7 in world's 100 richest. What about India's 'hidden' billionaires?

The number of Indians in the annual Forbes rich list came as no surprise. But stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan wasn't among the seven Indians in the Top 100.

Khan, who insists he earns a modest living as a scrap metal merchant, is accused of illegally stashing billions of dollars in overseas accounts.

Media reports suggest the Pune-based businessman will have to cough up 620 billion rupees in tax evasion penalties. That's over $1.3 billion -- and may be just a fraction of Khan's net worth.

A fortune of $9 billion is good enough for a place in this year's Forbes Top 100 list. Does that mean India is home to more such 'hidden' billionaires?

Somebody save Delhi's Airport Express

And you better do it quick. The Airport Metro guys aren't too happy with the way things are going for the New Delhi Airport Express. Two weeks after its launch, just about 6,000 people have been hopping on board every day.

No great shakes if you consider the other Metro train network -- yup, the slower one which is always crammed with people -- ferries some 1,500,000 commuters daily.

When the Airport Express opened, I was one of the few who made a beeline for the Dwarka Sector 21 station to fully experience its snazziness.

It was Day 2 and so I didn't get a Metro souvenir, a garland or even a petal. Those were gifts reserved for the lucky souls who used the airport Metro on the first day. I did get plenty of stares though, being the only commuter in sight -- the rest were all Metro employees.

After I bought a token for Shivaji Stadium (inaugural fare 80 rupees), I walked to the security line where a burly guard stood next to the X-ray baggage scanner. When the guard asked a fellow employee to switch it on, I guessed there hadn't been too many commuters before I walked in.

I turned a corner and used the stairs to descend to the platform level below and was relieved to find a fellow commuter waiting below. Yup, it isn't really fun to walk on a deserted platform and ride a ghost train, is it? More commuters walked in while I waited.

The Metro Express runs every 20 minutes and soon enough, the glass doors opened and I had stepped inside the train for my debut journey on the Airport Express. As I whizzed past the dark tunnels, my eyes took in the shining screens with station info, the spacious luggage racks and the blue-hued cushioned seats. Not to forget the liveried Airport Express stewards who could answer all passenger queries. Surely a boon for foreign tourists, some of whom were on the train, trying to find the quickest possible route to Ramakrishna Ashram.

A lot more people got in at the Airport station. I noticed the train halted there for a couple of minutes -- possibly for the benefit of passengers with heavy luggage.

Shortly afterwards, the train moved to the elevated section of the line. From inside the Metro, you realise why this part of India's capital is so beautiful, especially with the spacious roads and the lush greenery of Delhi Cantonment.

Don't miss the imposing Manekshaw Centre which looms on the left. A station later (Dhaula Kuan, which is still under construction), the Metro hurtles into Delhi's Ridge area and then descends underground once more. Next stop Shivaji Stadium where I get off astounded -- I had covered the distance in less than 20 minutes. As the Metro sped off towards the New Delhi railway station, its final destination, I explored the station complex -- a shining steel structure which seemed festooned with escalators and elevators.

Given the staff strength, commuters would find it difficult to conjure up enough paan stains and spit to sully the complex. And I sure hope they won't, because destroying something as world-class as this would be unpardonable.

Will I take the Airport Metro again? Yes, but not too frequently. The Dwarka Sector-21 station is a bit out of the way for me -- they will have to start more feeder buses within Dwarka before they win me over. Also, from Shivaji Stadium, it takes me another 15 minutes to walk to my office on Barakhamba Road. But on the whole, the Airport Express is a boon for frequent fliers and train passengers, and of course a joyride to be enjoyed by lovers of Delhi.

More info on Airport Express fares, stations here

Related posts from Toe Knee's blog

An ode to the Delhi Metro
Reflections from the Delhi Metro
Surviving Delhi's Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Part I
Surviving Delhi's Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Part II
Surviving Delhi's Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Part III

Breakfast at Tiffany's: 50 years of "mean reds"

Watched "Breakfast at Tiffany's" today. It's a movie I'd been trying to catch for some years now -- and it just happened to be showing on the telly. Coincidentally, it's 50 years since its release and I can understand why people still talk about it.

