The one thing about Mumbai is that just as the people have such a unique memorable endearing character (Bombaiyya style you call it), the places too have a unique character and flavor about it.
When I first came to Mumbai I was told that I would have to get down at a place called RK. I jogged my mind and the first thing that came to mind was RK Studio. I asked if that was so, and the answer was affirmative.
I have heard of almost every place in Mumbai- in Bollywood films, in newspaper advertisements - every company worth its salt has a corporate head office in Mumbai.
Talking to a Mumbaikar gives you a strange feeling of actually taking part in a Bollywood movie- the slang that you have heard in so many of the movies, old and new, you experience first hand and you have to pinch yourself to think if this was for real. Every Mumbaikar is a mini version of a Bollywood movie star complete with movie style slang and dramatic gesture. When you bump into someone on the local train and he says with a dramatic flourish - "Ayy bhai, jarra dekhe chalo" - you think, where have I heard that before?!
And the autorickshaw wallahs! Autowallahs in every city have their own peculiarities. The Bangalore ones for overcharging, being rude gangster types with their infamous one-half charges. The Mumbai auto wallahs are never short of fare. They will go long distance or short distance and they will always get another fare at the end of the trip- Mumbai being so packed.
Mumbai autowallahs will return you the exact change - even if it is one, two or three rupees and they will go precisely by the meter. They will actually be surprised if you ask them to keep the change. They are a talkative lot. They will curse the government or praise it; or comment on some political party; or give you a commentary on the latest sensational political news topic.
Mumbai is the Indian version of New York and Hollywood rolled into one!
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