Moving ahead in elite world

I have a high regard for those people who strive, they take a risk & without fear of the consequence, but have dared to move ahead. Here are 4 of my journalist friends. They are all hard core Maharashtrians, who worked in Marathi newspapers. They took the decision of taking that BIG step & moving into the English media, with the tide. Suddenly in 2004-2005 there were lot more openings, more & more reporters from regional media were being sought after by the elite English media editors.

Simple logic, the real reporters who know the pulse are from Marathi -regional media of the state & hindi. Many may not agree or like my view, but it is true & one can see from their contacts, sources & articles. Most of all the backgrounds they have come from are soo typical Marathi & the odds they have battled to get to where they are today, is most credible. I think all Sainiks..whether Shiv Sena or MNS really need to take lessons from these 4. I always say we all who are better equipped, have access to information & knowledge need to help people like these 4. They are so UNLIKE typical maharashtrians, though let me tell you they still live & breathe in their traditional localities. They may have invested in new apartments but haven't forgotten their roots or traditions. And i soooo luv these 4 friends for being themselves -simple, Marathi boys who are not whiners.

KT who started with Maharashtra Times, moved over to Midday a tabloid, then DNA (like many of us) & now as deputy bur head, India Today. He has come a long way. seniors were extremely critical of his jump from DNA to a national magazine Ind Today. However i beleive one must move & take the risks rather than wait & regret that they missed the bus. KT has done some v good stories in his career & more so he adjusted to writing in english, learning to write crisp stories. With some initial diffidence he can talk confidently with the editor, desk persons in English. The move as i saw will help him develop a writing style & help him think originally in English, rather than think in Marathi. The fact that he has taken this bold move i think will help him tremendously. The first case in trying hard & going beyond one's Marathi roots. KT is fm Dombivli-hard core middle class Marathi Brahmin suburb of Mumbai. His family too is traditional & he is proud of his roots. But unlike travelling up & down & getting stuck in a cacoon which becomes a protective shield, he has moved on to take more challenges.

Second is PM. Typical proud, loving personality & true blood Maratha. Like many Maharashtrians he has his fat-fati, is tremendously low profile & wears his ray bans like all Maharashtrains like goggles. He worked in Loksatta, Sakal marathi papers & moved into a leading Tabloid Mumbai Mirror when it launched. Has good contacts in the political arena & still holds himself back. PM does some good civic stories. This is one Marathi reporter who has great contacts & still doesn't tap them for greater stories. He has a treasure of information & knowledge. More interesting is the fact that the politicians he knows are of state & national stature, but NEVER & i push him for not giving those kinds of stories..if he did he will get mroe success. Diffidence, staunchly maintaining low profile. Often that makes him look like he's underperforming, actually he's just chilling. He'd rather stay away from the mad rush. But that often tends to make seniors ignore him & his talent. He also has stayed away from covering political beat full fledged, wc is not correct. I don't know what he fears, because i do think with the contacts he has he will do more justice than others... PM is a silent worker, amicable & great company to be with. The envious English-speaking elite journalists however have always tried to put him down. Pass rumour he can't write to save his skin. But my fight with these types has ALWAYS been, he is a reporter. News organisations have a desk, its their job to re-write a good article. Reporter is hired to go out & get a good story. Yes, unlike KT, PM needs to be pushed, he needs cajoling, sometimes a pat on the back. He lives in Kalachowkie so traditionally Marathi, those hard core Bombayites would know. This feeling runs in his kid daughter too. Although PM has bought a new house, she has made it clear to the father she wants her grand parents & friends & Kalachowkie is the area where their true 'home' is. I can see him smile as he reads this...

SM, is another friend who read my previous -blog on 'Learning Marathi' & sent me a sms saying, "Liked ur article on blog...inspired..want to learn english..m so weak in lang..." This is one friend who I admire loads. SM worked in Saamna. He moved to Midday & I remember half the world pulling him down. Having lived in a BDD chawl, his whole upbringing is traditionally Mahrashtrian. He went into journalism with the ideology he grew up with. His parents too have toiled hard. Today he has invested in a nice house at nana chowk, but he is still simple man with tall dreams.

