Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Free as a birdFreedom was in the air on Saturday it seems As the country rolled out the first phase of the Covid19 vaccination drive an Indian roller formerly called the Blue Jaygets ready to take off after a meal at paddy field in Aarey ColonyTime to let your hair downSantosh Borhade has worked at a steady clip throughout the lockdown for free At a time when barbers across the state were out of jobs owing to the lockdown Borhade decided to utilise his skills to help frontline workers In March last year Borhade a Sandhurst Road resident reached Dongri Police Station and offered his services to all policemen free of cost Then he went to the neighbouring JJ Hospital and did the same He ended up giving salon services to over 300 resident doctors on campus Recognising his efforts the Governor of Maharashtra recently felicitated Borhade Speaking to this diarist Borhade says I provided haircuts to around 150 policemen The police and doctors are battling the pandemic at the frontline and keeping us safe This is the least I can do to thank them I was surprised that the Governor decided to felicitate me in January I am honouredGo girlIn December this newspaper had covered a new virtual initiative called the Atypical Advantage a onestop solution to hire disabled talent by Vineet Saraiwala The portal has seen impressive traction since its launch In fact we have learnt that a leading ecommerce platform has roped in Tarini Chaddha a 15yearold with Downs Syndrome to feature in a new ad for their smart speaker brand The ad is part of the brands third anniversary celebration It took us two days to convince Tarini to go for the audition Her favourite actor is Rajkumar Rao so we told her that shell get a chance to be on TV just like Rao Shes now thrilled about the shoot says her mother AashthaJeff Thomsons brown dog at the GabbaJeff Thomson was hard on himself when he didnt bowl as per set standards PicGetty ImagesReading about how our Indian cricketers were called brown dog by some sick Sydney Cricket Ground spectators recently our inhouse cricket nut remembered listening to a yarn oftenused Aussie term for an anecdote during his visit to the Brisbane Cricket Ground in 2003 He was told about how pace terror Jeff Thomson kept uttering my fk brown dog fk brown dog after delivering each ball during a spell for Queensland in a Sheffield Shield game at the Gabba in the 1980s Thomsons teammate Greg Ritchies mother was at the game and seated near enough to hear Thomsons brown dog mentions She didnt realise that it was Thomsons way of venting his frustration at not bowling to his set standards After play Mrs Ritchie was introduced to Thomson and her first question to him was So hows your brown dog Jeff Thommo had some explaining to doAnnabel Mehta to write memoirSocial activist and Sachin Tendulkars motherinlaw Annabel Mehta is penning a memoir about her life in India which has been her home for more than 50 years now Annabel left her home country England to marry her classmate Anand Mehta in the 1960s and start afresh in Mumbai then Bombay A committed social activist Mehta has dedicated her life to the NGO Apnalaya as its honorary treasurer and president and also has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire for her work and service to underprivileged communities Her book My Passage to India will be published by Westland Publications and is being cowritten with journalist Georgina Brown India has been my life The colour sounds and smells the food the festivals the frustrations tolerance and diversity and above all the people have played an instrumental role in the person that I am today I am also an optimist which along with patience and a sense of humour are the essentials for living in this fascinating country Thanks to Georgina for making sense of my musings and memories and to Westland for giving us the opportunity to publish this book that is extremely close to my heart she saysThe adventure continuesLt Cmdr Abhilash Tomy who burst into national consciousness in 2013 after being the first Indian to complete a solo circumnavigation around the earth announced his retirement from the Navy last week However the adventure continues for Tomy who lives in a seaside town with his wife and two kids The 41yearold who had participated in the 2018 Golden Globe Race but faced a storm which damaged his boat and left him with an injury to his spine now has his sights set on the 2022 edition of the race for which he is looking for sponsors In the meanwhile Tomy who is also a motivational speaker has been busy sharing his hacks on how to survive periods of isolation