Quotes
So they say
“Our countrymen will be astonished when we tell them, that over the tunnel stands a portion of the town of Liverpool, and it seems very extraordinary and curious to imagine our travelling underground, while over our heads are moving about horses and men, and in fact every transaction carried on. Here then, again, is a remarkable proof of our frequent assertion that the English are a most wonderful people.”
Jehangeer Nowrojee and Hirjeebhoy Merwanjee,
Journal of a Residence of Two Years and a Half in Great Britain,
1841 cited in “Passages and Perspectives: Travel Writing by Parsis in English” by Simin Patel
“Malcolm Muggeridge once said that he realized, whenever an Indian spoke English, that the days of the white man’s burden were not over.”
Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar, The Times of India, August 31, 2008
“In India, the construction of what it is to be gay is not
understood like it is in the West. Things are starting to change, improve and evolve, but it was not the case while Freddie
(Bulsara ‘Mercury’) was here.”
Ashok Row Kavi, founder of Bombay Dost,
Hindustan Times, August 31, 2008
“When artists are prolific, there is a tendency for works to get dispersed beyond their control. Art can never be produced in bulk, and when it does happen, galleries and artists need to be cautious about how many art works enter the market.”
Shireen Gandhy, owner of Chemould Prescott Road art gallery,
DNA, September 7, 2008
“Classical music has had huge support since the 1920s in India. The audience is very knowledgeable, but the genre does not have a wide audience base. Classical music can touch everyone; we want to get the younger audience acquainted with it.”
Zane Dalal, assistant conductor of Symphony Orchestra of India, Mumbai Mirror, September 12, 2008
“There have been times when I have walked out of my own dinner party. And there was this call I received close to midnight from a patient who was frantic because she had just had some black grapes. ‘Her mother-in-law was certain it would affect her baby’s complexion. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or amused.’”
Dr Avan Dadina, gynecologist,
HT Cafe Mumbai, September 18, 2008
“Farokh (Engineer) would talk with anyone on the street but still look like a prince. No wonder he is referred to as King Farokh, and jokingly as the Persian Pirate — being a Parsi, he has a Persian ancestry. Mutton-chop Godfrey Evans and Persian Pirate King Farokh had cricket in their veins and spectators at their feet.”
Kersi Meher-Homji, Cricket’s Great All-Rounders, 2008
“Had I crossed 75-80 years of age and still stayed on, I would have definitely found faults in everyone and everything. I would have undignified myself and people would have said
‘Yeh buddhi kab jayegi’ (when will this oldie go)!’”
Anu Aga, ex-chairperson, Thermax, Mumbai Mirror, September 19, 2008
“When only nylon socks were in vogue, I made cotton socks and started my business. There weren’t any colorful socks for women, so I introduced a wide range of colors.”
Nazneen Katrak, partner, Mustang Apparels Private Limited,
Bombay Times, September 25, 2008
“My father’s family owned about 300 acres of land in the Warli belt. The Warlis worked on our land. When I was young, I idealized their existence. I saw them as free, leading a beautiful open life, in contrast to the Parsi life which I saw as cramped. Only gradually did I begin to see the squalor and the misery. Even so, I remember to this day faces, bodies, qualities of the landscape there as ravishingly beautiful.”
Gieve Patel, poet and playwright, Mumbai Mirror, September 25, 2008
“At the end of the day if you de-motivate a good manager and you turn a very good bank executive into a hedge fund manager, I don’t know whether you have actually added to the net contribution of human welfare.”
Percy Mistry, Oxford International group, a private investment advisory firm, The Sunday Express, September 21, 2008
“In 1951, there were no (art) galleries. One could book the Town Hall or the Convocation Hall. I chose the Prince’s Hall at the Taj for my first solo. I was one of the first artists to introduce the concept of the ‘travelling show’ in India. When I first suggested that we take my first solo to Delhi and Calcutta, it was unheard of!”
Jehangir Sabavala, artist, Mumbai Mirror, September 28, 2008
“After so many years, I still have to look at my work and wonder what the problem is... Why, even after all these years, I have to produce my own shows in Bombay, or go chasing after sponsors, when clearly my
performances run to full houses.”
Astad Deboo, dancer, DNA,
September 27, 2008
“I wish that one day we can play Wagner in Israel. But then, you cannot convince people, who have numbers tattooed on their arms (referring to the German concentration camps) that they should listen to Wagner.”
