Actor Randeep Hooda on Saturday shared a glimpse from his Hollywood debut in the upcoming Netflix film 'Extraction' with a safety slogan 'Don't step out' amid lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The 43-year-old actor took to Instagram and shared a glimpse from the film where Hooda is seen in commando mode to save a boy while holding a gun in his hand. The 'Highway' actor is seen dressed in black commando dress while he runs for safeguarding a boy.

 

 

 

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Only if this boy hadn’t stepped out! Don’t step out or.... . #Extraction #Lockdown @Netflix_in @netflix @netflixfilm @thesamhargrave @therussobrothers @agbofilms @chrishemsworth @rudhrakshjaiswal1

A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) onApr 25, 2020 at 2:27am PDT

The 'Sarabjit' star captioned the post as, "Only if this boy hadn't stepped out! Don't step out or... #Extraction #Lockdown."

Earlier this week, Hooda shared a video from the movie's shooting in India and announced its streaming date as April 24.'Extraction also stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth and some of the parts have also been filmed in India. In the video, the production staff of 'Extraction,' along with Randeep and Hemsworth are seen talking about India and how different the feeling was to shoot in the country.

 

 

 

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India isn't just about heat, but a lot of warmth too.. here's a glimpse into shooting #Extraction in India Streaming on Netflix from 24th April @Netflix_in @netflix @thesamhargrave @therussobrothers @agbofilms @chrishemsworth @tsigel @ptnewall @leecleary1 @outthayr @danielstevens1 @artoflegitsu @rostacosta @rudhrakshjaiswal1 @dkharbour @golfarahani @priyanshupainyuli @battlecat_stunts_inc @dargan_fire @danlawsonjohnston @matteo__silvi @luca_vannella @tessjosephcasting @indochinaproductions @luca_vannella @tessjoseph19 #joewhelan #tomharrison

A post shared by Randeep Hooda (@randeephooda) onApr 20, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT

The Netflix film also marks the 'Kick' actor's Hollywood debut.

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Actor Taapsee Pannu who is on a photo-sharing spree these days on Saturday shared an exquisite throwback picture from her trip to Rome. Just like many others who are dreaming of vacations during the lockdown, the 'Pink' actor is also seen reminiscing about her vacation in her latest throwback post on social media.

 

 

 

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One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time. I love seeing places which should either have beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants. Basically good restaurants is the basic common key here. I loved using all the local apps to find me local transport n restaurants to dine in. Quaint cafes which make u pause. I think it will be some till I experience the thrill of travelling again. But until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it’s quite possible that things won’t be the same tomorrow 🤷🏻‍♀ï¸Â #Throwback #Archives #QuarantinePost

A post shared by Taapsee Pannu (@taapsee) onApr 24, 2020 at 9:57pm PDT

Alongside a picturesque picture shared on Instagram, the actor wrote: "One of those trips I just decided to take very impulsively. Rome. Was in my list since long time... "

Taking it to the captions, the 'Mulk' actor also pinpointed the key factors she seeks while travelling. "I love seeing places which should either have a beach, crystal blue water n good restaurants or should have a lot of history to know n study about and have a lot of good restaurants," the caption read.

"Basically good restaurants are the basic common key here," the 32-year-old wrote. She also mentioned her interest in using the "local apps" to find her "local transports and restaurants to dine in." "Quaint cafes which make u pause," she added.

Referring to the current lockdown and unpredictable situation the life has been thrown into in the wake of coronavirus crisis, Taapsee also added that one can "experience the thrill of traveling again.. until then, we can make a list of all places in the world we want to see coz life is too short and we all have witnessed that it's quite possible that things won't be the same tomorrow."

Lately, the 'Manmarziyaan' actor has been sharing many throwback pictures as she earlier announced on Instagram that she will be posting a series to refresh some memories amid the coronavirus lockdown.

Taapsee is currently at home like many other celebrities as the country is under lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

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Dubbing her as 'wanderlust', actor Kangana Ranaut's team on Sunday posted throwback pictures of her from her trip to Europe in 2008. The picture featured a younger Kangana in her early 20s travelling to various parts of Europe including famous Italy based amphitheatre - the Colosseum.

 

 

 

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Major #Throwback check: Wanderlust Kangana travelling all around Europe (in 2008!!) learning about art-history and wines. Sundays are for reminiscing about those carefree days, till we can travel again ...

A post shared by Kangana Ranaut (@team_kangana_ranaut) onApr 26, 2020 at 4:08am PDT

The 'Queen' actor is seen dressed in simple yet elegant outfits in the pictures from her two-month-long trip to Europe. "#Throwback to the good old travel days! Major throwback to 2008 when the 21-year-old art, history, and travel enthusiast #KanganaRanaut travelled to Italy for a 2 months long trip!" the team tweeted along with the pictures.

They also shared trivia on the 'Tanu Weds Manu' actor's travel diaries and said that Kangana used to take her camera to each of her trips. "Interesting Trivia: before the iPhone days, she used to take her camera along everywhere," the team tweeted.

Kangana began her acting career at a very young age with her debut film 'Gangster' for which she garnered a lot of appreciation.

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It seems Hrithik Roshan was always destined to be a Superstar. They call him the last Superstar of Hindi Cinema. And even before the release of his blockbuster debut, Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai, he was working on films like Mission Kashmir, Yaadein, and Fiza. Talking of this film that was made by film critic turned filmmaker Khalid Mohamed, it showed a very different side of the star and was just his second film.

Instead of tapping into his aura and smoldering persona, the filmmaker portrayed his human and vulnerable side, thus proving he not only has a solid screen presence but the ability to emote too. Sharing an unseen picture from the sets of the film, Mohamed showed all of us a very young Hrithik Roshan and the actor was truly overwhelmed seeing it.

First, take a look at the picture:

PIYA HAJI ALI.. was first day of shoot with HRITHIK ROSHAN as AMAAN in FIZA, now streaming on NETFLIX. Do have a look. pic.twitter.com/5LoaGitb7J

— khalid mohamed (@Jhajhajha) April 26, 2020

And this is what Roshan tweeted to him- "Wow . Overwhelmed looking at this . KNPH hadn’t released. Thanks for treating me so kindly on set." (sic) Have a look right here:

Wow . Overwhelmed looking at this . KNPH hadn’t released. Thanks for treating me so kindly on set @Jhajhajha https://t.co/oZrtEQJbp3

— Hrithik Roshan (@iHrithik) April 26, 2020

Fiza will be completing 2 decades this year and still remains of his most nuanced performances as an actor. And of course, Karisma Kapoor’s best till date!

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The bus met with an accident soon after the accused drove it out from the depot

Unable to get a rail ticket for his native place Uttar Pradesh, a mentally unstable man decided to drive a state transport (ST) bus to his destination on Tuesday morning. However, his attempt failed when he banged into a roadside tree, soon after driving the vehicle out of the depot in Palghar.

According to the Boisar police, accused Sabir Ali Mansori, who is a Palghar resident, works as a scrap dealer. Around 10 am on Tuesday, he went to the ST bus depot and found a Boisar-Palghar bus parked in one of the slots. He immediately got into it and started the vehicle. The moment he left the depot, the bus collided head on with a roadside tree.

Accused Sabir Ali Mansori. Pics/Hanif Patel

The bus driver Amolsingh Rajput mentioned in his complaint that after parking the bus, he had gone to the control room to inform the officials that he would take the vehicle out on its route. On hearing a lot of commotion outside, he rushed back to see that the bus had met with an accident.

Police sources said that soon after the incident, the people who had gathered at the spot, beat up Mansori and handed him over to the police. The Boisar cops have booked him under sections 379 and 511 of IPC. Speaking to mid-day, Prakash Birajdar, senior inspector, said, "Following his arrest, the accused was produced in court and later sent to police custody. Even he was in a state of shock after the incident. We have received his medical reports, which will be verified before the next course of action."

Also Read: Aadhaar Scheme Helps 31-Year-Old Mentally Ill Woman Reunite With Family

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Glass containers in which Arora has collected soil from different parts of Aarey. PICS/ABIGAIL D’Souza 

A conversation with artist Vikram Arora throws up a vital piece of insight into the issue of deforestation at Aarey Colony. Arora, along with four artists from Hong Kong and a Serbian national based in Mumbai, is spending a few days living with locals in the city’s jeopardised green cover, and he tells us, “The tribals here have a family that doesn’t include only the people they live with. It includes the trees they planted, the animals and birds that depend on those trees, the leopards around them and so on. So everything is inter-dependent, and the fallout [of deforestation] is ecological in nature, because the birds don’t have those trees any more. And the leopards will confront humans because their habitat has been taken away.”

This is the issue that forms the backbone of a project called Forest Tales: Mysteries Hidden in Concrete. It involves the six people creating individual works of art based on their experience of living in the heart of Aarey Colony, immersing themselves in the local culture by tilling the soil that nurtures the food that their hosts cook for them.

Chim Chi Ho tilling soil

Arora tells us that one of his projects, for instance, requires him to collect 33 types of soil from different parts of Aarey, symbolic of the 33 hectares of land in the area that is lost to the demands of construction work for the disputed Metro project. “I will put these bits of soil into 33 different containers on which I will draw Warli art, a traditional tribal style. The idea is to archive the memory of the soil in case that land is also taken away in the future. I will present the different glass containers as an installation to show how, if we proceed without long-term planning, we will end up building a fragile future for ourselves,” he says.

The other project he has embarked on is called Cut Me a Slice of That. For it, he will bake a pie inspired by savelya, a local sweet dish made with coconut and jaggery, which his host taught him to make. He will then serve that pie cut into different pieces when the various works of art are showcased to the public at an event later this week. “It’s meant to reflect the sentiment of how the land grab is taking place, piece by piece. For example, every time there is an emergency in the city, the NSG commandos are given a space in Aarey. A veterinary college is also given space here if they want it. Now the Metro wants its chunk too for the car shed. So, they keep taking this land away piece by piece, through rampant deforestation,” he explains.

(From left) Michael Leung, Vikram Arora, Gum Cheng, Yip Kai Chun and Chim Chi Ho, the artists living in Aarey. Katarina Rasic is not in the photo

Arora adds, however, that not everyone in the local community is against displacement. A few padas (settlement clusters), he says, are happy because they think they will get a house in a tower, though they eventually might never get to reach this carrot being dangled before them. “They are driven by economic sensibilities, thinking they will be moving into high society when, and if, they get those houses. But the whole idea is not only about them shifting base. Instead, it’s about the trees that are being cut to facilitate that process,” he says, pointing out how unless this urbanisation challenge is managed in a sensitive manner, ecological concerns are bound to be sacrificed at the altar of rampant concretisation.

Vikram Arora

ON May 20 AT Keltipada, Adivasi Pada, Unit no 18, Aarey Milk Colony, Goregaon East.
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Chef Cham Hun Chakap plates a portion of chilli chicken. Chilli chicken is one of the spicier dishes that can be traced back to Tangra. But the food of the Kolkata locality is often a lot sweeter than other Indo-Chinese dishes because that’s how the Bengalis prefered it. This can be evidenced in something like honey chilli potato.

Chef Cham Hun Chakap moves around the kitchen with the assurance of a well-set batsman completing a comfortable single down to deep midwicket. He is running the show behind the scenes at a restaurant in an upscale Powai hotel, which is hosting an event called Tangra Festival. The dish that the chef is whipping up for us is chilli chicken, possibly the most ubiquitous item in the culinary spectrum of Indo-Chinese dishes. And he tells us that it was invented in Tangra, the new Chinatown in Kolkata, considered by many to be the Mecca of this particular cuisine.

Tangra does indeed occupy a unique spot in the country’s food-scape. It all goes back to about 100 years ago, when the British — along with Kolkata’s older Chinese community in Tirreti Bazaar — established the area, setting up leather factories there to manufacture boots and other goods for soldiers at the battlefront during World War I. Business picked up further during World War II. But then, the British packed their bags in 1947. So, the Chinese community took over the tanning operations. Their life ambled comfortably along, only to be turned upside down by the Indo-China war of 1962, when many indigenous Chinese people immigrated to safer havens like Canada, Australia and Taiwan. And suddenly, the community in Kolkata found its numbers to have considerably dwindled.

Food to the rescue
What’s worse is that the ones who were left behind, and who had picked up the mantle of the leather business from their predecessors, found themselves on the wrong side of the law after the state government deemed the tanning industry to be an environmental hazard in the mid-’90s. A large number of factories thus faced closure, with some being shifted to the nearby neighbourhood of Bantala. Many of the owners faced overnight financial ruin. So, to get out of the soup they found themselves in, they turned their attention to another business that had been gaining momentum in the area over the ’70s and ’80s — restaurants serving “Chinese” dishes.

“Initially, these restaurants were serving the authentic cuisine of the Chinese mainland. But that did not suit the palate of Kolkata’s Bengalis, who found it to be too bland. So the restaurants were running in losses in the beginning, till their owners decided to alter the recipes, adding Indian herbs and flavours,” chef Cham says, adding that this formed the genesis of what we call Chindian cuisine.

Illustration/Ravi Jadhav

These dishes, of course, bore as much resemblance to true-blue Chinese food as idli-sambar does to tandoori chicken. Instead of being stir-fried, for instance, most of the preparations were gravy-based. The spice quotient was also so much higher than a Shanghai local would put his chopsticks down to fan his mouth after one bite. Plus, while something like a Peking duck is roasted over a length of time, Tangra food was geared to suit the purposes of the quick-service restaurants there. This automatically also meant that the meat — including the fish items — was almost invariably diced into pieces, instead of being served whole, like some of the dishes in mainland China.

Pan-Indian acceptance
Be that as it may, the cuisine gradually started spreading to other parts of the country. Nelson Wang, a Tangra local who opened SoBo’s China Garden in 1984, is widely credited with having invented chicken Manchurian, a dish which if you say is Chinese, you might also say that the giant panda is India’s national animal. Punjabis also caught on to the trend, developing a brand of Sino-Ludhianvi dishes. And with time, Indo-Chinese food became a mainstay of restaurants in various cities, including Mumbai, where lunch home menus reserve equal space for “Chinese” dishes as they do for stuff like chana masala and aloo matar.

The credit for this goes to the original restaurateurs of Tangra who Indianised their indigenous dishes. But things are no longer hunky-dory in the Kolkata neighbourhood, says Dominic Lee, a fourth-generation Tangra local. “Many of the smaller restaurants are finding it difficult to sustain themselves, with only the bigger eateries, which have space for parking, constantly managing to upgrade themselves because they have the requisite capital,” he tells us, adding that the recent controversy around dubious meat being supposedly sold in the city’s restaurants has led to a further dip in fortunes.

Nonetheless, he continues, the legacy of the cuisine has left a permanent imprint on the history of India’s food. Take chilli chicken, something so popular that it’s travelled all the way from the humble Kolkata locality to the swish Powai hotel where chef Cham is making us his version of it. But when he is done in a matter of mere minutes, he recognises the look of doubt on our face after we have had a taste. “I have to make a blander variety because most of our customers are from the West, and they wouldn’t be able to handle something too spicy,” he explains, revealing how Indo-Chinese cuisine of the Tangra variety is a preserve of only our own countrymen.

Looking for it anywhere else in the world would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, for all practical purposes.

Awesome sauce
A huge contribution that Tangra has had is popularising the concept of chilli sauce. “You will find it in all the kathi roll shops dotted around Kolkata. But before we added it to our food to suit Indian taste buds, people had no clue about it,” says Lee.
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The Vangaon police from Palghar district found the bodies of a man and woman who were in a relationship, hanging from a tree in the jungle on Thursday morning. As the area is under the jurisdiction of the Boisar police, the Vangaon police informed them. The Boisar police conducted a panchanama and sent the bodies for autopsy to the local government hospital.

The man and woman have been identified by the police. According to police sources, the victims belonged to Boisar, and while the man stayed at Hanuman Nagar, the woman stayed at Ganesh Nagar. Investigation revealed that they worked in the same company in Boisar MIDC. Police sources revealed that they had fallen in love and wanted to live together, but were both married.

Hemant Katkar, Palghar District police PRO said, "The bodies were found at around 8 am. They were identified late in the afternoon. They were missing from June 25 and their family members were looking for them, but no missing complaint was made. No suicide note was found, but an ADR was registered and the investigation is on."

Also Read: Mumbai: 21-year-old student hangs herself in Worli hostel

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The Navy was deployed to evacuate train commuters stranded at the Nallasopara station in Mumbai due to flooding of railway tracks between Nallasopara and Vasai Road stations, officials said on Wednesday.

Following a request from the Western Railway, the Western Naval Command deployed high-chassis vehicles that could traverse the flooded areas and reach the stranded commuters, a Defence spokesperson said this morning. Mumbai has been experiencing heavy rains for the past 48 hours resulting in water-logging in several areas which has severely hit road and rail transport also.

The Western Naval Command has been maintaining rescue teams and emergency equipment to provide assistance to Mumbaikars in emergent situations, the spokesperson said.

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A Bandra boy is bringing back the music from the streets of Mumbai in a new avatar, with the debut of the ensemble Bombay Brass this Friday. And who better to combine the essence of Bombay and jazz than Rhys Sebastian, who was brought up by his musician mother Merlin D'Souza and grandfather, cello maestro Sebastian D'Souza? "It was inspiring to watch my mother work and provide for the family. The possibility of doing something apart from music — writing about football, for example — was there, but this is where I belong," the 30-year-old Manchester United fan shares.

Rhys Sebastian

His new ensemble, comprising Robin Fargose (trumpet), ID Rao (tenor sax), Ramon Ibrahim (trombone), Jehangir Jehangir (drums), Saurabh Suman (bass), Zohran Miranda (guitar) and Rahul Wadhwani (keys), is a result of his quest for his own sound and is more about experiencing the music than about just being a collective, Sebastian says. "It's about bringing the musical experience from the streets to the stage and giving it back to the audience. I love that energy and we tap into the same, making it inclusive for musicians as well as the audience," he adds.

In a way, their music will bring together Bombay and New Orleans, he points out. "I've always loved the hustle and bustle of Bombay, which I feel is a distant relative of New Orleans. Both have similar street music, with a lot of brass [like in wedding bands here]. I love the rawness of that sound. I love the freedom of expression in both these cities. What we are doing is not something that I have seen here," he adds.

Saurabh Suman

Besides doing Amy Winehouse and Stevie Wonder covers, the band will also have some Shankar Jaikishan songs that Sebastian's grandfather had originally rearranged. "I love Bollywood songs from the '60s and '70s, like Mera Naam Joker. I'm looking forward to bringing that back with a lot of brass," Sebastian informs. Their two originals for the evening promise to talk about the city, including about the traffic on the roads.

Sebastian is also working on a project called The Bartender with music director Mikey McLeary, where they will reinvent old songs from the '60s and '70s with a 10-piece band that will include three horn players and vocalists Shalmali Kholgade, Saba Azad, Rachel Varghese and Anjuli Sarvanaman.

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It was a buzzing Sunday on Day 2 of the plastic ban for shops across the state - not in terms of business, but with respect to the flurry of activity from the relentless raids by the respective civic bodies and the fines slapped on establishments found in possession of banned items.

