Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Goa, going, gone
Porto and Poie opened with a bang this February, and we became instant fans of chef Gracian De Souza's (in pic) Goan and Portuguese fare. The taste of ginjinha, a Portuguese liqueur made by infusing ginja berries, still lingers on our palates. While we savoured the gently sour taste, we have some bad news to share.

Due to differences between the founders, the Juhu outpost will down shutters on April 15, we have been well informed. "Porto and Poie has had a difference of opinion and hence we have decided to part ways amicably. We wish all involved the very best. Chef Gracian will own the brand, and we wish him the best," Abhayraj Kohli, one of the owners of Porto Poie, said.

When we spoke to Chef De Souza, he told us with a heavy heart: "Yes, I shall be moving on. The feeling is not the best, because you create a brand with so much love. But the show must go on. I will be back. I am not ready to comment on whether Porto and Poie will relocate, but my dedication to Goan and Portuguese food will continue. Obrigado [much obliged in Portuguese]!"

Read the menu!
There are restaurant menus and then there are those that really mean business. Like this particular menu that was brought to our notice by chef-restaurateur Manu Chandra (in pic) on social media yesterday. He posted a scan of a page from a swish Japanese 10-seater restaurant in London that minced no words when it came to produce, specialties and ingredients that weren't on their menu. It doesn't get more specific than this! Have a look yourself.

Four years on, another re-launch
The one thing that's been a constant in Mumbai is the changing nature of its real estate properties. In 2014, the rundown Deepak Talkies in Lower Parel got a makeover when it moved from Bhojpuri screenings to become a hub for weekly screenings of world cinema under its tie-up with Enlighten Film Society to form Matterden CFC. Now, after months of renovation, it is back in a new avatar as Matterden Carnival Cinemas, the word 'Deepak' having been dropped."

Deepak Cinemas is now Matterden Carnival Cinemas. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Operations have been handed over to Matterden, even as we continue to own the space," third-generation owner Punit Shah told this diarist. The first event after the re-launch, is a chat between Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, and Matterden founder Pranav Ashar, along with a screening of the former's Oscar-nominated film, Children of Heaven.

Twinkle's a star
One actor whose post-films life has been about donning different hats and acing all of them is Twinkle Khanna. First, she turned a producer with Tees Maar Khan in 2010, a film which starred hubby Akshay Kumar. Then, she picked up the pen, writing two books and picking up a slew of awards in the process.

Now, she has won a prize for producing as well. FICCI's women's wing, FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), has given her the FLO Icon Award for Excellence in Conscientious Cinema for the movie Pad Man, which dealt with the issue of menstrual health and starred her hubby again. And then there is some chatter about a new lifestyle and fashion website that she's prepping to launch. Watch this space for more.

Pic/Nimesh Dave

Can you put a price on it?
Shahnawaz Hussain, national spokesperson of BJP, appears to be checking out the worth of his ring from the best man in the house, Nitin Khandelwal, chairman of the All India Gems & Jewellery Trade Federation, at an event in a suburban five-star on Thursday.

The class reunion that lives on
For most Bombaywallahs, some plays offer simple, slice-of-life reality checks even before the audience is introduced to the next scene. Class of 84 is one such play that was first staged in January 2003. Now, exactly 15 years later, the Rage Production has crossed the 350-mark. The rollercoaster ride about friendship set amidst a bunch of Xavierites went on to strike a chord among most theatre-loving city folk.

The play's writer-director and mid-day columnist, Rahul daCunha reminisces, "I wrote the play really for a few college mates of mine. Didn't realise that it would be such a universal story. Whether you are 15 or 55, everyone's been part of the gang." With theatre veterans like Shernaz Patel, Rajit Kapur, Sohrab Ardeshir and Joy Sengupta as part of the cast, every scene had its moments. For those of you who haven't caught the play still, there are a few shows lined up for later this month.

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