The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra
Awesome twosome
Sidharth Malhotra and Parineeti Chopra strike a pose after exiting a cinema hall in Andheri West, where they were promoting their upcoming film. Pic/Sameer Markande
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Stay tuned for a final decision
Will it reopen, or won't it? This diarist recently heard tittle-tattle that the curtains had finally been drawn on The Quarter, a popular SoBo venue for live gigs. The place has been shut for renovations for a few months now, and co-owner Ashu Pathak had told us earlier that something exciting was coming up. So, when we heard the rumour that it's shutting down, we called him again for a confirmation. Pathak, though, remained tight-lipped.
"We are still in conversation [with the owners of Royal Opera House, where the venue is housed]. Call me in two weeks [for the exact news]," he told this diarist. That's exactly what we will do, hoping against hope that the city doesn't lose yet another quality venue for music. So, stay tuned to these pages to find out if the gap that The Quarter managed to fill after Blue Frog and AntiSocial shut down will be opened wide again.
A mad record for Badshah
If there was any doubt that Badshah is one of the most popular hip-hop artistes in the country right now, that has now been laid to rest after the musician's latest single — Paagal — created a world record. It became the song that has been viewed the maximum number of times within 24 hours of its release, crossing over 75 million views after it was launched on Wednesday. Badshah thus beats global giants like Korean pop darlings BTS and Taylor Swift.
The track is an out-and-out pop banger, the video for which was shot in Los Angeles and features Rose Romero, a Playboy model. The musician said, "Paagal was made with the focused intent of taking music from India across borders and making our presence felt. And my fans just went all out on this one to help me achieve my dream. We're going big with this one."
Shining a spotlight
You don't get to see them because they stay behind the scenes. But even as we idolise the actors who appear on our screens, rarely do we spare a thought for all the people who are part of a film's crew, without whom movies would never be made. They include editors, camera persons, directors of photography, etc.
And Paper Plane Pictures, a Mumbai-based production house, has now started an initiative called #Namelessfaces, through which it tells the stories of these very people, putting the spotlight on them for a change. Line producer Indu Razdan was the first person to be featured. We are looking forward to hearing more stories about these unsung heroes who create the cinematic magic we finally get to view.
Tackling population with a rap
In yet another attempt to tackle India's overpopulation problem, albeit in a groovy way, the producers of the show, Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon, and Population Foundation of India have released a rap song that promotes the use of condoms on the occasion of World Population Day. The track, which talks about the need for safe sexual practices, dual protection and male responsibility in family planning, mirrors the issues the show deals with.
A scene from the show, Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon
"While there is enough knowledge about contraception, the adoption of methods, especially by men, is restricted because of prevailing myths. Through this song we are telling young people that condoms provide double protection — they prevent unwanted pregnancies and protect one from sexually transmitted infections," Poonam Muttreja, executive director of Population Foundation of India, told this diarist.
A lip-smacking competition
If there is one thing that Indian food stands for, it is diversity. Forget about the different regions, our cuisine changes from locality to locality. And a recent competition that video app TikTok launched along with a food channel celebrates the variety that Indian dishes have to offer.
Users are being asked to send in videos of food typical to where they come from, and this led to contributions ranging from a samosa sandwich in Vadodara to a handi chicken recipe from Bihar. As for Mumbai, it was no surprise that pav bhaji and pani puri got featured in the list.
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