Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Planning an escape route

A health staff member from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation works his way across Dadar railway station

Mcleod fav cafe may be shutting shop

When this diarist went to McLeodganj four years ago for the first time, she discovered Illiterati Books and Coffee. In fact, her second sighting of Dalai Lama was outside this cafe. The quaint café, complete with a great view and a cute Belgium owner, is one of the most Instagrammable restaurants at the hill station, and a must-visit on everyone's list. So, we were sad to hear from a little birdie, who was pursuing a baking course in the city, that the café may be shutting down due to lease issues. It's been a great 10 years, which have been marked by a popularity that's made sure it's never empty, and you mostly always have to wait for a table. Can we hope for a magical turnaround?

Toy Room comes to Mumbai

Mumbai's nightlife, which was almost non-existent till a few months ago, is set to get a banging new addition. Toy Room, a cult nightclub in the UK with outposts already operating in Delhi, will launch in Mumbai at the Grand Hyatt. Owner Akshay Anand said they are waiting for the timings to be further extended. "It doesn't make sense for a nightclub to operate till 11.30. We're using this time to complete our hiring process and put final touches to the place." Anand said a December opening looks likely.

Scotland has the fizz to dazzle T20

Scottish fans show their support prior to the start of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup match between England and Scotland at Hagley Oval on February 23, 2015, in Christchurch. Pic/Getty Images

Scotland qualifying for the Super 12s of the T20 World Cup has thrilled one Mumbaikar like no other - Bharat Kunderan, the younger brother of former India batsman-wicketkeeper Budhi. Indian Universities player Bharat, who represented India schoolboys on their 1968-69 tour to Australia, took special interest in Scotland's T20 World Cup qualification since Budhi lived in Scotland from the early 1970s. On his Scotland visits, Bharat, also a wicketkeeper, played club cricket alongside his 2006-departed brother, one of the most popular Indian Test cricketers in the 1960s. Reacting to Bharat's recent post about Scotland's T20 progress, their former player Billy McPate wrote: "The team have made huge strides lately. Had no international cricket for over 500 days and very little funding. One of the guys was driving an Amazon van until he got selected about six weeks ago and got a man of the match [award]." Budhi, who even played for Scotland, is up there smiling for sure!

Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson enjoyed Remo's memoir

Singer-musician Remo Fernandes, who this diarist most remembers for his bouncy Goan Konkani hits, will be releasing his autobiography with HarperCollins India end of November. mid-day had first reported about it in September 2020. Remo who studied architecture in Mumbai, and began his musical career as a relatively unknown artiste in the 1970s, recording his first albums in his home studio and distributing them around Goa on his yellow scooter, will take the reader through his growing-up years, his travels, his musical journey, and many adventures. Incidentally, Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull has given the blurb for the book. "I can smell the streets, the cooking, the sea and the feni as my own memories return to me through his words. He tells the story of his passions and adventures in music and the arts in an educated but entertaining way. His love of his roots and his strong ties to his homeland give this book authority and charm in abundance," Anderson says of Remo's book.

Driving into our hearts on a rickshaw

Cousins Shafaat Shahbandari and Tayyab Hassan Ajaib launched Thousand Shades of India (TSOI) to tell stories of wonderful people, via documentaries. The latest Good Samaritan to make it to their YouTube channel is Shawkat. The pandemic put a pause to Shawkat's job as a truck driver. When restrictions eased and he wanted to resume driving, he was asked to retire. So he now rides a rickety rickshaw instead. The cool thing is that he is now a scrap collector, and is helping people recycle waste. Filmmaker Shahbandari tells us, "We found Shawkat just as the way we find most of our stories, stepping out and reaching out to the people on the street, in slums and in rural and semi urban areas. People like Shawkat - the street vendors, hawkers and scrap collectors - form a significant portion of India. They render an invaluable service to the nation and to the communities they work with by providing what we need at our doorsteps, which needs to be appreciated. Though, they are not educated in the modern sense, they are great entrepreneurs and human beings, running their business with great efficiency and dignity. Empathising with these people could go a long way in making India a better nation for all."