Mumbai diary: Thursday Dossier

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GAANA REWIND KAREIN?

Veteran troika of playback singers Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan catch up in a rare moment at a reality show in Goregaon on Wednesday. Pic /Satej Shinde

Mandy is a happy author

Unless you've been living under a rock, you would know that TV host and actor Mandira Bedi swears by a healthy lifestyle. Her social media posts are packed with inspirational photos of her fit and fabulous frame and DIY goals that she cracks with ease. She has now put pen to paper, and will release a memoir Happy for No Reason (Penguin Random House) in 2020. The tell-all book will offer insight into how the actor worked around her health to maintain work-life balance "I have had 25 years in the entertainment industry with many crests and troughs. I am as grateful for the downs as I am for the ups because they have brought me here today," she told this diarist. Bedi admitted that she too is a work in progress and is excited to share all that served her well and all that didn't! "The workouts that worked me out and ones that broke my bones, will all be a part of this book," she promised.

Priyanka's saree throwback

We have almost always seen Priyanka Gandhi Vadra looking cool and comfy in a saree, when she's not wearing salwaar. And boy, does she have graceful and elegant taste. Participating in the ongoing Twitter trend, #SareeTwitter she shared a throwback picture from the morning pooja on the day of her wedding, looking charming in a traditional orange saree with golden motifs.

When Twitterati started wishing her for her wedding anniversary, misreading the picture from 22 years ago and the caption it came with, Gandhi was quick to clarify that her anniversary is in February. In her next tweet, she told her husband Robert Vadra that he could still take her out for dinner, to which Twitterati approved with umpteen likes. Clearly she's the only favourite Gandhi right now.

Sue to speak

If you think your life is a mess, just turn on the news and watch the debates. This one's between seasoned journalist Barkha Dutt and former Union minister and his wife, Kapil and Promila Sibal, where the former has threatened to sue them. This transpired after the female employees (including Dutt) at the news channel owned by the couple, alleged that they were mistreated, abruptly sacked and not offered a severance pay. Sibal then appointed bouncers to ward off protesters outside the channel's office. Claims and counter-claims, aside, as believers of the principle of presumption of innocence, we'll say that the jury is still out on this one.

Switch off time for QTube

Launched as a performance-cum-café space, QTube Café in Bandra evolved to become an integral part of the city's cultural fabric, hosting events ranging from workshops and exhibitions to readings and open mics. And one could do all of that, free of charge. Thus, it was heartbreaking for us to stumble upon the news that the Bandra hub will be downing its shutters later this month. "We opened the space on October 2, 2016. Since then, we were trying to work around an experimental model for the arts community. We wanted events to happen here every single day and were open all seven days of the week. It ultimately didn't work out," Anthony D'costa of the Natural Streets for Performing Arts (NSPA), the non-profit that helms the venture, told this diarist. We hope that this beloved café returns in another avatar to spread the music in the noble way that it did.

Say it with a poster

The city is filled with music but it's always nice to see musicians taking a special initiative to nurture public interest. Such is the case with Bombay Chamber Orchestra (BCO), whose Instagram feed can only be summed up as "educational" with frequent posts on the technicalities of instruments. Now, for their upcoming concert on September 1, BCO is organising a contest where people can design a poster for it. As the prize, they stand a chance to win two free tickets to the concert and for their artwork to be showcased online and at the venue as well. Giving us more details about the event, Jini Dinshaw, its founder, told this diarist, "It will take place at Napean Sea Road's St Stephen's School, and we'll have a Japanese violinist presenting three works followed by a choir."

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