On Day 2 of the ban on single-use plastic, BMC fined 72 shops of the 867 inspected establishments. Also, inspection report was issued to five shops for not paying fine. Most of this happened in Chembur and surrounding areas.

Vendors cover their carts with plastic sheets

On Sunday's action, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (special) Nidhi Choudhary tweeted, "Squads visited 867 establishments so far Banned Plastic found at 72 shops IR given to 5 (for not paying fine) Total plastic seized 591.67 kg Best thing is less than 10% were found with products under #PlasticBan. Most have complied to #PlasticBan Kudos to Mumbaikars (sic)".

Others use it for veggies, ban notwithstanding

In Pune, locals seemed to have made peace with the ban, as no protests were reported. While small-scale businesses did use plastic on the sly for rangoli and cut vegetables, most citizens were seen carrying cloth bags for shopping.

Fish sellers abandon their thermocol boxes in Dadar after the plastic ban comes into effect. Pics/Ashish Raje

Sunday saw no civic action in Pune, leading to a few, mainly meat shops, using plastic bags. Deputy chief of PMC Suresh Jagtap said, "Today [Sunday] being a holiday, we didn't conduct any raid; but tomorrow, we will go full throttle. We've appealed to citizens to hand over plastic in their homes to the respective ward office."
Inputs by Chaitraly Deshmukh

Two labourers were killed on Friday after falling from the eighth floor of an under-construction building here, a disaster control official said. The incident occurred when they were fitting window panes of the Shabari Park building, coming up opposite the RK Studios in Govandi suburb.

Suddenly they lost their balance and fell nearly 80 feet below, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official said.

Other workers rushed them to the Shatabdi Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

It is not clear if they were wearing safety belts or whether a safety net was installed below to prevent such accidents.

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A woman's spirit is one of ability, perseverance, and courage no matter the situation or circumstance. This women's Day Viviana Mall in association with Nina Foundation is celebrating these abilities and perseverance of differently-abled women. The abilities of Women on wheelchairs.

A stand - up comedy act, a wheelchair acrobatic performance and a fashion show all by women on wheelchairs to celebrate the many abilities these women have that makes them just like us. In addition, there will be a special talk by Virali Modi and Dr. Ketna Mehta on the special occasion of Women's Day.

The event will kickstart a campaign to provide job opportunities and the required skills training to equip them with opportunities for the future by inviting organisations and institutes to make provision for these women!

When: March 7, 2019 at 5.30 pm onwards

Where: Viviana Mall, Thane

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Unidentified persons allegedly tried to withdraw nearly Rs 26 crore through cheques by forging signatures of senior civic and health officials from Thane district in Maharashtra, police said on Sunday. However, their attempts were foiled by alert bank officials, a police spokesperson said.

Two banks informed the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) that some unidentified persons came to their branches in Pune and Chennai in the last few days carrying cheques worth around Rs 26 crore and bearing signatures of civic commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal and health officer R T Kendre, the official said. They informed the TMC that these persons wanted to deposit the cheques in favour of some private organisations.

On cross-checking with the TMC about such high-value cheques, the banks got to know that those were not issued by the civic body, she said. Later, during verification, the cheques were found to be carrying forged signatures and stamps of the senior civic and health officials, she said.

Based on a complaint by the civic body, an offence was registered on Saturday against unidentified persons under various Indian Penal Code sections for forgery and cheating, the police spokesperson said. No arrest was made so far, she said, adding that a probe was underway in the matter.

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"Empowerment is such a frequently used term. Sab bolte hai. But what it really implies is to just be yourself," Avantika Mathur asserts. The 30-year-old artist from Navi Mumbai has been making graffiti on the city's walls for years — and in some cases, the street lamp got there after the artwork did. "Art is a powerful medium, but street art is the best form to explain an ideology. It's an open gallery," she adds. And next week, Mathur along with six female artists will transform the neighbourhood of Marol into a gallery through Ladies First, India's first women-only street art festival.

Walls spanning over 10,000 sq ft will be painted on in Marol Village

The week-long event organised by Marol-based graffiti agency Wicked Broz in collaboration with the Military Road Residents Welfare Association, will see artists paint on multi-storied buildings and running walls spanning over 10,000 sq ft. Although talks about putting together a street art festival were in the works for a year, the idea of turning it into a women's-only event culminated from a Rajasthan trip in January that the organisers were part of. Rikis D Santander, a street artist from Chile, had mentioned that not only were India's gullies overcrowded, but very few women were part of that crowd.

Avantika Mathur

"Even globally there are very few female-centric events. Someone even asked us why women need a separate festival. I said that if I count the number of women who paint on the streets, that number will still be miniscule. Until we don't celebrate these artists, people won't be motivated to come out and paint," Zain Siddiqui of Wicked Broz explains, adding that they initially conceptualised a grander event with more artists. "But a lot of festivals happen as a one-time thing and then disappear. We didn't want that," he says, while proceeding to talk about the line-up that includes Abigail Aroha Jensen from New Zealand, Delhi-based Anpu Varkey and Ratna Singh, a Warli artist.

Zain Siddiqui

"The styles are diverse and we haven't only restricted ourselves to graffiti because we don't want to go around painting something ambiguous. It should mean something," Siddiqui tells us, while Mathur adds, "While Anpu paints large animals, I follow a bohemian surrealist style, which is all about finding yourself."

MC Manmeet Kaur

In addition to wall painting, Ladies First will also feature workshops, exhibitions of canvas work by participating artists, talks and film screenings. Hip-hop cyphers by female artistes such as Goa-based rapper MC Manmeet Kaur is also scheduled to take place. And on the last day, the public (including men) will be free to create artwork on a large wall. As Mathur says, education is key. "For people to appreciate street art, it is necessary that they understand it first. So, each piece we create will have a narrative."

ON March 25 to 31, 9 am to 6 pm
AT Bharat Van, Military Road, Marol Art Village, Andheri East.
CALL 8887795823
Email ladiesfirststreetart@gmail.com

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While speculations of Malaika Arora and Arjun Kapoor getting married in April were rife, the former was seen making the most of summer nights by partying with her girl squad - Kareena Kapoor Khan, Amrita Arora Ladak, Delnaz Daruwala, Mallika Bhat and Vahbiz Mehta. Amrita Arora's husband Shakeel Ladak and fashion designer-producer Vikram Phadnis were also part of the bash, which was held at Shakeel-Amrita's residence.

Well, the terrace party seemed to be one crazy night, and the pictures that the celebs shared from the bash, doing rounds on social media, are proof enough!

Malaika Arora posted this picture on her Instagram account and captioned: "Summer nights .... terrace nights @amuaroraofficial @shaklad @vahbizmehta @delnazd @mallika_bhat @vikramphadnis #bebo#ammusterrace [sic]"

Shakeel Ladak with wife Amrita Arora and her best friend Kareena Kapoor Khan. Bebo looked stunning in a black crop top and high waisted jeans, Amrita opted for a black crop top and printed shorts.

Group picture - (L to R) Malaika Arora, Amrita Arora Ladak, Vahbiz Mehta, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vikram Phadnis, Delnaaz Daruwala and Shakeel Ladak

Malaika and Vahbiz Mehta posed for a selfie. Vahbiz had also accompanied Malla to her Maldives vacation.

Well, this picture of Amrita Arora kissing her husband, shared by Vahbiz Mehta on her Instagram stories caught everyone's attention. Isn't it romantic? 

This one too stole our hearts! Amrita Arora and Shakeel Ladak completed ten years of their marriage on March 4, 2019. The couple tied the knot on March 4, 2009. The two have been inseparable. They have two sons, Azaan (9) and Rayaan (7).

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Summer nights...... #bebo♥ï¸Â#ammusterrace

A post shared by Malaika Arora (@malaikaaroraofficial) onApr 18, 2019 at 11:03am PDT

Looking at the pictures, this indeed looked like one perfect summer night!

Also Read: Malaika Arora and Arjun Kapoor spotted at a hospital in Bandra, see photos

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Popular photo and video sharing app, Instagram, rolled out an interesting "call-to-action buttons" for businesses on Wednesday. With the help of this feature, Instagram users can now book tickets, order food, make appointments and reservations from the app itself. 

With "Instagram Direct" and by adding these buttons to their profile, businesses would help customers connect with the third-party partners from the platform.

"Starting today, businesses will have a better way to manage their messages. Users will be able to see important new customer messages in the main 'Direct' inbox, instead of in the pending folder," the company said in a blog post.

"Users will also be able to star and filter conversations to come back to messages they would want to follow up on. Additionally, in the coming weeks we'll begin testing quick replies so that you can easily respond to common questions," the company said.

According to Instagram, over 200 million users visit a business profile every day and over 150 million people have conversations with businesses through Instagram's "Direct" every month. The Facebook-owned app plans to expand this list to cover partners across all countries aiming to help businesses have more opportunities to connect and communicate with their customers.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

Do you also start watching a video on YouTube and lose track of time following the recommended/autoplay list? Google wants to tell you that it is concerned over this habit of yours and has inserted a nifty new feature to its video service.

As part of its focus on digital well-being, Google has added a feature to YouTube called 'take a break' which notifies you when you have exceeded a specific amount of consecutive viewing time, The Verge reports.

The feature is optional, and just like how you might scold a little one for exceeding their television viewing time, the feature will show you a prompt when you lose track of time.

You can enable it through the Settings menu and selecting 'Remind me to take a break'. You can choose from options ranging from 15 minutes to 180 minutes.

Whether or not it really contributes to a healthy digital well-being is something we are yet to see, but it surely gives an easy way of timing the consumption of the addictive video service.

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Targeted at millennials, Chinese smartphone maker OPPO on Tuesday debuted its sub-brand "Realme 1" smartphone in India for Rs 8,990 (3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage model).

The 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant is priced at Rs 13,990.

The smartphone comes with the world's first 12-nm Artificial Intelligence-based MediaTek Helio P60 chipset with "AI shot" technology.

"Realme 1 is focused at young online consumers and is primed to be a market disruptor with a stylish design," Madhav Seth, Chief Executive Officer, Realme India, said in a statement.

The device will be available on Amazon India, starting May 25, in diamond black and solar red colour variants.

A third variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage, in moonlight silver and diamond black colours for Rs 10,990 will go on sale in June.

Realme users will have access to over 500 OPPO service centres across the country with guaranteed 90 per cent repair cases resolved within an hour.

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Facebook has rolled out new updates in its Stories feature that are available for the users in India first and will reach the global users later.

One such update is "Voice Posts" that will let users share their thoughts via audio to their friends and families.

"Voice posts lets you share in the moment without having to share a photo or video. This could also help people who can't necessarily write in the language they want to share in," Connor Hayes, Director of Product Management, Facebook Stories, wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.

People will now be able to save the photos and videos they capture through the Facebook camera, where only they can see them when they log into their Facebook account.

"This allows people to save the photos and videos they capture without taking up space on their phone," the post read.

It can also be used to save photos you might want to share later, so you don't have to edit or post them while you're out with your friends and instead enjoy the moment and share them later.

"In the coming weeks we're rolling out an archive for people to save the stories most important to them. After a photo disappears from your story, you can find it in your story archive - a place only you can see. You can always choose to not save them," said the post.

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Illustration/Ravi Jadhav

For years, every time I've gone to a beauty parlour, yaniki, what fancy folks now call salon, one of the ladies there will ask me in that characteristic beautician tone — yaniki, terrorism masked as concern — "eyebrows nahin karaate ho?" (don't you 'do' — thread and shape — your eyebrows?). Depending on my confidence levels (usually low, an unavoidable side effect of entering a beauty parlour) my 'no' might be uttered with giggling diffidence, false hauteur, or bland deflection. The response of the beauty parlour lady is always the same — "accha?", yaniki, "fine, be that way." It's on your head. Don't come crying to me afterwards. I toh have done my due diligence by asking." Sometimes, feeling a little bold, I would ingratiatingly say, "The natural shape is pretty nice na, so why get into one more jhamela." The beautician will give that sweeping, sarcastic glance at my eyebrows and say, "Haan, vaise toh it's fine", yaniki, pity and disdain, bechari thinks natural is a thing.

This has been a consistent question, of course, but as any random or regular beauty parlour visitor knows, there are others, spoken in a special voice designed to decimate your ego and turn you into a trembling supplicant, begging for beauty treatments. "Last clean up kab kiya tha?" (When's the last time you had a facial?). "Feets ko bleach nahin kara na? Bahut tanning ho gayi hai." (Don't bleach your feet? They're very tanned).

It doesn't matter if you by-hearted The Beauty Myth when you were 15, you will be engulfed by that doomful self-hate and self-doubt start, like a seventh grader in the principal's office. The crushing stereotypes of advertising are laughable wannabes compared to the beauty parlour interrogation.

These questions derive part of their potency from the fact that you are trapped in electric chair type furniture, usually with a giant plastic bib tied around you as if you still cannot be trusted to eat properly, leave alone look presentable, and several other people getting their eyebrows done, or doing others' eyebrows around, who will come to a cinematic halt and stare at you when you admit that you are not one of them.

This potency is only slightly reduced by the advent of app-based home beautician services. To the usual litany of questions they also add, "Ma'am, braazil karalo na, sab karate hain" (Ma'am, everyone gets a Brazilian wax now). You can answer coldly or pretend to be immersed in your phone, like teenagers do with parents. But dude, these are young women who magically produce footstools and pedicure tubs from a backpack. They are not so easily daunted.
With the passage of time, the questions have dwindled. I've relaxed slowly into the truth that as you approach the out-point of the conventional marriageable age zone, the beautician, like the world, starts to expect less conformity from you. The eyebrow question now comes at me only once in every five times.

It was obviously too good to be true. Last week as I submitted to the plastic bib, the beauty parlour lady looked at me with that familiar intent look. "Hair colouring nahin karate?" she asked, checking out my now no longer tentative greys. "Nahin," I said, stoically, preparing for a couple of decades of this now.

Paromita Vohra is an award-winning Mumbai-based filmmaker, writer and curator working with fiction and non-fiction. Reach her at www.parodevipictures.com

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Illustration/RAVI JADHAV

Concern is sometimes a mask for control. This is interestingly true when it comes to films that are concerned about the situation of women. If these "concerned" films attract censorship, then they control even more subversively. They become imbued with a revolutionary halo, becoming an urgent cause to be supported, a badge of honour, not a film that tells us deep truths about our lives.

The film Nude arrived on a white horse, after a similar symbolic battle. It's very title had disturbed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It traces the journey of Yamuna after she leaves her village and her brutish husband and becomes a nude model in the JJ School of Arts, with her aunt's help, going on to sit for some famous artists. She has a parallel journey, from shame to pride in work, which is shown minimally. But in the end, she alienates her son and feels defeated and hopeless.

Nude has it's good points — the interesting subject, the strong performances from Kalaynee Mulay and Chhaya Kadam in the main roles, tiny flashes of earthy humour.

But on the whole, it is a plodding work of bad faith and a strangely colonial mindset. Here is a film in which the two main characters are women, which should be evidence of concern and interest in women. Yet they are given hardly any interiority or room to be more than an example of social issues. That's because many such films are not about the characters. They are really about establishing the filmmaker as a noble and high-minded being who will uplift women.

There are only three types of people in the film. There is the poor woman who needs saving from her own men; poor men, who are portrayed as bestial or passive; and bhadralok middle-class artists who are noble and pious with the higher purpose of art. The point is taken, that, cruel or benign, to all of them the woman is an instrument. But this is unfortunately as true of the filmmakers who bring no irony to looking at this 'higher purpose'. Why are there no middle-class women in the film? There are some token women art students — but they never speak, nor is there a single shot of a woman art student drawing a nude.

This absence further prevents any complications in the story of class, caste and gender relations. Complications about what it means to draw a naked woman, exalt her as Devi or pure spirit (the body is the garment of the spirit as one character says unctuously) to serve other people's higher purpose for a paltry pay. To the artist, the model is just a body. To the filmmaker, too, the woman is mostly a victim, a sufferer in search of a saviour.

In such films, women can never truly free themselves from circumstances. They are imprisoned in dead-end film narratives forever to serve the purpose of saviour-filmmakers in films like Nude, Pink and even Lipstick Under My Burkha. Why would filmmakers conceive of different meanings of women's lives, which point to a certain liberation, when these upliftment projects accrue such rewards and privileges? It is only when we, the audience decline to be grateful for this self-serving false realism, that we can hope for stories more true to the complexities of our lives.

Paromita Vohra is an award-winning Mumbai-based filmmaker, writer and curator working with fiction and non-fiction. Reach her at www.parodevipictures.com

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The BMC has claimed to be monsoon-ready this year, but it’s highly unlikely that the city roads will be pothole-free. File Pic

I like waiting for the BMC to issue proclamations of all kinds based on whatever mystical tests it uses instead of science. It will tell us when the rains are expected, for instance, then promptly issue a new date 24 hours before the original one, citing fresh new information that has probably been sent to its meteorologists via WhatsApp. It will talk about how much water will be collected in our lakes and rivers, then revise that figure every three weeks depending on what percentage of water cuts it can announce for free publicity. I suspect a lot of BMC employees spend their days simply dreaming up new statements to issue, because doing this is a lot easier than completing any actual work.

The good news is, it claims to be monsoon-ready this year. Yes, it claimed to be monsoon-ready last year, too, and the year before, and the decade before, but why should that stop it from issuing a new press release about how it is definitely monsoon-ready this year? If it doesn't issue these statements, how is it supposed to justify the thousands of crores that are poured into our streets and mysteriously vanish before touching the asphalt?

This year's statement says that only 522 roads continue to remain dug up in the city. This presumably does not include the street outside your home or mine, or any street you pass over the next week, because finding a street that isn't dug up in Mumbai is almost like finding proof that our ministers have actually been to school. Apparently, completing road repair and renovation work in the city is definitely the target, which isn't surprising because it has been the target since man first set foot on the Moon. I assume this doesn't include the roads that have been torn apart for the Metro, of course, because the chances of them being smooth and pothole-free in your lifetime or mine are a billion to one.

The Andheri-SEEPZ line of the Metro runs just outside Andheri station towards Versova. The street it tore up and demolished over a decade ago has yet to recover. It has turned into an unofficial market, with commuters now long used to the idea of going around in a wide circle in order to hit SV Road. One can't help, but use that as a benchmark when thinking about what the city will look like when the current Metro projects are finally complete, a century from now.

Our civic body - I use those words loosely, of course - has reportedly prepared a plan of completing work on 1,106 roads in several categories during the financial year 2018-19, with roads classifieds into categories of project roads, priority 2 and priority 3 roads. This must have taken them a few months, because everyone knows how important the task of naming plans or renaming roads is, and how these discussions can go on late into the afternoon. Project roads are easy to spot because they exist in various states of disrepair all around us, but it's hard to figure out the difference between priority 2 and priority 3 roads. In a city that is home to millions of commuters an hour, one would assume all roads are a priority, but that is clearly not the case.

Project roads are also supposed to undergo complete reconstruction, which is BMC-speak for 'we are going to tear them down and start again, and use your taxes to do it a few more times'. The statement didn't just talk about the future though; it also claimed that work on 879 roads was completed by the end of April. Chew on that when you dislocate your shoulder in a rickshaw on your next trip.

