Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had asked BMC chief Ajoy Mehta to fix "primary responsibility" for Thursday's foot overbridge collapse by Friday evening. The deck of a foot overbridge on DN Road connected to CSMT station collapsed Thursday evening, killing six persons and injuring 31.

Fadnavis was speaking to reporters after meeting the injured in St George's Hospital nearby. "It is shocking that such an accident can take place even after a structural audit. Primary responsibility will be fixed by this evening. I have asked civic chief (Ajoy Mehta) to find out names of those responsible," Fadnavis said.

"A high-level probe into this incident has already been ordered. Those responsible (for the collapse) will be punished," he said. Earlier in the day, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official had said the FOB was found to be structurally safe when it was audited in August 2016, soon after a British-era bridge over Savitri River got washed away in monsoon downpour in Mahad in Raigad district.

During that audit, 354 bridges were checked for their structural soundness. The FOB that collapsed on Thursday was marked C2B. This means it needed minor repairs only. Tenders were floated for the repair but it got held up," the official had said on Friday morning.

Fadnavis also said he had ordered a re-visit of all earlier structural audits carried out on such structures. The Maharashtra CM visited the mishap site post the visit to the hospital.

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Former media baron Peter Mukerjea, an accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was admitted to the state-run J J Hospital in Mumbai after he complained of chest pain, officials said on Sunday. Mukerjea, who was lodged at the Arthur Road Jail in Central Mumbai, had been complaining of chest pain for the last few days, a police official said.

On Saturday evening, he again suffered from severe pain in the chest following which the prison medical staff checked him and rushed him to the J J Hospital, he said. "Mukerjea was admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening for chest pain. The patient's condition is stable and he is undergoing treatment," J J Hospital's medical superintendent Dr. Sanjay Surase said.

The CBI told a special court here earlier this month that Mukerjea is the "silent killer" of Sheena Bora, the daughter of his wife and former media executive Indrani Mukerjea from a previous relationship.

The April 2012 murder of Sheena Bora (24) came to light in August 2015 when Indrani Mukerjea's driver Shyamvar Rai spilled the beans after being arrested in another case. Indrani Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, Rai and Peter Mukerjea were subsequently arrested in the case. Rai later became an approver and was pardoned. The CBI has claimed a financial dispute led to the killing of Sheena Bora.

Dr Sanjay Surase, Medical Superintendent of JJ Hospital: Peter Mukerjea has been admitted to JJ Hospital after he complained of chest pain.
An accused in Sheena Bora murder case, Mukerjea is currently lodged in Arthur Road jail. (file pic) #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/qpSdygSOLb

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2019

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The Endgame is near, and we are talking quite literally here about the latest instalment in the Avengers series of superhero movies, which releases on April 26. After this week's brouhaha over Game of Thrones Season 8, it's the next big visual experience that has sent fans in a tizzy. And a pub in Khar is now hosting a pre-launch party of sorts for them, with various activities and F&B offers themed around the film.

"We have collaborated with digital community Things2doinMumbai, and brought ticket sponsors on board for the event. In terms of the activities, there are Avenger- related games and trivia, winners for which will get free tickets and discounted ones when the movie releases. We also have an array of themed cocktails in store," says Pragnesh Rai, owner of SamBar, which will host the evening, adding that there are a number of discounts on the existing menu, too, with drinks starting at Rs 39.

The cocktails include a beer-based one called black wid'wow; iron anna, which has whisky; tha end, which is vodka-based; and a super-potent Long Island iced tea that's aptly named hammered by Thor.

As for the games, these include Ant Man, where a player will be given three soda bottles and raisins. The aim is to drop these raisins from eye level into all three bottles, without bending down. Then there's Black Widow. For this, one person will hold a hula-hoop and another will have a fake spider placed on his head. The latter has to go through the hoop in the shortest possible time, without dropping the spider. All in all, it sounds like an event perfectly suited for fans of the Avengers. And even if you aren't one, you can still gain from the cheap booze, meaning it's a win-win.

ON April 18, 6.30 pm
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As musicians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and India stream out of the assembly hall of the Alexandra Girls' English Institution in Fort for a tea break, the mirth and camaraderie that fills the room over plates of samosas and chai is a picture of utopia. One that instantly puts out of focus the strained relationship among several of these countries, and instead, instills hope that one day, when we rise above all differences, this is what South Asia could look like.

It was perhaps this picture that Nirupama Rao, India's former Ambassador to the United States, and husband Sudhakar Rao, who retired as Chief Secretary of Karnataka, had envisioned when they started The South Asian Symphony Foundation (SASF) in July 2018. After months of work involving fine-tuning the artistic vision, logistic coordination of 80 musicians from across the region and those belonging to South Asian diasporas, and galvanising funds, the foundation will present the maiden concert of The South Asian Symphony Orchestra (SASO) in Mumbai.

Taking a break from the five-hour long rehearsals she has been sitting through since last Saturday, Rao tells us about her dream project. "It is something I have had on my mind for the last six to seven years. I am interested in music of all kinds, including symphonic music and the great philharmonic orchestras of the world. When Zubin Mehta conducts the LA or Israel philharmonic, you realise what a powerful expression it is of mankind's ability to transcend the pettiness that may sometimes envelopes our lives. The expression of humanity's will to overcome these small divisions — that's what an orchestra is to me," she shares.

When asked why the Bengaluru-based couple chose Mumbai for the concert, she tells us it was an easy decision. "Mumbai is very much the Maximum City when it comes to creative expression. There is a certain exuberance it has that one identifies with. Also, it is a city that has always looked outward as much as it has encompassed the hinterland of India. That's what makes it special."

After the SASF was founded, Rao went off to teach at the Columbia University in fall last year. There, she got in touch with some prominent names from the world of music including the Carnegie Hall, who mentioned some South Asian musicians from the diasporas there. "The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka [SOSL] have been hugely helpful in building this concert. The chairperson of the SOSL, Sharmini Wettimuny, identified players who could join us in the effort," she says, adding that the Indian Navy happily let its musicians join the orchestra as did the Sri Lankan police force. Sri Lankan-born Tharanga Goonetilleke of New York will be the vocal soloist.

The concert will feature classical compositions and also see the premiere of two commissioned works. Houston-based conductor Viswa Subbaraman, who Rao was in talks with since 2013 before he became the SASO conductor recently says, "The repertoire was an evolving discussion. We wanted it to represent a window to the West but not be dominated by it," he says.

Were the diverse backgrounds of the musicians a challenge? "True musicians are never strangers. The language of music may be different but the musical language is the same. . The goal is for them to transcend the differences of age, country and culture. And that's what you see here, a Bangladeshi musician speaking to his Afghan counterpart about where they will have dinner. That's the normalcy you are trying to create," he says.

Cultural diplomacy through music, in fact, is how Rao contextualises the formation of the SASO. "The orchestra enables walls to crumble. Since you get to know the person sitting next to you, the prejudice evaporates, even if he or she is from a country, with which you may not normally be friends," she says, "When I compare South Asia with regions like South East Asia or Europe until Brexit happened, there is a lot more integration over there. Take countries like Germany and France; they have overcome the challenges of history, through economic integration, people to people contact, and the discovery of common interests. It's that process that we have to set in motion in our region," she says.

And that may have begun in a small way if the contribution of public and private institutions and individuals from India to the SASO is to be considered. "This initiative really belongs to the people of India. And that should encourage us in these times when you hear the talk of war and badla in public spaces. Young people in our region are growing up with a sense of belligerence. But war is a wild thing," Rao says. "My dream is — and people may see this as totally madcap — to get this orchestra to perform at Wagah."

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The kitchen is her playground. She glides around the sprawling set-up inside Magazine Street Kitchen with ease born out of familiarity, and stripped off all paraphernalia — aprons, gloves or a cap — elegant in her flow-ysnakeskin-print dress.

Ravinder Bhogal's foray into cooking began in a manner she calls "unorthodox." "I trained as a journalist. First and foremost, I think of myself as a writer, and cooking was a deep passion. That, combined with destiny brought me here," the popular Indian-origin British chef, award-winning restaurateur and author tells us ahead of a special dinner she will be serving at the Byculla venue tonight. But her love for food stems from a deeper place.

It began rather unpleasantly with a revolting five-year-old Bhogal being dragged into the kitchen by her mother, "a petite and beautiful woman who was stern and not the kind of person who taught you lovingly." At the time, Bhogal, who was a tomboy, would have rather climbed trees or ridden her tricycle, but was instead handed a rolling pin and asked to make round rotis. "I found it very boring," she says, adding that her view eventually changed when her grandfather bought her a little aluminium stove.

"It had such a lasting impact on how and why I cook. I would serve him burnt chapatis and terrible things that he ate with such love, praising me and often, putting cents in my hands to go and buy toffees. He would say to my mother, 'She's so good. Why can't you cook like her?' It was then that I realised that the currency of love can be exchanged for food," she recalls, elaborating on her tendency of approaching food with a motherly instinct that is driven by the need to nourish, not perform. Thereafter, the chef has donned many hats, from being called the new-age Fanny Cradock by acclaimed chef Gordon Ramsay, hosting a television show, supper clubs and pop-ups, to starting her own restaurant Jikoni in Marylebone in 2016, which opened to rave reviews. The accolades keep coming.

