17 February,2016 09:12 AM IST | | Team mid-day
The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Picture-perfect Jaipur
The recently concluded inaugural edition of the Travel Photo Jaipur festival changed the mood and character of the Pink City.
The festival had invited 14 exhibitions from across the world that were displayed at some of the city's grandest landmarks, including the Hawa Mahal, Albert Hall Museum and Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK), to highlight how heritage sites can be used for contemporary artistic display. Why not replicate the idea here?
Catherine Balet's, Looking for the Masters in Ricardo's Golden Shoes at Hawa Mahal in the Rajasthan capital
Watch out for me
Pic/Onkar Devlekar
India Test captain Virat Kohli manages a smile despite the alleged split from girlfriend Anushka Sharma at a promotional event at a central Mumbai five-star last evening.
Mumbai on our mind
Pic/Shadab Khan
Architect Kamu Iyer and Sir JJ College of Architecture's Mustansir Dalvi at the release of 20th Century Compulsions - Modern Indian Architecture from the MARG Archives at NGMA. Dalvi has edited the anthology that includes writings by Mulk Raj Anand, Durga Bajpai, Le Corbusier and BV Doshi. Pic/Shadab Khan
Jungle Book version 2.0
Just as the trailer of Hollywood's most recent version of The Jungle Book continues to take social media by storm, here's more good news for fans of the all-time favourite. A popular beverage brand is re-publishing the Rudyard Kipling classic. The brand has been whipping up sentiment by promoting nostalgia from childhood memories with familiar tastes.
Now, they hope to rekindle fond memories of the first time when you read the book, how you would have probably tried to ape Mowgli the Bandar lok, and which of these characters, like Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa and Shere Khan, were among your favourites. Well, we certainly look forward to swinging back to some good old memories with this version.
For Bandra's boys and girls
Bandraites will love the sound of this one. Theatre lovers can indulge in some slice-of-life drama this weekend, thanks to Suburban Legend, a play directed by Akarsh Khurana that will tell stories inspired from Bandra and its residents.
These anecdotal episodes include those about a young couple on the verge of marriage who are forced to reassess their relationship parked on Bandstand, a struggling actor who runs into a star at Yacht Restaurant and Bar, and the two share life stories over cheap drinks and the story of a young lady who revisits her convent life among others.
If you're in the mood for Bandra-tinged nostalgia, catch the play at the Cuckoo Club this Saturday.
When Ajit Wadekar came visiting
Ajit Wadekar's visit to the mid-day office on Monday was as pleasurable for us as it was to the former India cricket captain. Wadekar dropped in on our invitation to watch some footage of his playing days, collected by our in-house cricket enthusiast, who has a large collection of DVDs bought from the Films Division of India (we suggest you make a trip there too).
"From where did you get all this wonderful footage?" would be his oft-asked question, who was thrilled to see himself as a young man. His eyes lit up when he was shown his 235 for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy final against Rajasthan at the Brabourne Stadium, scored as a 21-year-old batsman in 1962.
Next on the screen was the India vs West Indies series in 1966-67 when he made his Test debut in the opening Test at Mumbai. Wadekar narrated the story about how the West Indies captain Garfield Sobers watched him batting in the nets before the Test with torn shoes. "You are going to play international cricket, young man. You need to wear good shoes," Sobers said, to which Wadekar replied that those were his lucky pair.
Later in the day, when Sobers was on his way to Juhu for a social engagement and Wadekar was out with his friends, he dropped in at the Wadekar residence at Shivaji Park and handed over a new pair of shoes to Wadekar's mother. Mrs Wadekar insisted that her son wear the gifted pair the next morning at the Test.
Little did Sobers know that in four year's time, Wadekar would be his opposing captain in the West Indies where India won their first Test series in the Caribbean for the very first time.
We also showed Wadekar footage of his team leaving for the West Indies 45 Februarys ago. "I used to look like that," he asked with a chuckle when he saw himself boarding the plane.
Probably, the best part of the evening was when he saw the footage of the Indian team's return to Mumbai from the victorious 1971 West Indies and England tours. The motorcade across Mumbai - from the Santacruz airport to Brabourne Stadium made him nostalgic. "It feels so great to watch this and to go back in time. What lovely memories," he exclaimed.
To say it was an evening well spent would be as obvious as saying Wadekar was a fine left-handed batsman and a wily, successful captain of India. Thanks for coming, Sir.
