Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Look East for a heady treat
Mumbai's culinary collaborations scene is abuzz with international names coming down to the city to create never-tried-before combinations of native and local produce. And now the city's tipplers have something to look forward to as The Bombay Canteen (TBC) brings down two well-known mixologists, Owen Gibler and Jameel Frith, of Employees Only Hong Kong, an award-winning hospitality-inclined cocktail bar, which first opened in New York. The mixologists will take over the bar of the popular, hip Lower Parel restaurant for one night only on March 14.

Owen Gibler

"This being my first time in India, I'm looking forward to immersing myself in Mumbai's dynamic food and beverage scene, tasting what's being done at TBC, and exploring new flavours and applying them to fundamental techniques. This exchange of ideas only moves the culture forward," Frith told this diarist.

Jameel Frith

"I hope this trip is a two-way street of understanding and cultural/ professional exchange... I want to make drinks for and talk to as many people as possible to get a feel of what is going on in this expanding scene. We also want to pass on any knowledge that might help or at least entertain whomever we get a chance to meet," Gibler added. Cheers to that.

In Rupi's words
"Our backs/ tell stories/ no books/ have the spine/ to carry". This is Rupi Kaur's poem, Women of Colour, that was posted several times over by women across the globe to celebrate International Women's Day. Kaur is now a sensation, an Instapoet who showed the world where social media, self-publishing and smart marketing can lead you. She spent the first three months of 2018 touring India on her maiden visit. And when she stopped in Mumbai earlier this week, she enthralled the audience by reading out from her bestselling books, Milk and Honey, and The Sun and Her Flowers. For Kaur, writing is the only way of expression known to her.

Rupi Kaur

In a video on Twitter, she reveals that all she needs is a "journal or even a sheet of paper", and some quiet. As a parting note in that video, Kaur tells women across the country to believe that "you are enough. You have to get up in the morning, stand in front of the mirror...and say you're smart, you're beautiful, you're enough. Go and achieve your dream," she signs off.

A salute to a Mumbai educator
City-based educator Meena Mishra's love for the written word has seen her wear many hats. The active member of Mumbai English Educators' Team has been invited by the Education Department of Maharashtra to be on the review committee for a new English textbook, while her short stories, poems and literary reviews have been published in international journals.

Meena Mishra

Recently her autobiographical book, The Impish Lass, and another book, Oops! a collection of short stories edited by her, were nominated for the National Book Honour Award, which has been instituted to popularise and promote works of deserving authors. Good luck!

What empowers PC
This newspaper had reported yesterday that Priyanka Chopra's production house is going all out to create an environment that fosters gender parity in an industry known to favour male artistes. And now it appears as if the actor is keen on keeping the conversation going across platforms. As part of the #WhatEmpowersMe campaign, which the US Consulate General in Mumbai is running for Women's Day, the actor shared that it was family, self-worth and her spirit that kept her going.

The campaign saw women from all walks share their empowerment mantras, ranging from diplomats to firewoman Lata Bhabad, who is part of Maharashtra's first gender-integrated fire brigade, and Aarti Naik, founder of an organisation for girls' education.

Ready for a filmy treasure hunt?
For the city's cinema buffs, the countdown to filmmaker Christopher Nolan's visit to Mumbai in April has begun. To make the wait interesting, the Film Heritage Foundation - which has organised Nolan's discussion on the future of film with visual artist Tacita Dean and filmmaker and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur - started a film reel hunt in Chor Bazaar yesterday.

On till March 22, its winners get to attend an interactive session with Nolan.

Those were the days

Industrialist Parvez Damania and filmmaker Sanjay Gupta are engrossed in conversation at the opening of an exhibition showcasing paintings by women artists at a BKC venue on Thursday. Pic/Ashish Raje

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