Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Catch it!
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar puts a smile on the faces of the children at a school in Sewri he visits on Wednesday. Pic/Ashish Raje

Copycat couture
Fashion insiders have keenly followed the Instagram account, Diet Prada, which places fashion pieces and the designs they have been "inspired by" in the same frame. Given, the controversial nature of the posts, the account has also managed to irk many (including design giants such as Dolce & Gabbana). Trying to pull off a similar feat is the new desi account, DietSabya.

The team has successfully called out a few copycats in the industry and has even gained the attention of designers Shantanu and Nikhil. But they have also faltered on a few occasions like incorrectly accusing Masaba Gupta. Considering the laughable copyright laws in India, if the page manages to walk the tight rope right, it might just be the next big thing on the blogger-obsessed platform.

Indo-Pak in vogue
Though her singing career keeps Kanika Kapoor rather busy, the girl from Lucknow always makes time for fashion, an industry she has worked closely with. A regular at fashion weeks in India and abroad, Kapoor will now walk the ramp at the 2018 edition of the Dubai Fashion League, a three-day extravaganza that celebrates the best sartorial names from Asia, starting today. In fact, the singer will be the showstopper for a Pakistani designer, who plans to showcase bridal formals. "Fashion has been one of my many loves and this gives me a chance to revisit it," Kapoor told this diarist.

Gaggan does it again
He did it in 2015, then in 2016, and in 2017, and now he's done it again. Gaggan Anand's smash-hit Bangkok restaurant, Gaggan, has secured top spot in the "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" list, which is considered to be the Oscars of the culinary world. With this victory, Anand has silenced the naysayers who pointed a finger of suspicion at him when he first won the award. He says, "The second year, we kept them quiet. The third year, we said, 'Shut the f''' up.' The fourth year, I'm ready to lose. I've had enough." Now that's how you make those who rake up needless controversy eat their words.

Have you seen a Hopper head?
Trust Victorian architects to teach us a thing or two about rainwater collection. Recently, a post by conservation architect Vikas Dilawari piqued our curiosity. He shared a photo of what he believed was the only original decorated Hopper head left in a city building, which can be seen on the outer façade of Colaba's Afghan Church. Elaborating on this feature, he told this diarist, "they are metallic funnels to collect rainwater, and [are fitted] with a rectangular metallic pipe to flow water out."

It is normally decorated to make it significant and has its age etched on it. A Hopper head can be found on the old RBI building also, he shared. Interestingly, the other option to drain water is a gargoyle. Let's hope such unique features remain untouched as telling reminders of Mumbai's rich architectural influences.

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