The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
A heritage jewel comes to Colaba
Siddharth Kasliwal, who took over the helm at the reputed Gem Palace after his father Munnu Kasliwal passed away in 2012, has decided to open the doors of a heritage store in Colaba’s Dhanraj Mahal.
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“We didn’t have a proper store other than one in Jaipur, so I wanted to change that trajectory,” says the scion of the Kasliwal business empire, jewels from which have been displayed at illustrious institutions, most notably at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
He calls the décor “chic contemporary”, showcasing the best of Rajasthan. “Recently, a lady walked in and said, ‘this is Paris meets Jaipur’. That could be the best way of putting it.” The opening will also have a special showcase of some select pieces designed by his father, which have never been shown in India before.
Deano not afraid of ‘Marshy’ land
Dean Jones shouldn’t be only remembered for his epic double century against India in the 1986 Tied Test at Madras. He was one of the most exciting one-day batsmen to come out of Down Under apart from being a fearless cricket commentator and columnist.
‘Deano’ was critical of current Aussie batsman Shaun Marsh whose father Geoff, was Jones’ teammate in the renaissance years of Australian cricket in the late 1980s and 1990s.
However, Jones wrote a column in the Sydney Morning Herald recently, saying that Shaun has won him over with his 182 against West Indies in Hobart recently. However, Jones' current assessment may not clear out a few scars.
He wrote: “I know Marsh's family has been very upset with my criticism of Shaun in the past. I get that and that’s OK. I know his mum and sister won’t talk to me. The thing they must realise is that I hate to see kids, who are very talented, waste endless opportunities and keep making the same mistakes.
Today, I feel Shaun has turned a corner in his attitude and determination. Having all the shots is one thing, playing them at the right time and believing in yourself will be the key to his success”. Well said, Deano!
One for the civilians
Sitting in the cushy comforts of our home, it’s difficult to imagine the emotional and mental stress that years of active military service can often lead to. Kargil veteran Lt Col (retd) Dr Samir Rawat understands only too well.
Dr Samir Rawat
Rawat, the first counselor for over 2,000 officers-to-be at the National Defence Academy (NDA), organised a WARM camp (Workshop And Roving Mezzanine Conference of Applied Military Psychology) to spread the awareness for military psychology as a field of study.
“With rising stress levels in the military, you can’t always depend on medication. Sometimes, it requires a behavioural activation, which a psychologist can provide,” says Rawat, who recently set up a non-profit institution Military MIND Academy in Pune. He hopes to make the public aware of this field of study.
The weekend workshop threw light on counselling in military space; involving not just the soldier, but the spouse, parent and children, stress inoculation and crisis intervention. The event, held in Pune, saw a diverse turnout that included a mix of students, academicians and psychologists from all over the country.
Getting a Grant
Galerie Mirchandani and Steinruecke’s upcoming showcase of British-Indian Nicola Durvasula at Delhi’s India Art Fair next month will see the intelligent curatorial skills of Grant Watson (in pic).
Watson is a London-based researcher and curator with a number of prominent initiatives. But, Watson, who is known to have a long association with India’s arts and culture, is involved in more than curating Durvasula’s new watercolours and ceramics.
Co-writing a book of essays on artist CK Rajan’s ouevre, along with Shanay Jhaveri, is on the agenda too with Galerie Mirchandani and Steinruecke. “We are glad that Grant has the time to do this; it will surely take the mood of Nicola’s works to another level,” says gallerist Ranjana Steinruecke.
A soiree to remember
For most art connoisseurs in the city, the first edition of The Inspired Soiree at the The Great Eastern Home, Byculla, last evening came as a pleasant realisation. “Firstly, I didn’t know such a place existed.
Moreover, seeing artifacts like the Italian art deco dressing table from the 1930’s and sculptures from Burma dating back to late 17th century, made for the most interesting history lesson,” says corporate Advet Bhambhani.
TV presenter Chaiti Narula was particularly smitten by the Baroque Garden — special edition carpet collection designed by Varun Bahl. The warm, intimate evening saw restaurateur Jaspreet Singh Walia, celebrity make-up artist Nikhat Burjia and logo designer Barkha Dattani as guests.