This 1961 film was perhaps Audrey Hepburn's most challenging cinematic role and she excels at playing the eccentric Holly Golightly.

Hepburn lost the acting Oscar to Sophia Loren that year (perhaps unfairly) but there's no denying she brings the character to life.

I'd loved Hepburn in "My Fair Lady" and "Roman Holiday" but there is something magical about Hepburn's "mean reds", her personality and her equation with the cat in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" that will make this the more memorable role.

I'd read the novella some years ago and had been wondering if the film version did it justice. Critics often say Hepburn's Holly is a toned-down version of what author Truman Capote created in "Breakfast at Tiffany's", but I say it's an improvement. I liked all the changes for the film version and my only regret is they should have got an Asian actor to portray Holly's Japanese neighbour. Others think so too.

As for the film's controversial 'happy' ending, which Hollywood romance would be complete without it. The unresolved ending of the novella had left me dissatisfied. What's the point, I thought as Holly and her cat went their separate ways.

The movie (spoiler ahead) instead brings Holly, the cat and the writer together in the rain, in an embrace that almost suffocates the poor feline. (Animal rights activists, where were you in 1961?)

Hepburn's rendition of "Moon River" (which won the Oscar for 'Best Song') is one of my favourites and watching the famous sequences unfold on screen was even better.

All in all, a great way to spend my Sunday. If you're a sucker for Hollywood romances, this one is for you. If you haven't already, go watch "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

India Blog Mela: May - September 2010

Been extremely busy and sorry for the delay. Have clubbed together the best blog posts between May and September and hope to resume the monthly "blog mela" shortly.

Radio Parul is going through some dental drama.

Mamasaysso's son has plane madness.

Silverine is connecting the dots.

Zigzackly knows ten ways to impress a journalist.

Neo Indian negotiates with his maid.

The Restless Quill wants to smoke.

Alaphia gets a scare and a scowl on the Tube.

Known Turf is into ghaghra feminism.

Falstaff is discussing theology.

Dave and Jenny have some Delhi travel tips.

That's all for now. The October 2010 Blog Mela returns early next month. But before leaving, do please vote for the best post in the May - September 2010 Blog Mela.


Did you just come across a quirky, interesting or something-that-tugs-at-your-heartstrings blog? If yes, feel free to nominate it for the October 2010 Blog Mela being hosted here on November 5.

HOW TO NOMINATE
- Leave a comment on this post OR better still - Mail me at toeknee (at) gmail (dot) com
RULES
- Posts must have been written by Indians or have an Indian angle
- Only posts published between 1-31 October 2010 would be accepted
- If possible, please nominate individual posts, not the whole blog
- Feel free to nominate something you have written. Immodesty appreciated
- You can nominate as many blog posts as you like - provided you really like them
- Only nominations received before midnight on November 4 stand a chance to be featured in the Top 10 list
- No, you don't get any moolah for nominating or getting featured in the Blog Mela. That could change once I am a millionaire but for now you'll just have to bear with me
- Yours truly reserves the right to nominate good posts which you ignore

PREVIOUS BLOG MELAS
2007
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April

India Blog Mela - April 2010

Here are the best blog posts of April.

Jabberwock is missing comfort food.

Alaphia remembers her 8-year-old self.

Anand Ramachandran solves the IPL crisis.

Upasana's office friend is expecting.

Neo Indian has a foreigner's guide to Indian dining etiquette.

The Restless Quill detests acronyms.

Dave and Jenny explain why they are scared of the water.

The Compulsive Confessor has some observations on England.

IndieQuill is going Gimme Gimme.

Silverine has a colleague with verbal diarrhoea.

That's all for now. The May 2010 Blog Mela returns early next month. But before leaving, do please vote for the best post in the April 2010 Blog Mela.


Did you just come across a quirky, interesting or something-that-tugs-at-your-heartstrings blog? If yes, feel free to nominate it for the May 2010 Blog Mela being hosted here on June 5.

