The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
I’ve got your back: A child is only too delighted to help this gentleman during his fitness routine, at a garden in Bandra West on Wednesday.Pic/Shadab Khan
The life and times of Hamid Ansari
The final volume of Pranab Mukherjee’s autobiography, The Presidential Years: 2012-2017 (Rupa Publications), created a flutter after it was launched recently, seeing how it covered his experiences of working with two different Prime Ministers who are polar opposites of each other. Following close on its heels, we now have By Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life, launched by the same publishing house. It’s the memoir of Mohammad Hamid Ansari, the former Vice-President of the country and en ex- Rajya Sabha chairman. The title details how a series of circumstances took Ansari away from academia and thrust him into the public life. “The book is an engaging account of the extraordinary life and inspiring work of a distinguished diplomat, educationist, public intellectual and writer who went on to become the Vice-President of India. It is a valuable resource for anyone interested in India’s relations with the world, the functioning of Parliament and the conduct of public life,” shared Kapish Mehra, managing director, Rupa Publications.
Spotlight on animals
Even as we are in the midst of a pandemic that is posing a threat to human lives, the battle that some other species face regarding their existence rages on in India. An upcoming book will now highlight this issue. It’s called Wild and Wilful (HarperCollins) and consists of essays that award-winning wildlife conservationist Neha Sinha, who’s also a member of the Bombay Natural History Society, has penned about 15 different species, including mugger crocodiles and amur falcons.
Great Indian bustards. Pic courtesy/Facebook
“While some of these are so common that we might spot them in our gardens and verandahs, like fluffy-tit butterflies, there are also the more uncommon ones that are hanging by a thread, including the great Indian bustard,” Sinha said about the title that launches on February 10.
Play traffic cop for a day in Navi Mumbai
The Navi Mumbai Traffic Police has launched a novel initiative called One Day with the Police, where they are encouraging ordinary citizens to support police officers in their daily activities. Navi Mumbai DCP (Traffic) Purshottam Kadam told this diarist, “The people who are taking part will come to know how people violate traffic rules. We hope that they will definitely follow the rules in the future. Also, the people who are watching civilians take on the role of the police will be similarly motivated to be on the right side of the law.” Log on to trafficnm.com to register.
Have no fear
A bunch of friends got together two years ago and made a short film called Fattu, which has now been selected for Festival Del Cinema di Cefalu in Italy. The plot is about how the concept of fear makes people react differently to situations. Mumbai-based actor-director Chitrangada Satarupa, who helmed it, told this diarist, “The idea came to me from a story that my mother would narrate about a real-life incident involving a person she knew. I am happy that some people in Italy found it enjoyable.”
Meet a man serving meals on wheels
Pankaj Nerurkar, owner of Prabhadevi eatery Khadpe’s, believes in making lemonade when life hands you lemons. After being forced to shut the popular Malvani restaurant due to lockdown woes, he started ferrying his fish thalis in his car. If you’re in the Girgaum neighbourhood, you’re bound to spot him dishing out Malvani delicacies from Nano Food stall, opposite Majestic Shopping Centre. “We know that people don’t have money right now, and so we’ve priced the food accordingly, without compromising on quality,” he shared. Drop by between 12 pm and 3 pm or 7.30 pm and 10.30 pm to taste his fare and support this cool entrepreneur.
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