Bhogal takes a whiff of a Moroccan spice

But Bhogal's truest virtue lies not only in journeying through an unpredictable road, speckled with hurdles, scepticism and serendipity in equal measure, but in her ability to cook food that defies the confines of cuisines and territories. The result is a spread that pays homage to many heritages — East African (she lived in Kenya till the age of seven before moving to London), North Indian (since she hails from Punjab) and British. Growing up as an immigrant in a country like Britain meant that Bhogal lived in migrant-dominant neighbourhoods. She would often shop in Chinese markets or Polish shops.

"You are exposed to this wealth of ingredients, influences and culinary traditions that you somehow adopt and mix together. That's what immigrant food is: it's about people who have the ache and longing for what they've left behind, but also the wonder for their new landscape. It is when you reconcile these two things that you actually create a completely new cuisine," she elaborates, as she calls for some za'atar, delicately rolling beetroot and goat cheese croquetas inside a container full of the Middle Eastern herb. The fried ball explodes into a flavoursome and gooey goodness on our palate, leaving us pining for more.

Carrots, cashew nut pesto, goats curd, savoury granola

This synergy of culinary traditions shines through in the potato and paneer pierogi. A Polish ravioli comprising a hearty filling of paneer, drizzled with a hot yoghurt sauce and a piquant pul biber (an export from the Turkish spice shelf) butter and hazelnuts. The plated carrots, too, adhere to the sensibilities of no one cuisine in particular, and is instead a heartfelt celebration of the simple vegetable's many avatars — baby, yellow and purple — sitting on a bed of cashew nut pesto, with a singing freshness from the basil and carrot heads, a hint of acidity from the goat's curd and crunch from savoury granola.

Potato and paneer pierogi

Bhogal's food is worthy of the accolades because it's ingenious and not accidentally; it conveys a purposefulness and a conscientious effort towards defying these boundaries. As she says, "You often think of immigrants as the other, but as soon as you're sitting with a bowl of hummus and a puff of pita bread, that changes. If you can understand someone's food, you can understand their culture and that's where the beauty of food lies. It translates very easily into people's lives and turns strangers into friends."

Beetroot and goat cheese croquetas

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A man died after he fell into an uncovered drain near Kurla signal at Eastern Express Highway in Mumbai. The incident took place last night. The identity of the man is yet to be ascertained.

The locals in the area said that they had been facing problems because of the open drain since past few days.

One of the locals told ANI, "There are several uncovered manholes in the area. We had been complaining about this for a year."

The body has been shifted to the hospital for autopsy and probe has been initiated.

Maharashtra: Man died after falling in an uncovered manhole near Kurla signal at Eastern Express Highway last night. Identity of the man is yet to be ascertained. Locals say 'There are several uncovered manholes in the area. We had been complaining about this since a yr.' #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/Ak63VI2nNQ

— ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2018

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UN Women India launched a video campaign called #MujheHaqHai on Wednesday which emphasises the power and potential of women in today's world.

The video features a host of independent and courageous women, who have excelled in their respective spheres and mapped India globally. The video sends out a strong message for female empowerment to women all over India with the belief that they have an equal participation in all walks of life.

Apurva Purohit, the President of Jagran Group, is one of the prominent personalities featured in the video alongside the likes of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Mithali Raj and Sania Mirza, to name a few.

Apurva Purohit, President, Jagran Group

Apurva Purohit said, "It’s an absolute honour to be a part of this initiative by UN Women India. Any and every small step towards the empowerment of women and giving them their rightful place under the sun is the need of the hour today. We need more examples of women who are breaking barriers every day so that the girls tomorrow can rise and shine. While there is enough discourse on everything that is not right, this initiative is a beacon of hope, one that celebrates the struggles, dreams and aspirations of women who have emerged as winners. #MujheHaqHai is an ode to the undying spirit and grit of the woman of today."

At the launch event, mid-day online caught up with Nishtha Satyam (Deputy Representative UN Women India MCO), who stated that, "Through this event, we are trying to create a movement that is based on Human Rights, a movement that recognises women rights as Human Rights, where women exercise their voice and make choices without any fear or judgement, and shape their careers and lives. We are trying to create a movement based on women understanding their own rights as individuals."

Talking about the outcome, she added, "Women should realise their own potential and rights and be able to pursue their dreams without any inhibitions or fear of repercussions. That would be the grandest outcome from a movement like this."

The Ghatkopar plane crash, which killed five, yesterday would have ended up becoming a mammoth disaster, considering it crashed in a densely populated residential area, had it not been for the pilot's presence of mind. Several residents from the area and eyewitnesses said the pilot did a good thing by ensuring the aircraft crashed at an under-construction site, avoiding the residential buildings in the vicinity.

Emergency response
The accident took place when the plane was about to land at Mumbai airport. The four onboard — pilot, co-pilot and maintenance engineers — and a passer-by on whom the wreckage fell have been identified as the deceased. Immediately after the incident, the fire brigade and police reached the spot, and within minutes pictures and videos of the crashed plane and a charred body near the crash site went viral on social media.

Afternoon happenings
mid-day spoke to residents from the area to find out what exactly happened, and most said it all started in the afternoon when they heard a deafening explosion, followed by thick smoke and a tree on fire. Locals said the situation would have been worse had the aircraft crashed on a residential building or the busy LBS Marg, which is adjacent, or the Versova-Andheri Ghatokpar Metro corridor, which, too, is just a few hundred metres away.

A paan shop owner from the area said, "I was sitting in my shop when I heard a loud noise. At first I thought a tyre of some truck busted, but then, a person from the MTNL lane came running to my shop and said a plane had crashed. "We should all be thankful to the pilot, as by crashing it at an under-construction site, he saved hundreds of lives."

Also Read: Mumbai: Chartered plane crashes in Ghatkopar; five killed

There's no doubt that the fifth victim of the Ghatkopar plane crash, architect Govind Dubey, 32, was in the place at the wrong time. But his family is not willing to accept mere bad luck as explanation for his death — they want to know whom to blame. After the family embarked on a sit-in at Rajawadi hospital, refusing to take Govind's body, MLA Jitendra Awhad assured them of compensation and investigation in the matter. With these assurances, the Dubeys finally claimed the body last evening.

Govind was merely passing by when the plane came hurtling down on him. He died on the spot with 100 per cent burns. Due to the extent of his injuries, he was identified only yesterday with the help of his half-burnt wallet. The last location update on his phone also confirms that he was at the spot. The architect hailed from Uttar Pradesh, from where his family has come to collect his body. To his brother's surprise, though, not a single government official has contacted them to assure compensation or action against the culprits.

Arvind Dubey, Govind's brother

“It has been over 24 hours since I lost my brother in the incident. It was my brother's bad luck that he at the spot when it happened. But isn't it the responsibility of the government to come forward to give us justice?” said Arvind Dubey, Govind's brother. He added, “We have decided to file a police complaint against the aircraft company for the accident. The government must conduct an inquiry and imprison the person at fault.”

MLAspeak
“The victim comes from an economically weaker section. Hence, I have requested Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to consider his case for compensation,” MLA Awhad told mid-day.

Also Read: Ghatkopar plane crash: Aircraft was 10 miles away when it went off radar

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The last recorded conversation between ATC Mumbai and the King C90 pilots that crashed in Ghatkopar on Thursday was 'We are breaking off, we will report to Juhu ATC'. The air space where the call was recorded was the spot for an official switchover from ATC Mumbai to ATC Juhu. ATC Juhu then tried to reach out to the pilots and when there was no reply, they waited for some time before alerting ATC Mumbai, who found the plane had gone off their radar. They quickly alerted all agencies concerned. Highly-placed officials attached to the ATC Juhu said, "The last conversation was recorded when the aircraft was in the air approximate 10 miles [16km] away from Juhu Aerodrome and almost preparing for landing. Therefore, as routine practice, from Mumbai ATC, the pilot was being switched over to Juhu ATC at the technical point [where the accident happened]."

Juhu Aerodrome Director Ashok Kumar Verma confirmed the same and said, "The charter plane took off as per the schedule and was in the air for nearly 47 minutes. It covered the air test route flying from Juhu airport and headed towards Surat airspace and after successfully completing the circuit was returning to Juhu aerodrome when it met with the accident."

The wreckage at the crash site. Pic/Sameer Markande

When asked if visibility was an issue at the time of take-off from Juhu Aerodrome, Verma replied in the negative, stating, "Visibility was over 2,000 feet. We have allowed charters and helicopters to take off and land even at a visibility of 1,000 feet."
When asked if the DGCA had issued any fresh guidelines post the accident on Thursday, the official replied in the negative.
Meanwhile, Captain MRSK Vinod, a former Indian Air force pilot, who is the Chief of Flight Safety at UY Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, arrived in Mumbai on Thursday night and visited the crash site at Ghatkopar along with two members from the Aviation Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). They inspected the site and collected some material for investigation purposes.

