Bollywood can't digest 'rudest city' tag...

[Amz]

Bollywood can't digest 'rudest city' tag for Mumbai
Jun 30, 2006

Mumbai, June 30 (IANS) Mumbai is the rudest city on earth, says a Reader's Digest survey. But Bollywood celebrities, some of Mumbai's most famous citizens, cannot digest the comment. Here's what they have to say:

Amitabh Bachchan: Rude? Says who? On the contrary, it's one of the most loving, giving, compassionate and endearing cities in the world.

Hema Malini: Just the opposite. I'd say Mumbai is the most compassionate city in the world. It has given me and my daughters so much I can't even begin to repay my debts.

Karan Johar: Mumbai is all about tall buildings and large hearts. I'm widely travelled and I've faced rudeness in many parts of the world, for example, in Italy. But that has to do with the pace of life everywhere. Why single out Mumbai?

Sure, people are rude in traffic on the roads. But we can't hold that against the city. I've been born and brought up in Mumbai. When my dad came here from Shimla he had only his dreams. Mumbai fuelled and fostered his dreams. According to me, it's the most accepting, amiable and affable city in the world.

Anupam Kher: Did Reader's Digest really say that? Sorry, we don't digest. For an outsider like me who came here only with dreams, Mumbai invited me in with all my dreams. It's a city that provides a place and opportunity for everyone and then just lets you and me be. Look at how much it has given me. Sorry, I don't buy the theory that the city is rude at all.

Bipasha Basu: I don't believe Mumbai to be a rude city at all. It's a city that took care of an outsider like me. When I came here I was homesick. I wanted to pack my bags and run back to Kolkata. But love and generous care of Mumbaikars for somebody like me who was a nobody kept me going. Any sign of rudeness would have frightened me away from here.

Dino Morea: I was this scared little boy from Bangalore. Bombay nurtured me, helped me to grow up and find my bearings. It's a city that has a place and a position for everyone. I can't digest Reader's Digest's comment. Are they accusing Mumbayites of bad manners? Sorry, I don't agree. People out here are terrific. It's a caring city. I feel safe here. Can't say the same about a lot of other cities in the world.

Aftab Shivdasani: It's definitely not true. Mumbai is definitely one of the busiest cities in the world but not rude. People here may not have too much time. But they are still courteous. If an outsider asks his way, the busiest Mumbaikar stops and patiently explains the address. And however late for an appointment, a Mumabikar would still help a blind man cross the street. Some inconsiderate sections notwithstanding, Mumbai hasn't lost its humanity.

Madhavan: Either the writer in Reader's Digest doesn't understand Marathi language or must have got stuck in the Mumbai rains on a suburban train... I really don't think Mumbai is any ruder than Chennai or London or Los Angeles. In fact Mumbayites are very welcoming and affectionate.

Adnan Sami: Yeah, sure. Mumbai is the rudest city in the world... just as much as monkeys fly out of my butt. Seriously, what were they thinking? Who cares what Reader's Digest thinks?

Sammir Dattani: Mumbai the rudest city in the world? That's the rudest comment I've ever heard.


Link

[**Sam**]

What do they mean by rude? The same way people think/say New York City is a rude city? That people are impolite? That they curse at you or don't say hello back, etc.? Just wondering what they mean by that.

[anilkapoorfan]

I've lived in my city for 40 years now. Wasn't born here, came here when I was 21. To me, these people are a cut above anything else I know. So it came as a bit of a SURPRISE when a new arrival from Buffalo, New York started in about how rude and cold she found them. You know, this is all about nonverbal culture. People live in a certain place and learn the silent signals of the people in that place. When they go to another place, they start interpreting according the language they know, but they get it wrong because the new place has a different set. New Yorkers talk a lot. People here talk about 25 percent less. I can see how that might be interpreted, but ask for help and see what you get. And, by the way, if the first encounter you have is an unlucky one, don't measure everything after that by that one encounter.

Truth is you tend to get what you expect. If you expect unfriendly treatment, you probably will scowl at people and they will wonder what your gripe is. Expect warmth and friendliness and you will smile and people will WANT to find out about you. I know. I was a loner for many decades. And people could pretty much tell I wasn't inviting anyone to get any closer.

Now, I wonder if Reader's Digest walked out of the airplane terminal and met a horde of cab drivers. I have a feeling that the "hustle" of these drivers might seem a bit overwhelming. A Reader's Digest writer might come from a city where the rules are a bit less complicated. You take the first cab in line, they flip down the flag, the rates are written on the side of the cab, and at the end of the trip, the meter shows the amount so there's no controversy about how much you owe. I've never taken a Mumbai cab, BUT I've heard there is no set rate and you negotiate the cost of the trip before taking it. This might not sit well with some westerners who are used to knowing a set price for everything.