Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Amrita Rao

In saaf hands

Actor Amrita Rao takes part in a clean-up drive after Ganpati visarjan at Dadar beach on Thursday. Pic /Ashish Raje

Something new on Anurag's plate

The F&B industry's ongoing feud with food aggregators has been all over. But one facet of the tussle has unfolded in a relatively positive way. As the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) readies to take on the battle with new fervour, it has decided to appoint at its helm, Anurag Katriar, who in many ways is a frontrunner of the #Logout movement. Speaking about the news, he told this diarist, "I feel happy and proud. The industry is going through some very tough times with issues like deep discounting and denial of input tax credit on GST. NRAI has been at the forefront in finding solutions to them and I hope to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion soon," adding that he hopes to carry on the legacy of past presidents like Riyaaz Amlani and Rahul Singh. All the very best to him.

Crore strength

VS Gaitonde's name shines bright in the pantheon of leading Indian artists. And now, it will shine even brighter. That's because an untitled 1982 work by the icon was recently auctioned for a staggering Rs 26.9 crore, which makes it one of the top three most expensive works sold in India.

Other high-profile sales at the same auction included Ram Kumar's Composition (Rs 2 crore), SH Raza's Om (Rs 1.92 crore), Bhupen Khakhar's Tradesman (Rs 3.72 crore) and KH Ara's untitled work (Rs 1.2 crore).

Neena drops truth bombs

Being in the public eye, actors have a certain responsibility when it comes to the sort of interactions they have with fans. Their words can have a deep impact, and need to be chosen carefully. Film industry biggie Neena Gupta seems to have understood the truth of this, because she has now started a new series on social media called Sach Kahoon Toh. In it, she dishes out some valuable advice to her followers on a range of subjects. There are three episodes out so far. The first deals with how diets can sometimes be just a fad, and how having ghar ka khaana is the best way to lose weight. In the next one, she tells people how to stave off loneliness and depression. And in the third, she talks about the folly of following fashion trends blindly, displaying refreshing candour when she admits that although she likes the idea of wearing a white shirt tucked into jeans, she avoids doing it because of the fat on her lower abdomen.

Kenya believe it? DDLJ remains a hit

Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge continues to win hearts not just in India, but abroad as well including, of all places, Kenya. A hilarious video is doing the rounds where a young couple from the country is seen lip-syncing to the song, Tujhe Dekha Toh, from the film. The coy pair is clearly doing it for a laugh. Still, it shows how there are very few places on Earth where Bollywood hasn't reached.

Ticket to ride

Sameer Dad with (left) Harendra Singh

Hockey Olympian Sameer Dad took ex-India hockey coach Harendra Singh for a spin in this Sholay-style motorbike at the Universal Studios in Los Angeles recently. The duo were in the US for a tournament. "This bike made us feel like Jai and Veeru [Sholay's central characters]. In fact, Hari [Harendra] is even wearing a blue shirt like Dharmendra did," Dad told this diarist.

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