Technical snag to blame?
Captain Vinod said, "We have got the required evidence, and whatever was collected by the police and other rescue teams, including the black box, has already been handed over to the AAIB team. We have also taken photographs, videographs and have also recorded statements of witnesses." Aviation experts have hinted that the aircraft may have developed a sudden technical snag in its engine or as the plane was in Instrument Landing System (ILS) mode, which allows the aircraft to continue operations in low visibility, it might have developed an issue, due to which the pilot may have lost direction or both, which could have led to the accident. Charter planes fly at a height of 4,000 to 5,000 feet and there is no parachute on board for any emergency. Captain Vinod preferred not to comment on the reason for the accident, saying investigation was underway.

Were pilots reluctant to fly?
On the allegation by family members of the deceased pilots that they were reluctant to fly the plane because of poor visibility, Captain Vinod said, "We are professionals and must understand that a DGCA-Approved Maintenance Organisation has cleared the plane for testing, which is why the pilots agreed to fly. If they had refused, the testing would immediately have been aborted as per procedure." An officer at Ghatkopar police station said, "We have cordoned off the area. As far as investigations are concerned, we are only completing the paper work by recording statements and ensuring that the right claimant gets the body for the last rituals. We have no role in the investigation."

Also Read: Ghatkopar plane crash: Lunch turns into a lucky hunch for other labourers on site

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On Sunday, hundreds of Ghatkopar residents staged a silent protest march against a proposed route of the Metro Line 4. The residents alleged that the route planned by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) would block a narrow stretch in the area, adding to the woes of the residents. They have already written to the authorities concerned in this regard, but if the matter isn’t taken seriously, they plan to move court.

Backed by former corporator, Pravin Chheda, the residents raised slogans and marched along the stretch starting from Amar Mahal Junction and passing through Pant Nagar and Laxmi Nagar areas. The proposed Metro line would also pass through the same route connecting Wadala with Kasarvadavli in Thane. The residents have requested the MMRDA to reroute the line to the Eastern Express Highway, which was the initial plan, as it would not only be convenient but would also help in avoiding traffic congestions.

Jitubhai Mehta, who resides on M G Road, said, "As the route is already congested, the Metro will add to the mess. If the line goes towards the Eastern Express Highway, more people will benefit from it."

"We are not against the project, but all we are asking for is that the line be rerouted. The road is very narrow and it's extremely difficult to find parking space. If the Metro comes up there then problems will increase," said Sunilbhai Joisar, a Goradia Nagar resident.

Speaking to mid-day, Pravin Chheda, former corporator of the area, said, “We have already submitted letters to the authorities concerned. We are also trying to meet the chief minister to take our request forward. If the matter isn’t resolved soon, we’ll move court."

While MMRDA Additional Metropolitan Commissioner Pravin Darade remained unavailable for comment, local BJP corporator Parag Shah also could not be reached.

The proposed Metro line 4
Length of the belt: 32.32 km
Number of stations: 32
Nature: Fully elevated
Depots: Owale and Godrej Land

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With eight murders in seven months, 10 attempt to murder cases and hundreds of incidents of assault, gangland has taken over Bhandup. Fed up with Bhandup police's inefficiency, the top brass shunted out Senior Police Inspector Shrinivas Panhale to the Local Arms division on Tuesday. Ramesh Khade has been posted as the new senior Inspector of the police station.

A week ago, Bhandup was rocked by the brutal murder of 17-year-old Sushil Verma. The Std XII student was killed by a group of teens right outside his college in broad daylight on July 26. While the cops arrested three suspects, the murder sparked a debate about inefficient policing.

Senior Police Inspector Shrinivas Panhale 

"We consistently told the cops about the situation turning from bad to worst in Bhandup, but they didn't pay any attention. This resulted in the murder of a 17-year-old, which could have avoided by increasing patrolling," said Ramesh Khanvilkar, Director of RK BEd College, Bhandup. "Due to the police's lethargy, addiction among youngsters in on the rise," he added.

A public meeting was organised on August 2 to discuss the rising crime. Politicians across parties urged the police to take action against Matka rackets active in Bhandup. Residents urged that rigorous policing is key to reducing the crime rate. Sanjay Dina Patil, ex-MP from the NCP, said, "Bhandup is becoming a den for drug peddlers; the police must act to prevent any future incidents."

More money and 'bhais'
The new senior PI now faces the challenge of cleaning up crime in the growing suburb. There are 15 lakh residents in this jurisdiction, a majority of whom live in illegal hutments. Two year ago, the police had started a special drive against gangsters, and found three gunny bags of swords in the forest on the hillside.

A policeman who had earlier served as a senior police at the Bhandup police station, said, "In Bhandup, there is a lot of SRA work, which has brought money to the area. This has become a catalyst for youngsters to turn gangsters. Increasing hutments on the hills makes it more difficult for cops to enter as well." "In such a situation, the police have to physically start patrolling the area, which will curb crime to some extent, and reduce the flow of narcotics — mainly ganja — in the pipeline area," the officer added.

Since last year…
Shrinivas Panhale had taken charge of the Bhandup police station on May 20, 2017, but couldn't manage to curb crime or drug flow. According to police statistics, last year, till August, not a single murder had been reported, while three cases of attempt to murder were filed. But this year, eight murders and 10 attempts to murder have been registered in the same period.

Murder central
July 26: Sushil Verma was killed by teen over an affair with a girl.
May 3: Birbal Gupta killed his wife Neha in front of their kids after an altercation over attending a wedding
April 24: Ganesh Padekar, 45, murdered a 30-year-old who had thrown garbage on him
March 25: Naresh Shetty, 27, out on bail, was murdered over a love affair
March 24: A 17-year-old stabbed Ramji Rajbhar, 27, when he objected to the minor blowing cigarette smoke on him
March 18: A vegetable vendor and his two sons were killed after a fight or where to set up their stall

Also Read: Sacked cop posed as policeman to extort money from couples at Aksa

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The Kapoor family's decision to sell off the iconic R.K Studios set in Chembur, Mumbai has left Bollywood 'heartbroken'. The sprawling landmark was built 70 years ago by veteran actor Raj Kapoor. It was reported that the family has collectively decided to let go of the property.

Reacting to the same, veteran actor Annu Kapoor, who shot 'two important films there' said, "It's very heartbreaking since it's an iconic place." Another yesteryear actor, Sachin Pilgaonkar, opened up about the same and said, "I am sure there must have been some reason why they have decided to take this step. I cannot say if the decision is right or not since I am not at their position. I would just like to say that the places and studios with which numerous memories are attached should not be touched."

Paltan star Arjun Rampal said he felt lucky to have shot there multiple times. "It's up to the family to take the decision. It was an iconic studio, it still is, and I hope it remains," he added.

Bollywood producer Mukesh Bhatt, on the other hand, welcomed the Kapoor family's decision. "Change is a part of life. We should welcome it. Let the old go, let the new come," he noted. Many hit films including Barsaat, Awaara, Jagte Raho, Shree 420, Sangam, Bobby and Prem Rog were shot at the RK Studios. Last year in September, a massive fire broke out at the studio, leaving a part gutted.

In September last year, a major fire broke out on the sets of a dance reality show, leaving a section of the studio gutted. The Kapoor family has taken the tough decision of selling the two acres RK Studio 70 years after it was established as it was not economically viable to rebuild it after it was gutted down in a fire last year.

Also read: Kapoor family to sell iconic RK Studio, Kareena Kapoor Khan nostalgic

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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from ANI

Senior BJP leader and Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil on Friday said the controversy surrounding his party colleague Ram Kadam's remarks against women should end as the latter has apologised. Patil also advised public representatives saying they need to exercise caution while speaking. "Ram Kadam has apologised and the issue should now end. Kadam does not have a history of speaking ill about women. On the contrary, he is known for helping women immensely. Thousands of women in his constituency tie him rakhi every year," Patil told a Marathi news channel.

"Public representatives should be extremely cautious while speaking and they should properly frame every sentence in their heads before uttering them," the minister added. He said new channels should also try to show the true meaning of what has been spoken. "But if what the channels are saying about the remarks is right, the public representative should apologise.
In this case, Ram Kadam was not arrogant and he apologised...So the matter should come to an end," Patil said. Kadam, while speaking at an event during dahi handi celebrations in the city, had said hewould "kidnap" a girl a boy likeseven if she says no to the proposal. "You (youngsters) can meet me for any work," he is seen in the video clip, telling the crowd, mainly comprising youth.

Kadam was heard saying that he got requests from youngsters to help them after girls rejected their proposals. "I will help, 100 per cent. Come (to me) with your parents. What will I do if parents approve (the girl a boy has liked)? I will kidnap the girl concerned and hand her over to you (for marriage)," he was heard telling the crowd.

