Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Feels like a Saturday

A couple and strays enjoys lounging on Carter Road promenade in Bandra.

Up and up

Nashik psychiatrist Dr Devika Patil completed the gruelling Ironman triathlon at Hamburg on August 29 with an impressive timing of 13 hours and three minutes to become the second fastest Indian woman ever at the event. The 28-year-old was among 10 participants from India, of whom eight finished the non-stop 3.86-km swim, 180.25-km bicycle ride and 42.2-km run within the stipulated time. She told this diarist, "I had been preparing for this event under the able guidance of my coach Chaitanya Velhal of Power Peaks academy, Pune, with a structured training plan. Due to the lockdown and inaccessibility to pools and outdoors, we faced many challenges but never lost hope and continued to work hard. Usual training would be 15-20 hours a week. At the Ironman event, we faced challenging weather conditions like cold temperatures, rain and wind, however, it was all worth it for the happiness of crossing the finish line in a record time! I feel ecstatic and positive about my journey ahead in the triathlon."

Dot's got a fan in Zoya

Singer-songwriter Aditi Saigal, better known as Dot, is a prodigy for sure. We first noticed her in 2017, where her sweet, sweet song, Everybody Dances to Techno, went viral on YouTube. The daughter of Rock Street Journal legend Amit Saigal, the youngster blew everyone away with her vocal stylings and evolved music aesthetic. She has been studying in Cardiff ever since, and has been active on Instagram lately, as she released her song Khamotion recently. Her piano renditions have all her followers happy. A post on Thursday, which shows her performing live in Cardiff, even fetched her a heart from Zoya Akhtar, and Parikrama. Do we see a film called Cardiff Girl in the making, Zoya?

Mahim Causeway's foundation stone spruced up

A stone foundation dated 1846, opposite Shitala Devi Temple in Mahim, constructed in memory of Avabai Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy, better known as Lady Jeejeebhoy, who funded the grand Mahim Causeway in the 19th century, is currently being restored. The work, which is being supported by the BMC and led by architect Rahul Chemburkar of Vaastu Vidhaan projects, will be completed before September 10.

"I recently happened to meet Kiran Dighavkar, [assistant commissioner of G North Ward] and suggested that we restore the structure. It's made of basalt stone. But because of years of neglect, it has seen a lot of flaking, cracks and incongruous layers of paint. We wanted to restore it to its original glory," says Chemburkar, adding that once restored, the site will also have a plaque with a map of the Causeway, which will highlight the cultural value of the structure.

Good old Oval is grand too!

A view of the magnificent The Oval pavilion. Pic/Getty Images

The Lord's Cricket Ground can no longer be called the home of cricket. The game is not governed from there anymore, but in Dubai. Yet, it can be referred to as the spiritual home of cricket for its sheer history. So, how does Lord's differ from The Oval, where England and India are fighting tooth and nail in the fourth Test of the Pataudi Trophy? Even though his description is 39 English summers old, Richard Gordon, the famous British author-surgeon's words still hold true. In the August 1982 issue of The Cricketer magazine, he penned these lines: "Lord's is the cathedral of cricket, The Oval low-church. Its pavilion is homely with curtains, plain and clean like a well-kept pub, the walls with framed scorecards of famous victories, its basement hiding magnificent marble urinals. Its bars sell homely cottage pie and sprouts. Pigeons strut and coo on the girders as self-assuredly as in Trafalgar Square. The atmosphere is unbuttoned - though not wholly so, Please Note That Shirts Must Be Worn At All Times, demands a notice in the pavilion." Think about what Ajit Wadekar and his troops achieved at The Oval 50 years ago and we inevitably get enveloped by the golden jubilee-caused nostalgia. Pinch, pinch… there's good reason to remember The Oval Test of 2021 as well.

Giving Tori a twist

After heading the team at Nobu London, and founding Pachamama, one of London's coolest Peruvian restaurant chains in the UK's capital city, Michelin chef Thomas Catley has been roped in by hotelier Abhayraj Kohli to relaunch Tori in Khar. "I came to India and instantly knew this is where I wanted to spend some time, work and introduce new flavours," he says, adding that travelling has always inspired him to bring the world in a bowl. At the restaurant, Catley has curated a menu inspired by travels to Brazil, Mexico and Japan. "The must-try recommendation from me would be water-melon carpaccio aged in soy-balsamic, with truffle tofu cream, pine nuts and lemon oil," he says.