Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Look who caught up with Salmanbhai!
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan had a few special guests on set yesterday. Eight actors from Palestine gifted him a keffiyeh, the special Palestinian national scarf when they dropped by to see him while he was shooting for the film, Sultan.

Actors from Palestine and Faisal Abu Alhajyaa (second, left) with Salman Khan on the sets of his film

The actors are members of The Freedom Theatre from the West Bank, and are part of the first India-Palestine theatre collaboration. Their play with Delhi-based group Jana Natya Manch will be touring 10 Indian cities. Salman Khan said he was delighted to meet them, and to receive the keffiyeh. Director Kabir Khan had given Salman the keffiyeh look for Ek Tha Tiger.

If you're keen to understand how the arts and culture survive in Palestine, drop by at a session where Faisal Abu Alhajyaa - actor and director with The Freedom Theatre, will bring stories of art and inspiration from this country. Don't miss out on the session this Friday at Bandra's MCubed Library (5 pm) by Junoon's Mumbai Local.

Classic viewing

Pic/Nimesh Dave

Poet, lyricist and filmmaker, Gulzar and veteran actress Tanuja paint a nostalgia-tinted frame at an event at a Juhu five-star.

Keep calm and chant
Those who wake up every morning to chants by Krishna Das aka KD have reason to cheer. The Grammy-nominated international chant master, known for layering traditional kirtan and yogic chanting with Western influences, will be in town for a three-day workshop, starting January 8 in Dadar.

Krishna Das

Listen to him chant and speak about its role in healing lives. This will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the spiritual icon, who plans to take a year-long sabbatical post the workshop. All of the healing comes at a price, naturally. For passes ('6,000, three-day pass), connect with the organisers on 24382626.

A cricket resignation on the cards?
Conflict of interest is the buzzword in Indian cricket today and it occupies big mind space among the administrators. This, in the opinion of several pundits, would not be the case had former Indian cricket board boss N Srinivasan willingly stepped aside when his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was implicated in the Indian Premier League spot fixing scandal.

Now that the Lodha Commission has presented its recommendations in an emphatic way, Indian cricket lovers will witness transparency like they haven't before. The Board officials felt the heat even before Monday's recommendations, though.

Daily Dossier's source at a recent function, which witnessed the attendance of some big names in cricket administration, heard a Board official's wife telling a friend that if the anti-conflict of interest measures got too difficult and unfair, he will say goodbye to his post. We hope this won't happen to good administrators, but watch this space for a possible resignation all the same.

Tasty at 30
On January 3, Maharashtrian joint known for its poha and misal at Shivaji Park, Aaswad, turned 30. "My father, Shrikrishna Sarjoshi, started it in 1986. Before that, he was employed at Trupti, an eatery opposite Plaza Cinema. He was such a hard worker, that over the years, the owner offered him a partnership. Unfortunately, the building collapsed in 1983," recalls present owner, 50-year-old Suryakant Sarjoshi.

Aaswad at Dadar. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

Having learnt the tricks of the trade from his father, Suryakant offered a flower and peda to every customer who walked in on Sunday. "Our restaurant is always full, and it is because of them [the customers] that we are doing so well."

Owner Suryakant Sarjoshi

From a 250 sq ft shop, Aaswad is now a 1,300 sq ft landmark. "Apart from the misal - that won an international award last year - our kothambir vadi, varan bhaat, masala rice and batata vada are hot-sellers," he says. Food blogger Kalyan Karmakar had nominated Aaswad's misal as best food in the vegetarian food category for Foodie Hub, a network of local food experts across the world, headquartered in London. "Earlier, people would eat dosas and poha. After the award, patrons are devouring the misal. It tastes homely, as it is not over-doused with chillies or oil," says Karmarkar.

"Most of the staff has been with Aaswad since its inception, while some have retired. In April, around Gudi Padwa, I plan to host a special event to celebrate this milestone," shares Suryakant, who opened his second outlet in Ghatkopar last August. Plus, in the next month-and-a-half, Aaswad's third outlet will be launched at T2.

Cut to the film
A short film is as different from a feature film as a short story is from a novel, asserts National Award-winning Marathi filmmaker, Umesh Kulkarni, who will be conducting a short filmmaking workshop from January 7 to 10 at Sathaye College Auditorium, Vile Parle (E).

Samar Nakhate, former dean of FTII with (right) Umesh Kulkarni

"By providing the right inputs through a workshop, I believe enthusiastic participants can develop a better perspective of this medium," he says. Kulkarni will touch on basic concepts of film making, fundamentals of production, translating an idea into a script and scope for shorts at film festivals.

Though known for his critically-acclaimed features like Valu, Vihir, Deool and Highway, with eight short films to his credit, he has also kept alive this passion.