Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Tailing along

A motorist and his canine co-passenger navigate the traffic at Mumbai Central.

The stuff of culinary legend

Dr Chef P Soundararajan and Ranveer Brar

Veteran Dr Chef P Soundararajan, who was the general secretary of the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations, passed away last week, after suffering a heart attack. A graduate of IHM Chennai, he was a mentor to several leading chefs. Chef Ranveer Brar, who idolised Soundararajan, reminisced how he grew up reading about him. "He belonged to a breed of chefs who stood out for their sense of purpose, sincerity and professionalism, which he represented," he told us. Brar recalled that Soundararajan was one of the mentors who gave him a push early on in life. "In college, I heard so much about what a legend he was, and when I met him later, I wasn't disappointed - he was warm, professional and thorough. He was a firm believer in the power of food and education."

Join the club

Gurugram's lifestyle club, The Quorum, which opened in 2018, is launching a chapter in Mumbai this week. It will be located in Lower Parel. The club will feature an F&B programme, Cafe Reed that will be open to all patrons, and an arts programme, among other avenues. Founder and CEO Vivek Narain shared that culture and programming has always been at the core of their identity. "Our monthly calendar will piece together thought leadership programming and events across the spectrum of art, music, literature, current affairs, business, technology and lifestyle. We're excited about our F&B programming as well, curated by our creative director Sonya Jehan and chef Pranay Kumar. We look forward to our Mumbai chapter," he told this diarist.

Reunion gone wrong

(Clockwise from top, left) A still from the trailer of Admission starring Tillotama Shome, Rasika Dugal, Noah Luce and Kunaal Roy Kapur

In the past year, like many of us, stand-up comedian Anuvab Pal had been stuck in an endless loop of Zoom calls of "old-school reunions which started off well, but went to hell eventually". And so when the time came to ideate for a Zoom-format play, he banked on his experience and decided to write a script on a reunion that goes wrong. Titled Admission, it's directed by Rohan Sippy and is produced by EnActe Arts and Rage Productions. Starring actors Tillotama Shome, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Noah Luce and Rasika Dugal, the play revolves around four college friends who reunite over Zoom in the middle of the pandemic.

Anuvab Pal

"These friends in their 40s, went to college in the USA and haven't been in touch in the past 20 years. They start out [the reunion] with the best intentions, but slowly realise that everyone has their own agenda to be on the call," shared Mumbai-based Pal. The play aired online in the US last weekend, and we're told show times for India are coming soon. We'll be waiting.

Mumbai is on her mind

Pic/Facebook

Author and poet Anju Makhija has written numerous play scripts over the years, and she told this diarist that she will publish a collection of them in a few months. Makhija has lived in global cities like Montreal and New York, and even in remote Indian villages. But while curating this collection, she realised that the plots have one connection - they are all based in Mumbai, where she has spent a majority of her life. That's why she chose the title, Mumbai Traps (Dhauli Books). The scripts are in English, though Makhija said that her characters also speak in Marathi and Hindi street lingo sometimes. "The plays span over 20 years, and are about situations that Mumbaikars from different walks of life find themselves in. There is one called The Last Train, which was written after the blasts in 1993," she shared.

Rebuild Konkan

Buses submerged in Chiplun. Pic/PTI

NGO Muse Foundation is setting up collection centres across the city to help regions on the Konkan belt recover from the devastation caused by incessant rain over the past few days. The group is looking for support in the form of money or supplies. "We've set up centres in Thane, Malad, Vikhroli, Lower Parel, Airoli and Kamothe. The catch, however, is that because of the pandemic people are afraid to step out. We're also urging people to organise mini-donation drives in their housing societies so that we can pick up these donations," said founder Nishant Bangera. Visit @musefoundationwts on Instagram to lend them a hand.