We are Honeymooners

For the movie 'Yanda Kartavya Aahe'

Bill Gates and Puneris

A common PJ that gets circulated on email

Bill Gates organized an enormous session to recruit a new Chairman for Microsoft Europe. 5000 candidates assembled in a large room.

One particular candidate is our Makrand (Pakka Puneri).

Bill Gates: Thank you for coming.
Those who do not know JAVA may leave the room...

So immly 2000 people left the room. Makrand says to himself, 'I do not know JAVA, but I have nothing to lose if I stay. I'll give it a try !'

Bill Gates: Candidates who never had experience of managing more than 100 people may leave.

So immly 2000 people left the room. Makrand says to himself 'I never managed anybody by myself, but I have nothing to lose if I stay. What can happen to me ?' So he stays.

Bill Gates: Candidates who do not have management diplomas may leave.

So immly 500 people Left the room. Makrand says to himself, 'I left school at 15, but what have I got to lose ?' So he stays in the room.

Finally, Bill Gates asked the candidates who do not speak Serbo-Croat to leave. So immly 498 people left the room.

Makrand says to himself, 'I dont even know to speak even any one word of Serbo-Croat but what do I have to lose ?' So he stays and finds himself with one other candidate; Everyone else has gone.

Bill Gates joined them and said 'Apparently you are the only 2 candidates who speak Serbo-Croat language, so I'd now like to hear you people have a conversation together in that language.'
Calmly, Makrand turns to the other candidate and says 'Kuthun Alas Re?'

The other candidate answers ' Punyahun !!!!'

Pakistani 'Bal Thackeray'

In this spoof on a Pakistani show, 'Bal Thackeray' looks and sounds like Amitabh Bachchan... 3M is sure Raj Thackeray won't be amused on both accounts!

Bombay in 1932

3M might not agree with the tone and style of this newsreel... but it anyway gives a peek into the past of our beloved city!

KrackJack ad

Marathi Ajji in a Krackjack ad... in 1980s

Music Video dedicated to Raj

Now we have a video that hero worships Raj Thackeray... What next... a movie?

The dance incidentally is a called जाखडी Jakhadi and is performed during Ganesh Utsav in Ratnagiri.

Mumbai ‘creaking’ under migrant pressure

BBC reports that Mumbai and Delhi are unable to sustain the unabated migration from rural parts of India… but World Bank insists that migration is good for these cities!

उठा उठा हो सकळीक Utha Utha Ho Sakalika

Wake up to this lovely Bhajan

गणपती अथर्वशीर्ष

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi.

Bombay High Court can’t comprehend Marathi!

Vinayak Kulkarni was in for a shock when his appeal was rejected because it did not have an English translation attached to it! Why does a court in Maharashtra not accept pleas in local language? Do poor locals have to spend money on getting their pleas translated in English? This happens only in Maharashtra…

3M presumes because it is ‘Bombay’ High Court… not ‘Mumbai’ High Court!

Ganapati stuck in Traffic Jam!

3M clicked this snap on the way to office @ the Mumbai Airport flyover!

Tambat Ali strikes back!

During the Peshwa Era, Pune gave Delhi a run for its money as the most important city in India. This attracted the best artisans from around the country to settle in different parts of the city. You have small lanes (called Ali आळी in Marathi) in the older part of the city which are dedicated to artisans of different skills... and they are still thriving 2 centuries after the last Peshwa was deposed!

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One such lane called ताम्बाट आळी Tambat Ali is dedicated to coppersmiths. Even in the ‘Stainless Steel Era’ this small bazaar is fighting back... 3M feels that the State Government (Dept of Tourism) should promote these small bazaars so that tourist can contribute to conserving our heritage!

Marathi Manoos makes a bid for Brazilian Sugar Giant!

Most people would draw a naught when they hear the name Narendra Murkumbi… Because he is a down to earth businessman from Belgaum who shuns publicity! Narendra along with his mother Vidya have become the second largest Sugar Manufacturer in the country in less that a decade. Their company Shree Renuka Sugars (Started in 2000) is also the largest importer of sugar in India! Read their amazing story here.

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But this dynamic duo is not happy confining their operations to India and have decide to make a bid for one for the largest Sugar companies in Brazil – Moena!

Now, Narendra is well on his way to be the richest Marathi Manoos in the world! 3M appreciates the fact that this gentleman prefers Marathi as his business language as far as possible!

Where have all the Paos gone?

3M studied in a Christian missionary school… and tends to get nostalgic about all things ‘Pao’ (Read ‘Local Christian Culture’)… so when his Catholic colleague invited him for his engagement at Chakala… 3M was more that eager!