I'm pretty sure the fault lies with us. We are the ones who prevent the BMC from focusing on more important things like memorial plaques and compel it to waste valuable time and money on insignificant issues like pothole-free, monsoon-ready roads. If you care about your city and respect the BMC, you should do the right thing and avoid the roads. Work online instead of at an office, chat with friends and relatives via video calls, and educate your children with the help of YouTube videos. Don't use roads until the pesky monsoons are over. Stay at home instead.

When he isn't ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He tweets @lindsaypereira Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

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illustration/RAVI JADHAV

There are many reasons to feel ambivalent about having family members as Facebook friends. One of them is almost certainly the fact that they are constantly outing your childhood pet names with alacrity, calling you Pappu, Bobby, Guddu, Noni, Chintu, Tumpa, Monu and so on in public, as if you are the chillar party in a family wedding.

While my immediate family members have been trained in this matter, those in my extended family have failed me hazaar times. "Very nice article, beta (insert pet name)" they will say. I heartlessly and instantly delete these comments. You might say this is draconian. I could just ask them not to. Anyone who has tried this will know it is useless. First, they will be wounded and utter filmi dialogue like "I am sorry I have done something improper. I won't darken your Facebook wall again." A few days later they will comment on your profile picture, "looking very nice (insert pet name)."

Why does this bother us so much? After all, it is the most natural thing to give silly names to people we love. Diminutives, nonsense words, private jokes, comical qualities that fill us with affection all make up the galaxy of nicknames. We don't seem to care when names our friends called us in youth emerge. It is the family pet name, yaniki ghar ka naam, that seems to mortify us.

Perhaps it is just the strangeness of being returned to childhood states that some don't like, a reminder of a time when we were taken less seriously and had little autonomy.

Maybe it is something about having the private emerge in the public, without our consent that makes us feel vulnerable. This may seem strange in times when privacies are constantly shared online, but it reveals how public privacies might be as much a construction as public selves. Perhaps there is an uncertainty, hovering on the edge of shame, about that private 'home' identity. Pet names are a reminder of the time before we learned to see our family as part of social hierarchies of caste and class, language and provinciality. For most, in a society as hierarchical as ours, the transition from childhood to adulthood is also one of painful realisation of difference, about our tastes and habits not always aligned to the social norms of upward mobility. A reminder of the first time someone mocked us for something unfashionable about our families.

This discomfort is far more prevalent among English speaking Indians, because it also exposes a certain sub-Englishness in our Englishness, the kitsch elements of families' aspirational cosmopolitanism. The careful facades dissolve as we build as adults suddenly seem like glass houses. Our insecurities that we will never really fit in, never be cool enough swirl up to the surface. We may develop ironic, even affectionate distance from many parts of the past, but the pet name is too earnest for that.

Only two types of people are not embarrassed by their pet names. Royal family types who go by Bubbles and Toffee and other names from P G Wodehouse, reeking of English aristocracy wannabe-ness. That tells us much about the casual confidence of class and caste. The other, are people supremely self-confident and secure about being loved. They are happy to be everyone's children, always, lucky things.

Paromita Vohra is an award-winning Mumbai-based filmmaker, writer and curator working with fiction and non-fiction. Reach her at www.parodevipictures.com

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Order of the day
Start your week with Before Sunset
8 pm – 11 pm: Some films one can never watch enough. If you call yourself a die-hard Richard Linklater fan then you wouldn’t want to miss the chance of watching this film. Join Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as they meet nine years after they first found each other serendipitously, on the streets of Vienna. One of the finest performances from the lead pair, this one never gets old.
14 Monday
WHERE: Drishyam VFX, Andheri West
Entry: R200
log on to: www.1018mb.com

Enjoy some spontaneous laughter
7.30 pm: Tired of the same old rehearsed lines? Then this act is for you. Mosey on to Bandra this evening where you will be treated to some improv comedy. There’s no pre-written material and your stand-up for the day, Max Fernandes, will pick up from you to bring humour on the go. You can be a participant (recommended) or a passive audience. Take your pick.
15 Tuesday
where: The Cuckoo Club, Bandra
Entry: Rs 200
Call: 9619962969

Give in to some waffle pleasure
1 PM onwards: You’ve managed to make it through Monday and Tuesday. So, you need a little treat. Celebrate the day at The Waffle Factory and avail their offers on shakes and iced teas. The offer is on every Wednesday right up until August 29. So, if you have a friend you meet only mid-week, this can become a standing date. Sweet idea? We think so, too.
16 Wednesday
where: The Waffle Factory (across outlets)

Hear the women out
9.30 PM: It’s not often that you hear women take the stage in India’s Indie music scene. Which is why #ladiesfirst is an initiative that needs your support. This evening, Social Offline x nrtya will host the Nush Lewis band and Ladies Compartment. Your ears, tonight, will be treated to jazz, blues, American folk, indie, and Carnatic Indian classical traditions.
17 Thursday
Where: Todi Mill Social, Near Viva Center, Lower Parel West
Entry: Rs 400
Call: 65110361

Relive Bollywood’s golden melodies
6.30 pm: Why should every evening out be about Western music? Relive some good old Bollywood memories as a host of playback singers along with live musicians bring to the stage, the tunes of Laxmikant-Pyarelal. And, if you are a fan, then one more reason to not give this a miss: Pyarelal Sharma Ji himself will conduct the whole 40 piece orchestra team and singers.
18 Friday
Where: Shanmukhananda Hall, Sion
Entry: Rs 250-Rs 3,000
Call: 24078888

Make your own organic make-up
2 PM to 5 PM: This is what we have always wanted. Make-up that’s organic, not tested on animals and perfectly suitable for our own skin. The Mumbai Fashion Academy is hosting this workshop where you will learn how to make your own concealer stick, liquid foundation, powder cake, make up remover and more. All material will be provided.
19 Saturday
Where: Mumbai Fashion Academy, Parel
Entry: Rs 2500
Call: 9769671960

Take it slow this time
If you think speed dating is not quite your thing, there’s the option to try this. Life of Line, a speed-dating company is slowing things down with this unique event. Participants will get to spend 30 minutes with the eligible singles of their choice, as opposed to the regular eight minutes. The custom category has been created following feedback from over a 1,000 people. The idea is to give more time to the right person. Life of Line verifies the profiles, both professional and social. The profiles of your date is shared ahead of the meet.
When: 3 pm, May 26 
Where: Hoppipola, 5th Lane, Ramkrishna Nagar, Khar West
Entry: Rs 3,999
Log on to: bookmyshow.com

See flowers in all their arty glory
Bas Meeuws is a Dutch photographer known for his photographic still life series. This exhibition titled Spring In The Wintertime is being presented in India for the first time. It’s a selection of 43 photographs that also includes a previously unseen work.
When: 11 am to 6.30 pm, 
till May 31 
Where: Tarq, Colaba 
Call: 66150424

Enjoy handcrafted cocktails
Here are the drinks that promise to take you through the heat. The summer-themed drinks at Nara are inspired from those in Thailand. Sip on cocktails like Chiang Rai (Mango and Galliano), Chiang Mai (Mango mojito), Mae Sot (pineapple and Bacardi). For a fruity mix, try the Kerff Rot Spritz and the raspberry and cranberry drink. There’s also the Thai Monk and the Fangs Tonic, which is a spin on the gin and tonic.
When: 12 pm to 1 am 
Where: Nara, Raheja Towers, BKC 
Call: 61378080

Catch the Boyzlife
The two-member band Boyzlife featuring Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden, formerly of Boyzone and Westlife respectively, are in India for the first time. Their concert titled Boyzlife Live will feature a blend of the greatest hits for their former bands. The Boyzlife show has been performed several times since 2016 and Mumbai will get to see it finally. For 90s kids especially, this concert would make for an ideal trip down memory lane.
When: 7 pm onwards, May 19
Where: Dublin Square, Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla
Entry: Rs 1,000-Rs 1,750
Log on to: bookmyshow.com

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Things have not been going well for The Simpsons. Aside from the fact that it became America's longest running scripted TV series last month, having clocked 636 episodes. Last November, Hari Kondabulu, in his documentary The Problem With Apu, drew the world's attention to what Apu really was — a problem. The characterisation of this immigrant convenience store owner who had a PhD and eight children was sharply criticised. Describing Hank Azaria's voice of Apu, Kondabulu said it resembled "a white guy doing an impression of a white guy, making fun of my father".

The world took note, but, the creators of the series decided there was no problem with Apu. In a veiled attack on Kondabolu's film, the "Apu problem" is dismissed as a hazard of being "politically incorrect" in the words of Lisa, in an episode titled No Good Read Goes Unpunished. That, followed by The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening saying that people "love to pretend they are offended", it was a slippery slope for Apu and his makers. And while keyboard crusaders continue to express their ire, Indian-American producer Adi Shankar and John Rhodes, co-founder of a Hollywood screenwriting talent-discovery platform, launched a contest inviting writers to rewrite Apu. The winning script shall be pitched to the The Simpsons' makers. Here are three writers who have been on the job.

'I changed his voice'
Shreyas Manohar, 23, screenwriter

Nagpur born Shreyas Manohar moved to the US three years ago. He just graduated from Columbia university in English and Creative writing. He had also been working on spec scripts for diversity TV programs conducted by CBS and NBC, especially The Simpsons and Veep, when he came across this contest. "I couldn't comprehend how a show of this calibre could address the controversy in such a tone-deaf manner," he says. Priyanka Chopra was not the only one asked in high school in the US why wouldn't she speak like Apu. "One of my closest friends once remarked, 'If you could talk normally, would you?' It was hurtful, but, not surprising." Manohar's Apu in Much Apu About Nothing enrolls in an accent workshop being taught by Peter Sellers, the actor who inspired the character of Apu. The trials that the episode takes Apu through lends him a manner of speaking that's not a lazy caricature. "I changed Apu's voice, so that his actual voice, and not just his accent, is heard," he says.

'He could be more useful'
Forest Kirst, 61, flight instructor

A flight instructor by profession, 61-year-old Forest Kirst started watching the show in the early 90s. His students would carve Apu, Bart, Lisa in aluminum and brass. When Kirst learnt about the contest, he wanted to try his hand in creating a new Apu, because he too had certain reservations. Having travelled extensively in India and Pakistan, Apu's accent did not sit well with him. "It's annoying, but comical. It's a product of how the writers of the show remember accents of convenience store employees in LA." Kirst's Apu in Apu Saves Springfield is a hero. "I feel Apu could be a more useful character. In my story, world leaders and spies are on the hunt for Apu, the hacker. My Apu could use his knowledge in computers to reprogram a nuclear reactor. He could block Trump from tweeting thus saving the US from much embarrassment. But, Apu must remain a comedy character, who calmly runs his store while keeping his brilliance a secret." He points out that everyone on the show is a stereotype. "They are bumbling idiots. I hope people don't think Americans are as dumb and fat as depicted on this show."

'He reminded me of my dad'
Herman Dhaliwal, 25, aspiring filmmaker

Born to immigrant parents, Herman Dhaliwal grew up in Charlottesville. His dad, who passed away in 2015, used to own a convenience store. "Seeing any Indian guy on TV who owned a convenience store, was of course going to remind me of my father. I would say, both Apu and my dad were comically overqualified for the job. My father was also bit of a workaholic, and, like Apu, he was friendly but also stubborn," says Dhaliwal who was only four when he started watching the show. "Stereotypes are rooted in truth. When taken at face value, and out of context, they become caricatures. As writers, we need to educate ourselves to be able to create something sensitive and human," he says. His script, titled "The World of Apu", is taken from the third installment of Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy. In this story, Apu is mute. "He has an accident at the store and turns mute. The rest of the story has him figuring how to deal with life after that," Dhaliwal says. Apu is not the only character he has changed. "I also wanted to give his wife Manjula something to do. If representation of South Asian men in American media is bad, South Asian women have it worse." In Dhaliwal's story, Manjula, takes on the reins of the store after Apu's accident. The man instead gets to use his skills as a computer science doctorate.

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A result of the 2013 floods, which wreaked havoc and killed thousands of people, is that the river Mandakini, which passes the temple area disappears after a stretch

I happily strut on through the Gaurikund market where vendors pour hot chai and roll parathas for eager yatris freezing under their overalls. It is April 29, the first darshan of the season. I have set out at 4.45 am, dodging horses and men wearing pithoo baskets ready to carry pilgrims to the top. I am in the company of a rishi, who grins at my woollens. "It is going to be sunny today," she says, wrapping a rice-paper thin shawl over her white skirt and blouse.

The path is peppered with signboards advising yatris to check their pace

Trek record
A cobbled path begins where the kaccha road ends. A green signboard reads: Kedarnath 16 km. The 2013 flood washed away the old route. Uttarkashi's Nehru Institute of Mountaineering re-charted the route via Gaurikund and passing Jungle Chatti Bheembali and Linchauli to reach the basecamp. Then, another kilometre leads to the temple. Rain shelters, medical camps, bio toilets and potable water fountains appear frequently.

The path has toilets and food stalls and medical camps are regular intervals

When the going gets tough
Uphill, at gradient 8, I set a steady pace, holding onto an orange railing; matching the sparse spotting of crimson-red Buransh flowers in an otherwise green flora valley. The gushing of a waterfall and a dawn in the breaking lend a quietude broken by enthusiastic cries of "Jai Bhole!" and "Har Har Mahadev!". I stop at each signboard that advises walkers to take regular breaks. An hour of evening walk in the city, I realised, was not enough training to adjust to the thin air quality and keep the body supple.

The flood had washed away the old route

Giving up is easy
Ahead of me, a couple plonks onto a bench. "Aur kitna dur hai," the wife asks. A sweeper, cleaning the tracks, laughs, "Bas che ghante chalte jao. Upar mat dekho (Keep walking continuously for six hours. Don't look up to see how far it is)." By now, I have lost sight of my 58-year-old companion, who has kept a steady lead.
I stare at the green board that reads 14 km, the time is 5.30 am. A tendency to get cramps on my right leg, I am surprised it hasn't revolted yet. But there's a sharp pull in my thigh, a new pain on this new adventure. I think to myself: "Why did I sign up for this? Turn back. Just turn back." Probably from the distress look on my face, a woman on horseback sees me and screams from afar: "Don't give up. You will make it."

The tough get going
This is my first victory. To turn a deaf ear to my feet's pleads. By the time I make it to Bheembali, the road steepens. People who have finished their darshan shower encouraging words and promise the ever-winding road will smoothen. By the time I reach Kedarnath basecamp, the clouds have covered the peaks, and there's a light rain splatter. I follow a group through steep patches that help you cut the road time. Sometimes, I find myself on all fours, holding onto branches. My inspiration pool is slowly evaporating.

Miracles find you
In that moment, the clouds clear and the snow peaks make an appearance. It fills me with gratitude — for everything that is right and wrong in my life. The walk down to the confluence of the Mandakini and Saraswati and dip my hands in the icy cold water. I skip the line to the temple, bow to the dhwaj on the temple and turn around for the road downhill.

A walk to remember
The rains have washed the muddy road and turned it into a sludge fest. I follow a couple and their son down a 'short cut' which catches me off-guard. It is open to the valley, and one wrong step will have me tumbling down. This descent is long but we walk it with a joyous gait. The burden was my own uphill, but now, it is ours to share.

8
No. of hours it takes in a state-run bus from Rishikesh to Sonprayag

Adventure & Religious
Tour & taste
Food and Leisure
Relaxing
Educational

Watch a Panchatantra tale
4 PM: Take your kid for a play, based on a story from the Panchatantra. Written by Vishnu Sharma, Hil Mil Kar, is about how a crow, rat, tortoise and a deer become really good friends and stick together against all problems. This play employs both traditional and modern musical instruments to tell the story.
WHERE: Harkat Studio, Bungalow No. 75,
JP Road, Versova, Andheri West
ENTRY: Rs 200
TO BOOK: insider.in

Dig into nihari gosht
12 PM – 3 PM: Transport yourself to the Royal Era of the Nawabs, with The Sahib Room & Kipling Bar's all-new Dawat-e-Khaas thali, which will allow guests to experience the aromas and taste of Awadhi cuisine. The delicacies include tunday kebab and dum biryanis.
WHERE: The Sahib Room & Kipling Bar, Level 9M, The St. Regis, Lower Parel
PRICE: Non-veg: Rs 3,500; veg: Rs 2,500
FOR RESERVATION: 8291926985

Catch a nature exhibition
11 AM – 7 PM: See how fashion photographer Sunder Ramu romances with nature in one-of-a-kind exhibition, The Last Dance of the Leaves. The series of prints of pictures of dry leaves showcases a world that's both real and surreal. At the core of this exhibition lies the simple belief that we must live like a leaf and to remember that if the leaves go extinct, so will we.
WHERE: Tao Art Gallery, 165, The View, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli
CALL: 24918585

Go shopping for your dream wedding
10 AM – 10 PM: Have a dream wedding in mind, but need help? The Wedding Story might just be what you're looking for. In its very first edition, the pop-up marketplace will offer a unique shopping experience with the most renowned names in the wedding industry under one roof. There will be a wide range of apparel, beauty and grooming, trousseau essentials, lifestyle products to choose from.
WHERE: 18.99 Latitude, 4th Floor, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
CALL: 9967130313

Discover Bandra of yore
May 27, 8 AM: Witness how the neighbourhood of Bandra is preserving its rich culture at a heritage walk, Bandra's Past and Present. The walk explores the unique physical spaces, character and cultures of contemporary Bandra; it spotlights the neighbourhood's particular history and legacies, and attempts by its communities to preserve the same.
MEETING POINT: Bandra Fort
ENTRY: Rs 850
TO BOOK: eventshigh.com

Enjoy a fruity sangria
7 AM – 1 AM: Sip on some refreshing sangrias at Smoke House Deli and deter away from the sweltering heat. One can choose from three uplifting options such as the rosso, melon and bianco. The sangrias come infused with tropical fruits like apples and pomegranate.
WHERE: Smoke House Deli, 33rd Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West
PRICE: Rs 699
CALL: 65287800

Draw a flamenco dancer on canvas
4 PM: Explore your creativity, by painting a flamenco dancer. This will be a guided session, shedding light on the strokes, sketches and techniques to help you paint better.
WHERE: SodaBottleOpenerWala, Sentinel, Powai
ENTRY: Rs 1,850
TO BOOK: insider.in

Paint a mug
1 PM – 4 PM: Beer and coffee lovers, this one is for you. At a fun workshop, you will learn how to paint your beer/coffee mug in five easy steps. You will first pick your mug, after which you'll choose a design or create your own, colour it and give it a name. You will get to take it back home after seven days.
WHERE: Doolally Taproom, 1st Floor,
135 Kwality House, Kemps Corner
ENTRY: R1,500
TO BOOK: eventshigh.com

Order of the day
Set the tone for the week
8 pm onwards: There's no rule that says you must let the Monday morning blues carry on till way after sundown. How about starting the week on a musical note then? Gather your gang and head to this karaoke night, where you can unleash your inner Madonna or Enrique or whoever is your crooning idol.
21 Monday
Where: Tipsy Gypsy, Level 1, Fun Republic,
Link Road, Andheri West
Call: 7021857037

