How Private is the affair of Store brands?

Walk into any supermarket and you are bound to come across new products / brands adorning the shelves every week or fortnight. And these new products/ brands are not always the popular consumer brands which we could easily buy from any kirana store aka mom and pop stores in our neighbourhood, all this while. These brands, you will notice belong to the super market stores that you regularly visit for shopping and are available nowhere else but only within those stores.

A lot has already been written about the store brands/ private labels and a lot of marketing science and strategy has been applied to make them popular like the other consumer brands. We have also come across the logic of having store brands and how they are profitable for the store marketers. Price is usually on top of the facts and how the intent is to provide great value at reasonable prices. Reasonable is often articulated to mean discount or priced less than the other competitive brands for the budget sensitive Indian household.

But mind it, it is just the beginning. There will be more and more private labels / store brands in the days to come bringing with it a lot of tension for the categories and regular consumer brands.

Cut the chase for a moment. For me this whole phenomena and the way it is going, rings very different bells. I get reminded of very different things and wonder how we could draw inspiration from it as a piece of insight for the private labels.

This experience and observation that I am going to share will be more familiar and reflective with people who have stayed in smaller towns, especially with their grandparents or visited their home town/village during holidays or vacation. But otherwise also I am sure there would be people who would have experienced it in some way or the other.

My grandmother had this very unique intellect of recipes and talent of home-made snacking. During summers when we used to go to our native place we could see how engrossed she used to be with the preparation of as many varieties of pickles, papads, dry snacks and so more. She knew how to make pickles from chilly both red and green, mangoes, amla, garlic etc. and varieties of products that I don’t even know what they are called in English ( I am sincerely not making an effort also to know now). All that she prepared used to get divided between her children and my mother used to get back with her our share for the season. My dad naturally was addicted to his mother’s recipe and so my mother had to either learn it or simply outsource, like in this case.

My grandmother would have her day clearly planned out and keep almost all the kids busy with work. The kids used to be appointed as guards/monitors around the place where these specialities were laid out in the sun for drying or getting marinated. Our playground for some days used to change completely and our presence had become more vigilant.

Examples like these are plenty and even today I see reflections of those activities at our home in a metropolitan city like Mumbai. My mother when she is visiting us in Mumbai, never forgets to prepare kilos of ghee before she boards her train back home. And we do have an important role to play in these magical creations. We have to keep collecting the ‘malai’ or the cream of milk everyday without fail, so that when she comes we have collected  couple of kilos of cream for making ghee. As a daily chore she will never forget to prepare dahi at home over night, lassi in the morning or chaas in the afternoon.

She is also skilled to make pastes and purees for her cooking. She never recommends to buy any garlic, ginger paste or even masala’s. She likes to grind them herself after buying the spices raw from a very particular kirana store. She will not mind going a distance to procure and carry back home. The only difference between her and my grandmother is that my grandmother was well equipped with human resources who would do all the peripheral activities and she would do the main course. Unfortunately I cannot afford an army of servants and so I/we pitch in when its a weekend or a holiday.

I would like to call these ‘home brands’, the brand being ‘Maa ka Jaadoo’. I am sure something went down your spine and struck a chord. Any day this brand is more like able and affordable - ‘sasta’ than any that we would buy from a store. It lasts longer and evokes certain feelings or nostalgia every time we consume. It reminds us of them who would otherwise be absent sometimes.

Something very similar to what store marketers have adopted in their pursuit of happiness (profits) by calling it private brands or home grown labels. But similarity is only in the manner we are asked to consider, otherwise there is no similarity. They are also packaged like the other popular consumer brands and have a shelf life. The taste would certainly be good but not as good and enduring as a ‘Maa ka Jaadoo’ recipe. There is something about MKJ brand which cannot be explained and has more value than any VFM brand that is constantly waiting to entice us.

I wonder what could be the learning and insight from our very own MKJ brand and the tradition.

I am not as knowledgeable as the gurus with mantras but I certainly feel that there is an entire mystery which the private labels or store brands are yet to uncover.

To share my point of view I will create hypothetical situations as we go ahead. Only time will tell us if they can be realized in practise.

