The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Brides rule the beach?
The fact that resort wear and swimwear design labels in the country are almost non-existent becomes even more evident when a beach fashion week at India's top beach destination has fewer models in bikinis on the ramp than the number of tourists in two pieces on the beach.
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At one such event that concluded recently in Goa, models dressed in kaftans and flowy dresses jostled for ramp space with those dressed in lehengas and sarees for the upcoming wedding season.
Though destination bridal wear was the term used for the heavy numbers, this diarist couldn't help but recall what a budding designer told her years ago. "It's not easy to make it big in the Indian fashion industry if you are not into bridal wear." Looks like zardozi and chiffons rule even on the sands.
Caricatures for a cause
Since 2014, Satish Acharya, who began his journey in the world of editorial toons with this newspaper, has been organising a cartoon festival across his home state of Karnataka to popularise the subtle form of political comment in smaller towns.
As part of the festival, he also organises a fundraiser where attendees are invited to get their caricatures done and contribute an amount of their choice, which is then directed to a cause. This year, Acharya has taken it to a wider platform by opening up the fundraiser to online users.
"Proceeds from the initiative will go to my school in Kundapura. A Kannada medium school, it is no longer popular with most parents, who prefer the English medium. It needs funds to support the education of poor students," Acharya told this diarist. "Taking the campaign online was a good idea. So far, we have raised '1 lakh."
Those interested can mail their photographs, along with a brief introduction about themselves, to Acharya on cartoonistsatish@gmail.com.
Desi corn job
It's bad enough that most Indian junta, this diarist included, use low-cost airlines out of sheer necessity but it is their uninspiring in-flight menus that leave us with one choice - to skip the trauma altogether.
Yet, many fliers take their food pretty seriously and look forward to the in-air restaurant to start service. Like this gentleman on our flight, who seemed upset that the menu offered a Mexican Corn Sandwich. Not a big deal, right?
Except that he didn't appreciate the fact that the domestic airline didn't stock Indian corn. "Arre, madam why don't you keep desi corn instead of this Mexican-vexican type? We are all in India, after all. I won't touch it!" he exclaimed as the baffled stewardess apologised, and assured him that his complaint would be registered as soon as the flight landed. What did he order instead? A Chicken Tikka Sandwich. Talk about eating like a true desh bhakt.
Matching notes with Rinku di
That's what Kolkata-based music composers Soumyojit Das and Sourendro Mullick, like many others in the film fraternity, fondly call Sharmila Tagore. For the last five years, the duo has been collaborating with the veteran actor for an interesting stage show, An Evening in Paris, which is likely to come to Mumbai by Valentine's Day.
(Clockwise from left) Soumyojit Das, Sourendro Mullick with Sharmila Tagore in the video
In the concert, she recites iconic poems and the artistes perform folk, ghazal and Bollywood numbers that compliment her verses. Recently, they also recorded their first YouTube music video with her, featuring their original composition Jo Bhi Baatein.
The video lights up as Tagore narrates verses from Sunil Bhandari's poem, Coffee, You & Me. "For every concert, we sit with Sharmila ji to choose the pieces. Her recitation style is special; it resonates with the poet's mind. On stage, she is also engrossed in the melodies and hums a few lines. It adds another dimension to our performance," Das told this diarist.
Roll camera, action!
Ahead of the United Nations' 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which begins on November 25 and culminates in International Human Right Day on December 10, the US Consulate General, Mumbai, has announced a short film contest.
The theme of the contest, which ends on November 10, is Women's Safety and Empowerment. Interested folk can send in video submissions of three to five minutes, in English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Konkani, Urdu or Chhattisgarhi.
The videos can be in the form of stories, ads, testimonials or any other format. If you're a filmmaker, professional or otherwise, here's your chance to do your bit to promote the safety of women around you.
Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Cause and effect
Actor Sonali Kulkarni soaks in a painting displayed at an exhibition, depicting the various stages of cancer, at the Tata Memorial hospital in Parel.
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