Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Raste ki paathshaala

On a footpath in Versova, a teacher from non-profit Asha Kiran teaches children from the nearby slums. Every day, as many as 70 kids from classes one to seven receive free education from the NGO

The nightingale and Urdu

(From left) Naushad with Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi and Majrooh Sultanpuri

Zubair Azmi, director of Urdu Markaz, and curator of the Bhendi Bazaar Urdu festival, recalls a conversation with Lata Mangeshkar to accept a felicitation after she had publicly refused to accept awards. "Lata ji latched on to the mention of the Bhendi Bazaar gharana. The gharana was set up in the 1890s when Ustad Chhajju Khan came from Moradabad and settled in Mumbai's Chakla locality. At once, she said that she belongs to the same gharana, and we chatted," he recalls, adding that the felicitation never happened in 2019.

Zubair Azmi. Pic courtesy/Facebook

He shared that Mangeshkar's dedication was such that she learnt Urdu from poet-lyricists Majrooh Sultanpuri and Altaf Husain Lutf after Dilip Kumar's casual taunts about a Maharashtrian's understanding of Urdu tallafuz. "She perfected the language so well that Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan would remark, ‘How can Lata never sing out of tune,' and Urdu linguist Ibrahim Durvesh would wonder, ‘How can she never mispronounce Urdu diction and words'."

Poetic justice

Readers and authors who've been disheartened over Amazon's decision to shut down its publishing arm, Westland Books had to also bid adieu to Context, its literary imprint that focused on politically engaging fiction. The Quarantine Train, a writing community founded by poet Arjun Rajendran (in pic) is hosting a session on February 12 that will feature some of India's finest poets, who have written for the publishing house. "Priya Sarukkai Chabria came up with the idea, and that's how we got seven speakers on board. We wanted to discuss and read before these books disappear from bookshelves," the poet shared. Arundhathi Subramaniam, Sampurna Chattarji and Karthika Nair, among others, will be in this session. Those keen to attend can drop a message on The Quarantine Train's Instagram or Facebook page.

Leading women to new heights

Climb Like A Woman, a group of women rock climbers, have announced their Just Climb Grant - the grant is intended to support women climbers of all levels of proficiency. "In India, climbers don't have access to too many grants, unless they are taking up the sport professionally. We want to encourage women to experience climbing, even if they don't have the money to invest in it. The grant can be used towards buying their first pair of climbing shoes, paying gym membership fees, or pursuing an outdoor project," Lekha Rathinam, who is spearing the initiative, told us. The grant will award a sum of Rs 20,000 and the last date to apply is February 28. Visit climblikeawoman.com to apply.

Bring on the talent

The past two years have been undeniably harsh for the hospitality industry. But in these trying times, the sector has been witness to the heartening spirit of collaboration. A case in point is the neighbourhood bar Bonobo, which is starting a series of pop-ups where they will host a new culinary talent every month. In the first edit, titled Little Cantina, this Sunday, chef Bhakti Mehta of Little Food Co will cook up a five-course Mexican brunch. "After completing over a decade in the industry, I still see so much untapped talent. I've come across many amazing chefs and delivery brands that don't have a physical restaurant yet. We plan to make this a monthly property to bring their food and showcase it to a wider dine-in audience," shared co-founder Nevil Timbadia.

From Bandra to Baga

For 27 years, restaurant-cum-bar Soul Fry has been synonymous with wholesome food and a homely ambience in Bandra's Pali Hill neighbourhood, developing a dedicated fan base in the process. That same ethos is now being transported to Goa, with the eatery opening an outlet in Baga that is slated to launch on February 25. It will be a 180-seater space with three levels, overlooking a microbrewery that will supply its beer to patrons. The Bandra outlet is famous for its karaoke nights, which will be held in Baga, too. The menu involves a mix of Goan, Malwani, Mangalorean, Bengali and Koli dishes that owner Meldan D'Cunha experimented with at various food festivals over the past three decades. "I started thinking about [the Goa outlet] about five years ago, but the process only became quicker during the lockdown when we developed a dedicated online community, from whom I got a lot of support," D'Cunha shared with this diarist.