Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Maalish, tel maalish: A man gets into his comfort zone at Juhu Beach. Pic/Atul Kamble

A wild win

The award honours defenders of the wild, including teachers, forest guards, researchers, photographers, etc. Representation pic

The Sanctuary Wildlife Service Awards were instituted by Sanctuary Nature Foundation in 2000 to recognise those striving to protect India's wildlife species and their habitats. In its 21st year, the award has become more relevant than ever, pointed out Nishita Kanojia, senior manager client servicing and fundraising, ahead of the event on January 30. She added that the award celebrates defenders of the wild, "who displayed extraordinary courage, dedication and determination in protecting wild nature". They could be a teacher, wildlife veterinarian, grassroots community member, forest guard, or even a child

Raising the bar

Khar's tipplers will be happy to read this one. The popular bar, 3 Wise Monkeys, is re-launching today at a spot further down the road from where it used to be, next to Khar station. Owner Meghnesh Salian told this diarist that the new space is bigger and also has an al fresco section. "We wanted a bigger space after the pandemic hit, and this will be an upgraded version.

We have also redesigned the entire menu and introduced desserts such as cheesecake for the first time," he said. Salian added that he expects business to be better than ever before after April. "People can't travel much because of restrictions, but they still have to spend their money, which they will do in their own city. So, we felt that this was the right time to make the move," he reasoned. That seems like sound logic.

Keeping Karnad's legacy alive

Girish Karnad was one of the greatest cultural icons India has ever produced. But there is an interesting anecdote around his birth. Karnad's mother had three children before him. His parents thus had a fleeting thought about not having him, and even went to a doctor's clinic to complete the process. But the doctor wasn't in. They waited for an hour and went back home, never to return again since they eventually decided to have Karnad after all.
These are the sort of insights that readers will gain after This Life at Play: A Memoir by Girish Karnad (HarperCollins) is launched in May. It's the English translation of Karnad's memoir in Kannada, which he had started writing himself before his death in 2019. Srinath Perur then picked up the mantle and finished the job. Speaking about Karnad's legacy, Udayan Mitra, the book's publisher, told this diarist, "I wouldn't pinpoint one thing that he is remembered for. The actual cultural impact of Girish Karnad will unfold over the course of the 21st century."

Shoppers and foodies, take credit

We may have exercised great control over swiping our credit cards during the harsher days of the lockdown, however, a new survey by a digital platform has revealed that Indians have started to indulge post the festive season. Having analysed the credit card spends of over a million of its members across Indian cities including Mumbai, the survey found that 36 per cent of total credit card expenditure was done on shopping and food. While folks in Chennai spent 40.25 per cent on shopping and food in 2020, Punekars spent the highest on travel (12 per cent). Mumbaikars, meanwhile, have been responsible by opting for contactless means of payment; 28 per cent of their expenditure has been on securing finances and business online.

Strumming up joy

Keep your chin up even when the chips are down. That's what Goan guitarist Sebastian Almeida did after a fire destroyed 72 guitars from his collection in 2018. Almeida had given up hope of restarting the collection initially. But then his friends and family started gifting him guitars one by one, telling him not to lose courage. That egged him on, and he has now amassed 82 guitars, even more than what he had before. His feat got a nod on social media from country music icons The Bellamy Brothers. We couldn't be happier for him.