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Kareena Kapoor takes her airport look a notch higher with this maxi dress
Mumbai: Malabar Hill gets all-natural 'oxygen hub'
An old, dilapidated bawdi (well), tucked away in a corner of the Hanging Gardens at Malabar Hill, has undergone a facelift to give Mumbaikars an oxygen hub. The green zone, with free entry, houses a number of plants, including aloe vera, peace lily and pothos, which give off oxygen even at night.
So, how does that happen? Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis that in turn helps them produce oxygen, but at night, certain plants undergo Crassulacean Acid Metabolism or CAM photosynthesis to produce oxygen.
"At night, only respiration occurs in plants, i.e. inhaling oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide. However, some studies have shown that photosynthesis in some plants occurs at night as well. This process is called Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), which primarily occurs in desert plants that live off other plants. The plants that undergo CAM have been used in the oxygen hub at the Hanging Gardens [also known as Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens]," said Sagar Doiphode, horticulture assistant,..
Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier
Mumbai: Aarey car shed at Royal Palms?
In all probability, the controversial car shed of the Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro III will be shifted from Aarey Colony to a neighbouring residential complex, Royal Palms. Government sources said political bosses, especially Shiv Sena leaders, were of the opinion that the Palms's site was better in terms of technical and financial feasibility.
The proposed car shed at Aarey has seen a series of intense agitations, legal fights and political activity during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rule.
The Sena, which was in the government then, had also opposed the Aarey site, saying that the tree felling and construction disturbed the bio-diversity of the area, which actually was a forest. The Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had appointed in December 2019 a high-level five-member committee under the additional chief secretary (finance) to identify alternative sites. The panel was given an extension last month to submit its recommendations. Other than Royal Palms, the panel is learn..
Mumbai: Transgender constable Lalit Salve hitched after gender reassignment
Lalit Salve, 32, born Lalita, who shot to the limelight in 2018, after going public with his struggle to transform into a man, got married in his hometown, Beed, on Sunday. Lalit's wife, Seema, a third year Arts student, had been keenly following Lalit's transition from Lalita.
Lalit's transition from Lalita, a woman constable from Beed, had started in April 2018. A month later, he sought the government's permission for the surgery, and to continue as a male constable afterwards. After going through a series of medical procedures, Salve stepped into a new phase of his life last year and he rejoined the service. And since then, his family has been looking for a suitable bride for him.
"My parents were thinking I was getting too old for marriage, so they were looking for a girl," said Salve, chuckling. "Finally, a relative told them about Seema. I was sceptical about any woman accepting me after my transformation. I could understand how difficult it would be for anyone to digest the fact..
Phishing scam: After Thane police keep mum, Solapur cops edge closer to cracking case
Mumbai: NGO volunteer rescues softshell turtles from kids in Powai
mid-day investigation: How online fraudsters trap their prey - A week inside a phishing centre
Mumbai and Thane police busted six such call centres in Thane, Mira Road and Bhayandar in 2019 but the action clearly seems inadequate as they continue to flourish. The modus operandi involves offering needy citizens loans against an insurance policy at attractive terms.
As part of a week-long investigation, mid-day penetrated the system to bust a phishing company. Reporter Shirish Vaktania managed to get a job at a Thane-based company 'Stage Door Communication Private Limited' (SDCPL) that employs at least 300 people, including 200 callers and has a monthly turnover of Rs 1.5 crore. The company's callers target citizens across states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, etc.
Each day, hundreds of people fall prey to the network. Many don't approach the police due to the tedious procedures, and those who do are either turned away or made to run from pillar to post.
Going undercover
Vaktania's efforts to get inside the system began with him posing as an..
Don't Miss today
Write Haibun poems
Attend a Haibun poetry writing workshop conducted by Rochelle Potkar. The format combines prose with haiku, a popular short-form Japanese poetry style written in three lines. The workshop is inspired by Nalini Malani's ongoing exhibition, The Witness. Her artworks reflect her preoccupations with the notions of oppression, dominance, justice and feminism.
When: February 16, 10.30 AM – 2.30 PMWhere: Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, BycullaPrice: R10 (museum entry charge)Call: 23731234
Listen to Bohra, Sidhu talk about parenthood
Head to Godrej L'Affaire, an experiential lifestyle platform curated by the Godrej group in association with mid-day. Celebrity speakers Bhumi Pednekar, Shantanu Moitra, Karanavir Bohra and Teejay Sidhu will headline the fourth season. Apart from master-classes, there will be engaging sessions on food, music, travel and health. Pednekar will don the chef's hat for a live cook-off with chef Varun Inamdar. Celebrity couple Bohra and Sidhu will ta..
A taal for peace
Music can cut through barriers of language, religion and nationality. In a testament to its uniting force, the Symphony Orchestra of India's spring season this year will feature Ustad Zakir Hussain's piece, Ameen, Amen, Shanti on February 25.
The tabla maestro will share the stage with famed vocalists Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan and mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, all led by SOI conductor Zane Dalal. "I have had a relationship of over 30 years with Shankar bhai and Hariharan bhai. They are loving and special. Also, hats off to Kelley o' Connor; she comes from a Western classical background, but was spot on during the rehearsals. She understood what everyone was doing and her role in the piece. It has been my great fortune to work with these artistes who understand the musical world so well," said Hussain, in an email interview.
