Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/AFP

Phillip Knightley's Bombay
Phillip Knightley, the Australian journalist, critic and author passed away recently at the age of 87. Known for his fierce investigative reporting, Knightley (in pic) had a strong India connect. Always one to challenge himself, Knightley took postings around the world and came to India early in 1960 as managing editor of the literary magazine, Imprint, which was published from Mumbai (then Bombay).

In Thoughts of India, his memoir, he wrote, "Bombay, where I landed from the old British India ship, the Dumra, was still a sleepy city where you had to beg the taxi-drivers to go a little faster. The Raj had not quite gone. There were still a few British banks pretending nothing had changed, with the occasional English remittance man queuing to collect his monthly cheque. A posse of English jockeys came down for the racing season, the Bombay Gymkhana still played Rugby, and if you were an Indian it was not easy to get into Breach Candy swimming pool." Well, while Mumbai has certainly shed its identity of a sleepy city, Knightley was right about Breach Candy that remains a gated neighbourhood even today.

For the love of theatre
India's first theatre management programme, SMART, saw its second graduation ceremony over the weekend. The five-month course, which includes residential and internship programmes and a workshop, was taken by 27 participants from theatre groups across the country. The aim of the programme, which is an initiative of the India Theatre Forum, managed by India Foundation for the Arts, and Junoon (a platform that broadens the reach of theatre and the arts), is to enable theatre groups to build management capacities to pursue the artistic dream.

(Left to right) Arundhati Ghosh, executive director of the India Foundation for the Arts, Sameera Iyengar and Sanjna Kapoor, co-founders and directors of Junoon

The tribe keeps increasing

Celebrity chef Vikas Khanna's culinary tome, Utsav, which chronicles the food served during Indian festivals, routinely finds itself in the hands of the choicest of personalities from across the world.

After presenting the book to Pope Francis, the Dalai Lama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar and Shah Rukh Khan among others, Khanna recently posed with Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg (in pic), both of them holding the book.

Looks like, the social media giant will be hosting an Indian feast soon, which Khanna will be helming. We are sure the event will make it to Facebook Live!

Alibaug sunset at Kiki's Cafe
Mumbai-based yachtsman, Arjuna award winner and popular caterer, Nitin Mongia, is all set to launch his new venture; this time a 45-minute boat ride away from Mumbai.

The seaside cafe

Kiki's Cafe & Deli, a quaint seaside cafe located on Mandwa Jetty in Alibaug, plans to cater to the local taste buds as well as to the holidaying crowd and those who have made the beach town their weekend home. The cafe, which has a casual dining theme, will also be offering catering for small and large events with the option to customise every menu.

I could score ten more tons!

Pic/Shadab Khan

We're tempted to guess if that's what the Little Master was trying to convey through his gesture to our lensman at a book launch over the weekend in Churchgate. Sunil Gavaskar is seen here with cricketer Zaheer Khan and televisionâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088actress Parizaad Kolah.

Marine Drive pips Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and Baga Beach in Goa is thronged by thousands of Indians and tourists year-round. But believe it or not, they have been beaten by our very own Marine Drive in a list of India's 10 most Instagrammed locations of 2016.

The picturesque stretch of SoBo bagged the top honour followed by the Taj Mahal. Also in the list is Juhu Beach (expected, right), India Gate and Connaught Place in Delhi, Amritsar's Golden Temple and Nandi Hills in Bengaluru.