21 October,2019 06:43 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Before entering a recording session at Khar studio, Rajkumar Rao and Neha Dhupia seem to be in a tussle over an umbrella. Pic/Bipin Kokate
The spectator turn-out at the third and final India v South Africa cricket Test Ranchi is certainly not great, but among the sparse crowd is a special fan - Dr Saurabh Phadnis - a consultant gynaecologist and gynaecological oncological surgeon at the Royal London Hospital in London.
Dr Phadnis, a member of Surrey County Cricket Club and Middlesex County Cricket Club, savoured the batting of Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane on Saturday and he was dressed for the occasion - in a Bharat Army T-shirt.
Not only did he surprise his Mumbai-based cricket crazy uncle Ashok Gupte with his attire, he also Whatsapped an image of the first day's play shot by him to Gupte, who will treasure it along with his collection of cricket images that date back to the 1950s. Oddly, Dr Phadnis and his friend have to buy daily tickets since there doesn't seem to be a season ticket concept in Ranchi.
There are quite a few Bollywood celebrities who are also football fans, and Arjun Kapoor is one of them. The actor has been a life-long Chelsea fan and was thus on top of the moon recently after being made the brand ambassador of the club in India. Kapoor travelled to Chelsea's training ground in Cobham recently, and posted a photo of him and manager Frank Lampard holding up a club jersey with his surname on it while making the announcement.
His role involves boosting the club's fan base in the country through digital shows like Out of The Blue with Arjun Kapoor, where he'll interact with players as well. One of the people to congratulate him was celebrity photographer Atul Kasbekar. The photographer, who is an Arsenal supporter, had a caveat, though: "Be a good lad and finish below us."
The Blue Elephant is an appreciated diner in Bangkok. Turns out, its chef, Sandra Steppe Goswami, daughter of the restaurant's founder couple, was in town last weekend.
Chef Goswami (third from left)
A little birdie tells us she had a gala time tucking into crab and prawn uramaki at Shibuii, a bistro in Bandra. We only wish Goswami had also reached out to diehard Mumbaikar foodies who love their fill of the city's best produce. Bombil fry, next time?
Walk into Magazine Street Kitchen at any point and you're likely to find head chef Divesh Aswani's face amid the buttery brioches and pillow-y croissants. For three years, Aswani has helmed the kitchen here, churning out his signature bakes, and often joining hands with international chefs to whip up limited edition dinners. When he wasn't doing that he was either taking these chefs to strange eateries in Mumbai, or, having a gala time with his friends from the industry.
Divesh Aswani (centre) with the rest of his team
But it's time for him to move on, he told this diarist. "It's sad to leave the company, my entire team and our regular guests. But I need to take a break, reflect and restart. I will be travelling to Australia to spend time with my sister and I plan to meet my mentors there [Aswani went to Le Cordon Bleu, Perth]. Many of them have opened up their own restaurants. My long-time dream is to run my own restaurant in Bandra," he shared.
Always wanted to relax at a tea estate? If you can't visit one soon, An Elephant Kissed My Window, a book by veteran tea planter from South India, Ravindran Mecheri might be the next best thing.
The former group manager of Tea Estates India captures the lifestyle in tea plantations of the region in the '60s and '70s using anecdotes and facts that trace the origins of tea estates and also offers a peek into their lifestyles. The book has been co-authored by Saaz Aggarwal.
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