Shankar Mahadevan; (right) Hariharan. Pics/Narendra Dangiya
Hussain hopes his work will bring about a synergy between the vast musical landscape of an orchestra..
Life of pie
When Scottish journalist Pamela Timms came to India in 2005 with her husband and three children, it was meant to be a short stint. But, they would soon settle down in the capital, a far cry from the cool environs of Scotland. While she fell in love with the syrupy jalebis and airy aloo tikkis, what she missed was baking cakes. "My need to bake was huge, but I had to contend myself with things I could make on the stove, like Welsh cakes and scones," she says.
The recipes from her early years and the ones she later mastered in India have made their way to her new book, Uparwali Chai: The Indian Art Of High Tea (Penguin India). From mulberry meringues and cape gooseberry jam tarts to carrot halwa muffins and besan laddoo cookies, the recipes are an ode to "the hug-in-a-bowl fare of mothers,grandmothers and aunts".
Edited excerpts from the interview.
What inspired you to write Uparwali Chai?I've loved baking and making afternoon tea. It's such a treat. When I came to live in India, I had a..
Green Humour: Comic Strip By Rohan Chakravarty
A trip to India is an exception
The hissing plate
Smoky touch
The holy smoke one at this eatery is a spicy cottage cheese steak with roasted garlic fried rice, buttered vegetables, French fries and hummus, which comes enveloped in a cloud of smoke. "We wanted to give complete meals with proteins, veggies, and starch married together with a savoury sauce. We serve them on a crackling hot spade, which helps stimulate all senses simultaneously," says chef Jyotika Malik.
At Olive Bistro and Bar, Oberoi Mall, Goregaon East.Time 11 am to 12.30 amCall 9820703331Cost Rs 690
Festival of global flavours
Speaking about their most popular American BBQ chicken sizzler, a variant of which has been served at this Malad eatery for over 20 years, Jasjit Singh Keer, executive chef and partner, says, "It is a grilled boneless chicken, marinated with seasoning, prepared in home-made BBQ sauce. The Mexican chimichanga is another favourite that uses the sizzler format."
At Alfredos, 1, Pleasant Park, New Link Road, Malad West.Time 11 am to 12 amCall ..
A nightingale flies back
"What does a singer do when her mentor — the person who hand-held her and made her a star, who had such a hold over her that he forced her into a contract that barred her from singing with anyone else for 20 whole years — suddenly abandons her, packs his bags, and flies off to Dubai? Feel a sense of betrayal that's tinged with helpless anger, you'd suppose. "But I didn't feel any of that," says Lorna Cordeiro, the 'Nightingale of Goa', when we ask her about the time Chris Perry, her musical benefactor, left abruptly for the Middle East in the 1970s, leaving her hands tied with the repressive contract he had made her sign. "I mean, even if I did feel anger, I definitely wasn't going to show it," Cordeiro confesses after a second's thought.
Cordeiro on the cover of an EP she had recorded with Mohammad Rafi in 1970
So for close to two decades after that, she led a largely anonymous life in Mumbai doing nine-to-five jobs to sustain herself, such as that of a dentist's compounde..
Kareena Kapoor's denim bomber jacket looks trendy; buy here!
Team Guide recommends
Iranian tunes meet desi beats
I've always been curious about musical instruments, and this Persian classical music act featuring an Iranian setar with the tabla is one gig that's bringing just that as Iranian setar player Saleh Mirsaeedi and tabla player Akshay Jadhav come together. The duo will perform a classical piece and improvise on originals.
On February 14, 9.30 pmAt The Bandra Base, Baitush Saraf Building, Bandra West.Call 30916003Cost Rs 400
A hit film on hit men
In Bruges is a film about two Irish shooters that hits the bull's eye when it comes to unexpected endings. The final few scenes caught me unawares as a white Christmas would in Mumbai. Watch it when it's screened at an iconic theatre this weekend. A thrill is guaranteed.
On February 16, 1 pmAt Matterden CFC, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel.Call 24923399Cost Rs 199
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city ..
#Streetswag: Skirting around
Inside Photos: Kamya Shalabh Dang and Shalabh Dang's reception was a star-studded bash
Will landlord pay Rs 50 crore to restore Esplanade?
Cops collect addresses and IDs at Mumbai Bagh
Mumbai's first skywalk set to be demolished
Mumbai all set to get plastic roads
Six years after the concept's approval by the Indian Road Congress (IRC), the city is set to get plastic roads. The civic body has issued orders to all asphalt plants to provide road material that has a mixture of waste plastic from February 15. Contractors must use only plastic-mixed bitumen for roads, henceforth. However, at the moment they have only one vendor providing road material made of plastic waste.
The method has been adopted for road-building in 11 states.
The experiment began in Chennai, when Rajagopalan Vasudevan, a professor from Madurai's Thiagarajar College of Engineering, created the method of building roads by recycling plastic waste. After the Centre's 2015 order made use of plastic waste in road construction mandatory, many metro cities including Chennai, Pune, Indore, Jamshedpur, adopted the method.
