Mumbai Dairy: Friday Dossier

13 August,2020 06:54 AM IST |  Mumbai  |  Team mid-day

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce.

A juggler practises his craft with a few juggling clubs at Carter Road promenade.


Balancing act

A juggler practises his craft with a few juggling clubs at Carter Road promenade. Pic/ Shadab Khan

Edward Cullen will speak now


Edward and Bella

Stephenie Meyer is back with Midnight Sun (Hachette), the widely-anticipated retelling of Twilight from vampire hottie Edward Cullen's point of view. When Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met in Twilight, an iconic love story was born. But until now, fans were privy only to Bella's side of the much-followed and debated relationship. Author Stephenie Meyer hopes this companion novel will be welcomed by fans of the cult series.


Stephenie Meyer

"I know how much I personally need distractions right now, how much I need something to look forward to, and most of all, how much I need more books to read. So, I hope this book gives my readers a little pleasure to anticipate, and after it arrives, a chance to live in an imaginary world for a while. I can't express how much I appreciate the patience of my readers, and their support over the years," Meyer shared about her new release.

Short and sweet

The Student Academy Awards is an annual competition that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - which hosts the Oscars - organises for filmmakers who are still in college. The finalists for this year's edition include an Indian film, Bittu, which deals with the relationship between two girls in a north Indian town. Shreya Dev Dube, the film's Mumbai-based cinematographer, told this diarist, "We are in conversation with the distribution companies to see whether they can acquire the sales of the film. But if we do win this, we'll make it to the final list of short films for the Oscars." That's huge, and our best wishes to the team.

A kick in the gut

The pandemic and the ensuing lockdown has found yet another victim in the F&B industry - Mo's Superfoods, which provided healthy and sustainable products in the fermented food space. Founder Moina Oberoi's products, which included various flavours of kefir, had found quite a following in Mumbai; she was also a nominee for mid-day's The Guide Awards in the Best Entrepreneur category. Oberoi told this diarist that she's taken the decision to shut shop temporarily to ride out the storm. "The fluctuating norms, the lockdown, and the uncertainty, among other things, hit us hard as we're self-funded. But I have faith that we'll come back with Mo's Kefir again," she said. But, all's not lost, as the brand will continue to do workshops and share the knowledge.

Go desi, adopt an indie

Independence Day is tomorrow, and the city's much-loved abode for its four-legged street heroes, Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD), has a video message for you. Conceptualised and shot by Another Idea Production House at their Mahalaxmi centre in the lockdown, the heart-warming video shows you the world through the eyes of strays, driving home the message of 'adopt, don't shop.' This diarist spoke to Abodh Aras, its CEO, who shared, "The message is clear.

It is always better to adopt an indie than buying a breed dog. Not only are indie dogs hardier, robust and acclimatised, they are just as good looking and loving with lesser health problems. We are also focusing on adoptions of older dogs. We are glad that Another Idea came forward to support us and spread our message through their film."

Meeting your match

Even as the show Indian Matchmaking continues to face criticism for its portrayal of marriages being built on compromise in the country, a survey by shaadi.com among 850 women shows a change in thought process. For 83 per cent of women, marriage is about compatibility and not compromise. As opposed to convention, 82 per cent said they would like to give the matchmaking process its due time as they don't want to rush it. "The ground realities of Indian matchmaking are a lot different from what meets the eye. This data busts the age-old stereotype of women having to compromise in choosing their life partner," summarised Adhish Zaveri, its marketing director.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
mumbai carter road lockdown twilight mumbai news
Related Stories