The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Sameer markande
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Optical illusion
If you, like us, thought producer Ekta Kapoor has been caught halfway through entering her car, look again. Both her feet are still on the red carpet, even as you can barely see her left leg. Now, that's what makes camera angles so important!
The messy road to a perfect frame
At a recent press conference in a Juhu hotel where the Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti arrived to promote tourism in the state, it was mayhem, thanks to the phalanx of press photographers crowded near the dais and the television channel cameras congregated towards the back of the room. The PC's overriding theme was, 'why go to Switzerland, when you can come to Kashmir?' and the promotion visuals showed the snow-capped peaks in the valley. Yet, the tempers in the room were anything but cool. As soon as Mufti arrived, the newspaper photographers stood up, pushing and shoving one another, to get the best shot of, 'Mufti sahiba' as she is known.
This obstructed the television channel cameramen's view, who started shouting "Still, still (their nickname for still photographers from the press) sit down, still," creating a complete ruckus. One news photographer who had his hair tied in a ponytail was clicking away enthusiastically despite the shouts, so he was singled out with a 'choti, sit down'. Cringeworthy surely and this wasn't the first time - similar scenes unfold whenever a famous figure comes to visit and you have a bevy of cameras on the ground.
Papon sings for the Brahmaputra
When Papon introduced traditional Folk music of Assam on MTV, he became an overnight sensation. The 41-year-old is a first-class playback singer in Bollywood but whenever he touches a subject based on his motherland, he creates magic. Recently, he composed the anthem for Namami Brahmaputra - the river festival announced by the Assam state government that starts on March 31. It will celebrate the state's art, culture and heritage. The song was released in two versions (Hindi and Assamese) earlier this week. Archana Mahanta, his mother, lent her voice in the Axomia (Assamese) version. Papon roped in star singers like Sonu Nigam, Kailash Kher and Arijit Singh for the Hindi rendition. "The government asked me to compose the theme song for the festival that celebrates the mighty Brahmaputra, and since the objective of the festival is to showcase Assam, I felt that if the song was sung by singers from all over the country, it would have a wider reach," reasons Papon.
Anuradha Mahindra (in red) and owner Sagrika Rai (extreme right) at the store. Pic/Suresh karkera
Twenty years of Benarasi chic in SoBo
SoBo's much loved Benarasi textile store celebrated its 20th anniversary yesterday, and with it all of Mumbai's swish set came by to show their support for owner and founder, Sagrika Rai's labour of love. A Benarasi, Rai was seen taking her guests through beautiful exhibits of textiles, as well as delish Benarasi food and fragrances. Guests like Sabina Singh, Pratima Bhatia, Gauri Devidayal, Meghna Pant, Sanam Sippy, Anuradha Mahindra and Shaina NC were spotted in weaves from the store. Truly, a memorable evening to celebrate one of the city's oldest textile institutions.
What's cooking, Mumbai?
The way Bollywood reporters stalk actors on social media, food writers stalk a different kind of star - chefs and restaurateurs. Watching food videos is this diarist's past time, when she is not attending a launch or discovering a street food joint. So, when Riyaaz Amlani, (in pic) NRAI president and owner of Impresario Group that gave the city Salt Water Café, Social and Smoke House Deli, puts up posts of delicious-looking, well-plated gourmet dishes of Lamb Rack and Duck Confit on Instagram, our radar goes live. Coming up next from Amlani's stable is a French fine-dining outpost called Slink & Bardot in Worli. Bon appétit!
Run-down interiors, worn-out upholstery, and guitar riffs from the speakers drowned by laid-back conversations over cheap Old Monk quarters and chaknas - it's difficult to imagine a charming but unglamorous dive bar culture in the stiff, white-collared corporate hub that BKC is. But first-time restaurateurs Pranay Goyal, Avinash Menon and Devang Kanavia are set to recreate the cosy experience at their outing, BKC DIVE that launches at Pinnacle Corporate Park mid-April. It's themed as a neighbourhood watering hole offering easy-on-the-pocket drinks (classics and innovations like Basil and Jalapeno Martini) and comfort food including all-day breakfast options, chaknas and appetisers like Crispy Masala Roomali and Multani Fish Tikka, Indian and Conti mains as well as burgers, sandwiches, stir-fry bowls and desserts. The space will also include a live music stage.
Trilogy is considered by many to be one of the best clubs in Mumbai. In its seventh year, it's ready to retire and prepare for its second innings. The club at Sea Princess Hotel, Juhu, will down its shutters this week. But fear not, Ryan Tham (in pic), one half of the Tham brothers that started the place, promises to have it up and running by the end of the year. "We want to go out while we are still considered the best. But we want to come back and reclaim that position. We are revamping the space with not just cosmetic changes but completely," he says. The venue will remain the same but the name may gain a suffix or prefix. While Ryan refuses to share details of the revamp, the planning of which began last October, he does promise it will be "grander and more evolved". For now, the last week is an emotional time for patrons and staff. You can say goodbye in style this Sunday at a nostalgia-filled night.
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