Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Salim Khan, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif (Pic/Pradeep Dhivar)

Brace yourself
Salman Khan's father Salim Khan wears the same turquoise charm bracelet as the superstar, we realise, as the two exit Mehboob Studio in Bandra with sister Alvira, after the actor's promotions for his upcoming film on Friday.

A smooth ride
She's cheeky. She's irreverent. But she's a whole lot of fun as well. For over 50 years, the Amul girl has made the nation laugh with her pun-filled takes on topical events. And yesterday, the team that works behind the scenes to keep her relevant across generations completed 25 years of working together.

(From left) Manish Jhaveri, Jayant Rane and Rahul DaCunha

mid-day columnist Rahul DaCunha, whose firm holds the account, copywriter Manish Jhaveri and illustrator Jayant Rane have made over 5,000 print advertisements featuring the Amul girl. It was art director Eustace Fernandes who created the mascot in 1966. But since 1994, it's DaCunha, Jhaveri and Rane who have racked their brains to create those tongue-in-cheek ads that keep us entertained. Congratulations to them, and may their work continue for many more years to come.

A tree hits the roof at Mulund station
There are few things that are sadder to watch than the sight of a full-grown tree being chopped down. But that's unfortunately what happens all too often in the city, in the name of development or safety keeping the monsoon in mind.

So, it came as pleasant surprise when the management of Central Railway Mumbai took the decision of building the station's new roof without disturbing a 20-year-old tree, which was accommodated after boring a hole in the roof. The only question that now remains is, will other decision-making bodies follow this example?

Swede dreams
We have already shared a teaser of what kind of films to expect at Kashish - Mumbai's queer film festival - with you. Now, news comes in that Sweden is the partner country for this year's edition. What this means is that three feature films and six short films from the country will be screened at the festival.

These include Show Me Love and Something Must Break. Not just that, the opening night will feature the global launch of Rainbow Riots India, an album by Swedish music producer Petter Wallenberg.

Getting high on a cause in Dadar
On No Tobacco Day yesterday, hundreds of Mumbaikars braved the scorching sun and took to the streets to send out a message against smoking, drinking and drug addiction which - if you happened to be on Tilak bridge in Dadar - was loud and clear. While each member carried a placard with slogans like "Thodi thodi whisky jeevan ke liye hai risky", there was a group of kids carrying life-size cigarettes.

A tableau at the front had a massive gutkha packet in a funereal set-up. All well-intentioned, except that in a congested city, it meant that an ambulance had to spend an extra few minutes on the bridge.

Eatery is finally on a solid turf
On Thursday evening, one of Mumbai's most contentious gastronomic chapters closed when Gallops restaurant and the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) called off years of litigation by agreeing to terms of settlement. For years, Gallops vs RWITC was an aggression-filled sideshow to racing. But peaceful times seem to have returned to the turf, and we hope there are no more internecine battles for the beleaguered club and restaurant.

Gallops partners Rahul Malik and Jasmine Singh outside the restaurant after the settlement

The Gallops management said that on the evening that the settlement was reached - meaning the restaurant won't close down - the sighs of relief all around were so strong that they could set leaves rustling through the trees at Mahalaxmi on a still, warm evening. They said, "For 33 years, we have been Mumbai's iconic restaurant for Indians and foreigners alike. We are and will be the eating derby of the Mahalaxmi race course."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates