Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Kher kher mein
Anupam Kher and everyone around click selfies as he attends the Golden Jubilee year function of The Central Industrial Security Force in Chembur. Pic/Sameer Markande

The media and its sisters
Well-known senior journalist and feminist Rituparna Chatterjee recently shared a post that warmed the hearts of many. In it, she offers to extend help to women working in media, in terms of contacts in the circuit and tittle-tattle about vacancies. She even promised to listen to fellow sisters rant. "I want to let you know that I'm available to help you in any way I can... Don't be 'one of the boys'. Don't belittle another woman. We're in this mess together," Chatterjee wrote. Her post and inbox was soon inundated with women reaching out for help.

Chatterjee went ahead and connected the women with editors and friends in the industry. The post stressed on the importance of sisterhood and Chatterjee shone through as truly supportive. We like.

Recycling the unthinkable
Ever since the plastic ban was imposed, interesting examples of recycling jugaad have been noticed across the city. But design and innovation centre located in the sprawling Vikhroli compound of an industrial conglomerate that this diarist happened to visit recently has been giving its name, and the principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, real meaning through innovations in decor, furniture, electrical fittings and employee-centric initiatives. A box for employees to drop in used batteries for recycling, for instance, welcomes you at the entrance.

And as one proceeds upstairs to the cafeteria area, wall-mounted installations that use old typewriter parts add a quirky touch to the interiors. The rugs used in the building are made of gloves once used by the industrial workers, and the lights have been fashioned out of old and out-of-use electrical fittings. Even the colourful chairs make use of discarded wire. If only other industrial houses took a leaf out of their book.

For keepsake
As the name Elphinstone Road station changed to Prabhadevi and the software was set to change on the midnight of July 18 to 19, this diarist waiting to document the process bought a prized possession in the form of a platform ticket with the station name Elphinstone Road, at 10 pm on Wednesday night, just two hours before the software name formally changed on the railway tickets. This remains one of the last few that were issued in the name of the former Bombay Governor Lord John Elphinstone, 157 years after his death. Ironically, he took over the Governorship of Bombay in 1853, when the railways were formally introduced in the Indian subcontinent.

Sugar speak
If you love podcasts and food (who doesn't?), celebrated pastry chef and restaurateur Pooja Dhingra has some big news. She has been cooking up a storm not just in the kitchen but the studio, too, and is all set to launch a podcast series called #NoSugarCoat. Scheduled to be out in September, the podcasts will feature Dhingra in conversation with luminaries speaking about their experiences in the industry. The guest speakers list includes delicious names such as Chef Thomas Zacharias, Gary Meghian, Garima Arora, Nadine Redzepi, and Kelvin Cheung. Dhingra, who is currently recording the first season, told this diarist, "I love listening to podcasts and I realised there's not much information out there for people who want to know what goes on behind the scenes [in the F&B world]. I will be speaking with people I admire from the food industry." The series will be available on her website and iTunes. "I hope people enjoy it," Dhingra shares. Excited?

The brothers are back
After Koko, restaurateurs Keenan and Ryan Tham are now set to launch another property in the vicinity. Foo is located at High Street Phoenix. The duo has partnered with restaurateur Kishore DF for this venture. It's set to open next week and the food (no surprises here) will be Asian. "The menu is rather extensive and an ode to Chinese and Japanese cuisines," the brothers told this diarist.

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