HOW TO NOMINATE
- Leave a comment on this post OR better still - Mail me at toeknee (at) gmail (dot) com
RULES
- Posts must have been written by Indians or have an Indian angle
- Only posts published between 1-31 May 2010 would be accepted
- If possible, please nominate individual posts, not the whole blog
- Feel free to nominate something you have written. Immodesty appreciated
- You can nominate as many blog posts as you like - provided you really like them
- Only nominations received before midnight on June 4 stand a chance to be featured in the Top 10 list
- No, you don't get any moolah for nominating or getting featured in the Blog Mela. That could change once I am a millionaire but for now you'll just have to bear with me
- Yours truly reserves the right to nominate good posts which you ignore

PREVIOUS BLOG MELAS
2007
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March

India Blog Mela - March 2010

The India Blog Mela is now three years old. Congratulations to all the bloggers whose posts featured in the monthly editions. And here, albeit a bit late, are the best blog posts of March 2010.

Sayesha is interrogating a boy.

Gawker is hiking up Mt. Whatsitsface.

Krish Ashok is busy at the meeting.

Sad Old Bong is ordering room service.

Neo Indian provides a quick refresher of ancient Indian history.

The Restless Quill wants you to fake it right.

Neeraj thinks giving is an art.

Shanu is googling memories.

Kanupriya hopes for more Days.

Silverine is dropping hints.

That's all for now. The April 2010 Blog Mela returns early next month. But before leaving, do please vote for the best post in the March 2010 Blog Mela.


Did you just come across a quirky, interesting or something-that-tugs-at-your-heartstrings blog? If yes, feel free to nominate it for the April 2010 Blog Mela being hosted here on May 5.

HOW TO NOMINATE
- Leave a comment on this post OR better still - Mail me at toeknee (at) gmail (dot) com

RULES
- Posts must have been written by Indians or have an Indian angle
- Only posts published between 1-30 April 2010 would be accepted
- If possible, please nominate individual posts, not the whole blog
- Feel free to nominate something you have written. Immodesty appreciated
- You can nominate as many blog posts as you like - provided you really like them
- Only nominations received before midnight on May 4 stand a chance to be featured in the Top 10 list
- No, you don't get any moolah for nominating or getting featured in the Blog Mela. That could change once I am a millionaire but for now you'll just have to bear with me
- Yours truly reserves the right to nominate good posts which you ignore

PREVIOUS BLOG MELAS
2007
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February

India Blog Mela - February 2010

Smi is turning over a new leaf.

Silverine is on the no-fail diet.

Great Bong goes to the barber shop.

Annie Zaidi is wondering if women are safer in Mumbai. Or Delhi?.

Shekhar Kapur remembers Nirmal Pandey.

Jade is working.

NeoIndian is just an Indian.

Divya and the permanent chaddi.

Dave and Jenny have two bargaining tactics.

Narendra Shenoy was trying to be funny.

That's all for now. The March 2010 Blog Mela returns early next month. But before leaving, do please vote for the best post in the February 2010 Blog Mela.


Did you just come across a quirky, interesting or something-that-tugs-at-your-heartstrings blog? If yes, feel free to nominate it for the March 2010 Blog Mela being hosted here on April 5.

HOW TO NOMINATE
- Leave a comment on this post OR better still - Mail me at toeknee (at) gmail (dot) com

RULES
- Posts must have been written by Indians or have an Indian angle
- Only posts published between 1-31 March 2010 would be accepted
- If possible, please nominate individual posts, not the whole blog
- Feel free to nominate something you have written. Immodesty appreciated
- You can nominate as many blog posts as you like - provided you really like them
- Only nominations received before midnight on April 4 stand a chance to be featured in the Top 10 list
- No, you don't get any moolah for nominating or getting featured in the Blog Mela. That could change once I am a millionaire but for now you'll just have to bear with me
- Yours truly reserves the right to nominate good posts which you ignore

PREVIOUS BLOG MELAS
2007
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January

India Blog Mela - January 2010

Alaphia thinks It's Never Us. Its Always Them. .

Silverine experiences maternal connectivity.

