Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

All izz well that ends well
3 Idiots may not have materialised for Ranbir Kapoor, but the actor did get a chance to strike a memorable pose from the film at Rajkumar Hirani's (left) Andheri office during a media interaction for Sanjay Dutt's biopic that Hirani is directing with Kapoor in the lead. Pic/Satej Shinde

Former Mumbai top cop's tell-all
Extra-state elements have repeatedly laid siege on Mumbai nagariya's high spirits. Whether it was the war on smuggling in the '80s or twin blasts in 1992 or the 26/11 terror attacks that held the entire city hostage. Assistant Commissioner of Police (retired) Isaque Ibrahim Bagwan saw through it all as a formidable member of the police force. Bagwan is also credited with carrying out the first encounter in the city and nabbing a criminal. And, while the three-time winner of the President's Police Medal for Gallantry has been featured in the stories told by many writers and filmmakers, this time around the celebrated cop will be telling his own story. You guessed it right! Me against the Mumbai Underworld is his first book, chronicling his time served as valiant and trustworthy bureaucrat, who has been lauded multiple times, including for his role in restricting terrorist movements in the Nariman House during the 26/11 attacks.

Aruna Roy (right)âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088and Shailesh Gandhi at the discussion. Pic/Atul Kamble

Of activism and a people's movement
Political and social activist, Aruna Roy, who has recently co-authored the book, The RTIâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Story: Power to the People, with the MKSSâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088(Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan) Collective, was in the city this Tuesday. She discussed the new work with Right to Information activist Shailesh Gandhi, and the two spoke about the nuances of the legislation that has been seen as a game-changer for Indian democracy. Both agreed that every institution in the country is becoming more secretive and that we the citizens are not raising big enough protests against them. As a packed auditorium listened in, Roy emphasised that the unique format of the book owes it to the fact that it is history written from down below.

The Vice President's candidate
It isn't just film stars who need a battery of experts to stay in shape. Political leaders, with their erratic schedules and rigorous campaigns, need a panel of doctors at their side, too. While Venkaiah Naidu underwent bariatric surgery, carried out by Dr Muffazal Lakdawala in 2012 when he was a BJP leader, the top Mumbai doc has been recently appointed as the official bariatric surgeon for the vice president. He is one of the appointed doctors, we hear, to ensure Naidu's sound health.

Bigot's day out, no more?
There was a major kerfuffle on social media recently, born out of a thoroughly bigoted customer service request that a user named Pooja Singh had made to a telecom provider. In it, she had asked for the company to change the person dealing with her request since his name was Shoaib, and hence Muslim. The next message from the provider came from an employee named Gaganjot. This led to a Twitter storm, with people of the stature of Omar Abdullah, Barkha Dutt and even Chetan Bhagat castigating the company for acquiescing to Singh's despicable demand. Now, it has come out with an explanation. The company has said that it was merely a case of Shoaib being logged out after his first response, and Gaganjot subsequently taking up the complaint to bring it to its logical conclusion. It's a well-framed response that successfully controls the damage to some extent (the letter's signed, "Name withheld so you can read this freely of caste or religious overtones"). The only person who remains with mud on her face, then, is Singh. How long will it be till we stop having to suffer such bigots online?

Virat Kohli

When Ninja beat 'em all
We are living in an era of 360 degree images and at a time when e-gaming is a legit sport. One of the most powerful influencers in the gaming and eSports world, Tyler Belvins, popularly known as Ninja, is drawing a fortune from behind the screen, along with followers and accolades.

Tyler Belvins

But setting the record at an all-time high, Ninja has now surpassed social interaction rates of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo (139 Million) and Virat Kohli (43 Million) while his stands at a golden 150 million. Only if Indian moms knew it could save us all from a lot of nagging for "staring at the screen", right?

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