The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Anurag Ahire
Straight outta the picture
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A man carries a bale of leaves near Thane station walking past a wall sporting a mural of a jungle.
Queen’s Necklace on a thaal
Nafisa and Munaf Kapadia
What’s it like building a thriving business with your mum’ has been a question posed to the co-founder of The Bohri Kitchen (TBK), Munaf Kapadia, many times. This time he answered differently. “I’ve always said this was something I wanted to do for my mother [Nafisa Kapadia], but the honest truth is that this is what my parents have done for me,” he shared. Next year, TBK turns 10. From opening their Colaba home to diners to hosting pop-ups and offering catering across the city, the mom-son duo approaches this milestone anniversary with a new offering; they’re heading to The Bayview at Hotel Marine Plaza for a food pop-up from November 17 to 26.
The thaal placed at the venue
“Everyone enjoys mom’s food and that reaction is what motivated us to take TBK further outside. We enjoy the same popularity today because our venue partners recreate the experience we offered at our Colaba home, at their venue. The hotel offers a great view, I think the Queen’s Necklace looks like dishes on our thaal,” Kapadia said. He recalled this moment when it was just a dream, “Dad and I would take walks on Marine Drive, and when we’d pass by the hotel, I’d tell myself that one day, we will have a restaurant like this.”
Men up to it
Remember the stereotype of tough-talking men who do not feel pain? Well, The Humsafar Trust’s new initiative seeks to address the long-standing issue of men ignoring sexual health problems. “It’s time to change the narrative around men’s health and make it more inclusive and diverse,” Archana Shetty, communications manager shared. Commemorating Men’s Health Month in November, the trust is hosting several health initiatives, including free testing for STIs and HIV for men. “We need to move away from the stereotypical idea of only using biological definitions while speaking about men’s health initiatives, by doing so we are also ignoring members from the trans and non-binary communities,” Shetty remarked.
She sells stories
Sejal Mehta (right) A decorator crab from Mehta’s book. Illustration/Jessica Luis
Mumbai-based writer Sejal Mehta (below) has a green feather in her cap. Her book Super Powers On The Shore (Penguin Random House) has been shortlisted in the General Fiction and Non-fiction titles for the GLF Honour Book Awards 2023, part of Green Literature Festival. The book, Mehta said, is an in-between space — the stretch of land that is revealed at low tide and covered during high tide. “Five years ago, I started working in a voluntary capacity with Marine Life of Mumbai, a group that observes and documents wildlife on our shores. Through them, I discovered a whole civilisation of superhero creatures that live in this habitat,” she told this diarist, adding that the illustrations by Jessica Luis made the creatures come alive.
Find the city in the details
Participants sketch at the previous edition of the workshop
One of the best ways to experience a location is to sketch it as you absorb every tiny detail,” said artist Zainab Tambawalla. To promote tourism using this approach, Tambawalla and San Francisco-based urban sketcher Suhita Shirodkar started their workshop A Gateway to India earlier this year in January, where they took tourists, mainly foreigners, across Mumbai. “We’d make them go around places that capture the essence of Mumbai, be it a chawl or a heritage site, and then, they’d sketch these sites,” she added. They are back with the workshop for the next year, and reopened the registration form yesterday. “We have extended the visit to Kochi over 14 sessions, starting January 9,” she told this diarist.
Booked to the fest
A moment from the book club fest
City-based book club Paperback Talks saw its first-ever literature fest last weekend, and according to founder Rahul Saini (inset), it was everything he imagined it to be. “What sets the fest apart from the other large-scale literature fests is the intimate setting. With over 40 people at the fest, by the end of the session, everyone knew everyone. We, as a readers’ community, are known for keeping our events close-knit. We will keep at it,” Saini said, adding, “Usually, the bigger fests take place annually. But with a smaller group like ours, we will make a return every three months, and ensure that there are new faces and talents to look forward to each time.”
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