Great Bong delivers an SRK-ian chuckle.

Krish Ashok is obsessed with Mile Sur Mera Tomorrow.

Aditi Sen is thinking about some random stuff.

Jade is facing street harassment.

NeoIndian is wondering if he's made the transition to living in India.

Divya lives in an industrial godown.

Spaz Kumari didn't like 3 Idiots.

OuchMyToe didn't get any credit for 3 Idiots.

That's all for now. The February 2010 Blog Mela returns early next month. But before leaving, do please vote for the best post in the January 2010 Blog Mela.



Did you just come across a quirky, interesting or something-that-tugs-at-your-heartstrings blog? If yes, feel free to nominate it for the February 2010 Blog Mela being hosted here on March 5.

HOW TO NOMINATE
- Leave a comment on this post OR better still - Mail me at toeknee (at) gmail (dot) com

RULES
- Posts must have been written by Indians or have an Indian angle
- Only posts published between 1-28 February 2010 would be accepted
- If possible, please nominate individual posts, not the whole blog
- Feel free to nominate something you have written. Immodesty appreciated
- You can nominate as many blog posts as you like - provided you really like them
- Only nominations received before midnight on March 4 stand a chance to be featured in the Top 10 list
- No, you don't get any moolah for nominating or getting featured in the Blog Mela. That could change once I am a millionaire but for now you'll just have to bear with me
- Yours truly reserves the right to nominate good posts which you ignore

PREVIOUS BLOG MELAS
2007
March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Staying at the Neemrana Fort Palace

Being a fan of modern plumbing, I am usually not too keen to spend time in 15th-century forts. But heritage hotels are different and an off-site office meet at the Neemrana Fort Palace was just what the doctor ordered.

Harry Potter fans would enjoy visiting this imposing hillside resort in Rajasthan's Alwar district -- it's a maze of tunnels and stairways that would put Hogwarts to shame.

Yes, there are attendants but come nightfall they all seem to melt into the walls, leaving me to navigate the indistinguishable passages to my ninth-floor Chandan Mahal.

Thankfully, there are no ghosts around -- no raja was beheaded, no princess jumped into any well (as far as I know) -- and I never came across any wandering spirit in the fort's turrets and courtyards.

I was a bit disappointed to learn that my apartment, albeit furnished with mahogany almirah and Rajputana fittings, was a 20th-century creation built above the refurbished medieval rooms. But it had its charms. The windows gave me a bird's-eye view of the sunset and the village beyond the ramparts.

There are no television sets or landline phones but the BlackBerry does work and once through with the office meet, it's good to unwind with an hour of traditional folk music -- complete with dancers in sequinned costumes and fire-spitters. The food, especially the desserts, is not too bad either.

But what really got me hooked was an attack on the fort. Not by looters or armies, but by a bunch of wildly screaming tourists zipping down cables from the hilltop.

Visitors to Neemrana can get the complete flying experience -- strapped into a harness and propelled hundreds of feet below from hillside platforms -- on a wire.

People wary of 'Made in India' tags can take comfort that the Flying Fox zip tour is "Swiss-made and British-operated" and there has not been a single fatality since it opened at Neemrana.

What would probably kill you though is the gruelling climb to the first zip platform. I was panting by the time I reached the top, my legs buckling under me as I resolved to do something about my out-of-shape body.

The zip tour, in comparison, was a breeze. There was no way I was going to climb all the way down so performing a death-defying flying stunt seemed the better option. There were a few anxious moments as I swung off the platform, but I relaxed soon enough, even finding time to enjoy the aerial view of the fort and the fields in the distance.



Two hours and five zip runs later, I no longer thought this modern sport was an anomaly at Neemrana.

I wonder what the 15th-century inhabitants would have made of the heritage zip tour -- it does make a whooshing sound each time someone is using it. Probably would have scared them out of their wits. Maybe that's why even their ghosts didn't stop too long.

But there's no stopping the tourists. Apparently Kate Winslet keeps coming to Neemrana. And with good reason.

(Photos and video by Rituparna Bhowmik)