Postcard from mumbai

An Indian product or service you can8217;t do without?
Bollywood movies: I8217;ve been addicted since I first saw Raja Hindustani. Cinephiles seem not to take this film so seriously8212;I loved it.

Any fashion tips?
I consider myself to be a walking fashion criminal. So I am not the one to give tips except to say to the women of this city shouldn8217;t change a bit8212;you all look so glam.

Dared to try street food?
All the time. There8217;s a place in Colaba behind the Taj Hotel I always like to go to. I did once suffer a night of 1000 years in Mumbai, but a street vendor wasn8217;t to blame.

A phrase you8217;re bound to hear?
8220;Mr Matthew. Have you ever thought of being in the movies? My cousin is a producer who is a good friend of Rakesh Roshan/Salman Khan/the Big B, who could help you.8221;

Your road experiences?
Well my life is put each day in the hands of the rickshaw drivers of Mumbai. How concerned should I be? In another life, they8217;d all be Formula 1 racing drivers.

What is sexy about Mumbai?
Juhu beach.

Have you been conned yet?
Yes, in circumstances too embarrassing to recall, by an American who approached me at the Gateway of India.

Truly, madly, deeply, Mumbai8230;
Rahul da Cunha8217;s Me Kash 038; Cruise at the Prithvi Theatre8212;three friends and 20 years of Mumbai history all in one play, it8217;s terrific.

What are the similarities or differences between Mumbai and your hometown?
Like Mumbai, my hometown, Auckland, is also a blend of different cultures. The biggest difference: we have one million people, Mumbai has8230;how many?

Mumbai, the cultural capital?
Without doubt, an all-Indian city and a global one too. To paraphrase what a famous English writer said of London: 8220;He who is tired of Mumbai is tired of life8221;.