Kadam was also heard sharing his mobile number with the crowd. His remarks created a huge controversy as it drew sharp reactions from the opposition parties, Shiv Sena and women's organisations. The Maharashtra State Commission for Women issued a notice to Kadam over his remark.

In a video message issued Wednesday, Kadam expressed regret over his remarks saying, "I have very high regard for women. Without giving any explanation about the video clip (of his controversial remarks), I express my regret." He also tweeted saying, "By doctoring my statements, my political rivals created an atmosphere which has hurt the sentiments of our mothers and sisters. I have already expressed regret over my comments and (I am) once again tendering an apology to all my mothers and sisters."

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I guess it happens to everyone at some point," remarks Ranjeet Adkar about mid-life crisis. The 45-year-old mechanical engineer quit his corporate job to pursue his passion for photography in April this year, after working in the profession for two decades. And in May, he started PhotoWorks, an organisation that conducts photography workshops and walks, and provides basic and advanced training to enthusiasts.

a photograph of schoolchildren from the village

This Saturday, Adkare will be conducting a walk around the colourful Asalpha village, a locality situated in Ghatkopar, which has often been compared to Positano, a popular holiday destination and quaint cliff-side village on southern Italy's Amalfi Coast. But Asalpha wasn't always Positano. Some time ago, it was much like any other slum in Mumbai, morbid with its crumbling walls, and homes as weathered as a book left out in the rain for too long. In 2017, an NGO started a campaign inviting volunteers to re-imagine the village and together, they painted close to 175 walls in the area, as well as murals, transforming the erstwhile slum into a vibrant village, and thereby making it an automatic option for photography.

Ranjeet Adkar

Resounding this, Adkare tells us, "I think there are two reasons why Asalpha attracts people. Firstly, the community is extremely open-minded and welcoming unlike some other places where people tend to say,'Please don't take our photograph.' They are chatty and forthcoming, so it's a fun place to be in.

And secondly, from a photography point of view, it's a place that allows you to truly explore street photography."
Elaborating on why Asalpha is a fertile ground for camera addicts, he shares, "There are narrow lanes, so it is apt for wide-angle photographs. The colours are simply brilliant despite being worn out a little. Then there are children on their way back from schools who are eager to pose, as is the rest of the community. So it's great for candid portraits as well."

On: September 22, 8 am
At: Asalpha village, Ghatkopar West.
Log on to: thephoto.works
Cost: Rs 750

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In a shocking incident that took place in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai, a 59-year-old man was beaten to death after a fight broke out for using a public toilet for a little longer. The elderly man was killed in a spat over using the public for a longer time. The incident took place on Wednesday night.

As reported in Mumbai Mirror, the incident took place on September 19, in the Sangam Nagar area located in Wadala East. The accused was identified as Shakir Ali Shaikh (34) who had an argument with Yadav when he used the public toilet for a little longer. When the locals intervened and prevented the altercation the two left the argument and left from there. Later, when Yadav was walking back home, Shaikh attacked him and hit him until Yadav fell into a nullah. 

After the local residents took notice of the fact that Yadav had fallen into the nullah, they rushed to his aid and immediately took him to the nearest hospital where the doctors declared him dead on arrival. The Wadala TT police have arrested the accused and have registered a case.

A police officer from Wadala police station was quoted saying, "Yadav worked with a transport company and offered driving lessons. We have registered a case and arrested the accused."

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A month after she noticed what looked like an insect bite on her hand, Chanda Verma, 45, mysteriously died, after spending 22 days in the ICU. Before the Verma family could even process what had happened, the hospital handed them a bill of Rs 3 lakh, and refused to release the body until they paid up.

Late August, Chanda noticed a small sore on her hand. As a single mother supporting two kids on a modest income as a vegetable vendor, she brushed it off as an insect bite. But, in a few days, her hand swelled up and the pain became unbearable, and she was admitted to Sai hospital in Chembur, where she underwent surgery.

Mystery illness jolts family
Despite treatment, her condition deteriorated, and her entire body was swollen. She was moved to the ICU, where she spent 22 days in comatose state before succumbing to the infection on Tuesday. The shocked family's ordeal had only begun. When the family said they wanted to perform her last rites, they were handed a bill instead. The hospital held the body for nearly 12 hours, until the Vermas paid a portion of the bill.

"Around 10 am, I was informed that my sister had passed away. The hospital immediately gave us a bill of Rs 3 lakh. When I asked them when I could take the body, they ordered me to pay the pending amount, and threatened that they wouldn't release the body otherwise. We waited and pleaded, to no avail. Then my friends helped me collect Rs 50,000, which we gave before collecting the body," said Chanda's brother Ratan Verma, who runs a small local business. Chanda had died at 4 am, and her body was eventually released at 3 pm. She is survived by two children, aged 16 and 18.

Hospital says
A hospital staffer told mid-day, "The patient had a pending bill, so we couldn't release the body. The family members tried to shrug it off saying they didn't have any money. Later, they paid Rs 50,000 and took the body. What would we have done with the body anyway?"

Administration in-charge Padma Joseph said, "We had given them a lot of time to clear the bills. She was admitted for 20 days and the bill amount rose to above Rs 3 lakh. They paid around R1lakh, so, we asked them to pay the remaining as this is a private hospital and we can't let go of unpaid bills. This does not mean we held back the body. When they informed us that they could pay only Rs 50,000, I told the director who instructed us to give them the discharge file." Dr Abid Sayyed, director of the hospital, said, "We had informed the family about the estimated amount and also asked them to shift the patient to another hospital, but they didn't listen. When the patient died, the doctor had to negotiate the pending amount. We never stopped them from taking the body," he said.

Against apex court, HC ruling
The hospital's alleged insistence on payment before releasing the body is in violation of human rights and a judgment given by the Bombay High Court in January. The HC, while hearing a public interest litigation on bill disputes at hospitals, stated that detaining any patient for an unpaid amount is illegal. Last year, the Delhi High Court had issued a similar judgment, ordering that hospitals cannot hold patients "hostage" to extract money for unpaid bills. A few years earlier, the Supreme Court had also ruled similarly, advising hospitals to recover dues by moving court for legal recourse. In 2016, HC asked the state government to develop a mechanism which would enable the state to take action against hospitals and doctors who detain patients and hold up bodies over non-payment of bills.

Expertspeak
Dr Shivkumar Utture, president of Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), said as private hospitals do not come under the purview of the council directly, there are no specific rules for that, but under the court rules, it is prohibited. "No hospital can refuse to release a body over unpaid bills. It would be a violation of the court judgment."

The Bombay HC also ordered the Maharashtra government to publish the legal rights of patients online, so that such harassment is not meted out to less privileged patients. However, seven months on, the government is yet to follow the directive. "Patients need to know about their rights so that private hospitals can't harass them. The state government hasn't done anything to spread awareness among people," said Dr Ravindra Singh, a health activist. Advocate Shailesh Sadekar said, "As per a SC ruling, it is illegal to hold a body and deny a chance to carry out the last rites over a bill," he said.

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It's a busy morning inside the sprawling open kitchen at Chembur's Pot Pourri with blogger-author Saee Koranne-Khandekar helming the activity with help from executive chef Vinod Garde. In the last 10 days she has been pretty much relegated to this section of the 175-seater space. The only time we see her stepping out is to answer a phone call or greet a guest. The reason is a new culinary experiment that will see the restaurant, known for dabbling in global cuisine, present a new face of Maharashtrian food. One that you might not identify by its appearance — we did not — but certainly by taste.

Chicken Bhujing is a street dish available inVirar. Bhujing, derived from the Marathi word, bhujne, is a process of roasting chicken with potatoes on charcoal and then mixing it with nylon poha and masalas

Creating a new avatar
Starting today, Pot Pourri will roll out a new menu curated by Khandekar that will be available only till October 24. The objective is to showcase how traditional Maharashtrian recipes can be tweaked and made palatable to an evolving audience, who might otherwise gawk at the idea of eating faraali misal or varan phala at a gourmet restaurant. Having said that, Khandekar is clear that food won't carry any 'deconstructivist' baggage. Portion sizes are hearty, and there are no foam, vapours and gasses to accompany it.

Pathare Prabhu pot pie with tomato saar

"I had to mainly work on the way I approached certain traditional dishes," says Khandekar, who in 2016, authored Crumbs! Bread Stories and Recipes for the Indian Kitchen, that offered more than 40 recipes of Indian and international breads. She adds, "For instance, if I said thalipeeth with koshimbir, people who are not familiar with the cuisine, might say, 'Oh, this is just too experimental for me'. They might find it intimidating and rustic, and not want to eat it at all." In order to give the spiced Maharashtrian pancake a makeover, Khandekar has created thalipeeth tostadas, topped with a creamy guava-based yoghurt salad. The dish, prepared using bhajanee (flour made from roasted grains, legumes and spices), has been fashioned to look like the Mexican tortilla with guacamole. If you have tasted the Maharashtrian snack, a powerhouse of nutrition, the taste will hit home. It's the yoghurt that helps balance the spiciness of the pancake, making it a sumptuous bar snack.

