The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Saif Ali Khan and Ajay Devgn at a trailer launch
Hae, main Omkara
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Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan chat at the trailer launch of their upcoming film in Juhu on Tuesday evening. Pic/Bipin Kokate
Our very own high school musical
The winners at the finale in Mumbai
The third edition of a country-wide inter-school music competition called Band-It, saw the tiny tots from Gopalan International School, Bengaluru, called G-Minor, emerge victorious. Mumbai's Unsatisfied Musicians (Oberoi International School, Mumbai) were the runners-up. The festival and competition, which also comprised solo singing, solo instrumental, choir/group singing and beatboxing categories, saw participants from Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad come together for the finale, where they were mentored by professionals. A Band of Boys picked the winners. "Music has been regaining popularity in India, not just as a profession but also for its positive impact on mental health. More schools are now looking at adding music to their curriculum. This is giving students the chance to express their creative side. The plethora of talent that we get to see each year leaves me in awe of the students," Dharini Upadhyaya co-dounder and co-CEO of the organisers, Furtados School of Music, told this diarist.
Tuck into this emoticon
It's almost like the national dish of India, though one person on Twitter even declared that "khichdi toh ek tarfa pyaar hai. Biryani is forever". In a move to legitimise the country's love affair with this dish digitally, a music channel has started a petition to turn it into an emoticon. This made many users point out the story behind the origin of the dish, with one user stating, "Calcutta or Kolkata biryani evolved from the Lucknow style, when Awadh's last Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was exiled in 1856 to the Kolkata suburb of Metiabruz. Shah brought his personal chef with him. Finally there will be a #biryaniemoticon." Speaking of history, this was also the first time ever that non-vegetarians didn't claim that vegetarian biryani is pulao. A worthy cause to unite for, what say?
Incredible India
Popular American YouTuber Markian Benhamou is as well travelled as he is charming. And now, Benhamou has just released a video on his adventures in India. Here, he's seen chilling with people at Chowpatty, shopping at Mangaldas market, eating a thali (he declares his love for Indian food and says every dish is like a painting), celebrating Holi and even attending a wedding. The video titled Is
India The Most Colourful Country? has notched over 133k views on Facebook and we can't wait for him to say, Namaste, again.
No aanch for this biryani
It was only in May this year, with Eid at our doorstep that we broke the news of ex-cricketer Salil Ankola opening a delivery joint with the best of Muslim fare on offer. At the time, Ankola had shared his tryst with biryani, a dish he says his mother taught him to whip up. Salz Biryani (the venture's name), finally launched in June, and has unfortunately, met with a sudden and abrupt demise. On Wednesday afternoon, Ankola shared, "We have had to close down permanently because I was facing a few issues with chefs and I have no time to see this 24/7." 'Are you looking to reopen?' this diarist enquired. "Not anytime soon. Maybe, in 2021," he conceded.
Your next date could be at a music fest
Why should travelling for music festivals stop you from using Tinder? In fact, if you're a music buff, then that should be the ideal space for you to find someone who shares the same interests as you. Dating app Tinder has launched a unique in-app user experience called the Festival Mode, in India,
keeping in mind Bacardi NH7 Weekender that's scheduled for the end of the month in Pune. Users can add a badge to their profile highlighting their planned festival destination, after which they will be allowed to match and chat with other users attending the same event before they reach the venue. All you have to do is look for the festival mode card on the app, and add it to your profile. You can check out everyone else going to that festival, and get swiping. Talk about chance pe dance.
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