‘Gharana’ is a 21^st century supermarket in a metro. It’s almost two years since Gharana opened its first store in the city. It is doing well with above average footfalls. It is located on a busy road in a densely populated area which works as an advantage.

Recently Gharana has introduced a range of products that are similar to the ones I have mentioned above. What catches my attention is the way these products are being marketed. The brand is called “Yaadein” and its portfolio comprises of products that are home-made preparations. Yaadein is about pickles, papads, chutneys, spices, condiments, pastes, dahi, ghee etc etc. The difference is that these products are made by the Indian housewives themselves. There are a group of women, housewives to be precise, with whom Gharana has tied up to prepare recipes for such products and even make them. The same is collected from these women across cities/towns and then packed and labelled at their warehouse. From the outside it seems that these women work in groups and have been appointed by Gharana after a screening process.  The process would have involved their demonstration of skills to prepare such home-made products and inclination to engage as a producer of such products. The other belief is that these women are asked to prepare what they are best at. Everybody is not making everything. There are groups or departments on the basis of their expertise and interest.

Coming to the brand, this brand is a people inclusive brand. It is there because there are these highly skilled women who take the onus to nourish it. These women are the reason for its existence and it portrays a very simple outlook. Everything about it is warm and very passionate. Quality is not even a subject for contention. It is what you would otherwise have at your own home.

The other good thing about the brand is that it is an empowering agent or catalyst for making housewives more self reliant. And it is not a charity but about ownership and participation. It is not an NGO or institution about upliftment of women, it is about bringing alive living a rich tradition and discovering the many magical talents hidden in our home makers. All these women are partners in progress for the brand.

Likewise there are many categories in which these women are the producers and Gharana is spending heavily to identify newer segments in which it could engage and partner with more and more women across India.

The other interesting thing about Yaadien is that it brings the producer upfront. All Yaadein packs have a protagonist or the main person behind the scene/making of the product. So while the other products that we buy, we only come to know about the manufacturing company’s name and address, with Yaadein you actually get to know the person who has made an effort to prepare something for you. You can speak to them, meet them and interact with them, share your experiences and give your inputs for improvements if at all. There is certainly more connectivity and more networking. It is a cult!

These women are engaged in activities like tasting sessions, sampling etc where they test their new preparations with other women before selecting and freezing on the one that would be produced in scale.

It is an inside out approach. Normally, what we want, we go and buy from outside, without much thought. We probably read the brand label, see the familiarity, past knowledge/experience, pricing, packaging etc. Now what we want is coming from somewhere that is like our own house, our own kitchen, someone who is like our own grandmother, mother or homemaker. There is more appreciation and comfort.

What Gharana needs to develop going forward, is a way to store and package them for a decent shelf life. Sourcing and collection system has to be more efficient and cost effective. Providing raw material and supplies have to be in advance so that the orders are fulfilled without any delay and disaster.

The brand should not consider doing things to beat or heat competition. This is not about who is best, as we know, who are the best. It is about providing a whole new way of enriching the skills and talent that resides in all the home-makers. And there can several ways and opportunities for all kinds of women.

Someone says, even the shampoo and hair care products are being produced and marketed in a similar fashion.

I am sure there will be more newer products in the days to come, once Gharana has figured out how to source and pack. There are certainly going to be challenges of SCM but like every other situation, a solution will always be within the problem itself. Its only about time that we turn the problem upside down.

I don’t think Gharana is looking at any big super market for inspiration and expansion strategy. I don’t think Gharana even needs to keep what others already have.       

Currently the store brands are struggling with the regular consumer brands and trying to etch their own script in the minds of customer. They are trying to be everything that a popular brand is all about, by looks, by name and by quality.

If it is a private brand, be something private about it, with the help of the store brand essence. Try to be in the personal space of people. Don’t emulate the popular brands in communication or positioning. Identify something more private in emotional quotient. Don’t name private labels like any other consumer brand, have a very personalized approach. Don’t get carried away by the glitz and glamour of the popular brands, be simple and warm. Be social and inclusive, rather than public and exclusive.

Keep the truth! Keep the faith!

Remember its after all Yaadein of our own Gharana.