Faraali misal is eaten while fasting. Here's it's served with a peanut dip

Khandekar believes that although, thalipeeth has for centuries been a 'multigrain' offering, the idea of bringing into the mainstream never took off due to its seemingly regional strappings. "Somewhere, in the name of 'evolution', we have drifted away from what's intrinsic to the culture. Our cuisine which was earlier very millet and rice-heavy has now moved to being wheat heavy. Seasonal items like gourds barely make an appearance," she adds.

Modak icecrean with crispy vermicelli; Baked coconut fudge karanji with vanilla icecream

Getting global recognition
For any regional cuisine to reach the pedestal of a fine dine, it needs to go through a rite of passage, believes Rajendra Agnihotri, executive chef, at White Charcoal Fine Dine, Empressa Hotel, Andheri. "In terms of food, the key lies in the attention to detail when it comes to ingredients and methods of preparation. The ingredients need to be sourced from where it originates and the chefs need to be local who have specialised in the cuisine; it has to be authentic to the T. If you're making the classic kombdi rassa, you would need gavthi chicken. The one purchased from a supermarket won't have the same taste," he says. When it comes to Maharashtrian cuisine, it's the diversity that makes it complex. In fact, the vegetable Kolhapuri that you might have seen on almost every Indian restaurant's menu doesn't exist in the region, adds Khandekar.

Saee Koranne-Khandekar with chef Vinod Garde. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

"There is nothing called as Veg Kolhapuri. If you go to Kolhapur, there are so many different masalas. There's no one-size-fits all masala." Akshay Deshpande, Sous Chef (Indian specialty), Conrad Pune, who grew up eating Maharashtrian food at home, admits that he's seen little of the food on the fine dine space. "It has been over eight years that I have taken up regional cooking professionally, but I admit that the cuisine in its entirety is an extremely unexplored cuisine. I think it's because it's extremely rustic and there's no standardisation so to speak," he says.

The cuisine from Vidharbha, the north-eastern region of Maharashtra, known for its extreme climates, is famous for its extremely spicy flavours, while Konkan is more mellow given all the coconut and kokum that goes into it. According to Khanderkar, who has extensively researched traditional Maharastrian cuisine, what has made winners out of misal pav and puranpoli, are the people who migrated from Western Maharashtra, introducing it to Mumbai through khanavals. "They made a business out of it and that's why it is what it is," she says. But those dishes that did not transition to the mainland, are yet to enjoy their moment in the sun.

Back to basics
The 'unsophisticated' appearance makes it a tricky business. She, for one, had to battle one critic in her own home. "My husband was of the opinion that Maharashtrian food is not visually appetising," she says. But chefs are now channelling their energies into presentation. The modernist element is consistent throughout Khandekar's menu. Take the Pathare Prabhu Pot Pie with tomato saar, served in a shot glass. The latter is a spicy tomato soup made with curry leaves and chillies. It's eaten with rice in parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Here, the dish is a take on the shepherd pie. The taste is unmistakably Pathare Prabhu, courtesy the signature fragrant garam masala which gets its edge from the fennel seeds that are ground along with Bengal gram, fenugreek, whole wheat and black peppercorn. All ingredients, we are told, have been sourced locally.

Agnihotri feels the local and regional cuisines are slowly making their way into the mainstream. And, it's a lot to do with the growing realisation of the food miles concept, which is a way of expressing just how far the food we eat travels from the farm where it is first produced, before it ends up on our tables. Although the expression was first coined back in the 1990s, it has entered public consciousness given the awareness of carbon footprint and environmental degradation. "You want to tap into indigenous resources. It's to do with chefs who are going back to roots. There's a return to basics," he says.

The winners

• Chicken Bhujing, a signature street dish popular in the confines of Virar and Vasai. Those living outside the parameters may have no clue. The chicken is roasted along with potatoes and then fried and steamed with onion. It's then mixed with nylon poha and a special masala mix
• Orange kharvas with dink crumb and kaakvi is a colostrum pudding served with fried edible gum, fresh orange and sugarcane molasses
• Varan Phala Ravioli is their take on the Maharashtrian pasta. It is made with whole wheat and stuffed with coriander and goda masala in a tuar dal sauce

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The street food stalls in Mulund have been the fodder for several viral social media videos for their cheese-laden fast food innovations. Although a delight for those who don't pinch the calories, there are hardly any rasta-fare options for non-vegetarians in the leafy suburb. But a trip to Mulund East can solve your greasy grub craving. A whiff of chicken being slow-roasted on rotisserie, and a large crowd waiting on most days, will guide your nose to EFC Shawarma on 90-feet road.

Run by Jayesh Vaity, whom you'll often see shredding chicken with long knives on busy nights, EFC Shawarma is known for their 'lamba' shawarmas (they offer a smaller size too, in both, vegetarian and chicken options). Their vast menu has other options for a full meal such as mutton dum biryani, tandoori kebabs, grilled sandwiches and burgers.

Their most hat-ke section on the menu, however, is chicken bhel, which in a way, is like a deconstructed shawarma. Made with thinly sliced roasted chicken, mayo, veggies, schezwan sauce, cheese and fries, the bhel comes in varieties such as plain and classic special chicken (R80 and R90), and classic cheese schezwan special chicken (R120). The cheese and mayo-laden chicken makes for a meaty meal, which we often use at home, too to fix a sandwich with toasted baguettes. A big draw among the locals, be ready to wait for your treat on busy days.

ON: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm and 5 pm to 11.30 pm
AT: Shop no 5, Center Point, 90 Feet Road, Mulund East.
CALL: 9867850843

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It's been 35 years since over 2,000 Muslims were killed in the town of Nellie and its surrounding villages in Assam, and 34 years ago, the country was burning in the flames of anti-Sikh violence. In the semblance of the peaceful times we live in, these tragedies have been relegated to the dusty pages of history. But only when lessons are learnt from the past can there be the hope of history not repeating itself. Remembering/Forgetting, a screening of documentaries on the two tragic events, organised by the Godrej India Culture Lab, aims to do that by starting a dialogue between the audience and filmmakers, who will be present at the screening.

"When I visited the Sikh Widows Colony in West Delhi to speak to its residents, I chose to not meet them during October-November, when politicians visit them. It's only when they were sure that I had no political motive, did they start opening up about how they struggled and coped with the loss," recalls Teenaa Kaur Pasricha, whose documentary, 1984, When the Sun Didn't Rise, won the National Award for Best Investigative Film this year.
She adds that the number of cases that stand in court against the perpetrators of the 1984 violence have drastically come down over the years because people have given up hope for any justice to come their way.

Teenaa Kaur Pasricha

For Subasri Krishnan, making her documentary, What the Fields Remember, was an exercise in piecing together her own faint recollection of the word Nellie, which she had heard as an eight-year-old when she lived briefly in Assam. "In 2006, I came across an article on the Nellie massacre.

A still from What the Fields Remember

Later, when I started my research and came across very little material on it, I wanted to know why there is public amnesia about it," says the filmmaker, for whom the idea of citizenship has been an intellectual pursuit. The concern becomes even more relevant with the ramifications of being excluded from the National Register of Citizens, which forms the subject of her next documentary, Shadow Line.

Subasri Krishnan

"The history of minorities, written by the powerful, is always suppressed in the public eye," laments Pasricha — something that is as relevant in the case of the Nellie massacre, where the reality of Bengali-speaking victims in the already-neglected region of the North East only grows more complex.

ON Today, 5 pm
AT Auditorium, Godrej ONE, Vikhroli East 
RSVP indiaculturelab@godrejinds.com
FREE

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A high court order has inadvertently turned the Dadar Parsi Colony into the Dadar Parking colony. Miffed with all kinds of taxis parking in its premises -after they were not allowed to park under the Khodadad flyover - and causing a 'great nuisance' to residents, the colony's residents wrote to the local police and the BMC in November, seeking an end to the issue. They have got no respite yet.

The Bombay High Court disallowed parking underneath flyovers in February 2016 because of security concerns. Because of that, cabbies have shifted from parking underneath the Khodadad Circle flyover to the Colony.

Cabbies have shifted from parking under the flyover to Dadar Parsi Colony

This has angered residents of the iconic community housing enclave in Dadar East, who first sent an anguished letter about their grievances to the Sion Police Station. The letter cited that private taxi aggregators, black and yellow cabs, and other cabs are parking in the colony, causing a, "great nuisance" to residents, especially those of Katrak, Firdoshi, Khareghat and Mancherji Joshi roads within the colony. Their letter went on to say that cabs are being parked haphazardly, blocking traffic within the colony and not giving its residents any space to park their cars.

Residents Darayus (who goes by his first name), Zarine Engineer, Dilly Dalal, Anjali Cooper, Zinobia Schroff, Sunita Davar and Nikhil Desai said, "The problem started after parking under flyovers was stopped by a High Court order. We appreciate this security measure, yet a majority the cabs that used to be parked under the Khodadad flyover have now made Dadar Parsi Colony their home. This has become a free parking spot."

