Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Aisle be by your side

A bride is accompanied by her father as they walk into a church in Bandra for her wedding on Tuesday.

This makes for a delicious read

"Food is an integral part of our lives and in some way, a bridge that connects us not only to our past, but also the region we hail from, in my case Awadh," noted historian and chronicler Rana Safvi (in pic), when this diarist reached out to her about contributing to Desi Delicacies: Food Writing from Muslim South Asia (Pan Macmillan India). The anthology of essays, stories and recipes by authors, historians and chefs from the region including Tabish Khair, Annie Zaidi and Sadaf Hussain, and edited by Claire Chambers, released this week. "We bond over food and many a moral lesson has been learnt deliciously through the metaphor. To understand recipes, it is important to learn the ethos behind it," shared Safvi, adding that the anthology delves into that ethos of Muslim South Asian kitchens and familiarises readers with things as varied as what garnish to use, food cooked at funerals or festivals, the immigrant's longing for food of the motherland and even jinn spirits hovering in old houses.

Maradona wins it

This diarist had reported how a Malad-based football team, Uncle's Kitchen United, had made jerseys for its players with the late Diego Maradona's face embossed on the front as a tribute to the legendary Argentine footballer who passed away earlier this month. The team has now won the very first 5-a-side rink football tournament they participated in wearing those jerseys, and they believe it was all because of Maradona. "Before the tournament, we said a small prayer in honour of our hero and even before matches we remembered him. He inspired us to this win," says UK United team owner Ronnie D'Souza after his team won the 5-a-side Winter Cup at the Khar Gymkhana ground, beating Gujju Boys 3-1 in the final. UK United skipper Nitesh Monde says:
"These jerseys definitely brought us luck. We will wear them for a long time to come and hopefully keep winning more tournaments."

Time to play Santa Claus

Ashesh L Sajnani (in yellow) and Huzaifa Lightwalla with children holding gifts

Restaurateur Ashesh L Sajnani and brand strategist Huzaifa Lightwalla started an initiative last year called Claus for a Cause. It involves guests at Sajnani's restaurants, Le Café and Via Bombay, leaving gifts behind after their meal, which are given to underprivileged children associated with NGO Access Life Assistance Foundation. With both eateries having reopened, the duo has launched the initiative again. "This pandemic has made things tough, but we can't let that stop us from being selfless and giving more than we receive," Sajnani said. Drop by at his restaurants to do your bit.

The hounds are coming

Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most macabre Sherlock Holmes adventures, with its grim imagery of haunting moors and ferocious beasts. Theatre group Aadyam has given their take on the classic tale, which reinterprets it in a comedic manner. Vivek Madan, Arghya Lahiri and Nadir Khan star in it, with Akarsh Khurana as the director. "There was added pressure to perfectly execute this script while maintaining the humour quotient. But considering the collective hard work that went into it, we are hopeful that the audience will enjoy watching this one as much as we did putting it together for them," Khurana shared. Get your tickets at insider.in to catch the online staging in January.

Ankit lives on

Ankit Chadha was only 30 years old when he drowned in a lake near Pune in 2018. But the legacy that the dastangoi left behind despite his short life will be taken forward at a screening this evening where some of his best pieces, including Dastan-e-Khanabadosh, will be showcased. "When Ankit died suddenly, the world lost a young and promising storyteller," Sanchita Ain, a volunteer at the foundation that has been set up in Chadha's name, said.