The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
It was him
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(From left) We wonder who Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and education minister Vinod Tawde are pointing fingers at. The politicians were at Ravindra Natya Mandir last evening for singer Lata Mangeshkar's 90th birthday celebrations, which was followed by a book launch. Pic/Ashish Raje
Gandhi's tribe
Last week, Dr Lal Bahadur Rana, founder of Gandhi Peace Foundation Nepal, an international body which promotes the ideals of the Mahatma, flew down to Mumbai to confer doctorates to 10 individuals who are working on Gandhian philosophy. This was part of the organisation's 150th birth anniversary celebrations. "In the last two years, we have appointed Gandhian peace ambassadors in 40 countries. There are 200 such ambassadors in India," said Dr Rana. Talking about Gandhi's relevance, he added, "He was the real hero of harmony. His philosophy continues to be relevant as the world needs peace more than ever."
Another toast for Swarup
After making it to the JCB Book Awards shortlist last year, Mumbai-based Shubhangi Swarup's debut novel, Latitudes of Longing (HarperCollins India) got a coveted entry into the DSC prize for South Asian Literature longlist that was announced this week. The jury went on to describe the novel as "an extraordinary artistic achievement." "I found out about the longlist through social media, when readers put up congratulatory posts and sent personal notes. Latitudes of Longing belongs as much to its readers and the characters within, and it's overwhelming. As for the longlist itself, I am excited to be among such formidable works and look forward to reading some of them myself, especially since it reflects the regional diversity of South Asia. My novel is a set of interconnected stories set on a geological Faultline, passing through different countries in the subcontinent," Swarup told this diarist.
Now, Djoko lands up at Lake Como!
Some sporting fans get excited when they hear or read about their favourite star enjoying time off the field. And there were quite a few who rejoiced when tennis champ Novak Djokovic recently posted a picture of himself spending time at Lake Como in Italy (yes, that's where India cricket captain Virat Kohli and actor Anushka Sharma got married in December 2017) en route to Japan where he will figure in the Rakuten Open at Tokyo. "This was our stop at Lake Como yesterday on my way to Tokyo," the Serb said in the caption. "You look just great and with smile on your face. Love to see you this much happy and ready for new success," reacted a supporter. Others, well aware of his shoulder issue that prevented him from taking the court after he retired from the fourth round of the US Open, wanted to know whether he was training hard enough. "Why aren't you practising," asked another. Social media has brought superstars closer to their admirers and vice-versa. Sometimes, it's sure hard to satisfy them all. But Djoko is philosophical. After all, he swears by this line: "Laugh as long as you breathe, love as long as you live!"
Shake-it with swiggya
We love a good social media campaign and promo events just like any other consumer. Which is why, we can't get enough of Swiggy's Instagram feed. Their recent post had us cracked up. With the social media app allowing users to upload snippets of songs, @SwiggyIndia had its entire delivery route—from the time you wonder what to order, to when the food finally arrives at your doorstep—mapped out with Bollywood numbers. There's Shalmali Kholgade's Mein pareshan for when you don't know what to order (been there?). The finale we love, of course, is when the delivery man arrives at the doorstep—Saajan ji ghar aaye. We couldn't have said it better.
Man of the moment
Mumbai's I Was A Sari founder Stefano Funari has won the Responsible Disruption Award at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards, Italia 2019. I Was A Sari's inspiring journey was developed by Funari where women, who were previously excluded from embroidery schools, were finally given access to train. The programme has created a legacy of social empowerment and commitment to the circular economy by upcycling saris and empowering women long term. When this diarist spoke to Funari, he said, "We are delighted to have won the Disruptive Innovation category at the Green Carpet Fashion Awards. It will boost exposure of I Was A Sari and recognition of our Indian artisans—something that they really deserve."
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