Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Colours in a metro

Painting work is in full swing on Metro red line 7, near Magathane bus depot on the Western Express Highway in Borivali. Pic/Satej Shinde

Farewell to 'the lion among chefs'

Chef Vernon Coelho was associated with IHM Mumbai for about 44 years, as a student and teacher

From urging students to master the basics of cooking before chasing fancier dreams to ensuring he instilled in them the most important ingredient of life — compassion — 64-year-old chef Vernon Coelho, former HOD of IHM Mumbai (erstwhile Dadar Catering College), doled out a recipe for success for hundreds of chefs in the city. Coelho reportedly passed away owing to renal failure. Tributes for the beloved teacher flooded social media, under whose watchful eyes many celebrity chefs learnt the ropes.

Kainaz Messman and Manish Mehrotra

Kainaz Messman, founder-owner, Theobroma, who considers Coelho her mentor, broke down while speaking to this diarist. "Not only did he teach me how to cook, how to love food, what to wear in the kitchen, how to behave and carry oneself, he also taught me the most important lesson — to lead with compassion. Back in the '90s, when certain ingredients weren't available in the market, he would source those somehow to expose us to them," she said, remembering the one time they learnt how to make garlic kheer. "A lion among chefs", the Bandra boy had been associated with the iconic institute for 44 years as a student and later, faculty head. He also fought for women's space in the kitchen back then, she shared. "When the whole college was against sending an all-women's team to a national cooking competition, he fought for us. And we won. It's because of his vision that we won," Messman revealed, sharing, "I can't thank him enough for what he taught me, not just in the kitchen, but in life."

For chef Manish Mehrotra of Indian Accent, Coelho was more of a friendly mentor than a teacher. "He was such a darling! He was everyone's favourite — irrespective of whether you were good or bad in the kitchen," Mehrotra told this diarist. Recollecting his college days — he graduated in 1996 — Mehrotra narrated using Coelho's scooter and trudging off to the market to shop for their parties. "We would go to his home to collect the scooter and he would rattle off so many instructions before lending it to me. He was strict, but always a lot of fun," Mehrotra said. He added that Coelho, who was the founding president of the Western India Culinary Association, was not just popular among his students, but also among the hoteliers' fraternity. "He trained so many biggies. The number of tributes pouring in is proof of how well regarded he was," he noted. You will be missed, chef.

Maha challenge

Thackeray and Fadnavis. Pic/PTI

In the 2019 state polls, when Shiv Sena staked claim to the CM's post, their ally BJP refused to give in. And so, Uddhav Thackeray's rise to the throne led to the formation of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, an unlikely coalition between the Sena, NCP and Congress. Political strategist Priyam Gandhi-Mody's new book, Trading Power (Hachette India), reveals the inside story of this political drama. "I had exte-nsive meetings with some of the power-players. That formed the primary source for my book, which has exclusive insights into the formation of the MVA," she shared.

Mystery music

Lately, we've seen intriguing releases in the mystery books circuit — from those based on real incidents in the city to genre-bending reads. Acclaimed city-based writer Kalpana Swam-inathan's new title Raagam Taanam Pallavi: A Lalli Mystery (Speaking Tiger) offers the best of both worlds. Here, retired policewoman Laali is tasked with solving two crimes where the clues lie in a forgotten piece of music. "What if the detective who is the last resort in homicide suspects herself of murder? My book opens with that conundrum. It is structured on a musical exploration of crime, trave-lling the different planes of reality which make up all our lives." A mystery that's music to our ears.

Snakes alive, we are floored

Slither down the snakes, and climb the corporate ladder seemed to be the message on the Worli Sea Face promenade. The beautiful boulevard was peppered with walkers getting their safe, outdoors exercise in the morning. What caught this diarist's eye though was the floor that had a gigantic Snakes and Ladders game painted on the footpath. The street art was reminiscent of scenes from public spaces in some European cities where huge chessboards and pawns are common sights so people can have a bit of cerebral fun. Here, it is the desi 'saap-seedi' that rules. But like they say, bring your own ice… oops, giant dice to this party.

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