Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Aditi Rao Hydari with her pet

Pooch ke dekho'

Aditi Rao Hydari escorts her canine out of a pet clinic in Bandra on Tuesday. Pic/Yogen Shah

From Mumbai to Myanmar

The Irrawaddy Literary Festival in Myanmar brings the best of local and international writers with a view to promote cultural interaction between Asia and the West. The fifth edition of the festival will be held in the idyllic city of Mandalay from 9 to 11 November. Representing Mumbai and its rich store of literary inspiration is city-based author, Murzban F Shroff. He will be reading from his works - a collection of stories called Breathless in Bombay, the novel Waiting for Jonathan Koshy, and a three-part collection of digital shorts titled Fasttrack Fiction. "I will speak on topics such as Humour in the Age of Intolerance, Meditation and Writing, Writing under Adversity, and Indian Literature and Myanmar. This festival is simply unique in its ability to promote camaraderie between writers, between cultures, and between countries. It truly represents the unifying aspects of literature," Shroff told this diarist.

High on Shanghai

For all those craving for a watering hole that doubles up as a performance space and also serves an extensively curated menu, here's some good news. Restaurateur Zorawar Kalra is opening his new venture, Hotel Shanghigh, at Lower Parel in the first half of December. "We've been working on it for the last eight to 10 months. The food is based on the concept of members-only supper clubs of Shanghai, where they serve good food that isn't priced high," Kalra, the founder and director of Massive Restaurants Pvt Ltd, told this diarist. The space will also be an entertainment hub with a big stage at the centre for dance and music. "We'll have three to four unique acts of short duration four to five days a week, including international acts. These performances will be interactive as well," he shared. The bar is also a highlight, introducing 10 new cocktails every month.

Like father, like daughter

This diarist remembers a majestic evening at the lawns of a palace in Jaipur, where he witnessed a dastangoi performance featuring Danish Husain. The actor, famous for his roles in movies like Manto and Dhobi Ghat, is often credited with bringing the lost form of Urdu storytelling back into focus.
But it seems that artistic talent runs in the family, because Husain has passed some of it on to his daughter, Zahra. The girl, who trained at the Delhi School of Music and Theme Institute of Music and is based in the capital now, has her own R&B and jazz quartet that also features Divij Kapoor on bass, Abhin Ipe on keys and Manik Oswal on drums. They are slotted to play a gig at the The Piano Man Jazz Club in Delhi next week. But will she take up acting too in the future? Your guess is as good as ours.

Mind it, Swara

That's what people seem to be saying after a video of Swara Bhasker on the chat show, Son of Abish, surfaced online. In the clip, the actor talks about an ad shoot where she had to work with a child actor. The four-year -old called her "aunty," much to her chagrin. Though she only thought of cussing the child and did not specifically say anything to him, Bhasker got trolled on social media for uttering swear words on the show and saying that children were "evil" - with trolls calling her 'aunty-national'. The Internet's ability to take things out of context can't be underestimated.

Namaste, Trevor

American late-night TV is more than just entertainment, it is a culture that has crossed borders and oceans, infiltrating the lives of many. Just look at the brouhaha around David Letterman's recent episode, where he interviewed Shah Rukh Khan. There must be some veritable Indian interest in this, or why would Letterman come all the way down here, right? And they say that the proof of the pudding lies in the eating, so it seems like Indian fans of this genre finally have a spoon to dig in with. What with the news of Trevor Noah - one of the most popular late-night show hosts in the US (his show is called the Daily Show) - breaking out. Yes, he's coming to Mumbai and New Delhi in April next year. We can't wait to see who will be doing all the talking.

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