Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Ending the show with a bang

This week, the cast of The Big Bang Theory filmed their finale after 12 years and 279 episodes. While the cast indulged in a handprinting ceremony at a Hollywood theatre, Kunal Nayyar, who plays computer programmer Raj Koothrappali in the series, took to social media to pen a heartfelt tribute as he also shared his birthday this week.

Addressing the show's fans, he wrote, "Fame can feel like a cage, so thank you for making us feel safe enough to be free." And Indian fans poured in with warm wishes while some couldn't believe the show had come to an end. "Phenomenal feat. Thank you for the entertainment!" TV actor Naakul Mehta commented while director Shekhar Kapur also conveyed his gratitude.

Don't hate, educate

There's been much uproar on the Internet about a video featuring an "aunty" that's gone viral. It was shot by some girls whom the lady in the clip allegedly shamed because of the short length of their dresses. Things escalated when the lady reportedly told the girls they would be raped if they wore such clothes.

Mumbai-based musician Aarifah shared her thoughts in a poetic post, with the message to not hate but educate. "It's the mentality of these people that needs changing. Given time, counselling and an education, they will understand. They belong to a generation that wasn't as open-minded as we are, and if we can't see that then maybe we are not as open-minded either," she told this diarist.

Insta's king and queens

At a time when being a social media influencer is turning into a legitimate profession, a trend that came into being primarily due to the growing popularity of Instagram, it only makes sense to stay abreast of the who's who of the digital world.

Instagram announced the Instagrammer of the Year 2019 awards yesterday that recognise achievements of individual users and influencers across categories. Comedian and singer Bhuvan Bam won in the Entertainment Account of the Year category, while Sejal Kumar bagged the Fashion Account of the Year.

Sara Ali Khan won the Rising Star Award, and Pooja Dhingra, the Food Account of the Year. "It feels great that Instagram has acknowledged my work. It is a massive platform with a global reach, and musicians and comedians from around the world are posting their content on it. There's place for all genres and the scope is limitless. There are no boundaries for artistes to showcase their talent," Bam told this diarist. Well, now you know who to follow.

Indonesia calling

City-based theatre artist and trained dancer Kiran Pavaskar is all set for a four-month long immersive cultural experience in Indonesia. For, she has been selected for the Indonesian Arts and Cultural Scholarship. "I will be representing India along with another artiste from Delhi," Pavaskar, who will be joining 72 participants from across the world, told this diarist.

"We'll spend the first week in Jakarta for the introduction and inaugural ceremony. Later, we will be split into smaller groups and sent to different parts of the country, where the real cultural exchange will begin. By the end of the four months, we would have also learnt a traditional Indonesian dance, which we will perform at the finale."

A page out of Mumbai

Once upon a time, we had historians documenting a city's evolution. But in the modern era, bloggers and Instagrammers are also doing the same job. Take Mumbai for example. There are a host of social media accounts that painstakingly cover developments in the city, and post pictures that bring out its beauty.

Many of these admins recently found each other on a single Twitter thread, after WeAreMumbai, a page that's curated on a rotational basis, made a clarion call for others doing the same job to post comments about their work. This led to a real sense of community on the page, with different handles like MumbaiPaused and NotJustAnyTraveller sharing their writings and pictures. Log on to the page to find out more, and if you document our beloved city as well, don't feel shy about sharing your stuff!

Crushing on Taapsee

Vicky Kaushal and Taapsee Pannu fool around while shooting for a show at a studio in Andheri on Thursday. Pic/Satej Shinde

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