‘If one foot is in the grave, other must visit Mumbai’

What, no mention of Shanghai?

While the Mumbai-as-Shanghai debate grabs more global eyeballs than ever before, back in India’s financial hub, the Congress-NCP’s grand makeover plan now seems reduced to hopes of scoring one over old political rivals, the Shiv Sena-BJP.

Not so long ago, the saffron combine had forced Mumbai to debate public displays of affection and why the city should celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The six-month old Congress-NCP ruling alliance has topped that with its latest salvo against dance bars.

And Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil’s warning that the bars are full of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants is just a weak echo of the Shiv Sena’s 2003 Me Mumbaikar campaign. ‘‘It took 40 years for the Congress to realise what Balasaheb Thackeray has been advocating,’’ says Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha MP and executive editor of Sena mouthpiece, Saamna.

‘‘When the Sena raised the issues, we were ridiculed as a mean-minded regional party. Now, when their existence is in danger, they are worried about the existence of Maharashtrians in Mumbai,’’ adds Raut.

Venture capitalist Pradip Shah says the local administration is at odds with the Big Picture vision of people like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. ‘‘There are tremendous deficiencies in the governance of this city. We need to make the city liveable, provide more freedom rather than less,’’ says Shah.

Bollywood legend Dev Anand, who came from Lahore in 1943 can’t recall anyone blackening film posters in those days. ‘‘I think people were more disciplined then. How can they just put a ban on dance bars? That’s entertainment,’’ says the 82-year-old.

Entertainment or not, the Culture Cops have been on red alert since 1998, when former culture minister Pramod Navalkar went around separating park benches and banned kissing in public.

Artist couple Chintan and Hema Upadhyay once did a painting of themselves kissing, titled ‘Happy V-Day’. ‘‘We were commenting on the idea of love being seen as a crime,’’ they say.

Chintan Upadhyay, who moved to Mumbai in 1997, thinks it’s just another conservative city. He’s found more takers for his most sexual works in other metros like Calcutta, Cochin or Delhi. That’s probably because successive governments across political parties have been encroaching the city’s free spirit.

‘‘Why don’t we even have the basic freedom of livelihood?’’ asks playback singer Sonu Nigam. ‘‘I’m ready to hit the streets to support the dance bar girls.’’

Prahlad Kakkar, who’s worked with most of the Mumbai’s top brands including Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan says the politicians and policemen are killing cosmopolitan values.

‘‘This city is known for value adding and premium for quality,’’ says Kakkar. ‘‘Mumbai’s a professional city, where someone turns down money if he can’t deliver or does the job 25 per cent better if he’s charging double the price.”

Meanwhile, the bar dancers have a new hero. Nikita, who’s been in the profession for nine years, now thinks Sonia Gandhi is the country’s nicest politician.

‘‘Madame was relaxed, chatty, carefully observed us and our body language while we spoke,’’ says the dancer who met Gandhi at her residence on Friday. Then Kavita broke down and said she would be forced to commit suicide.

“Madame consoled Kavita, told her to wipe her tears and smile.’’

(With inputs from Shailesh Gaikwad)

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV