Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Guess appearance
Actor Mahesh Manjrekar nearly fooled us in an uncrecognisable garb at a shoot for a Marathi film in Film City yesterday. Pic/Sameer Markande

There's an unseen shift in Mumbai's music scape
It is a well-documented fact by now that after the tragic fire at Kamala Mills last month, the BMC went around town like a bull in a china shop, bringing down illegal extensions in eateries and sealing establishments that didn't have required permissions. And while the debate about the efficacy of the civic body's actions goes on, the city's indie music scenesters are suddenly feeling a bit like a kid who's had his candy snatched. This is because two of their favourite venues - Bonobo in Bandra and Khar's antiSOCIAL - have had their shutters downed pending further investigation. And in the meantime, Todi Mill Social and the two Hard Rock Café outposts at Andheri and Worli, apart from The Habitat in Khar, are hosting a majority of the gigs being held around town. So, it's a classic case of one venue's gain being another one's loss.

Listen to O
She owned the stage last week at the 75th Golden Globe Awards with her acceptance speech after being conferred with the Cecil B DeMille award. Now, Oprah Winfrey is ready with a book with the same name, Own It. The self-help guru and media queen will share inspiring quotes from her long, successful career across film, television, entrepreneurship and philanthropy. Expected for a February release, we're sure that the guide will race up the charts, since anything that she touches turns to gold.

Who's that little girl?
Former cricketer Jonty Rhodes' love for India is well-known, to the extent that he named his daughter after the country. Recently, his wife Melania took a trip with their kids to Rishikesh, where Jonty joined them for a few days in between doing commentary duty. 'She may be a Mumbaikar by birth but India Rhodes is just as at home in the countryside,' the affable all-rounder shared, when he posted this cute photo of little India living it up in the holy town.

So long, chef Viraf
We've enjoyed his menu, every bit of it, and now, after six long years, chef Viraf Patel bids adieu to Cafe Zoe. The chef brought his own refined twist to continental food at the Lower Parel hotspot and made us fall in love with seared salmon and crispy duck time and again. While Patel won't helm the kitchen, he remains a stakeholder in the company that owns and manages the eatery. The management, we're told, will share news of his replacement when they are ready to make an announcement.

"Its been six absolutely amazing years being chef/managing director and six fulfilling years creating and running Cafe Zoe with truly inspiring professionals, both in our service and our kitchen teams. And it's now time for me to leave with a huge grin on my face knowing what has been achieved, looking forward and onward towards the thousands of ideas that are currently dancing in my head," the chef said about his exit. He went on to thank his partners as well as investors for the fun times, reiterating that the café will always be close to his heart. "Viraf has made many wonderful contributions over the years, and has overseen a successful kitchen and café," said Tarini Mohindar, partner. "We are grateful for his contributions and wish him well in his future endeavours."

We'll keep our ears to the ground on who fills Patel's boots, as well as where his next culinary adventure takes him.

A dated photo from the recent meme of former PM Indira Gandhi and Fidel Castro

Democratic or dictatorial hugs?
The trending word these past few days across India's political circles would have to be "hugplomacy". What started off as a cheeky meme posted by the official Twitter handle of the Congress party mocking different hugs by the Indian Prime Minister, from the Titanic to the Let Me Love You versions and several other frames of him hugging world leaders.

PM Narendra Modi welcomes Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on his visit to India. Pic/AFP

The ruling party shot back with their own meme where spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi tweeted a set of frames where former Congress Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi are spotted hugging Cuban premier Fidel Crasto and Pakistan's General Zia ul Haq with a post that read: "Hugs were meant only for dictators instead of leaders from democracies." We wonder what's in store in Round 2.

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