Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

(From left) Amit and Dimple Ahuja, Anuradha Mahindra and Sarita Goswamy strike a pose at the studio

A gala affair
It was a morning of shared stories and laughs over coffee, with a touch of surprise. At a gathering organised by the American Wives' Club at Sarita Goswamy, Dimple and Amit Ahuja's lifestyle store in Girgaum Chowpatty, Anuradha Mahindra dropped by as a surprise guest.

Not only did the better half of industrialist Anand Mahindra address the women there, but she also spoke of how overwhelmed she was upon learning the store's history through its founder Laura Hamilton. The store, which was located at the Taj in Colaba, was reduced to dust during the 26/11 terror attacks, and may we add, rose from the ashes like a phoenix.

Here's a slice of the Big Apple in Mumbai
Up until 1940, Paris remained the capital of the art world. That changed when the rise of fascism and Nazism provoked many European artists to emigrate to America, and New York became the new capital.

The Rockefeller fund initiated in the '60s enabled many Indian artists to visit the US on grants - SH Raza, VS Gaitonde, and Bhupen Khakhar included.

Their iconic works will now be displayed in Kala Ghoda's Delhi Art Gallery (DAG) today. Speaking more about the exhibited works, curator and vice-president of DAG, Kishore Singh told this diarist, "Because these artists went on grants and not scholarships, they had the freedom of choice. So you can see a diverse range of artwork that was very much influenced by the American art scene and artists like Mark Rothko. But they still retained their style."

Uniting them all
At a time when politicians all over the world are busy maligning the reputation of journalists, one man, in his death, has managed to coax words of praise out of people across the political divide. There was an outpouring of grief earlier this week when TV journalist Radhakrishnan Nair passed away at the untimely age of 54. And everyone from Arun Jaitley of the BJP to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal posted heartfelt social media updates remembering Nair.

Radhakrishnan Nair and Shashi Tharoor

But the most personal ones were from his colleagues. Bahar Dutt, for instance, recounted how Nair once asked her to take her time in returning to work after a long illness. She added, "Radha was a kind fair man in a mad crazy TV world." RIP, Mr Nair.

This cat bags a spot at a film festival
A group of desperate brown sugar addicts with disparate lives head out on a rainy night in Kolkata to get their fix. And what transpires in that period, based on the experiences they have had in life, makes it eventually seem as if it's a night that will never end.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of Cat Sticks, photographer Ronny Sen's directorial debut. And now, the film has made it to the list of movies that will compete for top honours at Slamdance. It's a Utah-based festival that, Sen says, is by filmmakers and for filmmakers.

"There is no a'' licking, there is no celebrity business and there is no pushing of friends' films here. And people like Christopher Nolan showed for the first time at Slamdance," Sen told this diarist, revealing how this is a nomination he can definitely be proud of.

A starry surprise for a book seller
They say piracy is an artiste's nemesis. But actor-turned-author Twinkle Khanna seems to think otherwise. Recently she shared an image (above) of a hawker at a traffic signal selling her books. This is an image we're often affronted with on our daily commute. We often wonder what these pop literature pieces might have in store. But whatever the writer's stand on piracy may be, her message on social media about the incident was sweet nonetheless.

"A memorable commute yesterday where I meet a gentleman selling pirated versions of all three of my books, and who then proceeds to give me feedback on which one is the best," she wrote.

The big wig club

(From left) Radhika Apte, Akshay Oberoi, Shilpa Shukla and Siddhant Kapoor try out some funky props at the trailer launch of their upcoming film, in a Juhu theatre on Wednesday. Pic/Sneha Kharabe

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