I haven’t watched TV or read newspapers or magazines for more than a year now, with one exception — twice a month, I stop by at the roadside magazine stall opposite my house and hand over thirty rupees for a copy of Time Out Mumbai.
However, even though I have been buying the magazine for almost two years now, I only started to think of it as a necessity when I started my experiment.
The thing is, when you decide not to consume any paid entertainment, you need to know what free entertainment is available in the city, and, even in the age of free information via the Internet, Time Out Mumbai remains the most comprehensive listing of such events.
So, every fortnight, I pick up my copy of Time Out Mumbai, read the reviews of all the new movies and plays I wouldn’t watch, look longingly at all the live music gigs I’ll miss, and tell myself that the few free events during the fortnight are more interesting than all the entertainment I would have otherwise paid for.
Sometimes, that is not far from the truth.
This fortnight, for instance, I’m almost spoiled for choice.