorium recently, then tweeted to garner support for the cause. All this, for free.

On Saturday, March 2, Shelter Don Bosco, an institution that looks after street children in the city, celebrated their silver jubilee, and Bollywood actor Boman Irani made it an affair to remember for the packed-to-capacity audience at Shanmukhananda Auditorium.

He brought the house down with his antics and music, and in the end had each of the audience members on their feet, applauding him as he sang ‘We Are The World’, mimicking all the voices in the legendary song, right from Lionel Richie to Willie Nelson, and from Tina Turner to Michael Jackson. Singer Manasi Scott accompanied him on the song.

What’s more, the event’s organisers claim that the actor was up early the next morning, tweeting to urge his Twitter followers to help out the Institute. And by the end of the day, he had a sizeable assurance of help pouring in. The actor reportedly did not charge a fee for making the appearance, and has been associated with the organisation’s events for the last 10 years.

The evening began with Manasi Scott and Chrisann Misquitta on the grand piano with their rendition of ‘Fever’ and an improvised ‘Imagine’. Then came the Monsorate Brothers with ‘Effie’ and they simply had the audience rooted to their seats with hit numbers from 1920 till the 80s, before ending with RD Burman classics. Manasi and her band performed to ‘Skyfall’, ‘Titanium’ and ‘Iktara’. She brought the curtains down on her performance with ‘Mama Mia!’

The entire event was conceptualised and executed by Light Infotainment. Speaking on the occasion, Martin D’Souza of Light Infotainment said, “We wanted to give something to everyone who watched the show. We knew the audience would range from eight to 80 years.”

(Picture courtesy indya.com)

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