Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Two's company

Varun Dhawan and Sonakshi Sinha share a moment on the sets of a reality show in Goregaon on Monday, while Alia Bhatt appears lost. Pic/Ashish Raje

A feast from Down Under

Given the amount of immigration that Australia has seen over the years, it's but natural that the country's modern cuisine comprises a melting pot of different cultures. There are oriental influences, Southeast Asian touches, a lot of European inputs and, of course, indigenous aboriginal recipes, too. And now, Mumbaikars can get a taste of this diverse culinary history when one of Australia's most famous chefs, Tony Howell, comes down to India for his maiden visit. Howell - who is the face of Restaurant Australia and Tourism Australia's culinary brand ambassador - is pairing up with sommelier Nikhil Agarwal of All Things Nice to present a five-course meal at a Juhu five-star.

The dishes will include sashimi of Asian mushrooms, Australian lamb loin and French gnocchi, among a host of other delicacies. But what aspects of Indian cuisine is Howell most excited about on his first visit to the country? "I'm keen to explore local flavours and using fragrant spices, and learning about the true Indian curry as well as the different kinds of curries in Mumbai and Delhi. Plus I'm hoping to discover Indian street food, going to local markets [I hope I have time], the smells, the colours and the people. I expect it's going to be quite different from Margaret River, but I'm looking forward to it," he told this diarist.

Fit for the screen

What do you get when a master filmmaker joins hands with a Jnanpith award-winning author? You get Shekhar Gupta directing a web series that is based on Amitav Ghosh's Ibis trilogy. That's what was announced yesterday, meaning there will soon be a screen adaptation on the three books, Sea of Poppies, River of Smoke and Flood of Fire. They are based on the conflict between the East India Company and China over the trade of opium, which led to the infamous Opium Wars.

Shekhar Kapur and Amitav Ghosh

"The story also follows the journeys of indentured labour from India to colonies around the world and tells the intriguing tales of people from India, America and China at a time when modern history was being formed," Kapur said. We, for sure, can't wait for this one.

Here's why children are like sponges

On Sunday, we attended Naad, a concert by The Sound Space (TSS), a Mumbai-based initiative, and Talisman, an a cappella group from Stanford University. And in it, Talisman enthralled the audience with songs in Zulu.

One piece was particularly interesting because children from TSS joined Talisman. TSS founder Kamakshi Khurana told this diarist that the kids learnt it in a workshop only a few hours before performing it! As Khurana rightly said, "Children are like sponges. They will keep absorbing what is taught to them."

Mumbai's big north vs south divide

Probably even bigger than the rivalry between Delhi and Mumbai is the one between townies and burbies. Bandra-ites, though, have their own identity, what with the area being "the queen of the suburbs". But a recent article in an online publication stirred a hornet's nest with the line, "…in the North Bombay suburb of Bandra."

An installation on Carter Road in Bandra

People were divided on social media as a result, with some saying the tag North Bombay is justified for Bandra and others saying that's poppycock. One user commented, "Peak hipsterism." Another countered, "It's high time people living in Bandra know that they are living in North Bombay... oops, Mumbai!" The question, though, is, who do you agree with?

Picnic in the city

When this diarist last spoke to Rajat Mendhi, he had just started his foodie venture, The Tight Slap, after bidding adieu to a career in advertising. Then, last week, Mendhi reached out sharing news about a venture called Bombay Picnics, where he will organise curated picnics in open spaces in Mumbai, where like-minded people can meet.

"The idea is to get outside with all the trappings and cosiness of the inside, along with a bunch of fun and interesting people, lots of good food, music and games," he shared.

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