<h2>Sophie's cutest fan</h2>
Actor-model Sophie Choudry gets greeted by her toy-like pet after lunching in Bandra on Thursday. Pic/Shadab Khan
<img title="Postmaster general Mumbai Swati Pandey (left) at a recent interaction with tourist guides about the GPO throwing open the site to heritage walks" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2019/oct/Mumbai-Swati-Pandey.jpg" alt="Postmaster general Mumbai Swati Pandey (left) at a recent interaction with tourist guides about the GPO throwing open the site to heritage walks" /> Postmaster general Mumbai Swati Pandey (left) at a recent interaction with tourist guides about the GPO throwing open the site to heritage walks
<h2>Making a mark</h2>
In the time of Instagram direct messages (DMs), one might question the place of stamps and envelopes. That's why next month, India Post Mumbai and postmaster general Mumbai Swati Pandey will organise a unique three-day exhibition at Churchgate's Sunderbai Hall. "The millennials and post millennials hardly write letters or know of the importance of stamps. MumbaiPex is an initiative to make them understand the value and significance of stamps, which are not only the silent documenters of history but also inform us avidly about literature, culture, geography, society and its many issues," Pandey told this diarist. The event is themed on Mahatma Gandhi and will also focus on putting a stop to the use of plastic. The organisers plan to invite well-known personalities for the inauguration, and rope in artisans to make mementos and other philately-related handicrafts. This only goes to show that post offices can be more than just a medium for sending and receiving letters.
<img title="Shobhaa De " src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2019/oct/Shobhaa-De.jpg" alt="Shobhaa De " />
<h2>A Marwari detour</h2>
Prolific writer and columnist Shobhaa De is all set to pen her next novel. While it continues to be set against the familiar upper middle class-rich backdrop, this time it meanders through the life of a Marwari lady. The book is called Srilaaji: Diary of a Marwari Dowager, and follows De's Seventy ... And to Hell With It, which she wrote when she turned 70. "Fiction remains an enduring love affair in my life. I look forward to creating an unforgettable character called Srilaaji, and occupying her skin, exploring her world, uncovering her secret self," De said.
<img title="Sandeep Goyal" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2019/oct/Sandeep-Goyal.jpg" alt="Sandeep Goyal" />
<h2>Of sake, sushi and sumo</h2>
One memorable visit to a country can inspire a travel article. But a 100 visits call for a book. That's what adman Sandeep Goyal's next title is about. Releasing later this month, Japan Made Easy features 101 short essays that "cover everything from sushi to sake, and sama to sumo". The aim is to make the country more accessible to the average Indian through a first-hand account of its aesthetics, business &mdash; including how one should negotiate effectively with Japanese businessmen &mdash; culture, food and philosophy. In 2003, Goyal had partnered with Tokyo-based advertising giant Dentsu Inc., which resulted in the many visits to Japan over the course of two decades.
<img title="Stream flows in new direction" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2019/oct/Stream-flows-in-new-directi.jpg" alt="Stream flows in new direction" />
<h2>Stream flows in new direction</h2>
Move over Bollywood music. Regional and independent songs are coming to get you. That seems to be the gist of an online music platform's streaming trends for 2019. Consider the fact that pop, EDM and hip-hop were the preferred genres for younger listeners. Plus, languages like Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil accounted for 20 per cent of the top-streamed songs. Another encouraging outcome is the fact that after the metropolitan cities, tier-II ones like Patna, Lucknow, Noida and Faridabad accounted for the top 10 streaming cities. Sure, Hindi film hit-maker Arijit Singh was the most streamed artiste. But the findings also revealed that music apart, people are now also listening to alternative audio media like podcasts more than before.
<img title="Rasika tells it as is" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2019/oct/Rasika-tell.jpg" alt="Rasika tells it as is" />
<h2>Rasika tells it as is</h2>
While the Instagram handles of most actors are a reflection of their glitzy, on-screen personas, we love Rasika Dugal for not hesitating to show the unglamorous side of things too. The critically acclaimed actor, who has been shooting in Coonoor for close to two months, often shares pictures of herself prepping for her role, head buried in the script with her glasses on, or just taking a moment between two scenes, without a care for the right pout or pose. And yesterday, when she posted a picture of herself doing a wall plank, it came with the honest confession, "Back on the mat after a long shoot schedule. Can someone please teach me the art of shooting and working out on the same day? It's always one or the other for me." We hear you.
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