Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Maleficent-ly inspired?

Actor Rakul Preet Singh's choice of attire for an event in Santacruz on Friday makes us wonder if she took a leaf out of the Disney fairy's book. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Going desi Down Under

Perhaps the one thing that has made it so easy for the masses to love Sarah Todd is her love for Indian food. Now, the celebrity chef-restaurateur is taking things a notch higher by serving it at the Australian Open 2020.

As part of a female line-up of food icons for the AO Chef Series, she will be cooking desi fare using Australian produce. Todd, who divides her time between the two countries, told this diarist, "I am honoured to be part of the all-female line-up. I've spent the last five years in India, so the way I cook food has changed. It used to be French-leaning, but now it's definitely more Indo-Australian."

Rama, Sita and Lakshmana Begin their Life in the Forest, early 19th century

Ramayana in NY

A mention of the Ramayana today may evoke more political references in India, but for centuries, the narratives in the epic remained key themes of various Indian schools of painting. An upcoming exhibition opening at New York's The Metropolitan Museum of Art will showcase 30 paintings that narrate the heroic and adventurous tale of Rama's rescue of his beloved wife Sita.

The works were produced for the Rajput and Pahari courts between the 17th and 19th centuries, and include a rare painting, Tantric Form of Monkey God Hanuman, a new addition to the museum's collection. Organised by Kurt Behrendt, associate curator in the Department of Asian Art at the Met, the exhibition will be available for online viewing on the museum's website and social media.

Cooking up a friendship

There was a rather special pop-up that took place at a Juhu club recently, one that revealed that despite them being rivals technically, the city's celebrity chefs share a strong sense of camaraderie. Romy Gill, the decorated chef based in England who was conferred with a Member of the British Empire title in 2016, had been flown down to whip up a meal for the establishment, and some of the diners who were invited included Vicky Ratnani, Saransh Goila, Ranveer Brar, Prateek Sadhu and Kunal Vijayakar.

And from the kind of pictures we spotted on Instagram, it was easy to tell that it was the kind of meet-up that old friends have when they catch up after a while. Goila told this diarist, "It was really interesting because most chefs travel since it helps you discover different cuisines. So, chef Ranveer spoke about his recent shoot in Ladakh, and about how he had to trek for several hours to reach a certain tribe. His stories instantly resonated with chef Prateek since he too often travels to Ladakh, even as Romy filled us in on the different trends in Indian food in the UK." Doesn't that sound like a delicious conversation?

96 years of exploring Marathi

The student-run organisation of St Xavier's College, Marathi Vangmay Mandal, has been promoting Marathi culture through various theatre, music, dance and literature programmes throughout the year, which also encourage students to hone their artistic skills, since 1923.

On Monday, they will celebrate their 96th anniversary with an inauguration ceremony, where the guest of honour is popular comedian and Marathi actor Bharat Jadhav. The theme of the event is Jyoti, which is symbolic of hope. The evening will also see a single-act play that will highlight the sense of selflessness that comes from within while "pursuing enlightenment". Well, here's one place you can learn more about the city you grew up in or grew to love.

A classic with a twist

From being a permanent fixture in English literature syllabi to its countless adaptations, Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw is a play, which, like other classics, continues to fascinate theatrewallahs and filmmakers alike.

While you may have watched My Fair Lady, the musical and the film based on the play, a desi, contemporary take on it has now been made by Harkat Studios co-founder and filmmaker Karan Talwar. A feature length film shot in five days, it is a doomed love story between an AI humanoid and its Delhi-based creator, set in 2030. "It was fun, calm, and so satisfyingly collaborative," Talwar said.

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