Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

The September 1979 issue of The Cricketer International which featured Bishan Singh Bedi on its cover

Bishan Bedi, a man of letters
No other sport throws up anecdotes the way cricket does, reckons our in-house cricket nut. While fellow sports lovers might like to challenge that view, it is a fact that no other sport lends itself to so much literature than the willow game.

Our man discovered an item in the Letters section of the October 1979 issue of the prestigious The Cricketer International magazine published in the United Kingdom.The letter was not written by an ordinary reader, but India spin stalwart Bishan Singh Bedi, who made his fourth Test tour to England earlier that year. Bedi wrote to the editor of the magazine, Reg Hayter in response to the decision to use a photograph of him on the cover, shot by celebrated cricket photographer Adrian Murrell while Bedi performed a pre-match routine.

Bishan Singh Bedi

Bedi, who had played county cricket for Northamptonshire, wrote: "It was really comforting to know that the old man was still making the front cover of The Cricketer September issue, or was it out of sheer compassion? I'd be happier to see if my left arm is still coming from the top!!" Yes, an action shot of the Sardar of Spin would have been more apt considering the silken smooth action Bedi had, but the meditative one shot by Murrell made for a memorable cover.

Celebrating diversity
They say two heads are better than one. Divya Palat and husband Aditya Hitkari would agree. The couple recently conceptualised Suede Gully, a music video for a popular shoe brand, and the campaign has now been nominated for two Cannes Lions Awards in the Brand Endorsement /Partnership for Artist Breakthrough category.

"The video celebrates the underground culture in India, from the graffiti artists to hip-hop dancers. And, the main hook line 'Mere joothe mein chal ke toh dekh' invites viewers to see the modern Indian youth differently," says Hitkari, who shot the video in Delhi, Shillong, Madurai and Mumbai and worked with rap artists who sang in Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil and Khasi.

Goodbye Mumbai?
Writer Chetan Bhagat's peripatetic life, has inadvertently found mention in his novels - be it his time spent in Ahmedabad, Delhi or Mumbai. Now, we hear that the former investment banker, who shifted base to Mumbai after spending years in Hong Kong, has surreptitiously - yes no word on it, even on Twitter - moved to Singapore.

While Bhagat is currently shuttling between Mumbai, where he is promoting his soon-to-release The Girl in Room 105 (Amazon Westland), and his new home, some of his fans and even trolls, might be a tad disappointed with the development. One doesn't know whether the sabbatical is brief, or if he is seeking inspiration for another novel, but it would be nice to see Bhagat return. The new book will be a good excuse.

The Famous (Forty) Five
Wine connoisseur Vishal Kadakia wears several hats and running shoes. Not only does he run his own company, he's also the founder of The Wine Park that supplies wines to tony places including The Wine Rack. He's also a passionate runner, with a running group that includes high-ranking stuffed shirts. There's Dev Chavan, VP at Edelweiss Financial Services; Navin Makhija, MD of Wadhwa Group; Nikhil Behl, who owns Conventions & Fairs (India); and Moiz Rajkotwala, MD of the United Group.

Navin Makhija, Dev Chavan, Nikhil Behl, Moiz Rajkotwala and Vishal Kadakia

The five met in a running group called Run India Run four years ago, and then formed a closed coterie of their own. The quintet plan to run one major marathon each year: they started with Berlin last year, and will be going to NY this November. As the NY marathon is sponsored by TCS, it's quite likely they will run into another passionate marathoner: Tata Sons Chairman, N Chandrasekaran.

Melvin plays talent scout
We love choreographer Melvin Louis and his dance collaborations on Instagram. The dancer has been posting videos of him dancing on current hits with actors Esha Gupta, Sandeepa Dhar, and Gauhar.

Our favourite are the videos with Sandeepa Dhar, who was seen in Heropanti and Dabangg. We feel that Louis's videos have given Dhar's career an added push. Before this, we didn't even know she danced this well.

No pictures, please!

Taimur Ali Khan spotted in a cute leotard outside a Bandra gym, where he was accompanying his father, Saif Ali Khan, on Saturday. Pic/Shadab Khan

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