Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit

Old loves die hard?
Sanjay Dutt said he wishes to do more films with Madhuri Dixit, someone he was often linked with in the 90s, at the trailer launch of their upcoming film. Pic/Sameer Markande

Sorry chef, strictly b#!f for
There is a lesson we learnt today at the expense of celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor - you don't mess with Malayalis when it comes to their beef-eating habits. Kapoor had posted a recipe for, of all things, Malabari paneer on his Twitter account.

And the community's response can be summed up with one of the replies: "Sir, I'm a Malabari. What is paneer?" People had a gala time trolling the chef, with some rather innovative dishes being thrown up as suggestions for the future. These included Iyer pork vindaloo, Chinese idli and Bengali thepla, with minced beef dhokla being our favourite.

Stepping it up in the local
"We wanted to do something fun and different in the afternoons. Plus create a VFM option for Bambaiyya food, which is lacking in these parts," says Meldan D'Cunha (inset), about the revamp of his SoBo watering hole cum eatery, The Local. D'Cunha who was instrumental behind the wildly popular Goan eatery Soul Fry, is planning to transform the bar into a restaurant by day. One of the first neighbourhood bars to serve reasonably priced alcohol, the Local is now set for a remodelling where patrons can expect a no-frills restaurant to tuck into city favourites inlcuding Malvani prawns fry, Chicken Sanju baba and khada masala kheema.

Fans of their bar menu neednt have to worry, assures D'Cunha, as favourites along with popular Indian cocktails will be available. Their karaoke and VJ nights will continue as well. Let's hope it scripts a new chapter in SoBo's overcrowded F&B scene. will be available. Their karaoke and VJ nights will continue as well. Let's hope it scripts a new chapter in SoBo's overcrowded F&B scene. oBo's overcrowded F&B scene.

Stepping it up
A new initiative by the Western Railways, conceptualised two weeks ago, promises to get people to walk over the footover bridge (FOB), rather than cross the tracks by motivating them to shed calories. Spotted by animal activist Abodh Aras, the project called Magical Golden Steps has taken off as a pilot project on Mumbai Central station.

Blue stickers indicating the upward direction have been stuck to the left and red stickers are placed to the right. This will help passengers to maintain both discipline while walking as well as their fitness. Ravinder Bhakar, chief PRO of the Western Railways told this diarist, "The primary agenda was the health aspect. As of now, we've only started it at one station but aim to carry it to other major stations soon."

A designer touch to Earth Day
Fashion designer Anita Dongre is not just known for dressing political and international royalty but also for her eco friendly initiatives, be it her sustainable label Grassroot or her ergonomically designed Rabale headquarters.

And we hear that on the occasion of Earth Day, anyone can drop by at her Anita Dongre couture stores today and tomorrow and request for a sapling to be planted in their name. In return, they will get a certificate for the same and these trees will be planted at a plantation adopted in the Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary (situated in the Southern part of Aravalli ranges in District Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, her muse and home state) in association with GrowTrees. A gre(en)at thought indeed.

Husain's toy story
Often called the Picasso of India, MF Husain was known for his altered cubist style. But not many know him as the maker of toys. When his son Shafat was born in 1942, Husain began work as a furniture and toy designer at the Fantasy Furniture Shop in Bombay.

Realising the dearth of toys for his children, he crafted imaginative ones by incorporating Styrofoam. And next month, a preparatory drawing for one of his toys will be placed on auction by Pundole Art Gallery - giving an insight into his master geometric strokes.

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