Zubin Mehta, music maestro, Mid Day, October 8, 2008
Jehangeer Nowrojee and Hirjeebhoy Merwanjee,
Journal of a Residence of Two Years and a Half in Great Britain,
1841 cited in “Passages and Perspectives: Travel Writing by Parsis in English” by Simin Patel
“Malcolm Muggeridge once said that he realized, whenever an Indian spoke English, that the days of the white man’s burden were not over.”
Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar, The Times of India, August 31, 2008
“In India, the construction of what it is to be gay is not
understood like it is in the West. Things are starting to change, improve and evolve, but it was not the case while Freddie
(Bulsara ‘Mercury’) was here.”
Ashok Row Kavi, founder of Bombay Dost,
Hindustan Times, August 31, 2008
“When artists are prolific, there is a tendency for works to get dispersed beyond their control. Art can never be produced in bulk, and when it does happen, galleries and artists need to be cautious about how many art works enter the market.”
Shireen Gandhy, owner of Chemould Prescott Road art gallery,
DNA, September 7, 2008
“Classical music has had huge support since the 1920s in India. The audience is very knowledgeable, but the genre does not have a wide audience base. Classical music can touch everyone; we want to get the younger audience acquainted with it.”
Zane Dalal, assistant conductor of Symphony Orchestra of India, Mumbai Mirror, September 12, 2008
“There have been times when I have walked out of my own dinner party. And there was this call I received close to midnight from a patient who was frantic because she had just had some black grapes. ‘Her mother-in-law was certain it would affect her baby’s complexion. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or amused.’”
Dr Avan Dadina, gynecologist,
HT Cafe Mumbai, September 18, 2008
“Farokh (Engineer) would talk with anyone on the street but still look like a prince. No wonder he is referred to as King Farokh, and jokingly as the Persian Pirate — being a Parsi, he has a Persian ancestry. Mutton-chop Godfrey Evans and Persian Pirate King Farokh had cricket in their veins and spectators at their feet.”
Kersi Meher-Homji, Cricket’s Great All-Rounders, 2008
“Had I crossed 75-80 years of age and still stayed on, I would have definitely found faults in everyone and everything. I would have undignified myself and people would have said
‘Yeh buddhi kab jayegi’ (when will this oldie go)!’”
Anu Aga, ex-chairperson, Thermax, Mumbai Mirror, September 19, 2008
“When only nylon socks were in vogue, I made cotton socks and started my business. There weren’t any colorful socks for women, so I introduced a wide range of colors.”
Nazneen Katrak, partner, Mustang Apparels Private Limited,
Bombay Times, September 25, 2008
“My father’s family owned about 300 acres of land in the Warli belt. The Warlis worked on our land. When I was young, I idealized their existence. I saw them as free, leading a beautiful open life, in contrast to the Parsi life which I saw as cramped. Only gradually did I begin to see the squalor and the misery. Even so, I remember to this day faces, bodies, qualities of the landscape there as ravishingly beautiful.”
Gieve Patel, poet and playwright, Mumbai Mirror, September 25, 2008
“At the end of the day if you de-motivate a good manager and you turn a very good bank executive into a hedge fund manager, I don’t know whether you have actually added to the net contribution of human welfare.”
Percy Mistry, Oxford International group, a private investment advisory firm, The Sunday Express, September 21, 2008
“In 1951, there were no (art) galleries. One could book the Town Hall or the Convocation Hall. I chose the Prince’s Hall at the Taj for my first solo. I was one of the first artists to introduce the concept of the ‘travelling show’ in India. When I first suggested that we take my first solo to Delhi and Calcutta, it was unheard of!”
Jehangir Sabavala, artist, Mumbai Mirror, September 28, 2008
“After so many years, I still have to look at my work and wonder what the problem is... Why, even after all these years, I have to produce my own shows in Bombay, or go chasing after sponsors, when clearly my
performances run to full houses.”
Astad Deboo, dancer, DNA,
September 27, 2008
“I wish that one day we can play Wagner in Israel. But then, you cannot convince people, who have numbers tattooed on their arms (referring to the German concentration camps) that they should listen to Wagner.”
Zubin Mehta, music maestro, Mid Day, October 8, 2008
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From the archive