Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Anurag Ahire

Friendly fire

Two walkers try to restrain their pets from getting into a scuffle at Marine Drive

The homecoming

The campus decked up for the reunion

After its 150th anniversary was celebrated in 2019, St Xavier's College is now setting up for its annual alumni dinner in January next year. Often, the reunion turns into a red-carpet night with alumni like Vidya Balan, Shabana Azmi, Cyrus Broacha, Rajdeep Sardesai, and Suneeta Rao, among others. Surplus funds from the event will be donated to the college's Student Beneficiary Fund to support deserving and underprivileged students through their academic journey at the college. Professor Nandini Sardesai, (retired) Head of the Department of Sociology, told this diarist, "It will be an evening of nostalgia where people can meet their old friends and teachers. I'm hoping more students will be able to attend this year." Ex-students can register on in.bookmyshow.com.

A win written in the stars

Ranveer Brar shares a candid moment with Garima Arora. PIC COURTESY/TWITTER

Mumbai-born chef Garima Arora's winning spree on the global map continues. Gaa, Arora's restaurant in Bangkok, was awarded a second Michelin star yesterday. "I am absolutely thrilled. The win is a testament to my team's hard work," she shared. Looking back upon the influence of the city on her journey, the chef added, "Mumbai is a melting pot of cultures. The culinary variety I grew up with has had a huge impact on how I cook today." Chef Ranveer Brar took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a heartfelt post to congratulate his MasterChef India fellow-judge on the win. Brar put things into perspective, weighing in on what her win means for the community, "I have witnessed female chefs abandoning their dreams to stand up to societal expectations of being a mother or a wife in my many years in the industry. Garima's win has not just opened doors, but floodgates for aspiring female chefs in India."

Making space to be heard

Queer folk in the city have a new place to call home - Mumbai Queer Pride - a new collective of LGBTQiA+ communities across the city. The group is all set to rendezvous at the Humsafar Trust in Santacruz for a year-end discussion on Sunday. Sudhanshu Latad (right), moderator, informed this diarist that the doors to the meeting are open to all individuals identifying as queer. January was once synonymous with a month-long celebration of pride in the city, including the highly anticipated pride walk. Sharing his views on its four-year hiatus, Latad added, "The pandemic rained on our parade, quite literally. There are no concrete plans yet, but we are working towards it."

Mumbai ARMY's heartfelt goodbye

Members of BTS

As Jimin and Jungkook of BTS enlisted for the military on Tuesday, all the members of the boy band are now in service. While this left the ARMY (Adorable Representative MC for Youth) across the world disheartened, they made sure to give the boys a hearty goodbye.

Fans paint the band's logo on their hands

One such gathering was helmed by city-based community Mumbai BTS. "We hosted a bon voyage party where over 70 ARMYs gathered to bid them goodbye. There was flashmob [to BTS songs], open mic, where people took to stage to share the impact the band has created in their life, poster distribution and cake cutting," shared founder Ayushre A Tari.

Planting values

Kids plant saplings at the drive

Planet for Plants and Animals (PPA), a conservationist group from the city, turned a new leaf towards tackling the rising AQI in the city with a green initiative. A plantation-cum-awareness drive for underprivileged students was organised in collaboration with Raksha, a children's welfare foundation on Sunday. "The students displayed keen interest and curiosity about environmental conservation and the impact of tree-planting on combating climate change and reversing pollution levels," Saakshi Teckchandani, founder, PPA, told this diarist.