The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Adda with the superstar
Nawazuddin Siddiqui takes a chai break while promoting his upcoming film at the Radio City studio in Bandra East yesterday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
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Sonali Bendre Behl with son Ranveer at the live session
The family that reads together
It was reading for her son, attending lit-fests and having conversations about books that rekindled Sonali Bendre Behl's love for reading, something she had lost touch with as life got in the way. So it's fitting that when the actor resumed her active engagement with the social media page Sonali's Book Club — a community she founded in March 2017 that now boasts of over 13,000 members — yesterday, she did it with a live discussion with her son Ranveer Behl. The actor had been on a hiatus after being detected with high-grade cancer that had metasised, and recently returned to India from the US, where she was being treated.
The mother-son duo was seen discussing the nuances of Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel, at the Facebook office in BKC. "It feels so good to be back! I really missed interacting with members of the book club. This one is special as it's the first one for 2019 and it's our first mother-son collaboration on SBC. I am so glad to have Ranveer do the discussion with me; he was the one who picked this book and reading it with him has truly been a lot of fun," the proud mother told this diarist. It's not surprising though to see Behl, who put on a brave face throughout, back in action. Here's wishing the actor many more chapters of happy reading.
Art over supper
One of the western world's most recognisable paintings, The Last Supper, a late 15th century mural by Leonardo Da Vinci, is filled with detail and intrigue. The artwork was created after an event in the Bible — the evening before Jesus Christ is betrayed by Judas, one of his disciples. Kicking off the new year with a snippet released on Instagram, leading publishing house Aleph Book Company has released their first title inspired by Vinci's piece, titled The Last Supper: 35 Pieces of Art. The book features the artwork of 35 Indian artists across generations, styles and places. These include Krishen Khanna, Madhavi Parekh, and Himmat Shah. With an introduction by poet, art critic and cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote, we can't wait to get our hands on this compilation.
Her father's daughter
There are netas, and then, there are the bachchas. From airports to restaurants, we've all seen how they've misused their position at the slightest opportunity. This diarist was in for a lovely surprise recently, while attending the 11th World Anglo-Indian Reunion in Chennai. The event included sessions on culture, literature, and the arts. One such discussion celebrated Anglo-Indian authors like J Allen Sealy, as well as titles that chronicled the community. "Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome Daman Singh, daughter of former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh. She is the author of Kitty's War," announced the emcee, as we heard a collective gasp sweep the audience. No armed commandos, no security cordons, and no bulletproof cars. Singh had quietly slipped into the venue, and sat through the session before rising to speak about her work of fiction on Anglo-Indian life in the last days of the Raj. The low profile nature of the visit made us wish there were more like her.
Upcyle is the way
Yesterday this diarist dropped by the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum for The Annual Handmade Collective, an exhibition organised by A Hundred Hands, a Bangalore-based NGO, which showcased the work of artisans from all over the country. But the buzz was all around a stall set up by Pune-based Aarohana EcoSocial Developments, an organisation that upcycles plastic into cool totes and pouches, because of their interactive approach. Each visitor was shown a 20-second process video of the finished product made by Warli artisans. We can say we were hooked, while a bag made from Krack Jack biscuit wrappers caught our attention.
Chefs (left) Olivier Chardigny and Florent Marechau
Bon appetit!
If you've always wanted to eat like the French, there's a week-long food and wine showcase in the city that will celebrate French cuisine in all its finery at The Oberoi. To take us through this will be two acclaimed chefs from the famous Georges Blanc restaurant — Executive Chefs Olivier Chardigny and Florent Maréchau. This iconic eatery was awarded the third star by the Michelin Guide and was also the recipient of four torques by the Gault Et Millau restaurant guide. To be held later this week, the soiree promises to be a heady French affair, including a special six-course gala dinner. "We are delighted to present this unique French culinary showcase. There will be a focus on seasonal ingredients that celebrates French gastronomy," both chefs revealed. Let the feasting begin.
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