Garden pardon
When mid-day visited the flyover, underneath which cabs used to be parked, it was clear of vehicles and shuttered from one side. The cab booking office though was functional.

A staffer sat at the ticket window for Mumbai-Pune cabs and said sarcastically, "Bageecha bana rahe hain, pareshaan kar diya." (A garden is being made here; we have been troubled because of no parking).

Said Dadar colony resident Dilly Dalal, "We have become a soft target because the community is so peaceful; we do not stoop to rowdy protests or resort to hooliganism." Instead, these Parsis believe in the power of the pen. Another letter was sent in November, to the BMC's assistant engineer of the waterworks department (F/North Ward), which encapsulated residents' arguments about cab parking bringing in social ills.

This letter read, "There is an illegal racket on at Katrak Road Junction. A flower merchant draws water illegally from a toilet meant for shopkeepers and then the cabs are cleaned." Residents pointed out the huge amount of cab washing makes the roads slippery, and has turned the place into "an illegal taxi stand." They stated that cab parking has a domino effect, "it leads to problems like drinking and other anti-social behaviour."

Residents said angrily that, "There is double and triple parking because of these cabs and we have been rendered helpless against this." Desai added, "Despite complaints, the system is not responding to the problem."

Locals were also in no mood to hum 'dil garden, garden ho gaya' when told that a beautiful garden is going to come up under the flyover, which they could access, pointing to at least 14 gardens within the colony itself. Cooper said, "Authorities should have found an alternate and viable parking space before shutting the parking underneath the flyover."

No solution
Amey Gole, the corporator for Dadar Parsi Colony, said he has had several meetings with residents, but nothing has come out of them. Gole added, "I am, in fact, in-charge of the garden coming up underneath the flyover. The design is almost complete; it looks like the streets of Paris."

Gole added, "Having said that, I do know the problems being caused by parked cabs, and have spoken to the police about these. The police though had a negative attitude and said they could not move the cabs out of the colony. Cops have to ensure the cabs move out, not the BMC. We do have other parking spaces in the area. All of this is extremely difficult as I have been repeatedly told there is no solution," finished Gole.

Also read: Mumbai: Construction noise leads to brawl at Dadar Parsi Colony

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Rajesh Hudiyar, a resident of Mahul, was forced to stay at home because of the BEST strike in the city today. The youngster's board exams are hardly two months away but as he could not afford to take an autorickshaw or a taxi, he had to skip going to school.

Not just him, but many other residents of Mahul, most of whom are Tansa pipeline project affected people, are skipping work and school because since buses are not operational.

Meanwhile, the BEST strike in Mumbai has entered its ninth day today.

While Hudiyar says that he is missing important classes, he simply can't afford to spend Rs 100 on an autorickshaw ride.

Vikas Logade, who is a student of a Wadala college, says that he missed a project submission already which he fears will cost him marks in the final assessment but he can't spend Rs 150 on a taxi every day.

Firdaus Sheikh is a Std. 10 student whose preliminary examinations are underway and two of her siblings are skipping school as well.

Mangal Thakur is sending only her elder son, a Std 10 student, to school while her younger son has to sit at home.

She told Mumbai Mirror, “Unscrupulous autorickshaw drivers have jacked up fares. We can’t afford to send both our children to school in such a scenario."

Vivek Gambre who works in a factory in Andheri east says that he has missed seven days of work which has cost him Rs 9000, which is about 25% of his income.

Amita Pawar, a tester in a factory in Sakinaka, says that her daily wage comes to Rs 250 but an autorickshaw will cost her Rs 200 alone. “Then there’s the additional hassle of getting a vehicle in the first place.”

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The article has been sourced from third-party source and Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. All information provided on this article is for informational purposes only.

Wadala GRP arrested three persons from the same family for allegedly manhandling and molesting a women constable at GTB Railway station on Saturday morning. The constable was with a Ticket Checker when she caught a woman passenger who was travelling without a ticket in the First class compartment. All the three accused have been arrested.

The alleged incident occurred on Guru Teg Bahadur Railway station of Harbour line on Saturday morning. When a Ticket Checker was checking tickets on a platform when he stopped a 19-year-old Ekta Uppal, a teacher by profession. The checker found that Ekta was travelling without a valid ticket. The TC asked the woman constable present at the station to nab Ekta as she was not ready to pay the fine.

"The woman called her father and asked him to come to the railway station. Meanwhile, Ekta was repeatedly abusing constable. Constable called Senior Inspector of Wadala GRP Rajendra Pal, sending things can go bad," said a police officer. "Senior Inspector with cops reached the spot and asked what's the matter," the officer added.

"The passenger did not have a valid ticket and along with her father and brothers, were abusing constable too. When I tried to intervene they were not calming down. Their errant behavior didn't stop in spite of repeated warnings, therefore we booked all the three," said Rajendra Pal, Senior Inspector, Wadala GRP.

Police have arrested Ekta Uppal (19), Yashraj Uppal (19) and their father Tilakraj Uppal (52) under IPC 354 (Outraging women's modesty) and other relevant sections.

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A 27-year-old MBBS student committed suicide by jumping off from a high-rise in Thane on Saturday. She was rushed to the hospital, where the doctor declared her dead. The deceased was identified as Dr Shamista Som, daughter of dermatologist Dr Kaberi Som. Police have found a suicide note in which she spoke about the pressure she faced for the preparation of her MD exams.

Shamista was living with her parents on the 12th floor of Glory building in Everest Society at Kolshet. Sources revealed that in 2016, Shamista had completed her MBBS and was preparing for her MD. On Friday night, she had spoken of the stress related to the same with her parents.

Glory building in Everest Society. Pic/Rajesh S. Gupta

"According to the parents, they spoke at length with their daughter and tried to calm her. Afterwards, she told her parents she was going to study," an officer said. Around 5 AM on Saturday, the security guard found her lying in a pool of blood. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

To mid-day, AV Deshmukh, senior inspector at Koparbaudi police station, said, "We have found a suicide note written by the deceased. The reason behind the suicide seems to be depression. However, we have registered the death as an accident and are inquiring into the case."

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In a tragic incident, a 14-year-old student from Navjivan school Nalasopara East allegedly died falling from water sliding ride tower in Suraj Water Park on Friday afternoon. According to the police of the deceased has been identified as Deepak Gupta, a resident was residing with his parents at Pragati Nagar area, Nalasopara East. He was studying in Class X at Navjivan school situated in Oswal Nagri area and had gone for schools picnic.

The incident happened when Gupta climbed on the water slide tower and suddenly fell down on the tower platform. He was unconscious. Gupta was taken to the hospital where the doctor declared him dead. No one from Suraj Water Park said anything but the incident was confirmed by night duty security guard who mid-day that the incident took place between 1 pm to 2 pm. He said that the boy used to suffer from epilepsy and he fainted while climbing on the sliding ride tower.

The boy's parents alleged that he did not want to go to the picnic but the school authority had made it mandatory for students to attend and also alleged that the school authorities had threatened to not issue examination hall tickets for students appearing for SSC students.

A social worker Prashant Bhosle says the school management is responsible for the death of the child. If the student did not want to go to the picnic, how could the school management force? The school authority is totally responsible for the death of Gupta and they should be punished.

Hundreds of peoples including the parents gathered outside the school but no official from the from came out. And accidental death case has been registered at Kasarvadavali police station and further investigation is on.

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Three persons were arrested in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly raping a teenage girl several times, the police said Sunday.

Senior Inspector K D Jadhav of Shanti Nagar police station said the 14-year-old girl was acquainted with one of the accused, Jamil alias Bullan Vali Mohammad Khan (58) as she used to purchase cosmetics from his handcart. "Jamil along with others raped the girl on multiple occasions between June last year and January 9 this year.

She revealed her ordeal to her mother who filed a complaint on Friday," Jadhav said. He identified the others arrested, apart from Jamil, as Shahnavaz Khan (19) and Rizwan Khan (23), adding that a fourth person, Firoz Siddiqui, was wanted in the case.

"We have charged the accused under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. They have been remanded in police custody for six days," he informed.

In another incident, a teenage girl from Bompally village in Telangana's Peddapalli district has filed a rape case against her 24-year-old lover and his two friends, police said Sunday. Police have identified the main accused as Kotte Ranjith. A police officer said Ranjith allegedly maintained physical relations with the girl under the pretext of marrying her.

The officer said Ranjith's friends Methuku Satish (23) and Vykuntam (24) also allegedly raped the girl repeatedly in the last ten months, following which she became pregnant.

"The girl had delivered a stillborn foetus and asked Ranjith to marry her, but he refused and threatened her with dire consequences, following which the victim approached police," he said.

Police have registered an FIR against the trio under section 376 (D) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for gang rape and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. No arrest is made yet.

