Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

Man's best friend on duty

A security guard naps as stray dogs keep vigil at Carter Road in Bandra on Saturday.

Thank you, one last time?

WE know that bookstores in Mumbai and across India, have been struggling to keep afloat during the pandemic. So, when Crossword Kemps Corner announced a "Thank You" sale on Saturday, social media was abuzz with news about the landmark store shutting down. While sources said it is on the cards, no such announcement has been made as yet. The 90 per cent sale on select merchandise, the bookstore said was their way of "expressing gratitude to all those keeping the corners of Kemps Corner warm and cozy since 2004". This diarist had launched her debut novel in this venue, just a few months before COVID-19 turned our lives upside down, and we have only fond memories of this place, especially its cafe Moshe's, where we've done many interviews. It's our hope that all bookstores stay, and that readers, one and all, visit them over ordering online.

A face armour

As we all know, masks are the first line of defence against Covid-19. The poor quality of surgical masks propelled Amit Jain, director at Keeo Life Pvt Ltd, a health startup, to come up with a mask that could not only filter the germs, but can also kill the virus. The Keeo Pro+ Self Sanitising N95/FFP2 mask is for adults and kids. "These marks were born out of necessity. We used techniques from our years of experience in the textile industry and applied principles of Ayurvedic medicine," says Jain. The USP of the product is the anti-microbial coating, made using natural organic extracts. The mask variant for children, comes with four layers of protection. They are also the first Indian company to get Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) certifications from the Food & Drug Association (FDA) for its N95 respirators and surgical masks, along with CE certifications for all the European Economic Area (EEA) for 13 of its products.

Today's girls, tomorrow's leaders

Back in 2018, Varsha Adusumilli had written a book titled Wonder Girls, which was a collection of inspirational stories about everyday Indian girls. Three years on, she has launched the Wonder Girls Student Leaders Fellowship, which is a first-of-its kind all-girls programme for adolescent girls between Classes VIII to XII. The 60-hour transformational programme is aimed at nurturing ambitious young girls into future leaders. The team and advisors behind the programme come from prestigious institutions such as BITS Pilani, Harvard Business School, University of Oxford, and Columbia University, and have spent hundreds of hours interviewing students, parents, educators, and industry leaders to understand their needs. "There is a strong need to tie in adolescent leadership experiences and exposure to long term
success for girls. We have created a platform to do just that," says founder Adusumilli. Some of the leaders participating in the programme are Radhika Piramal (Vice chairperson, VIP Industries Limited) and Chiki Sarkar (Publisher, Juggernaut Books). The programme can be taken online and and the deadline for applications on the website (https://www.wondergirls.academy/) closes on September 15.

Israel embassy's artsy new boss

The Consulate General of Israel in Mumbai has released a new logo on social media to celebrate India's Independence and Israel's strong diplomatic relations with the country. And it has been designed by none other than their very own Consul General Kobbi Shoshani. He joined the Mumbai office barely a month ago, and believes in Sir Isaac Newton's quote, "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants".

His aim is to continue the growing partnership that his predecessors built with India. Speaking to this diarist, Shoshani said, "I am a big fan of graphic design and architecture. And I usually like to create logos, fonts, and posters as part of my job. This makes me relax and concentrate, along with others hobbies I have. For this logo, I used Adobe Illustrator, where I combined the Indian national flag with the Israel MFA official font. This combination, I think, highlights the partnership."

The ‘fag' end of Binny's career resurfaces

This image (right) surfaced on Facebook and Twitter recently. It has Roger Binny, only in his first year as an India cricketer (1980), endorsing No 10 cigarettes. Cricket lovers expressed surprise that Binny appeared in a cigarette advertisement, but those were different times so let's not judge the genial Bangalore man. Former Mumbai captain Shishir Hattangadi was quick to inform us that it is he who is keeping wicket in the advertisement and his Podar College teammate Srikanth Narvekar is at leg slip. Hattangadi also remembered that the ad-makers were initially keen on Ravi Shastri, another Podarite, being behind the wicket, but they found him too tall. He was better-suited at slip, but that was not part of the final ad. The young cricketers were paid Rs 200 for their day's work at the Wankhede Stadium. The money came in handy to buy tickets for the 1980 India v England Jubilee Test held at the same venue. Just can't help humming Mary Hopkin's Those Were The Days.