Speaksfree: Charm of the new, shadowed by me-too

Speaksfree: Charm of the new, shadowed by me-too

Charm of the new, shadowed by me-too

Everybody wants to wake up every morning as a new person. In the pursuit we transform ourselves from the outside but hardly look on the inside. We believe by changing clothes we will be perceived as different people, by changing our shoes we will project a different us or by putting on a new fragrance we will be more approachable. Is it a myth or is it a way to complement ourselves for our changing spirit? Above all, where does this come from because the extent to which this goes is unimaginable?

There is a close analogy of this human behaviour with brands. We are used to seeing new avatars of brands every now and then. And we also get quite inquisitive to know what made the change happen and what the intended desire is. We search for information on the changed brand avatar and then evaluate it basis our own knowledge and instincts. Some of us tend to agree and some of us have a critical view point. But that’s ok, as long as we have noticed the change and have a point of view. One size fits all is not true, right. Brands can only imagine to please everyone by doing what they are supposed to do and what they are not. In reality it is very difficult to take everyone together on the same boat. We have to prioritize between what is important to change and what is perceived to be qualified for change. Although both need to be significantly substantiated with reason and rationality.

But my head starts spinning when I interact with the anchors of change. After all, the people behind the transformation are the first reasons for change. Brands don’t come in our dreams asking for change, right. They don’t send sms, fax or email, asking for a change. However people do that to be the executors of a change. While I do not have statistics to prove or make a strong point about ‘what percentage of change is a result of one’s mind / intention’ or ‘what percentage of change happens because of one person’s ideas’. What I have is the understanding of the minds of the people behind the change (of a small sample).

My experience with some Small and Medium enterprises in the fast moving consumer goods sector has given me enough food for thought and more precisely to have a strong opinion on the subject of ‘branding change’. As a Design Manager and consultant I have interacted with many brand anchors (owners of brands) and have observed their behaviour towards this subject. These brand anchors are leaders in their own right. They are small scale players but they know their territory so well that you might have to think twice to even consider them insignificant. By territory, I don’t necessarily mean market. I mean to say, the game. They know their limits, the liberties, the gaps and the stretch. They think ‘inside out’ which does not mean out of the box. Inside out thinking means, they are highly calculative, rational and self contained.

But when they start to loosen the ropes, open up the boundaries and change some rules, they are really confused. While, I am highly pleased with their intention and conviction to see their brands grow in the new world order by adopting new brand building techniques and infusing inspiration from the bigger canvas, I get perturbed by their imagination powers. I do respect the way they have reached so far and respect how victoriously they have not succumbed to any global forces of change or crashes, but when I get into the perimeter of trust and confidence, I often see a very different them. Their solidity, their confidence, their managerial skills and all of that, makes me wonder and question ‘Why’.

I do understand that Design is a specialized subject and alien for most of them, but I believe that there is a designer in all of us. It’s just that we don’t see it in ourselves. A 40 year old professional or school teacher or a small businessman, they are all designers in their own lives, but may not have received degree or diploma as qualification. A person investing in mutual funds, ULIPS, LIC, Health insurance, real estate, gold or anything that has a valuable return over a period of time, is a designer for me. My mother is a better designer than me and my father was a much much better designer than her. In his lifetime he was very meticulous about his investments and earnings and had started planning even before I was born. We realize his design skills now, when he is no more with us but we have everything that he designed for our future.

We take the subject quite unfamiliarly and that is where the mistake happens. We get carried away by the many interpretations or forms of the word.

Now coming back to the subject, when it comes to SME’s, while they will issue and express all that they want in a brief, they do not realize that eventually they will have to evaluate the outcome and chose the best result. They often get confused between ‘what they will have to choose that is best for the consumer’ and ‘what they will have to choose that is not best for them’.

Over various attempts and interactions, they seem to get over the ‘best for them’ syndrome. The syndrome of MD likes pink and HR likes blue. There are several twists and turns and manipulations to please the ‘inside team’ and have a consensus before it is ready for external environment audit. The design gets operated ruthlessly leaving no charm in it and becoming weak as if it were a patient. The design actually gets treated like a patient, who is not diagnosed enough before applying the sharp instruments and drips. Every department has a say in it and they all tend to view and judge it from their own window.

