The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Meet the magazine models: Mandakini and Matondkar
We hit the nostalgia note when we browsed through scans of a number of articles and magazine advertisement clippings that Radhi Parekh, of Kala Ghoda exhibition space ARTISANS', shared with us.
Magazine adverts featuring a young Urmila Matondkar
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These belong to her 80-year-old mother — textile designer Mita Parekh, credited for bringing to Mumbai the first show of 500 block-printed designer salwar kameez sets and saris back in 1977.
She is currently hosting an exhibition of her new collection at the gallery. Published between 1988 and 1989, some of the adverts feature Mandakini and a young Urmila Matondkar. “Mandakini and Matondkar, among others, were associated with Femina and Eve's Weekly. Femina sponsored the Miss India contests, and one of the contestants was Anita Reddi, Miss India World in 1980. I designed her wardrobe. Juhi Chawla modelled my clothes too.
Mandakini
Nargis, my idol, opened the first show. I remember Babita Kapoor once inaugurated a show, with Karisma and Kareena, just toddlers, in tow. We partnered with the magazine on a series of centre-spreads in the '80s, where saris and salwar-kameez sets could be ordered by mail. Readers sent in coupons and we sent packages all over India. It was the start of mail-order in India!” recounted the senior Parekh.
A slice of literature
This picture caught our eye because one doesn't see so many literary luminaries in one frame that often. At the inaugural dinner of an ongoing literature festival in Kolkata, veteran writers Anita Desai and Ruskin Bond cut a book-shaped cake with author-politico Shashi Tharoor. While Desai inaugurated the five-day fest and spoke about her writings spanning a lifetime, the prolific Bond displayed his signature wit with, “I'm a writer by day, a vampire by night” during one of the sessions on writing thrillers.
After speaking at separate panel discussions, father and son Shashi and Kanishk Tharoor came together for an interesting conversation on the writing gene. With the recently concluded lit festival in Jaipur, it seems like a relay race of litfests around the country — one that we hope never ends.
Leander's Republic Day memories
Away in Melbourne for the Australian Open, Leander Paes seems to be missing home, and the Republic Day parade in particular. The tennis star posted a picture of himself with the Padma Bhushan Sanad (certificate) — a cherished memory of Republic Day three years ago.
Leander Paes
Incidentally, Australia's National Day falls on January 26 too, and Paes witnessed the celebrations this time.
When icons create a classic
It is the city's newest performance space. This Wednesday, the G5A studio in Mahalakshmi introduced their In Session — Live at the G5A Black Box with Ustad Zakir Hussain and Niladri Kumar. There were two back-to-back shows, both of which were full houses.
Ustad Zakir Hussain and Niladri Kumar
In the audience were Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Tanvi Azmi and Makarand Deshpande among others. The shows were followed by a South Indian dinner on the star-lit, bougainvillea-lined terrace of the venue. Full marks to the guys for creating new cultural experiences in the city.
For pet's sake
Mid-week, a Lower Parel café resounded to the tunes of tracks such as Zombie, Empire State of Mind and Imagine. Unlike a regular gig, the occasion was a charity concert put together by Mahi Ghia a Year 12 city-based student and a volunteer at The Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD).
Mahi Ghia
Taking the stage were children between 12 and 16 years. They spoke about the cause of strays and their adoption; there was also a screening of a WSD film. Change starts young.
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