Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Emmanuel Jarus

Canadian art for Mahim facades
In a bid to turn the sprawling space in Mahim into a public art district, last year, St+art India Foundation, a non-profit, joined hands with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). As artists started streaming into the area, painting the walls of derelict buildings with their artwork, the organisation roped in international artists, too.

This month, in an effort between the initiative and the Consulate General of Canada, artist Emmanuel Jarus was flown in to add colour to the facades of the area with his work. Consul General for Canada in Mumbai, Annie Dubé told this diarist, "Canada is thrilled to be collaborating on this innovative project. India and Canada share a strong friendship and this will be an example of the further strengthening of cultural and artistic ties between us."

A new year means new love
That time of the year is approaching when celebrations take over your calendar. And the folks at Inclov, a unique matchmaking app don't want anyone to miss out. They are organising a New Year's meet-up for people with disabilities at a swish suburban nightclub.

"We want to give people an equal opportunity to socialise at fully accessible spaces. This community never gets the chance to enjoy parties so we decided to open up a space for them," co-founder Shankar Srinivasan told this diarist, adding, "The nightclub will be made fully wheelchair accessible with ramps at entries/exits, wheelchair accessible washrooms and sign language interpreters for the deaf."

Datta whips up snack lit
India's popular romantic novelist Durjoy Datta is back on the radar with an intriguing new endeavour. This time, as curator, he has put together an amalgamation of stories shortlisted from 11,200 entries that he received via a crowd-sourcing campaign. Titled Pocketful O' Stories (Penguin), the book will be launched at an interactive session with the author at a city bookstore.

"It's a format I had wanted to experiment with for a long time. It includes very short stories with a high impact," Datta told this diarist speaking about how the book will feature micro tales. "It was difficult to pick just 250 out of all the entries, but it was an incredible experience and there can always be a part two," he shared.

Kenyan fashion call for Masaba
It seems Masaba Gupta is going to be Africa-borne soon with her first pop-up in Nairobi. The young and fiery fashion designer known for speaking her mind and coming up with eclectic designs that are as modern as they are rooted in Indian culture, with quirky pineapple prints and zany cuts , is often in the news for her work.

"This place is so close to my heart and we are popping up in Nairobi on the 7th of December. Can. Not. Wait. (sic)," Gupta wrote on her social media handle.

Mahé heads to Goa
Homegrown chef Sandeep Sreedharan, who started with home pop-ups of modern coastal cuisine under Esca Brahma and then opened Curry Tales in Khar is all set to introduce his culinary flavours in Goa by partnering with Parth Timbadia of Bonobo. Mahé will open sometime in the third week of December in Anjuna in an old porto house, which will function as restaurant and a boutique space, to be run by Rajasthan-based Kasa.

They will put up their products such as knick-knacks and accessories, and also curate designer clothes. "The menu is a modern coastal cuisine from East and West and a bit of Sri Lankan fare. The idea is to have a seamless overlap of modern and rustic food. I'm doing dishes like slow-cooked mackerel and plums, a preserved aubergine rechado," Sreedharan told this diarist. He hopes to tap into the seasonal tourist flow as well as local clientele. The menu, he adds, will be a mix of bar bites, small plates, a seafood as well as a veggie grill, and a section for classics from the region.

Keeping up with the jonases

(From left) Priyanka Chopra, Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are snapped while leaving a a restaurant in Juhu. Pic/Satej Shinde

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