23 October,2026 09:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Ashish Raje
A bird perches on a tree branch that overlooks Crawford Market's iconic clock tower
Students of Don Bosco Institute of Technology learn Italian with the help of Geronimo Stilton's illustrated book. Pics courtesy/The Italian Cultural Institute
Geronimo Stilton, the adventure-loving mouse journalist, had a new assignment in Kurla - to make children curious about the Italian language and culture.
As part of an initiative to mark the 26th Week of the Italian Language in the World (October 19-25), the students at Don Bosco Institute of Technology received copies of Mille Meraviglie. Viaggio alla scoperta dell'Italia. The illustrated book takes readers through the country's landmarks and cultural treasures.
Raffaello Barbieri
"We hope this experience will encourage students to continue learning Italian, and see it as a gateway to new cultural, educational, and professional opportunities," said Raffaello Barbieri, director of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai.
This diarist is a tad miffed that chef Alex Sanchez did not cut us in on a slice of this piping hot news, but nevertheless. The restaurateur is following up the landmark of Americano with a spin-off pizza joint, Pizzeria Americano, with co-founder Mallyeka Watsa, and the Ek Number Hospitality family.
The newly opened café at Kala Ghoda and Alex Sanchez. Pics courtesy/Pizzeria Americano
While the venue on Raja Bahadur Mansion in Kala Ghoda opens doors on October 28, the restaurant is already taking in calls for reservations. Having set up the fine dine landmark of The Table with Gauri Devidayal and Jay Yousuf at the age of 26, and followed it up with Americano, and Otra, a pizzeria might feel like a surprising turn for the San Francisco native. However, it seems like that was always the idea.
Worli Bird from Americano
On his social media page, the chef-founder shared. "From the beginning, we dreamt of a pizzeria - a project that remained close to our hearts. Today, we are delighted, and a bit relieved, to share that the wait is finally over."
Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi celebrate the release of the book, due next month. Pics courtesy/HarperCollins
After much debate, and a few hurdles along the way to its release, this diarist learnt that Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson, Sonia Gandhi's much-awaited memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love (HarperCollins), is finally set to hit the shelves on November 10. The personal and political memoir will cover the former leader of the opposition's early life in post-war Italy, her marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family, the tragedies of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, and her decades in Indian public life.
A still from the film Iktsuarpok
Congratulations are in order as Dr Omkar Bhatkar's film, Iktsuarpok heads to Barcelona for the Asian Film Festival on October 28.
The crew during the shoot. Pics courtesy/Omkar Bhatkar
The 2024 film explores family, existentialism, and, more importantly, geography's influence on the human psyche.
"Inspired by Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu's intimate portrayals of domestic life, the film follows two contrasting characters in Mumbai and Goa, inviting viewers to reflect on how a change in surroundings can alter their state of mind, and offer fresh perspectives on life," said Bhatkar.