If the team has been pushed out of this syndrome, they get caught in another fierce syndrome, and that is ‘to do it like them’. This is the midway or the safest according to them. There is evidence lying all around, so there is no fear or confusion. This evidence happens to be of a much mightier and successful brand, so the internal team is almost vulnerable to listen or follow accordingly. It may appear to be the safest because it has been done before and nothing wrong seems to have happened but this is a ‘KILL’. This is the time when you willingly become a prey to the wild beast, when all this while you were a leader of your own territory. You give in yourself to be battered and bruised, leaving no appreciation for what you underwent. The change seems to go unnoticed as the brand does not end up building singular equity. Take a small boat (equity) to cross the river but don’t sit among the fishermen (competition) and go fishing when you have to cross the river.

‘My brand should look premium, young and fun loving like brand X’ is the universal mantra for most of the SME’s brand anchors. Instead of evaluating on the basis of the past and future, the evaluation happens in the index of similarity and ownership of secondary elements of the leader. ‘Why can’t we have the same color as them’, or ‘why can’t you use the same font like them’ or even worse ‘why can’t you just take the same image and put our name on it’. Oops@!

To hell with Intellectual Property, the oxygen of the Design Industry.

It is a battle to explain and convince the anchors that the ‘change’ has to bring something ‘new and interesting’ if words like ‘differentiated and compelling’ are not the cup of tea. It is a war of the words and less of the worlds (brands). ‘Young’ is the oldest, excessively operated and most vulnerable patient, if the MD’s pink is too girlish for the nurses.

A word of caution for all brand service providers, never use jargon if you are not sure how it is going to be comprehended and never compare the solutions with what exists unless you are sure that what exists is not an eye candy. Too much candy will spoil the tooth (idea) and leave the gums (design) bleeding.

Till then, have a sweet day.

       

          

Speaksfree: Whose Mutter Paneer is it Anyway?

Speaksfree: Whose Mutter Paneer is it Anyway?: "Whose Mutter Paneer is it anyway?Bas naam hi kafi hai. Or what Shakespeare asked, ‘What’s in a name?’ Actually... Mutter Paneer is neither a..."

Whose Mutter Paneer is it Anyway?

Whose Mutter Paneer is it anyway?

Bas naam hi kafi hai. Or what Shakespeare asked, ‘What’s in a name?’ Actually...

Mutter Paneer is neither an invention,  nor is it a discovery. We cannot even trace back its origins. What we know confidently is that, our mother knows how to cook it best and our fingers can vouch for it. Cannot say about any other dish, but Mutter Paneer happens to be the most easily available dish in any part of the country, readily understood and widely consumed. However what changes from plate to plate is the color, texture, taste and appeal for the senses.

I am married to a hard core Vegetarian and what I have learnt is that, she is bored of it. All her life she has had it almost so regularly that when it’s time for her to cook in our kitchen, it is the last preference in our menu.

So we decided to not cook at home and find ways to appease our hunger for Mutter Paneer somewhere else.

To our surprise, as a dish it was easily available at any retail outlet in a packaged format. More literally speaking, in today’s consumerization, a ready to eat format. Or more precisely, pre cooked only heating required before eating. There were many brands available on the shelf that were offering not just Mutter Paneer but a range of other delicious variants like Dal makhani, chole, chicken and what not.

But before I delve further in the modern retail scenario and the availability issues, what makes me think about, is the inception.

Our tiffin box is probably the closest ancestor that I can think of. My mother used to give me home cooked food in my tiffin box so I could eat properly and not run after the street food which not be so hygienic. She used to cook fresh every morning and pack the tiffin with some chapattis, one subji, pieces of carrots, two cream biscuits as sweets etc. Normally the menu was different at least three-four days a week unless there was some demanded repetition. Eating out experience was first in school. You could also share or mix the subji from other friends and create your own lunch plate. Otherwise eating out, I mean, eating in restaurants was a seldom affair and we used to go out only on occasions. Special ones I must say, like birthday or parent’s anniversary.  

