Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Have a loo-k
How many eminent Mumbaikars can one loo hold? Apparently, several. Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray and BMC Commssioner Ajoy Mehta among several other dignitaries dropped in to inaugurate the opening of a public toilet at Marine Drive on Monday. Pic/Bipin kokate

Kanika's having a royal good time
Singer Kanika Kapoor seems to have almost made it a habit to hobnob with royalty all over the world. It was in February this year that she performed at the Buckingham Palace, before the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. And recently, we hear, she flew into Jaipur for a surprise birthday bash thrown for Maharani Padmini Devi. "I flew to Jaipur just for a day. I love this city and it feels like home to me. I've known Maharani Padmini Devi for many years now and make it a point to meet her every time I'm in Jaipur," she says. Talk about friends in high places.

Why Emma is a lettered woman
Not many people in India have heard of Dr Savita Halappanavar. But in Ireland, she has attained legendary status for being the woman who, with her death, started the campaign that led to that country changing its abortion laws (Halappanavar lost her life in 2012 after suffering a septic miscarriage, because doctors refused an abortion because it was still illegal then). And recently, actor Emma Watson, who we have always admired for her erudition, penned a heart-warming open letter to her in an online British publication. Time we gave Halappanavar the same respect in her homeland?

Ariana (in white), daughter of Mahima Chaudhuri (below), performs live at the Crossroads music festival, with Soumya Maradona Ghosh (right). Pic/Ashish Raje

A star-studded concert
It's been over four years since Crossroads School of Music was founded by Soumya Maradona Ghosh and Ria Bhattacharyya in the city. And with five- to 50-year-olds enrolling as students, it seems to have become quite popular among Mumbai's famous music aficionados.

At its annual concert held last weekend, attendees saw performances by Ariana Mukherji - with mother and former actor Mahima Chaudhary cheering her on - playback singer Vijay Prakash's wife Mahathi, and singer Devang Patel's son Aaryan. "Learning an instrument and appearing for exams is great, but when you jam in a band, work on a song from scratch and finish it off by performing the same on stage, you feel a different kind of joy," Maradona told this diarist.

The Mahatma's bust

Vasai's connect with the Mahatma
Last week, this diarist trekked to Vasai for an assignment where she was introduced to a wonderland of statues and panels that cut across religions and personalities. Run by Mingleshwar and Benzoni, the third generation of the Sequeira Brothers, the 100-year-old establishment is the go-to name for churches, temples and households.

Mingleshwar and Benzoni Sequeira

As we wound our way through countless pieces of art, one such bust caught the eye - of Mahatma Gandhi - that was set to be dispatched to Khadi Bhandar. This creation made from wood was hand-crafted from scratch. "The facial features are the toughest to etch, and are done either by Mingleshwar or myself," shared Benzoni, as we marvelled at the making of the Mahatma. A true masterpiece, this.

What's cooking at this SoBo eatery?
Change is afoot at a The Quarter, the restaurant located within the premises of the Royal Opera House. The owners of the eatery have hired a new executive chef, Vikram Pardeshi, who's previously worked at 1 Lombard Street, a Michelin-starred restaurant in London. On the other hand, he's also spent an extensive period of time in the Konkan, where he's meticulously studied the food of the region. So expect him to bring the best of both worlds to the restaurant, even as he says, "The unique and modern artistic concept of The Royal Opera House is my biggest inspiration to create a brand-new menu."

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