Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

They call me baby

An infant comfortably sits on its mother's shoulder at Mohammad Ali Road

The green route

Sharan, a sustainability platform, has launched Be an Eco-Champ, a series of online sessions to guide young minds about the basics. "We start with waste segregation. People still think that waste management isn't their problem; the government or civic bodies should deal with it. Our aim is to change that mindset through knowledge. Awareness will reduce the burden on landfills by half," curator Suman Govil told us.

Good beer and pawsome pals

So far a SoBo offering, BrewDog is ready to enter the 'burbs, in Bandra. "As compared to the Kamala Mills outlet, this has a bigger area and will pander to a more mature crowd. We have tweaked the menu and there are two outdoor spaces, one on the ground floor and one on the first floor. People prefer outdoor seating nowadays.

We will have 22 taps of craft beer and other guest beers, too. The outlet will be completely pet-friendly, and Rosie, a labrador pup we adopted only yesterday will steal the show at the new place," Karan Jain, CEO Bars, BrewDog India (Aloha Group) told this diarist.

Worli gets a Jap surprise

The season of cherry blossoms is still days away in Japan, but Worli is set for a Japanese spring, courtesy Tsubaki. The three-storeyed Japanese restaurant promises a slice of Japan for Mumbai diners. Helmed by head chef Ganesh Sonari, the restaurant is the brainchild of 23 Combine, a team of two Japanese and three Indian partners. From the freshest nigiri and maki to desserts, drinks and teas, the place will offer a blend of Japanese and Korean fare, shared partner Samyukta Singh.

"What will set Tsubaki apart is the focus on vegetarian options. I know how difficult it is for vegetarians to look for options at Japanese restaurants. We have a hydroponic garden where we're growing leafy veggies and herbs right now that are being used for the food," she informed us. The ground level features the kitchen and an al fresco section, the second floor is a fine-dining area, and the third storey is a lounge space, Singh confirmed with us.

Win for Paranoia

Earlier this month, Marathi poet Hemant Divante was honoured with the Yashwantrao Chavan State Literary Awards 2021. He was bestowed with the Kavi Keshavsut Award for his poetry collection titled Paranoia. Sharing his feelings about the win, the poet said, "Such literary recognition feels truly wonderful. In this context, I'd like to mention the reception I received for my book. People liked it even before the announcement of the honour, and that makes me happy. I think many of my readers were introduced to the idea that paranoia is a state of mind, and is not a completely unusual thing to experience. I believe our minds are at the centre of our feelings and experiences; minds, not hearts. And, paranoia should be accepted as a usual concept." The official award ceremony is scheduled for February 27.

Kallat debuts in Dubai

Audiences in the Middle East will now get a taste of Jitish Kallat's artwork, when the artist hosts his first exhibition in the region starting next week. It is titled Order of Magnitude, and will take place at the Ishara Art Foundation in Dubai. The paintings, installations, drawings and site-specific interventions that he will exhibit include a piece titled Integer Studies (Drawings from Life); a wall-sized painting called Postulates from a Restless Radius; four double-sided and multi-scopic photo works titled Epicycles; and a site-specific intervention he has created, named N-E-S-W. The physical exhibition will also be accompanied with a virtual tour, and educational and public programmes. "Occasionally, adjusting the focal length and distance at which we view the world, in time or in space, alters the manner in which we interpret the now and immediate. This shift of gaze is a recurrent gesture throughout the exhibition," Kallat shared with this diarist.