21 July,2023 07:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Satej Shinde
Two people enjoy the view from Belapur hill at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai.
Last Sunday, when most of Mumbai was lazing around, Tata Power's 40 adventure seekers were on their way to Walwan for a transformational day - one that would become a lesson in resilience, camaraderie, risk-taking and perseverance, in the heart of the Western Ghats. They had the opportunity to taste adventure as they trekked along the Walwan Lake that powers Mumbai's first hydro power plant set up in Khopoli in 1915. The group was led by Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power, as they walked for seven hours in the rain. It evolved into an open-air classroom as the group gained personal and professional insights. The trail enabled them to learn about their company's vision of clean and affordable power, but also engage with their boss about life lessons. Himal Tewari, Tata Power's chief human resource officer, shared mentorship stories while Dr Sinha offered insights into the construction, architecture and engineering of Walwan, Shirota, and Kundali lakes and how they power the Khopoli Power Plant.
Congratulations are in order for artist Amol K Patil for his selection as the first recipient of the Durjoy Bangladesh Foundation/Kochi-Muziris Biennale (DBF-KMB) Award, spotlighting emerging South Asian artists. As part of the award, London-based Hayward Gallery will host the artist's first institutional solo exhibition from October 9 to November 19, at their Heni Project Space. Patil, who is currently in Amsterdam, was selected on the basis of his project, âThe Politics of Skin and Movement', which was presented at the fifth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. A delighted Patil, who is currently a resident at the Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, shares, "The installation looks like a disjointed sequence of still images, but when you get closer, there are subtle movements. These movements are like meditations on the body's senses; touch, sound, breathing, and other working processes, engaging with ideas of touch and skin politics."
This diarist has long held a grouse over the culinary bias against aamchi Mumbai. Every Dilliwallah we know has never shied away from stating their obvious love for food from their city. So, it did please us to hear of a city restaurateur expanding up north. The Khar hotspot of Silly, Mumbai has opened up another avenue in New Delhi. The restaurant opened its doors to the public earlier this week. Restaurateur and founder of K7Group Hospitality Pvt Ltd, Karan Nohria shared, "As a restaurateur, my pursuit has always been to craft experiences that transcend the ordinary. Now, as the Mumbai outlet celebrates its two-year journey, I am ecstatic to embark on a thrilling new venture - the opening of Silly Delhi." The 23-year-old also plans to expand with outlets in Bengaluru and Hyderabad by this year end.
People are sad to see @andheriwestshitposting go, an Instagram handle that was a meme fest in its own right. Managed by three true-blue Mumbaikars, the decision to shut down the page comes after mulling it over a year. All the three admins of the page have been finding it difficult to keep up with. "We wanted to focus on careers, take care of the family that is dependent on us and also there was a lot of online trolling that included death threats," Balram Vishwakarma (in pic) who co-founded the page, told this diarist. Every time they criticised the current regime, they would be abused and threatened. "We have been active on the page for five years, and several decisions together led us to shut the page," he says.
They've raised the bar
Two Mumbai bars made it to Asia's 50 Best Bars unveiled earlier this week at Rosewood, Hong Kong. The Bombay Canteen at Lower Parel ranked 35th on the list while The Living Room at Mahalaxmi secured its spot at 48. Speaking to this diarist, Yash Bhanage, founder and COO, Hunger Inc. Hospitality, shared that the feature was more than recognition of their efforts to curate a world-class bar menu; it validated innovation in their work. He added, "With our âBombay-inspired' bar menus, eclectic and ever-evolving cocktail offering, and a unique selection of drinks with firm Indian roots, we've led the way for the renaissance of cocktails in the city."
