Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Fire fighting of a different kind
Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar came to the rescue of Javed Akhtar when the latter's kurta caught fire by accident during a lamp-lighting ceremony at an event in Khar on Monday. Pics/Suresh Karkera

What's cooking, Anita?
Chennai-based accomplished dancer, choreographer and scholar Anita Ratnam is in Italy for a series of theatre and dance conferences, but what's a Neapolitan sojourn without some pizza? Ratnam, who is known for her contemporary approach to classical dance forms, is also known for her healthy eating habits (she swears by quinoa, bajra, unpolished rice and fresh produce), recently took some time off and shared this picture, saying, "And I can now make a pizza from scratch! #NeapolitanFood #myhipsloveItaly." We love this guilt-free approach to holidaying and we trust Ratnam to do it, for she had once told this diarist while sharing her fitness mantra, "Food for me is a very sensory experience. So, whatever I eat has to look and taste good."

Art canvas in Kochi for Gen-Next
The Kochi-Muziris Biennale is still over five months away, but the preparations are on in full swing. Four years into its existence, the mega art event included the Students' Biennale under its umbrella, an educational initiative that reaches out to state-funded art colleges in India to mentor young artists and provide them an international platform to exhibit their work. This year, instead of the curatorial team reaching out to colleges, the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) has announced an open call for project proposals, which also extends to other South Asian countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Selected projects will receive a production grant and an opportunity to travel to Kochi for the biennale. Curators Krishnapriya CP, Nishad MP, KP Reji, Sanchayan Ghosh, Shukla Sawant and Mumbai's Shruti Ramlingaiah will work with young artists from India, while Riyas Komu, KBF Secretary and KMB Director of Programmes, will select the works of students from other South Asian countries. Think this is something you wish to be a part of? Check out the biennale website.

Eye on India's rich
There are books about India's diverse population and then, there are those titles that offer fascinating insight into the complex layers of its society. Such writing gets more intriguing when documented from an outsider's lens. Former Mumbai bureau chief for the Financial Times and respected voice on Asian affairs, James Crabtree is ready with Billionaire Raj, his first book on India. The title takes takes readers on a journey of some of its billionaires, tycoons and power brokers, and focuses on the contrast from the richest families living in multistorey sky-terraced homes and those in impoverish slum lands. Crabtree uses his sharp reading of the Indian socio-economic landscape to give a 360-degree spin to its rising billionaire class in an unequal society. "Having covered India for five years as a foreign correspondent, I'm excited to be publishing my first book on the country. I hope readers will see it for what it is: a contribution from a friend to the debate about the country's future." says Crabtree.

There's no ducking this fish
It's that time of the year, when Mumbai's fish-loving junta, this diarist included, have to put their cravings for bangda, rawas or jhinga on the backburner. This annual abstinence is salvaged somewhat by the bombil or Bombay duck that comes to the rescue, despite its distinct, salty flavour. Which is why this frame posted by Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum recently of a model of a Koli fisherwoman drying bombil comforted us. When all else fails, the bombil will make you smile!

Meeting your hero
It always makes for a nice photo-op when a famous personality salutes another, and goes on to hail him/her as a their hero. We spotted a post on F&B entrepreneur Riyaaz Amlani's timeline that echoed this sentiment. One of his popular outlets in the city had hosted the 2006 Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Hailing the work by the social entrepreneur, banker and economist, Amlani mentioned that it was a privilege to meet his hero in person, and came away feeling highly inspired.

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