The method was tried in Dadar in 2014 but the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) did not adopt it. In 2018, it made the D'monte Park road extension in Bandra wes..
Classical tunes from the East
For time immemorial, Kolkata and Mumbai have been prominent centres for Hindustani music, each with distinctive lineage.However, though there has been a practice of listening to those from the either city, exchange in the classical space has often been minimal. City-based First Edition Arts that works in the classical music space, will address what it believes, is a deep disparity, through classical music shows in both cities.
Omkar Dadarkar
The first such, Eastbound bring a selection of classical performances from Kolkata-based artistes to Mumbai. Later this year, Mumbai artistes will perform in Kolkata. "The theme remains broad and it is the tradition and past of Kolkata that binds the performers together," says Devina Dutt, co-founder, First Edition Arts who often questions the role of a curator in a classical show altogether.
Prattyush Bannerjee
Eastbound will feature four performances, spanning a range of forms and traditions. From a tabla solo to vocals and instrumental. Spread a..
How to make money doing what you love
According to a 2017 survey, three out of every five Indian employees hate their jobs. And while their reasons for chronic clock-watching at the workplace can vary from unpleasant colleagues to long working hours, a significant proportion of these dissatisfied workers claim that they simply don't love what they do. Ask them to follow their hearts into a career they find personally fulfilling and you'll also have to content with the unpleasant, but very pertinent, question of the pay-check. In other words, how do you reconcile the need to make a living with the irreplaceable joy that comes from pursuing your passion? According to Chandan Deshmukh, author of the recently published book, 7 Dream Jobs And How To Find Them, the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. As the title of his tome suggests, every individual has seven potential dream jobs that are both financially and emotionally rewarding. The key, he says, is to understand what these jobs are and map out a specific game plan t..
Under the Tuscan sun
There's nothing like a sumptuous home-cooked meal to draw everyone to the table. Chef Rajshri Gupta has been hosting intimate dinner experiences for friends at her Greek-themed kitchen for over a decade. But it wasn't until recently that a guest suggested she invite foodies outside her social circle to enjoy the experience. "While it's about food, it's also to do with the decor, company, the aesthetics and the rituals surrounding the meal. I wanted to offer an experience," says Gupta about Beyond Dining.
Gaza lentils with chard
Her words hit home when we swing by for a Mediterranean meal (R3,000). The experience begins at the door of her three-storied Tuscan-inspired villa in Andheri west. The outdoor kitchen is reached through a garden dotted with orange and lemon trees. Meticulously designed and stocked with grains, pickles, cheese, clementines, and spices, Gupta will have you forget that you live in a metropolis. The ceramic cutlery is etched with Mediterranean motifs, and mellow Mo..
One part love. Two parts work.
The most ordinary stories about love sometimes appear extraordinary in the hands of a good creator. Bengaluru-based illustrator Alicia Souza's debut book, Dearest George (Penguin Random House) is a quirky illustrated love letter to her architect husband George Seemon. It's the little moments in the book—like when Souza forces her husband to sit on a mat with her, saying, 'Listen! Come with me...I have to tell you something! I have to show!' and begins to sing, Aladdin's I can show you the world, much to his amusement—that make you chuckle.
Souza, who has quite a fan following on social media for her illustrations, where Seemon and their pets, doggie Charlie-Brown and guinea pig Henry-Oats, are recurring subjects, first thought of the book three years ago, when George and she had a court marriage. "A few months had passed, and many people, including friends and family, still didn't know we were married. I wanted to make an announcement, through a bunch of illustrations,..
All eyes on you
From the moment you walk into a restaurant to meet your partner till the time you leave, stewards, bartenders and captains are silently observing you. Thanks to years behind the counter, they are a robust repository of dating stories. And they are willing to tell.
'Sometimes, partners change; the cafe doesn't'
Nilesh ManimaranCaptain, Birdsong Cafe, BandraEmployed since: 2017
My favourite love story is of this lesbian couple who met for the first time at the cafe. One of them was sitting alone at the community table and the other was part of a big girl gang. By happenstance, the two started talking and sparks flew. Like what they say about love at first sight. It's heartwarming to see them frequent the cafe, holding hands. There is a special seat at the cafe [for partners] and when a couple asks for it, it's evident that they are on a date. Also, there are times when a couple that frequented the cafe, break up and the next time, they arrive with new partners. The initial hesitance is e..
Mumbai Crime: Trio who robbed temples, 'stole from God' arrested
"Jo sab se leta hai, hum us se lete hai,” (We take from him, who takes from everyone) was the reason given by one of the three accused who were recently arrested by the Kasturba Marg police for stealing donation boxes from temples, mosques and dargahs in Mumbai. According to the police, the accused have been identified as Murtuza Husain Shaikh, his son Aqueeb Murtuza Shaikh, 21, and Yaseen Khan, 21.
Police said Murtuza also prayed at the temples and mosques, asking for forgiveness, before committing the crime. Police constantly monitored CCTV footage in Borivli (East) to investigate the burglary at Sai Baba Temple, and also CCTV footage from Dahisar toll naka.
