Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/SNEHA KHARABE

Let's kickstart the madness
Vivek Oberoi and Riteish Deshmukh caught pranking each other as part of promotions for an upcoming film at an Andheri Studio.

Illustration/UDAY MOHITE

Babas in battle
Baba Ramdev has Sri-rious competition. In October last year, this paper had reported that Sri Sri Ravishankar, the high priest of the Art of Living, had launched a malt drink called Ojasvita at an event that was attended by Rio Olympics badminton silver medalist PV Sindhu. She and her coach P Gopichand are brand ambassadors for the drink, and a slew of television advertising spots followed that launch. At that time, Sri Sri's company representatives, including chief marketing officer Tej Katpitia, and others had stated that the Sri Sri Ayurveda products would be lining shop shelves soon. Though a bit delayed, it appears Sri Sri is finally taking on the other baba of retail - Baba Ramdev and his Patanjali range. At a prominent Agar Bazaar (Prabhadevi) mall, we saw Sri Sri Ayurveda products directly opposite from a shelf of Patanjali products. The two gurus, one with Suryanamaskar and the other with his breathing techniques, may be locked in competition. But, with both product lines similarly priced, it is a case of more the merrier for the consumer and a big boost for Ayurveda. You go, gurus of consumer cool.

Chilli Cutlets

Food inspiration from books
Food and books make a wonderful pairing. We aren't the only ones who think so. Pratham Books, a non-profit that publishes books for children, have turned their love for food and books into a food fest contest. They're asking readers to create a dish inspired by a chosen reading list, take a picture of it and email or tag it #PBNomNom on social media. Choose an ingredient from any of the books, and do this before June 10. Winning entries will get a book hamper.

Seed Cake

The book list includes Around the World With A Chilli, Lassi, Ice-cream or Falooda?, Avani and the Pea Plant, Dum Dum-a-Dum Biryani!, Let's Go Seed Collecting and Aaloo-Maaloo-Kaaloo. To kickstart the contest, the Pratham team has created a few dishes, including Oatmeal, Date and Raisin Cookies, and Chilli Cutlets. Go on then, get cooking.

Mr Word's Worth
Sherwin Rodrigues is no stranger to wordplay. The 27-year-old Mumbai resident has been participating in Scrabble championships for adults since he was 12. Of his 10 appearances at the Bayer National Scrabble Championship, this Sunday marked his eighth win. "As a kid, I enjoyed solving jumbled words with my mother, so when my grandparents introduced me to Scrabble, I took to it instantly," the marketing professional told this diarist. "Words like trichina and rubefied helped me score points in the final rounds." Intrigued? Look them up!

The Retro Run at Hiranandani Garden, Powai. Pic/SAMEER MARKANDE

A backward record for Guinness
Last weekend saw 1,007 Mumbaikars run 160 metres backward, successfully breaking the Guinness World Record for Retro Running, beating Germany's record last year. The Retro Race held in Hiranandani Gardens in Powai was part of the launch of a new beverage, and also featured live music from Chickeen Masala, a healthy fruit bowl counter and mocktails.

New musical pairings
We love musical collaborations; especially if they result in new music to add to our playlist. The latest is a song called Wide - a fun collaborative effort by city boys Indus Creed (below) and The Lazy Faithful, a Rock 'n Roll band from Porto. This is part of T(H)REE, a cultural project that joins musicians from Portugal and several Asian countries, in unique musical partnerships. Their latest volume will feature artistes from Portugal, India and Sri Lanka. We can't wait to hear the rest.