Mumbai Marathon

It's that time of the year again. Mumbai will put on its shoes and run tomorrow! I won't. Missed the deadline...Not that I am keen runner:-)

Around 27000 participants, 1700 marathon runners, 7000 half marathoners, 17500 dream runners, 2500 60+ guys, 300 on wheel-chairs...

I had done this ad for the Standard Chartered marathon last year(unpublished)...

Related post: Me Mumbaikar, Me Marathoner

Me Mumbaikar, Me Marathoner

No, this doesn't describe me at all. I am quite lazy and do little exercise! Once in two months, I do Ramdev Maharaj's pranayam for about a week...But I did take part in the Mumbai Marathon last year. Only because Stanchart was my client! I trudged along for about 4.5 kilometres along with Sudheer(my friend from TBWA). Though, I did beat Meraj and Pooja:-)

While on the Marathon brief, had penned some lines. I thought I had misplaced them, till the 'copy' surfaced this week-end amidst piles of old magazines!

Since, the marathon is again round the corner, thought must share my copy with fellow bloggers. Thanks to Hiloni for beautifully art-directing the stuff and to Rithika for typesetting!

Here, it is...Lemme know if you guys like it!


Oh, I guess you can't read the copy...so here it is...

Kehte hain Bambai hamesha bhaagta rehta hai
Kabhi sapnon ke peeche, kabhi apnon ke liye
Kabhi umeed liye, kabhi zimmedaari se
kabhi naam ke peeche, hamesha kaam ke peeche

Is shehar ke har shaks ko hai bhaagne ki aadat
To aaeye har saal ki tarah, is saal bhi
Is betahasha bhaag ko daur mein badalein

21 janwari ko dauriye apne shehar ke liye
Kisi aur ke liye, ek khaas vajah ke liye

Mumbai Marathon. Ek Khaas Shehar. Ek Khas Vajah!

The Icon and the Idol

The great shehnai maestro, Ustad Bismillah Khan passed away quietly in his adopted city of Benaras a few days ago.

Yet, the Bharat Ratna holder, a true 'Indian Icon' did not get the coverage that he deserved from our TRP hungry 4X6 news channels( as they largely have 4 hours of content looped 6 times!).

News coverage of Ustad's passing away pales in comparison to the attention given by National TV to over-blown events in the past.

Whether it's the fate of the child marathoner Budhia Singh or the media created event of the Prince of the Ditch in Haryana. Or even the drama orchestrated around the muslim woman Gudia's marriage, talaak and remarriage!

When it comes to a man who devotes a lifetime to Indian music, we do not see the same sincerity of coverage. Even Shakti Kapoor's indecent proposal got more News TV time than Ustad Bismillah.

I guess Indian News TV has succeeded in creating a world where largely inane, inconsequential events but with 'eye-ball potential get preference. Real news, significant events with impact and fading icons can wait.

Sadly, we are living in an age where Abhijit Sawant, winner of the Sony 'Indian Idol' gets a crore in corporate sponsorship while the Bharat Ratna holder and his family live in poverty in the absence of any support and away from the attention of 'eyeballs-aged-28'.