Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

A flight of fans-y

Travellers and fans chase actor Mouni Roy for a selfie at the Mumbai International Airport on Wednesday. Pic/Sameer Markande

Drag queen superstar arrives

She is perhaps the world's most famous drag queen and burlesque dancer, a moniker that was further verified when she was crowned winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, season 7. Violet Chachki (stage name of Jason Dardo) of exquisite waist-cinching, shimmering bodysuits and retro-inspired bouffants is coming to Mumbai this Saturday to perform at Kitty Su's fourth anniversary bash along with Canadian DJ, Jayda G. Fittingly titled Freak Show, the no-dress code evening will be about recreating a dystopian world where everybody is welcome - the freaky ones, the misfits, the rebels. It was only in February that Chachki launched her own YouTube channel, and she is already an Internet sensation with content that's all things entertaining, glamorous, educational and historical, with a throwback to '90s fashion, and hair and make-up tutorials.

Himanshu Dogra, Sunaina Jalan, Czaee Shah, Monisha Ahmed and Mayank Mansingh Kaul

Spotted? The seldom seen but famous

On Tuesday night, Gallery Maskara hosted a special preview of Between Land & Sky - Woven Gold from the Gyaser Tradition exhibit where people-watching was as good as checking out the textiles.

Shahab Durazi

The elegant recluse Czaee Shah hosted the evening, and drew out similar minded attendees like sister Kavita Khanna, husband Suketu Shah, designers Shahab Durazi and Pallavi Jaikishan, columnist Shobhaa De and contemporary dancer-choreographer Astad Deboo. "I had intentionally taken a backseat, but now I am working on two projects with Swati and Sunaina [textile designer duo], and jewellery designer Swapna Mehta," Shah, one of the country's most prolific art patrons, told this diarist.

Astad Deboo

Curator and writer Mayank Mansingh Kaul worked on the scenography inspired by the grandeur of Himalayan peaks, and told us a curious tale of how he sourced the flaming red oriental wallpaper from weavers in Benaras to decorate the archival nook. Faint sounds of Tibetan chimes and bells played in the backdrop as guests wandered around the space, peering in utter amazement at the archival pieces loaned by the show's curator Dr Monisha Ahmed along with items from private collectors. The curated story of the gyaser fabric, traditionally worn during spiritual ceremonies and a preferred attire of the Himalayan Buddhists, seamlessly travelled to this collection of exquisite sarees.

This piece of fiction is also a work of literature

A term that emerged during the 1960s, the literary-fiction aka lit-fic genre, is now making waves in India. The classification implies that a work of fiction also carries literary merit. And next month, publishing house Juggernaut will be releasing one such novel called Heat by Poomani, translated by N Kalyan Raman. Originally a Tamil novel about a 15-year-old who finds himself killing a man, it will also be adapted into a feature film by Vetrimaaran starring Dhanush. With more fiction and non-fiction being adapted to screen, we cannot wait to see how this genre fares.

Bigger, better and back again

The sort of love that Izumi had received when the Japanese eatery launched last year on Perry Cross Road had made this diarist head there with seven friends. But alas, we were told on reaching that the place was so tiny that it could only seat groups of three. So, we had turned back disappointed, vowing to return with a maximum of two. And the next thing we knew is that the place had temporarily shut down to relocate to a bigger location, meaning we would have to wait a while to try out its much-loved fare. That wait is now almost over, since owner Nooresha Kably revealed that she is going to launch Izumi at its new spot - behind Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir in Bandra West - in the first week of May. She also provided a few new additions to the menu, such as yakitori. And what's more? "We will now have a fully functional bar," Kably said. We can't wait.

What's the juice?

If there's one late-night eating place that people in the suburbs swear by, it's Amar Juice Centre. Its original Vile Parle branch is in fact so popular that it's almost always packed till the place shuts around 3 am. The proprietors later went on to open nine branches across the city, and now comes yet another. An Amar Juice Centre outlet opened at Kalanagar in Bandra East yesterday. And that's great news for team mid-day since it's barely a hop, skip and jump away from the office.

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