Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Gul Panag's winning formula
From motorsports to airplanes, the adrenaline junkie has done it all. Now, Gul Panag has added another feat to her list by becoming the first Indian woman to drive a Formula E racing car.

Gul Panag

Recently, she tweeted a photo, immediately after she drove the new M4Electro at the Circuit de Calafat in Catalonia, Spain. To perfect her driving skills, Panag even practiced in Barcelona for a day before she headed to the tracks. You go, Gul.

Niladri Kumar's notes on Khan saab
Sitar player Niladri Kumar's upbringing taught him to say, namaste instead of a hello. Born to Kartick Kumar, a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, he values the contribution of his father's contemporaries and seniors.

Niladri Kumar

Despite working in a commercial industry like Bollywood with a modified sitar, known as zitar, he sticks to his Indian Classical roots.

In fact, over the years, Kumar created his brand of fusion with the zitar. Yesterday, he shared an interview of Ustad Amir Khan - the Indore Gharana exponent - and hailed his contribution to the genre.

Ustad Amir Khan

"An insight which makes you realise why some remain immortal through music," he tweeted along with the audio link. Well played, Niladri.

UB40 on Mumbai's Wall of Fame
If you missed UB40's gig last evening but still wish to feel their presence in the city, head to The Stables, an equestrian-themed pub from Dubai that launched recently in Andheri. They've immortalised the famous Reggae outfit's visit to the city by capturing their handprints in cement and framing them on a wall.

The restaurant manager helps UB40 members Earl Falconer (centre) and Jimmy Brown (right) make their hand impressions. Pic/Shadab Khan

It launches their initiative, Wall Of Fame, a la the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, which aims to frame the hand impressions of all international performers who visit the pub. Now, if only Justin Bieber would add it to his itinerary when he comes to town next month.

From the short to the long of it
Cyrus Dastur has been synonymous with the short films scene in the city for over a decade. Founder of film club Shamiana, and theatre personality, the 36-year-old is now ready to take the plunge and produce feature films as well as shorts.

Cyrus Dastur

Dastur's first venture as co-producer is a romantic comedy set to release in June, while two more shorts that have been co-produced under his film club banner are slated for a release in May, when they will also start travelling to various festivals across the globe. "Being in content exhibition for all these years, content creation seemed like the next logical step," an excited Dastur told this diarist. Good luck.

Thai to the Caribbean jive
Back in April 2014, when it opened inside Mathuradas Mills, Oh:cha was hailed as the 'it' place for authentic Thai food. Amid serene interiors and a traditional vibe, the cuisine and the service soon made the space a hit among patrons and Oriental foodies.

And then, like so many of its ilk, it shuttered. Now, we hear that a Caribbean-themed restaurant will open in its place. We love the sound of it; on paper, at least. However, as restaurants take experimentation to another level by dabbling in exotic cuisine (and failing often, we might add), let's hope we spot more than just Jerk Chicken and Bay Rum on the menu.