IN THE WORDS of eminent Marathi writer P.L. Deshpande (known as PuLa), "It is not enough to just say I am a Marathi. It is important to define if you are a Punekar, Mumbaikar or Nagpurkar as that really defines what kind of a Maharashtrian you are." That explains a lot about Marathi surnames, too. Tendulkars are people who come from Tenduli, or Manjrekars come from Manjargaon.
I am a Punekar who is 'evolving'to become a Mumbaikar. I say this because growing up in Pune, especially in old Pune, is like being a derby horse with blinders on. Punekars are known for their ignorance about the rest of the world, which includes the rest of Maharashtra. For us, Pune is the centre of the universe. The state is divided into six regions with six totally different landscapes and dialects. But if I have a right to comment, criticise, praise or get nostalgic about any part of Maharashtra, I would restrict myself to Pune and Mumbai. Pune is my janmabhoomi and, like most Marathi filmmakers, Mumbai is my karmabhoomi.
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