The accused stole autorickshaws to commit the crime.
Auto drivers and thievesAccording to the police, the accused would rob donation boxes only on Monday or Tuesday, as there would be more money since a lot of people visit temples on weekends. For every burglary, they stole an autorickshaw, and after stealing the dona..
Mumbai: 140 trees between Marine Drive and Worli to be cleared for Coastal Road
Mumbai: 19th Century skylights lying in ruins at CSMT
An online (up)grade
This might very well be the golden age of learning. If you ever wanted to pick up a new skill, learn a new vocation or just pursue a hobby, it is all out there. Most of these sites use videos to teach, contain some basic courseware and a few exercises to test what you've learnt. It isn't expensive either, and in some cases it might even be free. So, which one should you pick? Here's a list to help you break through the clutter.
Udacity is hyper focused on tech topics, ranging from learning to be a Data Analyst to something as simple as drafting the perfect cover letter. While the simpler courses are free on the site, anything offering a micro degree or with some potential to get you a job will cost you. Unlike the courses on EdX and Coursera, most courses on the site are either sponsored by a corporate or feature teachers hired by Udacity itself.
Like Udemy, WikiHow is a people driven education platform. But instead of focusing only on academics, they specialise in telling you how..
Delhi, are you ready for KelC?
When I heard Chef Kelvin Cheung had moved to the capital last October, I was eager to exchange notes. And the opportunity arrived when he said that his latest project in Vasant Kunj opens in a month.
"The produce is so good, right?" Cheung, chef and partner on the business with Aman Kumar and Arjun Jain, the duo behind food festival The Grub Fest, says. "This [the move to Delhi] has come as a blessing. If only the pollution would go away," he quips, wearing an apron and a pencil tucked behind a ear. We walk through Kikoba, the restaurant named after a Japanese mythological character, who is a shape shifter from heaven travelling across the country spreading good fortune. An open robata-style grill is where Cheung will take centre stage.
Chinese lamb dumpling
Below, on the ground level, Dadel—an adult cocktail named after Greek inventor Daedalus—will be served. The bar down below is starkly different from the simple insides of the restaurant. It’s English dandy, with a..
Radio City celebrates the Power of Love with Love Shorts by Love Guru
Radio City, India’s leading radio network, celebrates the month of love, with a special segment, Love Shorts on its most popular show Love Guru across Radio City's Hindi speaking markets. The 15-minute segment, witnesses Love Guru narrating 15 short love stories, shared by listeners, starting from 7th February till 22nd February. The Love Shorts segment by Love Guru will be amplified across Radio City’s digital platforms.
Love Guru has been Radio City's most loved and popular show since inception
To enhance the essence of love in the city of dreams, Love Guru partners with RJ Palak for the famous mid-morning show 'Naughty Palak Ka Show', between Monday to Saturday between 12 pm to 3 pm. Love Guru and RJ Palak connect with women of Mumbai, through the exclusive segment and give special love advice to resolve their relationship issues. Ladies can share their queries with Palak by messaging 'LOVE GURU' (space) their problem and send it to the WhatsApp number +919119114943. Lis..
Have you seen this throwback picture of Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta's engagement cake
More than just a home
Due to limited seating at the Little Theatre, NCPA, and an overwhelming response on Thursday, there's a second screening of Kekee Manzil — The House of Art, that's being organised at Chemould Prescott Road this Saturday.
Directed by Behroze Gandhy and Dilesh Korya, with music composed by Talvin Singh, the anchor of the film is Kekee Manzil, the ancestral home of Behroze, daughter of the late great gallerist Kekoo Gandhy.
A still from the film
For Behroze, filming her parents had been something she had been doing for a 20-year project with a handycam, capturing moments one after another. Home to them — 93 years of her father's life and 70 of her mother's — this film caputures its essence beautifully a labour of love that took three years to make.
On February 14, 5 pm to 7.30 pmAt The Gallery, Chemould Prescott Road, 3rd floor, Queens Mansion, G. Talwatkar Marg, Fort.Call 22000211Log on to https://forms.gle/94YkjwBgZtwTFgcz5 (to register)Free
Catch up on all the latest..
Lit with languages
The Gateway Litfest that returns to the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) this weekend in its sixth edition, is literally a gateway to promoting, discovering and understanding India's regional literature. The theme this year — Indian Literature 2025 — reflects a futuristic perspective and will thus have 50 writers representing 17 languages including Kashmiri, Konkani, Urdu and Assamese. The event features Jnanpith, Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi awardees with sessions divided according to regions i.e. east, west, north and south.
AT February 14 and 15AT NCPA, Nariman Point.Log on to gatewaylitfest.com
A lifetime of words
Urmila Pawar
The Gateway Litfest Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Marathi writer and activist Urmila Pawar. A pioneer of dalit feminism, Pawar was brought up in Ratnagiri district's Adgaon village. Her memoir, Aydan, won the Laxmibai Tilak Award bestowed by the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad.
ON February 14, 2 pm
Trends and tales
J..
Mid-Day Mumbai Guide: Make The Most Of Thursday To Sunday
Thursday
Warm your soulPoetry: Experience an interactive poetry session from Alif, a group that started in Kashmir.Time 9 pmAt G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture, Mumbai, Laxmi Mills Estate, Mahalaxmi.Call 8879208475Log on to insider.inCost Rs 500
Friday
For the singlesFood: If you are single this Valentine's Day, don't lose heart. Here's a feast-for-one that is sure to lift your spirits. There's berry creme brulee, a meringue heart and some outdoor climbing too if you are feeling adventurous.At 11, Madh-Marve Road, Aksa Beach, Malad West.Call 9503095053
Love grows oldEvent: Show some love to your grandparents this Valentine's Day. Shake a leg and walk the ramp with them at a mall where you can also get framed at a photo booth and listen to a band belt out tunes.Time 5 pm to 8 pmAt Viviana Mall, Eastern Express Highway, Thane West.Free
In troubled timesTheatre: A timeless tale of love set in the riots of 1992-93, Javeda- A Forbidden Love Story by Navaldeep Singh explores themes..
Ctrl + Alt + Relax: Smart ways to unwind end of week
Experience: Nada yoga, sound therapy
At this seminar, get an introduction to the techniques of nada yoga and sound therapy that promote holistic healing. They are known to bring about relaxation and stability through practice.oN February 16, 6 pm to 8 pmAt Still & Moving Studio, Sea View Building, 1st, Juhu Tara Road, above Shiva’s, Mangelwadi, Juhu Koliwada.call 9022660471 for registrationsFree
Learn: Managing relationships
Mental health practitioner Tanya Percy Vasunia will help you manage your relationships and introduce you to therapy methods at a workshop.On February 16, 11 am to 1 pmAt Khar Social, Rohan Plaza, 5th Road, Ram Krishna Nagar, Khar West.Log on to insider.inFree
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..
Love that lasts
Observed annually on February 14, Valentine's Day is synonymous with flowers, as is romance. That is why it isn't surprising to see that the global flower production industry is worth an estimated 64.5 billion Euros. This figure, however, doesn't account for carbon emissions and the plastic in bouquets and wrapping papers. Yet, brands will tell you to go that extra mile when you could well do without it. So, we invited city-based artist Shreya Naik Kapoor, owner of Label Masala — a venture that deals with stationery, garment upcycling, slime and DIY workshops — to say how you can make the perfect V-Day gift in a sustainable manner."
Soap special
Step 1: Melt-and-pour soap comprises a high glycerine content and thus has good moisturising properties. It is essentially a pre-made soap base that can be melted into a microwave, and can be ordered online.Step 2: After microwaving it for 20 seconds, add any ingredient you'd like in the mixture — dried flowers or a coffee es..
Isha Ambani stuns in an orange jumpsuit as she enjoys brunch with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami
Now, dirt bikers scare wildlife in Tungareshwar
Speyside tipples
From April 29 to May 4, Speyside in Scotland, where the River Spey carves its way from the Cairngorm Mountain National Park down to the golden sandy beaches on the Moray Firth coast in Scotland, 3,000 whiskey enthusiasts will converge to witness the Spirit of Speyside Whiskey Festival. It is the biggest whiskey festival of the world, which spans over six days with 700 events in 50 distilleries. "Over the past few years, we have seen a growing number of people coming from India to visit Scotland and the distilleries," says James Campbell, founder of the festival.
This year, 11,000 enthusiasts will witness a taste of the festival in their own countries through pre-events. The Dram Club, a whiskey and spirits appreciation community which launched last year, will host the first event in India at The Park in Juhu on February 15.
James Campbell (left, facing) at a session
The founders of The Dram Club, Swati Sharma and Vinayak Singh, decided to host the event in Mumbai after they visited the..
Mumbai: Two pythons rescued in Borivli East
Uddhav Thackeray vows 'harsh punishment' for man who killed professor
Mumbai: Raj Thackeray's MNS takes out rally across the city in favour of NRC
Time and again
This started as a hobby," says Abhishek Basak, founder of Absynthe Design, who repurposes watches and radios to create women's jewellery, men's accessories and sculptural pieces. A fashion designer by degree, he started to miss the art of working with his own hands. "I was interested in watches and their minute gears…I felt the history and innovation of watches brought together the best of human abilities in science and art. It used to pain me to see timepieces with intricate movements scrapped away because we had technologically advanced," he says.
By reinventing the old and repurposing the broken, Basak looks at creating keepsakes that the next generation can enjoy, value and pass on as inheritance. "The first piece I worked on was my mum's watch, which was gifted to her by my grandfather. It had stopped working a long time ago, but since her father was no more, she treasured it. Like all sentimental pieces, it was being preserved in the corner of a drawer. I asked her if I co..
The home with fresh air
The veranda at author and cultural chronicler Shanta Gokhale's home, Lalit Estate, boasts a little bend, which from the outside, looks like an exaggerated curve, giving the 80-year-old Art Deco-inspired structure on Shivaji Park, an edge over the rest. It was just a year old, and Gokhale all of two, when her parents moved into this developing middle-class neighbourhood. Shivaji Park, at the time, was still an experiment—an attempt to decongest the native town, where chawls were in abundance and privacy, scarce. The shift to a block, where "you were not supposed to know what was cooking in your neighbour's kitchen," did meet with some resistance. But gradually, the new way of life prevailed. Gokhale's new book, Shivaji Park, Dadar 28: History, Places, People (Speaking Tiger), is a 150-page sketch on the neighbourhood she calls home.