Listen to acoustic fusion
7.30 pm: Bhrigu Sahni is a singer-songwriter known for his acoustic compositions. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sahni is a graduate from Berklee College of Music. He uses altered tunings and flamenco techniques on the acoustic guitar to create a very different kind of soundscape. Give him a listen.
22 Tuesday
Where: The Cuckoo Club, Pali Hill, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 350
Log on to: bookmyshow.com

Get your mid-week break
8 pm onwards: If the words "unlimited sangria" is music to your ears, you would not want to give this a miss. Forget about the long work day and unwind with your poison, along with a buffet. What's more, you can actually dive into this DIY sangria and stir up a fancy concoction according to your taste.
23 Wednesday
Where: BKC Dive, Pinnacle Corporate Part, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East
Entry: Rs 299 onwards
Call: 8655077330

Watch them fight it out
7.30 pm to 9.30 pm: Burqa Boxers is a documentary about Muslim women boxers in Kolkata. These youngsters who face the grim reality of abuse and rape daily, dream of a better future by learning boxing from Razia Shabnam, one of India's first female boxing coaches.
24 Thursday
Where: The Bagel Shop, Anand Vila,
Pali Mala Road, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 250
Log on to: www.instamojo.com

Attend a pro talk
4 pm to 6 pm: Get your dose of wisdom this week from global icon Niladri Kumar, who is a fifth-generation sitar player, and inventor of the zitar. Hear Kumar speak of his musical journey, his understanding of genres and the challenges he managed to conquer.
25 Friday
Where: Soundideaz Academy, Shah Industrial Estate, Andheri West
FREE entry
Call: 7045781807

Dance with your child
11 am to 12.30 pm: This one's for the mothers in the house. If you've wanted your little one to learn how to dance, here's a novel way of getting them started. Instead of sending them to a school, which could be a long-term option, you can actually match your own steps with them.
26 Saturday
Where: Impulse Studio, Tej Gaurav House, Matunga East
Entry: Rs 500
Call: 9987157242

Sample prints from Bengal
Prints from Bengal is an exhibition that features works that date back to the early 20th century by artists of Bengal, who lived through tumultuous periods in history. Think Partition of Bengal, Swadeshi movement, and the subsequent reunion of the state in 1911. The artists whose works will be featured are Gaganendranath Tagore, Mukul Dey, Ramendra Nath Chakraborty, Ramkinkar Baij and Rani Chanda. The prints range from lino-cuts to lithographs that reflect the history of the print-making process, while focusing on forms, structure, texture and use of negative and positive space. Interestingly, many of the works exhibited in Mumbai for the first time, recall the history of the venue of Project 88 that was once a century-old metal printing press.
When: 11 am to 7 pm,
till June 16
Where: Project 88, Colaba
Call: 22810066

Bite into cherry blossom specials
If Japan seems too far at the moment, this could be a close second, at least, food wise. Partake in a sushi-sake festival wherein the menu includes popular Japanese delicacies like a vegetarian miso soup, a sashimi sampler with varieties of salmon, tuna, scallops and hamachi paired with the Hakushika Honjozo Namachozo sake. You can also savour modern spin-offs like sushi burgers. The sake serving is of 60ml per course.
When: 12 pm to 1 am
Where: Pa Pa Ya, all outlets
Entry: Rs 2,199 for veg and Rs 2,999 for non-veg

Get started on Haiku
You've heard and read about haiku, and perhaps have been contemplating trying it out too. This workshop, conducted by Neha Bahuguna is good to get you started. Bahuguna, who is a NID graduate, has a multi-disciplinary approach and has, over the years, worked as a lyricist, writer and conducted storytelling and poetry workshops.
When: 3 pm, May 25
Where: ARTISANS' Gallery, Kala Ghoda
Entry: Rs 1,500
Log on to: insider.in

Watch a film on Pushkar
In Pushkar Puran, filmmaker Kamal Swarup explores the ancient myths and politicking of Indian gods, as the water in the Pushkar lake turns holy. The director has captured the exuberant goings on of this quaint lake town during the Pushkar Mela, revisiting its sacred stories and myths. The film has been beautifully shot by Ashok Meena and Kumar Avyaya.
When: 8.30 to 10.30 pm,
May 26
Where: Harkat Studios, Aram Nagar 2, JP Road, Versova, Andheri West
Entry: Rs 349
Log on to: insider.in

Hear music from the roots
Catch the duo Maati Baani, comprising vocalist Nirali Kartik and composer Kartik Shah. They are known for creating music rooted in traditions but set in a contemporary sound.
When: 8.30 pm, May 24
Where: Sharyans Audeus, Andheri West
Entry: R1,000
call: 26735115

Sign up for this app
Shilpa is an attractive, interactive, user-friendly phone app, touted to be the most popular app of 2018. It can sing, dance, and follow all your commands.
C Sharp B Blunt is a solo performance by Pallavi Arun, that takes a satirical look at the extent to which the female form is objectified. The app, Shilpa, ticks all the boxes in how women should behave with men. Until, of course, the next update is due.
When: 9 pm, May 24 to May 25
Where: Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu
Log on to: www.bookmyshow.com

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Vikhroli resident Dr Suvajeet Duttagupta loves cooking his meals. But, the 31-year-old cinematographer admits that some days are long and tiring and the only option is to order in. Yet, this comes with its share of heartaches. "The worst bit about ordering out is the amount of plastic that they use to package the food. While I make it a point to ask the restaurants not to send any plastic cutlery, there's only so much one can do." But, Duttagupta isn't the only Mumbaikar who wishes ordering in was more environment-friendly. With the plastic ban coming into full effect on June 23, Mumbai establishments have little more than a month to find alternatives. While some places now pack their containers in cloth bags, the containers themselves remain plastic, thus almost negating the good work done. But, there are a few who have switched to eco-friendly alternatives:

The New York Burrito Company

This brand new Mexican quick service restaurant has a takeout menu that includes Mexican bowl, burrito, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, chips with guacamole and more. They use recyclable bagasse trays and kraft bags (made from recycled paper). They also add wooden spoons and forks to their takeout bags. Senil Shah, partner, says,
"As our packaging is eco-friendly and fresh, we don't fear food getting bad. Costs have risen, but we see it as an investment for our future generation's betterment."

Senil Shah, partner, The New York Burrito Company

Where: Chowpatty
Timings: 11 am – 11 pm
Meal for two: Rs 600
Call: 8999347000

29 – Twenty Nine

This pan-Indian restaurant which opened in 2016, is much loved by the patrons for the range of regional dishes (29 states) available under one roof. "We have been experimenting with various packaging material at our Kemps Corner outlet, long before the plastic ban. The packaging material we have found best for our use is made of paper and cornstarch with an eco-friendly dissolvable lamination. This was then applied to all other 29 outlets," says owner Nishek Jain. The initial sourcing of the products came from an exhibition called PackPlus hosted in New Delhi. Certain items, like rabadi with jalebi all come in a kulhad. They pack the curries in an eco-friendly thick-bond-with-lamination pack.

Nishek Jain, owner, 29 - Twenty Nine. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Where: Kemps Corner
Timings: 11 am – 3.30 pm and 7 pm – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: R1,000
Call: 7208022929

O Pedro

This Goan eatery became an instant talk-of-the-town thanks to its mix of flavours soaked in the coastal calm. From healthy options such as corn falafel lettuce wrap to good ol' chorizo chili fry poie, their menu has something for everyone. Before starting their takeaway services, O Pedro's tried and tested their delivery menu so that they knew that the food ordered for delivery would travel well. All these dishes are packed in products made of sugarcane, sorghum and wheat that are sourced locally from Pappco Greenware. "Working without plastic has its own challenges as one is not able to secure or seal in liquids completely, but we seal our boxes with paper tape to reduce chances of spillage," says Yash Bhanage, Partner at O Pedro. He adds, "The quality and the experience of eating the meal is most important for us. Therefore, we are only looking at delivering within a limited radius where we know the food would reach our guests quickly and in the way it was intended to."

30-60
No. of days in which sugarcane bagasse decomposes

Where: Bandra Kurla Complex
Timings: Noon to 1 am
Meal for two: R1,200
Call: 26534700

Mandala

This delivery kitchen offers a wide range of salads, sandwiches and soups. Sticking to their organic living philosophy, they also ensure that their food reaches their patrons in bio-degradable containers made of sugarcane bagasse — the fibrous residue. They source these products from a company that buys the packaging raw material from the UK and then processes it to create biodegradable bowls. The company also provides data on how many carbon credits they save by using their boxes. "We don't add any items on our menu that don't withstand our rigorous testing. This means that we let our food sit out at room temperature for up to an hour to see if it retains its flavour and freshness," says Sarvangi Shah, director of marketing.

Where: Kemps Corner and Prabhadevi
Timings: 11 am-midnight
Meal for two: Rs 700
Call: 8291817376

The Pantry

Tucked in the bylanes of the city's art district, this artsy café is a perfect hideout. The Pantry was established six years ago with principles of using fresh, local produce. This even translates in their packaging where they use food containers made of cornstarch while their straws, sleeves, boxes are all made of paper. Soup containers are made of bagasse. "Liquid foods like soups are the trickiest to pack but as we use bagasse container for the same and they are with an airtight lid which holds liquids safely, it makes it easy to travel," says Sumit Gambhir, the partner at The Pantry. In order to avoid spoilage due to temperature, they ensure that they maintain the delivery timings.

Address: Kala Ghoda, Fort
Timings: 8.30 am – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: Rs 1,400
Call: 22678901

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Representational picture

Washington D.C.: Gaybourhood, or traditionally gay neighbourhood, still face a subtle form of discrimination from 'straight' people. According to a study conducted by the University of British Columbia, straight people living in such neighbourhoods, say they support gay rights in theory, but many interact with their gay and lesbian next-door fellas on the street in ways that contradict those sentiments.

"There is a mistaken belief that marriage equality means the struggle for gay rights is over," said Amin Ghaziani, the study's senior author. "Prejudice and discrimination still exist- it's just more subtle and difficult to detect."

The researchers interviewed 53 straight people, who live in two Chicago gaybourhoods - Boystown and Andersonville.

They found the majority of residents saying that they support gay people. However, the researchers found their progressive attitudes were misaligned with their actions.

While many residents said they don't care if people are gay or straight, some indicated that they don't like gay people who are "in your face".

When asked about resistance from LGBTQ communities to the widespread trend of straight people moving into gaybourhoods, some of the people interviewed responded with accusations of reverse discrimination and described gay people who challenged them as "segregationist" and "hetero-phobic."

Some said they believed they should have open access to cultural gay spaces, and were surprised that they felt "unwelcome" there.

"That feeling of surprise, however, exemplifies a misguided belief that gay districts are trendy commodities when they are actually safe spaces for sexual minorities¿, added Ghaziani.

When the researchers asked residents if they had done anything to show their support of gay rights, such as marching in the pride parade, donating to an LGBTQ organization, or writing a letter in support of marriage equality to a politician, the majority said they had not.

Many also expected their gay and lesbian neighbours to be happy and welcoming of straight people moving into gaybourhoods, expressing sentiments like, "you wanted equality- this is what equality looks like."

With gay pride celebrations fast approaching around the world, Adriana Brodyn, the study's lead author, said it is important to pause and reflect on the state of LGBTQ equality.

"I hope that our research motivates people against becoming politically complacent or apathetic," she said. "If we do not motivate ourselves to be aware of this subtle form of prejudice, then it will just continue to perpetuate."

The study appears in the journal City and Community.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Redoing your office interiors? Try out some of the must-have elements in office spaces like the right furniture, adding nature to the surroundings and activity based settings. Ishan Thacker, Associate Director, Vector Projects (I) Pvt. Ltd. and Amit Ramani, Founder and CEO of Awfis Space Solutions list some recommendations.

1. The right furniture: This plays a pivotal role in any kind of work space setting. Offices need to invest in the right kind of furniture to increase their employees' efficiency. Opt for something that has high functionality over ordinary designs. Adjustable desks and chairs can be a good choice; multipurpose furniture can also be added to save space. Another new entrant in the space is reconfigurable furniture that can be customized as per need. It provides both the required flexibility as well as privacy.

2. Go back to nature: Add in a little nature to your premises with biophilic designs. The latest trend in the office space, the presence of plants and other natural elements can add positivity within the environment and improve the air quality.

3. Activity-based settings: It is exciting to be at a workplace that engages you with diverse group of people and gives you the opportunity to network and collaborate. Flexible workstations, new age cabins, activity-based settings including comfortable couches and beanbags, breakout zones, meeting lounges and pods are some of the attractions in an office that provide a natural crossroad for employees to meet and share ideas, thereby enhancing their motivation levels and productivity.

4. Ergonomic lighting: Our cortisol level drops significantly under artificial and poor lighting conditions and dimly lit workplaces strain the eyes, causing headache and drowsiness. This can lead to poor productivity. Natural light is the best. Daylight that filters through the space not only affects employee well-being but also boosts the energy and mood level. Consider making the best use of natural light and swap the florescent bulbs with personal lamps, string lighting, and soft coloured bulbs to keep your employees alert and attentive.

5. Aesthetic appeal: Everything from layout, to furniture and even artwork is subject to appeal in a workplace. The idea is to create a transcendental experience for the user and to design a warm casual space that works as an incubator for ideas. Materials like wood and metal bring warmth and rustic feel to the space. Keeping in mind the fact that the office workspaces today are dynamic in nature and are witnessing rapid changes, the workplace style should be bold, industrial and vibrant with new age materials, technology and decluttered design vocabulary.

6. Technology: A modern office space is incomplete without the right technology. Integrated systems, fast-speed internet connections and latest hardware and software are things your office must have to appeal to the incoming tech-savvy generations. Not only that, office can also invest in mobile devices or rather agile settings to help one switch easily from one place as to another. The new workforce prefers more flexibility which will in turn result in enhanced productivity.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Nutcracker from Karnataka; pepper mill from Turkey

A day before this writer spoke to chef K Thiru, a 12-feet wide hand-crafted brass plate arrived from Moradabad to add to the display collection at the Museum of Culinary Arts. Inaugurated by its star alumnus, Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna last week, this is the first museum of its kind in the country, which is now a prime attraction of the Department of Culinary Arts at WelcomGroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), Manipal. It dons the look of an ancient giant brass pot and has been a labour of love for Khanna, Thiru, vice principal and head of department of culinary arts, who, together with his team, worked six years to concretise their imagination.

Middle East and India

"Each day some utensil or the other arrives from a corner of the country and even beyond its borders," Thiru tells us over the phone from Manipal. Currently sprawled across the lobby and hall of a 28,000 sq ft culinary arts building, the museum contains 1,000 displays. Thiru and Co. plan to take it to 10,000. The idea of the museum came to Khanna during his early days in America. "We have such a rich culinary heritage, and while certain recipes have long lives, the cooking methods have gone obsolete, with the arrival of modern technology. Yes, we must keep up with times, but it is no less important to preserve history. True learning is a combination of both. It will also help future generations to understand how we have evolved," says 49-year-old Thiru.

Spoons from Europe

Nearly all artifacts have been sourced by Khanna during his travels around the world and to remote corners from India. There is a Turkish coffee set, called Ibrik; a clay cellar storage container from Rajasthan; a 21-piece ancient picnic set from Lucknow, which is a mini cooking range, complete with a bowl, plate, ladle, spoon and a pot, all of which can be dismantled. It's striking that the concept of a cooking range existed back then. That piece is Khanna's personal favourite. There are also churners, hand-blenders with glass jars, an ice cream maker from Lucknow, ceramic ware from Rajasthan and a variety of collectibles from Jammu, Hyderabad and Udipi. Plates made by the Portuguese in India, a 100-year-old ladle used to dole out food at temples of the Konkan and bowls dating back to the Harappan era are the big draws. "Some of the items, back then, must have existed in every household but have not been preserved. Besides Vikas's own collection, we have also asked our students to contribute," Thiru adds.

Currently, the layout of the museum is a makeshift one. "A lot needs to be done as artifacts are regularly added. We are working on creating a rustic look to go with the theme. Tomorrow, if someone else makes a similar museum in another part of India, we will be happy. The aim is to be the pride of the culinary fraternity," Thiru says.

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An auto driver has been arrested by the Mumbai police for looting a senior citizen in Chembur last month. According to the police, the arrested accused has been identified as Subedar Bind, 34. An officer said that on March 23, 72-year-old Kalawati Pednekar was looted by Bind and a friend. Pednekar told the police that on that day she had visited Chembur Gymkhana to attend a wedding.

However, owing to her advanced age, she had become tired and left the reception around 9pm. Outside, she found Bind's auto and got in. On the way to Pednekar's residence in Kalina, the driver stopped his auto near Kurla, where his friend, whose name is not known, got into the auto. Bind told Pednekar that the friend wanted to be dropped off at Kalina.

On the way, he stopped the auto and told Pednekar that because he had some work, the friend would drop her home. Bind's friend drove the auto for a few kilometers when he stopped the auto and told her that the fuel was over and hence he could not drive any further. Pednekar paid him and took another auto home. Once she reached home, she found all her valuables missing from her bag.

She approached the Chembur police and lodged an FIR against the auto driver. An officer said, "We scanned CCTV footage and spotted the accused. On April 26, we arrested him from Uttar Pradesh. We are looking for the other accused." During investigation, the police came to know that Bind had arrived in Mumbai one month ago and had been driving the auto of one of his friends.

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Voter's names missing from lists is not unusual any more. But, in Bhendi Bazaar, an entire building full of voters has vanished from the list, leaving around 100 residents without their right to vote in this election.

Salam Khan, a 32-year-old businessman, has been casting his vote for years. On Monday, however, he got the shock of his life when he was informed that his name was missing from the voters' list. When he returned home, miffed, he discovered that all the residents of his building, Zainabiya, were not on the list for some reason.

"When I reached the polling booth, I was told that my name was not on it. I was very upset. Then when I reached home, my neighbours, too, start complaining about the same thing. Later, we got to know that the name of the building had gone missing from the list. This is such a big mistake, they have lost so many voters," said Khan.

Also Read: Election 2019: Mumbai scrapes through in voting report card

The residents alleged that they heard that because the building was old, the election officer was told that the structure had been demolished for redevelopment. "We cast our last vote during the BMC election in 2017. There was no problem then. But now, the whole building has gone missing. How is it possible?" asked Rasheed Sheikh.

Election 2019: Prominent personalities, other Mumbaikars come out to caste vote!

Crèches at polling booths

The Election Commission roped in Aanganwadi Sevikas on voting day to take care of children coming with their parents to voting centres. While several such Sevikas were seen standing near the polling stations to take care of children so that they don't enter polling booths, other arrangements were made in rooms inside various schools where parents could leave their kids for a short while to vote.

Also Read: Elections 2019: Regular voters find their name missing at polling booths

In Prabhadevi, 147 Aanganwadi workers were roped in for this. A municipal school at Prabhadevi saw about 40 children taken care by these workers throughout the day. Even at Malad, the crèche was a big hit. Vandana Kothekar, who was on election duty and taking care of these kids from Prabhadevi, said, "We saw a good turnout and parents were willing to keep their children as it was just a matter of a few minutes."

