A canine caddie, perhaps?
Golfer Karandeep Kochhar seems to have a four-legged enthusiast for company at the Indian Golf Premier League at Chembur’s Bombay Presidency Club. Read about Kochhar and his golfer girlfriend Pranavi Urs’ top-two finish on page 24.
Early Christmas
A sample of the hamper. Pics Courtesy/Sangath; (right) Wigbert Piedade
If you’ve already begun making Yuletide lists, this one ought to be in it. The Bombay East Indian Hamper is on offer by Wigbert Piedade and Mogan Rodrigues, co-founders, Sangath, an organisation focused on the cultural revival of the East Indian community. Piedade tells us, “This year, we wanted to create a different idea around Christmas. Hampers include family favourites, such as Fruit Cake and Pork Indyaal, a city delicacy.” Interested folk can contact Piedade on 9821334050.
Feline cool
The sleeping white cat on the counter at Britannia & Co
Recently, when this diarist was strolling past the charming streets of Ballard Estate on a Sunday morning, an interesting sight was brought to her notice by her walking companion through the shuttered grilles. Regular foodies in the area are aware that Britannia & Co restaurant is shuttered on Sundays. While we missed our usual routine of tucking into the Chicken Cutlet for brekkie, what brought a smile to our face was this frame where their resident cat was fast asleep atop one of the counters with the ceiling fan on full blast, courtesy the owners, to ensure it had a comfortable snooze on their off day. Just Mumbai things, we’d say.
Shaped by the city
Arzan Khambatta; (right) The sculpture, Spirit of Bombay. Pic Courtesy/@realkunaalroykapur
It`s hard to describe Mumbai in a nutshell, but sculptor Arzan Khambatta and ceramic artist Shayonti Salvi’s collaborative piece, Spirit of Bombay, comes close. Currently on display at Gallery Art & Soul in Worli, the piece is a medley of Indo-Saracenic arches, rustic stone elements, and metal bars that bring to mind the plight of historic buildings in the city. “It represents the crumbling, old architecture of many buildings in Mumbai. The sheer meticulousness with which they were built, and the endurance of their residents, have kept them alive,” Khambatta revealed. The sculpture has already found a fan in Salvi’s husband and actor Kunaal Roy Kapur, who took to social media to call the piece “evocative of the city’s history, beauty, and survival.”
Aarey Forest gets a clean-up
Sanjiv Valsan; (right) Participants collect garbage during the drive. Pics Courtesy/Waghoba Foundation; Sanjiv Valsan on Facebook
It was heartwarming to see Mumbai’s youth, especially college students, join hands on November 16 for a large-scale clean-up drive of the Aarey Forest, a few weeks ahead of the Aarey Music Festival, which is scheduled from December 12 to 14.
This diarist spoke to Sanjiv Valsan, founder, Waghoba Habitat Foundation, which organised the drive. “This was conducted in collaboration with Seeds of Banyan, Plastic Free, and a few others. The Aarey Forest land is frequented by people who often leave garbage of all kinds strewn around in heaps, such as broken glass, bottles, and leftover food items. As Mumbaikars, it’s our responsibility to clean it up,” he shared. Valsan also told us about another drive, most likely to be held on November 30.
Science of theatre
Students perform during the 2024 edition of the festival. Pics Courtesy/NCSM
Scientific thought will step on a new stage at the National Science Drama Festival’s (NSDF) Western Zonal Level Science Drama Contest 2025-26, which opens today (November 22) at Worli’s Nehru Science Centre. Organised by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), an organisation under the Ministry of Culture, the event showcases original theatre performances on themes including Women in Science, Smart Agriculture, and Hygiene for All, and Green Technologies — all under the larger theme, Science & Technology for the Benefit of Mankind.
The main aim is to explore theatre as a powerful medium for scientific communication. The plays will be bilingual productions, staged in both Hindi and Marathi. The contest will be inaugurated by Marathi actor and architect, Rajan Bhise as part of the festival. Organisers are hoping for enthusiastic participation from student groups, young scientists, and educators from across the Western Zone.