With inputs from PTI

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Three labourers died after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning a sewage treatment plant of a local civic body in Thane district of Maharashtra, a police official said on Thursday. The deceased were daily wage labourers and had no formal training in sewage cleaning, he said.

The incident took place on Wednesday when the labourers were cleaning a chocked valve in a chamber of the non-operational sewage treatment plant located in Mira Road area, an official at Thane rural police's control room said.

One of the labourers climbed down into the sewage treatment plant to clean it, but felt suffocated and collapsed, he said. Two more labourers later went inside to check their colleague but they also inhaled toxic gas and died, he said. Another 17-year-old labourer, who also inhaled the toxic fumes, was admitted to a hospital where he was undergoing treatment, the official said.

The labourers were hired by a civic contractor from near the Mira Road railway station for the cleaning work but they were not given any protective gear like masks, he said. They were also not trained in such cleaning operations, he said. The deceased were identified as Muzaffar Moulik (24), Rafique Mandal (50) and Mofjum (18). The bodies were sent to a local hospital for post mortem, the official said, adding that a probe was underway.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Officials of a school in Palghar in Maharashtra have been booked for allegedly threatening a student to give positive feedback about the institution, police said on Sunday. A student had complained that teachers at the school while distributing feedback forms, had told him that he would not be allowed to sit for the annual exams if he gave a poor review, a Virar police official said.

The 13-year-old student was also threatened with a beating by the teachers, the official said quoting the complainant. Palghar police spokesperson Hemant Kumar Katkar said Virar police on Saturday registered a case under sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against the Yahswant Nagar-based school. The official said a probe was on and no arrests had been made so far. 

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Bollywood actress Shamita Shetty's driver was bashed up by a motorist and his friends in Majiwada, Thane. The incident took place followed by an accident in Thane on Tuesday afternoon. According to reports, Shetty travelled from Andheri to Thane for some personal work, when a car rammed into her BMW from the rear near Viviana Mall, Majiwada. When her driver got off the vehicle to check for any damages, the motorist and two of his friends started abusing him.

Following the incident, Shamita's driver approached Rabodi police station and filed a complaint against the attackers. The police have already managed to identify the vehicle and are currently working on tracing its owner. Meanwhile, Rabodi police have also registered a case against the trio under Sections 279, 323, 427, 504, 506, and 34 of the Indian Penal code.

Shamita Shetty, sister of actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra, is a Bollywood actress and an interior designer. She made her Bollywood debut in 2000 with the blockbuster Mohabbatein. Her portrayal in the film earned her the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the year.  She also featured in a couple of movies later and her notable work includes Zeher, Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai, Bewafa and Cash. She was also a contestant on Bigg Boss, the reality show in 2009.  She is currently a contestant on the reality show season 9 of Colors, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. She had endorsed Pantene with her sister Shilpa Shetty Kundra for a year. She has also been associated with brands like Audi, Aldo, IIJAS Jewellery exhibition and many more.

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Five persons have been booked in Maharashtra's Palghar district for kidnapping a newly married woman, holding her captive for almost two weeks and repeatedly raping her, police said on Monday.

An official said the 21-year-old victim's ordeal began on February 6 when a man posing as a policeman came to her house in Pragati Nagar in Nalasopara and asked her to accompany him to the police station. "The fake policeman told the victim that her husband had been arrested and she should come to the police station with some documents," he said. She was first taken in an accused's autorickshaw to Malad in Mumbai and held captive for eight days and then to Mira Road where she was locked up in an under-construction building till February 18, the official said.

"She was raped by two of the accused at both places. Three others, including a woman, abetted the crime. The victim was released from captivity on February 18," he said. The woman filed a complaint on February 23 and the five were booked on Sunday under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for rape and criminal intimidation, the official said. He said no arrests had been made so far and further probe was underway. 

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Motorists who travel from Mumbai to Thane are in for good news as the traffic of Mumbai city is going to unclog. With these bridges, motorists are likely to face fewer traffic problems in the city.

In order to beat the slow-moving traffic on Eastern Expressway, commuters can use the internal flyovers constructed over LBS Marg near Castle Mill and MG Road at Naupada.

Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray inaugurated the two bridges on Sunday which was built by MMRDA under intercity flyover project plan.

The time taken to exit the city using the new flyovers will be lesser as compared to the existing one, which is currently over clogged because of the movement of heavy vehicles and ongoing Metro and Kopri bridge widening work.

Noise and view barriers have been installed on the two newly inaugurated bridges.

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Thane rural district's Navghar police are finally making the right noises following repeated complaints against noisy bikers by locals. The police have begun a heavy crackdown against bikers using modified silencers that create much noise, contributing to the already terrible noise pollution levels in the city.

The police are not just seizing such bikes but also destroying the modified silencers in front of their owners. More than 55 cases have been registered so far in this regard and more than 35 silencers have been destroyed in the last couple of weeks.

People living in Bhayander East have been forced to endure a cacophony of noises that the modified silencers or bikes with no silencers at all make. Also, patients admitted to nearby hospitals had complained to the local police on multiple occasions but no concrete action was taken so far.

Police fool violators
Action initiated against such bikers in the past has posed quite some challenge to the police who claim that if these bikers are followed, most of them speed away without a thought for their own lives or that of others. In such a situation, it is difficult to catch hold of them, said an officer of the Navghar police station. "We thus adopted a new method. We have formed a special team, members of which dress up as different people - beggars and godmen - and patrol areas around traffic signals to nab such bikers. The idea has worked so far," said PSI Vijay Takke from Navghar police station.

Locals have welcomed the move. "It is a nightmare for us as these bikes zip past our houses almost every day and it becomes extremely disturbing, more so for children and elderly people," said a local who had filed many complaints against errant bikers in the past. "The police action has now reduced the number of noisy bikers but the drive must not stop," he added.

55
No. of cases against errant bikers registered so far

35
No. of modified bike silencers destroyed so far

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A woman's spirit is one of ability, perseverance, and courage no matter the situation or circumstance. This women's Day Viviana Mall in association with Nina Foundation is celebrating these abilities and perseverance of differently-abled women. The abilities of Women on wheelchairs.

A stand - up comedy act, a wheelchair acrobatic performance and a fashion show all by women on wheelchairs to celebrate the many abilities these women have that makes them just like us. In addition, there will be a special talk by Virali Modi and Dr. Ketna Mehta on the special occasion of Women's Day.

The event will kickstart a campaign to provide job opportunities and the required skills training to equip them with opportunities for the future by inviting organisations and institutes to make provision for these women!

When: March 7, 2019 at 5.30 pm onwards

Where: Viviana Mall, Thane

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A Maharashtra government official was Thursday sentenced to 16 months rigorous imprisonment by a court in the neighbouring Raigad district for accepting a bribe.

Raigad Additional District Judge BC Kamble convicted Ashik Bharti, a deputy engineer with the Kharbhoomi Sarvekshan and Anveshan Department of Pen, under the Prevention of Corruption Act and fined him Rs 5,000, said a senior Anti-Corruption Bureau official.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACB) Mahesh Patil said Bharti had demanded Rs 5 lakh from a contractor to get his bills cleared. The contractor approached the ACB following which a trap was laid on November 6, 2015, and Bharti was nabbed while accepting Rs 1 lakh, Patil said.

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A 25-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide following harassment by her husband and in-laws for dowry and giving birth to two daughters, police said on Thursday. Surekha Desale got married to Sharad Desale, a resident of Khinavali village in Sahapur taluka, in May 2016.

She gave birth to a daughter in 2017 and another girl in January this year, a police official said. Since the marriage, her in-laws allegedly harassed her for dowry and later for giving birth to two daughters, while they desired a male child, he said.

The woman had apparently informed her parents about the alleged harassment, the official said. Last Saturday, her in-laws called up her parents saying she was missing. Later that night, her body was found floating in a village well, he said.

Based on a complaint by her brother, the police on Wednesday booked her husband, father-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law under IPC Sections 304-B, (dowry death) 306 (abetment of suicide), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 498-A (cruelty) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said. No arrest was made so far, he said, adding that a probe was underway in the case.

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A group of 22 people from Mumbai and Thane district went for a picnic at Tandulwadi Fort in Palghar district where they lost their way out of the jungle in the dark. They called up the police control for help and the local Safale police of Palghar district rushed to their rescue and escorted them out safely.

According to the Safale police sources, "A group of 22 people from Mumbai and Thane district visited Tandulwadi Fort situated in Safale Palghar district for a trek on Saturday where they decided to walk through the jungle around 7:30 pm but after sunset, they lost their way out of the jungle.

Fearing of being lost, they contacted the police control for help and senior inspector Sandeep Sanap from Safale police station despatched a team of officers to their rescue. Constable SU Solkhe, SB Bhavar, NL Dhongde reached the spot at around 9 pm and rescued the group. Their respective parents were contacted after which they were returned home safely," said Hemant Katkar PRO of Palghar district police.

Also Read: Six rescued, one missing as tugboat capsizes off Mumbai

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Counterfeit notes with a face value of Rs 15.76 lakh were seized from three persons in Mumbra area here in the early hours of Saturday, police said.