Salman Khan, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Kangana, Bachchans step out for voting

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

It is hard to imagine how a single sweet — that otherwise holds hereditary, nostalgic and gastronomical relevance for many — keeps reappearing as a bone of contention between members of the civil society. It was only in March that the tussle between West Bengal and Odisha saw a new facet, with the latter challenging the Geographical Indications’s grant to ‘Banglar Rosogolla’ in November 2017, which stated that the juicy and soul-stirring treat was, in fact, from Bengal.

Now, this guilty pleasure is back in the news, and it reappears as West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s ammo. While campaigning in Raniganj and responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Didi claimed Bengal would be gifting him rosogollas made of clay and filled with gravel instead of votes. And while the two leaders made national headlines engaging in a rather infantile, albeit funny, donnybrook, we kept dreaming about the dessert. If you’re looking for a sweet escape from this political circus, here are few places to hide.

Sweeter than roses

Something that is meant to make people happy is now being used as a weapon in a war of words. It is a rather sad state of affairs," laments chef Jerson Fernandes. At this Juhu eatery, the gulabi rosogolla (R399) gets its name from the rose-scented syrup it’s dipped in. "The trick to making perfect rosogollas is kneading the dough well. We soak the chena dumplings in a rose-water sugar syrup, instead of the regular kind. It also happens to be very popular among patrons," Fernandes shares.

At Jeon, Hotel Sea Princess, Juhu Tara Road. Time 7 am to 12 am Call 26469500

Taste of Bengal

At Sweet Bengal, you can choose from plain rosogolla (R20), special rosogolla (R23) and kesari rajbhog (R25), as well as seasonal versions like mango and jaggery. Manager Chanchal Chakraborty tells us, "We source milk from Bengal to esnure authenticity, and the aim is to arrive at perfectly spongy rosogollas." He adds that they sell 2,500 pieces of the treat in total across the city.

At Sweet Bengal (all outlets). Time 10 am to 10 pm Call 9137155884 (Bandra West)

Café rosogulla

Staying true to their core principles, this restaurant is serving the traditional Bengali sweet with a zany twist. Speaking about the coffee rosogulla (R425), chef Thomas Zacharias says, "Why restrict rosogulla to its sickly sweet sugar syrup and not infuse it with another flavour? We soak the rosogolla in dark espresso and serve it with salted caramel ice cream and a homemade peanut brittle for crunch."

At The Bombay Canteen, Kamala Mills Compound, Lower Parel. Time 12 pm to 1 am Call 49666666

Treat from the past

Opened in 1971, Sandesh Bengali Sweets would originally serve samosa, jalebi and lassi. Then, sometime in the ’80s, the demand for Bengali sweets rose among Mumbaikars and the establishment introduced a range of sandesh and mishti over the years, but the offering began with rosogollas. "Uss time pe Bengali sweet ka ek hi matlab tha — rosogolla [R16]," shares second-generation owner Chandan Singh, adding, "Now, it has become so popular we sell close to 800 pieces a day."

At Sandesh Bengali Sweet, Dharmeshwar Building, TH Kataria Marg, Matunga West. Time 7 am to 10 pm Call 9004104908

Only serve it sweet
Around since the 1940s, Brijwasi Sweets’ Goregaon East outlet specialises in Bengali treats. Owner Anurag Agrawal tells us, when his forefathers introduced Mumbaikars to rosogollas in the ’50s, very few knew about the dessert. Today, it is one of their top-selling items. They serve rosogolla (R13 to R26) as well as rajbhog (R35), which is bigger and has an oozy centre. Asked to comment on the debacle between Didi and NaMo, Agrawal said, "I wouldn’t like to get into politics; all I know is that rosogollas should only be served sweet."

At Brijwasi Bengali Sweets, Sonawala Road, Goregaon East. Time 10 am to 9 pm Call 26863392

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

South Dandies Swaraj rappers, Tamizh (left) and Sean YKV (centre) who are working on their debut album, recently performed with Kadhal Jack (extreme right) of Kacheri Movement in the city. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

“I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There’s no in between. People will either love you for it or hate you for it.” Eminem, the global Rap icon, had elucidated the fundamentals of the genre cogently, whose origins are in Africa and Jamaica. Owing to the free flow, it entered India on a blissful note.

Legendary actor Ashok Kumar offered its first glimpse with the song, Rail Gaadi (Aashirwad), in 1968. Within two decades, the genre found allies in AR Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja. South Dandies Swaraj — a Rap duo comprising Suresh Agailan Bose (Sean YKV) and Rahul Prasad (Tamizh) - are taking forward the legacy, albeit in the independent space. The Mumbai-based group raps in four languages, but their highlight is Tamil.

Message in music
Sean, the lead rapper, wants to bring about a change through an album, that’s in the making. “My motto is Rap for change and Hip-Hop for life. I try to convey a message through every song. I am looking for a producer,” says Sean. The name of the band is suggestive of their South Indian roots. Earlier, the group had more members. “We were a Hip-Hop Collective with nine people, including a miniature artiste and a graffiti artiste. We had to bid goodbye to some members,” he shares.

The 28-year-old from Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) resides in Mahim and believes that rapping in different languages will help him reach out to more people. “It helps me connect to more listeners who understand these languages. We want to take our regional languages abroad,” he adds. Sean also performed alongside Apache Indian and Shankar Mahadevan in his initial days. “I didn’t get any break after those shows. But kids would take my autograph while senior citizens would kiss my hand. They thought my Tamil was retro,” he says.

Society matters
“Our music talks about recycling, rape, terrorism, social media and other social issues,” says Sean, who can also rap in Marathi. His colleague, Tamizh, sticks to Tamil.

One of the singles from the Dandies’ kitty is Idli Vada, the traditional breakfast in South Indian households. “I observed Idli and Vada vendors and wrote a song around their daily struggle, and how they see the society through customers,” explains Sean. The track, Social Kadhal/Pyaar, dwells on the overuse of social networking sites. “The world has become dynamic with Facebook and Twitter. This song is about the youngsters who spend hours on it.” The group also has a track dedicated to the feminists, called Nari Meri Nari.

The Dandies also developed a brother culture, being close to Kacheri Movement, a Rap outfit from Dharavi. They are often seen playing gigs together.

Sean is hopeful about his music’s reach. “I am not a party person. I am interested in the social issues. We know how African Americans changed the face of Hip-Hop when they used music as a vehicle for their struggle. I will try to do the same,” he signs off.

Unlock the mystery of butterflies

12 PM: Attend a session, where you will witness first-hand the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. The session will also include a short introduction on the life cycle of the butterfly, the plants that it attracts, and how you can rear your own winged insect.
WHERE: Green Hope, HDIL Dreams, Bhandup West
ENTRY: Rs 1,000
CALL: 8108900312

Groove with DJ Lloyd

5 PM: Bid adieu to the sun's last rays with DJ Lloyd serving you groovy tunes at Thalassa. A veteran in the music and programming industry, Lloyd Gueizelar, popularly known as DJ Lloyd, performs on psychedelic, house and various genres of electronica. While dancing, you can also dig into the delicious food.
WHERE: Thalassa, 21st Street, Khar (West), Off Carter Road
FOR RESERVATIONS: 9820004018/9820004019
FREE

Create that dynamic poster

BOOK A SEAT
11 AM: Don't miss this interactive Indiefolio masterclass conducted by illustrator Raj Khatri, creative art head of Marching Ants Advertising. At the session, Khatri will discuss the art of making movie posters. With movies having multiple characters — plot lines, venues, and themes — Khatri will talk about how one can package all those nuances and details into one poster. With 14 years of experience behind him, he is the man behind some of the most famous Bollywood movie posters of the last decade, including Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Bang Bang, Kahaani and Baahubali.
WHERE: antiSOCIAL, Rohan Plaza, 5th Road, Khar West,, Mumbai, India 400052
TO BOOK: events.indiefolio.com
FREE

Go on a filmi tour

12.20 pm and 2.30 pm: Hop on for a two-hour guided bus tour of Film City, which will offer you a rare glimpse of the famous studio that has been the venue for some of the greatest movies in Indian cinematic history. If lucky, you may also get to see a live shooting in progress.
WHERE: Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagri, Santosh Nagar, Gate No. 1, Film City Road, Goregaon East
ENTRY: Rs 599
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com

Talk about colour

11 AM: Do you know why there's no pink in a rainbow? Arnab Bhattacharya, a scientist at TIFR and a passionate science communicator, will discuss this and more in a special lecture on why colour is central to our lives.
WHERE: Prithvi Theatre, 20, Janki Kutir, Juhu
CALL: 26149546

Enjoy a Bohri dawat

12.30 PM: Enjoy a shahi home-cooked meal with this curated menu by The Bohri Kitchen. With smoked mutton kheema samosas for starters, and the legendary raan in red masala, lagan ni seekh and saancha ice-cream, your Sunday lunch is going to be a treat. Address and details will be shared once you confirm your presence.
CALL: 9819447438

Surf the coast

4 PM: Take your family out for a sunset sailing experience in the evening. The two-hour boat ride along the Arabian Sea will end with the gorgeous spectacle of dusk settling over the horizon. This could just be the perfect short break you needed to wind down, after a long work-week.
WHERE: Near Taj Mahal Hotel, Jetty No. 5, Colaba
ENTRY: Rs 1,300 per person
CALL: 7738073691

Watch a political satire

7 PM: Make time for a political satire this evening. Ghashiram Kotwal, an adaptation of a play written by the acclaimed playwright Vijay Tendulkar, is based on Ghashiram Sawardas, who trades his daughter to Nana Phadnavis — a minister in the court of the Peshwa of Pune — in exchange for the position of police chief. The play highlights how people in power give rise to new ideologies and agendas and reject the same when their purpose is served.
WHERE: Sophia Bhabha Auditorium, Sophia College Campus, B. Desai Road, Breach Candy
ENTRY: Rs 500 - Rs 2,000
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com

ORDER OF THE DAY

Grow greens at home

MARCH 12, 11 AM - 2 PM: If you want to do something for the environment, start with your own backyard. Learn to make terrariums, miniature plants in glass. They are easy to maintain and perfect for most of us who live in flats. So sign up for the workshop, Make Your Own Terrarium (miniature gardening) organised by Urban Fireflys where you will learn the A-Z of making and maintaining your own terrariums and take home your own baby terrarium.
WHERE: Vrindavan Cafe, Dosti Club House, Dosti Acres Wadala (East)
ENTRY: Rs 2500
CALL: 9820341463

Go ga ga over mean machines

MARCH 9 - 12, 11 AM ONWARD: Attend the Mumbai International Motor Show which will feature some impressive automobiles, a 4x4 test drive track, a simulator zone, an accessories section, tyres pavilion and more.
WHERE: MMRDA Grounds, BKC Rd, G Block BKC, Bandra (East)
ENTRY: Rs 250

Laugh with Aseem Banatwalla

MARCH 10, 6.30 PM: Listen to Azeem Banatwalla from East India Comedy who is back with an hour of new jokes on travel, road rage, religion and his personal favourite — married life.
WHERE: Experimental Theatre, Nariman Point, NCPA Marg
ENTRY: Rs 399
LOG ON TO: bookmyshow.com

Live the good life

MARCH 9, 6 PM: Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway on your anniversary or an activity-packed family vacation, there's a yacht for every occasion. All you need to do is sit back, relax and experience the joy of a fully crewed charter yacht sailing along the Mumbai Harbour.
WHERE: Blue Whale Water Sports, Apollo Bunder Road, Opposite Taj Mahal Hotel, Colaba.
ENTRY: Rs 12,000
LOG ON TO: bookmyshow.com

MARCH 06, MONDAY

Stuff your face with gujiya

TILL MARCH 13, 3.30 PM - 11.30 PM: Puranmal, a 90-year-old traditional Indian restaurant, has rolled out a Holi food festival titled Colour Me Food. From Gujiya, samosa stuffed with a mixture of grated and roasted dry fruits and khoya to the Chandrakala, a moon-shaped North-Indian Holi dessert, there's lots to look forward to.
WHERE: Puranmal, Bharat Bhavan, Juhu Road, Ville Parle (West)
CALL: 26718105

MARCH 07, TUESDAY
Listen to a married man's rant

9.30 PM: Attend a stand-up comedy night with Amit Tandon, who is known as 'the married guy' of stand-up comedy. After marriage and two kids, he realised it couldn't get any worse and took
to humour. With over 700 shows across India, Tandon is popular
for his witty observations culled from everyday life.
WHERE: Hard Rock Cafe, Sharyans Audeus, Fun Cinema Lane, near Balaji Telefilms, off Veera Desai, Andheri (West)
ENTRY: Rs 1,000
CALL: 8898087841

MARCH 08, WEDNESDAY

Watch Einstein come alive

6 PM and 9 PM: Watch Naseeruddin Shah make the great scientist come alive on stage. Gabriel Emanuel's Einstein, directed by Ratna Pathak Shah, captures the essence of Einstein, the man, who despite being a towering thinker, was plagued by doubt and disappointments.
WHERE: Prithvi Theatre, 20, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road
ENTRY: Rs 500
CALL: 26149546

MARCH 09, THURSDAY
Get an extra dose of chai
9.30 AM - 11.30 PM: Tea Trails has rolled out happy hours in the form of Thirsty Thursdays. So choose any signature tea and bites, and get another for free. Try out the South African Red Tea, Japanese Genmaicha or the Smokey Chinese Lapsang Souchong.
WHERE: Kingston Building, Ground Floor, Tejpal Road, Near Old Railway Crossing, Vile Parle (East)
CALL: 9022337766

MARCH 10, FRIDAY

Whip up a gluten-free breakfast

2 PM - 5 PM: Learn to prepare healthy, yummy food devoid of eggs, refined sugar, refined flour, processed salt, preservatives and gluten. This workshop will teach you how to make buckwheat porridge, five lentil dosa, ragi pancakes and nutty fudgy granola bars.
WHERE: Convent Avenue, Santacruz (West)
ENTRY: Rs 2,100
LOG ON TO: insider.in

MARCH 11, SATURDAY
Shake it like Shakira
6. 30 PM - 8 PM: Ladies, let your hips do the talking in this belly dance workshop with dancer Nupur Shah. She will teach you how to do hip lifts, pull off a basic shimmy, breathing techniques to keep in mind while you move and more. Apart from being a dance form, it's an effective way to lose weight.
WHERE: Aleph-The Divine Space ( Hippie Yoga Cafe ), 7-28/29 1st floor Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu
ENTRY: Rs 550
CALL: 9930384641

Create your own Mandala
4 PM: Ever tried your hand at therapeutic art? A Mandala workshop organised by Bombay Drawing Room hopes to help you create great art that is also spiritually calming. The visually appealing design of the Mandala is said to enable you to steer away from irritating thoughts, which in turn allows you to develop a higher level of consciousness. It's a perfect exercise for the mind.
WHERE: Somaiya Centre for Lifelong Learning, M G Road, Kala Ghoda,
ENTRY: Rs 1,500
CALL: 9619273009

Enjoy quick grub
12.30 TO 4 PM: Too lazy to cook on a weekend? Head to the British Brewing Company that's out with a lavish Sunday buffet to scarf down a quick, delicious meal. From boiled eggs, smoked salmon, grilled sausages, salami with freshly baked foccacia, croissants, muffins and lavash, there's something for every palate.
WHERE: British Brewing Company, Level 4 & Level 5, Palladium, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel
PRICE: Rs 1,200 per head with taxes; Rs 600 for kids between 6-12 years
CALL: 65656121

Bite into an icy treat
10 AM TO 12 PM: With summer around the corner, there's no better way to beat the heat than by enjoying lollies. Bright, peppy and fruity, popsicles are just what you need this weekend. Garde Manger has cherry picked a flavourful combination of these icy treats that you can devour along with their lunch and dinner staples.
WHERE: Garde Manger, 3, Paranjay Scheme Marg No 1, Paranjape Nagar, Vile Parle
CALL: 7045004488

Go on a heritage ride
4.30 PM: How about learning about the city's heritage while burning some calories? This unique heritage cycling trip in South Mumbai is the perfect way to wrap up the weekend. You'll start the cycling trip from Colaba towards Gateway of India. On the way, you will stop for interesting stories, fun facts, and of course, selfies! Cycles will be provided.
MEETING POINT: Colaba Sweet Mart, Ruby Terrace, Colaba Causeway, Apollo Bandar
ENTRY: Rs 1,100
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com

Watch the funny men
12.30 TO 4 PM: Ready for some pure, unadulterated laughter? Cyrus Broacha and Kunal Vijayakar, two of the funniest men in Mumbai, are set to take the stage again, with 40 Shades of Grey Hair. Now, reinvented with new segments, the duo will tickle your funny bone with a stand-up cum theatrical revue that lampoons the life and times of Indian men.
WHERE: St Andrew's Auditorium, 55, Saint Domnic Road, Bandra West
ENTRY: Rs 100 – Rs 2,500
CALL: 9320130013

Catch a tribute show
8 PM: Here's how fans of classical Marathi music can spend their evening. Singers will come together to pay tribute to the two Big Bs of Marathi music Babuji (Sudhir Phadke) and Balashaeb (Hridaynath Mangeshkar). Catch Shriram Narsule, Makarand Gokhale, Amit Nikharge, among others, perform some of their most popular tracks.
WHERE: Shivaji Mandir, NC Kelkar Road, Kelkar Wadi, Dadar
ENTRY: Rs 100 – Rs 300
CALL: 9819314181

Attend a music fest
2 PM: What better way to spend your afternoon than swinging to great music. Get ready for some high-octane live acts at the FOMO FEST. Independent artistes will spin some new-age contemporary music with genres such as deep house, psychedelic rock and electro funk dominating the scene. And, it's going to be on till midnight.
WHERE: Razzberry Rhinoceros, Juhu Hotel, Airport Area, Juhu
ENTRY: Rs 500- Rs 1,000
CALL: 7400402604

Drape like a dream
MARCH 30, 5.30PM: If there's a versatile piece of clothing, it's the saree. And, Rta Kapur Chishti will certainly vouch for it. Her famed Sari School is in back in town. So, look beyond the Nivi drape, the saree as it is popularly worn, and explore new ways of draping it. This workshop will explore regional wearing styles and will be conducted by Kapur, who will show you four unique styles that you can use every day.
WHERE: ARTISANS' Gallery 52-56 V B Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda
ENTRY: Rs 1,500
LOG ON TO: insider.in

Dig into fusion food
ONGOING, 7 PM to 1 AM: Want to try a red velvet dhokla? Desi Culture, a new venture by Corum Hospitality, gives Indian food a twist. You could try items like chicken tikka sev puri and motichur tarts with elaichi foam. We'd recommend chef Gidwani's signature butter-chicken and dal makhni (cooked for over nine hours) learnt from alma-mater Padma Shri Imtiaz Qureshi.
WHERE: Desi Culture, C wing, Trade World, next to The Bar Stock Exchange, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
CALL: 24955766

Enjoy indie music
MARCH 29, 9.30 PM: Groove to talented indie artistes at the new edition of AWESTRUNG. The concert will feature singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad, the energetic Local Train and Praveer Barot Projective, whose music is music is heavily inspired by The Beatles and Niravana.
WHERE: Courtyard, High Street Phoenix, 462, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
FREE

Watch fave TV show over drinks
MARCH 27, 6 PM ONWARD: The House at Versova is hosting lazy Monday soaps wherein they will showcase TV shows that we all have seen in the past, but wouldn't mind watching again over scrumptious food and drinks. With the likes of Friends, Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother, they are open to showcase any other show as well. Entry is free.
WHERE: Bungalow 1, JP Road, Aram Nagar, Versova
CALL: 65264888

Give a cool makeover
ONGOING: This is a shoutout to salon professionals and stylists. Salonex is hosting an inter-salon competition along with hair and make-up competition. The event will be held in three categories — red carpet look, bridal and barbering games. Participants will have to send in their entries before March 30 and once selected, they will have to replicate the look at the finale on April 17.
LOG ON TO: http://www.salonex.in/competitions.aspx

Attend a charity event
MARCH 29, 10.30 AM ONWARD: Do your good deed for the day by attending a fundraising event by Tata Memorial Hospital, where proceeds of the exhibition go towards the cause of kids battling cancer. Titled Helping Hands, the exhibition will be a blend of philanthropy, fashion and food. Monisha Jaising, Farah Ali Khan and Kanika Kapoor will exhibit their collection.
WHERE: St Regis Hotel, Level 8, Lower Parel
LOG ON TO: www.helpinghandsindia.in

Take home a masterpiece
Ageless wonder
MARCH 27, 11 AM - 7 PM: Octogenarian Vishwanath Ram Kantak is frail, slightly bent and suffers from Parkinson's which makes his hands tremble and gait difficult. Yet, once he holds the paintbrush, his fingers weave magic. Check out the 82-year-old artist's new exhibition titled, Divine Vision, that comprises some stunning artworks. Monday is the last day to catch the exhibits.
WHERE: Jehangir Art Gallery 161-B, MG Road, Kala Ghoda
CALL: 9503344464

ORDER OF THE DAY

MONDAY, 27 MARCH
Get your dose of humour
8.30PM: If you think you have what it takes to be a stand up comic, sign up for this event. As an audience member, you can come and watch new talent take baby steps into the spotlight. You might even see some tragic attempts. Sourav Ghosh will be your host for the evening.
WHERE: Canvas Laugh Club, 3rd Floor, Palladium, High Street Phoenix, Tulsi Pipe Road, Lower Parel
ENTRY: Rs 200
CALL: 9004603115

TUESDAY, 28 MARCH
Celebrate Gudi Padwa
NOON - 12 AM: Enjoy traditional Maharashtrian fare on Gudi Padwa at Saptami. Vegetarians could try the paneer kala rassa, bharleli vangi, kale chanyachi ussal, dal varan and masala bhaat, while omnivores can dig into mutton Kolhapuri and kolambi chi biryani.
WHERE: Saptami, Holiday Inn, Sakina Junction, Andheri (East)
ENTRY: Rs 1,099 plus taxes
CALL: 40851800

WEDNESDAY, 29 MARCH
Let's talk health
4.30 PM: Macrobiotic nutritionist, Shonali Sabherwal, who specialises in improving immunity and managing weight, is holding a talk on her book, The Detox Diet. She will help you unravel the secret to weight-loss, anti-aging and how to beat bad bacteria.
WHERE: Who Are We Hall, first floor, Nehru Centre, Worli
RSVP TO: aratidesai@nehru-centre.org
FREE

THURSDAY, 30 MARCH
Play beer bingo
7 PM ONWARD: Play a game of beer bingo at The Irish House. First you grab a bingo card for yourself that will have 'IRISH' written on it with numbers in each letter. A staff member will call out the numbers. The winners receive cash vouchers, glasses of free beer and more.
WHERE: Level 2, Rampart Row, 30, K Dubash Marg, Above Royal Oak Banquets, Kala Ghoda, Fort
CALL: 7095949925
FREE

FRIDAY, 31 MARCH
Pay tribute to Nasir
5 PM: Celebrate the joyous cinema of Nasir Hussain on the 15th death anniversary of the legend. Author Akshay Manwani will take you through some of the finest moments in his cinematic journey. The Revolver Club will play music from Husain's films through the ages on vinyl.
WHERE: Godrej ONE, Auditorium, first floor, Vikhroli (East), (Entry from Eastern Express Highway)
RSVP to: indiaculturelab@godrejinds.com.

SATURDAY, 1 APRIL
Enjoy baos and burgers
ONGOING, 12.30 PM - 1 AM: Hoppipola has rolled out a burger, bao and beer festival. Order a paneer khurchan bao for Rs 175 and get a beer for R50. You could even try the specials like the pan fried chicken burger, falafel and kidney bean burger, seafood burger and a mutton shammi kebab burger.
WHERE: Across all outlets
ENTRY: Rs 200
CALL: 32038653 (Lower Parel)

Blanco
If you are one of those who trips out on watching Laurel and Hardy make a fools of themselves, or Charlie Chaplin and his antics, then head to Blanco to rid yourself of the Monday blues. Sit on the open-air terrace and enjoy some comfort food like cheesy overloaded nachos, chilly cheese toast, fish fingers and home-made chicken nuggets. They also show Tom and Jerry cartoons as well. Who would want more?

Where: 201/202, Samarth Vaibhav, Lokhandwala Rd, Oshiwara, Andheri West
When: 5 pm to 8 pm
Call: 8097004656

The Pantry
Three years ago, at a time when short films were yet to be a rage, The Pantry in Kala Ghoda kick-started their short-film Fridays, wherein on the last Friday of every month, they'd screen a short, 8 pm onwards. Since then, it has been a regular hangout for film buffs. The screenings are organised by Cyrus Mistry's Shamiana Film Club and Manjari Makijany's Mac Productions. Diners can continue sitting at their tables while chairs for the audience are placed on the passageway between the tables. The next screening is on April 28.

Where: Plot No 14, ground floor, Yashwanth Chambers, B Bharucha Road, Kala Ghoda
Call: 22678901

Vkaao
Want Notting Hill to play in the background as you ask your girl to marry you? Or want to treat your action-crazy friend to a Transformer movie on his birthday? Vkaao at PVR allows you to do that with your whole gang in tow. They just rented a screen out for a proposal where the couple watched SRK tearjerker Veer-Zaara. Just get on their app and book a screen, and select from their 400+ library of Hollywood and Bollywood movies. You can either hoot at every scene or just shut your cellphones off. No one can tell you what to do anymore!

Where: PVR screens all over India
Cost: Same as a ticket cost, book on PVR website or app

Cuckoo Club
What's the point of watching an interesting film if you can't discuss it? The best part of this Bandra venue, is that often the cast/crew is brought on to conduct a Q&A with the audience. "When we screened The Stoning of Soraya M, a film that's banned in the US and Iran, we called the prinicipal of Sophia College, who has a deep understanding of Middle Eastern culture, to talk to the audience," says Sharin Bhatti of the Cuckoo Club.

Where: 5AA, Mac Ronells compound, next to Candies, St Andrews Road, Bandra West
Call: 9619962969

Harkat Studios
Movie nights at Aaram Nagar's Harkat give you the experience of watching a film with friends in someone's living room. This is a function of both, how they curate their guest list (you can drop and email at us@harkat.in) and that the space is, well, a living room. The films are usually indie creations and are joined by a theme for the day. Last Sunday's was 256 million colours of violence. The next one, though there's no date set, is slated to be a two-day fest of experimental films. You will share the space with 44 others. There's no entry fee, but you are welcome to donate to the cause.

Where: Bungalow #75, Aram Nagar 2, JP Road, Versova, Andheri West
Call: 26350064

Raasta
The party-hard venue turns into a quieter, intellectual space come Sunday when they screen indie Hollywood movies. Last Sunday, they screened Eddie Redmayne's controversial Danish Girl, which has since been banned from airing in the country. It seats around 400 people and there's free entry. Also, you can order your food and booze to your seat. This sounds too good to be true.

Where: 4th Floor, Rohan Plaza, Road no 5, Khar,
Call: 8655000811

Join an improv show
7.30 PM: Are you a fan of Whose Line Is It Anyway? If, yes, this desi version might just interest you. Join artistes Ankit Challa and Avinash Verma as they take suggestions from you to create an explosive and entertaining show. Incorporating music, theatre and comedy, this show will be nothing like anyone has seen before.

Where: The Cuckoo Club, 5AA Pali Hill, Macronells Compund, Side of Learners Academy Bandra West
Entry: Rs 350
Call: 9619962969

Paint like Picasso
4 PM: Spend your evening at a workshop, where you will be taught how to create cubist paintings - a style of art developed by Pablo Picasso. The unique form of expression draws inspiration from tribal art forms and modern thinking. No prior experience is needed.

Where: Four Seasons Hotel, Gandhi Nagar, Dr E Moses Road, Upper Worli, Worli
Entry: Rs 2,050
Call: 9619273009

Sip into a mango treat
12.30 PM to 1 AM: Your affair with the king of fruits just got bigger and better. This weekend, head to the Mighty Small Cafe and lose your soul and heart to delectable varieties of special mango cocktails and mocktails at the mango drinks festival. You can sip on some lip-smacking thirst quenchers like Mango Pulse, Chatpata Martini, Mango-hito, Mango Cream Delight and many more.

Where: Mighty Small Cafe, SMAAASH, Kamala Mills Compound, Gate No 4, Lower Parel
Price: Rs 249 onwards
Call: 49143143

Go for this
Analyse dreams with art
11 AM TO 7 PM: What do your dreams look like? Are they colourful, maze-like or are they monochrome? Catch Kolkata-based artist Tusar Kanti Pradhan reveal his unique perceptions about dreams and nostalgic memories of the past, with his mixed media exhibition. Some of the works depict his shared memories of people, people struggling in cities for their survival, but still bearing the organic traces of their rural origin and a complex sense of belonging. For this exhibition, the artiste dabbles with mixed media and natural pigment on paper.

Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, 161B, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda
Call: 22843989

Relish a Cantonese meal
7 PM onward: Call the weekend a wrap with a lavishly designed three-course set menu featuring a variety of chef's special Cantonese dishes. You can begin your meal with the mock duck salad followed by any two small eats. For the main course, you can choose between stir-fry chicken with black bean and stir-fry Indian salmon, before ending it with a mandarin sorbet.

Where: Hakkasan, 206, Krystal, Waterfield Road, Linking Road, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 1,750 per person
Call: 26444444

Enjoy a soulful evening
7 PM: Enjoy a scintillating evening, titled Lataasha with Pancham, that will bring alive the magic of legendary playback singers, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, and composer RD Burman.

Vocalists Shailaja Subramanian, Sampada Goswami and Alok Katdare, along with a live orchestra of 35 musicians, will perform to some of their most super-hit melodies.

Where: Ravindra Natya Mandir, Near Siddhi Vinayak Temple, Sayani Road, Prabhadevi
Entry: Rs 250 – Rs 1,500
To Book: in.bookmyshow.com

Groove to Bachata
5 PM: This afternoon, take that boat and head straight to Raigad for an evening of dance and music. Artiste Dhanashree Mehta will get you grooving with a Bachata workshop that will get your heart racing and your feet tapping. You will return to the city rejuvenated.

Where: Beach Box, Mandwa Jetty, Kolgaon, Raigad
Entry: Rs 700
Call: 8291902662

Catch an animated film
6.30 PM: Watch the Secret of Kells, a story of young Brendan who lives in a remote medieval outpost which is under siege from barbarians. One day, a master illuminator arrives carrying an ancient but unfinished book, containing secret wisdom. To help complete the book, Brendan has to go on a quest.

Where: Alliance Française Auditorium, 40, Theosophy Hall, New Marine Lines
Call: 22035993

Put memories to canvas
11 AM - 7 PM: Drop by at Jehangir Art Gallery to catch a glimpse of an exhibition by Kolkata-based artist Tusar Kanti Pradhan. Tilted Nocturnal Dreams, it reveals his artistic perceptions about memories of the past along with nocturnal illustrations about people, old trees and heritage.

Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, No 3, MG Road, Kala Ghoda
Call: 22843989

Get high on brew
Till April 15, 11 AM - 11 PM: AKA Bistro has launched a new bakes and brews menu. You can opt for an XOXO latte which contains double espresso, chocolate syrup and truffle oil. Mojito lovers can have the offee mojito with espresso, mint, lime and orange.

Where: AKA Bistro, 121 Nagindas Master Road, ground floor, Radha Bhavan, Kala Ghoda, Fort
Entry: Rs 150 onwards
Call: 9029293968

Hear songs of peace
7.30 PM: Watch Ekam Satt, a musical conceptualised and orchestrated by Ameya Dabli featuring Devaki Pandit (in pic) and Rakesh Chaurasiya. With an aim to spread the message of love and unity, the concert is curated in a way to make the audience pause and reflect.

Where: Nehru Centre, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli
Entry: Rs 300- Rs 3,000
Call: 24920510

LOL with Johny Lever
8.45 PM: Johny Lever will tickle your funny bone with his live stand-up show. In this session, Lever incorporates references and his witty observations to do with social media, politics, human behaviour, pop culture, cultural affairs and technology, among others.

Where: Vishnudas Bhave Natyagruha, Hindurao Patil Marg, Sector 16A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai
Entry: Rs 300-2,500
Log On To: bookmyshow.com

Join a midnight peddle
11. 30 PM: Explore the spellbinding coastal route of the city in the night. Your task is to completing 25 km; it starts from Colaba (Causeway) and ends at Band Stand (Bandra) taking multiple halts at Marine Drive, Shivaji Park, Worli Sea Face and beyond.

Where: Colaba Causeway
Entry: Rs 999
Log On To: www.mumbaitravellers.com

Book ahead
Revive ancient Indian weaves
April 13- 15, 10.15 AM - 12 PM: Vastrabharana, a textile fundraiser that has been initiated by the Craft Council of Karnataka, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. And, for the first time the event will take place in Mumbai. The exhibition, which is dedicated to reviving languishing handicrafts, will showcase unique textiles such as Palash weaves from Orissa, Kimkhwāb fabrics that originated in the Moghul era and Kalamkari, an ancient art form that was started by weavers in Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh.

Where: Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
Call: 22844484

Dine in the dark
April 4, 8 PM and 10 PM: They say the first bite is always with the eyes. But, what do you do when you're blindfolded? TAG GourmArt Kitchen by chef Ranveer Brar will provide this experience at Tickle Your Sense - a first of its kind blindfolded dinner experience. The chef will surprise you with a five-course vegetarian menu inspired from his travels in Europe. The idea is to enjoy your food without the use of one of your primary senses.

Where: TAG GourmArt Kitchen, 1st Floor, Kamala City, OSS Compound, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Lower Parel
Entry: Rs 1,200
Call: 8850566538

Humour dose
Laugh out loud
April 16, 7 PM: Remember the riot Laughter in the House sparked at the box office four years ago? The same team of vintage stars, leading a younger ensemble cast, will present its sequel, Laughter in the House – 2. This tribute to Adi Marzban has yet another choice selection of skits and songs from the legendary writer.

Where: Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point
Entry: Rs 200 to Rs 1,200
Call: 6223742

Enjoy delish aamras
Ongoing, 12 PM - 11 PM: Satisfy your mango craving by sipping on delicious aamras at Golden Star Thali. The Charni Road restaurant is offering unlimited aamras every Saturday and Sunday - in addition to the sweets that accompany the thali. They also serve a bowl of complimentary aamras on weekdays from Monday to Friday. If you want to continue the party at home, they have the same in ½ litre & 1 litre packs.

Where: Golden Star Thali, 330, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, Opera House, Girgaon
Call: 23671952

Chill with the ladies
April 5, 8.30 PM: Chalta Hai Comedy's new edition of Dame Funny will see Trupti Khamkar (in pic), improv artist Jeeya Sethi and writers Sumaira Shaikh and Urooj Ashfaq and IIM drifter Prashasti Singh at the event. Since Wednesdays are ladies nights at The Barking Deer, they will be giving away the first drink to all ladies at Rs 5. Men can come early and enjoy happy hours on the house brews and select liquor till 8 pm.

Where: The Barking Deer, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
Entry: Rs 150 for ladies, Rs 250 for rest
Call: 61417400

Enjoy Gujrati poetry
April 8, 5 PM: Listen to Udayan Thakker and Dileep Jhaveri, two veterans of Gujarati poetry, as they discuss the form and its rich heritage and read their popular work in the language. While Thakker's poetry collection Ekavan (1987) was awarded by Jayant Pathak Poetry Award of 1987-88, Jhaveri is writing has received the Critic's Award (1989), the Gujarati Sahitya Parishad award (1990).

