Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Baby's day out
With husband Angad Bedi by her side, Neha Dhupia canoodles her newborn after being discharged from the hospital on Friday. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Mariketty Grana (left) and AD Singh

Goa in Bombay
Vagator's popular eatery Thalassa downed its shutters only to pop up again at a Goan eatery, Lady Baga, in Lower Parel this month. The restaurant has tied up with F&B giant AD Singh who told this diarist, "Mariketty [Grana, owner of the Goan joint] is an old friend and I've always been a great fan of Thalassa. To me, it's the quintessential Goa hangout. Since it's currently closed for renovations, it seemed like the perfect time to revisit the pop-up idea. And what better place to do it this time than at our own little slice of Goa in Bombay?" Grana said, "I'm delighted to be partnering with my good friend. I can't wait to celebrate the festive season in true Greek style."

Raell Padamsee

A remembrance done right
It has been a week since we lost Alyque Padamsee, a luminary in Mumbai's theatre-scape and a nuanced ad filmmaker. And friends and family of the late Padma Shri recipient have decided to come together on November 29 to put together a homage of sorts.

Sharon Prabhakar

Remembering Alyque is a series of performances and recitals featuring some of his favourites, including Shiamak Davar, Sharon Prabhakar, Marianne Dcruz Aiman, Delna Modi, Shahriyar Atai, Siddharth Meghani, and 2Blue. "Evita is a musical hand-crafted by Alyque. It was one of his most stunning works. Even today, I continue to perform Don't Cry For Me Argentina. He always told me 'God is in the detail,' and you'll see that in my performance," Prabhakar shared.

Speaking about the unique memorial Raell Padamsee, his daughter who is helming the event, told this diarist, "Dad was very clear that he didn't want a conventional memorial. He wanted something in a theatre. So, what better way than to salute him with his own brilliant work? Here's to you, dad!"

Looking for Eva?
This year, the British Council India entered its 70th year in India. While the council director in India, Alan Gemmell, and the West India director Helen Silvester remained jolly hosts throughout the event held earlier this week, UK singer/MC Eva Lazarus was the centre of attention. Her performance was one of the most looked-forward-to gigs. Slated to perform at 8.30 pm, she ended up taking the stage much later due to poor health. Before the show, the Birmingham-born singer told this diarist, "Indian music is inspiring. I wish someday I could feature in an Indian music album." Now, is there someone out there looking for Eva?

Sculpture by Sujata Bajaj

A twinkle in the art
Two NGOs, Khelshala, an organisation that works on highlighting the importance of sport in the lives of young individuals, and Passages, an initiative that aims to help marginalised women battling breast cancer, have collaborated with Gallery Art and Soul for a unique exhibition. Breaking Barriers will see 30 artists, under the tutelage of sculptor Arzan Khambatta, working on life-size horse head sculptures hoping to raise funds that will be directed to these NGOs.

Twinkle Khanna who will be inaugurating the event next week and is supporting the cause, told this diarist, "Using art to raise funds for a good cause is applause-worthy. Both organisations are doing great work and it is an honour for me to be part of a show that includes India's leading artists."

Keep the fire burning
While culprits lurking in the shadows and closet patriarchs wait with bated breath for the #MeToo movement to die out, sniggering behind closed doors about its ostensible demise, women continue to fight the good fight. Take, for example, journalist Rituparna Chatterjee, who has been curating a Twitter account, @IndiaMeToo, which amalgamates all the voices of the movement and developments in its discourse. Recently, Chatterjee gave a shout-out to enthusiasts to come forth and join her in curating the handle. "Please help me amplify as many voices, especially from the ground, that are not being heard in #MeToo," the journalist wrote.

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