Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

Rain-soaked selfie

A biker braves the downpour to steal a selfie with his pillion rider while waiting at a signal near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

Jeselnik in the city

Snooty, snobbish, rude - a few adjectives those unfamiliar with Anthony Jeselnik might use to refer to him. For Indian fans of the American comedian, however, it's time to celebrate. The 45-year-old is gearing for an India tour of his new special Bones and All, with a Mumbai show scheduled for August 8. Presented by city-based organisers Deadant Loop, the show will mark the artiste's debut performance in India. "Since it's Jeselnik's first time in India, we are working extra hard to make it an unforgettable experience for both the artiste and the audience," shared Ravina Rawal, the platform's founder. As for how palatable his dark humour might turn out to be for city audiences, Rawal remarked, "Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss' show in Mumbai earlier this year was a great marker of a growing acceptance of, and affinity to comedy that challenges societal norms. We are confident Mumbai will resonate with Jeselnik's masterfully crafted jokes and observations."

Gentle giant's tall gesture

Joel Garner (centre) with Ibrahim Muckra (extreme right) and the group

Mumbai-born Indian cricket fan Ibrahim Muckra and his friends were in for a ‘tall' surprise on their recent trip to the Caribbean to watch the ICC T20 World Cup. During a visit to the Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum at Herbert House in Barbados, the group bumped into West Indies fast bowling great Joel Garner, the six-foot-eight giant, who tormented batters back in the day with his sheer pace and bounce. "We were sitting at the museum's café when suddenly Joel Garner came to our table. One of the museum's staffers invited him along to say hello to us. We were stunned by his sheer size," Muckra, 46, who lived in Borivli's Vazira Naka until a few years ago before moving to the USA for post-graduate studies and then work, told this diarist. Muckra continued: "I told him [Garner] that my father is a huge fan of West Indies's fast bowling of yesteryear, and how they terrorised the world's best batsmen." Garner, 71, smiled and replied: "That was a long, long time ago, my friend. But I hope you guys are enjoying the cricket in Barbados." Later, Garner obliged the boys with a picture, happily dwarfing the bunch in the frame much like he dwarfed the batters in the days gone by.

Jamming with Jammwal

Vidyut Jammwal at the academy

Bollywood star Vidyut Jammwal has found a new spot to hang out in Andheri, quite literally. The martial arts and action sport enthusiast made his way to Mumbai Movement Academy, a parkour space in the neighbourhood to shoot an action-packed video for a project on Wednesday. "What I loved about Vidyut is how well he gelled with parkour athletes while treating us to a display of top-notch acrobatics," Dr Rishi Prasad, founder, told us over a call. Being a proponent of holistic fitness and wellness, Jammwal didn't leave without a discussion on the future of parkour in the city. "He expressed his hopes to see the sport take off in the city. Movement is a vital part of staying healthy; it's something that urban Mumbaikars don't realise. Jammwal echoed this sentiment," Prasad added.

Cinema on the move

With OTT, cinema has come into your living room. But an independent filmmaker is taking it a step further by visiting his audience in person while they watch. "I have been dabbling with the idea of a travelling cinema since the time I was trying to promote my first film, Hola Venky! in 2014. I would take a laptop and projector to producers' offices," Sandeep Mohan (right) chuckled. This time around, he will be travelling on invite to the homes of friends, families and even fans to show his four films. "It was my way of celebrating my 50th year. The number of people at the screening doesn't matter, as long as it is among friends and lovers of cinema," the filmmaker shared. While the events will be non-commercial screenings, the viewers will have to pay in kind. "People can share items they would like to donate, like pre-used badminton rackets, comic books, notebooks that I will pass on to charity," he told this diarist.