SM moved in English tabloid Midday when all the Maharashtrians told him, "bagh ghasarlsheel" You will find it tough..he still went ahead. What i like about SM is that he calls if he is stuck with words, framing sentence or paras. He hasn't developed the ego that prevents him from asking & thereby learning. He went a step ahead & asked me to give him a nice eng novel that will help him learn more. This attitude has helped SM a lot. He's still soooo simple i'm relieved to see that. He is a helpful person & shares sources, nos & has brilliant ideas. I am glad if he sticks in media as he has moved well with the times. His wife too is in broadcast media & though in Marathi, she too is a formidable journo. Both helping each other & learning at the same time will surely take them forward. What i like most is that he asks & wants to learn more...

lastly but not the least...is SA. He's my dear. He has come from abso poor background, child of a worker. He has come up only on merit & hard work. I am not at all surprised that he says, "Pahila dev, aai-baba ani nantar baki sarva." For this statement & belief in himself, i have utmost regard for him. Also for his tireless effort to work hard & excel. Today he is the best health reporter in Mumbai city.

His beginning may have been small but his dreams, ambition, attitude, hard work & goals have never been small. His connections in health sector, doctors or now in life are the best in the city. He has earned a well deserving name for himself. He has only struggled to achieve it. He NEVER hesitates to call & ask me, health experts, seniors if he is stuck for some word. He is the star reporter of Mirror who moved to DNA. His climb is credible. Saamna, Mirror & now DNA.

He's gone everywhere on his terms & conditions. He has shown he is capable of great stories, political, helath or bazars of the city His rivals, many eng speaking elite, snoots have scorned him. The buzz when he bgan having concrete talks with DNA was "neeta SA is coming to DNA lets see how long madam will tolerate him. He hasn't mvoed with the times, changed, he can't write a word of English." Is it? have these spreading the rumour work with him? Have they seen his copies? Have they chalked his progress as a reporter? No. Then another 2 reporters told me, "He butts in other people's beats na? He does stories fm all beats na?" Why this fear & insecurity? Because when you are very good, have the talent then others are bound to be scared. I am glad that these girls are talking abt SA like this. It shows he is capable of great work.

Also, SA's attitude reflects on his middle class Marathi roots. He is thankful to those who have helped in getting good stories. He calls them once a month, keeps in touch with them. He has the people's skills. He is also enterprising. More so he has never forgotten his poor background. He has been helping other poor children minute he started working as a journalist. He teaches the kids at the night school. He helps as many poor children as he can for health, medical issues. He helps others too. He is clean hearted good lad who wants to do well. He hasn't shed his childhood friends, his background & is never shy of saying it. He doesn't hide his colours, Marathi ness. He has a fine sense of humour & rapatoire whereby he can even make fun of english taught & spoken in Marathi schools.

These are 4 Marathi friends whom i have a high regard. I've always maintained, these are the kind who need all our help as seniors in the field. Their efforts to excel in English news field & not at the cost of their values, ethics & backgrounds is such a big feat i truly am proud of it.

Learning Marathi

Of late in one week 2 women friends have shown interest in wanting to learn marathi. They have begun staying in Mumbai after a long gap. One Bengali who was born here, lived for a while & father being in govt services moved around. She lost touch of school Marathi. She asked me online, "How to say happy b'day in Marathi, Neeta." I smiled told her its said, Vadhdivsachya shubhechcha."

She asked me whether i will speak to her in Marathi. I was happy to see the enthu. She said she is scared to speak in Marathi because she fears she will make mistakes. I told her if we don't mistakes S then we will never learn. That is about every aspect of our lives. Our whole schooling & correcting methods are DONT, NEVER, IF THEN..punishment. WRONG means bad...hey common we ain't robots. So she is trying now.

another friend, colleague, who sat behind me again another S has been quietly learning marathi on her own. She chats wt me, asks for few words. In fact she has bought a learn quick marathi, or easy to speak marathi book. She asks few words on chat or when we meet. She is a Jain who lived in Kolkatta & can speak few languages. This S has in fact gone a step ahead. She has in fact told her father that since she lives here he shld send all her tax papers, so that she can file her IT taxes, returns fm here instead of West Bengal.

