The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Don't mess with the khan
Actor Saif Ali Khan caught giving someone a stern look as he headed to the gym on Saturday. Pic/Datta Kumbhar
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Sandeep Khosla with Sussanne Khan. Pic/Atul Kamble
Chilled-out prelude to the weekend
Who could have imagined that la-di-dah couture could also be easy and fun? One of India's finest couturiers Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla along with brand's CEO Saudamini Mattu hosted an afternoon to celebrate the re-launch of their flagship store at Kemps Corner on Friday. Over flutes of lemongrass-infused champagne and cheese, guests got a first look at the new space designed in keeping with the designer duo's aesthetic of sparse opulence; magnified pieces of filigree decorate the walls giving
company to brass chandeliers in art deco style.
Amid rounds of shots, peppy soundtracks, and models dressed in Abu-Sandeep moseying around, the revelry continued to a Chinese restaurant. In attendance were the brand's true-blue fans — Shweta Bachchan Nanda, Tabu, Dimple Kapadia, Sussanne Khan (looking smashing in a shorter haircut), Sonali Bendre, Haseena Jethmalani, Reema Jain and Kaajal Anand. Also seen were a mix of Sobo and Bandra residents Mehernosh and Harsha Heeramaneck, Lali Dhawan, Mamta Poddar, Hemal, Radhika Mehra, Debbi Hitkari, Arshiya and Archana Mittal, Azmina Rahimtoola and Mona Mehta.
Mama, look what we found
WHAT would cricket be without stats and figures? Not boring for sure. Our in-house cricket nut recently acquired a copy of former England spinner Derek 'Deadly' Underwood's 1980 book, Deadly Down Under. Underwood, who ended his career with 297 wickets in 1981-82, expressed his thrill over how cricket lovers followed his progress across the globe.
During the India v England Golden Jubilee Test in Mumbai in 1980, Parsi statistician Bapoo Mama surprised Underwood with a detailed analysis of his then tally of 278 wickets. "Mr Mama recorded details of every wicket, how I dismissed my opponents and the number of times I've got them out in Test matches. I shall treasure his statistical endeavours as long as I live and have, with his permission, recorded them in this book," wrote Underwood.
Sadly, Mama is no more (he passed away in 1995), but his statistical contribution to the game will never be forgotten especially by this newspaper group which used to publish Mama's statistics that arrived in the post every few days from his Panchgani dwelling.
Creating a haven for design
Celebrated architect Asheish Shah has brought to the city one of its largest exhibitions, going by sheer magnitude. The two-day event that kicked off yesterday in a mid-town five-star, is a bespoke design spectacle, titled D/Code, and will bring under one roof more than 20,000 attendees. Over 40 exclusive design brands from around the world are showcasing their designs. Alongside a gamut of retail furniture brands, upcoming artists and product designers who have embraced an indigenous design aesthetic, will also get their moment in the sun. Shah says, "This fair is a new, innovative platform that I had the pleasure of conceptualising and curating. It's a first-of-its kind in the continent and the speciality of this fair is its focus on regional design and art, that often gets overshadowed by the giant players in the market. The idea is to make the world see Mumbai as the go-to art and design destination."
VaPu returns
While Marathi readers have experienced the greatness of Vasant Purushottam Kale's (1932-2001) stories, the work of this prolific writer, who wrote over 60 books during his lifetime, has largely gone unnoticed elsewhere. A new translation of his famed collection of short stories, Karmachari, will for the first time, introduce his work to English readers.
Translated by Vikrant Pande, the book which has been published by HarperCollins India, is set in suburban Mumbai of the 1970s. "Kale, who was fondly known as VaPu, was most known for his katha kathans (readings of his stories). What I most liked about his work were his relatable characters and slice-of-life stories. Karmachari is no different, and takes us through the trials and tribulations of ordinary people," Pande says.
Ravi Vazirani
Emerging strong
While her curatorial venture, Elephant Parade India 2017/18 comes to a close today, Farah Siddiqui Khan has more to share with us. The art consultant is joining hands with friend Amy Stafford, who has been previously associated with Damien Hirst, to launch a new platform called Cultivate Art.
Farah Siddiqui Khan
Siddiqui Khan tells us there are a number of reasons that she and Stafford are launching this: to make art more accessible, to promote young emerging artists, to woo young collectors with affordable price points, and also to get people going to explore more art spaces, out of the gallery. So, while we can expect more pop-up art shows and alternative viewing platforms from them, the first one to watch out for is Viraj Mithani's Eastern Affair this Saturday. And the venue? Interior designer Ravi Vazirani's studio in Bandra. We are marking our calendars for this one.
Also read: Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier
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