Where: Mithibai College, Conference Hall, Gulmohar Road, Suvarna Nagar, Juhu Scheme, Vile Parle (West)
Entry: Rs 200
Log On To: bookmyshow.com

Create an arty shoe
12 PM: Here's your chance to add some pop and colour to your feet. A workshop in town will teach you how to create your own hand-painted shoes. You will also be initiated into shoe art, with lessons in unique patterns and designs. All materials, including the pair of shoes, will be provided.
WHERE: Doolally Taproom, Ground Floor 1, Plot 75/77, Park House, Colaba
ENTRY: Rs 1,250
TO BOOK: doolally.in

Pamper your pet
5 PM to 9 PM: Attend a dog carnival where your pet can have a fun day out. There will be interesting activities like pet personality contest, 'cool' dog pageant and special grooming sessions along with curated canine meals.
WHERE: Inorbit mall, Malad – Garden area next to parking lot of the mall
CALL: 66777999

Enjoy a Parsi meal
1 PM – 3 PM: Craving a Parsi delicacy? Feast on a special Navroze menu curated by Mahrukh Mogrelia, who will set a traditional table adorning seven auspicious items starting with the letter 'S', called the Haft-Sin. The dishes will include sherbets, sweets, dry fruits, and a variety of fruits.
WHERE: Nana Chowk, Grant Road (Full address will be shared on booking)
TO BOOK: www.eventshigh.com
CALL: 99201 50502

Sip natural beers
11.30 TO 1 AM: Get your spirits high later through the day with a new range that consists of exclusive artisanal premium craft beers. What's unique about these flavours is that they have no additives and chemicals and are wholly made up of natural ingredients.
WHERE: Woodside Inn, Link Plaza, Bhau Tatoba Toraskar Marg,
Andheri West
CALL: 26328963

Dig into egg kheema
7.30 TO 12 PM: Begin your weekend on a delicious note with your favourite breakfast dishes and cocktails. If you like it sweet, then chocolate pancakes are the best options. For desi lovers, there is anda gadbad (egg kheema) stuffed in omelette topped with spicy gravy.
WHERE: Light House Café, Love Grove Flyover, Siddharth Nagar, Worli
CALL: 9967414148

Seek the divine
11 AM – 7 PM: What if you could connect with the divine though art? A new exhibition, brought together by art curators Payal and Bindal Shah, hopes to extend this experience through the works of 19 talented artists. Around 100 artworks, inspired by the artist's connection with their spiritual self, will be on display at the exhibition titled The Seeking Artist. From abstract, composition, point of view and more, the art pieces will see an array of mediums, including watercolour, oil paints, pastel, charcoal, portrait and freestyle, work magic on canvas.
WHERE: Cymroza Art gallery, 72 Bhulabhai Desai Road, Breach Candy
CaLL: 9820148450
FREE

Dive into theatre photography
5 PM: How do you capture a dynamic world like theatre in the still world of photography? What does the photographer need to understand about theatre to capture dramatic moments on camera? Ace lensman and theatre insider Nemai Ghosh will answers these questions and more at the new edition of Mumbai Local. Ghosh will take the audience through a selection of his photographs, and share his experience of the process.
WHERE: Dr BhauDaji Lad Mumbai City Museum, 91 A, Rani Baug, Veer Mata Jijbai Bhonsle Udyan, Byculla.
TO REGISTER: mumbailocal@junoontheatre.org

Soak in jazz music
APRIL 11, 8.30 PM ONWARD: Immerse yourself in a live music experience at Andheri's The Little Door, which collaborates with jazz ensembles every Tuesday. This time around, you can listen to Karim Ellaboudi (keys), Heather Andrews (vocals), D Wood (bass) and Aron Nyiro (drums). You can wine and dine while you soak in some free
flowing jazz.
WHERE: The Little Door, ground floor, plot B31, Shree Siddhivanayak Plaza, opposite Citi Mall, off New Link Road, Andheri (West)
CALL: 9920983833
FREE

Attend a hybrid dance show
APRIL 15, 7 PM: Catch a breathtaking amalgamation of Bharatnatyam and Lavani dance forms at the Sindhu Dance Festival. While the former is bound by rules, the latter is free and fluid. Here you'll see the lines blurring. Renowned lavani performer Shakuntalabai Nagarkar and Bharatnatyam dancer Vaibhav Arekar will perform at the event.
WHERE: Sheila Gopal Raheja Auditorium, next to Patwardhan Park, Bandra (West)
ENTRY: Rs 200 - Rs 1,000
CALL: 9820984699

Sign up for an artistic exchange
MAY 20 - 29: Here's a good opportunity for artists to work and interact with their ilk in this 10-day art residency programme that rolls out in May. Organised by Mumbai-based NGO, ICAC-International Creative Art Centre, the initiative seeks to connect artists from various genres fostering cross-cultural dialogue, artistic exchange and creates an environment for research and creativity. It will have 25 emerging artists working under one roof. Last date of registration is
April 15.
WHERE: Akhil Bhartiya Manav Vikas Sanstha, Dehgam, Gandhinagar, Ahemdabad
ENTRY: Rs 6,500
CALL: 9820151415
LOG ON TO: http://www.icacart. com/residency

Dil mango more

If there's one reason why we still like summer, it's because of the season's only saving grace — mangoes. So, if you want to satisfy your craving, restaurants in the city have a lot of in store

8.30 AM - 11 PM: If you're thinking healthy, AKA has the mango quinoa salad with pink ginger, baby spinach and bell peppers finished with mango and apple cider vinaigrette. For the experimental foodie, there's mango chili popsicle prawns marinated with mango aioli and roasted, served with house salad and raw mango salsa and grilled chicken breast with mango butter on a bed of peri peri sauteed vegetables.
WHERE: AKA Bistro, 123, Nagindas Master Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort
CALL: 9029293968

10.30 AM - 11.30 PM: Chef Bunty Mahajan of Deliciae Patisserie has created a mango special dessert menu for you. You could pick from options like mango kiwi short cake, mango macaroons, mango mousse cake, mango meringue and mango mousse rhapsody.
WHERE: Khar Danda Road, Opposite Curio cottage, Khar (West)
CALL: 9029021200

8 AM - 11.55 PM: Poetry by Love & Cheesecake has rolled out a delicious mango-based breakfast menu. Starting with mango muffins, macaroons, tarts and smoothies, the options get more decadent with mango basil chocolate cups, where mangoes are tossed up with basil leaves and served in a cup made of chocolate, and chocolate marquise topped with chilli mangoes. If you want something quirky, there's honey nut and gouda with a verrine made with mangoes.
WHERE: Poetry by Love and Cheesecake, Pali Darshan, 33rd road, Bandra West
CALL: 9819935135

Two other must catch shows:

Shutterbug love
While FOCUS Photography Festival 2017 has drawn to a close, the flagship exhibition is on view. Curated by art historian Prajna Desai, Autobiography as Memory presents works by 18 photographers from around the world, selected through an open call for entries.
WHERE: Museum Plaza, Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Byculla (E)
WHEN: Till April 30
ENTRY: Rs 10 (adults); Rs 5 (children)
CALL: 23731234

Views on dwelling
Dwelling Part II, the second and final installment of Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke's tenth anniversary show curated by Ranjit Hoskote features the works of 12 artists including Manish Nai and Kiki Smith.

WHERE: Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke, Colaba
WHEN: Till May 31, 11 AM - 7 PM (Sunday and Monday closed)
CALL: 22023030

Order of the day

Go on a wild safari
TILL APRIL 11, 11 AM - 7 PM: Photographer Hussain Nalwala, who has obtained a fellowship from UK's Royal Photographic Society, will take you on a wild safari through his paintings. You'll see delightful shots of horses galloping away at sunset, leopard perched on a tree and zebras fighting.
WHERE: 161B, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda
CALL: 22843989

Have fun with colours
APRIL 11-12, 3 PM: Learn the art of watercolour painting with artist Bhavna Shah. At this workshop, you'll be taught techniques in paint application, brush-work, colour mixing, rendering light and shade, tonal value, and design in this medium. By the end of the class, you will learn to develop your own style.
WHERE: ARTISANS' Gallery 52-56 V B Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda
ENTRY: Rs 2,500
LOG ON TO: insider.in

Watch an Urdu play
APRIL 12 , 6 PM and 9 PM: Watch the Urdu version of Moliere's 14th century classic 'Ecole de femmes or School for Wives' by Balraj Pandit. Beewion Ka Madrasa is about Haneef Mohammed who would not marry because he believes all women are dishonest.
WHERE: Prithvi Theatre, 20 Janki Kutir Juhu Church Road
ENTRY: Rs 300
CALL: 26149546

Dine like a star
8 PM: Benares London, where Adele, Justin Beiber, Robby Williams and Tom Cruise have dined, has launched a new pop up menu. Chef Atul Kochhar will present a six-course meal which includes all the signature dishes from the restaurant.
WHERE: NRI, Maker Maxity, North Avenue, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (East)
ENTRY: Rs 5000 ++
CALL: 30005040

Groove to Gurdas Maan
APRIL 14, 8 PM: Celebrate Baisakhi with the legendary Punjabi singer Gurdas Maan, who will feature his never-seen-before act at the Punjabiyaan Di Shaan Gurdas Maan, live in concert. The show will remind the patrons of Punjab and its culture.
WHERE: Shanmukhananda Hall, behind Gandhi Market, Comrade Harbanslal Marg, Sion
ENTRY: Rs 500 - Rs 5,000
LOG ON TO: bookmyshow.com

Celebrate Easter
APRIL 15- 23, 10 AM - 12 PM: With Easter around the corner, Sassy Teaspoon has already rolled out a range of fun Easter specials. Bite into chocolate Easter eggs, mini Easter eggs in a chocolate nest and cupcakes decorated with Easter eggs. The decadent treats are available till April 23.
WHERE: Express Towers, Next to HDFC Bank, Ramnath Goenka Marg, Nariman Point
CALL: 7666222777

Learn to breathe and heal
12 PM to 3 PM: Sometimes just breathing the right way, can heal. Attend a work-shop organised by Dr Harsha Khand-elwal, who will teach you breathing techniques to help release tension.
WHERE: Bhagirathi Banquets, Jagjivan Ram Nagar, Mulund West
ENTRY: Rs 250
TO BOOK: www.eventshigh.com

Watch a comic play
7 PM: Don't miss a comedy about the rat race, how we cope with it, and what we put our lungs through, in the process. Set in the smoking area of a corporate building, Dhumrapaan offers a hilarious take on every employee's nightmare.
WHERE: Experimental Theatre: NCPA, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point
ENTRY: Rs 400 –Rs 500
CALL: 66223737

Visit a museum
10 AM: Witness the city's cultural heritage at an ongoing exhibition at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum. The museum will showcase a rare collection of 19th century fine and decorative arts that highlight early modern art practices and craftsmanship in the erstwhile Bombay Presidency and beyond.
WHERE: Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Rani Baug, Byculla East
COST: Rs 100
Log on to: bookmyshow.com

Attend an art sale
10 AM to 10 PM: It's our natural tendency to put a face to everything and anything. Without it, the world almost seems illusionary. Artist Trishna Patnaik explores this concept with a new exhibition titled FACES, where she creates a range of face paintings using various mediums. You can also own these artworks.
WHERE: The Cuckoo Club, 5AA,
Mc Ronnel's Compound, Pali Hill Road, Bandra West
CALL: 9619962969

Spread the Easter cheer

From preparing sweet treats to digging into lavish meals, here's our guide to celebrating the festival

Sip fruity cocktails
7 PM to 1.30 AM: Whether it's late lunch or an early dinner, you must celebrate with cocktails. Complete the festivities with a new range of refreshing Easter drinks. From the Cotton Tail, which is a mix of vodka, passion fruit puree and lemon, to the Starfruit Spritz, made with gin and starfruit, there's something for every cocktail lover.
WHERE: One Street Over, Off Linking Road, Khar West
PRICE: Rs 350 – Rs 400
CALL: 26002224

Enjoy an egglicious treat
12 PM to 1 AM: If you want a break from the usual chocolate fare, head to Myxx. Dig into their fruit flavoured white chocolate eggs with dark chocolate sponge cake or indulge in their white chocolate egg stuffed with mango crème.
WHERE: Myxx, Navaratan Apartment, Near Juhu Post Office, Juhu
CALL: 60226700

Learn to make truffles
11 AM to 1.30 PM: What better way to spend Easter than learning how to make handmade truffles and some luscious drunken gingerbread. They'll be ready just in time to share with family.
WHERE: Flavour Diaries, Above Khar Social, Rohan Plaza, Khar West
ENTRY: Rs 3,499
CALL: 9022270033

Go brunching

12 PM to 4.30 PM: Fancy a lavish Easter brunch with family? The Seven Kitchens' lavish spread of traditional delicacies may just be the answer. From glazed ham and roast chicken to hot cross buns, and different types of baked quiche, stuffed breads and cocktails, this will surely cheer you, and everyone else, up.
WHERE: Seven Kitchens, Level 9M, St Regis, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
PRICE: Rs 3,000 and above
FOR RESERVATIONS: 61628422

Chill with tigers

MAY 17: This summer, gift your child a real Jungle Book experience. Heart and Soil is organising a three-day trip to the Pench Tiger Reserve, in Madhya Pradesh, fondly called as the Kipling country. Kipling wrote Jungle Book after spending his days in and getting inspired by the forests of Pench. The kids will see wildlife in its natural habitat and not in the crammed confines of a zoo.
WHERE: Pench National Park, Dharna Kalan, Madhya Pradesh
ENTRY: Rs 39,000 for a parent and child
CALL: 9819923115

Visit the Golden Temple vicariously
11 AM - 7 PM: Dr Mahesh Kharde, an orthopedic surgeon from Mumbai, will display his latest photographs on contemporary life. The series covers monuments in Rajasthan and Punjab and urban vignettes from smaller towns. Noteworthy among his photographs are the shots of the Golden Temple at Amritsar, turban seller in Rajasthan, ancient forts and palaces in Rajasthan and Karnataka.
WHERE: Jehangir Art Gallery, (Terrace Art Gallery), MG Road, Kala Ghoda
CALL: 9923660056

Take home an amrapali
APRIL 22-23, 11 AM ONWARDs: Angiya is organising a sample sale of indigenous bras that puts form, style and comfort before convention and constriction. This garment will combine organic cotton, deeper cuts and freer design. You could sample the Yasodhara, their version of a push-up bra and Amrapali, a crop-top bra.
WHERE: The Vintage Garden, Patkar Bungalow, 34D, Turner Road, Bandra West
LOG ON TO: https://m.facebook.com/theindianbra/

Create your own comic
APRIL 22, 10.30 AM: Have you ever dreamed of creating your own comic strip? Sign up for a workshop helmed by Mumbai-based architect and urban designer Nikhil Chaudhary who will introduce you to a rich medium of comics and graphic novels and show you how to create comics as a medium to express your thoughts. You will be guided into a hands-on session to create your own short comics.
WHERE: 91 A, Rani Baug, Veer Mata Jijabai Bhonsle Udyan, Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Marg, Byculla East, Byculla
ENTRY: Rs 500
CALL: 23731234

Meet Master Tusk
APRIL 18, 12 PM: Watch Elephant in the Room, a play about a boy named Master Tusk, who has been given a new head — that of an elephant. Confused and bewildered, he finds himself lost in the forest. He encounters a motley couple — Makadi (spider) and Moork (poacher) — a clumsy duo in search of a big-ticket ransom. They kidnap Master Tusk, but their scheme goes awry when a prophecy is revealed.
WHERE: Prithvi Theatre, 20, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road
ENTRY: Rs 300
CALL: 2614 9546

Pedal for peace

7 AM: Cycling could well be a way of spreading the message of environmental conservation loud and clear. Caravan Trips and iKheti have organised a cycling session at the lush greenery of Aarey Gardens where, due to construction of the Metro, many trees in and around Aarey have been destroyed.
WHERE: Aarey Colony entrance, Goregaon East
ENTRY: Rs 750
LOG ON TO: www.insider.in

order of the day

Watch a French period drama
6.30 PM: Catch writer-director Francois-Xavier Vives's debut period drama starring Marie Gillain, Jalil Lespert and Miou-Miou. In 1920, when her husband dies, Liena is left alone with vast plantations of pines. She is determined to finish her husband's work and provide electricity to all her employees across her lands.
WHERE: Alliance Française de Bombay, 40, Theosophy Hall, New Marine Lines
CALL: 22035993
FREE

Participate in a public adda
5 PM: Attend an interesting panel discussion organised by the Godrej India Culture Lab and Point of View where four feminists, Mona Eltahawy, Paromita Vohra, Geeta Patel and Bishakha Datta, will talk about sex, feminism, lipstick and other female-oriented issues. Titled 'What's Sex Got To Do With It? A Public Adda', the event is in celebration of Point of View's 20th anniversary.
WHERE: Auditorium, (1st Floor) Godrej ONE, Vikhroli (East). (On Eastern Express Highway)
RSVP indiaculturelab.@godrejinds.com.

Listen to a story

TILL 28 APRIL, 10 AM - 12.30 PM: Make it a productive vacation for your little one (aged 2 to 4 years) at a summer camp organised by Kangaroo Kids. There will be fun activities like art and craft, music, jewellery making, storytelling and puppet shows that will keep your kid engaged.
WHERE: NESCO Compound, near Hall No. 3, Western Express Highway, Goregaon (E)
ENTRY: Rs 4,500
CALL: 9820855659

Enjoy mango dhokla
ONGOING: Khandani Rajdhani is celebrating Aamlicious festival, where the fare goes beyond regular aamras and mango shrikhand. Enjoy some delicious kairi cabbage tikki, mango kofta pulao and more. Priced at `499, the menu will be rotational with two to three items made out of raw or ripe mango every day.
WHERE: Level 2, Phoenix Market City Mall, LBS Marg Kurla (West)
CALL: 9819555196

Groove to Burman hits
7.30 PM: Diehard Burman fans can head to Ravindra Natya Mandir for a musical extravaganza titled Forever Pancham where Sudesh Bhonsle will sing in the voice of SD, RD, Kishore Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. Others like Mohan Shetty, Pooja Sadarangani, Bipin Bhalerao and Aditya Salvi will join him in crooning a variety of numbers composed by the legend.
WHERE: Near Siddhi Vinayak Temple, Sayani Road, Prabhadevi
ENTRY: Rs 200-Rs 1000
LOG ON TO : bookmyshow.com

Paint like a child

3 PM: Hone the artist in you at this painting party organised by The Bombay Drawing Room titled Doorway to Bliss. With no prior painting experience required, this will be a guided session, shedding light on the basic strokes, sketches and techniques and helping you getting in touch with the artist within. You'll have to paint the 'Doorway to Bliss' with acrylic paint on canvas.
WHERE: Independence Brewing Company, New Link Road,
opp. Citi Mall, Andheri (W)
LOG ON TO: www.bookmyshow.com

(From left) Kamal Sidhu, Purab Kohli, Dino Morea, Maria Goretti, Cyrus Sahukar, Mini Mathur, Cyrus Broacha, Luke Kenny. Location Courtesy/The Bombay Canteen; Pics/Rane Ashish

When video killed the radio star in the 1990s, we were not complaining. Our eyes were glued to the TV as cable television made its debut. We had heard our rock and pop idols on FM, and now, we had them, in our living rooms. MTV had landed, followed by Channel V. Along with them came a glam and chatty species called VJs. On them we pinned our hope for a favourite song, crushed on them, and sought fashion wisdom during our fumbling teenage years. Suddenly, we had new pin-up stars.

At a reunion of India's first set of VJs at Lower Parel's The Bombay Canteen, we saw model-VJ from MTV and Channel V Kamal Sidhu; the brain behind Channel V Luke Kenny; mad-hatter MTV VJ Cyrus Broacha; crush-worthy Channel V VJ Purab Kohli; model-actor with dear dimples Dino Morea; MTV's effervescent Mini Mathur; MTV's Mr Comical Cyrus Sahukar and MTV VJ-turned-food TV host Maria Goretti.

Madness ensued, with a whole lot of laughter and wisecracks. There were blows below the belt but not a brow was raised. For us, the '90s kids, they were the epitome of cool. It's true that we saw them in a different light — some of them are now parents — but they are just as charming.

Launching with the '90S
Kamal: I think I speak for everyone when I say, without the '90s, we wouldn't have had a career.

Mini: I was doing TV much before music television arrived. At that time, all of it was based out of Delhi, and only fiction came out of Bombay. But the music channels made it all cool.

Cyrus S: There were a handful of these networks in operation. It was a great time to be in and we got away with murder.

Luke: One of the things that happened was that the 18 to 24 demographic was created. That's the demographic for youth programming even today. Once 2000 rolled in, the concept of the TV anchor was born, but the VJ had died.

Kamal Sidhu makes a point as Purab Kohli listens in

Kamal: While the role of the VJ was fairly new to India, around the world there were VJs we were exposed to. In Canada, we had a local music channel, which didn't allow MTV to enter the country. There was Downtown Julie Brown (who hosted Club MTV from 1987 to 1992). On the show, the light switch went on, with the camera going up her legs and under her skirt, while she went, 'Waba Waba Waba Downtown Julie Brown'. She was among the real pioneers. When MTV launched in Asia, we beamed shows from Hong Kong. And, then, we launched in India with a party at the Taj Mahal Hotel [in 1992] in Mumbai. It was called The Bombay Blast Weekend. It received a lot of backlash, I remember, because the riots (Babri Masjid) had just happened.

Where i want to be: Vjing
Maria: I used to watch Kamal and Danny [McGill] VJ, and, suddenly, I was one of them. I didn't know what I was getting into until I did. The thing about VJing in the '90s was that it let you be who you wanted to be. I was lucky to be part of something I loved. Today, everyone wants to be something more, so, a lot of people get nudged out of television. MTV put Indian VJs on air and that changed something. It was now damn cool to be Indian; there was no need to have an accent. I didn't realise I was cool but apparently, I was.

