The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Donn Bhat. Pic Courtesy/Srijan Mahajan
The Donn will connect now
Electronic music producer Donn Bhat released his third studio album, Connected on Wednesday. The seven-track album is a mix of different genres and beats. He has used interesting instruments in the record — from Tibetan bowls to sarangi, apart from the signature electric guitar.
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The songs evoke his thoughts on relationships and modern India; there is a track called Desh Bhakti, which we suggest you listen to. The Mumbai-based producer has been a regular at international festivals, including Glastonbury last year, with his band Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator.
His collaborations have been with long-time friends Toymob aka Ashhar Farooqui (vocalist), Anand Bhagat (percussionist) and Suhail Yusuf Khan (sarangi player). “This album is a diary of a certain time in my life. It is a further exploration between electronica and acoustic instruments combined with lyrical songwriting. It continues where the last album left off,” says Bhat.
Turning a new leaf
The pan-Asian restaurant Lemon Leaf is opening a new outlet in Colaba next week. The new place, we’re told, unlike its sister outlets in Bandra and Andheri, will focus on gourmet food.
One can expect staple classics as well as new dishes like sushi rolls, Asian tapas, soups, baos and dim sums. Choose from Snapper Chips with Gochujang Mayo, Cream cheese stuffed Potatoes, a tuna Poke, Vietnamese Summer Rolls and Bulgogi Beef Baos.
A new menu apart, the entire theme and décor has been conceptualised based on the beliefs of Mau. Is Colaba ready for another Asian restaurant? We’ll get a whiff of it by next week.
Mirror image of Kajol or me?
Pic/Bipin Kokate
Ajay Devgn throws an endearing glance at daughter Nysa when both attended an event in a suburban five-star last evening.
Kabaddi with the Japs
A mid-day reader from Tokyo wrote in to tell us about the rather interesting Japan Tamil Sangam, and went on to share a few details the high interest for the language in his adopted country.
The Japs seem to have taken a fancy to kabaddi. Pic/Suresh Karkera
His letter revealed how a scholar called Susumu Ohno had a theory that Japanese may have originated from Tamil! The Japan Tamil Sangam (Tamil word for Association), he said, has been acting as a bridge connecting Tamil culture with Japan. Thousands of Tamil-speaking families live in Japan, and the Sangam ensures they stay in touch with their roots.
He also shared with us details of a popular festival organised by Japan Tamil Sangam last week, called Vanakkam Thamizhagam (meaning Hello Tamil Nadu). It focussed on traditional sports, food and culture and was held in eastern Tokyo. One of the crowd favourites was kabaddi, believed to have originated in Tamil Nadu.
Crowds had gathered as Japan’s national kabaddi team joined in the matches. Each team consisted of few members from Japan’s national team along with the Tamil-speaking members and the crowd cheered on. Many onlookers, especially the Japs, were thrilled at the sight of top competitive kabaddi being played amidst them.
Dan Brown and the origin of things
This diarist recalls the razor-sharp, articulate replies that offered tremendous insight into the mind of bestselling author, Dan Brown when he visited Mumbai in November 2014.
Dan Brown interacts during his visit to Mumbai. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
The revelations around how protagonist Robert Langdon was created, were equally fascinating. Now, publishers of the world-famous author of fast-paced thrillers, have announced that he will be back with another thriller, Origin in September 2017.
Codes, science, art, history, architecture and religion are woven into this new novel as Harvard symbologist Langdon attempts to crack another mystery. Another maze-like adventure, this promises to be.
Do the dandiya at the dome
Alliterations apart, trust Mumbai’s dandiya-crazy folk to think of innovations each year. This time, Worli’s Dome at NSCI inside the SVP Stadium will be the venue for a three-day raas garba and dandiya gig from October 7-9, complete with LED dandiya sticks, contests, authentic Gujju khana and of course, Bollywood-style naach-gaana. Parthiv Gohil, playback singer for films like Devdas and Saawariya is expected to croon his way for this glittering rendezvous.
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