I also remember and I am sure others will recall, when I was young and used to go away from home for studies, outside of home town, my mother used to pack some dry snacks in a steel container for me. This was meant for those lonely nights when I would be (expectedly) studying and feel hungry in the middle of the night. These were the delicacies, intended to remind that someone somewhere really takes care of you and is watching you while you ‘study’. Not sure about the later half but definitely the remembrance would drive the deepest of emotions and compel me to study harder. Mission achieved. I would often keep them stored inside in the most secretive place to avoid being noticed by my other outstation friends, as this was something you did not want to share. Without being selfish, I would share a fraction of that on the day I would arrive and declare assets as finished.

Marrying the two thoughts as narrated above, I realize that ready to eat (heat and eat) food category is doing macroscopically abysmally. The brands are just not getting what they are expected to do and don’t do eventually and get nowhere but on the shelves.

If you look closely, stop at any of the food category aisles and watch the Ready to eat food brand packages, you will be surprised to see how Mutter Paneer looks so different from each other. Everybody is trying to sell you Mutter Paneer, and that is, but ironically want us to decide which one tastes better by selecting which one looks better. And the whole game is this. It is like a game.

You will never win if you were to compare any of these with what your mother cooked and served at home.

Recently while working for a foods company (as a brand design consultant), who have a range of products in the ready to eat (heat and eat) segment, I was actually confused about what should the ‘brand design speak’.

Several marketing / branding platforms have been tried in the last ten years but none have seemed to work for any one of them, at least in my view.

In the beginning, as an entry strategy or category creation move, brands looked at the time factor and used the scarcity of it, to convince the harrowed customer. The critical factor is the paucity of time to cook for a working woman. Because she is so busy with work, has to manage family and profession, has to take care of kids and adults, has to manage the kitchen and office, she ends up running behind schedule, quite often. And therefore she looks for something that is quick, easy to manage, less tiring and satisfying for all. So she picks up Ready to Eat (heat and eat) products from the shelf on her way home and makes her life easier. But is this true? Is she really the one who is moving the SKU’s from the shelves? Does she feel guilty about the short cut she adopts or the excuse for not cooking?

Another way of looking at time, is the lengthiness of the recipe. There are some foods which taste good when cooked as per the recipe. There are particular women, who follow a cooking process. They are the ones who do every step of the cooking to make sure that it tastes just like the veterans (their mothers or mother in-laws). They are keen to prepare different delicacies at home but feel short of right recipes, information or inspiration. The cookery shows, magazines do not motivate them much as they seem to be over indulging with ingredients, materials and preparation. For them it was a bonus but didn’t go down well as it lacked the “touch”. For us, Indians, there has to be that touch or haath ka kamal to appreciate the consumption.

The other strategy was price. This was meant for consumers who often got tempted to eat out but could not spend a couple of hundreds. India is a population of struggler's. We are always running around to make two ends meet. Our lives are like railway tracks. The tracks never meet, the track for income and the track for leisure. Meet if anytime, it is always a compromising situation. For the not so well off households, this was something that came as relief from pressure. Highly economical compared to restaurants and above all in the comfort of home watching TV. But what struck negatively is the limited quantity, less of mutter and paneer and more of curry, inability to fill the stomach aptly. Given that all Indian households are not ‘hum do and humare ek’ or even ‘ hum do aur humare do’.  But in average, families are more or less large, with at least three adults, of which two could be senior adults. If we are talking about ‘hum do and humare ek’ specifically then they are not the ones deprived of currency or ambition. But in regular Indian family of four or five, it is often arranged as an accompaniment and not the main course. While two things would be cooked, like one subzi and dal, this modern ready to eat Mutter Paneer would be served as an additive/ topping.

The other strategy was to target the well off. The segment which is considered as the shopper of Indian retail. High disposable income, travelled, educated , brand conscious and aspiring. They are looking for experiences out of the normal. They have the will and wit but rarer by choices. The strategy was to ignite the temptation of high life, fine dining, exotic mouth watering delicacy. The kinds that are served in so called Indian five stars, where dining is only a gift for someone you love or on invitation. But then everyday you cannot have dinner at a five star. And if you are the likes of those who have dinner at five stars, then we are not talking to you. So, to bring the sensation and the experience home, neighbours envy owners pride types, this was something special. The strategy was to attest the recipe or taste by the Chefs of five star hotels. This X Mutter Paneer has been prepared from the recipe books of the chefs of Nawaab’s/ Indian Maharaja’s. It didn’t cut ice as health was a concern, lot of Masala has been restricted, pills are more than the will at heart. Besides, the perception developed that to make the taste exotic, possibly there are artificial ingredients or flavourings or color used that would have adverse effect on the health.

