Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

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

They see me rollin’... 

A commuter roller blades across the platform at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

Set a table for Mumbai

Interiors of the new dining space. Pic Courtesy/Assad Dadan

After their anti-speakeasy, the Lower Parel hub of Cirqa now shifts its attention to fine dining. The new space of Cirqa Dining Room that opens tomorrow is both nostalgic and elegant, said founder Avinash Gupta. The restaurant will focus on global cuisine that also reflects the history of the city’s culinary evolution. Co-founder Pankaj Gupta shared, “Food was always an integral concept, but we decided to take our time and do it in different phases to get every element right.”  

Pankaj Gupta 

Army’s time out in Vizag

Pic Courtesy/@TheBarmyArmy

Known for their banter, the Barmy Army received a taste of their own medicine when they decided to ask fans what to do in the long gap between the second and third cricket Test match. Cue a host of suggestions from booking tickets back home, a short hop to Goa, to taking up classes to learning the art of curry, the suggestions came in fast and thick. 

A love letter to Urdu 

(From left) Zubair Azmi and Javed Akhtar with guests at the festival in 2023

The spirit of literary icons like Manto, Sahir Ludhianvi, and Kaifi Azmi will come alive at the Bhendi Bazar Urdu Festival, a celebration of the area’s history. Sharing a peek into the upcoming fourth edition scheduled for February 17, Zubair Azmi, director, Urdu Markaz, informed this diarist that a refresher walk has been planned for February 10 that will take participants across iconic spots in the neighbourhood like the heritage Mughal Masjid; Wazir hotel, where writers once congregated past midnight; and a café that Manto would frequent to write his stories. The festival will witness Marathi actor and writer, Sachin Pilgaonkar inaugurate the Marathi-Urdu Sahitya Forum, a platform for the confluence of literary works from the two languages. “Marathi and Urdu writers had a close camaraderie that slowly died down after the shutting of the mills. The forum will aim to translate Urdu works to Marathi and vice versa, to rekindle the bond that we once shared,” 
he concluded. 

Giggling with the ghosts

The cover of Kini’s new series; (right) Abhijeet Kini

City-based illustrator Abhijeet Kini’s latest series will give you déjà vu, and then some chills. Titled Ghosts of South India, the series features spooky stories that Kini (inset) heard from his grandparents in Mangalore. “These stories have made their way down to us from generations ago through word-of-mouth but they still resonate with the current generation. When I narrate them to my child, I see the same curiosity in his eyes,” Kini shared, adding that while the series maintains a spooky vibe throughout, the stories have been toned down to some extent and laced with Kini’s signature light humour and exaggerated expressions to make it palatable for kids. “I have heard some absolutely petrifying stories growing up that are fortunately, not part of the series,” he chuckled, adding, “I wouldn’t call them kiddie stories, but they aren’t the lightest reads either. I have ensured there are no graphic depictions that might scar children. However, the fear factor comes from how the story is structured.” 

A space for new identities

Pranit Hate AKA Ganga and Ajinkya Doiphode AKA Iccha in the play; Mascarenhas (extreme right) on stage 

With the Queer Pride March setting the tone for February, Savio Mascarenhas, founder of the NGO Color Positive, is set to take his conversation around the community to the campus of IIT Bombay in Powai. This Sunday, Mascarenhas will stage the production Cloaked Realities that tells the story of individual struggle and resilience through the perspective of the LGBTQiA+ community. “The play is about four voices — each a representation from the spectrum — from the community, and the struggles they go through in life,” Mascarenhas told this diarist. Written in 2018, this will be the first full staging of the play since the pandemic. “The play also features actors who are members of the community, and understand the struggles of the gender,” Mascarenhas added. With Pranit Hate AKA Ganga, Ajinkya Doiphode AKA Iccha, Jay Pawadmal and Kalansh, the effort is to encourage conversation and debate around the subjects of the play, the founder shared. 

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