Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Door to door

This diarist is of the firm opinion that Mumbai's auto drivers are a wholly professional lot who do a stellar job of making it easier for people in a city that's constantly on the move. Yes, you'll get the odd driver who makes you feel as insignificant as a fly on a wall when you ask them whether they will go to your destination, and they drive off without as much as a word. But generally, autos are the lifeline of the suburbs. And they have now got an upgrade.

For, we spotted one which - guess what - has two doors with locks blocking the passenger seat. A quick chat with the driver revealed that this model is part of a new range that's now available as a pricier option for people who want to buy autos. One of the doors had a sign that said, "Welcome, it's auto + mini taxi." The move, we assume, is one aimed at making your ride safer.

An iftar for peace

This Ramazan, we haven't been seeing many interfaith iftar gatherings in Mumbai, while Delhi has taken the clear lead, with dinners hosted by politicians and individuals. So, we did a double jig when we saw Yaakov Finkelstein, Israel's Consul General in Mumbai, open his home to Muslim friends and dignitaries for an iftar dinner, which also saw members from the Brahman, Jew and Druze communities.

"One could feel the spirit of brotherhood over this interfaith gathering. Isn't it what it's all about?" said Finkelstein. We hope the gesture plays its part in providing a healing touch to the hostile relations between Israel and Palestine.

Elmo meets Tara

On World Play Day observed this year by 40 countries on May 28, actor and host Tara Sharma Saluja played host to two special guests. Elmo and Grover, the much-loved characters from the American educational series Sesame Street, visited "Elmo's friends' mom's home" as part of an initiative by Sesame Workshop India, the non-profit behind the series. The idea was to discuss the importance of play and other recreational activities for kids, and why parents need to take time out to facilitate that.

The characters did that in a conversation with Sharma in their signature style, where she spoke about the family's travels, and going horse riding and swimming with her kids. As a little treat, she then read to them poems from her father's Partap Sharma's book, Songs for My Grandchildren. "Play every day" is the message the video ended on. Something that would do a lot of good to adults, too.

On a mission

For World Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, we received several notifications on corporate initiatives. But this one was different. For Hinal Jajal and Vrisha Vyas, Class 12 students of Singapore International School in the city, what started as a school project to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene has now taken shape of a full-fledged NGO, Swachh Tan Man Paryavaran Charitable Trust (STAMP).

"Under it, we install vending machines to provide sanitary pads at a subsidised cost of '2, and incinerators to dispose them in an eco-friendly manner, in areas where accessibility is an issue," Vyas, 18, told this diarist. Having provided about one lakh pads in Gujarat and Maharashtra, the next leg of the mission brings them back to Mumbai where they will set up these machines in two schools for underprivileged kids in Kandivali in June.

Keeping up with the millennials

Where are we going if we're not moving along with the times? "Nowhere", is what restaurateur Zorawar Kalra will tell you. And staying true to that spirit, he is now coming up with yet another restaurant, set to open in SoBo on June 17. But this time, Kalra is stepping away from the opulence typical of his fine dining spaces and the fandangle of molecular gastronomy, to offer Mumbaikars what qualifies in his own words as the "most 'non-serious' concept we have ever developed." In short, this one's for the millennials, and it will feature an expansive liquor menu along with global comfort food.

"I was keen on building a youth-centric and casual restaurant that caters to millennials - a rapidly growing and important demographic. The interiors have been built with the current generation in mind and every square inch is going to be Instagrammable. Some other major USPs that we can't talk about yet will be unveiled soon, and we are hoping to disrupt the bar scene with this one," he told this diarist.

Holding court

Saif Ali Khan sure knows how to spin a yarn as he engages Ajay Devgn and others at the latter's Juhu residence on Wednesday. Pic/Satej Shinde

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