New Age

I don’t usually follow Bollywood, so I was glad to read such a refreshing piece on one of the industry’s rising stars (Breaking the Mould, wknd., October 16). Blasphemous it may be, but I find the  formulaic singing and dancing romantic comedies that seem to generate the most revenues in Bollywood painfully boring and predictable. Reading about Deol and his career was a nice change.

Divina Jhoshi, Dubai

He’s a Star

Young Bollywood star, Abhay Deol, is a true inspiration to many wannabe actors who nurture dreams of finding a foothold in the glamorous world of celluloid (Breaking the Mould, wknd., October 16). He is wise well beyond his years and does not believe in the numbers game or becoming an overnight celebrity. In a short time span, he has carved out a niche for himself by meticulously choosing roles that are different from the usual run-of-the-mill and hackneyed movies. He plays characters which are a challenge and which showcase his acting prowess. This young actor has a bright future indeed.

Jayashree Kulkarni, Abu Dhabi

I am a big fan of Abhay Deol and I was thrilled to see the wknd. cover story on him (Breaking the Mould, wknd., October 16). He’s not been covered too much by the media, even though he deserves every bit of good press. I had no clue that he is now shuttling between two cities; this is bound to expand his horizons and help him grow further as an actor. I also enjoyed reading that he has moved out of his sprawling family bungalow and into his bachelor’s digs. He is easily the most talented Indian actor around. I remember watching Dev D and thinking: this must have been a real tough act to follow, considering Dilip Kumar and Shah Rukh Khan had played earlier avatars of the character Devdas. I look forward to his new film Road, Movie.

Sunaaina Tripathi, Dubai

T-Hackery

The article Apology leaves a bad taste (wknd, October 16,) was written nicely by Namita Bhandare. She correctly pointed out that Thackeray sees filmmakers as soft targets and chose to threaten them for his own gain. Why has he not picked on the other big names that haven’t changed from Bombay to Mumbai? I wonder why they have not changed the names of the streets and buildings chosen since the British period. It is sad to note that film producer Karan Johar was recently targeted and threatened by Thackeray because of his film Wake up Sid, just because the word Bombay was used instead of Mumbai. Karan Johar is a nice gentleman, and duly apologised to Raj Thackeray as he wanted to protect himself and his film. The Thackerays are famous for the offenses they have committed to remain in politics.

Jafar Ayub, Dubai

I enjoyed reading Namita Bhandare’s article Apology leaves a bad taste (wknd., October 16,). We all heard the rantings from the so-called ‘sons of the soil’ in Mumbai. But I just need to ask one question: Where were these ‘tigers’ when Mumbai was ravaged by terrorism? They were nowhere to be seen in the city or even heard in the media, let alone seen coming out onto the streets to help combat the terror. Being a Mumbaikar myself, I feel they are the ones who instill terror into the hearts of people by sparking communalism. At the grass roots level, the common man in Mumbai is not in the least bit bothered about such matters. They live and work harmoniously with people from other communities. They interact with people of different religions all day long, be it their neighbours, while commuting or carrying out their daily duties. My message is clear: let Mumbai breathe freely.

Saifuddin Khomosi, Dubai

Sea Food Delight

Rahul Sharma’s musings in On the Waterfront (wknd., October 16) brought back fond memories of Goa for me. My friends and I used to be regulars at the shacks dotting the beaches whenever we escaped there from Mumbai. One could eat the best Goan food for a song, washed down by some great port wine. Those were idyllic days and I cannot wait to get back there for some more grub on the waterfront. Paying a visit to Gonu in Le Méridien, Fujairah, is now next on my to-do list.

Joe Sequiera, Abu Dhabi