The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
ADVERTISEMENT
Should I be afraid?
Actor Boman Irani fools around when a young girl readies to take his photograph at a photo exhibition in SoBo on Wednesday. Pic/Atul Kamble
Bhutto's pen will do the talking
Fatima Bhutto belongs to a new generation of Pakistani writers who are putting the country on the world's literary map. And after her debut novel, The Shadow of the Crescent Moon, she is now back with her second book, The Runaways (Penguin Random House India).
It discusses modern Muslim identity in a world riddled with violence. The plot line involves three disparate characters - two from Karachi and one from Portsmouth - who have nothing in common. Their paths cross in a desert in Mosul, and their closely guarded secrets force them to make a terrible choice. Pick up a copy to find out what it is.
Wisden honour for mid-day staffer
"I was at Versova beach late last year. I had immersed the ashes of my late mother and was making my way back when I spotted these kids playing cricket despite the litter all around," recalls mid-day staffer Uday Devrukhkar.
He is one of the 11 winners of the 2017 Wisden-MCC Cricket Photo of the Year. Devrukhkar is the only amateur mention in the prestigious list that saw over 1,500 entries.
Arunachali touch to mallakhamb
Recently, Dadar witnessed a slice of the North East in an interesting manner. Eighty students from Arunachal Pradesh aged nine to 13 years attended a mallakhamb training camp at Shree Samartha Vyayam Mandir, Shivaji Park from April 1. Their camp culminated yesterday with a spectacular demonstration of the indigenous sport.
Uday Deshpande, director of Shree Samarth Vyayam Mandir said, "I have been training students in the North East since 1984 and have visited various schools there. This has culminated in these visits. Last year, we had 16 students. In 2019, the state plans to send at least five students from each school to the city, which means we will have 180 students at Shivaji Park next summer."
Deshpande adds that people from the North East are hardy and boast of enviable endurance and flexibility. They are quicker to pick up the basics and nuances of mallakhamb in comparison to students from here.
Parisian adda
Admirers of acclaimed contemporary artist Subodh Gupta's works would vouch for his love for all things metallic. So, there couldn't perhaps be a better venue to host his retrospective than a mint - and the world's oldest continuously running mint at that. Starting tomorrow, Monnaie de Paris will host Gupta's first retrospective in France.
Subodh Gupta
Its title, Adda, draws from his view of the exhibition as a place for meetings and rendezvous that would trigger exchanges and debates. The exhibition will showcase his famous sculptures using stainless steel utensils, such as Very Hungry God (2006), cast found objects, such as Two Cows (2003), and his latest works. On till August, it also features a lecture by Gupta in June.
Eat for a cause
The Thais celebrate their New Year, Songkran, in a unique way, with water fights, much like Holi without the colours. As the festivities begin in the Asian country this Friday, BKC's Thai restaurant, Nara, has associated with Swades Foundation to provide water to rural households in the Raigad district of Maharashtra.
You can be part of this initiative by ordering Khao Phad Samunprai or butterfly pea fried rice along with a bottle of water. The proceeds of this will be routed to the organisation.
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates