The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Nimesh Dave
Sanju Baba turns restaurateur
(From left) Amit Lakhyani, Sanjay Dutt and Ishaan Varma
While the Chicken Sanju Baba at Bhendi Bazaar’s Noor Mohammadi continues to be a foodie favourite, actor Sanjay Dutt is cooking up another special. Dutt has teamed up with entrepreneurs Amit Lakhyani and Ishaan Varma to launch his first restaurant, Solaire, located in the Grand Hyatt Mumbai Hotels and Residences, Santacruz.
A view of the interiors of the space
Opening at the end of this month, the restaurant will feature Italian favourites, Middle Eastern mezze, and Indian staples on the menu, alongside signature craft cocktails. Dutt shared, “Solaire is just the beginning. With this launch in Mumbai, I’m stepping into hospitality in a big way; there are many more experiences that we’ve already begun working on. I want to build destinations that are global in flavour but personal in spirit.” Varma added, “From the design to the cocktails to the atmosphere, every detail is meant to immerse people in a world that feels bold, vibrant, and memorable.”
Oh Maria! Santa Maria bids adieu
A view of the deli in Bandra. Pics Courtesy/Instagram
It seems like the city is going through a quiet makeover. In addition to the gloomy weather, regulars to this Waroda Road haunt woke up to the disappointing news that Santa Maria café was shutting down. The deli that opened doors in March 2024, announced that they will be closing shop by August 24. “To every one of you who walked in, stayed, supported us, shared a meal or a memory, thank you,” said their note on social media. While co-owner Diego Miranda didn’t wish to explain further, he confirmed that the space will be downing shutters this weekend. However, regulars need not worry. “We will surely relocate soon; we are working on it,” he reassured us via a short message. We shall keep our fingers crossed for it.
One rainy day at the museum
Ursula Weekes peruses the objects at the museum during her visit. Pics Courtesy/Dr BDL museum
Mumbai’s heavy downpour didn’t deter Dr Ursula Weekes, celebrated art historian, from visiting the now-concluded exhibition, Eckart Muthesius and Manik Bagh: Pioneering Modernism in India at the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum on August 18. “Dr Weekes shared her appreciation for our exhibition that showcased rare photographs and drawings of Indore’s Manik Bagh Palace along with the museum’s restoration and our collection of miniature paintings,” shared Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, managing trustee and director, BDL Museum. Weekes too, shared a heartfelt note, thanking the museum for the visit.
Chinapa’s tryst with destiny
Nikhil Chinapa and Nawed Khan
The Independence Day fervour can be quite inspiring. Ask Nikhil Chinapa. The DJ and composer has teamed up with fellow electronic music DJ and producer Nawed Khan AKA Browncoat for their latest single, 1947, centred on the iconic Tryst With Destiny speech by first Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The percussive production also features Sandeep Mishra’s evocative sarangi. “Ever since I was a little kid, I have been moved by the speech that Pandit Nehru gave in Parliament at the stroke of midnight on August 15,” shared Chinapa. The composer, and his label, Submerge, have now invited budding DJs and producers to give it their own spin. “We decided to launch a remix contest for 1947 because there’s a lot of incredible, untapped talent across India,” he shared.
What’s your story?
An illustration from Badri Narayan’s The Elephant and the Dog
This Saturday, give wings to your imagination at a picture book workshop at the Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation (JNAF) on August 23. Taking inspiration from artist and author Badri Narayan (inset) who was also a profound storyteller, illustrator, and a self-taught artist, Kristine Rodricks, an independent creative arts facilitator leading the session, aims to encourage participants to create stories of their own in a safe space.
Kristine Rodricks. Illustration Courtesy/National Book Trust
“The workshop will introduce people to the artists’ illustrations for children’s books at the gallery, discuss elements of storytelling, and guide them to build stories based on his characters in the paintings,” Rodricks told this diarist.
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