Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

T-Shirt Attack
Farah Khan's quirky sense of fashion has been clearly embraced by her kids, as was evident when they were photographed in Juhu on Tuesday. The skeletor limbs tee is our favourite. Pic/satej shinde

A speedy wedding affair
Weddings may be associated with a lot of gaana bajana, but rap is not the music genre that comes to mind at the mention of nuptials. Trust popular rapper Raftaar, however, to do things differently. We hear, Raftaar, as Dilin Nair is popularly known, is shooting for a fun shaadi anthem. And to ensure the beats are authentic, he has chosen actual wedding ceremonies as the set-up, while models have been swapped for real brides. We don't know the contents of the rap yet, but given its irreverent nature, we hope the lyrics raise pertinent questions about the way weddings in India are so much more than two people falling in love.

Pernia comes to Mumbai
Delhi-based stylist and fashion entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi was one of the first stylish folks of the industry to explore the territory of online couture retail. And while the world is going digital, Qureshi has launched her first multi-designer flagship store in Mumbai, not her hometown. The bigger surprise for us, however, is when the boss lady tells us, "Mumbai was a no-brainer. It is clearly the fashion capital of India! We see Mumbai as the land of possibility, where you can be whoever or whatever you want."

For the sprawling 1,500sqft store, Qureshi chose Juhu Tara Road as her address, which she considers as the heart of premium shopping in the city. "We are offering the best of established as well as emerging designers to exhibit a variety for every modern woman to reckon with. Unlike any other store in India, we will focus on rotating in-store merchandise, as fast as every two weeks," Qureshi told this diarist.

Lilly Singh and Priyanka Chopra. Pic/AFP

Africa calling for PeeCee
We knew that Priyanka Chopra has stamped her presence on the West with her performances in Baywatch and Quantico. But what we didn't know is that she had also won hearts in South Africa. And it's an unlikely source that we got this piece of news from - the Canadian-Indian star Lilly Singh. Singh had made a pit stop at a school while visiting the country, and was surprised to find a photograph there of PeeCee posing with students. So, she made an impromptu video urging the actor to return, with some students too joining in with, "Come back, Priyanka. We miss you." Let's hope she's listening.

A graphically novel inclusion
While it doesn't take long for many to restrict the definition of graphic novels to comic books for serious people, the judges of the Man Booker Prize have assured otherwise. For the first time in history, a graphic novel has been longlisted for the prestigious award. Sabrina, by American author Nick Drnaso, is centered around the disappearance of a young woman and the trail of fake news and social media frenzy that follows. For 29-year-old Drnaso - who has been nominated alongside former winner Michael Ondaatje - making it to the longlist marks a remarkable achievement, after he won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for his debut novel, Beverly, in 2016.

Mohanlal

Messy matters
A controversy erupted down south on Monday, when 105 activists and members of the Malayalam film industry protested the state government's decision to invite actor Mohanlal to be the chief guest at this year's Kerala State Film Awards ceremony. While the letter, which has been signed by actors Prakash Raj, Rima Kallingal, Geetu Mohandas and Sruthi Hariharan among others, does not mention the superstar's name, it stems from another controversy surrounding the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, of which Mohanlal is president.

Resul Pookutty

The association had attempted to reinstate actor Dileep, who was ousted from the actors' guild last year due to his involvement in a sexual assault case. As opinions keep pouring in, Academy Award-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty made an online statement yesterday explaining why he refused to sign the letter even as he agrees that it is the CM who should give the awards. "I have immense respect and adulation for all our mainstream stars and technicians, directors, writers, singers and composers. It's their work that attracted me to the magic of silver screen and became what I have become. The view that inviting a bigger star is going to destroy the sanctity of the State Award is a mere fear stemmed out of a structured thinking [sic]..." he said.

This is one mess that we don't see clearing out anytime soon.

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