Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

In the line of duty

Policemen take a breather outside the Directorate of Enforcement in Ballard Estate

Restored to old glory

There can be no greater praise than one from the land of the Ferrari. A Silver Wraith Rolls Royce belonging to Yohan Poonawalla was titled the Most Sensitive and Best Restored car at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy last weekend.

New additions made to the car. Pics courtesy/Instagram

Once part of the Maharajah of Mysore's fleet, its streamlined red and silver embellishments caught the attendees' eye. "The team, under Viveck Goenka, worked on the car for two years. The silver detailing, hidden compartments and suitcases were its high point. So, to be called best restored is certainly pleasing," shared Allan Almeida, city-based restorer, who presented the car in Italy.

Allan Almeida

Conceptualised by four creators, including James Young and J Gurney Nutting & Co, the car had more onlookers than any other vehicle at the event, Almeida told us.

The sisterhood turns a year older

The pink interiors of Sister Library

Sister Library in Bandra West turned four earlier this week. The space has been a refuge for many women, who over here, access 1,000 books and 700 zines, films and artworks. Aqui Thami, its founder, revealed that although the physical space is four years old, the library has turned six. "We were travelling for two years, and then finally found a place to stay in Bandra West. It has been an incredible journey to see an idea take physical shape and become a favourite among many," she exclaimed.

Aqui Thami

Sister Library has been conducting regular film screenings, exhibitions and discussions over the years without any paid staff. "We wanted this to be a community-led initiative. Securing funds is difficult, but we have managed to power through all these years because of our supporters." Thami adds that although she cherishes the four years she spent with the library, she has faced all kinds of backlash. "Many women who visit the library belong to the disenfranchised community. Some people do not like to see others who might not necessarily look like them," she sighed. Despite these hardships, Thami hopes to see Sister Library expand and grow in the future.

Raising the bar

The three finalists with chief Monkey officer Gaurav Sareen

Bringing their best to the table, 80 bartenders had a tough fight at the recently concluded city rounds of the sixth season of Ultimate Bartender Championship that was held at Lord of the Drinks in Powai. Emerging as clear winners, three mixologists - Vishal Tawde, Rudra Kumar, and Jay Mhamunkar - have proceeded to the next round. When we reached out to them, we got to know that the three are already in prep mode to sharpen their skills for the finale which will take place in a soon-to-be-disclosed location. Kapila Sethi Kad, a representative from Monkey Shoulder, the organisers of the event, summed up the standards on display, "The city round in Mumbai witnessed some of the best bartending talent in the country."

Explore the unexplored at SGNP

Participants on a previous trail hosted by SGNP

Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) has been conducting nature trails for quite some time. They now have plans to introduce another route that will bring cheer to enthusiasts. The trail scheduled for this weekend will cover a route near Yeoor in Manpada and Kashimira.

Shardul Bajikar

"We have organised such trails in the past but they have been out of access for citizens because it is difficult to reach these parts of the park. Participants who regularly attend our trails were requesting for a change, so we thought, why not bring them to these unexplored locations," elaborated Shardul Bajikar, naturalist, SGNP. Interested folk can contact 7738778789 for further details and to register for the walks.