This is their Karma bhoomi & they want to keep it that way, silently. DNA has a lot of good & nice people. Really. The new HR head is a relief, considering we've had a track record of all sorts, especially typical bengali, this H Ghosh is like god sent. He doesn't encourage Bengalis who show familiarity to him. Begin speaking in Bengali instantly, or say where in Bengal, Kolkatta you are fm, I'm fm so & so place, blah blah. He says his janma bhoomi is West Bengal, but his karma bhoomi is Mumbai. He speaks chaste marathi & loves Mumbai.

These are noteworthy efforts. They won't go down in history record books, but surely we Mumbaikars need to appreciate their efforts. Somewhere i feel them being women too makes a difference. Do i sound biased? may be. But experience doesn't contradict me. Women take that little extra effort to adjust to new environment, learn something new, equip if that creates a sense of semblence, serenity & equilibrium. Ok won't elaborate on this too much. More so these MNSs, Sena types instead of spewing venom in the name of Marathi shld go & give bouquets to such silent residents who want to make Mumbai their home.

When i went to Bangalore in 1999, i would carry a notebook, stop all & sundry to jot down words in Kannada. Being the bureau head of a tv channel i had to pick up the language ASAP, like yday types. Coz the leading politicians feared a Thackeray type there called Vatal Nagraj. He toh does vatola of everything.. destructs. I had already learnt few words, kept my ears wide open. So that i could at least grasp the gist. Yes, i have an ear for language & more the tones. somehow across languages some sounds convey the same emotion.

Kannadiga people appreciated that i took that effort of noting, asking & making mistakes. But believe me it was easier to make mistakes in Kannada than Marathi. I'd laugh with them when i made mistakes. More so many males liked i asked them to teach some abuses in Kannada. Obviously because one must know abuses in everylang. It says a lot..

however When i began speaking in Marathi, made mistakes it was seen as worse than killing a human!

Now people won't believe if they heard me speak Marathi today. That once upon a time (no i don't believe in fairy tales) i really didnt know how to write or speak in chaste Marathi is something im not ashamed to say. I would listen to the pronounciations & then write what i'd heard. so, instead of writing bolayala, i'd write bolaila, because that was the sound that fell upon my ears. Father thankfully gave up on me in childhood-see where i've reached today- he once saw my music notings i'd written sa-re-ga-ma in English phonetics & he lost it. His temp reached sky level & whatever happened thereafter, i have blanked out ...

Then many would make fun of me, haha..its not like that..arey you don't even know? How badly you speak...do u have any shame? Arey ur a Kolhatkar, Brahmin. Initially i would get hurt, then my horns would come up toink. Excuse me Marathi is NOT my mother tongue. It is Gujarati. My mother is fm Billimora & wrote, spoke lived Gujarati. I infact learnt Parsi-Gujju vv Bilimora types. Then my entire schooling was in a British Eng school. Pl NO convent. so Marathi was a 3rd lang for me. Yes, third lang. What we were taught was mughlike a parrot & puke in the exams. Where was the learning?

Unlike most others Chetan & Kartik wld be most encouraging. Papa made me buy plays, books, said start wt easy poets, writers. His father dada was toh great person. He'd say jaude loka boltat, tu prayatna karit ahes hech khoop zala. Tu kiti utkrushta Hindi boltes...come more on tv..adorable i tell you. mother wasn't concerned, other typical Baman neighbours would make snide remarks & evetnually sent their kids to the same school as ours.

At home speaking to aaji was NO issue. Or writing letters to her. She'd listen to my sister & me fight..argue...she's say say kay stupid, idiot, donkey monkey bolta ek mikina..marathi bhanda ki..My aaji, granny was a doll personified. I'd have killed someone & she would still have protected me like i was an innocent child. So she wouldn't pull me up. the childhood days the Father was on another planet, I say fm Hitler's planet. Baba is polar opposite today. We sat down & did translation of Srikrishna commission & India's riots cases post Babri masjid demolition. A person wanted those translations, every morn baba & i wld sit at the table & work..with all fights, arguments, snide remarks he against Muslims, me against the Hindus, especially Bamans.

Mother aai was the best. She'd say jaude mala he yet nahi tevdha jar ka ala tula,khoop zala. So learning marathi was daunting for me early in life. then because i spoke chaste, eloquent English i was derided, looked own upon. It is easier for these ladies. Maharashtrians are less mean to these women. Like most indians they too are victims of symbolic gestures.

One who shows enthu, tries needs to be helped & encrouaged i feel.

My column on dnaindia.com