"I think all this furore about "cultural appropriation" and the video showing a stereotypical depiction of India is ridiculous. What kind of India do you expect to see in a video like this? Our educational institutions and privatised airports?" said Roopak Saluja, founder and CEO, The 120 Media Collective whose team shot the Coldplay-Beyonce video that's got everyone talking
"I think all this furore about "cultural appropriation" and the video showing a stereotypical depiction of India is ridiculous. What kind of India do you expect to see in a video like this? Our educational institutions and privatised airports?" said Roopak Saluja, founder and CEO, The 120 Media Collective whose team shot the Coldplay-Beyonce video that's got everyone talking.
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"It's art, not a documentary. I saw a tweet saying something along the lines of "a white man's interpretation of India." Well, guess what! It is. What's so wrong with that?"
Beyonce in the video. Pic/Youtube
However for those worried about whether it was the usual wham bang and thank you ma'am instance of white man forays into the country here's some cheer. Saluja has also been asked to assist in Coldplay's gesture of appreciation to the kids of Worli Koliwada who featured in the video as a thank you.
Coldplay at the shoot
And what was it like hanging with Chris Martin and his gang? "Chris' girlfriend, Annabelle Wallis, was here too and they spent some time doing their own thing after the shoot. They're just a regular bunch of guys, so down to earth and friendly," he said.
The world's watching
"The very name "curative petition" describes this judicial process. It seeks to 'cure' any infirmities in a judgment because there is no infallibility in any human endeavour," said one of the country's leading gay rights activists, Ashok Row Kavi, on the historic Supreme Court judgment, which is awaited tomorrow on the contentious Article 377.
Ashok Row Kavi
"The petition really has many grounds to make it a valid complaint to the Supreme Court." However, according to the gay icon, the success rate of all judgments heard under the curative petitions section petition is 0.38. "Mostly they are heard by the same set of judges" he said by way of explanation. But according to Row Kavi all is not lost.
Television interns run to reporters after a US SC decision on gay marriage. PIC/AFP
"This petition is going to be heard in open court and there is enormous national international interest in its outcome. The whole world will be watching India tomorrow," he said. We still recall the sight of ecstatic interns racing across America's Supreme Court grounds to inform the world that their country had legalised gay marriage. Will such a scene be repeated in India for it's first small step towards gay rights? Tomorrow we'll know.
It's a bird, it's a plane..
To be honest she's the kind of woman who appears to be on a zippy set of wheels 24/7, which is why, when mom to champ athletes, wife of director Kamal Sadanah, and Bandra bright spark, Lisa Sadanah, started showing up every where wearing a nifty helmet, no one was really surprised.
Wowing Mumbai at lunch, doing weights and having a pedicure
"I wanted to make my friends smile. People need to know that life can just pass you by if you don't have fun," she explained. The unusual choice of permanent headgear began innocently. Wanting to infuse some cheer in a bleak season ("It was only the beginning of the year and so many of my friends had parents who'd passed away or were ailing.") Sadanah bought a helmet online and shared a selfie of herself wearing it with some friends. "They found it funny and encouraged me to wear it in my everyday life," she said.
What resulted was a life changing moment. Lifting weights, or at a restaurant, getting a pedicure, or just cuddling her daughter, helmet girl has become one of Bandra's more interesting features with a blog all her own. "I am Helmetgirlbandra, and my superpower is that with all that's going on in my life, I will still find time to make you smile…" Needless to say - we like!
Leaving for Delhi
Even as the name of Mumbai's newly-minted police commissioner was doing the rounds yesterday, sources in Delhi say that one of the contenders who was passed up for the post, has campaigned for a transfer from the state and will be moving to the Capital to take up an important position shortly. "The officer in question is of stellar credentials and outstanding achievements, but for reasons best known to the powers that be, was not picked - so they're voluntarily moving him out of Mumbai," said the source, adding, "Sad."
Micky Mouse and miso soup
It is not often that we leave our comfort zone to dine outdoors. But when we do, it's nice to have a decent experience. Good food and service, a pleasant atmosphere, happy diners around, you know what we mean.
Adarsh Jatia
Unfortunately a spontaneous holiday lunch at San Qi at the Four Seasons left us sorely underwhelmed: Sushi not much better than the fare served at fast food chains, wasabi prawns with deep fried pakoda-like batter; as for the soup-yikes! If this was Miso — then I'm Micky Mouse!
What's more, service was slow, the decor looked tired and the staff dropped cutlery with harmonious precision. And we were not the only ones disappointed. The couple next to us were so frustrated that we heard them speed dialing some hotel big wig to complain.
We have not paid credence to sources claiming that Four Seasons' Adarsh Jatia was concentrating on an upcoming residential complex to the detriment of his hotel, ("They're making enough money from bar sales and hosting pop up events in the banqueting areas," said an industry insider) — but perhaps there's some truth in it?
As for the couple that complained they didn't look much happier even as we paid the bill and departed.
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