Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Matched by a pout

Yash Johar shares dad Karan's pout, we realise, as the two make it to Tusshar Kapoor's son Lakshya's birthday party in Juhu on Saturday. Pic/Shadab Khan

Gandhi, the brand

Veteran Mumbai adman and former CEO of FCB Ulka, Ambi Parameswaran, is on a writing roll. After penning Nawabs, Nudes, Noodles (2016) and Sponge: Leadership Lessons I Learnt From My Client (2018), Parameswaran is turning to Mahatma Gandhi to dole out marketing tips. His essay, Spinning a True Brand: Gandhi the Brand and Gandhi in Branding, will be published with Oxford University Press India, as part of its Gandhi@150 boxed set, to celebrate the Mahatma's 150th birth anniversary.

The essay, Parameswaran told this diarist, looks at Gandhi, the 'brand' through a 21st-century branding lens. "Gandhi employed many of the so-called modern marketing tools, like music, and imagery, nearly 80 years ago, to build his image." The book will examine this, and also how other brands have tried to co-opt Gandhi in their marketing strategies.

Makeover in Khotachiwadi

Fashion designer James Ferreira's 200-year-old house in Khotachiwadi has hosted concerts, photography exhibitions, even a bed and breakfast. Now, it's going through a restoration that will hopefully increase its life by another 100 years.

He tells this diarist, "A heritage home needs a lot of care and upkeep, and work is always an ongoing process. Since the framework is wood, besides doing pest control regularly, walls need to be strengthened. There will be a few structural changes and we will be restoring the staircase."

Gone too soon

Women's cricket lost it biggest champion on Saturday, with the passing of 34-year-old sports journalist Sidhanta Patnaik, who succumbed after a prolonged battle with cancer. Only last November, this diarist remembers reaching out to Patnaik, who despite being very unwell agreed for an interview on his new book, The Fire Burns Blue: A History of Women's Cricket in India, which he co-authored with fellow journalist Karunya Keshav. Editor of the book Karthik Venkatesh, says he was among the handful of journalists who had a wealth of information on women's cricket in India, because he covered it so extensively.

"His interest was very unusual, as the glamour has always been in following men's cricket. But, Sidhanta was interested in the lesser-known aspects of the game." His co-author Keshav remembers his work ethic as being "legendary and infectious" "Sidhanta pushed those he was around to be better reporters and better people. No idea was too ambitious to pull off, but he stood for no nonsense. He was gracious with his time and suggestions, and had a special ability to build lasting relationships after the shortest of interactions," she said. A city-based cricket book collector mentioned how in writing the book, Patnaik did great service to the game. "If I treasure my copy of The Noblest Game by John Arlott and Neville Cardus, the same goes for The Fire Runs Blue," he said. Rest in Peace, Sidhanta.

Mornings like these

There are a number of reasons why we admire businessman and philanthropist Ratan Tata. Here's one more. Recently, when this diarist was at Elphinstone Building, Fort, we found out that there's a pariah that waits for Tata to arrive in the mornings.

When the chairman-emeritus of Tata Sons steps inside the elevator, the mutt joins him. After lounging in his office for an hour or so, it returns to the ground floor in the same lift. "Somebody from the office makes it a point to drop him back," said our source. We can't contain our awws.

When the time is ripe

Corking a bottle of champagne is a good way of celebrating anniversaries, but even better might be devouring ethically grown, farm fresh mangoes. With this in mind, Robin Chhabra, founder of Dextrus, a co-working space at BKC, sent his well-wishers boxes of kesar aam sourced from BAIF, a support group started by Dr Manibhai Desai in 1967 to promote sustainable livelihoods among farmers.

"I thought this would be a great way to mark the brand's first anniversary. We don't grow our own food and if we don't support those who do, then how are we ever going to get the social cycle moving the right order?" he says. Chhabra isn't alone. Nawaz Modi Singhania, fitness expert and wife to business tycoon Gautam Singhania, too, has been supporting a local farm.

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