Snapshots

Not surprisingly, in what looks like the ultimate show of Punjabi entrepreneurship, certain influential cab companies have put detachable red lights atop their Ambassadors and Contessas, in most cases without police authorisation. Some even have sirens. As these vehicles approach a VIP destination, like the VIP parking lot at the railway station, the chauffeur places the light on top, supported by a formidable magnetic base. Result? Not only do the policemen on duty clear the way for you and help you park, but also stroke your ego with a stiff salute. And for Rs 110, it8217;s a dream deal, isn8217;t it?

Mr Beans

The famous Yorkshire accent in the ESPN-TWiroom at Pune8217;s Nehru Stadium during the India-Sri Lanka face-off could only belong to Sir Geoffrey Boycott. This man from the island where tea-time is an institution was making coffee for his colleagues and regaling them with tales of his love for the more heady stuff, even as the guys complained that he was doing it only for the gals. 8220;I wish I could have stayed in Pune longer. It8217;s a lovely place,8221; he gushed, and for a good reason. Back in 8217;80, he had slammed a ton against the West Zone at the same Nehru Stadium where he was making coffee. Some memories just don8217;t die.

Jiving Jammu

When militancy got Jammu in its vicelike grip a decade ago, the first casualty was the city8217;s nightlife. But as the new millennium knocks at its door, the city is getting ready to pump up the heat and rev up the beat. Two discotheques have sprung up and the response has been heartening, if not overwhelming. Says DJ Aleeg of Jungles at Hotel Premier: 8220;Initially, we were apprehensive of how long we would last, but theresponse so far has allayed our fears.8221; Aleeg, of course, is quick to temper his optimism with a degree of caution. 8220;It8217;ll take a lot more to remove the scars left behind by militancy,8221; he says. But as of now, Daler8217;s Tunak tunak tun8217; is the sound that8217;s echoing across the valley, not the stacatto rat-a-tat of wayward Kalashnikovs.

Pool8217;s Cool

8220;You don8217;t see young people on the streets of Vadodara anymore; they8217;re all inside pool parlours.8221; So said pool freak and former India wicketkeeper Kiran More, last seen at Champions, a New Delhi bar, perfecting his grip over his new passion in the company of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly and Javagal Srinath.

More was alluding to the proliferation of pool parlours in Vadodara and Ahmedabad in recent months. In a state where time-pass8217; is a big industry, the parlours offer the works pool tables some using blue baize instead of the traditional green, snacks, virtual reality video games, and the must-have Internet. And the crowds suggest thatbusiness is good; it should be, now that exams are over and vacations round the corner.

And those who8217;ve spent a summer in Gujarat know that any public place is worth a visit if it8217;s air-conditioned. The game has got the ultimate blessing, too, from none other than world billiards champ and homeboy Geet Sethi. He says it8217;s a matter of time before people graduate from the smaller tables to the real green baize. Meanwhile, anyone who8217;s young and hip in Gujarat is busy cueing in.

Post-Wagah laughs

The Karachi-based Newsline8217;s End of the Line8217; page invariably throws up a pleasant surprise. True to tradition, for its March issue, Newsline8217;s editors decided to see the Wagah Spring through Bollywood8217;s eyes. And what better medium could they have chosen than Karan Johar8217;s blockbuster Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. But the page, designed like a KKHH ad, doesn8217;t have Shah Rukh flaunting his Polo Sport shirt or Kajol dribbling her now-famous Cosco basketball.

Instead, it features Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayeecrossing into Pakistan from Wagah. And the copy goes like this: 8220;Now playing at the Wagah Border 8230; Starring Nawaz Sharif, Atal Behari Vajpayee 8230; Fights choreographed by Qazi Hussain Ahmed 8230; Scripted by Strobe Talbott.8221; Also seen in the photograph are cinestar-turned-BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha and veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar. The rest of the copy is equally imaginative: 8220;A joint production between India and Pakistan 8230; Experience the near misses, the spine-tingling inertia, the recycled rhetoric.8221; No editorial could have made the point better.

He8217;s now a backseat driver

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi has always been the force behind the prestigious Sawai Gandharv Festival held in Pune every winter. For 44 years, without a break, Panditji8217;s performance marked the grand finale of this three-night festival. That is, until the winter of 8217;96, when he had to drop out because of a fracture. Three years of silence later, the 78-year-old maestro was back this time, with a Padma Vibhushan to boot. And the5,000-strong crowd was speechless.

8220;For the last four months, Panditji has been doing riyaz for four hours every day,8221; said an ecstatic disciple after finding his voice. 8220;Today8217;s performance has shown he is back to his usual self.8221; Sadly, his passion for driving has had to take a backseat. But with his never-say-die spirit, don8217;t be surprised if you find his gleaming-white Mercedes stopping next to you the next time you visit Pune.

8212; By Harpal Singh in Chandigarh; Vinita Deshmukh and Anubha Charan in Pune; Rohit Bhan in Jammu; Jayaditya Gupta in Vadodara