The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Hrithik Roshan and Madhuri Dixit
Star waits on the superstar
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A gracious Hrithik Roshan waits patiently as Madhuri Dixit gets touched up on the set of a dance reality show in Goregaon East on Monday. Pic/Sameer Markande
A valuable tip
Although delayed, the monsoon is finally here, with the weather forecast predicting heavy showers in the coming days. And among the myriad issues Mumbaikars are likely to face, food deliveries falling through is one. On Friday night, restaurateur Mihir Bijur faced a similar situation. "I had ordered sandwiches and paid for them, but then I got a call saying the delivery won't be possible because it was raining heavily," Bijur shares.
It got him thinking and he then tweeted a touching reminder urging everyone to tip the delivery boys who brave the rains to ensure we're fed. It did face some backlash in the form of comments from users who questioned if all of us should be paid extra for making it in time to work. "I don't think we should allow socio-economic stratas to divide us. Those of us who make it to office have a roof over our heads, coffee machines and so on. These guys are shuffling between different homes and restaurants through water-logged areas and while it's pouring heavily. If they cancel the order they lose money; if it's delayed, they lose money. It's really the least we can do," Bijur told this diarist. Is that enough food for thought with your hot cuppa?
Esplanade's woes find mention in UK press
Calling it "a unique part of Britain's shared Indian heritage", Philip Davies, chairman, Commonwealth Heritage Forum, an organisation that supports the shared built heritage of the Commonwealth and the UK across the globe, appealed to Mumbai's municipal authorities and the Indian government to commission conservation and engineering experts to ensure Mumbai's Esplanade Mansion is not demolished. This letter appeared in the UK's Times edition dated June 29. Leading members of other prestigious heritage groups in the UK, including Save Britain's Heritage, and World Monument's Fund, Britain, backed the letter. A larger news article highlighting its historic and architectural significance appeared in the same edition.
International interest around the building, formerly called Watson's Hotel, has been high, especially in the UK since the owner of the building (John Watson) and its architect (Rowland Mason Ordish) were Britons, and all materials including cast iron for the hotel's construction were shipped from Great Britain. In June, a spate of letters reached Mumbai's civic authorities. The International Committee on the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage wrote to Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) urging them to intervene and prevent the demolition. Then came a letter from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to MHADA, the BMC, and the Chief Minister on June 10 who offered technical guidance for its conservation. With global focus on this site, and offers of international expertise flowing in, let's hope that our local guardians do their best to safeguard this landmark that is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, instead of opting to demolish it.
From Madras to Mumbai
When Devi Prasad Roy Chowdhury was appointed the principal of Madras School of Arts and Crafts in 1930 — the first Indian artist to do so — he started a movement. The Madras Art Movement, which gained traction in the 60s, initiated a new regional modern identity.
Although hugely neglected, works from the movement will now be displayed at an upcoming exhibition starting July 20, at DAG's Kala Ghoda gallery. Curated by Ashrafi Bhagat, the exhibition will feature the works of RM Palaniappan, SG Vasudev, C Douglas and even Chowdhury's student KCS Paniker whose contribution to the movement
was seminal.
Look what the boys of rock launched
It's a crucial year for one of India's longest-playing rock bands, Parikrama, who celebrated their 28th anniversary in the city last weekend. Not only have they recorded three songs in the studio and are releasing their first official video in 19 years, but they also launched their own YouTube channel (ParikramaOfficial).
"We would only perform live. But we realised that with that, we weren't giving the younger generation content to listen to because the medium of consumption has moved from audio to videos," Subir Malik, founder and keyboardist, told this diarist. We, for one, can't wait for this video to drop.
Ananya's troll tackling tactic
Last time we checked, Ananya Panday was trolled on social media by someone who claimed she had lied about getting admission into a US university. So, when on World Social Media Day, the tech-savvy actor launched her Digital Social Responsibility initiative called So+ to create awareness about social media bullying, it earned applause from Malaika Arora, Badshah, Sikandar Kher and Alia Bhatt.
But that might also be because of her honest introductory video, where she talks about the insults she's received — too tall, a product of nepotism with no brains, a liar. "Trolling being the trend and memes being the means of communication, our generation is prone to insensitive remarks. Social media has become a dumping ground for hate and negativity," Pandey said. And just to prove her right, the post had users parroting just that.
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