Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Care to share the joke?
Swara Bhaskar and Kareena Kapoor Khan have a blast with producer Rhea Kapoor (centre) at the music launch of their upcoming film in Juhu on Tuesday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Robert Stephens looks at his collection of guidebooks and pamphlets prior to the exhibition

To be continued…
It's the Bombayphile's ultimate fantasy. So, when this diarist dropped by for a preview of architect Robert Stephens' labour of love - his collection of 16 rare books and pamphlets from 1880 to 1980 - it felt like stepping into a research goldmine. The tactile exhibition opened last week, and wraps up later this week. But what happens to those who failed to catch a glimpse of it? Well, these books, which have been collated under the Urbs Indis collection, will move to the office of Urban Design & Research Institute Library (UDRI) in Kala Ghoda and will be available for reference from Monday through Friday during working hours. And for those who don't have the time to head to SoBo for this biblio fix, log on to the Urbs Indis website that gives digital form to the three-dimensional exhibitions of photographs and books as well as some of his aerial photos from the Mumbai Articles (2014), Mumbai North (2016), and Mumbai Shadows (2017) series. "The hope is that anyone who visits Urbs Indis feels as if they are entering a digital art gallery, where the objects on exhibit, photographs and books speak to one another and inspire the viewer," assured Stephens of his gift to the city. Now, that's what we call full-on Mumbai Darshan!

Prateek Sadhu

Eat for a cause
Mahalaxmi's culinary hotspot, Masque is opening up its doors - and heart - to patrons in a bid to support children with special needs. It's hosting a special brunch themed on Alphonso mangoes, with the proceeds going to Tamanna School, an institution for children with developmental disabilities. The date for the event is June 3. So mark it in your calendar if you want to do your bit for the cause too, or even if you simply want to pig out on the delicacies that the restaurant will include in this special menu created by chef Prateek Sadhu.

Rajayavardhan Singh Rathore

The minister's fitness challenge
It's not often that we see a minister do push-ups in office, but when the person in question is a former Olympian, it's easier to join the dots. Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, Rajayavardhan Singh Rathore, posted a video of himself yesterday, urging fellow Indians to share their fitness clips too.

Hrithik Roshan

Calling the initiative #HumFitTohIndiaFit, he also relayed the challenge to friends by tagging Hrithik Roshan, Virat Kohli and Saina Nehwal to share their fitness videos. The responses to this special request from the minister will make for an interesting thread to follow.

Juuhi Babbar Sonii and Nadira Zaheer Babbar in the play Begum Jaan

Theatre comes to the mall
From kiddie activities to stand-up and music gigs, we have seen entertainment make its way to malls in innovative avatars. But this is something we have never seen before, and now that it's happening, we wonder why it took so long. The mother-daughter duo Nadira Zaheer Babbar and Juuhi Babbar Sonii have designed The Ekjute Young Talent Workshop, which will be conducted for kids at a popular Kurla mall. Named after their theatre company, the workshop aims to emphasise the importance of theatre education and will also highlight how actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Pankaj Kapoor and Nawazuddin Siddiqui have theatre experience to thank for their strong and versatile acting skills. That this is happening in a public place will certainly generate interest in something that is not associated with mainstream entertainment. A win-win for kids and theatre?

Pic/Video by Penguin books UK on Youtube

Presidential thrills
President dapper has joined hands with a celebrated American author, best known for his thrillers, to write what is being hailed as one of the most awaited books this year. Ex US President Bill Clinton and James Patterson have co-authored The President is Missing (Penguin), which promises to be packed with drama. It is a tale about espionage, cyber terror and a large threat looming over the US of A, which has Washington in the grip of fear until the president becomes a suspect and goes missing. How the story unfolds is something only page-turning can reveal, but the coming together of Clinton and Patterson already has us waiting with nail-biting enthusiasm.

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