Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Oh, for some paws -Itive news

With Mumbai's streets deserted again, that's the question we think is on the mind of this canine peeking out of the window of a Bandra bungalow.

Spoonful of well-being

The times we're living in are unquestionably tough. So, we're happy to hear of Grant Road's Asian delivery kitchen and one of the winners of mid-day's Guide Restaurant Awards (2019), Milliways Broth Noodle and Bao, launching a noble initiative. Between April 27 and May 2, chefs Yash Rajpal and Ashwin Ramachandran are collaborating with psychotherapist Rhea Gandhi to include a ‘conversation prompt kit' along with orders, to enable meaningful conversations over a meal.

Ramachandran and Rajpal asserted that the idea stemmed from the fact that currently the primary conversation people have over meals is COVID-related, which adds to the fatigue. The aim of the kit, Gandhi said, is to slow down and check in with ourselves. "Generating hope right now is hard and so is talking about distress. We're forgetting how love feels, although we might be experiencing it every day," she explained. Bon appétit to this.

Remembering Pearl

A clipping of the play Family Ties 2 starring Pearl Padamsee with Kunal Vijayakar and Cyrus Broacha. Pic/Facebook

Theatre doyenne Pearl Padamsee's 21st death anniversary was observed on Saturday. She groomed a generation of theatre artistes, and funny man and foodie Kunal Vijayakar, who had the honour of working with her, recollected fond memories with this diarist. "I met her first in 1990. At that time, Pearl was a star and we were youngsters. She would breeze into the room in a flowing kaftan and sunglasses on top of her head, and would hold court. Since she was short, she would also carry a whistle round her neck to command attention. We had a love-hate relationship; we loved each other dearly and fought bitterly over ridiculous things," he recalled. Padamsee, he added, was also an excellent cook - "Her pork vindaloo was to die for."

Take a deep breath

Here's some news that can bring succour to those who've tested positive. A Delhi-based yoga teacher Karishma Kathuria has been providing free breathing technique sessions for patients through Zoom. "The moment you connect with your breath you start to feel grounded. People with the virus often worry for their life but connecting to their breath will make them feel alive. Those interested in the 30-minute sessions can DM me on Instagram [@karishma_kathuria]. They need to share a scan of their report, after which I mail them a link. I organise these sessions in English and Hindi so that everyone can follow it," she shared.

Poetic justice

The Quarantine Train, a poetry workshop and community, has announced their longlist of nominees for the Deepankar Khiwani Prize this year. The prize, founded by Arjun Rajendran (inset) in memory of his late friend and city-based poet Deepankar Khiwani (in pic), offers one of the largest monetary rewards in India to deserving poets; the winner is awarded Rs 15,000. This year their longlist consists of Mumbai-based poets including Kunjana Parashar, Trishita Das and Vinita Agrawal.

"The process of selection is completely blind. We received over 300 submissions this time. After file numbers were assigned through our community, we had identified 18 readers in total, who had read 50 poems each. They submitted a list of poets whose works were re-read by our core team; they rated them on a points-based system and the final 10 were selected," Rajendran informed. The winners will be announced on April 30, so watch this space.

Gift of the cab

With the vaccination drive against COVID-19 on its way in India, taxi aggregator app Uber has stepped in to offer free cab rides to and from vaccination centres to anyone who is eligible for a dose. All that a person needs to do is select the ‘Wallet' option from the menu on the app, type in the promo code ‘10M21V', enter the pick-up and drop-off locations and confirm the trip. We welcome the company's gesture.