Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

A sassy, Chinese upgrade this
Ever since it opened, the pretty-in-pink restaurant on Bandra's chaotic Hill Road has been in the news, for its innovative dishes, ladies night deals, and claims of civic violations. Now, we hear, the space is going to make way for a yet-to-be-named Chinese restaurant, under The Chocolate Spoon Company.

Rachel Goenka

Rachel Goenka, restaurateur and CEO, said this was something they had been planning for a while. "For the first time, we are actually getting out of experimenting and doing creative food, and ensuring authenticity of a particular cuisine. Irfan [Pabaney, chef and director] and I both love Chinese, and I think it's a cuisine that you can't get enough of!" she said.

The decision comes close on the heels of the launch of The Sassy Spoon in Pune and their desire to take it across the country. If you're craving Goa Sausage Mac 'n' Cheese (above) or a Baked Lasagan, there's always the Nariman Point outlet.

Pic/Sameer Markande

And that's how it's done, Ranveer
Actor Neha Dhupia guides Ranveer Singh for an impromptu jig when they arrive at a Santacruz studio last afternoon.

Some sunshine on its way?
It's been eight years since Deepti Naval's directorial venture Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish was completed, but an official release date is yet to be announced. The National Film Archive of India organised a special screening of the film in Pune yesterday, followed by an interaction with the veteran actress.

The dark comedy is about the interknit lives of an ageing prostitute (Manisha Koirala), her wheelchair-bound child (Naval's nephew Sanaj) and a struggling songwriter (Rajit Kapur), while exploring the complexity of relationships where the human bond, above all, survives. While this screening was for a limited audience, we wonder if this means the film is finally on its way to a bigger release.

A costumed man gestures during the 24th Gay Pride Parade in Montpellier, southern France

Here's your ticket to global pride
This page follows the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer (LGBTQ) community in the city with a keen eye. Yet, it is a connected world out there, and as a gay playwright Vikram Phukan from Mumbai has said, there is universality to the queer community. On July 8, the world exploded in a riot of rainbow colours when at least three gay Pride events took place overseas.

The annual Pride Parade in London. Pics/AFP

There was one in Budapest, Hungary. Yet another took place in picture-postcard Montpellier in southern France and one in London. In fact, a Mumbai LGBTQ choir group, Rainbow Voices, is in London currently to attend the Pride parade, and will also be singing in a few other choirs along with their British counterpart, The Pink Singers or Pinkies, some of whom were at Mumbai's Gay Pride earlier this year. A perfect confluence of queer happenings, this.

Juhi 'bags' for a green cause
"It is much lighter than a mobile phone. Carry a bag from home for shopping..." We don't really think about how easy it usually is to adopt eco-friendly ways, but that's what Juhi Chawla urged us to do when she shared a picture of a cloth bag carrying this message. This, however, wasn't a one-off green post from the actress.

Chawla has been quite vocal about going plastic-free wherever possible. She has thrown her weight behind the no-straw campaign that is gaining ground in many restaurants across the country, and often shares information on the latest alternatives to plastic hitting the market on social media. More power to the pretty lady with a cause.

Coded script
We may have come a long way when it comes to the openness children enjoy with their parents, but there still remain topics that are seldom touched upon. As part of its latest offering, digital channel Blush has come up with a fun take on the stark contrast in how different generations react to intimate physical relations.

Titled Khaney Mei Kya Hai? the video features a newly-wed woman discussing her honeymoon with her mother in great detail, without ever mentioning the word, 'sex'. The daughter, played by Shikha Talsania, resorts to food analogies, while her mother (Ayesha Raza) cooks a lunch.

The initial inhibition gives way to a coded conversation about how women too have a right to express what they desire. We see some interesting beginnings here.