Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

New road buddies
The founder of one of Mumbai's travel and adventure groups, Prateek Deo was invited by a leading motorcycle manufacturer to test drive their new bike, for a road trip from Delhi to Leh.

Prateek Deo with Nagesh Kukunoor

Deo grabbed the opportunity to drive the adrenaline-pumping machine rush and file a diary on his travels through some of the country's most treacherous routes.

Nagesh Kukunoor and Ranvijay Singh

What was interesting is that actor and avid biker Ranvijay Singh as well filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor joined the trail for the Chandigarh to Leh leg. Now that's what we call taking the road less travelled.

A grip on the well-heeled

Pic/Shadab Khan

Ileana D'Cruz and Esha Gupta seem to be in safe hands as Akshay Kumar guides them over a watery flooring at an event to promote their upcoming film over the weekend.

Colaba's creatures of the night
The hustle and bustle of Colaba causeway seems to fade away late at night. In place of talkative tourists bargaining with hawkers in broken Hindi, the road plays host to a number of nocturnal characters - bikers, pimps, and late-night munchers.

Colaba Causeway. Pic/Bipin Kokate

When this diarist was out on a moonlit night stroll along the Causeway, acting upon the craving for some midnight bun maska and chai, a harrowed man in faded pants and a loose un-tucked shirt, was circling a spot on the footpath, muttering to himself. Soon enough, the muttering turned into loud abuses, hurled at no one in particular. It was obvious - the man was high as a kite. His ego seemed to have been bruised; he was complaining about someone having taken advantage of him.

Pacing the length of the footpath, this man soon became enraged, and vowing to extract revenge, walked off. Half an hour later, he was spotted at the cigarette-cycle guy near Regal Cinema, engaged in loud banter with another man, who, sat silently, listening to his rant. He (the man sitting) finally said: "I'll give you your forty rupees back right now. Come with me." Apparently, the first man had paid for a round of drinks between the two earlier in the night, after which, the second man didn't buy the next round. What a guy!

Letters from Dadabhai Naoroji
Dadabhai Naoroji received a thunderous reception in the city at his homecoming from London in 1893 to preside over the Congress in Lahore. He was blessed by Parsi priests in front of a fire temple as well as by Brahmins in front of a Hindu temple.

Dinyar Patel with a young member in the audience at Kitab Khana. Pic/Bipin Kokate

This, and many similar interesting anecdotes compliment a book packed with his correspondence with leaders and intellectuals from the Indian Subcontinent and the world. The book by authors, Dinyar Patel and SR Mehrotra was released in the city over the weekend, and was attended by a keen gathering of Bombayphiles and history buffs.

Fireflies, and new ideas
Phase I of SMART, a programme to empower Indian theatre groups to think and work strategically, has just wrapped up at Fireflies, near Bengaluru.

Twenty-nine participants from 18 theatre groups (in pic) spent 10 days amidst scenic environs. In December, the groups' strategic plans will take shape in Mumbai. Created with the Indian Foundation of the Arts, India Theatre Forum and Junoon, this spells good news for the arts. Kudos!

Eat. Vote. Burp.
It's another amusing stunt centred on the high-voltage US Presidential Polls that's got us in splits. So, according to a leading newsmagazine, there's apparently a way to figure whether you eat like a Democrat or a Republican based on 20 food choices that you need to pick from on the interactive page, based on data and eating habits of folk from states that support either of the two parties. As it turned out, the meatier the picks, the more likely are you to veer towards being a Republican. The idea of a similar exercise being executed for India's next general elections left us chuckling.