Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

Art by the sea

Artist Rahul Morya makes a pencil portrait at Marine Drive.

Missing chef Jason's charm? Wait no more!

Since its opening in 2017, Bandra-based Jamjar Diner hasn't rehauled its menu entirely. And, when it decided to do so, it did it in partnership with celebrity chef Jason Hudanish. Talking about what led to this collaboration, co-owner of the restaurant Sahil Timbadia says, "I've known Chef Jason since his last stint cooking in India and liked his approach to food. He happened to be visiting India again at the same time as we were looking to refresh the menu so it happened organically." Timbadia was talking about Lower Parel's Xico, which caught everybody's attention back in 2018. But where was the chef all this while? "I've been in Miami most of the time, busy with my consulting company, I opened five restaurants and consulted on a few others," he shares. When it comes to new menu, we have been told that the guests can expect refined and punchy flavours from his childhood and travels around the globe.

Eden cannot lift things!

A visiting veteran Sri Lankan journalist posted his delight on Facebook after seeing the grand press box at the Eden Gardens before Thursday's India v Sri Lanka ODI in Kolkata.

An outside view of the Eden Gardens. Pic/Getty Images

It did look impressive, but the journo was asked whether a lift took him to that media box floor. No answer from the correspondent, whose silence just meant that he was only being polite and non-critical of his host.

A little later, it came to light that as usual, there was no elevator facility for members of the fourth estate. This reflects poorly on the Cricket Association of Bengal administration, which now is helmed by Snehasish Ganguly, the brother of Sourav.

Even the former India captain could not fix this when he was in charge, we are told. Ditto the late Jagmohan Dalmiya, who is often hailed as one of, if not the best Indian cricket administrator ever. So, next time when people gush over Eden Gardens' magnificent sight, structure and atmosphere, remember the people who call the shots there make the print media folk walk up five floors to get to their seats for an international match. Just not cricket!

Netherlands gets a feel of Dharavi

Mohammad Sadique with (centre) Paul Hourt, Consul General of the Netherlands and his colleague Woung Vart

Mohammad Sadique, a local student tour guide in Mumbai who runs Inside Mumbai Tours, hosted the Consul General of the Netherlands, Paul Hourt and his colleague, Woung Vart for his Dharavi slum tour. "They said that it was something new as they had a different idea about a slum... that people would be idling around," says Sadique. But his guests from Netherlands were quite surprised to see businesses in Dharavi. "They were curious about the small businesses of leather, garments, textiles and plastic recycling." Sadique's tour changed the perception of the slum for the Netherlands Consul General. "He said it was a new adventure and experience."

Mumbai banega Manhattan

Tim Hutchings. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Mumbai banega Singapore? Or, Mumbai banega Shanghai? Well, none of that. Marathon commentator and expert Tim Hutchings said he thought the city, "looked a lot like Manhattan, and quite unrecognisable from two years ago," as he flew in from overseas for today's (Sunday) race, a couple of days earlier and came into South Mumbai from the airport. Even Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) race director Hugh Jones of the UK had said some areas of Mumbai were "quite difficult to recognise" when he had come in from the airport to map out the race route for today's big event. Both these gents are here annually at marathon time, but are coming in after three years, as the race had seen a COVID-induced hiatus. We are used to all the infrastructure work and cranes silhouetting the sky as the Coastal Road and Metro work go on. It takes fresh eyes and an overseas perspective though, to realise how transformed the city may look for those coming in post-pandemic.

Dancing in Cambodia

Pic/Facebook

Novelist Anuja Chandramouli is a bundle of talent. The author, who is best known for her historical, fantasy and mythology fiction, is also a fine Bharatanatyam dancer. Earlier in the week, Chandramouli shared pictures from her recent performance at the International Bharatanatyam Dance Festival in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, on social media. The event was organised by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Siem Reap. "It was truly a divine experience to serve as cultural representatives for Tamil Nadu and India at Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. To dance there with the Pancha Bhootha [the five elements of nature] bearing witness felt incredible," she told this diarist.