Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

A new Duckworth-Lewis Method?

A youngster finds a novel way to use his cricket bat in the rains at Dadar.

Double the fun with Mario

A comic inspired by Miranda's bus trips in Mumbai. Pic Courtesy/Mario Gallery

The comeback of Mumbai's double deckers in an electric avatar next year received an unlikely support from the Mario Gallery which has been sharing weekly comics on bus conductors by Mario de Miranda this month. Architect Gerard Da Cunha, the gallery's curator, explained the inspiration.

Mario Miranda

"Mario loved watching movies. He'd catch a bus to Metro cinema, then another to see something at Matunga or Shivaji Park, and return by bus to Regal cinema. All this time spent in buses, I guess he would collect jokes about bus conductors and highlight them in his comics." To get a weekly comic in your inbox, e-mail archauto@gmail.com.

Marwar musings

Director Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Maharaja Gajsingh II of Jodhpur-Marwar at the exhibit. Pics Courtesy/ CSMVS Mumbai

Over the weekend, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) welcomed paintings from the Mehrangarh Museum Trust (Fort), Jodhpur's paintings for its Cosmos: The Royal Paintings of Jodhpur-Marwar exhibition. Inaugurated by Maharaja Gajsingh II of Jodhpur-Marwar, the exhibition will be open till October 30. Director General Sabyasachi Mukherjee described the paintings as visually stunning.

A performance at the inauguration

"They are intellectually engaging and equally appealing with their spectacular monumental scale. The paintings depict the relevance of the garden in the arid landscape of Jodhpur, elegant architecture, and royal patronage of the environment historically," Mukherjee noted.

Bandra darshan with Hasan Minhaj

The comedian poses outside the gates of SRK's Mannat (right) Hasan Minhaj at a mithai shop. Pics Courtesy/Instagram

We were pleasantly surprised to spot a popular visitor in town. American comedian-actor Hasan Minhaj shared the news of his arrival, specifically Bandra, this week. It made us wonder if we had missed a major comedy tour lined up for the year. But no, Minhaj is not in the country as part of a tour or for any other professional commitment. The actor is making a personal visit to the city, and visiting his grandmother. Minhaj also shared some pictures of himself playing the sweet courier for his American cousins. He might be a Peabody Award-winner, but Minhaj couldn't help but play fanboy in Bandra when he ended up outside the gates of Shah Rukh Khan's Mannat for the quintessential tourist-y picture.

A new avatar

Ananya Birla is set to model at the London Fashion Week later this month. The scion will walk the ramp for couturier Archana Kochhar who is the first designer to showcase the Make In India campaign with a focus on Indian heritage. Birla said, "I'm excited to be a part of the London Fashion Week and represent the Make In India campaign."

Tapas time at the Royal Opera House

Nico Goghavala and The intimate and interactive decor of the newly opened tapas space

The Royal Opera House, Mumbai welcomed a new tapas bar, HOTL, on its lawns last weekend. Restaurateur Nico Goghavala told this diarist that the plans for the venue were in the works since before the pandemic. "We wanted to create a warm space that served high-quality, well-priced food," he said. The place is not just another outlet for hipsters though. Goghavala maintains that the outlet seeks to change some perceptions with its interactive dining space. "We started out with a primarily south-Indian menu. It is not fusion food at all," he said. The attempt is to change the way it is served and presented. "Most tapas places stick to Continental or now, Japanese cuisine," he explained. Fair to say, the diners in the city will have something different to look forward to at their next theatre outing.