The spatial biography is not meant to make you nostalgic about old and vanishing urban pockets in the city. Instead, Gokhale trains her journalistic l..
Build a case for imagination
Alexa, switch on LEGO light and LEGO strip," he commanded the virtual assistant.
Within milliseconds, a corner in Breach Candy resident Siddharth Toprani's bedroom lit up a whole miniature universe—a city that has buildings, lanes, parked vehicles, trees, a separate arctic corner, and individual Harry Potter, Marvel and DC universe—all made with LEGO. The view of the Arabian Sea from the window in the room, provided the perfect contrast.
Interestingly, Toprani's grandfather got him his first LEGO set when he was three. And for 33 years, he has been fascinated. "I have vivid memories of my first family trip to LEGO Land in Billund in 1990. I was in awe of the buildings and figurines there. They fired my passion to create sets. Over time, as I understood what themes were, I started collecting more sets and action figures and making diorama set-ups. In fact, the penchant for set-ups began early when I used to make GI Joe battlefield scenes in the building garden, with tanks, j..
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Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier
Theatre ka Babbar
Actor Prateik Babbar, known more for his theatre work, brought some of it to the ramp at the ongoing fashion week in BKC last weekend. Pic/Satej Shinde
Mumbai's own art residency
Illesha Khandelwal at the residency
Method, one of the city's independent creative art spaces in Kala Ghoda, recently concluded its first art residency and is showcasing the resultant collection. The gallery had a month-long residency for seven artists, who have put together Spatial, a show that challenges the constraints city life puts on artistic creation due to a lack of space.
Parts of Aftermath by Arshi Sayed
The list of artists include Loveleen Bajaj, Darshika Singh, Aditya Damle, Nandan Joshi, Surabhi Chowdhary, Illesha Khandelwal and Arshi Sayed. Speaking about his work, Sayed told this diarist, "Aftermath is a mixed media exploration of the inevitability of human suffering, regardless of privilege, race, gender or location."
Mumbai to Canada
After schooling at St Pius X High S..
No rights and a lot of wrongs
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Wendell Rodricks, in his own words: Dressing up Malaika Arora for her wedding, Aishwarya Rai's early days
Mummy and Daddy attended my graduation ceremony, then flew to Bombay. And I, portfolio in hand, went over to Yves Saint Laurent. The lady elegantly flipped through the sketches. 'Ca, j'aime bien.' Outside, a bee was crashing repeatedly against the glass of the window. The silence was excruciating. After looking at the sketches for a second time, she looked up, hot pink YSL-colour stained lips parted into a smile. 'You have talent, Monsieur Rodricks. It is obvious that you will be a good designer.
But I have a question. Why can't I see your fabulous country in your clothes? Monsieur Saint Laurent can design these dresses, jackets and gowns, n'est ce pas? Why will he need you? Unless you bring the Indian exotica into your work?'
I realised that I was being shown the door. I sat later on a parapet, over the bridge under which Princess Diana would die so tragically a few years later, looking at the Eiffel Tower with tear-blurred eyes. Madame Saint Laurent was right—I had to put India..
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Amazon Bestseller: Security Analysis: Sixth Edition, Foreword by Warren Buffett
Call of the wild
Imagine being in the woods, taking a walk by the riverside, listening to a creative mind speak while you warm up to a bonfire. Think of an exploratory space beaming with art installations, mind bending classrooms, binaural beats, yoga and meditation; peppered with group laughter, debates and 3 am coffee sessions. At the second edition of F of X, India's first four-day residential forest festival, there's ample scope for creators to learn and amplify their mental sharpness. Designed with a sustainability first mindset, the second edition of the fest, says founder Jaytirth Ahya, aims to "manifest a stimulus as intangible as creativity into an interactive residential creative carnival cum forest festival."
You can look forward to a community table of 300 creators—breaking bread as they discuss the future of creativity is a first. Also, this year, the festival is child-friendly with kids above two years allowed to attend with their mothers. On day one, 300 people will collaborate to ..
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Amazon Bestseller: The Little Book That Still Beats the Market (Little Books. Big Profits) - Joel Greenblatt
India's got talent
As Rahul Mishra took a post-show bow at the prestigious Paris Haute Couture Week on January 23, becoming the first Indian designer to be welcomed as guest member on the Haute Couture calendar, he felt first-timer nerves that he had once experienced in 2006. He was 23 when he put up his first show as part of the Gen Next category at Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW). "I remember feeling identical emotions when I had made my debut. It was a feeling of, 'is this good enough?'" he says.
Life came a full circle for Mishra when he was invited to be part of the retrospective show on February 11 to raise a toast to LFW as it celebrated 20 years. Each of the featured 30 designers, including Aneeth Arora, Masaba Gupta, Rimzim Dadu, Ujjawal Dubey, Anand Bhushan, Kunal Rawal, Nachiket Barve, Sohaya Misra, and International Woolmark Prize winners Mishra and Ruchika Sachdeva of Bodice, was asked to recreate one look from their debut collection, albeit updated uniquely.
