02 March,2017 08:55 AM IST | | Team Mid-Day
The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
At the trailer launch of their upcoming film in Andheri yesterday, actor Jackie Shroff seemed overcome with warmth for fellow actor Amitabh Bachchan. Pic/Satej Shinde
Brothers in arms
Live the pod life?
If you thought capsule hotels were popular only in Japan, think again. India has just received its first one, and it's located at SEEPZ, in Andheri East. Called Urbanpod, the hotel has 140 futuristic, self-contained AC pods that come with a bed, personal locker, TV, reading light, power socket, hangers, a dresser, and Wi-Fi. There is also a cafeteria. Sounds good? The only catch is having to make do with a communal washroom, which is a given at such establishments.
Niladri Kumar (left) and Makarand Deshpande share a light moment at the statue of RKâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Laxman's iconic common man at Worli Seaface. Pic/Shadab Khan
Theatre, music and the common man
When this diarist asked theatre veteran Makarand Deshpande and sitar-zitar player Niladri Kumar about what got the two together for a recent theatrical-musical collaboration, their replies were surprisingly similar. "I watched Makarand in his play, Karodon Mein Ek, and I found a common ground. What he feels for theatre is how I feel for music," Kumar said. "When I heard him play the sitar, it had an impact on me. His passion for music resonated with what theatre means to me," said Deshpande about Kumar. The duo will share the stage on Saturday for a performance of Patni, Deshpande's portrayal of a man coming to grips with the death of his wife, where Kumar will play the state of the man's mind.
Bieber wants a skateboard ramp
Ever since news that Pop sensation Justin Bieber will be performing at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai in May broke last month, his fans have been lapping up the buzz around their baby-faced idol's impending visit. A little birdie chirped to this diarist that Bieber's team has been in constant talks to zero in on the right suite for his Mumbai visit. It's no secret that he's crazy about skateboarding; in fact, he's admitted that he cannot party unless the venue comes equipped with a skateboard ramp. Guess what? Turns out, Bieber boy has requested that his suite should have a ramp installed in it. One helluva request, right? We'd love to see which five-star is able to pull off this wish.
Window to Vile Parle
We love it when art initiatives embrace the vibe of the venue and include it in the experience itself. Khidkiyaan, a five-day festival celebrating the Hindi language through theatre, poetry recitals, stand-up comedy, music performances, script-reading sessions and panel discussions, is being held at Sathaye College in Vile Parle. The venue was chosen to go beyond the regular spaces that have come to be associated with performing arts in the city, and make it accessible to audiences from north and south Mumbai. The motifs from the neighbourhood that have made it to the poster brought a smile to our face.
Gurinder, the student- activist
Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha felt a wave of nostalgia when the National Student, a platform for the voice of students in the UK, reviewed her film. The association had good things to say about the Indo-British historical drama. "Viceroy's House by Gurinder Chadha gets four stars for a balanced perspective on a subject often polarised on film," wrote the students. It touched Chadha and she replied recalling her association with the students' union in the UK during her college days. "I used to go on anti-Apartheid marches when I was in the NUS! How time flies," she said. The plot of the film, set in 1947 during the partition of India, centers around incidents inside the Viceroy's House at that time.
