On a television programme last week that was debating the controversy over the use of the term ‘Bombay’ by Karan Johar in his film Wake up, Sid and his apology to Raj Thackeray, I said I steadfastly refuse to call the city that has been my karmabhoomi anything but ‘Bombay’. Read more

Almost at the end of yet another election in Maharashtra, I am both saddened and nostalgic.

Sad, because this election proved to me that, after Sharad Pawar and Bal Thackeray, there are less and less real leaders among the men (and women) in politics. And that brought about a deep nostalgia for the past when covering elections was fun as the leaders kept us on our toes and gave us great copy at the end of the day. Read more

There are many Congress leaders from Delhi who wonder why no one in Maharashtra seems able to take Sharad Pawar on.

To them I have always stated the Hindi adage : paani mein rehekar magarmachh se bair nahin (you can’t take on the crocodile in his own waters). Read more

A couple of weeks ago, a colleague who hadn’t been in touch for a while called to ask how he could get in touch with Sharad Pawar.

“I have never interacted with politicians so I don’t know how to go about this. Is it easy to speak to him?” Read more

Now that the Liberhan Commission report is about to be tabled in Parliament, I am curious to know what it says about Bal Thackeray and his role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Read more

Bal Thackeray, discharged from hospital early this week, has expressed a desire to campaign at the coming Assembly elections. The last time that he appeared in public, at the Shiv Sena’s annual Dassera rally last October, it was almost painful to see him slowly brought up to the stage, supported by innumerable attendants, gasping for breath and slow in his speech and thoughts, needing prompting off and on again. I am not looking forward to a repeat performance. For I would like to remember him as his fiery old self, blustery and unrepentant at all times. Read more

While on the subject of Bal Thackeray and drinks last week, I recalled an interesting incident that happened days after the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance came to power in Maharashtra in 1995. Readers of my column ‘Anandan on Wednesday’ in the Bombay edition of the Hindustan Times will remember this for I have written about it in a different context but I thought the story was too tickling pink not to share with a wider readership. Read more

Uddhav Thackeray was recently reported to have called Prime Minister Manmohan Singh an unpardonable name but now it turns out it was only the crowds who used the word `hijra’ and Uddhav merely said he “felt bad that they had called Dr Singh a eunuch”. Very clever. And he might well get out of it. But his father was always direct and there were no obfuscations ever about his abuses. Read more