Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Period talk
Menstrual hygiene has suddenly turned into a topic of national discussion thanks to Bollywood. And this is something we are quite happy about.

Joining the period discussion is a new campaign called Don't Hide It. Period, designed to raise funds to build a pad factory in Ajmer, that will employ local women to manufacture and distribute bio-degradable, low-cost sanitary napkins to the rural areas of Rajasthan and adjoining states.

The campaign has been designed by Neha Tulsian (inset) of NH1 Design and fashion designer Pallavi Mohan (pic, above) has created a T-shirt to promote the subject too.

It's Mumbai on foot for Edberg
In what can be called the last few days of Mumbai's winter, it's usual to see tourists taking walking tours of the city. What is unusual, though, is to spot a tennis star from Sweden making his way around SoBo landmarks. But that's what happened on Wednesday morning, when former world no. 1 Stefan Edberg signed up for a walking tour of South Mumbai with wife Annette Olsen.

Stefan Edberg and Annette Olsen with Deepa Nandi during the city tour

"The couple had arrived only the previous night at 2 am, but we started at 11 in the morning. We covered the Gateway of India, CSMT, Banganga, and Khotachiwadi, among other places," said Deepa Nandi, founder of RaahGeer Citywalks, who took the couple around. They broke for lunch at Canon Pav Bhaji, where despite Nandi's instructions to keep the spice levels low, the dish managed to make Edberg sweat.

Britannia restaurant owner Boman Kohinoor

They ended the day with popular Irani restaurant Britannia's caramel custard. "Annette was flabbergasted by how different parts of Mumbai can look so different," Nandi told this diarist. In town for a sports award function, they are here as a couple for the first time, while Edberg last visited Mumbai in 1996.

Stories from the past
Whoever said digital is the future was absolutely right, especially when our favourite stories from childhood are online. After Chandamama, the classic Indian magazine for children, brought out its final issue in 2013, we had lost all hope of revisiting the illustrated stories.

But 60 years since inception, readers of the magazine have something to look forward to. Complete with a website that comes in various languages, the editions and stories are back, in a user-friendly avatar. All you need to do is choose your preferred language and pick an edition.

While the Telugu collection has everything since 1947, the English archive starts from 1954, and Hindi from 1949. The remaining are still being worked on. So if all you need is a break from your current books and wish to go back to the stories of Krishna or folk tales from around the world, or even a graphic version of The Treasure Island, you know where to head to.

It's show time for Akbar
For an author's debut novel to be picked up for a web show is a definite feather in his cap, apart from being sure-fire validation of his work. So, Prayaag Akbar's elation at an online streaming platform picking up his first book, Leila, for an exclusive show isn't misplaced at all.

A string of congratulatory messages followed as soon as he posted the news on social media. And Akbar revealed that a crack team of writers is now being put into place, with him as a consultant for the screenplay. Here's sending the former journalist our very best wishes.

Namaste politics
The news of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visiting India excited quite a few thanks to his rockstar public persona.

Unfortunately, the politician has been coming across as a try-hard in his bid to impress the country (and the lakhs of Indians living in Canada) - from rolling chapatis at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, visiting Jama Masjid in Delhi (with the heads of wife Sophie and daughter Ella-Grace diligently covered on both occasions), doing bhangra at a dinner in Delhi, to meeting Shah Rukh Khan.

But the thing that amused us the most is the Trudeau family doing namaste with their eyes shut while greeting people, like one would at a temple. Their Indian etiquette coach has clearly taken things too far in an attempt to not offend our (easily offended) junta.

Pic/Suresh Karkera

A fan for a change, Ranveer?
Actor Ranveer Singh gets a T-shirt autographed by Manchester United legend, Nemanja Vidik, at an event held at a Santacruz five-star on Friday.