Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Chris Gayle poses for a photo at Theko

Gayle takes DJ console by storm
Trust Caribbean cricketers to know how to make merry. We have always known Chris Gayle to be a man who loves to shake a leg. But what we didn't know is that the swashbuckling West Indian batsman can also take stance behind a DJ console. That's exactly what he did at Theko, a recently opened watering hole in Vile Parle. Gayle had dropped in well past midnight, sending both staff and customers into a tizzy.

After obliging their requests for a photograph, the cricketer went behind the console and took charge of the musical entertainment for the rest of the night. He even complimented the quality of the equipment there, much to the resident DJ's joy. So it turns out that not only is Gayle fond of dancing, but he also loves to make others dance to his tunes.

A different tune
Those who have kept track of former diplomat Nirupama Rao's tour itineraries across India and the world would know that foreign policy isn't her only forte. From her interest in the history of Chinaware to her love for writing, painting and playing the guitar, Rao truly is a multi-faceted woman.

Now, we hear, the 1973 batch Indian Foreign Service officer who founded the South Asian Symphony Orchestra with husband Sudhakar Rao, is busy planning its next concert scheduled for next April. Its genesis lies in Rao's belief that in a region afflicted with strife, music can play soothing balm. And true to that, she is now looking at adding to the diversity of the orchestra with talent scouted from Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Tales of valour from our country's borders
When the Uri attack took place in 2016, it set theatre actor and director Roshan Shetty (centre, seated) to know more about the lives of jawans. Shetty then wrote a play, Ink-ka-Laabh, with characters modelled after real heroes like Jaswant Singh Rawat, a martyr of the Indo-China War.

This Friday, Shetty is all set to present the play at the Cuckoo Club. "Everyone on the Internet turns into a keyboard warrior. But nobody knows what the job of a soldier entails. So in the play, their jobs will be explored through a writer who interviews them," he told this diarist.

Restoration road
Last week, this paper broke the news of how rail workers and artisans were working around the crafting and framing of doors inside the UNESCO-listed CSMT based on 19th century drawings by architect FW Stevens.

Now, this diarist has landed exclusive photos from the ongoing restoration that is the biggest exercise since its completion by the original team in the 1880s. Every wooden frame is being treated, and designs are being replicated with meticulous detail in consultancy with INTACH. Salute to the caretakers of this mega project.

India's first edible ruby is here
No, you are not going to lose any teeth. The bite is velvety smooth, with a taste of tart berries and hazelnut.

Yesterday, Fabelle Exquisite Chocolates launched Ruby Gianduja (pronounced janduya), made from ruby chocolate sourced from Barry Callebaut, supplier of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products. After white, milk and dark chocolate, ruby is the fourth type of chocolate made from the same cocoa bean using a highly guarded process that took 13 years to perfect.

This diarist tasted a ruby chocolate nib that was sour and creamy. At the event, restaurateur Sarah Todd joined master chocolatier Ruby Islam to create dishes using ruby slabs. The latter's name, of course, was a sparkling coincidence.

Crouching tiger

Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray, actor Milind Gunaji and their companions try finding the right angle from which to view a photograph during an exhibition held at a Worli gallery on Wednesday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

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