The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Shadab Khan
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Mumbaikars make the most of a colourful sunset at Mahim beach
Folk arts in the spotlight
Pic courtesy/ Kunal Vijayakar
Instituted by the Patthe Bapurao Pratisthan and Sanskrutik Kala Mandal, the Dr Bhaskarrao Khandge Puraskar was recently awarded to Lavani artiste Pushpa Satarkar (in pic), while veteran tamasha artiste Raghuvir Khedkar won the Patthe Bapurao Puraskar and Shahir Sureshkumar Vairalkar was given the Bapusaheb Jintikar Puraskar. The awards honour artistes who are doing remarkable work in the world of folk arts. Satarkar, who works from Sanaswadi, has also been associated with the popular Sangeet Bari. The 40-year-old Lavani artiste who has been performing for over 20 years, told us, “I have been doing both singing and dancing. It is a great honour, and I was happy to be selected as this is my first such award.”
Farewell, Karim’s
In late 2020, Bandra opened its doors to Karim’s, an outpost of the iconic 108-year-old eatery in Delhi 6. Staying true to its legacy, the restaurant offered Mumbaikars a slice of Mughlai fare; this diarist recalls savouring their juicy seekh kebabs, silky murgh malai tikka and soft sheermal. However, multiple pandemic waves and lockdowns have taken a toll on the outpost, which is shutting shop on January 16. Ranjit Singh Bindra, proprietor of Aallia Hospitality and franchise owner, Karim’s Bandra West, confirmed the news, adding, ”Mumbai gave the brand a very warm welcome, but the pandemic pushed us back a few steps. We hope to relocate sometime in the future and are hopeful that time will show us the way.”
The making of a sanctuary
(Left) Pamela and Anil Malhotra; an otter in the sanctuary
What about a sanctuary in the Western Ghats makes it the “Noah’s Ark”? From river otters to civet cats, and giant Malabar squirrels to various types of monkeys, snakes and jackals, SAI Sanctuary in Kodagu, Karnataka, is home to innumerable species of flora and fauna, many of which are not found elsewhere in the world. But how did this private sanctuary come to be? From the Heart of Nature (Ebury Press) is a one-of-a-kind account of how founders, Pamela and Anil Malhotra, made it their mission to salvage what they could in Kodagu, where land was denuded, thanks to years of coffee-growing. In the book, Pamela Gale-Malhotra recounts the couple’s journey, her connection with animals and trees, and why preserving nature is the only way to save mankind.
Murder a la B’wood
What happens when a Melbourne-based Anglo-Indian private detective is roped in by an Indian industrialist to investigate how his daughter, a Bollywood starlet, died while shooting in Australia? Mystery meets Mumbai in Anglo-Indian writer Patrick Lyons’ (in pic) new title, Masala and Murder (Olive Turtle imprint, Niyogi Books), in which, Bollywood plays a central character. Lyons, who grew up on a steady diet of crime novels, told this diarist that the crime thriller has been 13 years in the making. “In addition to the exotic locations that Bollywood films are set in, the story explores the rivalry between a young actress and her older colleague, the power-play between a successful producer and his mani-pulative wife, and the shame of an illicit love affair that can threaten hard-won reputations,” he added.
English honours
Mumbai-based musician Sherise Brinelle D’souza has put Indian independent music on the British map. She has won third place for the category of Best Female Artiste of the Year at the Radio Wigwam Awards, based in the UK, for her original singles, Stepladder and Never born. “They accept submissions from across the world every year to play on the radio channel, and I had done the same last year. My tracks were the only ones from India that got selected for the awards,” D’souza told this diarist. Our congratulations.
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