Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

A couple of reactionsHusbandwife duo Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone respond to the midday photographer with different expressions after exiting Zoya Akhtars Christmas party in Bandra on Tuesday PicShadab KhanKher koi nahin AnupamActor Anupam Kher has made no bones about which way his political leanings sway wearing his rightwing attributes on his sleeve So it was no surprise when he came out with a statement condemning his peer Naseeruddin Shah for saying that he fears for his children in India given the current state of affairs There is so much freedom in the country that you can abuse the army badmouth the air chief and pelt stones at the soldiers How much more freedom do you need in a country he had askedWhich is a fair enough question you might say except that it contradicts a statement that Kher had himself made in 2016 when he had told a news channel Im scared today to say openly that I am a Hindu Comedian Aditi Mittal was the one who drew this parallel and in case the irony is lost on you Kher had insinuated with his earlier statement that there indeed is a lack of freedom in the country in line with Shahs view Perhaps a clarification is in order AnupamjiAdding Sauce to Indian hiphopWhen the standout hiphop star of 2018 Prabh Deep had spoken to this paper last May ahead of a gig in Mumbai he had said Everything pisses me off If I am paying my taxes why cant I demand smooth roads Why cant people drive in designated lanes Its the little niggles that bother me This unfiltered rage had found expression in the Delhi rappers debut album ClassSikh which had signalled a new direction for Indian hiphop when it released in 2017 But in the same interview Prabh had also said that the new material he was working on would not be as aggressiveI have found a calmer way to tackle the root of issues I will talk about he had revealed That promise has proven to be true going by the sound of his latest release a single called Sauce in collaboration with Lit Happu and Sez on the Beat Its a track that is well melodic and like his earlier songs rooted in life on the streets of the Capital The video too takes viewers on a tour of the bylanes of East Delhi with electric wires hanging perilously overhead and children pulling off stunts on scootys Do we dig this latest offering You bet we doPlease give Peace a chanceWhen Deepak Peace the Punebased singersongwriter had released his album Aaj Ke Naam last year he had pulled no punches in bringing the present government down to size Sample the lyrics in one of the tracks mdash Hey Mr Prime Minister Tum ho kaha Ek aur jhoota khwab Marne ko yahanThe album had found a place on the streaming platform JioSaavn which however has now pulled it down This after a user lodged a complaint since according to him it is an utterly disrespectful song with obscene lyrics targeting Modi ji to which our response is Freedom of speech marne ko yahanAll set for lights camera and actionEveryday objects have been an area of exploration for the citybased Harkat Studios for a while First came the short film And Sometimes She Loved Me Too mdash featuring Yuki Ellias and Neil Bhoopalam mdash which was screened alongside an exhibition of objects left behind after a relationship And now its cofounder Karan Talwar has begun work on the second draft of Kuch Choti Chitrayi Yaadein a featurelength film the preproduction work for which will kick off in early 2019The film is an extension of our work with everyday objects Its about a father and son who havent spoken in years but have now been forced to come together because of circumstances The plot is set in Delhi and for the exhibition to go with the film the objects have been sourced from Delhi itself Talwar told this diaristCharity begins at a Bandra barFour months ago life came crashing for 27yearold factory worker Bikki when he was diagnosed with cancer He is the sole breadwinner of his family and has a wife and child to support Around two weeks ago doctors at a premier Andheri hospital gave him only two more months to live unless he was able to gather 45 lakh for treatmentBikki in blue with his familyThats when Dishant Pritamani founder of Bandra restopub The Daily heard of him and decided to extend his support He urged his team at the watering hole as well as family and friends to loosen their purse strings and help Bikki Perfectly in time for spreading the giving spirit this Christmas we thinkCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates