Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Why so glum, chum?
Ayan Mukerji tries to cheer up Azad, as mom Kiran Rao looks on at a Durga Puja pandal in Vile Parle on Thursday. Pic/Shadab Khan

The story of an asymmetrical Ravana
On the occasion of Dussehra, architect and sculptor Arzan Khambatta shared this fascinating blast from the past, which became a part of the first show of his career in 1992. Called Ravana, it's a sculpture made entirely of scrap metal. "You can see cycle parts, a bottle opener, parts of an Ambassador car that I welded together and other implements," he told this diarist.

"To me, the most striking part about Ravana is that he has 10 heads - five on one side and four on the other and yet, every time we portray Ravana, we do it symmetrically. But I didn't want to do it. That's why you see the asymmetery."

Grandmama has a surprise
Grandmama's Cafe, the cutesy chain of eateries that opened back in 2015 has a new surprised lined up. This diarist has heard that the owners plan to introduce patrons to a new family member - grandpa - in the coming week! Well, before you are intrigued about the unravelling of this family album, we'll tell you that this is going to be a secret room set up inside each of these cafes. A cocktail menu will be launched in these "dens", each dedicated to grandpa's travels from across the globe. We'd sure like to see how this rather novel idea pans out, and is able to woo the young, and in this case, the not-so-young as well.

French honour
In a rare recognition, Dr Miniya Chatterji, Mumbai-based author and CEO, Sustain Labs Paris, has been chosen as a member of the parliament of women francophone writers, founded by the French government. She is the only writer from India to be part of the 64 permanent members of this parliament, which aims at providing women a platform to express their views on social crises and debates and encourage the role of women in decision-making and resolution of conflicts. "Our common goal is to help women writers boldly write about the most pressing issues of the world and support or protect them whenever needed. I am excited about how much we can achieve together with the power of our pen," Dr Chatterji told this diarist. Other noted writers who are part of the parliament include Fawzia Zouari Élizabeth Tchoungui and Madeleine Monette.

A picture from Paris Goretti recently posted on social media

We are ready for a sweet surprise
From the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre, macarons and the patisseries that make them, there is so much to miss about Paris when you are out of the city of love. And nostalgia is what seems to have taken over television host and chef Maria Goretti, who recently returned to Mumbai after living the student life in Paris for a good part of 2018.

Goretti had enrolled for a rigorous course at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu to further hone her baking skills. While we understand why Mumbai with its heat isn't the most welcoming city in October, we can't wait to see the sweet indulgences she has in store for us.

This photograph of Sarangpur Gate is his favourite as it reveals the urban implications of the 600-year-old city walls

Air borne for Ahmedabad
Earlier this year, this diarist had caught up with Robert Stephens, the American- born, Bombay-based photographer, chronicler and architect, when he had exhibited his aerial photographs captured over the skies of Indian metros, as part of a larger exhibition. "I love seeing cities as spaces of millions and places of ecology - both social and natural," he told us at the time.

Robert Stephens

His next stop is Ahmedabad, where an exhibition of aerial frames will open. "It is the culmination of two years of archival research at the Maharashtra State Archives (MSA) and numerous trips to the city," he shares, adding, "Delving into MSA records, one was astounded by the diligence with which early 20th century cross-continent communication was carried out and archived for future generations."

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