She is an elderly lady and sells bubble maker at Gateway of India and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya ( formerly known as Prince of Wales Museum). I looked at her while she was talking to a chai wala in a rough and abusive language at Gateway of India, we again crossed our ways at museum while she was blowing the bubbles in front of some children in the hope that they will purchase her bubble maker. With some thoughts of taking a good portrait of her, when I focused my lens at her and she stopped me waving her hand ......I asked her permission to take her photo but she didn't allow me and I had to make peace with taking the photos of bubbles only. And that is how we started our discussion but she did not reveal anything about her. She only says life is hard but then this is life. She born and brought up in Mumbai but she did not like it to be called as Mumbai ........and says with a deep sigh....that Bombay was better....."Ye Mumbai apan se nahi bola jata saab.....saala jisko zindagi bhar alag naap se pukarta aaya uska naam kaise badal sakta hai bhala? (I cannot call this city as Mumbai, we have been calling this city as Bombay since our birth, giving it a different name is something like attacking on its identity.) She again started blowing the bubbles and said if you want to take a photo...purchase it and blow yourself but not my photo.....and she smiled and said "Don't act like Mumbaikars but behave like bambaiyah". I made her understand it that i cannot take the photograph while I myself blowing the bubbles. I paid her the price of the bubble maker and took the photograph thinking that someday I will capture you as well with your permission. I will be a Bambaiyaah......and Not Mumbaikar :)
0 comments:
Post a Comment