Yeh bhi gaya kam se!

Now it was the turn to make us feel miserable and emotional together. That you live away from home and are deprived of good food is not your fault. It is your destiny. An insight used as strategy to appease the loners, near and dear one’s away from home thousand miles away. It was supposed to work with the youngsters who would get bored of eating out of tiffin everyday or could not afford junk food everyday affecting their health adversely. So Mutter Paneer that tastes like your mother’s recipe, as if cooked in your home kitchen in Lapata-gunj (a small town in a difficult to locate city on the map of India). If you are away from home, you miss the food that your mother prepared for you with all the spices of love, ingredients of Mamta and made you feel so special. But even this didn’t cut through with a generation hardly found in the four walls of what is called home away from home. Life is a struggle and even more struggling is to manage expenses. On top of it who cooks at home when there is “Raghu” downstairs giving you credit period for his smoky egg omelette's and hot tea with rusk or universally acclaimed Indian vada pav for Rs 5. If it is about substituting the taste of mother’s hand cooked food, then it is an illusion. Competition in today’s world cannot taste good with illusion.

And that you are staying in strange land is your company’s fault (to say the least). You were born and brought up in Bihar, studied in Delhi, graduated from Bengaluru, working in Chennai and married to a Gujarati.  Who is to be blamed for that? No one but your own self. So when you miss Delhi go and grab an Heinz Kitchen Klassic Amritsari Chole pack and if you miss your mamta pick up KCDas rasgulla, if you miss your friends pick up MTR Rasam Rice and if you love your wife so much get a Vimal Dhokla. Distances and memories were being challenged in the most myopic way. A generation that networks through bbm, lives on facebook, shops on ebay, meets on skype, shares on you-tube, will they need food to connect and express their emotions, knowing that nobody can ever prepare or compare with the Aloo parantha outside your college which you had with your un-facebook friends, whose memories are only there on a 5X7 Kodak photo paper.   

So finally we come back to Mutter Paneer.

How wisely all the Mutter Panner’s on the different packs look so different? With as many looks are as many questions of where is the ready to eat – heat and eat Mutter Paneer going to go. Who is the next cook, chef, loner or where is my kitchen?

What is the next wave of brand positioning? How do we make a Haldirams/ Kurkure/Polo/Mountain Dew/Alpenliebe/5 Star/ Fanta/Bisleri out of Ready to eat – heat and eat or any other in the category?

City that never sleeps often keeps you sleepless

Of all the cities I have been for work, leisure or studies, Mumbai definitely is unique and has a different impact on everyone. It has its own way of welcoming strangers and quite strange in its approach towards that.

I remember the first time I came to Mumbai, I had no clue about the city neither the desire to know as I was a guest for a day. Now that I have spent five years, I see that I was lucky and very fortunate that the first time I came here I got to stay with my relatives at Breach Candy. That was really good luck, I feel today. The place is one of the most upmarket residential localities in Mumbai and has the nerve to make you feel that you are so small. As a student, I had come for an interview 12 years ago, to get admission in a reputed MBA college in suburbs. Suburbs was not a word in my dictionary then. I did not know how far or close was this suburb and what makes it the so called suburbs. There were pictures of the city in my mind and I had made up my mind to visit them in reality, but was wrong as I didn’t know where they were and how to go about explaining anyone where I wished to go. These were pictures that I had registered while watching Bollywood movies. Bollywood movies were the only gateway to know the city which was 1700 kms away from my small town in the East. I still feel, the way Bollywood created the hype of Switzerland, thanks to Yash Raj Films, the same way I had impressions of Bombay in my mind. For e.g. the scene where Mr. Bachan driving his motorbike sings the title song of Muqaddar Ka Sikander, my favourite song, in the 80’s. Others being the car chase scene’s of Mr. Bachan’s movies and many other movies on Marine Drive , the bungalow on Band Stand which now is owned by King Khan was a favourite, the Kabutar Khana of Parinda where Mr. Anupam Kher gets shot, the Juhu beach where several romantic songs have been picturized, the bungalow from where Mr. Bachan used to wave at the fans, the hospital where he was admitted post the accident in ‘Coolie’ and many more . But these impressions were very un-glamorous and not heavenly like the snow clad Alps.

