Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Anamika Singh with Kangana Ranaut on the set of the commercial

When dancing queens team up
Dancer Anamika Singh, who is choreographing actor Kangana Ranaut in a new jewellery commercial, seems quite impressed with the latter's dedication.

Anamika Singh with Kangana Ranaut on the set of the commercial

"Kangana is a keen learner and was eager to learn the nuances of every movement. She rehearsed it a number of times before the shot in order to get it right," says Singh, who is trained in 19 dance forms.

"It is all about the movement of various galaxies and if you were to embody that in human form, how it would be." We'll leave that to Kangana.

The wait is over
A good story can't go unnoticed for too long. Something of that sort happened with auto driver M Chandrakumar - popularly known as Auto Chandran, whose poignant 2006 Tamil novel that recounted his experience of being incarcerated for a crime he did not commit, became the toast of the town last year.

M Chandrakumar

A film based on the book, Visaranai, bagged the National Award and was also Indian's official entry to the Oscars. Now, nearly 11 years after it was first published, Westland is making the book available in English. The title, Lock-Up, which has been translated by noted columnist Pavithra Srinivasan, will bring Chandrakumar's jail-time jottings to English readers. We can only see Auto Chandran's fan club growing.

A far cry from Hollywood
This one's for those who take their indie cinema seriously. As part of their Women's History Month celebrations, the US Consulate in Mumbai has partnered with Asia Society to organise a talk by Richard Peña, former programme director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, that organises the New York Film Festival.

Richard Pena and Maya Deren

The session titled, Maya Deren - A Centenary Tribute By Richard Peña (March 9), will see him enlighten attendees on the "godmother" of American independent cinema. Film nerds can immerse themselves in discussion on Deren's poetry, choreography, dance, films and her work as an anthropologist. Peña, who's currently teaching at Columbia University, will also screen one of her films in its entirety and a few clips from the others.

Going classic
Earlier this week, Saffronart previewed the lots that will go under the hammer on March 9, when the auction house hosts its second-ever sale of classical Indian art. The first one was held in 2015, and, while 2016 was a dry spell in this particular section. We are excited to see some important pieces come into auction for the first time. After all, the December 2015 sale did fetch Saffronart Rs 16,39,02,000, when a notable sculpture of Parvati alone went for Rs 6,48,00,000.

The sale includes 36 Rajasthani miniatures from the property of jeweller Motichand Khajanchi from Bikaner. The sale also features a sandstone sculpture of Mahishasuramardini (below), estimated to go for around R3-R5 crores. We can't wait to see who'll buy this beauty.

Prabhadevi, the willow and leather side of town
The news of Prabhadevi-based Mumbai cricket stalwart Padmakar Shivalkar being nominated for the BCCI Colonel CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award that will be presented to him in Bangalore on Wednesday, reminded our in-house cricket nut of the number of cricketers who either live or have lived at Prabhadevi.

Padmakar Shivalkar

At one time, Shivalkar and former Mumbai captain Milind Rege lived in the same building before Rege shifted to a nearby high rise. For a while, Prabhadevi was home to Ajit Wadekar when he was captain of India in the early 1970s - remember the story about him and his wife returning from shopping for curtains for their new flat only to discover celebrations in the compound which Wadekar mistook for a State Bank Of India officer's promotion party?

Sanjay Manjrekar is still a Prabhadevi resident. In the Twin Towers Lane, (what Prabhadevi residents call it) lived Mumbai Ranji Trophy captains Raju Kulkarni and Shishir Hattangadi. Kulkarni's parents still live there while Hattangadi has now made Ahmedabad his home. Prabhadevi has even attracted Aakash Chopra, the India batsman turned commentator and columnist. The list could only get bigger. Watch this space.