The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Look who’s taken to YouTube!
The much-watched 67th Republic Day parade will be in progress by the time you read this. But as we skimmed through Monday’s newspapers, an advertisement by Doordarshan caught the eye.
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Indian Army personnel march during a rehearsal for the forthcoming Republic Day parade on a foggy winter morning at Rajpath in New Delhi. Pic/AFP
Apart from announcing the timing of its live broadcast, the information that preceded it warranted a wry smile from this diarist. It stated that there would be live streaming of the parade on YouTube. You’ve come a long way, DD!
Mandy’s got the muscle power!
Mandira Bedi
Mandira Bedi flexes her muscles at the inauguration of a gym in Chembur, last evening.
Beat it like Taufiq
Ustad Taufiq Qureshi (Djembe, extreme left) is lost in a moment during a tribute to Ustad Alla Rakha Saab at a riveting percussion performance on day one of Janfest ’16 organised by the Indian Music Group at St Xavier’s College.
Pic/Bipin Kokate
Accompanying him were Pandit Yogesh Samsi (Tabla), Sridhar Parthasarathy (Mridangam) and Sukhad Munde (Pakhawaj).
Hands on, Mr Ghai
We’ve heard of leaving behind footprints. But when it comes to showman Subhash Ghai, he prefers impressing his palm prints on the Wall of Fame along with a galaxy of B-town celebrities that adorns the walls of his 10-year-old Whistling Woods academy.
Subhash Ghai with daughter Meghna as he displays the palm print
This took place on Sunday night, when Ghai celebrated his 71st birthday as alumni day with hundreds of his students. “All these years, I was taken for granted,” joked Ghai whose open-air musical jashan was minus the usual star-studded razzmatazz.
The lone stars who turned up where Jackie Shroff, Sukhwinder, Adnan Sami and TV channel heads Raj Nayak and Subhash Goyal along with a few directors.
Happy 15
Amin Abbagani and Sachin Nagarkar’s 5 Spice, Fort’s answer to Indi-Chinese has turned 15, and we hear, to celebrate the occasion, the pair has announced a 45-seater QSR cum dine-in called 5 Spice Wok in Kandivli.
Rice, noodle and curry woks, make-your-own small bites (we like that they will let you customise every single dish) and appetizers are on the menu, and everything comes served in a wok. Vegetarians and young professionals, get geared, next on their agenda are outposts in Gujarati-dominated Ghatkopar and corporate hubs, Lower Parel, Thane and Vashi.
The world is his frame
Celebrated photographer Steve McCurry (right) was in town yesterday for the Mumbai leg for his book, India (Phaidon/Roli Books), a collection of stunning frames and panoramic moments across the country.
Art critic Girish Shahane was in conversation with McCurry at the session that delved into this photo tribute. Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Watch Rajat Kapoor’s first
Here is a cinematic treat for the fans of Rajat Kapoor. His first directorial venture, Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One, would be screened for the public by Drishyam Films as a part of their series, Masters.
A still from Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One
The film, which will be screened on January 27, features Irrfan Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Kashmira Shah and was the debut of Resul Pookutty as sound designer and Reema Kagti as an assistant director.
Screenwriter and lyricist, Varun Grover will moderate an interactive session with the filmmaker and the audience, post the screening. Shiladitya Bora, CEO of Drishyam Films, says, “Through The Masters, we want to bring to the fore those rare films, that will finally get the audience they so rightly deserved.”