Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

When Mads paid an ode to Mick
She's been the actress with a million dollar smile, a trained Kathak dancer with some electrifying moves, and a reality show judge, with the full-time job of being a mom. But a rockstar is what Madhuri Dixit had always wanted to be on top of it all. And going by this picture she posted on Instagram yesterday, she came pretty close to being one, too. Like Dixit wrote, "Jagger, eat your heart out!"

Kirana shopping by the stars

Pic/Shadab Khan

Actress Shilpa Shetty was spotted outside a Khar supermarket yesterday. Don't miss the onlooker in green, who seems happy to see that stars run errands, too.

Breakfast with the sahibs of comedy
Yummy pictures of food is probably what makes for most popular instagram photos. And looks like the city's original foodie, Kunal Vijayakar, loves the platform too.

He recently posted a perfectly photographed crisp waffle and a soft Chicken Mayo sandwich with the caption My Monday morning writing ritual over breakfast with @cyrusbroacha, and the location showed The Willingdon Sports Club.

The photograph also revealed a small bell placed on the table. The club still allows patrons the option of ringing the bell to summon the staff. Looks like the kings of comedy enjoy an old-school, Raj-style indulgence while whipping up jokes on current affairs.

Mrs Fadnavis, the mother
While her husband CM Devendra Fadnavis was subjected to a tight-rope walk in dealing with the Shiv Sena in the civic and ZP polls in Maharashtra, senior banker Amruta Fadnavis was busy attending National Prayer Breakfast for World Peace in Washington last week. Among dignitaries who had come from across the world, American President Donald Trump too was in attendance at the event.

Amruta who finds time from her hectic banking schedule to work for the distressed farmers and children in the state, made a presentation on what her husband's government was doing to provide relief in drought, which has been gripping more than 50 per cent of the state's villages.

She spoke about India's culture - unity in diversity in 29 states that speak 22 languages and 1600 dialects and went on to describe how we celebrate festivals of all religions with the same enthusiasm. But what touched the audience was when she asked for creating a secure future for the next generation. She pitched for it as a mother, as all mothers find ultimate happiness in the well being of their children.

Voting made fun
How to make politics easy, fun and engaging for the youth? Hit them on social media. We recently came across Operation Black Dot, an apolitical movement introduced with the aim of pushing the youth to go out and exercise their right to vote, especially in the upcoming municipal elections.

They're doing this by sharing interesting posters that highlight social issues faced by the common Mumbaikar - from traffic jams, women's safety to lack of space; using hashtags #GetInkedMumbai #VoteKarMaharashtra and #BMCMatters, and catchy slogans like ‘Your fingers can take action where your lungs can't'.

They also have a MahaVoter chatbot on Facebook messenger for additional information about polling booths and candidates details, where voters can also pledge to vote. The campaign, run by the youth, has the support of the Maharashtra State Election Commission.

Wadala's artsy walls
The road leading to the Nana Fadnavis bridge in Wadala has been undergoing a beautification process for some months now. As is the case with most such initiatives in the city, first came the eviction drive, where hutments along both sides of the bridge were cleared. Then came the ornamental plants - an assortment of palms, cacti and flowering plants.

And now, the plain white walls flanking the road are acquiring a multi-hued avatar with floral-bird motifs. Going by the signboards on the divider that feature the name of a prominent builder in the area, we believe the initiative is to make the neighbourhood more appealing to prospective buyers.