THE BAMBAIYYA COMMON-SYLLABUS








Pic.: Pradeep Nanda

Pranav, Yukta, Jhalak, Suraj, Rushali, Sukanya, Satnam… all these are smart college-teens. They come from very good families and schools… Great Boards, great teachers and great parents… and, above all, a great city – Mumbai. Amchi Mumbai…  These teens must’ve been just babies (or not even born) when it was decided to rename Bombay as Mumbai…

But, with the name change, the old and peculiar bambaiyya bhasha – the colorful street lingo of this city – did not change at all. In fact, it has been getting more and more colorful – and richer - over the years… SSC, ICSC, CBSC, IB, Cambridge or Oxford… whatever Board our kids here go to, and whether they live in slums or luxury homes, none of them are left untouched by this beautiful bambaiya bhasha…

I myself have a rich vocabulary and do use it quite effectively… even while teaching… yes, mostly, for ‘effect’… and, yes, to talk to these brats in their own bhasha…

One thing: I don’t use ‘filthy’ ones in my students’ presence… Nor do I hear any of my students using them in my presence…


So, on my b’day (24th July), the whole gang of the above PD students had turned up with a big cake and a basket of lovely flowers to wish me. After the wishing and cake-cutting was over in my office, I wanted to go to my classroom. But, the kids wanted to stay back in my office and spend more time catching up with each other. Suraj made this request: “Sir, if you don’t mind, can we friends stay back here and do some vellegiri?

Bole toh ‘timepass’…

I love these young, bright kids. I had just spent some two months with them on something called – ‘Personality Development’. So, I gladly consented, “No problem.”

As I went inside my classroom, I was smiling. Just an hour before that, I had blogged, in which I had wondered as to how grumpy and dull my life would have been, had I not been surrounded by these brats!

Pranav, the brilliant boy, had delighted me with some of his brilliant vocab…

Locha, Jhol… Kaand, Raada, Kalti, Kheeda, Vaat, Nautanki, Atrangi, … Chitku,  Lafa, Chirkut, Bhaigiri,  Chindigiri, Dadagiri, Faltugiri, Gandhigiri, Thukpatti, Haripatti… 

The girls had sounded graceful with: Abe shane, Abe dakkan, Abe langoor, Lafa du kya? Karcha pani du kya? Raag mat de, Chal fut…

 And, this I had picked from Mumai-local pathshala:
Alibaug ka samja hai  kya?… Kopche mein lu kya?…  Khamba…Fultoo…

Being a commerce teacher, I had to know what a peti and koka meant, you see…

And, you know how Facebook has sanctified these:
Jhakaaaas…
Mast item…                 
Ek number…


Now, please don’t tell me this is ‘tapori’ language…

If it was, I wouldn’t have blogged on it…
Maa kasam… Aai shapat…


I prefer to be a Roman, when I am in Rome!



GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Pradeep Nanda

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