I had planned to make my 24hrs stay the most memorable one but unfortunately 6 hrs of that went in only visiting Mr. Bachan’s bungalow at Juhu. But the ‘moment’ standing there at the bottom of his bungalow dreaming that he would come out and wave at me and I would make that one big impression for which he would call me in and I would tell him how big a fan I was, was the most dedicated and foolish dream I have ever seen. He never came out and I never got any chance to wave back at him and cast my spell.

The most interesting and cooperative citizen of Bombay (in those days) was my black – yellow cab driver who did not let me down. His patience and enthusiasm, both were like ice on my wounded heart. However he was upset when he realized that I was a visitor for a day and would be leaving back for home the next morning. I also came to realize that he was my neighbour from East Uttar Pradesh, quite close to my place in the adjoining state. And he very well empathized with my condition. He took on himself to show me the more generous monuments for which you did not have to wait endlessly for a two way communication. The Fountain, Kala Ghoda, Gateway of India and the Taj Hotel were a delight to some degree but I was still upset. This time the reason were the people, pardon me, hundreds of thousands of people. I was too amazed to see the overflowing population of the city and people were like the bricks on the wall. While they moved they did not respond. They were like robots walking the talk, in their busy minds. They were all going somewhere, precisely, and were only focused on their destination. They were not bothered by who was walking next to them or who passed by next to them. But a small disturbance in the equilibrium, would cause the people swarm like bees around the spot. I also realized that somehow people who were exiting the Victoria Terminus outnumbered the ones going in or was it an illusion. Where were all these people coming from?

By evening I had lost all my strength and curiosity to wander any further. So I was dropped off at Colaba in a cafe for a few beer shots. I didn’t realize that you are not supposed to go everywhere without knowing where you are going and what for. Every place has its own ambiance and loyalists. I happened to visit a small cafe in a lane behind the Taj and was shocked to be in odds with African nationals. They were the only people hanging around in the cafe and were really very loud. They seemed to know almost every waiter, manager and the menu. They were gulping beer as if it was going to be a dry day the next hour. I was too insignificant for them, both in size and space. I perched myself on the bar counter with little room for 360 degree view. For the next hour or so, I guess I learnt how to make few cocktails and mocktails while staring at the bar tender, but have never tried offering my unique talent to someone till date. I did not realize in the beer buzz coupled with new talent acquisition that it was past midnight and in some time I would have to leave for the station to catch my train and end this whole episode of adventure.

When I stepped out, I was overwhelmed to see the density of heads and legs in that one street, which was smoky and barbecued. The whole place smelt of non veg being cooked on coal and barbecue and people were hogging as if curfew was going to be imposed in the next hour. At first I didn’t notice the place where all this was coming from and kept wondering if I had intruded in some one’s street party. Never heard of such a concept, but in this city you could expect the unexpected. I cursed myself for filling on burger and fries in the cafe, which is the last thing I would like to have after drinking beer. But the smell was so penetrating that I could not resist the temptation and gave in to the delicious kebabs and rotis.

This treat at two hours past midnight took away all my sorrow. It completed the adventure and filled in the gaps of disappointment during the day.

I can say for sure that this was the first day in my life (at 19 years) that I was awake for 20 hours in the day. The remaining four hours had to be given to sleep, to a night, that left me sleepless as I couldn’t get over the whole experience of the day even when I was asleep.

     

       

         

The City with One Flyover

A small town in Bihar was transformed into capital of a new state overnight. It was a struggle for almost a decade before separation, which finally came, but people could hardly make sense out of it. As always, change is criticized, so was the new found land. People were very skeptical about the future and governance, but after a decade when I look back, I feel proud and thank the people who took the ownership without rights, roles, responsibility, motive or profits. Its been a decade and the growth doesn't seem to stop. A lot of this change is attributed to the youth of the city who were once like the frog in a well.

