The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
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When an author turns artist
Popular fiction writer Preeti Shenoy, whose new novel, It’s all in the Planets (Westland-Tranquebar), released this week, appears to have gone all out to please her fans.
Those who pre-ordered her book were in for a sweet surprise when they received a PDF copy of Shenoy’s hand-illustrated journal in their inbox. Titled ‘An Excuse to Love Yourself’, Shenoy says that the book is a collection of selected quotes from her new novel with illustrations that she made during her travels.
“The quotes are inspired from the many philosophies I believe in and ties up with the core theme of my novel,” says Shenoy. “It’s being well-received by my fans,” says the writer, who hopes to publish it as a book some day. But, for now, she’s focusing on the book at hand. Everything else can wait.
On a wing and a song
Pic/Shadab Khan
Shraddha Kapoor rehearses for a concert associated with an upcoming film release at Worli over the weekend.
Mumbai boy enters big league
Jehan Daruvala might be only 17, but the fresh-faced teen has already been inducted into the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC), arguably, the most exclusive club in motor racing, and home to the most successful drivers from Great Britain. Daruvala will be part of the Rising Stars programme, whose alumni include biggies like Lewis Hamilton MBE and Alex Lloyd.
“The club over the years has had numerous illustrious members and I am certainly proud to be a part of this,” Daruvala tells this diarist from Germany, where he is currently racing. And, to think only 850 members have made the cut in the club’s 88-year history. Kudos.
Why only Azza and not the rest?
Mohammed Azharuddin being invited by the Indian cricket board to be part of celebrations for the 500th Test on Indian soil in Kanpur next week makes headlines. Understandably, it’s news as Azhar was at loggerheads with the establishment due to the betting and match-fixing controversy at the start of the millennium.
However, it appears that the same BCCI don’t intend to have all captains to be part of the landmark Test. Mumbai-based India captain Nari Contractor has not been invited as of now. If anyone from the BCCI is reading this, it’s never too late. It’s up to Contractor whether he can make the trip to Kanpur, but he deserves the courtesy.
Nevertheless, next week is going to be one of nostalgia for cricket as the culmination of Madras Tied Test in 1986 when India and Australia came off the Chidambaram Stadium with scores level, completes 30 years. In fact, celebrations have already begun in the southern city.
This diarist got chatting with Dara Dotiwala, the umpire who did duty in that Test, along with Bangalore’s Vikram Raju. Dotiwala, whose movements are now restricted because of a spine injury, called the honour of officiating in the Tied Test a “gift from God” and September 22, 1986 will be etched in memory.
Australia captain Allan Border won’t forget Dotiwala after the stern umpire threatened to send him off the field if he didn’t speed things up in the final stages of that Test. Of course, all is forgiven and yet remembered!
Racing to the finale
Things are speeding up for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016, which kicks off in 86 days. Last evening, curator Sudarshan Shetty announced the list of participating artists, and we spotted Himmat Shah, TV Santosh and Gauri Gill among them.
Also on the list are Pakistan/UK-based Naiza Khan and Greek artist Mikhail Karikis. Shetty also announced that the title for the third edition of the Biennale is “forming in the pupil of the eye”. The theme, this time around, will draw from the mythical idea that India is the land of seven streams, all of which converge and diverge.
Wanting to bring “a fresh perspective” to India’s traditions, Shetty says he will continue keeping one of Asia’s significant art festivals as “a people’s biennale”.
The annual retirement
When you love an author, the worst thing to hear is their plans of retirement.
Which is why, when we read a report the other day that former journalist, one-time spy and the man behind The Day of the Jackal, Frederick Forsyth was planning to put down his pen forever, we figured we needed to have a chat with him.
But, someone close to the English author rubbished his claims, “He says this ever so often. I don’t know why the media takes it so seriously.” Okay, all’s good again.
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