Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Band Baaja Baaraat
Ranveer Singh was at a Juhu hotel on Monday for a media interaction, and at an adjoining al fresco space was a wedding party. When they realised the star was around, they called out to him in Sindhi, his mother tongue. That was enough for the actor to join the shaadi. Did the guys who pay stars millions to show up just say, drat! Pic/Shadab Khan

Fun in the Estate
The otherwise quiet Ballard Estate came to life last Sunday as NGO Art in the Park organised an eco-friendly Kala Utsav with art workshops for children, all free of cost. The initiative supported by the Indian Heritage Foundation, Mumbai Port Trust, and the Bombay Chamber of Commerce saw a footfall of 3,500 visitors. "Our events are usually held in parks, and hence our name. But this was around Ballard Estate, and we hosted many eco-friendly activities such as workshops for paper recycling, waste segregation, and bio-coal making. Our main aim was to give space to the people who otherwise wouldn't have an opportunity," said Preeti Pawar, member and coordinator of the IHS.

Kakori kebabs get a high
For anyone who can't get enough of the succulent kebabs at any of the Kakori House outlets in the city, chef-owner Ishtiyaque Qureshi has some good news to share. He is taking things up a notch by opening a resto-bar in Goregaon East, called Kakori House Restobar. When this diarist reached out to him to share more about the idea, he said, "I haven't opened anything new in three years. It's a slow process.

People have supported Kakori House, so I had to gauge the market before I made the next move. I took time to narrow the pros and cons of opening a bar. In addition to dum pukht and North West Frontier cuisine, the menu will include international cuisines." We love the whiff of this.

Not a drop to waste
Water shortage is one of the biggest concerns facing the world right now. Acknowledging the same, restaurants in Pune launched a movement earlier this month, wherein they served patrons only half a glass of water on being seated, with waiters refilling that glass only when asked to. Now, Raasta, a bar in Khar, has taken a leaf out of the same book, in an attempt to save water. Talking about the initiative, Joy Singh, partner at the bar, told this diarist, "What happens is that when we serve our customers a full glass of water, half a glass is wasted 90 per cent of the time. And given that there is a lack of drinking water in the city, it's not a good thing to do. So, what we will do is serve half a glass and refill it if needed."

Santa Claus is coming to town
Most of us have grown up believing that Santa is real. Playing along the idea, a toy company is bringing Santa to Mumbai on a sleigh with fuel. Until December 25, the bearded old man will be roaming around the city in his joy van, distributing candy canes and balloons. But you can make this extra special for the kids as well. Order presents from the Brainsmiths online store, schedule a delivery, and voila, the bearded old man will arrive at your doorstep in the van. So, we think it's time to tell the kids to be good for goodness sake.

What a ball
This December, the Taj Mahal Palace turned 115. And last Sunday proved to be quite the celebration at the iconic landmark, which played host to a grand black-tie charity ball. Signature vintage cars graced the entrance, and it felt like 1903 again. As guests arrived, flower petals were showered, and live jazz music was played. The focus of the evening was a live art auction, where an untitled painting by Amrita Sher-Gil was sold for a whopping Rs 43 lakh.

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