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By:

Rajendra Joshi

3 December 2024 at 9:20:26 am

The Nana Kolhapur knew

The loss of a true friend; the vanishing of a rare stream of humanity Kolhapur: As the 1970s dawned, the romantic era of Rajesh Khanna was beginning to give way to a new cinematic mood. Then came Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer in 1973, and Amitabh Bachchan emerged as the country’s quintessential “angry young man”. Young India was ready to wear Bachchan’s image around its neck like a talisman. At about the same time, away from the glare of stardom, an earthy Marathi actor named Nana Patekar was...

The Nana Kolhapur knew

The loss of a true friend; the vanishing of a rare stream of humanity Kolhapur: As the 1970s dawned, the romantic era of Rajesh Khanna was beginning to give way to a new cinematic mood. Then came Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer in 1973, and Amitabh Bachchan emerged as the country’s quintessential “angry young man”. Young India was ready to wear Bachchan’s image around its neck like a talisman. At about the same time, away from the glare of stardom, an earthy Marathi actor named Nana Patekar was making his own mark on the stage. His journey—from experimental theatre to commercial productions—was one of extraordinary struggle and perseverance. With Jayant Dalvi’s Purush, Nana virtually took the Marathi stage by storm. From there, powered by an uncompromising acting style, he moved steadily into national cinema. Before one realised it, he had earned a place among the most formidable actors of his generation. His intense, often angry screen persona struck a deep chord with Marathi youth. But Nana was never merely an actor. The same bluntness that marked his film dialogues was visible in his personal life. He spoke his mind. He was deeply connected to the pain and deprivation around him. In many ways, he was not merely acting out society on screen; he was carrying its wounds within him. And among the many places that held a special place in his heart was Kolhapur—the traditional home of Marathi cinema. Here, Nana formed friendships not with the powerful or famous, but with ordinary people. And he cherished those friendships with extraordinary warmth. That is why the news of his death on Thursday hit Kolhapur with a peculiar force. For many here, it was not simply the passing of a celebrated actor. It was the loss of a friend. That was the Nana Kolhapur knew, a man who shared people’s joys, stood by friends without calculation. For Kolhapur, his loss is not merely that of a great actor, but of a true friend.

Bad Roads, Ugly Politics

Suyash Padate
Nov 1, 2024
2 min read

The pathetic state of roads in Mumbai city as well as its suburbs has made daily commute a dangerous affair. The residents are miffed with the BMC over its lackadaisical attitude. Mumbaikars tweet photos, post videos to grab attention, but everything is in vain. Who cares for the common people. Backbreaking journeys have become part and parcel of life. Political leaders are busy mud-slinging.


This year the monsoon took a break after almost four and half months. During this time some of the roads virtually became non commutable. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde first announced to make Mumbai roads pothole free.


Its almost two years now the BMC has concretised only 9 percent of roads it planned to concretise. This decision was taken when it came to light that due to the properties of bitumen in asphalt roads, potholes are a regular occurrence due to contact with water during monsoons.


Hence, to solve the problem of potholes, the corporation has adopted a policy of cement concreting of 6-meter-wide roads in phases. The decision was taken but the dilly-dallying affair made things more difficult.


Mumbai’s traffic does put a lot of strain on roads which is not the case in the other developed countries. Second most important aspect is concretisation of roads is done partly and in phases.


The worst problem which is faced is repeated digging for cables and drainage, which weakens the roads. Above all corruption in BMC makes matters worse as a result everything comes to grinding halt.


According to experts, repairing potholes is a reaction with symptomatic treatment. By and large we are dispensing superficial treatment without addressing the root cause. The long-term solution will be to have roads with no potholes but what we need is the means and technology to achieve this. But for this political will is necessary which we lack on every step.


Mumbaikar’s are convience that corruption in the municipal corporation is the main reason. Contractors have had a monopoly over the last 20 years and this is the reason why reputed companies never come ahead for these projects.


As a result, in the name of attendance and repair, the BMC does shoddy work. Crores are spent but the end result is nothing. The BMC is not paying attention to the crust. If the crust is weak, potholes will see an increase. Without any thought or technical know-how, potholes are filled with cold mix.


This is the reason why the city and suburbs continue to have craters on the roads.


Craters, a serious threat to the safety and security of people. Mumbaikars fade up from their repeated visits to orthopedic surgeons.


They are in a mood to teach a proper lesson to those who were at the helm of the affairs.

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