Being a Movie Critic

If you are an Indian, then you’re also expert on two particular topics – Movies and Cricket. We like to talk about these endlessly. Everyone has an opinion. From Sehwag’s bad form to what makes the three Khans the kings of Bollywood, we know it all. Fridays have become such important days for us, as we all look forward to the release of the next Bollywood blockbuster. But a new predicament has arisen thanks to the number of movies releasing each week and the cost of tickets at multiplexes. It has become important to know which movie is worth investing our money in. This is where movie critics come to our rescue! They watch the movie so that you can decide whether to watch it or give it a skip. Discovering Mumbai recently interviewed ‘Blessy Chettiar’ a movie critic at DNA newspaper to understand what it means to be a movie critic!

It's Showtime!

Finally we found something on Facebook that made us smile! Something that we were yearning for since last three years and that thing is ‘company’. Company to watch plays, comic or intense. It’s rather odd, but true, that in a city like Mumbai it’s still tough to find people who would willingly accompany you for watching a play. We are not the ones to take our friends to plays gunpoint; the same friends that would willingly pay through the nose for a mindless Bollywood flick at an expensive multiplex! If your countless attempts to tempt your friends to watch a play have failed then ‘Its Showtime’ is your saviour. Its Showtime, a Facebook group has been founded by Salonee Sanghvi Doshi, a Mumbaikar who is undoubtedly in love with theatre.

The World of Manga

Welcome to the world where limits are defined only by the extent of one’s imagination. Welcome to the world of flying creatures, magicians, wizards and even aliens; a world where some people are confused about how to wear their underwear. A world full of superheroes and the evil, sinister villains who are hell bent on destroying our world, come what may! A world of damsels in distress and knights in shining armour. It’s a world where little sticks cast spell and brooms are flying machines. This is the intriguing, mystical and bewitching world of comic books and you are cordially invited to this world by ‘LeapingWindows’ – a comic book library in the suburb of Andheri. So are you ready to leap through the window to undertake a voyage through the world of manga?

A view of the library

Guest Post: Amanda Rivera

This is a day of firsts. Today Discovering Mumbai presents it's first guest post. Also this is the first time that we are stepping outside the borders of Mumbai to bring to you a story from another equally enchanting metropolis - Delhi. Today's guest post writer is Amanda Rivera.

Amanda Rivera is a young professional working and making her way through the beautiful chaos of Delhi. After spending time throughout the USA, Europe, and a brief stint in Southeast Asia, she is excited to make India her home.

'Bitter Reality' is a gripping post about her not so great experiences in Delhi. Her blog is special as it gives you an insight on how a single American woman is adjusting to life in Delhi. You can read your blog here.

The Spirit of Mumbai

Mumbai and monsoons share a very puzzling relation. The average Mumbaikar beaten down by the summer heat, eagerly awaits its arrival. They also welcome its arrival by having fun in the first rains, to heading out to hill stations as soon as the first rains arrive. But this festive spirit is short lived, as the early light showers give way to heavy downpour, the citizens can be seen wearing a weary look. As an implied rule goes, Mumbai has to be brought to halt by heavy rains at least once every monsoon. Even after pumping in crores of funds and putting in years of efforts the solution to the problem of flooding seems far-fetched.

We got featured by easyvoyage.co.uk

Hey guys we got featured on the India Travel Blogs page of EasyVoyage, a UK website. Here is what they have to say about us –

Comments: Featuring talented up-and-coming artists, performers, and entrepreneurs doing unique work, this blog is a great resource to know the city of Mumbai.  

Strong point: Their interviews give you a look at young Mumbai residents and their passions.

There some other great blogs on this page too. You can check out the page here - http://www.easyvoyage.co.uk/india/blogs

Highway to Hell

We all love the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the city. We love to party hard, booze and a great night. The youth of the city, in particular, like to revel at the many nightlife destinations the city has to offer. Alcohol consumption is obviously a growing trend in a city like ours. Also on the rise is the trend of drunken driving cases and accidents. Many youth have lost their lives thanks to driving under the influence of alcohol, and many of these were very young! Alarmed by the rise in accidents due to drunk driving, the students of RD National College, Bandra, have started a drive ‘HIGH’way to Hell’; which aims to create awareness against drunk driving and hopefully save young lives from being wasted.

Life is a Cartoon

The city is huge and damn fast. Wherever you look, you will only find people in hurry! People going about their daily routine, oblivious to their surroundings, in the hurry to catch a train, a bus or maybe an auto-rickshaw. No one walks here, they all speed-walk! Through the course of your average day you come across many people, you have many interactions. The streets are bustling with interactions, incidents and accidents. Some incidents, you are a mere spectator, some, you’re part of. The tech savvy generation of today documents many of these incidents on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. However there a few who look at these incidents from a very different viewpoint. One of them is Saakshi Vyaas, for whom, such incidents from her daily life become the source of her illustrations. Discovering Mumbai presents the story of ‘Saakshi Vyas’, Mumbai based freelance illustrator.

The Comedy Star

These are very stressful times indeed! Stress is all around us, from rising inflation and falling Sensex, from rising corruption to a slowing economy and a Prime Minister who doesn’t speak up! There are endless sources of stress! Stress related diseases are on the rise. If only life was little less stressful! It would have been so much better, wouldn’t it be? But fighting stress is no rocket science, all you need are simple things, maybe, all you need is just a bit of laughter! And that is what this lady and her colleagues are trying to propagate. This wonderful crop of people called stand-up comedians, are trying their best to make us laugh out loud and have some relief from the stressful lives we live. Discovering Mumbai presents ‘Aditi Mittal’, a rising star on the stand-up comedy circuit. We had a great time at her show @The Comedy Store and that was followed by an equally amazing interview. We can vouch that she is as good off stage, as she is on stage!

A tour like no other!

Slums have often been looked down upon, a neglected part of the city. But these are also some of the most enterprising parts of our city. Dharavi, especially, is renowned for its many house industries. Lately, the focus of media and writers on this patch of the city has been helping in changing the perception about slums. A lot still needs to be done, to change the image of these places and also for bringing about a change in the lives of its residents. The negative perception can only be changed through educating people and what better way than taking them to ground zero. This is the aim of ‘Reality Toursand Travels’, they want you to witness first hand, the life in these slums; they want to wash your eyes off the perceptions that you were carrying for years and see these places in a new light. And while doing all this they also want to help the residents of these places, they want to help them lead a better life, a life that everyone dreams of when they land in Mumbai.

Dharavi