Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Bipin Kokate

Stretch! you're on camera

A morning walker captures a fellow fitness enthusiast at Marine Drive on Monday morning.

Gully to the Grammys

While Indian musicians such as Ricky Kej and Falu or Falguni Shah shone bright among musical legends at the 64th Grammy Awards, a familiar Mumbai name soaked it all up at his debut appearance at the prestigious show. Representing the city's rap scene and the Gully rap movement at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, was Divine. Suited up in a black designer ensemble, the rapper became the first homegrown hip-hop talent to attend the event. Excited, awe-struck, the rapper's social media posts revealed he had a gala time. "Surreal to be at the Grammys among some of the best in the world! A big shoutout to my brother Nas [American rapper Nasir Jones] for always believing in the burgeoning Indian hip-hop scene," he shared. Here's hoping more indie talents shine under the Grammy spotlight.

Scrammys! Scream BTS fans

It was heartbreak hotel for fans of the South Korean boy band, BTS, as their idols lost out at the Grammys. Twitter was agog with the trend #Sacrammys, as fans took to social media to vent their anger. Back home in Mumbai, Riya Goon, founder of Bangtan Shefs, and ARMY member, was disappointed, but thrilled at the performance of her idols. She added, "Tae-hyung performing with Olivia Rodrigo set everything on fire. It has made the Army very jealous. After all, he is the most handsome man in the world right now." So what did she make of the heartbreaking loss, we ask? "We did mind but we cannot hate everyone who does not see their talent, or what BTS are spreading," Goon explains. "They gave us such a memorable performance on the Grammys' stage, that it was the best part of the awards for us."

The mathri circle in B-town

Our coverage on binge-worthy mathri from across the city in yesterday's The Guide section led to an interesting discovery. Kareena Kapoor Khan's recent Instagram story on her stash of mathri from designer Masaba Gupta had caught our eye. We curated a list of online and offline spaces to buy the snack from, but we learnt later that Instagram handle @notachef had a role to play in this celebrity snack exchange. Hetal Chheda, founder of Not a Chef, shared, "I like to make classic recipes while experimenting with new ones. Soni Razdan [actor] keeps ordering the goodies I make with so much love. Neena Gupta [actor] is Razdan's friend, and she had ordered chaklis and other snacks from me. Then, last week Masaba [Neena's daughter] messaged me wanting to place an order for mathri." Chheda added that she is happy to spark love with her food. Turns out that Khan's package of the fried namkeen from Masaba was also made in Chheda's kitchen. A small world indeed!

Meet the brokers

In Mumbai, there's always a person who can get things done, no matter the job. Need a convincing crowd at a political party? You've got it. Need a "prison specialist" to serve jail time in exchange for a fat fee? Done. Assistant professor and author Lisa Björkman's upcoming title, Bombay Brokers (Yoda Press), documents the profiles of 36 such "brokers" or dealmakers, who just get things done, revealing the Maximum City's dependence on their invisible labour and how they find method in the madness.

Building a ‘water' community

Mumbai Sea Swimmers, a five-year-old group, swims in the open waters across the city, and recently completed a relay between Vashi and the Gateway of India. Co-founders Minesh Babla and Mehul Ved (in pic) shared with this diarist, "The group grew in the last two years, as schools were shut during the pandemic. Our outlook is simple; if we live on an island, we should swim. Problems with regard to water quality exist, but that shouldn't stop us from exploring the ocean." Commenting on their recent achievement Babla said, "This was our first relay, which was 24-km-long. We were supported and supervised by the Swimming Association of Maharashtra. Despite not being a competition, the vibe was quite competitive. Our next route will be between Bandra-Worli Sea Link and Gateway."