Mumbai’s Nightmare Hits Close to the Heart…

It is no secret that my most beloved city on earth is Bombay. The media and others can call it Mumbai all they want, but to me it will always be the Bombay of Bollywood, that same Bombay which has inspired artists, writers and filmmakers from all over the world. Anita Desai’s book could only be titled “Baumgartner’s Bombay” and Mira Nair’s film “Salaam Bombay” could not possibly be called by any other name.

Personally, I have stayed various times at both the Oberoi Hotel and in the Heritage Wing of the Taj Hotel – two landmarks which have been at the center of the siege that has taken over the financial capital of India for the past 24 hours. The Taj’s Heritage Wing – where CNN and BBC showed fires raging and explosions roaring intermittently throughout the night and today – was the very first hotel I experienced in India, more than ten years ago. In the middle of the night, after a long and uncomfortable flight from Heathrow, I set foot inside its luxurious lobby and found the warm smiles of the staff and the cozy, old world atmosphere of the room welcoming and intoxicating. That experience singlehandedly lit inside me the love for the city, the passion for the country and the admiration I feel for its people. Those feelings have continued to grow to date, constant and never faltering. To see this landmark of my love now as the scene of such carnage, to view injured men and women of all races carried out of its main entrance, is shocking, tragic and laden with helplessness.

At such a time, I reach out to films and music to inspire me. I cannot read books as the thoughts constantly buzzing through my head make it difficult to concentrate on the written words. But there are three films that immediately come to mind, because of their connection to Bombay and terrorism. The first is “Black Friday” by Anurag Kashyap, a wonderfully directed film which deals with the 1993 Bombay bombings. It is a strong and difficult subject to watch, but one we must learn from so as to have some insight into this latest tragedy. The next film is “Mumbai Meri Jaan” - Bombay My Love - directed by Nishikant Kamat and dealing with several stories all centered around the July 11th, 2006 train bombings in Bombay. And finally, for all of us who wish to know just who the terrorists are there is “Aamir”, a haunting film directed by Rajkumar Gupta, dealing with a man set up to kill. While “Black Friday” and “Aamir” are both available on Netflix, “Mumbai Meri Jaan” is still relatively new and can only be watched at film festivals and special screenings. Privately, I also mourn to the sound of A.R. Rahman, his soulful music like an ode to a country in pain.

As I sit in my NYC apartment, surrounded by people celebrating the American holiday of Thanksgiving, I feel the need to do something. I am thankful I was not among the hostages, among the casualties, even among the injured. I wish I could do something big but I am here, Bombay is there… Perhaps starting a chain of peace seems small and inconsequential, but it is all I have to give. It is only the power of one, but when you multiply one by a few, it becomes the power of many. So, help me to pay it forward tomorrow, Friday November 28th 2008, and give the gift of peace to just one person around you. If it means turning down your sound system to avoid bothering your neighbor, or giving up your seat on the train to someone cranky, or even opening the door for a woman with packages, do it. You can help change the world.