Remembrance

The "tasteless" coffee at work

Amici ice cream being Rs. 70

Railway crossings

Green tea

Street Soul has great accessories

Accessories and bags from Hong Kong

I knew you for only a month, yet the impact was unmistakable.

Movie anyone?

Just days after the terrorist attacks shook Mumbai, Vilasrao Deshmukh entered the Taj with his entourage which included his actor son Riteish Deshmukh and film director Ram Gopal Verma. The media and public were very vocal about their shock and anger.

Now, almost a month after the attacks, several movie titles have been registered with the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) and Association of Motion Picture and Television Programme Producers (AMPTPP), which include '26 Taj' and 'Birds Point of View: Taj Terror'. What makes this so despicable is that it seems like the titles are registered from the terrorists' point of view. One could even imagine that the terrorists' master plan could have been called 'Opertaion 5 Star Mumbai' or 'Taj to Oberoi', both of which have been registered.

Although I am part of a media agency, I have always been of the opinion that the media intrudes way too much into people's personal lives. I know - that is what they are paid to do - scoop out the gossip, but there is always a fine line that cannot be crossed.

They were just as intrusive when Amitabh Bachchan was taken to hospital. There was a fine line between reporting the news to the concerned fans, and just clearly overshooting that by intruding and poking their noses where it wasn't welcome. And now this! People are still mourning the loss of lives due to the attacks and here we have selfish, greedy, immature people trying to make a buck from it.

Even if people are interested in paying tribute to those who lost their lives, why make a film? A simple documentary would also suffice - one that is not shown to the public for money - one that is not commercial - one that simply shows the heroic armed forces, the courageous and selfless martyrs, and the plight of the victims.

I have only one thing to say to those who have registered the movie titles - May they spend a million bucks to recreate the tragedy, only to have it open to empty theatres!

A few men with guns cannot change Bombay

At 3 am on Thursday morning, five hours into the attack, with gunfire and grenade explosions going on above her, the receptionist picked up the phone at the Taj and said: “The Taj Mahal Hotel, good morning.”

A few men with guns cannot change Bombay

-- Aakar Patel, former journalist