I am referring to a small town on a plateau which was once the Summer Capital of the region and was renowned for its wonderful climate. A town which was a popular tourist destination for the travelers and people who were keen to go on holidays with family. There was one street in the town that was the centre of attraction for the whole of population. Very rightly it was called ' Main Road". It was an address that reflected the wealth and pomp residing in the city. There were only shops and shops on both the sides of the road. If it was a bridge it would have collapsed under the pressure of the number of people who visited the place every day. Still there was room for everyone and stands long and wide. Even today the most convenient mode of transportation in the city is the paddle rickshaw which is not obliged by any RTO and can carry as many passengers as can be dragged along. People were highly creative in those days as they managed to fit almost everyone on the 3X3 rickshaw. I am sure the small car brands could find a deep insight from them. Time was ample and it didn't matter how much time it would take from point A to point B. The point was to reach in one piece and with all in the family. In fact the male members would often get down and push the vehicle from behind on slopes or pull back when going down. It often resulted in re-arranging the seating position. The extra weights would really feel pity rather than embarrassed. They would cover up by giving another 50paise for the muscle that got pulled or could have and get going. Children would get squeezed in between or get perched on someones lap but never given proper seat. Often hanging from one side fiddling with the bangles or watch, held only by the arm and being dragged upwards once in a while when the ass was repositioned.   

This was a city with one flyover that was the bridge between the rich and service class people. A bridge that connected the commercial capital to residential haven. It was the bridge that was a deciding factor, at what age children can go beyond or remain within the boundaries. For the teenagers/young boys and girls, crossing the bridge without adults was perceived as rebellious. People (mothers/fathers) would often talk about seeing someone across and question the presence. Neighbours would often judge others children on the basis of the latitude and longitude of the notice point. And back home one had to think of a really good excuse or answer to justify the existence on the other side. One often wondered who was this person who was so interested to see who crossed over the bridge and who was doing what on the other side. I doubt if they were descendants of border security guards or paid spies.

The bridge had two different lives on either side. One side for purpose of simplicity was referred as "Colony". This side was full of peace, greenery, traffic signals, zebra crossing garages and cooperatives. The 'Colony' was inhabited by the more conventional intelligent lot working for PSU's, banks, hospitals, schools & tutors. Parents were more controlling, disciplinary, career oriented. Vehicles were more of the fiats and ambassadors. The first Maruti 800 was brought and driven on the Colonial side.

The other side was referred to as Main road and was full of jams, shops, motor transport, cattle without any fields but concrete roads, loud chanting of shlokas from gita, quran and granth sahib. People would park at their convenience and stop wherever they wanted to get down. The sides would be lined up with stores of all sizes. Those days there were no supermarkets, malls or departmental stores. And of course the dimly lit bars and restaurants. Eating and drinking in the not so well illuminated spots gave a sense of luxury and upmarket. There used to be one prime restaurant that would never stop serving. If the seats inside were full, orders would be served in the car by the road side. One sweet shop that was considered respectful and valued more than the wealth one had. If one would not carry sweets from this shop when making a social visit, it was considered disrespectful and cheap. One mega shop where being seen was attestation  of being modern and well off.

In all this, life was difficult for the growing up population as well. No girl would dare to walk the main road all by herself. And if noticed, there was something fishy about it already. And believe me, parents would have to go through hell explaining. Any girl with a boy was a disaster, even if the brother was mistaken for a stranger.

Today the city has changed completely. While the chaos still remains but the colonial and main road divide has fallen apart. Unlike the Berlin wall, the bridge was not broken down but has more brothers and sisters. The access to either sides have become easier from different points of the city. Flyovers have taken over but the charm is lost. No more are boundaries so relevant for social conclusions and freedom. 

They city has been set free.

Thanks to the same generation which used to suspend from one arm on the rickshaws. They have brought back a new lease of life for the city from wherever they have come back from. We can see Barista, Levis, Mcdonalds, Inox, Audi, Citibank, Delhi Public School, Wills Lifestyle and many more such miracles. All these brands have acknowledged the needs of the generation that saw the big divide ruling their lives and will continue to charm the no more suspended babies but the peeping out of the car window generation, while the streets still continue to clutter with more labour intensive transport.

There can never be any other Ranchi, even in my dreams. I miss even though we have changed.