14 June,2017 10:43 AM IST | Mumbai | The Hitlist Team
The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Walking the talk
Kriti Sanon and Manish Malhotra were spotted judging model auditions for an upcoming fashion week, at a luxe hotel in Lower Parel. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar.
Women, in a man's world
Screenwriter-author Gajra Kottary, known for penning Balika Vadhu, which was one of the longest running TV soaps, is out with her third novel - Girls Don't Cry (Harper Collins). The book is about three generations of women in a middle-class family and the choices they make as they navigate a man's world. Sounds edgier than the TV soap, right? "In TV writing, packaging is important, and since the audience base is much larger, sometimes we have to compromise our story telling. On the other hand, in my books, I can tell it more stark and raw. That's why, it is important for me to be present in both media, to feel satisfied," shared Kottary, who had penned the book initially as a short story, nearly 20 years ago. "In the interim, I experienced so many stages of womanhood and life-shaping experiences - being a wife, mother and a career woman. So, over time, I felt that I hadn't done justice to the nuances of the lives of three generations of women and their inter-relationships in the short story, which I have now tried to do," she summed up.
New Delhi, old numbers
Guess who is waxing eloquent? Asha Bhosle. The forever-young crooner's waxwork figure has found a place in Madame Tussauds New Delhi. The figure will be displayed in the Bollywood music zone. A team of experts from Madame Tussauds met with Bhosle last year for the sitting session in Mumbai, where over 150 specific measurements and images were taken. The singer had spoken about her excitement at seeing the final figure. All those who would like to yodel with Ashatai, brush up on your 'Raat Shabnami Bheegi Chandani' or other evergreen songs. Don't worry, her wax work figure will forgive you if you stray out of tune.
Bandra station gets a voice
If you visit Bandra station these days, expect to be greeted by posters and artwork featuring dogs, cats, cows, pigs, elephants and tigers. The initiative by two animal rights organisations - People for Animals and Bird Helpline is part of an effort to promote animal welfare. The artwork talks about preserving and protecting Mother Nature, going vegan, saving the planet for animals and adopting indie pets. We love the simple yet colourful drawings, and importantly, the message behind them.
Theatre comes to Mumbai's mill hub
This month, Café Zoe adds another cultural feather to its cap, by turning the dining space into a venue for theatre. It will host its first show, the women-centric play Bayan, in which six actors will perform six different pieces. We've enjoyed the Jazz nights here (below), and are looking forward to see how the venue can take things to another level in the arts space.
Arundhati Roy and the things that cannot be said
She has just released a book after 20 years, so it is natural that Arundhati Roy is being interviewed and talked about a lot these days. But, among all the good and bad reviews, and tributes of her book, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, what caught our eye was a photo series on her. In it, Twitter user Soutrik Debnath has captioned the author, pictured in different poses, with what he imagines she is thinking in them. So, there's a photo of Roy in a thinking pose, which is accompanied with, "Shashi Tharoor is the real life manifestation of Chacko"; a shot of her smiling has, "Really you are bothered by incest? Hasn't stopped you from watching game of thrones"; and of her giving a speech is captioned with, "They are willing to tie me to a jeep but unwilling to untie the fat knot of ignorance that adorns their minds". And Roy's younger self would probably have approved of being described as 'a traveller you've encountered and fallen in love with knowing perfectly well she won't be with you much longer'.
