Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Frank(ie) talk
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, they say. And this Shivaji Park outlet of a popular stuffed rolls chain in the city seems to be taking the adage rather seriously. On a recent visit to the stall in the leafy neighbourhood in Dadar, this diarist spotted a disclaimer, which read, "The only frankie in Shivaji Park because whichever rolled in roti or naan is not a frankie!! (sic)"

The owners here are alluding to another outlet barely a few feet away, which sells a similar preparation under the name of naan rolls, considering the former has already got "frankie" trademarked. This battle of rolls, however, is a win-win for the customers, who line up in almost equal numbers at both the stalls on any given day.

Playing house in Mumbai for a cause
"I live in a matchbox", is a saying you'll come across often in a city like Mumbai. Even in 2018, housing continues to be one of our biggest issues. And we're not talking about the myriad hurdles that the urban poor face where many are refused tenancy on the basis of religion and marital status, but rather the impending problem of homelessness that is eminent in the city's sprawling slums.

Shabana Azmi. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Chasing the Affordable Dream, by PK Das, Ritu Dewan, Gurbir Singh, and Kabir Agarwal, is a book that aims to provide answers to some of these questions and it was recently launched at the Mumbai Press Club. Also present at the launch was actor and activist Shabana Azmi and that fits like a ball in socket, given her association with Nivara Hakk, a Mumbai-based housing rights organisation and her personal experience wherein she faced difficulties in finding a home because she is a Muslim.

Night knights
India Nightlife Convention and Awards (INCA), 2018 is back for its third edition. And as a platform that encourages the confluence of stalwarts from various industries that ensure our nightlife is thriving, it will see the coming together of DJs, chefs, bartenders and mixologists who will get the opportunity to interact with F&B biggies Rahul Singh, Riyaaz Amlani, Keshav Suri, chef Vicky Ratnani, and chef Manu Chandra, in Delhi.

Riyaaz Amlani and Manu Chandra

Also on the star-studded guest list are Hideyuki Yukoi, one of the official Night Ambassadors of Shibuya City, Tokyo; Mirik Milan, former Night Mayor of Amsterdam; and Lutz Leichsenring, Club Commission Berlin who will be conducting a special masterclass.

Taking art to the northern 'burbs
The best part about being an art lover is to simply be part of its constant evolution. And with young artists, this space gets even more exciting. Branching out to the northern suburbs of the city this week, the Piramal Art Museum is launching an art gallery in Mulund showcasing the works of artists who were part of the organisation's art residency in Thane. The artists come from different regions and backgrounds - playing with the theories of time, portraiture or even, science fiction and mythology.

Ashvin Rajagopalan

"The works of around 25 young contemporary artists have been curated by our in-house historian Vaishnavi Ramanathan. The themes are diverse, and artists experiment with everything from wood and pigment, to ceramics and technology. We're launching this space to mainly bridge the Mulund-Thane art scene," says Ashvin Rajagopalan, director of the museum. As for us, we cannot wait to be a part of this new perspective.

Thread of hope for Kerala
The floods in Kerala have placed Chendamangalam, a small town, and its centuries-old handloom industry in danger, as hordes of finished products that had been made for the Onam festival, stood completely destroyed.

Tillotama Shome and Tess Joseph

But people come together to show solidarity in the gravest of situations. And that is exactly what actor Tillotama Shome and casting director Tess Joseph did, as they extended their support to the grief-stricken community of weavers by urging people to purchase their products in a bid to raise funds.

Mirror Mirror

Anushka Sharma and Vishal Dadlani fool around during a reality show shoot at a studio in Andheri on Tuesday. Pic/Atul Kamble