Paw-se and pose
A pet dog poses for the lens while waiting with its parent outside a shopping plaza on SV Road in Borivli
Thank you for the T&T
A view of the restaurant. Pic Courtesy/@Toastandtonic on Instagram
It had been coming, but that does not ease the blow. BKC haunt, Toast & Tonic, called time on its nearly decade-long run in the city on October 5. The decision was doing the rounds in F&B circles, with the announcement gone viral as early as May this year. The Bengaluru outpost soon followed suit. But patrons needn’t fret.
AD Singh. File Pic
Restaurateur AD Singh confirmed the news, “We knew we were much loved in Mumbai, and so many of our lovely diners had some of their best memories with us over the years. However, we assessed that they were now looking for a refreshed venture for the future, and we are in the process of creating that.” Though he didn’t reveal much to this diarist about future plans, Singh shared, “Closing hasn’t been an easy decision, but our senior management team, and I are already in discussions on refreshing the vision and design, and working on the way forward for Toast & Tonic.”
Small steps, green impact
A moment from a previous workshop. Pic Courtesy/Tafreehwale
We’re tipping our hat to theatre group Tafreehwale for going green this month. In preparation of their upcoming play, Fever Dream, the troupe has ditched the usual shopping spree, and reached out to the general public to crowdsource props. “Climate consciousness has been at the heart of our productions. We’re making a small contribution for a sustainable future,” co-founder Meghna Telang told this diarist. Those keen to help can log on to @tafreehwale.
No Mumbai smash for these Pumpkins
A moment from The Smashing Pumpkins documentary. Pic Courtesy/The Smashing Pumpkins on Youtube; Facebook
Last weekend ended on a sour note for grunge fans with the American alternative rock band, The Smashing Pumpkins, cancelling their India debut. Led by frontman and guitarist, Billy Corgan, the two-time Grammy Award-winning band had performed in Singapore over last weekend.
The band’s official statement
Indian fans were let down by the official statement by the band on Facebook as the sign-off sentence read: “We cannot perform these shows up to the standards that we and our fans expect.” With several heavyweight acts heading to India, we hope organisers pull up their socks and save fans from heartburn.
When the train is your muse
Sachin Banne works on the canvas in the train. Pics courtesy/Sachin Banne
Art can find its inspiration during the most mundane periods of time, such as during a journey that is inconveniently long. This is exactly what happened with Worli-based artist Sachin Banne, who was in a train bound to Kolhapur from Mumbai, which was delayed by three hours due to technical issues.
The completed artwork
“The train was supposed to reach Kolhapur by 8 pm, but ended up reaching at 11 pm. During this time, I took out my canvas and art tools, and set them up in the compartment.
Sachin Banne
Many fellow passengers took great interest, as they watched me at work. I have painted scenes depicting the same compartment on an oil-on-canvas piece,” Banne told this diarist.
To Gail, with love
Bharat Patankar and Gail Omvedt in a moment from the documentary
A journey of eight years finds summation with the first premiere screening of Somnath Waghmare’s documentary, Gail & Bharat, at the London School of Economics on October 14. Based on the life of Dalit activists, scholars, and sociologist Gail Omvedt and her husband, Bharat Patankar, the film captures their journey and challenges.
Somnath Waghmare (extreme left) with Gail Omvedt (in orange) and Bharat Patankar (extreme right). Pics Courtesy/Somnath Waghmare
Waghmare, who grew up in Malewadi in the Sangli district of Maharashtra, shared, “I lived almost 20 kms from where they were living, and working. So, I knew them up close through my youth. I began recording our conversations and interactions starting late 2017.” After Omvedt’s passing in 2021, he returned to the project. “We are screening it in London, followed by interactions in the University of Cambridge, Oxford, Sussex, and will also travel to Berlin and the Netherlands. The first India showing will take place in Pune or Mumbai in December, followed by the Kochi Biennale,” he shared.
