Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Aisle be by your sideA bride is accompanied by her father as they walk into a church in Bandra for her wedding on TuesdayThis makes for a delicious readFood is an integral part of our lives and in some way a bridge that connects us not only to our past but also the region we hail from in my case Awadh noted historian and chronicler Rana Safvi in pic when this diarist reached out to her about contributing to Desi Delicacies Food Writing from Muslim South Asia Pan Macmillan India The anthology of essays stories and recipes by authors historians and chefs from the region including Tabish Khair Annie Zaidi and Sadaf Hussain and edited by Claire Chambers released this week We bond over food and many a moral lesson has been learnt deliciously through the metaphor To understand recipes it is important to learn the ethos behind it shared Safvi adding that the anthology delves into that ethos of Muslim South Asian kitchens and familiarises readers with things as varied as what garnish to use food cooked at funerals or festivals the immigrants longing for food of the motherland and even jinn spirits hovering in old housesMaradona wins itThis diarist had reported how a Maladbased football team Uncles Kitchen United had made jerseys for its players with the late Diego Maradonas face embossed on the front as a tribute to the legendary Argentine footballer who passed away earlier this month The team has now won the very first 5aside rink football tournament they participated in wearing those jerseys and they believe it was all because of Maradona Before the tournament we said a small prayer in honour of our hero and even before matches we remembered him He inspired us to this win says UK United team owner Ronnie DSouza after his team won the 5aside Winter Cup at the Khar Gymkhana ground beating Gujju Boys 31 in the final UK United skipper Nitesh Monde saysThese jerseys definitely brought us luck We will wear them for a long time to come and hopefully keep winning more tournamentsTime to play Santa ClausAshesh L Sajnani in yellow and Huzaifa Lightwalla with children holding giftsRestaurateur Ashesh L Sajnani and brand strategist Huzaifa Lightwalla started an initiative last year called Claus for a Cause It involves guests at Sajnanis restaurants Le Cafeacute and Via Bombay leaving gifts behind after their meal which are given to underprivileged children associated with NGO Access Life Assistance Foundation With both eateries having reopened the duo has launched the initiative again This pandemic has made things tough but we cant let that stop us from being selfless and giving more than we receive Sajnani said Drop by at his restaurants to do your bitThe hounds are comingArthur Conan Doyles The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most macabre Sherlock Holmes adventures with its grim imagery of haunting moors and ferocious beasts Theatre group Aadyam has given their take on the classic tale which reinterprets it in a comedic manner Vivek Madan Arghya Lahiri and Nadir Khan star in it with Akarsh Khurana as the director There was added pressure to perfectly execute this script while maintaining the humour quotient But considering the collective hard work that went into it we are hopeful that the audience will enjoy watching this one as much as we did putting it together for them Khurana shared Get your tickets at insiderin to catch the online staging in JanuaryAnkit lives onAnkit Chadha was only 30 years old when he drowned in a lake near Pune in 2018 But the legacy that the dastangoi left behind despite his short life will be taken forward at a screening this evening where some of his best pieces including DastaneKhanabadosh will be showcased When Ankit died suddenly the world lost a young and promising storyteller Sanchita Ain a volunteer at the foundation that has been set up in Chadhas name said