Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

A mind that's always ticking

Celebrated designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee is lost in thought as Bandana Tewari and Pareina Thapar catch up at a show to scout for gen next fashion talent in Juhu. Pic/Sameer Markande

Remembering Tyson and his books

Frank 'Typhoon' Tyson, the former England pace terror, who caused a fast bowling revolution as coach in Mumbai during the 1990s, was remembered by his pupils on his birth anniversary earlier this week.

Some of the books authored by the late Frank Tyson

Not only were Tyson's coaching deeds recalled on social media, he was also credited for his contribution to cricket literature. Our in-house cricket nut informs us that Tyson could well be the most prolific of book writers among fast bowlers by authoring no less than 10 books.

Only Dennis Lillee comes near with six titles. Tyson was a huge Lillee admirer and of the great Australian's driving force, he wrote in The Test Within, "far exceeded a mere burning desire to do well. The bowler was impelled along his triumphal path by an almost frenetic hostility towards his opponents which bordered on obsession and provided him with a volatile fuel for his bowling."

All young fast bowlers could benefit from Lillee's commitment and Tyson's hunger. As a boy, Tyson went down on his knees every night to pray for a chance to represent his country.

Second life

After making Mumbaikars rock for more than a decade, Hard Rock Cafe and Shiro quietly downed their shutters last November. Since their closure, we've been hearing rumours about a couple of restaurateurs showing interest in the space.

Word comes in that Hitesh Keswani, owner, Silver Beach Hospitality, has bought the spot that was once Shiro. "They are mostly likely to open a high-energy Asian bar and kitchen, details of which are being worked out," said our source. Chef Rohan DSouza of Estella will head it.

Committed to AB for 35 years

Associated with Amitabh Bachchan from the onset of his career, Sheetal Jain passed away early on Saturday morning. Jain, 77, was Big B's secretary for over 35 years. He also turned producer with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan in 2008, which starred Bachchan and Govinda. The funeral was conducted at Pawan Hans Crematorium, Vile Parle.

Anupam Kher, Subhash Ghai, and Madhur Bhandarkar took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the producer. Kher wrote, "Saddened to know about the demise of producer Shri #SheetalJain ji. Knew him for a long time as Mr @SrBachchan's secretary. He was a very dignified and an extremely polite gentleman. May God give his family the strength to deal with this loss. #OmShanti."

Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at the funeral in Juhu on Saturday. Pic/Satej Shinde

Bhandarkar tweeted, "Sad to know demise of Sheetal Jain ji. He was a very humble, soft spoken and gracious person. Film industry will miss him. My condolences to his family and friends. #OmShanti (sic)."

Where all the books be

Publishing house Harper Collins India seems to be as committed about its web presence as it is about books. Only earlier this month, it launched its brand new website, which had been under maintenance for a while now. And fans, including this diarist, are loving how it looks.

"It's a move towards a user-friendly, or rather a reader-friendly website, so that every single person gets something great out of it - whether they are looking for the perfect gift or want to know how they can get published, or simply want to be part of our guest list," Subhashree Das, senior manager, digital marketing at HarperCollins India, tells this diarist. She adds, "The piece de resistance though is the Bookfinder - making it easier and faster to find your next read."

To yet another moving space

Harkat Studios has moved from one corner of Aram Nagar (Bungalow No 75) to another (Bungalow No 94). Co-founder Michaela Talwar says, "Until now, finding Harkat was as difficult as rummaging through a treasure box. Despite a lane being named Harkat Bungalow Road, we had to spend a lot of time explaining the way to people. So, we decided to shift to a more convenient location."

Harkat co-founder Michaela Talwar

Right behind the Mata Mandir, with a lot more parking space, they've also made improvements in the space. "The stage has no black flooring, is a bit bouncy and dancer-friendly and will help us programme more dance-based performances. We've built benches, which function as outdoor seating during the week, at different heights so the audience can sit in tiers. The co-working space has been designed around the performance space, so the place can be transformed from office to theatre in less than 30 minutes."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates