Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Guess who the prankster is

Kriti Sanon goofs around as Diljit Dosanjh poses for a picture in Andheri on Wednesday. Pic /Satej Shinde

Cooking it up in Lanka

After winning over Mumbaikars with her culinary skills at her Khar eatery, chef Amninder Sandhu is set to give foodies in neighbouring Sri Lanka a taste of her chops. Sandhu will be taking over the kitchen at Botanik Rooftop Bistro & Bar in Colombo for two nights. "It's my job to make others believe in serious Indian cuisine, and that's the mission I'm on. Working and sharing ideas inspires you and allows you to inspire others. We're quite excited to serve ethnic Indian cuisine in our own avatar. I plan to serve some of my signature dishes like Kovalam prawn taco, mutton gilawat, Naga mushroom gilawat, butter chicken dosa square, gunpowder paneer dosa square, tokri chaat and choley kulchey," Sandhu told this diarist. The menu makes us wish we were visiting Sri Lanka next weekend.

Street smart way

While the rain might have wreaked havoc with your commute, you return to a non-leaky roof over your heads. These strays in Versova seemed to have found a way to ta­­ke shelter in an empty au­t­o­r­i­c­k­shaw in a moment ca­ptured by mid-day reader NG Bh­aradwaj on Tuesday night.

17 and counting

Musician and YouTube sensation Bhuvan Bam is a man of many talents - and we aren't just talking about his infectious songs. He is also a competent actor and posts videos on his YouTube channel, BB Ki Vines, where he essays the role of different characters in short skits. He has now introduced a new one, called Detective Mangloo. "I came up with the character because I thought the name was funny. I felt we needed a character that's outside of the family, who can't be trusted, who pretends to know everything but knows nothing - basically the guy we have all come across," Bam told this diarist.

Everyone can lead

In a first, a national leadership programme for women with disabilities is being launched online today. Called I Can Lead, the initiative by Nidhi Goyal involves a year-long online and offline programme that will help mentor and support six selected fellows from across the country. This will include group training once a month online, and counsellors and trained therapists working to help these women move ahead despite the stigma, physical and emotional barriers they face, while also getting rid of their internal fears. "One of the six women is a Bengaluru resident who suffers from locomotor disability. The programme would not just mean developing her professional skills, but also help her become independent," Goyal told this diarist.

Cricket fever hits new notes

For Eden Kesang - who grew up playing cricket in the gullies of Mumbai and was part of her school's football team - being passionate about sports comes easy. And the artiste's effortless enthusiasm as she sings Roar India, released on the day of the nail-biting India vs New Zealand semi-final, is evident and infectious. Tubby Sharma has composed and produced the track. Kesang told this diarist, "The focus was to make it current, and we made small tweaks, like replacing "cray" with "crazy.

The song focuses on the unity that sports helps develop, surpassing religion and diversities." She added that though she grew up listening to old- school Bollywood music, this is the first time she has recorded a song in Hindi. "It was different; it was more fun and energetic," she said. The track has also opened new avenues for Kesang, who is now working on composing her own Hindi set with a four-piece band, with rap and dance bits. And though her fiancé, drummer Gino Banks, won't be a part of the outfit, she promises an organic line-up.

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