The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
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The new temple run
These days, temple runs are a new hit with Congressmen, especially after their boss Rahul Gandhi made 'soft Hindutva' a poll plank in Gujarat. The man in the picture, Sanjay Nirupam (centre), president of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee, may not have any elections coming up in the near future, but he is there on the job, and how! If not Maharashtra, Nirupam chose a political hotbed in the southern corner of the country to make a point.
He went on a trek to Sabarimala Temple in Kerala a day ago. In fact, Nirupam was one of the few Congress leaders who adopted a soft Hindutva policy last year when he encouraged the formation of an organisation of Hindu sadhus and saints in Mumbai, with a motive to fight the BJP. His move was criticised then by his own party men. Would anyone dare taunt him now?
Kapur's new muse
In September last year, we learnt that Shekhar Kapur was planning to take a detour from filmmaking with his stage musical, The Matterhorn. His first venture as director, Kapur's excitement is obvious as the musical takes shape.
Shekhar Kapur
Based on a play by Michael Kunze, the production revolves around the first tragic ascent of the famous mountain of the Alps, and through it, delves into man's relationship with nature. Despite an international cast, Indian influences are evident in Kapur's approach, with the Kali-like avatar of the actors in this picture. The filmmaker hopes to bring the musical to India, as do we.
Pic/Shadab Khan
Should I have my cake and eat it too?
Actor Hrithik Roshan is caught in a moment at a cake-cutting session at his residence in Juhu on his 44th birthday yesterday.
Punch into the past
Technology, we've heard, will only take you so far. That seems to be true at least where BEST is concerned. These paper tickets (in pic) that one used to get for a ride on BEST buses have not yet become part of the city's history, as we had thought. They're very much around and are a fallback option when their electronic replacement goes bust.
This diarist was delighted to be handed this bright, hand-punched ticket on a bus ride from GTB station to Pratiksha Nagar bus depot a couple of days ago. The conductor, too, seemed happy to be back with a familiar piece of equipment, smiling broadly as he told us that his electronic ticket dispenser was out of order. We're just thrilled to know that these paper tickets will always be around.
Headlining encore
There are mixed responses to Farhan Akhtar's singing prowess, or lack thereof (depending on which side of the divide you lie on). But that hasn't stopped the actor-director from embarking on a thoroughly successful live music career.
He's toured the length and breadth of the country with his band, playing at a number of colleges and festivals, including as an eyebrow-raising headlining act at NH7 Weekender. Now, we hear that Farhan Akhtar Live — as his band is called — will also headline Ranthambore Festival this year, to be held between January 19 and 21. So, it seems as if the singer's raspy voice will remain ubiquitous and that even in 2018, Akhtar will, well, rock on.
Moving HQ
If this city is all about change, then no one embraces it better than us Mumbaikars. We are told that one of the city's finest galleries, Jhaveri Contemporary, is set to move base from Walkeshwar. Run by the Jhaveri sisters, Amrita and Priya, the gallery is known for its cutting-edge shows, which the city has come to love and appreciate ever since the gallery was set up seven years ago.
Priya tells us that the gallery is set to move in early April to Colaba and that they will be kept company by the area's existing galleries. But the move won't happen before Jhaveri Contemporary hosts one more show, of works by Gyan Panchal, their last at the Walkeshwar outpost. "We have had seven years to test out our programme and we thought it was time for a change. We had stumbled upon this space in Colaba earlier and loved it. We are excited about this move we are making," says Priya. So are we.
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