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So there's most of Bombay submerged in some 10 feet of water - the Indian Navy's actually using their safety rafts to rescue people - Bombay's Police Commissioner also used a raft to "survey the situation" (in layman's terms it means nothing - nothing comes of it - nothing happens with it - it's a photo-op basically). But who am I to complain about the authorities - I've had it pretty good over the last week in Bombay. I've been hanging at Mona and Suki's haven - there's good food to eat; movies to watch (Wicker Park - promised to be a sex thriller by the library-owner but as it turns out there's no sex and no thrill in the film but i recognise that it's been shot in Canada almost as soon as it comes on - ah the thrills of recognising locations; Y Tu Maman Tambien - brilliant coming-of-age film; Grosse Pointe Blank - eternal favourite; The Company - director Robert Altman - lovely film and Neve Campbell looks like she's actually learnt to dance - impressive; Billy Bathgate - can't comment 'cos I watched only 20 mins of it; Taxi - Queen Latifa and Jimmy Fallon - Jimmy I like from his Saturday Night Live days - but the movie - couldn't watch it for more than 15 mins - seems it's based on a French film called the taxi that's way better than the hollywood copy). Anyways - so I'm chilling out with friends in Bandra when talk turns to Suki's impending wedding. I have to say I'm not a wedding person - I avoid them like the plague - attending weddings makes me very uncomfortable. But this is good friend Suki's wedding - seems I'll have to put aside all my fears and gear up for 3 rocking days (rocking because it's a Punjabi wedding and Punjabi weddings rock! Altho' her fiancee is from the South of India and it's really a Punju-Southie wedding but I have a feeling the Punjabis are gonna take over!). Punju weddings usually have something called the Sangeet (Monsoon Wedding viewers will know what I'm talking about and all Karan Johar-movie watchers will know what I'm talking about). So Suki's sister - Mona - has decided to perform an ITem number for the Sangeet. She's selected Kajra Re (the latest craze). But it's very easy to decide which song to perform to - it's another story when you have to figure out which steps to do in the song. This is where I come in - in true Hollywood style (not Bollywood style which would've been a jumpcut - Hollywood style is quick cuts with smart dialogues - hey I'm not putting down Bollywood - this is my blog so I can write the way I want!). So in a cool efficient display of my vast contacts in Bollywood - I call Arvind - he's a choreographer and a brilliant dancer. (Dance Master Arvind - interesting story - he's the son of a cop who ran away from home so he could join Bollywood). And lo and and behold Arvind says he's free to teach us how to dance! (much to my surprise too!) Actually he's twiddling his thumbs at home because the rains have cancelled most shows and shoots.

It's not as easy as I thought it would be. Mona's going to be performing - I'm the cheerleader - but I learn the steps along with her to make sure she gets it right and we can rehearse on our own (and I always dreamed of being a dancer - one of my fantasy''s coming true!). In 5 minutes we're sweating. The simplest of steps look complicated and remembering them is unbelievably hard!

But it's good fun! We learn the beginning of the song and by the next day we've mastered it beautifully (at least that's what our friends say!) Mona's is a gliding rhythmic style of dancing with perfect movements (she's learnt Odissi) but she can't remember the steps while I have a more Western style of jumping around (I was a Bharatnatyam student) but I can remember the steps! So in the two days that we've been stranded indoors we've managed to master the mukhda and antara of a Hindi song! Not something to be very proud of I guess knowing what Bombay was going thru but what can I say - had to make the most of being stranded!