Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

The photo that Rasika Dugal posted

With The Guide Restaurant Awards 2019 presented by mid-day turning out to be a hit, the team behind it now feels a bit like theatre actors feel when, after months of rehearsals and preparation, the staging of a play is finally over. But all the effort pays off when the winners share their joy in public with sweet gestures.

The team at Miss T, for instance, baked a cake that was a replica of the black plate that was handed to them for The Best New Restaurant award. The team at the eatery posed with the trophy, too. Then there was Gustad Dinshaw Irani, who proudly displayed his plate at a table at Café Dela Paix, the Iranian café his family has owned for 80 years.

The Miss T team with their award; the winning plate displayed at Cafe Dela Paix; and the cake at Miss T

And the celebrity guests had a great time as is evident from a photo that Rasika Dugal posted of herself, Maria Goretti and Huma Qureshi, which she captioned saying, "We had
much more fun than these photos claim... The foodie in me has a busy month ahead."

Italian touch at Mumbai festival

The 10th edition of one of South Asia's biggest LGBTQ film festivals, scheduled to take place in Mumbai from June 12 to 16, will have an Italian touch to the proceedings. A graphic designer from the country has been picked as the winner of a poster design contest by designer Wendell Rodricks. Milan-based Domenico De Monte's design will become the look of this edition of the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.

Wendell Rodricks and Domenico De Monte

"The cinema posters of the 1970s were an inspiration. The theme 'Over the Rainbow', together with the fact that it was the 10th edition of the festival gave me the idea to work on the rainbow shape to create a texture. The number 10 springs using the colours of LGBT culture without being banal. The sharp areas and flat colours reflect my intention to keep the artwork simple and sincere, in keeping with the message of the festival that aims to fight for a fairer society that gives everyone the the freedom to affirm their gender identity. I decided to frame the illustration with the typical style of cinema posters from the 70s," De Monte (inset) told this diarist. "In an age of over-design, it is heartening to see one that uses the rainbow to fill up the poster," Rodricks added.

A sign of bad taste in Bandra

A few installations that have come up in the city in the recent past have been real eyesores that pass off as street art, including the tacky Bodhi tree installation in Andheri.

But even those are beautiful objects in comparison to a new "I heart Bandra" sign that director Ram Subramanian brought to our notice on social media. He posted the accompanying pic with the caption, "This [installation] is a hideous and unoriginal piece." Honestly, we couldn't agree more.

A new chapter

Back in 2015, when Trilogy opened in the commercial heartland that is Lower Parel, it stood out like a biblio oasis. Started by books editor Ahilya Naidu and wildlife photographer Meethil Momaya, it won fans for its eclectic set of titles as well as being a space for workshops. Last weekend, when this diarist dropped by, she learnt that it was their last working day.

"It was becoming a challenge to operate from here, what with talk of redevelopment of the area doing the rounds. It's been a tough call but the good news is that we will be relocating to Bandra in June," Naidu said. Both assure that the theme and curation of the bookstore will remain the same in the new location near Joggers' Park.

Project runway

Kriti Sanon's walk along the parking bay at the Mumbai International Airport could well be mistaken for the ramp. Pic/Sameer Markande

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