Monday, Nov 14, 2005
Dream Cities of The World!
- Vimla Patil
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Vimla Patil was associated with Femina, India’s number one women’s magazine, published by the Times of India Group for 29 years. Femina is Vimla Patil's personal success story. Today, FEMINA is one of the strongest international brands with a vast readership in India and abroad. She initiated the Miss India contest in the mid-sixties for the journal and brought it to its present international stature. Vimla Patil promoted Indian textiles and fashion garments – especially handlooms – for decades by presenting over 4000 fashion shows in India and most countries of the world.
After finishing her long stint with Femina, she built a brand new career for herself as a freelance multi-mediaperson with writing, events, public relations, shows and many more activities in her portfolio!
Vimla Patil will be delighted to answer readers' questions. Please click on the comments page link at the bottom of the article to post your questions for her or to comment on her article.
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Over the centuries, some of the world’s most glittering cities have been labeled as ‘dream cities’! This is because they are magnets that draw millions of people to seek money, fame and success while living and working in them. Some of these cities are Los Angeles (Hollywood), Paris, Milan, London, New York, Singapore, Dubai and most important, Mumbai (Bollywood)! While the dream factory of Hollywood sees thousands of would-be actors and film-makers flocking to the city with shining ambitions in their eyes, Paris and Milan attract artists, fashion designers, perfumiers and models. London, New York, Singapore, Dubai and Mumbai attract those devoted to the good life – through making their millions in business and finance. These cities, like several others across Europe and the USA, are the financial hubs of the world where the brave of heart and adventurous of spirit come to learn the tricks of the trade and settle down to make their fortunes.
Among these cities, Mumbai attracts hoardes of people from all over the world!
Mumbai, the glittering city on the west coast of India, they say, never sleeps. Its glittering streets, markets and business districts see life in its most frenetic form throughout the year, irrespective of holidays, festivals and normal working days. Its citizens are fun loving, generous and never miss an opportunity of celebrating life. Its markets, restaurants, entertainment plazas and religious monuments offer the visitors everything they wish for. No wonder then that all kinds of people who dream of big money, success, fame and magic in their lives, are attracted to Mumbai which now houses almost 15 million people – almost the population of a small country. Every day, trainfuls and busloads of people seeking their livelihood or a decent standard of life arrive in the city to make it their home!
But among those who come to Mumbai, Bollywood seekers are prominent!
 Rajesh Khanna in Amar Prem (1971) For over half a century, the huge film industry in Mumbai has drawn all dreamers to this city. One of the first – and most prominent – actors to seek his fortune in Mumbai was the late Prithviraj Kapoor whose sons (Raj, Shashi and Shammi), grandsons (Randhir, Rishi and Rajeev) and grand daughters (Karisma and Kareena) continued to make history in the industry. Rajesh Khanna came and conquered the marquees. Waheeda Rahman came, so did Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and hundreds of others. Mumbai’s tradition of being the hub of fortune-seekers continues to this day.
Mega stars, starlets, models, singers and dancers, business tycoons, multi nationals and new ventures continue to pour into Mumbai to find their destinies.
 Amitabh Bachchan, India’s biggest success story! A list of people who arrived in Mumbai to make their lives a scintillating success reads like a who’s who of India – and increasingly, of the Non Resident Indian world! Amitabh Bachchan came here from his mundane job in Kolkata to seek a career in films and now he literally rules the ad world, television and films. Jaya Bachchan too came to the Film Institute in Pune and then met and married the Big B in Bollywood. Shah Rukh Khan, a Delhi boy, came to Mumbai for a television serial and his life was touched by the golden want of fortune in Mumbai. Shah Rukh Khan, who celebrated his 40th birthday on November 1, 2005, was declared the highest income tax payer in Bollywood when he paid an advance tax of Rs.3.75 crores for the first six months of the year. Though the Big B and Yash Chopra have paid more, he is an individual payer whereas the latter two are companies, said income tax authorities.
Sushmita Sen came to enter the Miss India contest and became a millionairess. When satellite TV came to India, thousands of young hopefuls flocked to Mumbai to seek a lucrative career in this newly affluent industry. Smriti Iraani, the highest paid television star, is an example. She came to Mumbai, worked in McDonalds as a helper and then entered the Miss India contest. Not winning it did not dishearten her. She auditioned for a television channel and the rest is history. Models like Aditi Govitrikar, Dipika Padukone and others have come to Mumbai and reached the top rung of their career. More recently, even those who live abroad but have links to India have come to India to seek opportunities.
 Katrina Kaif, top model and now glamorous Bollywood actress with Salman Khan
Katrina Kaif, Padmalakshmi, Yana Gupta, Negar Khan and Upen Patel are examples of ‘beautiful people’ who have sought to make Mumbai their home. Katrina is presently dating Salman Khan and getting busy with a film career. Yana is the most sensual calendar model and television anchor as well as model. The latest among these, Upen Patel from a business family of London, has now achieved enviable success – he is not only the top commercial and ramp model, but is going to act in three films where he stars with top stars like Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra and Amisha Patel. On a less publicized level, most of Mumbai’s ad wizards, script writers, finance brains, banking experts and even chefs have come from faraway cities to seek a better life in this city!
 Upen Patel came from London to become a top model and is now poised to work with Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra and Amisha Patel in Bollywood films!
Mumbai is full of young people from all East European countries, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries who work as chorus dancers or small time actors or models in Indian films and seek a slice of Bollywood and the modeling business to become a part of the world’s biggest and most swinging entertainment industry! Mumbai truly deserves its epithet: Mayanagari – the city of magic!
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