Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

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

Phool of Colour

Shoppers take their pick on the eve of Dussehra at Dadar flower market. 

A tale of two cities

A moment from Ellias’ film Legend of Fat Mama; Rafeeq Ellias; Rashid Irani at his Brabourne restaurant

What connects the late Rashid Irani, Dhobi Talao-located Brabourne restaurant’s owner, the dishes of Kolkata’s Chinatown, and Joe Vessoaker’s Bandra dirges? Universality, suggests filmmaker Rafeeq Ellias. Prakriti Foundation’s Friday screening in Bengaluru includes three short films by Ellias that celebrate urban life. Whether it is the filmmaker’s love affair with these charming eateries or Vessoaker’s trumpet playing at funeral marches, the stories capture the unique lives of these neighbourhoods, he told us.

It’s their Michelin moment

Diego Miranda; (right) Vikas Khanna (standing, second from left) with the team during his visit

Last weekend witnessed quite the buzz at Versova’s eatery Bambai Nazariya. The staff, members of the transgender community who run and manage the restaurant, were pleasantly surprised when Michelin-starred chef, Vikas Khanna dropped by. The team was understandably thrilled with his visit. “From what we understood, he had followed us on Instagram and seen our posts. He wanted to come out of his way and support the cause and our people. A couple of months ago, he had posted about us and the restaurant. That, in itself, was a celebrity moment for the team. For him to visit personally was an even bigger deal,” shared founder Diego Miranda. But a chef is always a chef, even when on a visit. Khanna stepped into the kitchen to rustle up some quick grub during the trip, Miranda revealed. “He came in and made some keema pav with us, and also made misal pav using a recipe from our team member, Sonia. He spent close to half an hour in the kitchen,” Miranda revealed. “It has been a difficult journey for our small restaurant, so having someone like Khanna support the cause feels like a vindication,” he added. As for the staff, they are still talking about Khanna’s surprise visit. “This is our Michelin moment,” Miranda told this diarist. 

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Green fervour for Maa Durga

The eco-friendly idol; (right) residents perform dhunuchi naach

Just as the city bids farewell to Navratri, many, like the residents of Oberoi Splendor in Andheri East, are soaking in the final stretch of Durga Puja. This year, their theme is best out of waste. Nearly 1,500 residents celebrated the festival keeping sustainability, creativity and community spirit at the core. “Our residents transformed discarded materials [like old newspapers and used bottles, among other objects] into décor [in the pandal], showcasing the power of a collective effort towards ensuring a green planet,” said Amal Das, president of the organising committee, Splendor Bongo Samiti. This preparation began months ago, and resulted in a handcrafted, eco-friendly pandal that got its due as they were awarded the Mission Green Mumbai Climate Action Carbon Awards 2023. After the traditional dhunuchi dance performance on Ashtami last Sunday, married women practised Sindur Khela yesterday. 

Kitaab and kids

Kitaab and kids

In a step towards enabling children to take a break from their screens, and engage with reading, book club Read a Kitaab has brought the physical pop-up of its kids’ clubs to Vashi for four days. “Adults have a conditioned way of thinking and interpreting books. But for kids, there are no boundaries, and sometimes, their observations blow us away. We had recently installed a stall in Navi Mumbai, where kids approached us and shared how they want to be part of something like this, but are unable to because there are very few spaces that facilitate reading among children in the neighbourhood. Hence, we decided to include Vashi in our vision to promote reading as a habit among them,” said co-founder Anurag Kothari. Call 9082076420 to sign up.

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