Saif-ty firstActor Saif Ali Khan seems to have mellowed since the days when he planted a few blows on gay rights activist Ashok Row Kavi for allegedly passing uncharitable remarks about his celebrity mother Sharmila Tagore. However, Pataudi Jr `s nawabi arrogance and somewhat restrained temper was again on show when he appeared at the Bandra Court last week in connection with charges of assault on Kavi.As the waiting local paparazzi rushed in to click the actor outside the court, Saif's advocate, S Parab, seemed more irked than the star himself. Menacingly pointing at the lensmen, he told them to go away or face legal action. "Who are you to stop us?" challenged one of the photographers. "I'm his advocate!''"You can't stop us from getting our picture."Saif, who was quiet till then, suddenly broke in and sternly warned the photographers, "See, I don't want to be photographed. Jabardasti hai kya!" By then a motley crowd of lawyers, hawkers and hangers-on had gathered at the scene. Sensingthe tension in the air, the star's secretary whisked Saif away in his red Toyota.Kavi, who was present, wryly remarked: "Yeh sab apne ap ko samajhte kya hain? How can they stop journalists from doing their job?" and left the scene in an autorickshaw.Short-term pityMumbaiites aren't hard-hearted or insensitive. They can sympathise, up to a point. This diarist saw a woman and her friend waiting for 138 number bus near Churchgate. Their talk veered around the approaching polls when they were interrupted by some urchins. The boys wanted to know which bus would take them to the Gateway of India.Before the women could respond a pedestrian warned, "Don't talk to them. You will end up being pestered for alms." But the woman took pity on the urchins, one of whom was lame. She enquired about their work, home and gaon. The urchins poured out their tales of woe. Soon a crowd gathered shaking its collective head in sympathy.The urchins had apparently run away from Kolhapur after theirdrunkard father killed their five-year-old sister for her gold bangles. "Now we live on the footpaths, wash cars at Gateway during the evenings, and dance in the trains in the afternoons," said the younger one. Just then the bus arrived. The crowd rushed to board the bus, leaving the boys behind to decide on their own which bus to take to the Gateway. Mumbaiites can lend their ears, till the bus comes in!Ram's rath, lady's wrathA civic-minded citizen recently caught self-proclaimed jansevak and parliamentarian Ram Naik on the wrong foot. Naik, who was holding a series of meetings in the North-Mumbai constituency, would stop his celebrated Rath to address potential voters, and the frequent halts often led to traffic jams. With her patience wearing thin at the vehicular hindrance, a modern-day Nadia fearlessly boarded Naik's Rath, snatched the mike from him and asked: "What do you think you are doing, Sir?" Taken aback, he replied, "Well I'm addressing my voters." The lady retorted, "No,you are causing inconvenience to Mumbai's commuters." Expressing his contrition, Naik immediately fled the scene.Last Word"The United Front is united from the front and divided from the back". Whatever BJP general secretary Pramod Mahajan meant by that remark at one of his election rallies in the city, this diarist was reminded of one of those old Dada Kondke films like Peeche ki chhod aur aage ki soch.
