Mumbai Diary: Thusday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

Lifeline on wheels

A porter offers a senior traveller respite from walking at Dadar station.

All is well

Salim Durani

This has been a washout year and one felt this could be the worst end to it when social media was abuzz about former India batsman Salim Durani passing away. The rumours were doing the rounds since Tuesday night, but on Wednesday the storm intensified a bit. To quash the rumours, this diarist called up Jamnagar-based Durani and found out that the original 'Mr Sixer' is very much alive. "I am doing well. There is absolutely no problem with my health. I appreciate your concern though. Due to winter, I have a bit of cough and cold. That's it. There is nothing to worry as such," Durani told mid-day. It was a sigh of relief, nonetheless.

These folks are booked for a win

The winners include Milind Soman

The Atta Galatta-Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize is perhaps the only major literary prize that considers translations, short-story anthologies and self-published works. And this year's winners have been announced. While the award for Best Fiction (English) went to Deepa Anappara, heartthrob Milind Soman won the popular choice award for his memoir that was written with Roopa Pai.

Deepa Anappara. Pic courtesy/Liz Seabrook

Ashutosh Bhardwaj grabbed the honour of Best Non Fiction (English) and the novel Rising Heat got a nod for its cover design. In addition, Janaki Srinivasa Murthy, popular as Vaidehi, was recognised for her achievement in Kannada Literature. Commenting on her win, Subodh Sankar, co-founder Atta Galatta, said, "[She] heralded a new era of feminist literature in the '70s, opened readers to the innate world of a woman, replete with a strong identity, her little pleasures, insecurities and mischief."

Ready to e-date in the new year?

After a year that compelled us to go on virtual dates, will Indian millennials continue to look out for love online? That's what a study by dating app OkCupid suggests as 61 per cent men and 57 per cent women revealed they were open to falling in love with someone they meet online. Each question by the app was answered by 1,07,598 respondents on an average. The insights, gathered over the course of 2020, suggested that 72 per cent respondents believe traditional gender roles are invalid now. Moreover, 79 per cent men and 53 per cent women said they would consider moving in with their partner, even if they haven't discussed marriage, and 68 per cent opined that marriage doesn't determine a couple's happiness.

What's happening on the home front?

Sussanne Khan

While the world shuttered, how have the ones who design our homes - architects and interior designers - coped and ideated? To shed light on these questions, Kanjur Marg-based The Quarry Gallery has been hosting a chat series called Conversations With The Future, with 50 of the best design minds. Rupesh Shinde, founder and chief curator, told this diarist that upcoming speakers include Sussanne Khan, Ashiesh Shah, Supraja Rao and Alpa and Sandeep Shikre. "While the world was locked in, ideas can never stay locked down. We feel privileged to hear, celebrate and realise the dreams of India's young designers - from their homes, for all our homes," he added.

Joy of reading, a click away

Following a report that had highlighted how only 50 per cent of the three hundred million children enrolled in schools in India can read and write, while the other half cannot, publishing house Katha had started a campaign to introduce kids to the joy of reading. Now, as part of the 300 Million Citizens' Challenge, they are launching a reading portal on December 15, which will serve as a toolkit and a library to schools, non-profits and other partner organisations. Senior editor and director of the Child Poverty Action Research Lab at Katha, Dr Shilpi Sarkar (in pic), shared that the portal will work on the principle - each child teaches a child. "For example, if a private school ties up with us, kids who can read and write from there will teach kids who can't. We will provide the content on the portal which has storybooks and activities divided into themes like friendship, climate change, etc, designed to inspire kids to be geeks - who are gender sensitive, earth-carers, and practice equality."

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