The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Nimesh Dave
Fully cooked
ADVERTISEMENT
Weary cooks and catering staff, along with their equipment, take a break while travelling on the Western Express Highway near the Dahisar toll plaza
Suneeta Rao’s new moves
A moment from Rao’s arangetram. PIC COURTESY/ADARBAD MASTER
Childhood dreams do not have deadlines. For singer Suneeta Rao (right), the dance form of Bharatanatyam was one such dream. “I started learning at the age of eight years old under my guru, Karunaambal Govindarajan Pillai,” she shared. But before she could make her ‘arangetram’ (solo debut on stage), she fell ill. “Moving to Bandra, and turning to musical theatre made it difficult. But the ache for Bharatanatyam never left me,” the 57 year-old revealed. To keep up with her guru’s tradition, she began learning from Nandhini Ashok in 2020, and made her arangetram on October 17 in Dadar. “It was a challenge and required discipline and mental focus. The arangetram, they say, is a beginning. I would love to take this further,” she concluded.
Melodies and memories
De Melo performing on The Voice
Reuben de Melo, the Australian musician and winner of The Voice Australia 2024, landed in Mumbai for a brief visit yesterday and performance before heading to his birthplace, Goa where he will be performing. “I’m looking forward to reconnecting with my roots in Goa and indulging in great food,” he shared. De Melo fondly recalled childhood memories of listening to Goan legend Lorna Cordeiro’s songs. “I would play her audio cassettes on my grandma’s player [music system]. It would be an honour to meet the Nightingale of Goa!” Reflecting on Mumbai, he said “Though a lot has changed, the kindness of the city folk remains constant.”
Doing it the write way
A moment from the club’s concluding session
City-based book club Paperback Talks has already locked in its New Year’s resolutions for 2025. At this year’s concluding session in Bandra last Sunday, participants found themselves ditching the books to write letters to themselves and framing fresh goals.
“We asked people what they’d like to leave behind in 2024. The most common answers were overthinking, binge eating and setting unrealistic expectations. I’m glad people are walking into the new year with better awareness of their mental health,” shared founder Rahul Saini (left).
An Asian affair
Korean barbeque
The newest eatery to set up shop in Bandra is a cross between retro Japanese and Korean flavours. Opening today, Mirai offers traditional dishes from both cultures and boasts of a Japanese seating arrangement.
Rinchen Angchuk and Saamir Chandnani
“We want to create a space where love for authenticity and fusion can co-exist and be appreciated. Along with 12 exclusive Japanese and Korean-inspired cocktails, we also have a private karaoke section that offers drinks and good food,” shared co-founders Saamir Chandnani and Rinchen Angchuk.
Wave warriors
Kumbhar after the swim
Last Sunday, Mumbai Sea Swimmers hosted the MSS ULTRA swim, where 28 participants covered 15 km of open sea swimming in six hours. Starting from the Gateway of India, and ending at the Atal Setu, the event also featured para swimmers Pradeep Kumbhar and Geeta Katkar.
Katkar (inset), who has 55 per cent polio in her leg, told us, “Although it was my first duo relay swim, the poor water quality affected it.” Kumbhar, an open sea swimmer and amputee, said, “The event was a great experience.”
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
