Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

A wistful stair
Actor Mithila Parkar looks like she's contemplating life, the universe and everything between during the promotion of her new movie at a Juhu hotel on Monday. Pic/Sneha Kharabe

Abha Narain Lambah

Heritage on song
On a day when one would imagine that an event to celebrate the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag for the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensemble would be all about patting each other's backs, this diarist, who was probably the lone member of the fourth estate in attendance, was in for a beautiful surprise.

Nayana Kathpalia and Atul Kumar

It was, instead, all about a citizen's movement that prevailed, and won, after 14 years. Conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, who helmed the dossier presentation last month, set the mood nicely by recalling the challenges faced by those who "made it happen", saluting members of the OVAL trust and other bodies. The warm gathering included heritage warriors like Atul Kumar, Nayana Kathpalia, Shirin Bharucha, Cyrus Guzder and Pankaj Joshi as well as civic official, Kiran Dighavkar and local corporator, Harshita Narverkar. The mutual admiration, and intent to not just savour but safe-keep this victory, was worth raising a toast to.

Nothing funny about a cancelled show
A tweet that comedian Kunal Kamra put up had us letting out a deep sigh. It said that his show at MS University in Vadodara had been cancelled because some ex-students had complained that he was "anti-national". Kamra has made no bones about the fact that he's not a fan of the current dispensation at the Centre. But does raising questions about the ruling party turn a citizen of the world's largest democracy into an "anti-national"? Well, according to the educational institution, it does. And to add insult to injury, the authorities didn't inform Kamra about the cancellation. Instead, he found out from a news report online. But Kamra wasn't too ruffled, saying he's looking forward to the "off day". The joke, then, is on the institution.

Feather in Cape
It may have been almost a week since the world celebrated the birth centenary of Nelson Mandela, but the revelries continue. To honour his contribution to South Africa and keep his legacy alive, the government of the Western Cape province (where the legend spent much of his life) and the City of Cape Town, will unveil a bronze statue of Mandela today, which will be positioned on the balcony where he stood to give his first address as a free man. The sculpture is part of a Madiba (as he was popularly known) legacy route envisaged to allow tourists to visit key sites in the province associated with historic moments in Mandela's life.

Why there is a twinkle in her eye
It's no secret that after she called time on her acting career, Twinkle Khanna has been wearing many hats, be it of interior designer or film producer. But the one role that has won her most acclaim is that of a writer. Khanna first started off with a newspaper column, which she turned into a full-fledged book in 2015, with Mrs Funnybones. The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad came last year. And now, Khanna has announced that her third offering is about to be launched. It's called Pyjamas are Forgiving (Juggernaut Books), and the narrative reportedly revolves around a woman in an ayurvedic retreat who comes across two other rather unwelcome patrons - her ex-husband and his much younger wife. The book will be the first novel that Khanna has written. And going by the comments to her update on social media, her fans are already rubbing their hands in gleeful anticipation.

Love to die for
Mental health issues are never easy to deal with. But some are traumatic enough to push you to suicide. Now, a newly released short film called The Re-bell explores this issue further. In it, Muskaan Chawla, a news anchor (played by newcomer Shruti Bhardwaj), contemplates hanging herself, because the love of her life has deserted her. Many people on a pro-suicide online forum egg her on. But then, a character called Kanan (Vivaan Shah, in pic) shows her the folly of her ways. And Muskaan is ultimately reunited with her lover, named Ranjeet, whose identity forms the twist in this tale. What is that twist? Watch the film to find out.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates