Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Monkey Business

A child and their grandmother keenly observe a monkey and its baby at Kanheri Caves in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, on Tuesday

Rairangpur to Raisina

The rise of President Draupadi Murmu has been an inspiring one. For those fascinated by her journey, there is a chance to learn the entire story with the newly announced title, Madam President: A Biography of Draupadi Murmu (Penguin Random House India). Compiled by Bhubaneshwar-based senior journalist Sandeep Sahu, the book will unravel the behind-the-scenes trials and tribulations that India's first woman tribal President undertook. From a councillor in Rairangpur to becoming the first citizen of India, Murmu toiled through public service at a heavy personal cost. In dark times, such inspirational stories might offer hope to rekindle a democracy.

Serving up smiles for four years

PIC COURTESY/Sarika Nerurkar

In 2018, Cafe Arpan began its journey to train and employ adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities owing to the gap in employment opportunities for them. Over the years, its cheery blue walls, interesting mix of food and beverages, and of course, the ever-smiling faces of the staff members have turned the cafe into a live demonstration of what a supportive employment model for adults with disabilities looks like. Yesterday, the cafe celebrated its fourth anniversary. Looking back on their journey, which included braving the storm of the pandemic, Ashaita Mahajan, trustee, Yash Charitable Trust which set up the Juhu-based eatery, shared, "What we have at the cafe, is what we would like others to replicate going forward. I want people to look at it as a small place within the city that is just oozing with joy." To mark their anniversary, the cafe is offering discounts, along with a new limited-edition menu of cake jars, cakesicles, beverages, Irani samosas and baked vada pavs. "Accenture had approached us to start a cafe in their office premise for their staff. We started in 2020 but had to stop because of the pandemic. We reopened it two months ago. The idea is to replicate that model too at other corporates in the future," she told us.

It's she-conomics

Realising that the new Indian woman seeks to break from the "triptych of bechari, badass or bitch", Shaili Chopra, founder of SheThePeople.TV, set out on a journey. "I wanted to learn how a ground-up sisterhood of determined women could transform economic outcomes for a country like ours," she told us. The result: Sisterhood Economy: Of, By, For Wo(men) (Simon & Schuster India), which hits bookstores on August 18. Chopra has delved into factors that put women behind the economic curve through the stories of women - be it comedians or salon professionals. "Meeting thousands of women, I realised that it's not lack of opportunity that's holding us back. It's the conditioning. So I strive to answer questions like these - can the mother-in-law trigger a change in GDP? Why is equality in pleasure as important as equality at work? Does technology have answers for women?" she added.

Lawyer is back in the house

PIC COURTESY/FACEBOOK

There's some good news for music lovers of a certain vintage. Singer-songwriter Gary Lawyer will take the stage along with musician Jeson Filipe on the keyboard in an intimate evening set-up at The BlueBop Cafe next week. About his upcoming performance, Lawyer shared with this diarist, "It will be a typical Gary Lawyer concert where we delve into all genres and there is literally something for everybody. People attending can expect an entertaining evening of jazz, blues, soul and rock ‘n' roll. I expect the cafe to be wonderful and fun." The singer who has been keeping busy, added, "Since July, and after the lockdown, there's been this spate of shows, and things seem back to normal. Shows seem to have come back with a vengeance, which is such a welcoming change."

Taste the world in Lower Parel

Almost a year since chef Rahul Akerkar's Qualia shut shop, a little bit of Delhi is going to take its space on Senapati Bapat Marg. Ditas, a popular eatery in the Capital, is set to call the Maximum City home, where it will offer foodies a blend of international flavours - Spanish, Mediterranean, European and a dash of Pan-Asian - within its art Nouveau-style interiors. Co-founded by Udita and Utsav Khaitan, one can hope to savour delicacies such as bubbling burnt butter prawn, pistachio crusted John Dory, morel cacio e pepe, Japanese miso bowl and more. "When Udita and I got married, we travelled across the globe and discovered our shared passion for the culinary arts. Over time, this became a huge part of our lives and before we knew it, we were deep into experiencing new food, wherever we went. Eventually, we were set on having our own culinary space, one where everyone could enjoy what we had. That is how we launched Ditas - derived from Udita's name," shared managing director Utsav about the eatery that opens doors this week.