The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
PIC/NIMESH DAVE
Travel time with Pallavi Aiyar
PIC COURTESY/A SUITABLE AGENCY
Writing a memoir can be a life-changing experience, they say. And with author, columnist and foreign correspondent, Pallavi Aiyar, it is no different. Travels in the Other Place (Tranquebar) is her memoir written in eight acts — each one is a travelogue exploring thematic journeys. “I have been crossing borders — literally — for 25 years now. This book is about taking some of the insights gained from this peripatetic life and applying them to other boundary-crossing life journeys — to do with identity, parenting, illness and so on. Every person’s experience of the world is particular, but this specificity only becomes obvious when another way of being is accessed as a point of contrast. The greater the variety of lenses we acquire, the more skilled we become at embracing a range of perspectives, be these the norms of Japan or Mandarin or Cancer or Loss,” she explains about this journey in her memoir. Consulting editor, A Suitable Agency, Ranjana Sengupta shares that Aiyar’s upcoming book blends memoir, philosophy and travelogue, and “Is an insightful, witty and deeply humane meditation on what it means to move — physically, culturally, emotionally — through a world in flux. Her curiosity, her sympathy and her sharp, clear sighted gaze on themes as diverse as Hair, Cancer and Passports, makes this one of the most interesting and wise books in recent times.”
One last chai for the road
Dr Mansoor Showghi Yezdi (left) holds up the Indian flag alongside Vijay Malhotra; a photograph of Yezdi with late Ratan Tata is displayed above the clipping of a mid-day article at the café. PICS COURTESY/VIJAY MALHOTRA
The brun maska and chai served at Mahim’s iconic Cafe Irani Chaii will no longer be accompanied with the same spirited conversation. The café’s beloved director Dr Mansoor Showghi Yezdi passed away on July 14. Patrons will remember the third-generation Iranian — who set up Mumbai’s first Irani café in 50 years in 2017 — as a personification of the bond between India and Iran. Talking to mid-day in 2013 about his documentary, Cafe Irani Chai, on Irani cafés across India, Yezdi stated, “If India had not accepted us so generously, this would not be possible.” The same spirit was reflected in cyclist Vijay Malhotra as he recalled his meetings with Yezdi. “He was a gem of a man. We shared a common love for bicycles. Yezdi ensured that the café’s Mahim outlet offered a 10 per cent discount to any patron who arrived on their bicycle. When I asked him about it, he revealed that he held cyclists in high regard. In his view, a small discount may not have been of great significance to the customer, but even a single Mumbaikar using a bicycle could have had manifold benefits.,” Malhotra told this diarist. The documentary, Yezdi’s love letter to Irani chai, can be viewed on his YouTube channel. We are sure, cafés around the city will raise a cup in his sweet memory.
A broader canvas
The walls of the pet-friendly café host artworks. PIC COURTESY/GREG’S CAFE
Artists in the city have reason to celebrate. They have a new exhibition space with the Chembur-based Greg’s Cafe opening its doors for solo exhibitions. Dristi Wadhawan (below), founder of the pet-friendly café named after her pet, told us, “The idea is to help budding artists find expression in an increasingly competitive space. Our exhibitions are completely free for the artists.” With each exhibition showcased across two months, the café also hopes to help the artists sell their pieces to patrons. “We will facilitate the purchase for a small commission,” the founder confirmed. Those keen to know more can reach them through WhatsApp on 8779848189.
A little corner for the arts
A few books from the new collection. PIC COURTESY/FLUXUS CHAPEL
The friendly space of Fluxus Chapel in Bandra West has always held a soft spot for its little readers. The Chota Library, founder Himanshu S (inset) told us, began as an idea to introduce younger readers to zines and books through visually captivating works.
“Now, we will take it further by stocking the space with books of art, photography, poetry as well. It will be an extension of the idea to make it a unique ‘little’ library within the existing space,” he revealed to this diarist. Among the diverse titles readers can look forward to are Polish poet Wisława Szymborska’s MAP, Narayan Surve’s Mazhe Vidyapeeth and Canadian songwriter Leonard Cohen’s Stranger Music.
Sweet memories
Remember buying the sweet Phantom cigarette-shaped candy to act like a Bond villain when you were a kid? The good old cigarette-shaped candy, Coffee XO toffees and imli laddu candies from our childhood are now a ten-minute wait away for Mumbaikars. This diarist was surprised to spot these memory capsules on a popular quick commerce app. The goodies seemed to have made their way online without much fanfare. Stock them while you can, we say.
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