14 October,2017 09:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Making waves in Asia Pacific
It's a film set in the jungles of Chhattisgarh, with a Dalit hero, no songs or an overt love story. In other words, it has no ingredients of a box office hit. Yet, Newton, in its third week, is going strong in theatres, and the international accolades that haven't stopped either.
Apart from being India's official entry to the Oscars, the dark comedy has now been nominated in two categories at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, an international cultural initiative of the Brisbane City Council, Australia, that covers 70 countries.
While Rajkummar Rao (in pic) has been nominated in the best actor category, the film has also been nominated for the best screenplay. Fingers crossed for this one!
Pic/Suresh Karkera
Marc your territory
Former model Marc Robinson dishes out some advice to his son, Brooklyn, at a football match in Azad Maidan yesterday.
Hotel staff egg-static about world record
A total of 20,023 eggs, 105 hours spent over six days, 170 tables and a team of four led by Chef Santosh Rawat - that's what it took the folks at JW Marriott, Sahar, to create the world's longest trail of chocolate eggs.
The Guinness Book of World Records is yet to certify that fact, but that's only because the certificate itself is still on its way to Mumbai. "They have sent us an email saying that we have indeed broken the record," revealed a spokesperson about the news that sounds, in one word, sweet.
India abroad
When we checked the press release announcing H&M's newest collaboration with couture label erdem, we weren't just impressed with the perfect amalgamation of high street with luxury. A face that stood out in the lookbook was that of Indian model Radhika Nair.
Nair (in pic, right) managed to get appreciative nods last year for being the first Indian woman to walk for Balenciaga's fashion presentation. And this is another feather in the Bengaluru model's curly top.
A book that is fully filmy
A new book is out on Bollywood that is called, well, Bollywood (Penguin Random House). It delves into the plot lines, characters and behind-the-scenes action of every film of note ever made in the industry, starting from the very first one in 1913, Raja Harishchandra, to modern-day hits like PK and Queen.
The book is embellished with movie posters and film stills, and includes contributions by experts on the industry. The music in every film, without which Bollywood (the industry) wouldn't be Bollywood, is also discussed in detail.
So, if you want to find out more about Raj and Simran from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge for instance, or about Amar and Prem from Andaz Apna Apna, this one makes for the perfect tome for you.
The release also follows close on the heels of the 75th birthday celebrations of arguably the biggest megastar in the history of Indian cinema - Amitabh Bachchan. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.
Service for thought
With bookstores becoming a rarity in Mumbai, spaces like Kitabkhana emerge as treasures for bibliophiles like this diarist. And when there's a cosy cafe to slip back in with your fave find, it's bliss.
From the staff and owners' personalised interest, to the service, we've enjoyed our every visit. However, a recent episode shook the picture perfect frame. On a wet Sunday, we dropped by for a quick bite at the Fort bookstore. While stewards continued to take orders around us, our attendant was in no mood to consider ours, saying it was close to shutting time.
Let alone suggest an ideal pick from the soon-to-shut kitchen, our multiple requests, from a sandwich to fries, and even "just apple tea", were swatted. With the owners not around, we could see why Mr Rush-it didn't care that customer is king.
