The Hindu makes a tepid debut in Mumbai

The Hindu made its much awaited debut in Bombay (Mumbai) on Saturday, November 28, 2015. Rushed to the newsstand on my two wheeler to get a copy from the nearest news stand in Chembur - three kms away. After all, The Hindu is a Madrasi's pride and a regular reading habit with the filter coffee. I forked out a five rupee coin and asked him, 'The Hindu, please!'

He said 'eight rupees.' Eight rupees? Oh he must be referring to the Chennai edition that is airlifted by airmail, I thought. Then I told him, 'Buddy, it is launching today in Mumbai. I need the Mumbai edition.' He looked at me with a smirk and said, 'That right. I am talking about the Mumbai edition only'. 'Ok, must be a special issue with loads of information. Must be a collectors' edition', I thought.

I forked out the extra three rupees and he handed over to me a thin newspaper, the ones those tabloids with Baba Bengali ads come in. My face fell! Is this really the Mumbai debut edition? Remembering his smirk, I once again double checked the newspaper before wanting to ask him any further query. Yes it was indeed the Mumbai edition. Eight rupees, 22 pages. Is this the broadsheet I was awaiting?

Already half-sunk, I took it home, to scan it from cover to cover. Just a few features here and there and some self aggrandisement and quotes welcoming it to Mumbai. The same dull font and ... the paper got over even as I was about to commence reading.

What was The Hindu thinking? Atleast they could have syndicated some supplement from the Madras (Chennai) edition. And at that rate!

I guess it is banking on the competitive exam aspirants and the South Indian (read: predominantly Tamil) population as its target audience.

I heard that a thinner Sunday edition came at 10 rupees. Did not bother to ride three kms back and forth again.