The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Only the four-legged, please
The Mahalaxmi Race Course night racing, or evening racing, to give it the correct label, made a spectacular debut two weekends ago. This means that on days when such races will be held, the track will be off limits to the two-legged fleet, (read: hordes of evening walkers) who use the vast expanse of green to stay in shape.
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Spectators at the finishing line during one of the night races held at Mahalaxmi Race Course last weekend. Pic/Shadab Khan
Clearly, the announcement spells bad news for this bunch. This diarist suggests that walkers who make their pilgrimage to the race course on weekend evenings had better make enquiries well in advance instead of having to do an about turn. You’ve been warned, so hoove’s to blame if you don’t take heed?
The minds behind Mumbai Confidential
Back in early 2013, this diarist was one of the first to write about Mumbai Confidential — a graphic novel ode to the seminal Bollywood angry young man/encounter cop movie that blended with Western hardboiled crime noir.
Saurav Mohapatra (left) and Vivek Shinde (right) with writer Saumin Patel who contributed with a short story for Mumbai Confidential
In California-based creator Saurav Mohapatra’s words, “Think of if as Zanjeer/Ab Tak Chhappan meets Sin City!” Along with local boy, Vivek Shinde, Mohapatra gave readers a slice of aamchi Mumbai in all its chutzpah and chaos. We loved it. Yesterday, Mohapatra was in the city on business and dropped into the mid-day office along with Shinde.
Old-time readers of mid-day will recall the latter’s comic strip, Special Officer Sawant. “We’ll be back with new projects, and new formats,” assured Mohapatra, when we enquired about more Mumbai noir trails from the duo. Watch this space.
Hand to mouth
Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Director Milap Zaveri, actress Sunny Leone and actor Vir Das (not in pic) were at the mid-day office to discuss their latest film. Leone, a fitness enthusiast said how Zaveri follows a ‘see food’ diet, “He sees it, he eats it!” she chuckled.
A sensitive laugh riot
Theatre company Yatri’s new play, Jeene Bhi Do Yaaron was performed to a packed Prithvi auditorium over the weekend. A laugh riot from the start, it explores troubles of relationships in modern urban life.
Om Katare (centre) with two of his cast members
In doing so, it digs deep into the lives of couples and brings out arguments and irritations including their dying sex lives with often a shocking boldness of language.
This sex talk is the most stunning part of the performance; what cannot be said in a drawing room was said on stage for a captivated audience of a vernacular commercial play that tore into gender roles and inched towards questioning an unsaid compliance to corporate masters as a reason for many social malaise in India.
Katare, the director and writer, uses stereotypical characters — the pub-going divorcee and the wise old religious bachelor — and complicates the subject, never letting the audience realise when things get serious. A few niggles aside ( why must a wife quitting her job remain unexplored after being brought up?), The audience is lapping up a story derived from their lived, and running to full houses.
Steve McCurry will be in the frame
Mumbai’s photography community has lots of reason to cheer. Come January 25, and Steve McCurry will grace the city for a curated visual presentation and discussion with writer Girish Shahane.
Steve McCurry. Pic courtesy/Bruno Barbey
One of the most iconic and celebrated names in contemporary photography for over three decades, his work transcends countries, cultures, traditions and conflicts.
McCurry will also be in Delhi for the launch of his book, India (see jacket, left) and will later head to the Jaipur Literature Festival. Don’t miss the chance to be at this Mumbai stopover.
The boys are back
From Westlife to One Direction, each generation has a boy band to swoon after. When it comes to Indian boy bands who tried to woo hearts when reality shows had just started in India (think Viva), it is A Band of Boys.
(Clockwise, from Asha Bhosle’s right) Chaitanya Bhosle, Karan Oberoi, Sherrin Varghese and Sudhanshu Pandey along with Asha Bhosle
It featured Karan Oberoi, Sudhanshu Pandey, Chaitanya Bhosle, Sherrin Varghese, and Siddharth Haldipur. Now, the band will reunite, minus Haldipur, for a performance at Mumbai’s Ballard Estate Festival on January 23.
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