Memories of childhood -

Vindaloo & Sausages… Uncles blurting ‘What Maan!’…

Strumming of Guitar… Dishes made from ‘Bottle Masala’…

Football in rains… Girls in ‘mana’ dresses…

Guys in black coats… Grannies in Lugda (Nine yards Sarees)…

the list is endless!

But 3M was in for a rude shock… The boy was in a Kurta… the girl in a ‘Punjabi Dress’… worst of all... not a single girl in a western outfit… Punjabi dresses and Sarees everywhere… No guy in a ‘coat n tie’ either! The DJ made a feeble attempt at playing some ‘western chartbusters’… but within minutes succumbed to Punjabi numbers. They served Chicken Tikka and Punjabi Samosa as snacks… sheer blasphemy!

The Booze Counter and the priest chanting “Father… the son…” were the only things indicating that this is a ‘Pao’ event! So before they served Rogan Josh, Paneer Makhani and Parathas, 3M decided to give lunch a ‘Kalti’! God… can’t take this Punjbification of India any more… Yashraj Movies will rot in hell!

BTW when is ‘Dil Bole Hadippa’ releasing? Got to book the tickets!

मी बाबुराव बोलतोय Mee Baburao Boltoy

Crappy song from the 'Dada Kondke' Genre

shikshan@maharashtra.com

Jaya He!

That's MMB singing 'Jana Gana Mana'

Happy Independence Day!

'Kamini' Marathi Mulgi

Priyanka Chopra plays a 'Marathi Mulgi' with elan in the just released 'Kaminey'... but thanks to the Swine Flu, Marathi Manoos will have to wait for sometime before he can see the movie!

Dahi Handi

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Last year, the ‘Govinda Pathak’ from Tadwadi (Mazgaon) created a record by erecting a 9-layered human pyramid… given the Swine Flu scare, 3M is sure that this record will not be broken in 2009!

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Google Translation Bar insists “Marathi = Hindi”

Every time 3M lands on a Marathi website, a ‘Google Translation Bar’ pops up… and insists that this site is in Hindi and offers to translate it! So which of the Senas will take up this issue on 3M’s behalf???

Other side of the Tiger!

Before he became the 'Hindu Hridaysamrat'… he was Shiv Sena Pramukh… But even before that he was a reputed cartoonist!

Marmik, Balasaheb Thackeray’s cartoon-based weekly magazine, is celebrating its golden jubilee. To mark this occasion, Shiv Sena has planned for an exhibition of his choicest cartoons on 13th-16th August at Ravidra Natya Mandir (Prabhadevi) and Gadkari Ragayatan (Thane). The Gen Next will get a peek at the other side of the tiger… something that they have only heard of from their parents!

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Thackeray Sr. in the Cartoonist mode

Image Courtesy Maharashtra Times

Are you ready for Ganapati?

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Interesting Banner...

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RPI Unity… a reality?

Republican Party of India founded by Babasaheb Ambedkar has been riddled with factionalism for decades. Even as these factions try to come together in the run up to the assembly elections, Prakash Ambedkar plays hard to get! In the meantime, Ramdas Athavale insists on ‘Ekla Chalo Re’ as he is miffed with Congress-NCP after his defeat in the recent elections… Is he really so naïve enough to believe that just 7% neo-Buddhist votes can help him gain power in the state?

दे रे कान्हा चोळी अनं लुगडी De Re Kanha Choli An Lugadi

Krishna Janmashtami is on coming Thursday

Japanese lad researches Maratha History

Even as Marathi student show disinterest in their own history, Michihiro Ogawa from Japan is in Pune to complete his PhD on Maratha History… and to understand the local documents better he is learning Devnagri as well as Modi scripts!

Pune shudders as the Government decides to ‘act’

As the Government plans to use the 112 year old Indian Epidemic Act, to combat swine flu in Pune, the city shudders at the mere thought. Under this act, the British Government had inflicted innumerable atrocities on Punekar leading to the assassination of General Rand by the Chaphekar Brothers. The event has been immortalised in the movie ‘22 July 1897’!

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3M believes that if the Government does not act swiftly to combat the spread of swine flu, they will meet the same fate as General Rand in the forthcoming elections!

Can I get some Marathi Food?

Even as other states celebrate 'Marathi Food Festivals', Mumbai lacks a full fledged Marathi restaurant.. 'Diva Maharashtracha' being an exception. You have snack counters like Panshikar, Vinay Health Home and Prakash and the typical Malvani joints. Vikram Doctor tells us why the food genre is not popular!

10% quota for Muslims

Before the code of conduct sets in for the assembly elections, the Aghadi Sarkar is going all out to appease its traditional voter base… from regularising the hutments till 2000 to reviving the Shivaji Smarak it is trying out all the tricks of the trade. As a part of this agenda, they have pushed for a ‘Muslim Package’…

3M appreciates the incentive given to Muslim students to reduce the number of school dropouts… But '10% reservation' in the State Police Force is ridiculous!

“All Maharashtrians will be Lakhpatis in 5 years!”

No... this is not an ad for Maharashtra Rajya Lottery… it is the CM’s vision for the state. For a government that took a decade to put up the sealink, this is just a wishful dream… no… election rhetoric!

‘Science of Raksha Bandhan’

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Earlier, Hindu Jagruti Manch ‘educated’ us about why we should not be celebrating Valentine's Day… now here is a video created by them to explain the ‘Science of Rakshabandhan’!

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Pune evolving as the Animation Capital

As Indian animation industry grows by leaps and bounds, Pune is evolving as the ‘Animation Capital’ of India. Not only Hollywood but other countries (China… surprise surprise!) are taking keen interest in facilities available here.

3M hopes that the state government will take note of this and create an environment for this industry to grow!

सोनियाच्या ताटी, उजळल्या ज्योति Soniyachya Tati, Ujalalya Jyoti

Rakshabandhan is on coming Wednesday

कोळसा नको रे बाबा!

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With help from Greenpeace, the villagers of Poynad (Near Alibag) and surrounding areas have started protesting against a coal based power project… what they are asking for is clean and green wind based power. BTW the banner seems to be for media... as most locals cant read English!

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Linguistic Arrogance

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This cartoon by Anurag is a classic case of North Indian arrogance

Hindi = Patriotism

स्वताच्या राज्यात स्वताची भाषा शिकवणे पाप आहे?

Finally a Marathi Wedding on 'National TV'

In most TV serials, irrespective of the location, all the weddings are ‘Punjabesque’… but are they just portraying reality? The impact of Yashraj Movies is so high that ‘sangeet ceremonies’ are the new trend in Tamilian weddings... and the only thing Marathi in ‘Rakhi ka Swayamwar’ is inclusion of a few “ghati” delicacies for the guests.

So 3M was pleasantly surprised to see that Balaji Telefilms has tried to portray an authentic Marathi Wedding in its new serial 'Pavitra Rishta'… controversy notwithstanding!

MAHAPOL POWERLIST Aug 09 Edition

click on the image to see larger version

The complete list of 25 most powerful politicians is as follows -

1. Bal Thackeray (82) SS 0
2. Sharad Pawar (68) NCP 0
3. Ashok Chavan (50) INC 0
4. Raj Thackeray (39) MNS 0
5. Gopinath Munde (59) BJP +1
6. Chhagan Bhujbal (60) NCP -1
7. Uddhav Thackeray (48) SS 0
8. Vilasrao Deshmukh (63) INC 0
9. Narayan Rane (56) INC 0
10. Nitin Gadkari (60) BJP 0
11. Ajitdada Pawar (49) NCP 0
12. R R Patil (52) NCP 0
13. Murli Deora (71) INC 0
14. Gurudas Kamat (51) INC 0
15. Praful Patel (53) NCP 0
16. Prakash Ambedkar (51) RPI 0
17. Ramdas Athavale (55) RPI 0
18. Vinay Kore (37) JSP 0
19. Sushilkumar Shinde (66) INC 0
20. Balasaheb Vikhe-Patil (76) INC 0
21. Manohar Joshi (71) SS 0
22. Vijaysingh Mohite Patil (64) NCP 0
23. Vinod Tawde (45) BJP 0
24. Sadashiv Mandlik (76) IND 0
25. Supriya Sule (39) NCP 0

Party Code

BJP – Bharatiya Janata Party

INC – Indian National Congress
IND – Independent
JSS – Jana Surajya Shakti

MNS – Maharashtra Navanirman Sena

NCP – Nationalist Congress Party

PWP – Peasants & Workers Party (Shetkari Kamgar Paksha)

RPI – Republican Party of India (any faction)

SS – Shiv Sena

Movement on the MahaPol ladder –
0 : Zero indicates that there has been no change in the ranking over the previous month.
+X : Plus indicates improvement in ranking over last month and ‘x’ indicates how many ranks he/ she has moved upwards.
-X : Minus indicates degradation in ranking over last month and ‘x’ indicates how many ranks he/ she has moved downwards.

To understand the methodology used for the ranking click here.

The figure in bracket indicates the age of the politician.

Analysis

• As most parties wait with bated breath for the elections, there is very little change in the Mahapol Powerlist over the last month.
• Gopinath Munde has been appointed as the person in charge of the assembly elections in Maharashtra by the BJP high command… strengthening his position in the party.
• On the other hand, Chhagan Bhujbal is facing an uphill task in his hometown Nashik due to opposition from the Maratha lobby. This has ensured that these two politicians have exchanged their positions on our ladder.

MahaPol can be directly contacted on mahapol25@gmail.com