Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Manrsquos best friend on dutyA security guard naps as stray dogs keep vigil at Carter Road in Bandra on SaturdayThank you one last timeWE know that bookstores in Mumbai and across India have been struggling to keep afloat during the pandemic So when Crossword Kemps Corner announced a ldquoThank Yourdquo sale on Saturday social media was abuzz with news about the landmark store shutting down While sources said it is on the cards no such announcement has been made as yet The 90 per cent sale on select merchandise the bookstore said was their way of ldquoexpressing gratitude to all those keeping the corners of Kemps Corner warm and cozy since 2004rdquo This diarist had launched her debut novel in this venue just a few months before COVID19 turned our lives upside down and we have only fond memories of this place especially its cafe Moshersquos where wersquove done many interviews Itrsquos our hope that all bookstores stay and that readers one and all visit them over ordering onlineA face armourAs we all know masks are the first line of defence against Covid19 The poor quality of surgical masks propelled Amit Jain director at Keeo Life Pvt Ltd a health startup to come up with a mask that could not only filter the germs but can also kill the virus The Keeo Pro Self Sanitising N95FFP2 mask is for adults and kids ldquoThese marks were born out of necessity We used techniques from our years of experience in the textile industry and applied principles of Ayurvedic medicinerdquo says Jain The USP of the product is the antimicrobial coating made using natural organic extracts The mask variant for children comes with four layers of protection They are also the first Indian company to get Emergency Use Authorisation EUA certifications from the Food amp Drug Association FDA for its N95 respirators and surgical masks along with CE certifications for all the European Economic Area EEA for 13 of its productsTodayrsquos girls tomorrowrsquos leadersBack in 2018 Varsha Adusumilli had written a book titled Wonder Girls which was a collection of inspirational stories about everyday Indian girls Three years on she has launched the Wonder Girls Student Leaders Fellowship which is a firstofits kind allgirls programme for adolescent girls between Classes VIII to XII The 60hour transformational programme is aimed at nurturing ambitious young girls into future leaders The team and advisors behind the programme come from prestigious institutions such as BITS Pilani Harvard Business School University of Oxford and Columbia University and have spent hundreds of hours interviewing students parents educators and industry leaders to understand their needs ldquoThere is a strong need to tie in adolescent leadership experiences and exposure to long term success for girls We have created a platform to do just thatrdquo says founder Adusumilli Some of the leaders participating in the programme are Radhika Piramal Vice chairperson VIP Industries Limited and Chiki Sarkar Publisher Juggernaut Books The programme can be taken online and and the deadline for applications on the website httpswwwwondergirlsacademy closes on September 15Israel embassyrsquos artsy new bossThe Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai has released a new logo on social media to celebrate Indiarsquos Independence and Israelrsquos strong diplomatic relations with the country And it has been designed by none other than their very own Consul General Kobbi Shoshani He joined the Mumbai office barely a month ago and believes in Sir Isaac Newtonrsquos quote ldquoIf I have seen further than others it is by standing upon the shoulders of giantsrdquoHis aim is to continue the growing partnership that his predecessors built with India Speaking to this diarist Shoshani said ldquoI am a big fan of graphic design and architecture And I usually like to create logos fonts and posters as part of my job This makes me relax and concentrate along with others hobbies I have For this logo I used Adobe Illustrator where I combined the Indian national flag with the Israel MFA official font This combination I think highlights the partnershiprdquoThe lsquofagrsquo end of Binnyrsquos career resurfacesThis image right surfaced on Facebook and Twitter recently It has Roger Binny only in his first year as an India cricketer 1980 endorsing No 10 cigarettes Cricket lovers expressed surprise that Binny appeared in a cigarette advertisement but those were different times so letrsquos not judge the genial Bangalore man Former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi was quick to inform us that it is he who is keeping wicket in the advertisement and his Podar College teammate Srikanth Narvekar is at leg slip Hattangadi also remembered that the admakers were initially keen on Ravi Shastri another Podarite being behind the wicket but they found him too tall He was bettersuited at slip but that was not part of the final ad The young cricketers were paid Rs 200 for their dayrsquos work at the Wankhede Stadium The money came in handy to buy tickets for the 1980 India v England Jubilee Test held at the same venue Just canrsquot help humming Mary Hopkinrsquos Those Were The Days