The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Saif Ali Khan greets a mystery person during the unveiling of a food truck at a Juhu five-star on Thursday. Pic courtesy/Sneha Kharabe
A saif pair of hands
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Saif Ali Khan greets a mystery person during the unveiling of a food truck at a Juhu five-star on Thursday. Pic/Sneha Kharabe
Park yourself
What happens on a normal day in Mumbai's parks? People go for walks and jogs. Some take rest from the daily rigour of their working life. Parents take their children out for fresh air. And the elderly catch up with each other out in the open. That, pretty much, is it. But something different will take place at Maheshwari Udyan, a park in King's Circle, this weekend. Anuj Nandu, a guitarist, will hold lessons for anyone interested in learning the instrument. All you have to do is send an email to anujn@gmail.com and land up. We hope that others, too, make innovative use of open spaces in a city starved of the same.
Growing-up years
Last year, when this diarist met writer Zuni Chopra, she shared her admiration for writers like JK Rowling and Neil Gaiman - as evident in her bookshelf and her own novels. Chopra celebrated her 18th birthday on Wednesday, and she posted a picture of the lovely gifts she received. The first was a cake carrying motifs of some glasses and a wand, inspired by Rowling's Harry Potter series, baked by none other than city chef Pooja Dhingra - which Chopra called an "absolute work of art". She also received a poster from her mother, film critic Anupama Chopra, with pictures from her growing up years. And Zuni took to social media to explain it all. "I had the best 18th!!! Dinner with the family was as crazy and chaotic as always - a yearly treat!! This poster of me through the years was my mum's idea of celebrating how far I've come [sic]," she wrote.
Border lines: PIB has election advice
While many people will exercise their franchise in the upcoming polls, some will sit at home because they are either apathetic or too lazy. The Press Information Bureau has now come up with a fun meme to shake these citizens out of their stupor. It channels a scene from the movie Border, with Sudesh Berry's character telling Sunny Deol's that he can't vote since he has other plans. Deol responds by chastising him and saying that if everybody thinks about their plans first, what will happen to democracy? Good question, indeed.
A Metro mural
We've noticed some pretty funky graffiti on the walls below DN Nagar Metro station, which made us wonder about how Mumbai would be a much more vibrant city if its drab walls were given an artsy treatment. That's why we were happy to learn that a wall below Andheri Metro Station, too, has been given a makeover. A tasteful mural that's been painted on it pays tribute to Mother Teresa and MF Husain. And the latter, we are sure, would have given this effort a nod.
A banging gig in Bangkok
He came, he played, and he conquered Bangkok. John Mayer's concert in the Thai capital earlier this week was possibly the most awaited musical event in the entire continent in 2019, with tickets sold out within days of his Asia tour being announced. While this diarist was gutted about not being able to make it, there were numerous other Mumbaikars who were more fortunate. Some of them were noted independent musicians from the city, including drummers Jai Row Kavi and Sambit Chatterjee.
We spoke to Chatterjee - who plays for a host of bands such as Noiseware and What Escapes Me - about what went down at the gig. He said, "Man, I wasn't even really into John Mayer earlier and my friends convinced me to go. But now my perception has changed completely. It was a seated gig in an indoor stadium, with around 20 to 25,000 people. He played with a full band, and said, 'There are songs that are smash hits and songs that I want to make you listen to. So, I'll probably have to come back since I can't make everyone happy.'" In other words, there is hope for this diarist, after all.
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