Mumbai Diary: Monday musings

Spreading the season's joy
This comedy channel believes in putting smiles on real faces as well as television ones.

Cyrus Sahukar giving gifts to children as part of the ‘Spread The Cheer' campaign

Comedy Central has been organising a ‘Spread The Cheer' campaign across the country, visiting and entertaining NGOs, hospitals, drug rehabilitation centres in Mumbai and Bangalore and even Tihar Jail in Delhi. The channel's celebrities played Santa Claus to those less fortunate.

With Christmas being the festival of gifts and joy, Santa came early for the children at Make a Wish foundation as well as the children's ward at Masina Hospital in Byculla, where Cyrus Sahukar visited over the weekend with gifts and some jokes too.

Overcrowded comedy
Two unwritten rules apply in Mumbai's local trains. 1. There's always room for one more passenger, no matter how jam-packed a given compartment is. 2. Always expect a co-commuter to crack a good one.

Both these rules were observed recently on the Central line. As the train slowly picked up speed at Kurla, a gentleman with a backpack somehow managed to catch the train.

Not comfortable with the idea of hanging on the footboard, he pushed his way in to the fellow passengers' utter discomfort. On top of that, he made a rather nasty remark too. "Zoo jaise ho gaya hai train aaj kal," said our hero as he stood on someone's toes.

Someone not too far away from him reparteed, "Bas ek gadhe ki kami thi." Needless to mention, the resulting laughter must have made the commuters forget for a little while, at least the inhumane manner in which they travel daily.

Chaos theory rules when Sachin arrives
That Sachin Tendulkar is treated like a demi-god in the country was witnessed when he entered the hall where the prize distribution ceremony of the 4th Vasai Virar Mayor's Marathon was going on at the Viva College premises in Virar yesterday.

Sachin Tendulkar is sure to draw throngs. Pic/Sameer Markande

The crowd went berserk and a few were seen hanging on to the shamiyana curtains to get a glimpse of the cricketing legend. One person even fell, but he was not hurt as there were enough people around to catch him! Such was the impact of Tendulkar's presence that one mediaperson didn't even know who event ambassador Anju Bobby George was.

He was heard saying, "Sachin mala mahiti aahe, pan hi Anju kon aahe and kai khelat hote ti?" (I know who Sachin is but who is this Anju and what sport did she play?") Giving them company on the dias was Chennayin FC captain Mikael Silvestre.

Seeing the love showered upon him the master blaster didn't disappoint the crowd, saying, "I am very sure that the enthusiasm that the crowd has shown will make this national marathon an international-level event soon."