Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Miles to go before she sleeps

Balancing a call while taking notes, a woman is busy at work while a man dozes on the seat of a bus stop at Kala Ghoda in Fort

Through the lens of time

(From left) Curator Mukesh Parpiani with Raghu Rai at the gallery. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

One of the foremost photographers on the Indian scene, Raghu Rai has been a master of capturing the present moment. So, it was a surprise to see him roll back the years and recall the past at The Dilip Piramal Art Gallery at NCPA. The photographer is hosting a three-day workshop that concludes on World Photography Day today. Curator Mukesh Parpiani shared, "There are 30-odd participants who are involved in the workshop. Through the event, Rai shared his own experiences of photography, the right way to shoot the monsoon and taught them how to improve their photographs." But it was Rai's love for the camera that caught the attention of this diarist. On the second day of the exhibition, the veteran spent some time at length discussing a rare 50-year old camera. Parpiani shared, "We were chatting about an old camera that we have in our collection." The camera in scrutiny was a Fotosniper camera - defined by its gun-like handle. "It is a wonderful Russian camera from the early 1970s," said Parpiani, adding, "It had a long tele lens with a support rig that made it easy to shoot." It was a walk down memory lane, the curator remarked. "We talked about the transition from shooting on film to digital cameras, and now, in the era of mobile cameras," he told this diarist.

Dairy joy in the 'burbs

As the Princess Street landmark, Parsi Dairy Farm, prepares to don a new look on August 28, two more outlets will be launched in the coming days. Both these outlets - Chandavarkar Road, Borivali West and Tilak Road, Ghatkopar - will carry the essence of its new premium decor as well as packaging of its products. While the brand has a strong retail presence online, these new stores will offer a deeper penetration into a niche market, and going by the looks of it, the locations have been intentionally selected to cater to the food-loving pockets of Mumbai.

The 99-year-young visitor

(From left) Jackson Jacob, GG Parikh, Richard Jacob (in green) with the cafe employees. Pic Courtesy/@SailorsCafeBelapur

A weeklong celebration of the 77th Indian Independence Day became special for the patrons of Sailor's Cafe in Belapur. The hip, little joint in Navi Mumbai received a special guest earlier this week in the form of GG Parikh. A Gandhian, and one of the last members of the generation that remembers India's Independence struggle, Parikh dropped by for a casual visit. "It is always a blessing when someone elderly drops by, but to have him visit during Independence Week made it all the more special," said Richard Jacob, co-founder of the cafe alongwith brother Jackson Jacob and his wife Sneha Jackson. Jackson shared, "Parikh sir talked about his experience and the journey through the years." Richard further revealed that the veteran was in this neighbourhood of Navi Mumbai as part of his work. "He was visiting the Yusuf Meherally Centre in Panvel where they work towards rural employment. He dropped by for a casual chat and a cup of coffee." While his dietary restrictions prevented Parikh from sampling the cafe's offerings, Richard shared, "Interacting with him was an experience. His clarity and timbre of voice are still remarkable. There was not a single tremor that you would associate with age. I believe, it is his passion for the call that still keeps him going."