Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Tamannah Bhatia with children

Kiss the hand

Tamannaah Bhatia caught in a warm moment interacting with hearing and visually impaired kids on Children's Day in Goregaon. Pic/Satej Shinde

A Mumbai canvas for Pikey

Depending on how you look at it, art can be inaccessible or inclusive. Thankfully, for Dav Pikey, a noteworthy children's author often touted the modern-day Roald Dahl, it was the latter. Pikey grew up with dyslexia and ADHD and being misunderstood in school. Fast forward to years later and he has 60 books to his name, while also creating the famous and much-loved characters Captain Underpants and Dogman. Now, we hear that Pikey (also an illustrator) will be in the city next week to conduct a live drawing and interactive storytelling session at the Royal Opera House.

Waxing eloquent about comics

In circulation for five decades, Motu Patlu is a comic book that many children and even their parents love. It is thus heartening to see the latest edition of the series receive the adulation it deserves. On Children's Day, the series' new chapter, which chronicles the adventures the two friends in the story have at a wax attraction, was launched at the Madame Tussauds Museum in the capital. Since the edition is dedicated to the attraction, and to further celebrate the importance this series holds for kids, the launch also saw the presence of children from Smile Foundation.

Asma is coming home

We've had our eyes peeled on her ever since we discovered chef Asma Khan through Netflix's famed web series, the Chef's Table. Perhaps what resonated most about Khan's story - more than the overnight success and her delicious homage to Awadhi and Bengali cuisine - was the familiar and recognisable struggle she experienced as an Indian Muslim woman. It's a sunshine story, really, and Khan's fortitude is apparent, as is her fun-loving personality, which comes through in her rather vivid and engaging virtual life. After a month of unabashedly calling out established and senior male chefs for misogynistic comments, it seems like Khan is finally taking a break to visit her motherland. You read that right. The owner and head chef of The Darjeeling Express, which has an all-women kitchen, is going to be in Mumbai on November 22 to cook a special meal for the city's foodies at a Bandra five-star. Are we excited to be sampling her famous Kolkata biryani and puchka? You bet.

Into the open

Nestled inside Mahalaxmi Racecourse, Gallops, a three-decade-old establishment, feels like something out of a history book. But makers of history are often changing things around, too. Turns out, the colonial era-inspired restaurant is ready for a new chapter in its journey with a separate (and beautifully done up) al fresco section getting decked up for a launch at the end of this month. "We wanted to offer a unique experience to our patrons. There are a lot of rooftop bars in the city, but very few open spaces. We are looking at using the space for collaborations and takeovers by international chefs, too" executive chef Yajush Malik told this diarist.

Winner winner, free dinner?

A year ago, when the Internet exploded over PUBG, possibly this decade's most viral online multi-player battle royale game, the level to which people were going to go for it was unimaginable. But a PUBG player can go to any length, which this diarist discovered through a hard lesson on Monday night. After forgetting her debit card in an ATM kiosk in Kalina, she returned home and remained unaware about it until another 40 minutes had passed, when an OTP on her phone made her sit up and think. But before anything could really register, close to Rs 1,400 had already been withdrawn from her account through seven separate transactions. None of it made any sense, except that this was an obvious case of fraudulent transactions. A police station visit later, when the bank customer care service finally called to check, things started clearing up. "Ma'am have you used your card for PUBG subscriptions?" a polite voice asked her over the phone. The answer was no, but maybe it's time to really see what's in this game after all, if it's pushing people to commit crimes, and callously at that, too.

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