Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Hrithik Roshan

Want a hug?

The ladies in the frame would love that, we are certain. But Hrithik Roshan might only be adjusting his jacket at a Juhu five-star on Friday. Pic/Sameer Markande

Popping back

It's been a few years now that K-pop has gained increasing popularity in India. Evidence of that lies in the fact that there were only a handful of people signing up when the first K-pop India contest was held eight years ago, but thousands have auditioned in the past two editions.

Now, the grand finale for this year's edition will be held on July 27, with candidates being shortlisted from over 3,000 participants. The winners will take part in the global final to be held in Korea. Popular Korean bands IN2IT (in pic) and ALEXA - who had visited the country in April this year - will also perform at the event in India, meaning it's a must-attend for all fans of the genre.

Memories in black and white

Rajesh Khanna was one of the biggest superstars of his time and people swooned over him every time he appeared on screen. But a nostalgia-inducing photo that Twinkle Khanna shared of her father playing with her and her sister, Rinkie, in a most relaxed manner gave us a glimpse of the actor's personal life.

He exudes the same elegant charm that he did in his movies, and looks every bit the loving dad. Twinkle, among other news, has also added another feather in her professional cap.

She has joined hands with Russian supermodel and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova for an exclusive collaboration with a charitable rewards-based subscription platform. She will give items from her wardrobe and signed books to people who win enough points on the mobile-based application, which aims to make philanthropy a daily part of people's lives through micro donations.

Why old is gold

A lot of hearts broke when Kamling, which was one of the most popular and oldest haunts for Chinese food in SoBo, shut down. The sort of legacy it left behind is tough to beat, but then the mood lifted when Keenan Tham, whose grandfather launched the eatery in the late 1930s, announced that Foo, the family's contemporary Asian eatery, is launching its second outlet at the same spot where Kamling used to stand.

Work in progress at Foo when we crossed it a week ago

And now we can reveal that 20 per cent of the menu will remain the same as the old favourite, which should come as great news for regular patrons.

"To name a few, we'll keep the Peking fish, the hakka chicken, and sweet and sour soup. These are iconic dishes that will remain," Tham tells us, adding that the launch is about two weeks away. We can't wait.

Can you beer this sexist attitude?

One of the ways in which men display their sexism towards women is by assuming that women are only interested in select spirits like wine or gin when they are drinking. Nothing could be further from the truth since there are enough women who would happily guzzle down beer after beer on a night out. But that fact seems to be lost on a microbrewery that has launched what it calls "India's first female beer".

This has enraged a large number of women, who have pointed out that it's incorrect to assume, as the creators have said, that women don't like bitter beer and prefer something that's sweet and smooth. That was an insipid marketing card to play at a time when women are increasingly demanding an equal society.

Titles from east

Mumbai has its share of publishing houses, but there are some books that only places located in Kolkata have in their stock. You can now lay your hands on some such titles that Seagull Books and Niyogi Books from the Bengal capital will showcase at an ongoing pop-up store at a co-working space in Worli.

Organiser Mansi Dhanraj Shetty told this diarist, "Both publishers have their latest books, and there are lots of translations of authors like Mahasweta Devi, Rabindranath Tagore and Bangladeshi writers."

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