Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Wheel of a time

A group of youngsters sit on a cannon installed at the 1857 Mutiny Memorial site opposite Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

Sweet gestures for safer roads

Edward Pinheiro approaches drivers to increase visibility for cyclists

Mira Road's Edward Pinheiro is on a mission to make the city safer for cyclists. His means of spreading awareness is direct and sweet. "Whenever I spot a vehicle parked or waiting in traffic, I ask the drivers for a moment, offer them chocolates and request them to be mindful of the cyclists around them. It doesn't take a lot of time. I don't even tell them my name," he shared. Pinheiro's favourite exchange is the one where he asked a driving student to watch out for cyclists and encourage the teacher to educate other students about this as well. "Anyone can be a part of this movement. All they need to do is offer sweets, smiles, and positive vibes to the drivers," he shared, urging people to help him document this movement under the hashtag #savetheCyclist.

Around the country with BTS

BTS fans at a previous event; (right) the boyband. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

On June 13, 2013, seven boys debuted with their single, No more dream. Eleven years and over 230 songs later, all members of this world-famous boyband BTS are currently serving their mandatory military service in South Korea. But that doesn't deter community Mumbai BTS from celebrating their 11th anniversary. "Far from it," shared co-founders Ayushre A Tari and Soham Haldankar, "This time, we are taking the party to 11 cities across the country." All 11 cities, they added, are home to passionate BTS fans. These include Mangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Surat, Goa, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kolkata and Mumbai. "There will be K-pop merchandise stalls, Korean food delights, BTS-themed games, K-food challenges, K-pop random dance plays, and more to keep the excitement buzzing," Tari shared. The highlight, however, will be the screening of the BTS Concert film. "While we've already had amazing experiences in a few cities, we're thrilled about the new ones. It's a chance to meet new faces and share the love for BTS together," they added. For more details, head to @mumbai.bts.

EI aromas in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is set to get a taste of the traditional East Indian bottle masala, courtesy of Mumbai-born chef Samaira Kavatkar. Nine One, the chef's new restaurant, will open its doors in Tsim Sha Tsui on May 14 and offer a window to her East Indian roots. "There is a misconception overseas that Indian cuisine is limited to curries. I hope to change that by introducing heritage spice blends, nostalgic recipes, and slow food made from scratch," she shared.

The fine art of nostalgia

Adil Gandhy's great grandmother and grandmother at Villa Vienna

Talk about nostalgia. Or rather... re-live it through photographs. Adil Gandhy of Chemould Frames was browsing through a relative's family photo album, and chanced upon pictures of Villa Vienna (which is now Shah Rukh Khan's Mannat) and his old bungalow, Kekee Manzil, the residence of the legendary art gallerist, Kekoo Gandhy and his family. "This was in the 1920s, when Bandra was heaven," said Adil Gandhy. He shared a picture of his grandmother and great grandmother at Villa Vienna too. The bungalows are still iconic, even Villa Vienna in its new avatar, and Bandra has changed hugely from the days when it was Ae dil, Kekee Manzil, jeena yahaan...

Gully boys groove in Dharavi

(Left) Beatraw and (right) D-Cypher perform with Gully Boy actor Ranveer Singh

Last weekend, an exclusive workshop by hip-hop school The Dharavi Dream Project invited rappers Roshan Gamare AKA Beatraw and Gaurav Gambhir AKA D-Cypher to the suburb. The duo is popularly known for their beatboxing in the film Gully Boy's songs, Asli hip-hop and Jingostan beatbox. "I have been teaching at the hip-hop school for the past year. This is the first time we decided to host a workshop like this, and I invited my friend Beatraw to conduct it with me," D-Cypher shared. The event, which was open to all, began with a training session in beatboxing, where the artistes demonstrated how one can acquire the skill. This was followed by a one-versus-one battle.