I was delighted to read a column that explores the “city’s low-cost pleasures”.  Kushalrani Gulab, the writer of last week’s column which appears in HT, Mumbai talked about how much fun it is to ‘eavesdrop on conversations’ when travelling by Mumbai locals. I could relate to the writer’s experiences—during my cushy existence in South Mumbai (for over a decade) I had never travelled in a packed local train. I then shifted to Navi Mumbai—and I would travel from Navi Mumbai to VT everyday—initially, the over one hour journey was anything but comfortable—not because the compartment was packed with people, but because I wasn’t used to standing next to people who were drenched in sweat. I tried to make my journey ‘pleasanter’  by spending time reading, but even that was not always possible thanks to the limited elbow space.  Gradually, my journeys became less cumber-some—I started ‘eavesdropping’ on conversations between fellow commuters in their clusters—they talked about the city’s civic issues, what good articles are written where, which movie is a must-watch—and suddenly there was an all-new and real information source (I didn’t even need to read the newspapers always). Their observations were insightful and their practical advice on managing conflicts at work helped me too!

Back to the subject of my post—WHY do newspapers and magazines not talk about the low-cost pleasures or low-cost conveniences in the city—for instance, have you lately read an article on the lines of— how a family of four can have a wonderful Sunday with all the fun, food and entertainment at a cost of say less than Rs 400—travel, food, entertainment included. Why do they focus so much attention on stuff like designer stores, wine bars, luxury lounges or spas offering the so-called “holistic mind and soul” packages— priced at an astronomical Rs 4,000 upwards!  Why do we not read about the best barbers who give the best value for money haircuts or the best head masseurs in Mumbai and their fabulous champi? Why do we only have to read about the city’s hip hairdressers and their bollywood clients? Whatever happened to the good old tailors and their fabulous cuts—few people would even know where one can get a good blouse or a classic kurta stitched in Mumbai? Would the always-in-the-news ultra-snooty designers or their assistants even look at a client whose simple and basic requirement is a single blouse or a kurta—without those snazzy embellishments which don’t look pretty but just add to the costs?

Welcome to the age of ‘convenience journalism’, ‘faces which look good in print’ and ‘advertiser’ inspired content. There are a host of reasons why city supplements, lifestyle features and weekend magazines talk about particular people or leisure destinations only—none of these people or destinations have the most experienced hands working for them. Nor do have customers visiting them in droves. But there are simple reasons why a place may be recommended in print—as a must-visit, must-experience, must-eat or why a person could be quoted as “guru” or “hot-shot”:

a) Convenience: quite often you’ll find two clinical psychologists, three cosmetic dermatologists,  four hairstylists, one restaurant owner and five designers quoted in almost every city newspaper/ magazine—either these people are very media-friendly or their proactive PR consultants are chasing writers regularly. The specialists who are the best in the business are busy at work– servicing clients and are usually hard-to-get for a telephonic interview! So the journalist prefers to get the same view from one source– over and over again— so what you read is quite often a rehash (same view, same perspective of one expert disseminated over and over again, everywhere) of what was written earlier!             

b) Advertiser inspired: most of you know this; the brands who advertise are quite likely to get featured in the editorial sections too— need I say more!

c) What looks good in print: why do some business magazines take more than the usual effort to feature a lady head-honcho or a woman entrepreneur? Simply because women in those elegant chiffons or smartly draped khadi-silks draw more attention than men in those boring white shirts or dark suits. What’s happening in lifestyle magazines is also interesting (though a little saddening too)—the photogenic people are likely to get a bigger picture—it’s not the editor or writer’s conscious decision to focus on good looking people—everyone is at work—the photographer who gets more motivated when he sees a picture-perfect face, the layout artist who feels the page looks better with better-looking people and the art director who believes the marketing guys will love the final pages thanks to the stylish people featured in the pages—and they pick, retouch and resize what would ‘look’ best.

A rare breed of journalists and a few publications continue to make the extra ‘effort’ (yes, it takes special drive and thought to write about people and places who are not media-friendly) to feature people who offer a great service at a value-for-money price and places where everyone can relax, learn or enjoy, regardless of the size of their wallet. For instance, one Mumbai newspaper published a special supplement on 25 places, objects and aspects of our marvellous city- in which were featured the traditional bakeries, hoarding painters, udupi family restaurants, the koli fisherwoman among other people, objects and services who’ve been around for decades.. and who are a vanishing breed today. It’s a pleasure to read write-ups like this. On the rest of the days, we have to be content viewing reports and ‘picture perfect’ photographs like the ones on Shilpa Shetty and her business partner at their newly-opened Medispa.