Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Star gazing
Neha Dhupia seems lost in thought as her husband, Angad Bedi, inspects an item at the launch of a jewellery collection at a Goregaon mall over the weekend. Pic/Satej Shinde

Foxy and Junior at Bombay House

Paws and effect
Every Sunday, the kind folks at NGO Welfare of Stray Dogs do their first-aid rounds across the gullies and streets of SoBo to check on strays that need care and attention. The rounds begin from Eros Cinema in Churchgate every weekend. Most of these four-legged survivors end up becoming friends of these medical attendants and volunteers, we are told. An important halt on this routine trail is Bombay House in Fort. In fact, when the building had reopened in August, a separate room was created for stray dogs! It is a known fact that they were always welcome into the premises, and now a separate space means more TLC for these adorable doggos. And guess what? Interested souls who would like to be a part of this can sign up to join them on their weekend rounds by writing to wsdvoluteermanager@gmail.com. Three woofs for a fun way to make a difference.

Chef Mithilesh Tembe with Ranveer Brar (second from right)

A student cooks up a storm for his mentor
Chef Mithilesh Tembe of the restaurant 1 BHK had a rather special visitor over the weekend. His mentor, celebrity chef Ranveer Brar, popped into the Oshiwara eatery for dinner, much to Tembe's delight. What made the evening even more special is that it was International Chefs Day. So, here we had a student whipping up dishes like charred brocolli with rose harissa and prawns chil pil with steam bao for Brar, who had taught him the nitty-gritty of Indian cooking. And Brar also said that chef Tembe's creme brulee is the best he's ever had. Now that's a sweet compliment.

30 names booked
As winter sets in in the rest of the country, it's time for book lovers to engage in cerebral discussions and get tomes signed by their favourite authors. While Mumbai's own litfest is next month, we have the first list of 30 speakers for the Jaipur literature festival to be held in January. From Pulitzer winner Colson Whitehead, writers Vikram Chandra (in pic) and Perumal Murugan to actor Manisha Koirala, it's quite a diverse set. Watch this space to keep tabs on literary gatherings across India and closer home.

Naseeruddin and Ratna Pathak Shah

Asha Puthli rolls back the years
We travelled briefly back in time over the weekend. Asha Puthli, an unsung legend who created ripples with her silky-smooth voice in the West the '70s, was the vehicle for this journey. She transported us to an era when shiny disco balls hovered above dance floors, rewinding the years with tracks like Space Talk (one of the most sampled songs of all time) and I'm Gonna Dance, a sensual, carefree track for which she left the stage to shake a leg with the audience.

And this audience included a glitzy mix of people like Bollywood composer Salim Merchant, author Jeet Thayill and actor couple Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, who made a rare appearance for a musical performance featuring their son, Imaad Shah aka Madboy, who played an opening set with his band. The evening had such a great vibe overall that after the concert, people stood in line for an audience with Puthli, who graciously entertained each and every one of them. Class, as they say, is permanent.

Pic Courtesy/Godrej Archives

A chilled out feeling for 60 long years
Most Indian households have owned one, 60 years ago. Most continue to do so. The Godrej refrigerator, like say, the Amrutanjan balm or the Ambassador car, has also gone beyond its role as being just another essential commodity to being regarded as a representation of Indian society cutting across social strata. Recently, a post by Godrej Archives grabbed our eye. It was the earliest advertisement of the first such refrigerator manufactured in 1958. A closer scan of the ad revealed that the shelves were made of steel and it offered a five-year guarantee for the sealed-in refrigerating system along with a year's guarantee for the rest, including controls. Curious cats keen on having a look at this original model can head down for a dekko at their archives at Vikhroli.

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