Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Sushmita's words for nature
Former Miss Universe and actor, Sushmita Sen - who recently judged the 65th edition of the pageant in Manilla (Philippines) - sent a heartfelt message, through a video on YouTube, about disappearing habitats.

Sushmita Sen

As part of a campaign leading up to the release of a film for Wildlife Conservation Trust next month, she spoke on the human-animal bond. "What is the final product of the source? It is nature. Human beings, wildlife and nature define evolution and we all are interconnected," she says.

"We wanted a genuinely humane celebrity to speak, someone with a distinctive earthy voice, and we instantly thought of Sushmita," says Lynn de Souza, founder of Social Access - an initiative to instigate social change - that will be making the film.

When RK Laxman met the Mahatma
The spirit of the late RKâÂu00c2u0080Âu00c2u0088Laxman, the Common Man's creator, lives on. Recently, Nagpur held a contest and exhibition of cartoons under an interesting title, Un-common Atma...to the... Mahatma. It was a salute to the spirit of R K Laxman and Mahatma Gandhi.

Usha Laxman

There were 350 cartoons and caricatures, received from all over the world, so the audience had a glimpse of some sterling international talent too.

Mumbai-based Usha Laxman, RK Laxman's daughter-in-law, who was in Nagpur to inaugurate the event, said, "I am humbled by all the great achievers and artistes here." Some may wonder why the common platform for the Mahatma and RK Laxman. We think that they are bound by one common trait - that of simplicity, a virtue in a complicated and duplicitous world.

Politician meets economist
Dr Amartya Sen was in town recently, and true to his nature of not mincing words, he expressed his opinion on demonetisation at a conference. Calling it undemocratic, he said the move came like a missile.

But between the hard talk on economy and other issues like healthcare, the economist met politician Milind Deora. We couldn't help but notice the look on the former's face as Deora got the moment captured.

From the diary of a royal princess
There's another filmy celeb turned author soon to be on the shelf. After the success of Mrs Funnybones followed by the Unsuitable Boy we did think many would follow suit. But this one is blue blooded. Titled The Perils of Being Moderately Famous, Soha Ali Khan's book will be a collection of humorous, and sometimes bizarre, stories on her life as a princess (her official title is Nawabzadi Soha Ali Khan of Pataudi and Bhopal) and a 'moderately famous' celebrity.

Soha Ali Khan

The actor however has put out a statutory warning right at the start. "A word of caution - if you are hoping I will reveal the secret behind Kareena's glowing complexion or how Bhai trains for an action film then, I am afraid you are barking up the wrong book," she says. The actor has earned quite a reputation for her witty repartee on Twitter, and the book promises to include some of that wit and self-deprecating humour.

Beatty impressed with India
Man Booker winner Paul Beatty's new year seems to have begun on a desi note. The American writer, who was in India for a good part of January to hop between cultural festivals, culminated his sojourn with the Kolkata Literary Meet last week. The Sellout writer tells us he was impressed with the audience, particularly the Indian media. "I've had all these great conversations here," he told this diarist.

Paul Beatty

"And one of the things I have been saying for a long time is that, the best questions I have got about the book [The Sellout] have been from the Indian press. I didn't have to start from square one and that was nice."

Beatty, who won the £50,000 Man Booker award in October last year - becoming the first American to do so - says he goes away with fond memories of his interactions with the younger audience. "They are so enthusiastic about literature. I don't get that in the States (US). That's been refreshing to see." Next time, we do hope that Beatty has Mumbai and its young readers on his radar. (Read the full interview here)