Purab: I joined Channel V as a host for a travel show, and, gradually, when other slots opened, I started VJing too. There was a serious naiveté back then and VJing wasn't thought of as a stepping-stone to other things.

Cyrus Sahukar tells a story to Luke Kenny

Cyrus S: We were all there with the knowledge that this where we want to be.

Behind the scenes
Purab: There were times when we shot close to five episodes a day. It was intense. Sophiya [Haque], Laila [Rouass] and Meghna [Reddy] would do their own make up, write their own shows and select their own music. There was a transition, when I came in 1999 to Channel V. There was one show where we were asked to write and select songs. We would run it by Luke.

Cyrus B: Luke? Was everything right?

Purab: Yes!

Cyrus B: Luke himself didn't know what his designation was.

Purab: He would approve songs and that was our process.

Maria: Producers hated it when VJs would get together because that meant no one would be working. Once a year, we did a show together for Christmas or New Year and that would be a blast. I miss all of us working together — miss the travelling, the early morning flights, sleeping at airports because we had missed our plane. When I look back I realise that what I did was part of history.

Music then, music now
Luke: What do I think of the indie music scene? It's very niche, and some of the musicians have a chip on their shoulder. But, that aside, what business are they doing? Few manage to get paying gigs, and whoever turns up to support, comes, has a drink, pays R300 and then doesn't buy the album. How does it help the artist? I have been consulting with Channel V recently, and we are trying to go back to the model where the music channel only plays music, and supports indie acts by giving their originals air time.

Cyrus Broacha monkeys around as Dino Morea greets Kamal Sidhu

Kamal: I remember they would send us pop music videos at the Hong Kong office. And most of them were bad. We had to consciously decide to help some artists with their videos. And then Rahman and acts like Indus Creed came in, and the videos changed.

Luke: Kids today love their pop as they did back in the '90s.

Kamal: It was more authentic back then.

Luke: That's because the labels saw a market and invested in it. No one sees a market in today's indie scene.

Cyrus S: They were competing with an international kind of space and knew that spending money on videos was requisite. Everybody was trying to match international standards.
Kamal: And then everything got homogenised into one game plan — the Bollywood game plan.

The '90S role model
Dino: I landed in Bombay in December 1997, looking for opportunities and I remember sharing a room, not even a flat, with a girl who wanted to be a model too. Back in Bangalore, I remember seeing Kamal. I was in college and had to go meet a photographer. There she was, shooting for some perfume or cosmetics ad, and I was like, "Whoa!" Models were these superstars then. I did stare at her.

Kamal: Did I stare back at you?

Dino: (Laughing) I don't think you noticed me.

Sinking into reality
Kamal: A big change from the '90s, well, is that reality television came about, for better or worse.

Luke: One of the earliest reality shows to come was Channel V's Popstars, from which [girl band] Viva emerged. History rewrote itself in that decade with reality television.

Cyrus B: There was also MTV Bakra, which started towards the end of 1999.

Kids with an edge
Kamal: I think it was the time of the Asian liberation. Everything was booming. Also, it was a time for adjustment. Parents of '90s kids looked at people like us and questioned our place as role models. They said, we need to control the remote control.

Luke: No, there was no parental control at all.

Purab: I think it was because those kids were the first movers into the globalisation space.

Cyrus S: Even I used to come home and watch TV. It was a time when I had a VCP, not even a VCR.

Luke: Do you know why those kids had an edge over today's? Because they didn't have these. (Points to a mobile phone).

Maria: I think it was because there was a more organic interaction between people. The communication was real, which I don't see today. These days, it's about the phone. My kids just asked me why they don't have the blue tick on Instagram. Everyone is looking into their phones. We have become tech-savvy but have lost a bit of the soul. (Snapping her fingers). It's now all about reaching a place and changing the game.

Your fav music video of the '90S was?
Luke: Pretty Child by Indus Creed
Cyrus Sahukar: Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
Dino: Can't Touch This by MC Hammer
Kamal: Anything by AR Rahman
Maria: Freedom by George Michael
Mini: All Sukhbir and Lucky Ali videos

Isn't It Romantic
U/A: Romantic comedy
Director: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Cast: Rebel Wilson, Adam DeVine, Liam Hemsworth, Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Ratings: 

How fresh can a rom-com be? Well, at least, Rebel Wilson attempts to lend a fresh perspective to the genre with Isn't It Romantic. It's interesting to witness how the film's writers have parodied the commercial prism through which love is depicted on celluloid.

Wilson plays Natalie, a closeted rom-com lover who wears the irreverent 'Love-is-bulls**t' veil to hide her softer side. After suffering a head injury from being mugged, she wakes up in an alternate universe - one that is straight out of a rom-com where the roses are brighter, her apartment resembles the enviable houses that are featured in glossies and she, too, is a peachier version of herself. Even her dog is less mischievous and better groomed.

But instead of being delighted at the situation, Natalie feels suffocated with the perfection around her. With its sharp writing, the film gets across the larger message that love isn't all peaches and cream in real life.

You can play spot-the-rom-com too -there are several references to major hits like Pretty Woman (1990) and La La Land (2016). The comedy offers more than its share of fun moments; my favourite is the scene where Blake (Liam Hemsworth) walks out of the shower and it is suggested that Natalie had spent the night with him. But like in the movies, the steamy details are snipped - a deliberate play on the inherent need to keep the rom-coms clean, never upping the passion despite it being an integral part of romance. The writers' ability to question the romanticism around happily-ever-after without letting the grime of cynicism seep in, is commendable.

Wilson does a top notch job of headlining a cast of fine actors - Liam Hemsworth, Adam DeVine and our very own Priyanka Chopra Jonas. For the desis, the last song and dance sequence will be a brutal reminder that we haven't seen her in a Bollywood film in four years. This dose of mush attack is strongly recommended; at least, it doesn't let you lose sight of logic in the face of love.

Watch trailer:

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Notebook
U/A: Romance
Dir: Nitin Kakkar
Cast: Zaheer Iqbal, Pranutan Bahl
Ratings: 

I, for one, am not of the belief that remakes are a bad thing. If made well, they can stand their ground and even shine, in some cases, better than the original. Given that Notebook is directed by Nitin Kakkar (the man behind the luminous gem Filmistaan), I had a fair share of expectations, despite the underwhelming trailer. Kakkar's powerful storytelling in the unassuming Filmistaan played in my mind as I walked in to watch Notebook, an adaptation of the Thai film, The Teacher's Diary that released in 2014.

It's not a good sign when, in a love story, children steal your heart over the lead pair. Individually, both debutants Zaheer Iqbal and Pranutan Bahl sparkle, but they meet only at the fag end of the film. Kakkar draws out adequate performances from both, playing to their strengths, using the naivety of the novices to build on some screen charm. But with so much solo heavy lifting and a wobbly screenplay in tow, Kakkar delivers far short of what he is capable of.

Watch the trailer here:

As a plus, the film uses the picturesque settings of Kashmir, blending it with good music. The story, much like the original, traces the unlikely love life of Firdaus (Bahl) and Kabir (Iqbal). She leaves behind a notebook full of sketches and doodles; he is her replacement in a school where they teach. The notebook becomes a source of hope for Kabir, who connects deeply with her over the pages. She is an unusual teacher in an abusive relationship. As Kabir struggles to bond with the children, the notebook comes handy. The rest of the film paves the way to their final interaction.

Kakkar remains faithful to the original design, transporting his viewers into a world of innocence. It is concerning that the director never delves deep into the problems of the state, bringing forth its elements for a pure cosmetic use. A child with a fundamentalist father is a needless addition to the plot. Kabir's former job as a soldier, and his Kashmiri pandit background, also do little to add to the larger plot. It's a balanced view, but not a bold one; too simplistically handled, which is unlike Kakkar's risque style.

Watch it for the adorable kids, and if you are excited about star children in general, Pranutan is a good deal as a first timer.

Also Read: Notebook celeb review: Bollywood unanimously touts the film as a sweet and genuine

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Romeo Akbar Walter
U/A: Action
Director: Robbie Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff
Ratings:

John Abraham's latest nation-in-peril movie is set against the backdrop of the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Releasing nearly a year after Raazi, this one suffers from an acute hangover of the Alia Bhatt-film. It even ends with a song that seems inspired (read blatantly copied from Ae Watan…).

Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW) has a confusing structure, is supported by a blaring background score, and lacks both the smarts and the menace of being a good espionage thriller. The problem here lies with director Robbie Grewal (also director of Aloo Chaat, Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar, and Samay), who botches his own script.

Given the twists and turns, the film comes across as a convoluted and tedious mess. For a major portion of the film, you find yourself trying to decipher where it is leading. In order to fit the sub-plots, the script is stretched to a point that you stop caring. The first part revolves around Romeo's (Abraham) induction into the task force and imbibing the nuances of Akbar as he enters Pakistan. What could have been an interesting depiction, is reduced to a clichéd montage of training. In the second half, our super-spy hero is in pursuit of getting details of the Pakistani Army which threatens to set a bomb in a part of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).

Watch the Romeo Akbar Walter trailer:

The sequence is shot so casually that it makes you wonder if walking on the streets of Pakistan while trying to gather sensitive information, is a cakewalk. The attempt to create a sense of urgency and intrigue are undermined by the lack of coherence. The film manages to pick up the pace in the second half, but by then, it is too late to salvage the situation.

Also Read: Romeo Akbar Walter director shoots across the country in 46 days

The screenplay moves at a snail's pace and is devoid of tension. The unnecessary inclusion of a love story between Romeo and Parul (Mouni Roy) makes it further lethargic. That's not all, amidst the supposed high-tension situation, a lovemaking scene seems like a desperate attempt to titillate the audience.

Grewal tries to bank on the emotional side of Romeo as he remembers his mother. The scene is almost an ode to Darsheel Safary from Taare Zameen Par (2007). It comes across as pretentious and dreary. It seems, the director hoped to present the film as a complete package, and failed miserably. Had he stuck to the narrative of a spy, the outcome would have been very different.

Sikander Kher is the only one who has attempted to salvage the film. Jackie Shroff as the director of Research & Analysis Wing (RAW) sails by. Abraham's deadpan expressions are a hindrance but he somehow manages to hold his ground. And Roy should stick to doing Naagin instead of a gratuitous role like this. As for RAW, YAW(n).

Also Read: John Abraham: RAW: Romeo Akbar Walter isn't a jingoistic, flag-saluting film

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Mumbai police personnel on lockdown duty were attacked by a mob at a Govandi market on Sunday. A police officer suffered injuries to his right wrist when a person from the 25-strong crowd tried to hit him on the head with an iron rod. The officer managed to block the blow with his right hand.

The incident occurred at 6.50 pm on Sunday when a large number of people had stepped out of their homes amid the Coronavirus lockdown and 10 police personnel on the spot asked the people to disperse. Senior Police Inspector Sudarshan Paithankar said that the "illegal crowd" had refused to listen when they were asked to return home.

"There was a large crowd with 25 to 30 active members. A person who was in the crowd tried to kill the police officer by aiming for his head with an iron rod, but the (officer) managed to block the blow with his hand, which got injured," he said. "They also pelted stones at the authorities, chanted anti-police slogans, and damaged a police vehicle, hence we had to resort to lathi-charge."

An FIR has been registered at Shivaji Nagar police station against 25 unknown men and two women, under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (Assault or criminal force to prevent public servant from discharging his duty), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to public servant to deter him from doing his duty) and other sections.

"The problem of people not observing lockdown has increased in the past few days since Ramzan began," said Paithankar, adding that six people had been arrested in connection with the case so far. "We are looking for the rest of the accused."

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The State Transport Minister Anil Parab on Tuesday said that the Maharashtra government will facilitate the return of 1,780 stranded students from Kota in Rajasthan. "1780 students from Maharashtra are stuck in Kota, Rajasthan due to lockdown for precaution against COVID-19," Parab tweeted. "As directed by Honourable CM Uddhav Thackeray, 92 buses of MSRTC fleet will leave on April 29 from Dhule to rescue the students and bring them back home," he added.

Earlier, the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh also facilitated the return of their stranded students from Kota.

India is under a nation-wide lockdown which was imposed on March 25 and later extended to May 3 to stem the spread of coronavirus.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The city unit of the Young Mens’ Christian Association (YMCA) has offered its well-furnished International Guest House of 75 Rooms to house their Doctors, Health Care Professionals and Asymptomatic patients. In addition, we have provided masks, gloves and medical equipment to the Nair and Kasturba Hospitals’ for the medical professionals working on the frontlines.

In the first phase of the relief operations, we have been able to cater to 20,000 persons (4000 packets) by providing them with dry rations and groceries. Cooked food to the slum dwellers, daily wage earners, migrant workers, street beggars, rag pickers and construction workers has crossed 1,00,000 (One Lakh) threshold.

A special mention here is of our volunteer team ably led by our regular ‘Dhobiwala’ (Laundry Man) who have earned the sobriquet, ‘Scooter Saviors’ has enabled us to reach the unreached pockets from CST to Colaba Market right up to the slums at Cuffe Parade.

The victims have now become saviors. Thanks to the ladies who are housed at YMCA Sharan, a shelter for destitute women run with the help of BMC have reached out to the unreached in the slums at Sakinaka.

Our counselors trained at the Counseling Institute at Navi Mumbai are available on call daily for those who are in distress, stress and undergoing anxiety symptoms during this lock-down period. 

“We acknowledge the contributions of our partners who have joined us in this mission during this time of the ‘virus crisis’ - Muthoot Finance, ATE Chandra Foundation, Rotary Club of Bombay, Rotary Club of Mumbai Central, Rotary Club of Queen’s Necklace, Rotary Club of Versova and Rotary Club of Mumbai Elegant. A special thanks to the BMC, Mumbai Police and Navi Mumbai Police who helped us with the permissions and the necessary assistance. As we begin our next phase, we would like to enlist the support of Mumbaikars in this hour of need,” Paul George, general secretay/CEO told Mid-Day.

The Bombay YMCA blessed with its vast infrastructure, network and committed team of staff and volunteers at strategic locations ranging from Colaba to Navi Mumbai was able to promptly and efficiently respond to the pandemic that gripped our city.

Historically Helpful
The Bombay YMCA since its inception in 1875 has always risen to the occasion whenever calamities have struck the city.

Beginning with Relief operations during World War I & II, the Army barracks were maintained by the YMCA and the Army Officers used the YMCA at Colaba for its operations. Over the past 145 years our experience gained in the 3 R’s - Rescue, Relief and Rehabilitation has grown exponentially.

During the earthquake at the Latur and Osmanabad districts in 1993, Bombay YMCA led in the relief and later rehabilitation of two villages of over 200 families including the construction of the primary school and the community centre. We were recently recognized for our efforts by the then Chief Minister, Shri. Sharad Pawar.

When the communal riots broke out in the early 90s the YMCA was called in as Peacemakers between the communities in Agripada and Mumbai Central. The Army used the premises of the Procter YMCA at Agripada as their base for their operation. In addition, Bombay YMCA constructed close to 50 tenements at Ramabai Nagar, Ghatkopar in collaboration with a major newspaper group.

Each time the city was submerged due to the deluge and came to a standstill, the YMCA opened its centres/Branches providing shelter and food for the stranded.

During the terrorist attack of 26/11, the YMCA was home to many Mumbaikars and foreign nationals at various YMCA centres spread across the city.

How to contact:

For further details and more information follow us on Instagram:@ymcabombay, Twitter: @ymcabombay, Facebook: @ymcabombay, Email: generalsecretary@ymcabombay.com.

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At least 70 state transport buses left from Maharashtra on Wednesday morning to bring back students stranded at Kota in Rajasthan due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, an official said. The vehicles left from Maharashtra's Dhule district around 10.30 am and will reach Rajasthan by Wednesday night, he said. "The buses will leave from Kota on Thursday morning," the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) official said, adding that only 20 students will be allowed in each bus and the vehicles will halt at two to three places for food breaks.

A number of students from Maharashtra have been staying at Kota to take coaching classes for the preparation of various competitive entrance examinations after Class 12. The MSRTC official said due to the long distance journey of 11 to 12 hours, each bus has been provided two drivers, and a van will go along with the fleet to help in case of a break down and ensure smooth journey. "On return journey from Kota, the buses will ferry students to their respective districts," he said.

Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab in a tweet late Tuesday night said, "1780 students from Maharashtra are stuck in Kota, Rajasthan due to lockdown for precaution against Covid-19. As directed by Hon'ble CM Shri. @OfficeOfUt, 92 buses of MSRTC fleet will Leave on 29th April 2020from Dhule to rescue the students & Bring them back home." When asked about it, the MSRTC official said earlier they were to send 92 buses, but the number was reduced as some districts like Raigad and Beed sent private buses to bring back students from Kota.

On return, the students and their parents will undergo medical checkup followed by the mandatory 14-day home quarantine, a senior official from the Maharashtra disaster management department said on Tuesday. The Maharashtra government decided to bring back the students following indications that the lockdown may be extended in some of the major cities where the coronavirus situation is yet to come under control.

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Early on Wednesday morning, 27 students and six parents from Raigad district, who were among the 2,000 Maharashtra residents stranded in Kota, Rajasthan, arrived at the Gram Vikas Bhavan in Kharghar in a special private bus arranged by the district administration.

Fifteen of the students are from Panvel, three from Karjat, three from Pen, one from Pune, two from Thane and five from Alibaug, among others. They had enrolled at coaching institutes to prepare for NIIT, IIT and medical entrance exams.

According to the students, who are now in home-quarantine, exams were scheduled for April first week. For medical students, they were scheduled in the first week of May. Both exams have been postponed amid the Coronavirus lockdown.

The returnees inside the private bus

"Around 2 lakh students were staying in hostels and studying at a single institute in Kota. While most states have taken their students back, around 6,000 from Jharkhand and Bihar are still stranded," said Gauri Mayekar, a student from Alibaug who aspires to study medicine.

"I enrolled at my institute last April to prepare for my medical entrance examination. I had scored 78 per cent in PCMB (physics, chemistry, maths, biology) during HSC. My mother joined me in January and we were to return in March. We had to extend our stay due to the lockdown," Mayekar added.

Some parents from Raigad had approached the district's Guardian Minister Aditi Tatkare to help bring their kids back. Tatkare wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. District Collector Nidhi Choudhary spoke to her counterpart in Kota and special permissions were issued to allow the bunch to travel in a specially arranged bus.

Another student Gaurav Maurya, 18, a resident of Pen, said that his common entrance exam for NIIT, which was to begin in April first week, has been postponed.

"I had got a scholarship and joined a well-known private institute in Kota. My parents had paid R56,000 for the whole term. My initial plan was to appear for the exam in Kota and then return home. But now I have asked for the centre to be shifted somewhere near my home," Gaurav said.

Amit Sanap, tehsildar, Panvel said, "We arranged for the students and parents to get a medical checkup at Gram Vikas Bhavan, Kharghar. Sub-district hospital doctors checked the students' temperature at the entrance. None of the arrivals showed symptoms of novel Coronavirus. Each of them was stamped for the 14-day home quarantine. All were happy to be home after being stuck in Kota since the lockdown."

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