<h2>Maa meets matinee</h2>
The sacred and the silver screen &mdash; two kinds of worship collide in a single room at the North Bombay Durga Puja in Juhu on Monday, as Alia Bhatt joins Ayan Mukerji in prayer
<h2>A novel Innings</h2>
Few sporting visuals are quite as iconic as Mithali Raj sitting on the sidelines at Derby during the 2017 ICC Women&rsquo;s Cricket World Cup, pads on, casually reading Rumi while awaiting her turn at the crease.
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Mithali-Raj_1792455554_s.jpg" alt="Mithali Raj" width="1280" height="720" /> Mithali Raj
Nearly a decade later, the former captain proves some rituals simply never age. Over the weekend, Mithali treated her social media tribe to a snapshot of pure, unhurried bliss: perched by a window framed with verdant greenery, clutching a steaming brew, captioned: &ldquo;A book, a hot cup of chai and a little greenery... just how I like my mornings.&rdquo;
Naturally, yours truly had to find out what has currently captured the attention of Indian cricket&rsquo;s best-loved bibliophile. &ldquo;I am reading the book, Ignite Me, from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi,&rdquo; Mithali confesses. Clearly, whether she is dissecting 13th-century Persian verses or diving headlong into YA fantasy, her appetite for gripping prose remains as voracious as ever.
Back in Derby, she famously had to borrow that volume of Rumi from her coach because strict ICC regulations banned electronic e-readers in the dugout. These days, blissfully unfettered by dressing room tech restrictions or looming run chases, she gets to savour the quiet on her own terms.
In a world perpetually glued to high-octane screens and frantic morning scrolls, leave it to Mithali to remind us of the supreme luxury of slowing down. A thrilling page-turner, kadak chai, and complete calm under pressure &mdash; legendary form, both on and off the pitch.
Recommended by Raj
Mithali&rsquo;s all-time favourites include Paths of Glory by Jeffrey Archer and The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. &ldquo;One is fiction and the other is fantasy &mdash; my favourite genre,&rdquo; she shares.
<h2>Greek Getaway</h2>
Last week, yours truly gave you the lowdown on that unexpected Ravi Shastri&ndash;Calvin Harris bromance in Athens for Shaan Mehta and Hia Advani&rsquo;s sun-drenched nuptials. But Shastri and Shubman Gill weren&rsquo;t the only ones flying the cricket flag across the Aegean for these pre-wedding festivities &mdash; turns out the Greek getaway boasted an entire VIP dugout.
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Ashish-Nehra_1792455577_s.jpg" alt="Ashish Nehra and wife Rushma" width="1280" height="720" /> Ashish Nehra and wife Rushma
Joining the Aegean party were Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra and wife Rushma, along with Aussie legend Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel, and Vikram Solanki. And when they weren&rsquo;t suited up for the soir&eacute;es, the gang traded gala glamour for some good old-fashioned sightseeing.
From taking in the grandeur of the Acropolis to getting happily lost in Athens&rsquo; cobbled lanes, the cricketers and their better halves embraced their inner tourists with enviable enthusiasm. Clearly, cricketing greats love a little time out of the pavilion too.
<h2>Jamnagar Jam</h2>
Jamnagar &mdash; courtesy the Ambanis &mdash; is never one for understated affairs, but Friday night at Reliance Greens struck that sweet spot between festival frenzy and inner-circle intimacy. The energy was electric as thousands broke into a stadium-style rendition of &lsquo;Happy Birthday&rsquo; to Radhika Ambani the moment the family took to the stage for their Navratri celebrations on October 16. Adding to the arena&rsquo;s star power, everyone&rsquo;s favourite &lsquo;mashooqa,&rsquo; Kriti Sanon, dazzled with a show-stopping performance on the public grounds.
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Radhika-Ambani_1792455605_s.jpg" alt="Radhika Ambani" width="1280" height="720" /> Radhika Ambani
Yet all that glitz was kept firmly separate from the private revelry, tucked well away from prying lenses. Amid the comings and goings of private jets, the birthday belle was welcomed with an opulent shower of rose petals before holding court at the high table. MS Dhoni and wife Sakshi were spotted chatting animatedly with Anant and Radhika, with the group later indulging in ice cream, seemingly unfazed by the fanfare around them.
Naturally, the culinary offerings lived up to the billing. A battery of the world&rsquo;s finest chefs was on hand to cater to every whim, whipping up everything from Michelin-calibre bespoke gastronomy to artisanal, hyperlocal street-side bites. And even against a backdrop of unbridled spectacle, the evening, we hear, retained the relaxed cadence of an old-school family weekend.
<h2>Home is where the Panki is</h2>
For years, suburban food lovers have harboured one collective longing: a true Swati Snacks equivalent north of the Sea Link. We dared to dream when a cloud kitchen quietly popped up in Santacruz, but our joy was all too brief when it vanished just as quickly, leaving behind a persistent craving for proper panki and comforting regional fare.
<img src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/Karan-Shah_1792455659_s.jpg" alt="Karan Shah and Samyukta Nair" width="1280" height="720" /> Karan Shah and Samyukta Nair
Enter the formidable hospitality maven Samyukta Nair, who is finally answering our prayers. Teaming up with Karan Shah &mdash; whose pedigree helming the iconic Swati Snacks speaks for itself &mdash; she&rsquo;s launching Makaan in Juhu today, fulfilling a long-cherished dream of celebrating heartfelt Gujarati hospitality in the suburbs.
On Monday evening, ahead of its official launch, the duo opened Makaan&rsquo;s terracotta-hued doors for a buzzy, laughter-filled preview. Welcoming close friends including Nachiket Barve, Mohit Rai, and Kunal Rawal, the intimate 58-seater instantly came alive with overlapping banter and the unmistakable warmth of a Gujarati home where nobody is ever allowed to leave hungry.
Steaming Surat-style locho slathered in butter, crisp pudlas, and warm pankis kept rolling out of the kitchen, chased down by tall glasses of pudina chaas and playful swirls of shrikhand soft serve. If the sneak peek was any indication, the suburbs haven&rsquo;t just gained a culinary staple &mdash; we&rsquo;ve found our new second home.

Naturally, yours truly had to find out what has currently captured the attention of Indian cricket's best-loved bibliophile

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Naturally, yours truly had to find out what has currently captured the attention of Indian cricket’s best-loved bibliophile

Sonali's Society: Alia Bhatt joins in the festivities, and more

Maa meets matinee

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