The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Atul Kamble
Colour cuts the grey
Friends enjoy the inclement weather at Marine Drive.
Where is Laila?
The poster that has been circulated regarding the missing dog
We first heard about Laila, the Mall Dog, from dog trainer Niti Mehta’s Instagram page. An Indie stray, Laila was known for being an unofficial resident of an upmarket city mall, with the online community celebrating the fact that she was allowed to rest and relax freely there, and mall visitors loved interacting with the friendly pooch. In a worrying update, we learn that Laila has been missing since May 21, apparently removed by two men. She has been reported seen at Vashi after that. Considering the animal-friendly aura of the mall’s owners, we really hope all efforts are put into finding Laila, and prayers go out that she is safe and unharmed.
A ‘sweet’ win for India
Pooja Dhingra with the La Liste award
In A proud moment for India’s culinary scene, chef and entrepreneur Pooja Dhingra has been awarded the Pastry Game Changer Award 2025 by La Liste, the global restaurant and pastry ranking platform. Dhingra is the first Indian — and notably, the first female chef — to receive this prestigious honour. For Dhingra, this recognition is more than a personal win. “It’s a win for every young girl who dreams of doing something different,” she says. Known for bringing French-style patisserie to India with a homegrown sensibility, Dhingra’s journey has been marked by persistence, reinvention, and a deep love for her craft. “When you face doubts, failures and hard moments, just put your head down and keep showing up,” she says. “Sometimes, that belief smells like vanilla and butter — and leads straight to joy.” With this award, Dhingra’s influence now goes beyond her kitchen, inspiring a new generation to dream big, bake bold, and change the game.
Common Man cometh back
The Common Man is in place again, stoic amid the hustle and bustle of the city. PIC/ASHISH RAJE
Relocation could well be the catchword for Mumbai which is in perpetual “development”. It didn’t spare the hugely popular Common Man, creation of legendary cartoonist the late RK Laxman, either, as Worli Seaface underwent changes, but we noticed the other day that the Common Man was being reinstalled at the new Worli Seaface promenade. Usha Laxman, the cartoonist’s daughter-in-law, said, “I am happy; after all, this is the Common Man and if lakhs of other ‘common men and women’ travelling on wheels (cars) or heels (walking) can look at him, then that is only a good thing.” Never underestimate the power of a common man.
Bradman, Pele, Best... when Engineer was in big company
Farokh Engineer rings the bell at the start of play in the fourth England-Australia Test at Old Trafford in July 2023. Pic/Getty Images
So Farokh Engineer is interviewed by the Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom recently and in the two-page spread, the 87-year-old India wicketkeeper-batsman, as usual, comes up with something that borders on the incredible. Engineer tells his interviewer that football legend Pele once visited his home in Lancashire, the county Engineer played for. That he was close to departed football icon George Best was eye-catching too. Talk of being in the company of great sporting names didn’t end there. He revealed how Sir Don Bradman once invited him to his Adelaide home and presented him with a baggy green Australian cap. The writer of the Daily Telegraph piece mentions that the cap presented by Bradman is “somewhere in storage” at Engineer’s current home in Cheshire. Engineer will be hoping to find it soon because as the adage goes, “Finders are keepers”. And Farokh Engineer was a fine one!
Ananya’s got big plans
Last week, Ananya Birla officially launched her makeup line, LOVETC at Soho House. This diarist, who has been using the same old-school cosmetics for decades, was pleasantly surprised at the texture, packaging and feel of the lipsticks, in particular. Birla, who has been transitioning fully into a businesswoman from the pop singer avatar we first saw her in, said, “It’s high time an Indian brand made it big internationally.” If left to the influencers, who tried the wares and took perfect selfies at the ideally named Vanity Island that housed the products, the brand will be big news on Instagram soon. For us, what also stood out was the team Birla has surrounded herself with — full of smart, spirited women — who are helping the young tycoon spread her wings. You go, girl!
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