Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Anurag Ahire

The Art of keeping time

A man cleans the advertisement for a watch on a store window in Churchgate

The deadmau5 returns

Deadmau5 at a performance in Las Vegas in 2023. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

Canadian DJ and music producer Joel Thomas Zimmerman AKA deadmau5 will touch down in Mumbai on July 12 for a rare performance as part of Sunburn's Arena. It will also be the first performance in the city after 10 years for the six-time Grammy Award nominee and creator of tracks like Glowing nights, Strobe and Rhythm revolution. "Bringing deadmau5 to India for our Sunburn Arena show marks the beginning of a thrilling season. deadmau5's debut visit to India in 2014 was an instant hit and we've been eagerly planning for his return to the country," shared Karan Singh, CEO, Sunburn. The last time the musician was in India, he set off on a coffee run with his favourite Indian artiste, Daler Mehndi, and even spun a record on stage to the latter's track, Tunak Tunak Tun. This time around, the show will be an "immersive audio-visual spectacle" to celebrate the Canadian's 25 years in EDM. As for deadmau5, he simply remarked, "I am thrilled to be back in India after a decade and perform for my fans after such a long time. The energy and love of the Indian crowd are truly unmatched, and I cannot wait to share this special moment with all of you."

Chef Oberoi bats through his 50

Chef Hemant Oberoi

When chef Hemant Oberoi first stepped into the kitchen as a professional chef on May 29, 1974, Amitabh Bachchan was still to get his big breaks in Sholay and Deewar. Five decades later, and just like Big B, the legendary chef continues to be as busy as ever. He recalled, "It was exactly on May 29 that I stepped into the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai for the first time, and spent 42 years with them. It has been a long journey in the industry, but a beautiful and enjoyable one. I continue to enjoy it." Busy with multiple commitments, including his latest creation Martabaan by Hemant Oberoi in Abu Dhabi, the chef said, "These days, I am splitting time between Mumbai, Goa and Abu Dhabi." But for patrons in the city, he promised that there is something cooking. "I can't reveal any details, but there is definitely something in the works. Hopefully, we should be ready with an announcement in the next four to five months," he shared over a phone call. That is welcome news for Mumbaikars who have watched with envy as Martabaan went into the Michelin Guidebook. "At the age of 69, I finally walked into the Michelin," he laughed, adding, "It takes a lot of years of hard work, as well as a good team to achieve that. We have been lucky and the restaurant has been well received." As for his secret to completing 50 years in the kitchen, Oberoi shared, "This is a tough industry, and will only get tougher. I have always tried to be ahead of the curve. The aim was to always deliver something different whether that was with Wasabi, Zodiac Grill, Souk, or Blue Ginger in Delhi. I never wanted to be an ‘also-ran', but to be ahead of the competition." We will keep our eyes peeled for the upcoming launch in Mumbai. "We will let you know as soon as we are ready," the chef promised us.

Chessboard bonding

A previous chess tournament hosted by the club

Magnus Carlsen might not be in a mood to agree right now, especially after his loss to R Praggnanandhaa, but chess can also build friendships. This weekend, 100 members of different batches of IIT Bombay, including several alumni, will participate in an annual tradition, Lichess Tournament. "This is part of our All India Chess League, and was started last year on a smaller scale," shared Aditya Murali, institute board games secretary. With most of the community quite distant, the intra-batch competition helps build networks. "I played over three matches last year in my first event, and made some close friends. It can be a fun experience," shared Murali.

Heart of Aarey Forest

A road passing through the Aarey forest. File pic

For over two decades, Rishi Aggarwal (below), environmental activist and founder of The Walking Project and Mumbai Sustainability Centre, has observed the growing apathy around the Aarey Forest. These observations and learnings will be documented in his upcoming book, Saving Aarey: The undoing of an environmental campaign, to be launched on June 5 (World Environment Day). "I first started working on the book in 2018, but the pandemic put a spanner in the works. It finally happened this year," Aggarwal shared. He goes on to describe the book, "It looks at the Aarey forest across the pre-2015 and post-2015 periods. It also reflects on the deep neglect of the educated middle-class towards environmental concerns that laid the grounds for current issues," he noted. The launch will also see the author in conversation with author and urban planner, Vidyadhar Phatak.

A sweet victory

The newest feather in city-based chef Vedangi Gawde's cap is the Callebaut Patissier of the Year 2024 title that was held in Bandra. The chef de partie of Mahim-based patisserie Sivako dished out bonbons, fresh pastries and a grand chocolate display, using the Callebaut Sao Thome chocolates to bag the title presented by the Belgian chocolatiers in the city last week. "The experience was unreal. Beyond baking, it helped me break out of my shell to interact and learn from world-class chefs around me," she shared.