Mishra's first collection was a ..
Sunday Cartoon: Cyrus Daruwala Presents - Zal
Street cred
Those who've moved cities to pursue work or academics would agree that the best comfort comes in the form of familiar flavours from home. So, if you're having a bad day, it's likely that a helping of gol gappa made just the way you remember it from your kitchen at home, would help more than the best vada pav in town. However, finding authentic flavours can get a tad tricky, especially if you've moved countries. But, if you're a chef, like Seefah Ketchaiyo, then you'll do what you can to introduce people to food from back home exactly how you remember it.
Khao suey
It's her love for street food she grew up eating in the old city part of Thailand like like Charansanitwong, where the flavours remain true to the traditional, that's driven the Mumbai-based chef to explore before replicating the dishes in Bandra at an upcoming three-day carnival of street food, shopping, and cultural arts. The Thailand Street Festival is being organised in celebration of The Tourism Authority of Thailand's (..
Don't want anything to do with my ex...
I broke up with my girlfriend after months of constant fighting and blocked her on all social media platforms. We ran into each other at a mall over the weekend, and she said I was being too harsh. I don't think I have been harsh, because I genuinely don't want any interaction with her, but my friends say I should still consider being friends with her online. Should I?I'm not sure what the problem is. If you don't want to stay in touch, or engage with her in any way, it is your prerogative because these are your social media accounts. If your friends want to chat with her, they can use their own accounts. If she says you are being harsh, she is entitled to feel that way, but you are still the only one who can decide if you want her in your life or not. As an adult, you don't have to do anything you are not comfortable with.
My boyfriend and I have been together for almost a year, and not a week has gone by without him complaining about something. This used to be something I could manag..
It's the time to R(age)
Food: AverageAmbience: Trippyervice: GoodCost: ReasonableVerdict: 2/4
We bump into friends outside KOKO. "Come on in!"
Pete's ginger blue
We're going to Younion, we tell them, receiving a blank stare with the retort: "That's for kids." We're feeling rather young. Outside Younion, we are the oddballs (read: older folk) among the dressed-up, trippy college goers. We spot high boots, high waist-pants, crop tops and layers of make-up. The crowd is clearly here to party.
We walk past the entry, where beefy bouncers are checking IDs, in a breeze. Gone are the days when we could giggle and celebrate the victory.
Purple rainbow
Inside, the music is thumping loud and we ignore the echo thuds in our chest. The crowd seems to care two hoots about it as they dance to Swedish House Mafia's, Don't you worry child. We manage to squeeze ourselves at the bar, and start with shaky Pete's ginger blue on tap (R395) which comes in a bath tub, and mango margarita (R495) which arrives in a cactus. We sip, cr..
I am gutted that my girlfriend moved on
Mumbai: Two bunk school, go for picnic in Vasai, drown while clicking selfie
Two minor girls drowned at a quarry in Vasai while trying to take a selfie by standing on the edge. The local police are looking for the bodies with the help of Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVMC).
A police officer said, "The girls are Class 7 students and live in Khar Danda. Dipti Singh and Khushboo Shaikh had visited the quarry with their two school friends, Sunny Jaiswal and Ankit Dhobi, after bunking their school. They were clicking a selfie at the spot, when the two fell in the quarry and drowned."
Search operation is on, police said.
The officer said that Jaiswal and Dhobi tried to save the two, but when efforts failed, they asked locals for help, who then rushed to the spot and also informed the fire brigade.
The search operation is ongoing. During investigation, it was revealed that the four came to the spot after bunking classes. They took a train from Bandra station and reached the quarry around 12 noon. Vijay Chogle, senior inspector from Waliv police station..
Jewellery from around the country
If jewellery is on your mind, whether it is to accessorise your work wear or for an upcoming wedding, you don't have to rely on last season's trends, but can get a head-start on upcoming ones — which colours will make it big, what gems will feature at the top and other such questions — at the annual India International Jewellery (IIJS) Signature. The show is an opportunity to scout for all kinds of trinkets under one roof. "Even though you can't buy [the products] directly, you can place orders and get clued into what's on offer, " says Sweta Saraf, a jewellery professional who will be exhibiting a new collection of artisanal jewellery, Nihara, from her bespoke brand Sweta S Fine Jewellery, at a special women entrepreneurs pavilion that has been instituted this year."
Exhibitors displaying their collections to the visitors at the show last year
"The exhibition is at the forefront of the design scene and has exhibitors from across the country displaying their pieces. All the..
Sweet rush of caffeine
If you can't start your day without a cup of coffee or are forever experimenting with different types of brews, there's a bit of heady news that will drive your mid-week blues away. Delhi's iconic wine and coffee bar, Perch, is bringing a new range of affogatos, crafted using single-origin and house blends, egg-less homemade ice creams, and a whole bar of garnishing options, over this weekend.
