The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
Friends indeed
A moment from the 2025 Mumbai Pride march. PIC COURTESY/MUMBAI QUEER PRIDE
Come August, and the LGBTQiA+ community will find a new way to thank its trusted allies. Dil se Ally, a new awards programme will recognise friends, families, activists and supporters who stood by the queer community’s side this year. “Usually, we host an acceptance meet every year to express our gratitude to our allies. This year, we believed they deserve something more than a pat on the back,” Dhruv Goenka, advocacy officer at The Humsafar Trust told this diarist. To nominate an ally, log on to @yaariyan_lgbtq.
Awadhi legacy
Khade Masale ka Gosht from the Awadhi menu
With the culinary showcase Women of Awadh at Waarsa, writer-curator Anubhuti Krishna (inset) and home chef Sheeba Iqbal will present dishes that highlight a nuanced narrative passed down through culinary tradition.
An all-vegetarian fare beginning on August 2 will highlight stories of these uncelebrated chefs. “Thanks to chef Rahul (Akerkar) and chef Mukhtar (Qureshi), this festival is my chance to present the traditions passed down from my grandmothers, mother, and aunts,” Krishna said.
‘We’ll play harder in his memory’
Ravi Iyer (extreme right) at the 2024 Black Sabbath tribute concert in Mumbai. PICS COURTESY/OZZY OSBOURNE ON INSTAGRAM, RAVI IYER
This diarist remembers getting disqualified from a city college’s band event in 2018 for attempting Ozzy Osbourne’s Mr Crowley (1980). “It’s too heavy for us,” the organiser’s words perfectly describe our hearts today, following the veteran heavy metal icon’s death. The ‘Prince of Darkness’, Osbourne passed away in Birmingham late evening on July 22. For city-based guitarist Ravi Iyer, the news of his idol’s passing came at a bittersweet moment.
Ozzy Osbourne
“We had scheduled a tribute concert for Black Sabbath in Mumbai for August 24. We were to remember Ozzy’s illustrious career after his recently-concluded farewell tour. It was his final tour before retirement. The news has left us heartbroken, but we’ll play harder in his memory,” Iyer told this diarist. Iyer’s core memories with Osbourne are a shade brighter than the icon would have preferred. “When I heard Ozzy for the first time in 1982, my mind was blown. We would rent out VCRs of Black Sabbath’s live performances, and watch them on loop,” he reminisced. As for the skeletons from Osbourne’s closet that have come tumbling out with the news, Iyer summed up his life, “He lived a rollercoaster of a life on the professional and familial front. Difficult times affect people differently. I wish people didn’t feel the need to dissect his past actions at this time.”
Ballet’s in our court
Ovie Jogalekar. PIC COURTESY/INDIAN ACADEMY OF RUSSIAN BALLET
If you’re reading this, you’ve been called upon to cheer for a young Mumbaikar’s big ballet dreams. Thirteen-year-old Ovie Jogalekar of Mumbai’s Indian Academy of Russian Ballet (IARB) has tiptoed her way to the prestigious Masters of Ballet Academy in London for an intensive programme this week. “But Ovie called me yesterday, and she seemed a bit disheartened. Turns out, the Russian instructor at the academy is somewhat of a perfectionist. But honestly, that’s how you learn the ropes. She’s now ready to take on the challenge,” Jogalekar’s instructor and IARB founder Apeksha Bhattacharya told this diarist. As part of the programme, Jogalekar will train at the academy that has close ties with Agrippina Vaganova, the late pioneer of Russian ballet. While this diarist has got two left feet, we’re applauding the young ballet dancer’s adventure across seas.
The last jam
Patrons at the Versova diner. FILE PIC
Popular eatery Jamjar Diner in Versova is shuttering after 13 years. Restaurateurs Anup Gandhi, Sahil Timbadia, Nevil Timbadia of Auriga Hospitality and Entertainment, opened the eatery in December 2012.
“We feel like we’ve done everything we can with Jamjar as a brand, and it’s time for something new. There are a lot more amazing restaurants that have come up over the years, and the customers experiment more now, enabling restaurateurs to take more risks,” Timbadia shared with this diarist. The place is flocked by creative professionals of Aram Nagar by day, and by diners at night, who vouch for their sharing punch bowls. The Flower Pot Dessert (right) on the menu is sure to taste bitter sweet as D-Day (August 13) draws near.
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