Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

Are your goals on track?

A young boy dribbles past the railway tracks near Bandra station

He gets a 100 per cent Bambaiya welcome

A moment from the tribute music video. Pic courtesy/Youtube

The artiste 50 Cent is in Mumbai; can there be a bigger occasion for celebration?" raps Ayush Shrivastava, AKA Kavikaar, in a tribute song that was released yesterday to mark the iconic rapper's arrival in the city today as part of his The Final Lap tour. The track features artistes from the Dharavi Dream Project who add a desi touch to the American rapper's 2003 chart-topper, In da club.

50 Cent. PIC COURTESY/INSTAGRAM

"We grew up listening to 50 [Cent]. A lot of our works are inspired by the life he has lived. We have put our blood and sweat into shaping this track for him. But more than the rapper, or Dharavi, we want this song to be remembered as an ode to the love for hip-hop that they share," noted Kavikaar. The track also features rappers Saniya MQ, MC Josh and Siva G. It was good to learn that 50 artistes from the collective were invited to witness today's live gig.

Footie future

Girls discuss their game plan

Rotary Foxpasser Football League season 12 in Govandi will host its final matches today. A total of 240 kids (eight to 17-year-olds) have participated, including 50 girls. "There were 74 matches in 10 days," said Anoop Parik, founder of organising group Next Page Community Foundation, who hosted this with the Rotaract Club of Deonar. "The aim is to shift focus from Govandi as a dump and a crime hub, to a place where you can find footballers," he said, adding that the matches give the kids entry into Govandi United FC, a Mumbai Football Association team.

May the tastiest pizza win

The first episode of (left) Sahil Makhija's series releases next week

This is a pizza war, and in the foreground of the cheesy battle are not pineapples but some of the city's most loved pizza haunts. Flagged off by food critic Headbanger Eats, AKA Sahil Makhija, nearly 200 foodies have been going around Mumbai since November 14, to help him decide the ultimate pork pepperoni or margherita pizza. "We are aiming to eat our way through 60 places," said Makhija, who has been tasting five pizzas every day and scoring them out of 10 on the basis of the crust, cheese, sauce and the overall baking and flavours. "In 2022, I did Burger Wars and I ate my way through 38 burgers. Pizzas are much larger as a food, more calories and also a lot more restaurants making them," he shared about the challenge. And hence, he is taking his ‘serial eater' family around to help him decide the top 10 pizzas, which will have a final bite-down in January. Those interested to sign up for the taste test that continues through December, can head to @headbangereats.

He's one in a hundred

Congratulations are in order for Mumbai's chef Himanshu Saini (above), who recently ranked 27th of 100 in The Best Chef 2023 list (an award founded by Polish neuroscientist Joanna Slusarczyk and Italian gastronomist Cristian Gadau in 2015). "I think I am still soaking in my emotions," the chef told this diarist. He added, "To be included in the global list is humbling. It's a great time for Indian gastronomy to shine globally. This is a result of the collective effort including mine and the other great Indian chefs who are drawing attention to our cuisine currently."

Calling avid cinephiles

A Mughal-E-Azam (1960) lobby card. Pic Courtesy/deRivaz & Ives

Today, to call yourself a cinephile, you post a scene from a cult classic with a quote on social media. Things weren't always this easy. deRivaz & Ives, an online auction house, is presenting its new collection - Feminine Icons of Indian Cinema, a unique set of film memorabilia that has graced the shelves of serious collectors. The auction that closes today, includes a rare autographed photograph of Devika Rani and the forgotten lobby cards from the golden era among other collectibles. "The new generation as well as the film fraternity needs to value and celebrate film heritage. It is a welcome sign when young enthusiasts take interest in upholding our rich cinema culture. Such auctions provide opportunities and a platform for cinephiles to own a part of cinema history," a representative from the auction house told this diarist. Interested collectors can log on to derivaz-ives.com.