Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Here we goat again

Two goats ride pillion on a scooter at Durgadi Chowk in Kalyan on Wednesday

An eye on caterpillars

Oleander hawkmoth

For the upcoming National Moth Week (July 23 to 31), iNaturewatch Foundation has set up The Caterpillar Rearing Project for Schools so students from classes six to eight can get to know the creepy-crawlies first-hand. Usually, adult moths are documented, but due to lack of data on moth caterpillars, they're putting the spotlight on the insect.

Founder Dr V Shubhalaxmi said the project is a first in India and the world, and goes beyond photographing a caterpillar; students will learn how to record the life history of the insect, how to look for, handle and document them, and present their data. "Students will witness how a small school project can fit into a citizen science model." Schools can sign up for the project on inaturewatch.org.

Chen for Chinese

Tulun Chen at Kamling

Along with its ruby red walls, tasselled lanterns, hakka noodles and sweet and sour pork, a common fixture at Kamling - one of the city's oldest Chinese eateries - was Tulun Chen, always seated quietly behind a corner table. The son of a dentist, Chen turned restaurateur in the 1960s, when he helped an elderly Chinese man who had been knocked down on the road. His kind deed brought him good fortune, when the same Chinese person - the original owner of Kamling - willed him the Churchgate restaurant. Earlier this week, the restaurateur passed away.

Tulun Chen with Broacha and Vijayakar

Food chronicler and funnyman Kunal Vijayakar recalled thinking Chen was a "surly-looking" fellow, before discovering that he was a gentle-natured legend. "Kamling goes back to not just my childhood, but my mother's too. Around 10 to 12 years ago, Cyrus Broacha and I started visiting Kamling regularly. Chen would appear to be a surly man, never smiling. When he realised we were regulars, he started chatting with us. He had some issue with his posture, which made him look like he was in a bad mood. But he was really sweet. He would always send some obscure dish to our table," he reminisced.

So long, dad

Khoram Zorabian was born on May 5, 1946. All his life, he believed five was his lucky number. On June 5, the founder of Zorabian Chicken died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 76. Daughter Perizaad remembers him as a visionary with a heart of gold. "He was fearless as an entrepreneur, a great mentor to his team and a person who bettered every life he met. An absolute romantic at heart, my mom was his world, his darling Firoza," Perizaad told this diarist, calling him a "bindaas father" who egged her on to take risks and give the business her all.

(From left) Sohrab, Khoram, Shazaad and Perizaad Zorabian

He started as a baker, became a restaurateur with Gondola, and followed this by starting Cheron, a catering business that retailed food under Bawa Zest. Khoram founded Zorabian Chicken 38 years ago because he was unhappy with the quality of chicken available in Mumbai. "He wanted the best meat for his restaurant and catering business," recalled Perizaad, who worked with him for 12 years and was his "warrior princess".

"He loved his chicken dhansak and butter chicken with crispy naan but ate only Zorabian Chicken, and would not eat a chicken dish if the restaurant didn't stock Zorabian," she added. He passed on his legacy to his children - brothers Shazaad, who oversees farming, and Sohrab who helms finance, and Perizaad, who heads and leads sales, marketing, distribution and operations. "My brothers believe I have dad's madness; they teasingly call me his junior," she added.

Zorabian senior uplifted the lives of villagers around their chicken farms in Khopoli by building temples, gyms, wells and washing areas, and even offered medical facilities. He worked every single day of his life. "Dad would always say: Come hail, come storm, Zorabian will serve you chicken 365 days of the year. It would be unfair on our part to shut business on the day he died. He would have been livid."

Joyce to the world

Pic courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

June 16 holds a special place in the hearts of Ulysses and James Joyce fans. It's the date when the novel takes place in 1904; it's also the day when Joyce eloped with his wife. So, fans across the world observe the date as Bloomsday to celebrate the writer. In a first in India, West Bengal's Jadavpur University (JU) Press, along with the JU English Department, is hosting Bloomsday Kolkata. Apart from a quiz, musical performances and Joycean games, they're inviting fans from across the globe to design their own cover for Ulysses. "The idea is to bring Joyce closer to those who love him, and introduce him to new readers, who can interpret him in their own way," shared Arunava Banerjee, publicist, JU Press. Now would be a good time to revisit Ulysses, and bring out your sketch pad. Send your covers to bloomsdaykolkata@gmail.com.