The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Atul Kamble
Bring your dance moves to Bandra
(From left) Pradeep K and Yash Popper perform at the Red Bull Dance Your Style qualifying rounds. Pics courtesy/Pradeep k, Yash Popper
Brace yourself for an electrifying evening on April 5 when the Red Bull Dance Your Style India National Final will take over the Bandra Fort Amphitheatre. It will bring together 16 finalists for a high-energy dance battle. Among these class acts is Bengaluru’s Pradeep K, a seasoned participant returning for his fifth year. “I’m looking forward to it. This is my fifth year now, and in the past, I’ve made it to the top eight as well. I have a few artistically inclined people in my family, so this felt natural. My main area of expertise is be hip-hop and breaking, but I’ve recently branched out into popping and locking,” he shared, reflecting both experience and evolution in his craft. Also stepping into the spotlight is Yash Popper from New Delhi, who enters the competition with a sense of long-awaited fulfilment. “When I was preparing for this, I had planned to give it one solid chance and make it to the top finalists. As luck would have it, this is my first time trying this, and I managed to get through all the qualifying rounds, and everything else fell in place. Funnily enough, I’ve waited almost five years for this. I’m excited to show audiences my moves,” he told this diarist, while being grateful for this opportunity.
Pecking order at Tolly Club
Pradeev Divgikar pics/ BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
On a recent whirlwind visit to Kolkata, Mumbai’s Pradeep Divgikar was staying at the charming, historic Tollygunge Club. He sauntered into the cafeteria to grab a bite, post his afternoon swim and a wading bird and a crow perched nearby.
(Left) The Egret with some table manners; one French fry before I fly, says the Egret
Divgikar said, “As my order arrived, the wading bird with a long bill plonked itself on my table and eyed the French fries accompanying my cutlets. I was naturally anxious, and was being watched by club members at adjacent tables with some amusement. I was hesitant to offer the bird the fries, fearing being rebuked by the management. The bird decided to take matters into its own hands, its bill, actually. It pecked at one of the fries in my plate, and nibbled at it. That was my signal to offer it a few more, which I placed on the tray meant for sauces. All this while, the poor crow waited for its turn. However, the bird monopolised my table, and kept the crow at bay. It flew away as soon as I rose to leave.” A quick search on Google revealed that the French fries-eating bird was an egret. “I was informed that egrets and various species of exotic and migratory birds are common sights at the Club.” That’s what we call a Tolly-jolly experience.
Frames with a phone
The Indian Gazelle; (right) Karan Solanki. Pics courtesy/Karan Solanki
ONE of the best things you can take a photo with, is already in your pocket,” says Karan Solanki, recalling advice from photographers he met early in his career. The Andheri-based photographer has begun his series called Wildlife At, featuring images shot with 600mm and 50 mm lenses in forests. He teases us with his next idea, “Let’s go back to the basics; my next series, Wildlife shot on the Phone, is where I want to see what my phone can do for me now.”
Chef’s open secret
Chicken Ruby Pie. Pics courtesy/@dishoom
Last month, we spotted celebrated British chef Calum Franklin cafe-hopping across Kyani & Co, Britannia & Co, and Sassanian in SoBo in an Instagram video titled The Bombay Puff Hunt. Little did we know, he was on a mission.
Calum Franklin
Back in London now, the chef has introduced the Chicken Ruby Pie at popular Indian restaurant Dishoom. The flower-stamped pastry inspired by the puffs at Mumbai’s Irani cafes, comes with a flavourful grilled chicken filling. An inside job, one may say. Do these classic cafes know, we wonder. It might be a matter of time before we see a ‘No hunting for inspiration’ rule on their walls.
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