"No one orders coffee after 4 pm but affogato is a great way to flout that and order it in a dessert avatar. We will have five variants of a scoop of in-house ice cream and house-blend coffee combination, and toppings like honeycomb, granola, truffle oil, olive oil and sea salt for people to pick from. And since the affogatos seemed to fit right into the vibe and cuisine served at Allis at Soho House, it was the ideal space for the pop-up. The DIY garnish bar makes it more interactive," explains Vaibhav Singh, partner, when we meet him the afternoon before they go live.
The espresso and honeycomb..
Mumbai Crime: Hookah parlour owner in Vasai poisons man after suspecting he tipped off police
After the Palghar police recently raided a hookah parlour, its owner was arrested on Monday for allegedly conspiring to poison an employee of a pizza shop next to it in Vasai (West). According to the police, the accused, Aftab Ashfaq Parikh, 36, believed that the victim, Jitendra, had given a tip-off to the police, which had led to the raid.
Eight days ago, the police had carried out the raid and booked Parikh under the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA). Jitendra's elder brother Dipesh, told mid-day that his brother called him and narrated the story after he was attacked.
Dipesh said his brother works as a chef at a pizza store in Dattani shopping mall. After work, Jitendra was about to catch an autorickshaw when a driver, with two passengers inside, approached him and asked him if he wanted to board the vehicle. "The two passengers inside got down and asked my brother to sit in the middle. After a while, the two passengers caught his hands and legs and forcefully poured..
Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier
Photojournalist assault: One cop suspended
Disha Patani's neon sweatshirt is proof that winter and fashion go hand in hand!
Gujarat ATS nabs one of India's most wanted terrorists
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Gujarat police on Monday arrested one of India's most wanted terrorists, Moosa Halari Munaf Abdul Majeed, 53, alias Munaf, accused in the deadly Mumbai serial bomb blasts in 1993, from the Mumbai international airport. He was flying to Dubai from Mumbai on a Pakistani passport, in which he is called Anwar Mohammed.
According to the Gujarat ATS, ACP K K Patel received information about Halari, who is also wanted in a case where 35 kg heroin valued at around R180 crore was seized on the high seas last year. The ATS had arrested five Pakistani nationals and Halari was shown as wanted in the case. "We got information that the accused took a connecting flight from Nairobi to Dubai via Mumbai on a Pakistani passport. When he landed in Mumbai our teams detained him," said Himanshu Shukla, deputy inspector general of police, Gujarat ATS.
His Pakistani passport in which he is called Anwar Mohammed
Halari is a very close associate of Tiger Memon, one of the ..
Inside Pictures: Fans unleash their madness as the Malang cast catches the film's reaction at a theatre
The revolutions you didn't know
History is broadly defined as the study of past events. Among this pool of incidents, only a few fish make it to your textbook. And so, many are forgotten. Starting this week, theatre stalwart Mahesh Dattani's play, Snapshots Of A Fervid Sunrise, gets you to take a deep dive into history and pay heed to the lives of Khudiram Bose and Thillayaadi Valliamai — names that are perhaps alien to history books in school. The two died young, but it is their love for the nation that lives on in the soul of the movements fighting for democracy today.
A staunch opponent of British rule in India and their policy of the partition of Bengal in 1905, Bose along with Bengali revolutionary Prafulla Chaki attempted to assassinate the magistrate Douglas Kingsford, who was infamous for hating freedom fighters, by throwing a bomb on his carriage. But accidentally, he blew up the wrong carriage and was hanged to death when he was 18 years old. On the other hand, Valliamai, chose the path of non-violenc..
Marine festival makes waves
Shores are magical places. They play host to a variety of marine life. They are shared and bio-diverse spaces, where the submergence and emergence of land facilitates the sustenance of life forms such as crabs, fish and eels. Coastwise 2020, the second edition of Maharashtra's flagship intertidal festival, organised by WWF India, the Mangrove Foundation of Maharashtra, and Marine Life of Mumbai aims to make the invisible spaces on our shores visible. Brought to the city in association with mid-day, the festival will host a screening of the Chasing Coral film, photography and cartooning workshops, informative shore walks, as well as talks by biologist, diver, educator Tasneem Khan and cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty. "The primary idea behind Coastwise is to generate awareness about the biodiversity our coasts hold and how intrinsically they are linked to human livelihoods and well-being. In Mumbai, despite the beaches being an important part of the city's identity, we are oblivious of the ..
If time were a place
Sitting in the living room of her Peddar Road home Marlboro House, Pushpa Palat says the only time they gave the tiles of their apartment, one of seven in the 1938-built building, a deep clean was when they purchased it in 1998. Since then, they have only washed them with water. No floor cleaners. "If there's a stain, you scrub it and over time, it will go. But, I had been warned early on not to apply any chemicals to the flooring," says Palat, author and journalist. You'd think that the tiles then would reflect the wear and tear. The house after all, as Palat insists, is child- and dog-friendly. Yet, the only thing that the tiles reflect is the abundant sunlight from the large windows.
That Palat and her husband Raghu, a banker, are proud of the heritage of the house would be an understatement. They reel off its history as they take us on a tour. Built by British architect Claude Batley—whose other works in the city include Bombay Gymkhana, Lincoln House and Bombay Central Stat..
