Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Predictable Mumbai? No way
We've read this before. At least that was going through our minds after we came across a recently penned article in an American newspaper. The travel piece that was supposed to be a guide through Mumbai looked at the usual suspects - Gateway of India, Chor Bazaar (in pic), the Irani eatery, Colaba and Bandra. After a while, we could predict the next stop.

A few new mentions (the museums, art and shopping spaces) were refereshing. We couldn't figure how a few names landed in the 36-hour travelogue. Plugged or otherwise, it was disappointing. Surely, the city deserved a more exhaustive representation - from its bylanes and quaint communites and landmarks. Their miss, truly.

Sidd wants you to pick
Dishy actor Siddharth Malhotra can't seem to get enough of his face and body.

The actor recently took to social media to splash all the covers of magazines that he's graced across September and October, tempting his fans to tweet about their favourite mag cover. Voting lines have opened, in case you'd like to take a sneak peek.

Rahul, did you vent too?
Lifestyle brands seem to be indulging in all kinds of modes of self-expression these days. Last weekend witnessed another such launch. Located inside a swish store in Colaba, they have started, what they claim, is the world's first Venting Booth. The tiny space allows people to videotape and record themselves venting their deepest, darkest thoughts and frustrations.

Rahul Khanna at the launch

Incidentally, the first day saw hundreds of people across age groups vent about potholed roads, climate change, no Coldplay tickets, high prices of the iPhone 7, and loads of beep…beep issues. This hip new outlet also boasts of a singular artistic façade constructed out of over 600 most used/abused labels that people all over the world are subjected to, due to their size, shape, colour and mannerisms.

Personifying a stance against this stereotyping, the intent is to highlight emotional bullying that people are subjected to, not just by strangers but also by close friends and family. The hope is to discourage people from such labelling. From the sound of it, this space is bound to have unending queues.

That shade, Pooja...really?

Pic/Satej Shinde

Going by his expression, we're wondering if Abhay Deol wasn't pleased with Pooja Bedi's lip colour. Both were part of a shoot for a food show in Goregaon.

The music train has reached Pondy!
Frames of peaceful walks down the picture-postcard Promenade Road (left, pic) in Pondicherry (or Puducherry) might be a faint memory from the past. As it turns out, the sleepy Union Territory will be hosting an edition of NH7 Weekender on October 15.

Scheduled to be held at a five-star on the East Coast Road (one of India's msot scenic highways), the line-up includes Nucleya, Dualist Inquiry, Raghu Dixit Project and Skrat. Going by the buzz among Pondicherians on social media, they hope the show will be "epic", in the words of one such music buff. We'd love to hear how this one turned out.

Get beery in Navi Mumbai
Our friends in the satellite city don't wish to miss out on the Oktoberfest fun. Going by a recent post, a pub in Navi Mumbai is cashing in on the beer binging that seems to have taken over the rest of the city for this month.

Who needs to head to Munich, right! From cool deals and new ales, the folks behind the idea seem to have done their homework for this lager affair. Cheers!