Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

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Actor Suneil Shetty asks for a replacement bar during a celebrity cricket match held in Bandra over the weekend. Pic/Atul Kamble

Best not to mess with bun-maska
What's maska without the bun or brun, right? Well, don't be too sure about this, as this diarist realised when she dropped by a popular Bandra cafe, known for its chai and loud chatter, not necessarily in that order. We opted for what turned out to be a well-brewed kulhad chai and bun-maska. Much to our surprise, when we opened the packing for the bun-maska, we weren't greeted by the familiar pillowy-soft bun that we've grown so used to polishing off in a jiffy. Instead, we were staring at a drab-looking burger bun that was passed on as the Irani café version; even the generous slathering of maska offered little joy. Clearly, the Americanisation of the humble bun-maska means the dilution of another Bombay culinary bastion.

A high-flying birthday
It seems the Maharaja's hospitality hasn't quite lost its sheen. National carrier Air India (AI) seems to have impressed one passenger in particular, Congress MP and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor. A tweet from the politician informed his large social media following that during an AI flight he had taken on his birthday last week on March 9, the cabin crew, without letting him know, organised a cake-cutting ceremony on board. They took the initiative themselves, without any directions from their superiors, and surprised Tharoor with the baked goodie. This left him so moved that he gave a public shout out to the crew, thanking "Karishma, Rashmi, Captain Rohit and the rest" for their thoughtful gesture. He also posted a photo (left) of him about to cut the gorgeous looking caking along with the people who had made it possible. We are not sure how much this had to do with Tharoor's charm or AI trying to put its best foot forward. But if you are expecting a cake in mid-air on your birthday, we'll say, with great power come great privileges.

Juhi bats for women farmers
Whether it's promoting the use of alternatives to plastic or creating awareness about the hazards of allowing cellphone towers in residential areas, Juhi Chawla is known for her green leanings. Now, the pretty actor has been chosen as the brand ambassador of the Women of India Organic Festival, which is making its debut in Mumbai on March 16. Organised by the Union Ministry of Women & Child Development, the festival has been an annual affair in New Delhi since 2015. Under the initiative of the ministry, the Mumbai edition is being organised by The Mahila Arthik Vikas Mandal, Maharashtra. Women farmers and entrepreneurs in the organic field from across India will be in the city for five days showcasing organic produce, cosmetics, household, aromatherapy and solar products, kitchen composters, organic cotton fabric, and other bio products. During the festival, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will also conduct a session on the importance of India Organic Certification, its process and certification.

Righting wrongs
The whole point of celebrating International Women's Day is to say women are no lesser than men, and celebrate gender equality. But since everything including equality is marketable, brands have long cashed in on the occasion, often slotting women in stereotypical pigeon holes of mother, daughter and wife. And so, we love that a new media firm has released a video that takes potshots at this trend and calls out the hypocrisy. Titled Every Woman's Day Video Ever, it has lines like, "Get a celebrity to say something vague like, 'My body is my temple," and other similar burn-inducing statements.

Gyaan from IIT
It always is interesting to stumble upon new lessons about the city during our browsing sessions across the Internet. And who better than the city's premier institution, IIT, to give us some cool fundas about education in its early days. The folks handling their Twitter handle seem to be doing a fine job too, with gems like this one which reveal how teaching was preferred over research on the grounds that it interfered with 'robust teaching.' Now, that's worth a debate, right?

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