Assistance Commissioner of Police Ramesh Dhumal said the police had received a tip-off that some persons were going to arrive in Kismat Colony, carrying counterfeit notes with them.

Jainkumar Chunnulal (41), Mohammad Dilshad (26), both from Uttar Pradesh, and local resident Javed Ahmed Ansari (30) were arrested and a bag of counterfeit notes in Rs 2,000 denomination was seized from their possession, he said.

Jainkumar and Dilshad had allegedly procured the notes from Asansol in West Bengal by paying Rs 3.50 lakh, the ACP said. Police were probing if the contraband had any link with the ongoing election campaign, he said.

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Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde has expressed confidence that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will win the Lok Sabha polls and asked the coalition workers to work for increasing the victory margin this time. Addressing a meeting of Shiv Sena-BJP workers at Dombivli town in Maharashtra's Thane district on Sunday night, the senior Sena leader also asked them not to be reckless or underestimate the rival candidates. "Our victory is definite this time also.

Our target should be to ensure maximum difference of votes between the winning and losing candidates," said Shinde, who is also the guardian minister of Thane. Lauding Srikant Shinde, the sitting Sena MP from Kalyan seat in Thane, for the work done by him in his constituency in the last five years, the minister claimed the voters would elect him this time also. State minister Ravindra Chavan said voters in Dombivli segment of the constituency earlier supported the BJP and Shiv Sena and this time also they will ensure victory for the alliance candidate.

"This election is an important one and the party workers should ensure that our candidate wins by the maximum victory margin," he said. Srikant Shinde is the saffron alliance's candidate from Kalyan where his main rival is Babaji Patil of the NCP. Lok Sabha elections to total 48 seats in Maharashtra will be held in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29 and the results will be declared on May 23.

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A day before the tournament, the engineer came to the ground and said, 'Let's clear this ground so that they can have a kick-about.' I told him that football is not just about kicking a ball, it is about playing a sport. Then the contractor started laughing. His job is not to laugh at us. And what was he trying to get at by laughing? That we can't achieve anything?'" Salma Ansari tells us, about the jibes they encountered before organising the most important event of Parcham, an NGO she co-founded, last Sunday. Ansari's organisation is a Mumbra-based women's collective that works extensively with marginalised communities.

The ground the engineer was referring to is an empty plot adjacent to Mumbra's Maulana Azad Stadium. It is a space that Parcham fought for, to build a safe space for women where they can exercise their right to play. When we arrive at Mumbra's MM Valley, where the ground is located, four members of the NGO are ready to get the ball rolling in their sports shoes and black jerseys. Workers and tractors are busy clearing out the rubble from the space and levelling the ground with laal mitti. "People asked us, 'Yeh kaisa ground hai? Stadium ki tarah nahi hai.' But we knew why it is important for us to play here and once we did, not a single person cared about the state it was in," Muskaan Sayed, 20, tells us.

A day after receiving the petty comments, Ansari and her team organised and inaugurated the first women's-only Fatema Bi Savitri Bai Football Tournament in the playground meant solely for women. It was in 2012 that Parcham first collaborated with the Maharashtra Mahila Parishad, who helped them practise football in a small ground near Shankar Mandir. "But after some time, we noticed that boys would come there, play cricket, throw balls around and just not move. Then we started a campaign to get a separate ground and gathered 900 signatures from women all over Mumbra. We then took it to our MLA, Jitendra Awhad. The processing took about a year before everything was finalised on paper, and we finally got this five-acre space which is listed as a recreational ground in the Development Plan. We applied for a special reservation for girls and women through the Thane Municipal Corporation," Ansari says.

Work is scheduled to be completed by May 1, when the ground's management will be handed over to the NGO. "It is the first ground in India that will be only for women. We want to provide facilities for football and basketball. We will also make arrangements for security, washrooms, changing rooms and a gymnasium," Awhad of NCP shares, though when we ask him about the funds that have been allocated for this project, the MLA doesn't comment.

Parcham has been instrumental in introducing football to Mumbra. There was no trace of the game before 2012. With their own academy comprising 20 members, the NGO has been in talks with the Western India Football Association for training.

The ground, Awhad has said, will be called Fatima Savitri Stadium. But the women have suggested naming it Fatima Bi Savitri Bai Stadium. "That's because Fatima and Savitri can be anyone's name. When you add the 'Bi' and 'Bai', only then do you recall history — which also tells you that these two [eminent educators] were friends. We want to celebrate their friendship," Ansari says, with Sayed adding, "We also want the religious divide to end. This name itself is impactful. If in the past, they could be friends, then why is there so much hatred now? We don't want to just play football; we want to overcome all of this one in one shot."

Although the collective will primarily focus on football, the space is open to women and girls to play and hang out in. Ansari adds, "That being said, general spaces that are open to both men and women should not be ignored, and we will practise there, too. This ground, though, is for those whose parents tell their daughters, 'Tu logon ke saamne jaa kar khelegi? Mat jaa'."

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When we watched Chennai-born American artist Sid Sriram perform his album, Entropy, in the city a few months ago, we didn't know what to expect. We hadn't heard of the artist, and we thought he was going to perform what has been come to be loosely referred to as "fusion". But the show, replete with trippy visuals, was an experience that combined Indian classical and his alternative music aesthetic quite seamlessly. "I think this album is pretty unique in how organically the different influences have all come together. It's a journey filled with energy."

When we ask him what he would say if he had to describe his music to someone who has never heard it before, he explains, "My music is very visual. I'm a huge Jackson Pollock [an American artist known to be of the pioneers of the abstract expressionist movement] fan, and I think the best way to describe my music would be some kind of a sonic parallel to his visual work. It's a cross section where pop/soul, my Carnatic roots and ambient/lo-fi electronic music clash together."

But what is the starting point to create such "fusion"? "The starting point is always an emotional trigger. Once I get that hook, I turn my mind off and channel whatever waves are moving through me. I've learned to get out of my own way and let the universe do its thing."

WHERE: The Habitat, 4th floor, (Hotel Unicontinental), Road Number 3, Khar West
WHEN: February 23, 9 pm
COST: R500
LOG ON TO: insider.in

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The Nature Club of Wilson College is an active one, with me­m­bers participati­ng in platforms to raise awareness about environment­al issues. And with professor Sudhakar So­l­omon Raj, HOD of the political science depa­r­tment and head of the club, being a music aficionado, the move to celebrate the 40th year of the club's initiation by combining his two pass­ions to organise a nature concert this Monday was only natural. A part of a year-long series, which includes environmental talks, this celebration aims to highlight crucial issues via songs about nature.

The evening will feature collaborations between students of the college. A choir perfo­r­mance by North East Collective comprises 10 students from the re­gion, for examp­le. Then there is the college a cappella gr­oup, which, inter­e­­s­tingly, resulted from a dare issued by St Xavier's College. The college band, led by Sambhav Singh, will also perform, besides alumni Keegan Pereira, Reinhardt Dias and Riya Kartha. Plus, students from Andrew Vi­sion Centre will perform co­vers. "We have been using nature-themed songs as an educational tool since 1983. We wanted to share this by providing a platform for our students to express their talent," says Raj.

Keegan Pereira and Reinhardt Dias

Proceeds will go towards organizing nature trails for underprivileged kids, a tree planting drive and publishing an environmental handbook.

ON Today, 7 pm to 9.30 pm
AT St Andrew's Auditorium, St Dominic Road, Bandra West.
LOG ON TO bookmyshow.com
COST Rs 500 onwards

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So many of us have lost someone we know to cancer. So when 15-year-old Devika Madgavkar, who was volunteering at the Tata Memorial Centre and working with kids with cancer, asked Alfred D'Souza, the director of her choir Stop-Gaps Junior Choral Ensemble, if they could do something to cheer up the children undergoing chemotherapy, he thought, "why not?"

And Carnival in Song was born. "Madgavakar wanted to do something for the kids, who she observed were quite self-conscious and distant after they lost their hair. Also, many of them hail from a low social economic background. The event is just before Lent, which begins on March 6, and as it's the season of hope, we wanted to brighten up their li­ves. I prepared two choirs and reached out to others, who agreed immediately," says D'Souza.

The Salvation Singers

The audience will get to hear ha­ppy numbers, and renditions of peppy tracks with a samba or calypso beat, akin to what you hear at a carnival, shares D'Souza, adding that while the Stop-Gaps Choral Ensemble will be performing Brazil and Senorita, The Salvation Singers will offer a medley of Hindi songs, and Siddharth Meghani will perform some Elvis Presley tracks. The line-up will also include The Victory Chorus Line, and soloists such as Ella Atai, Kim Cardoz, Mehmood Curmally and Darren Das, accompanied by Mimosa Almeida Pinto (piano) and Ishan Jadwani (drums), besides dancers on stage.

"We've been planning this since October. We have a lot of kids aged between five and 15 years, who have their term exams at the moment, but yet th­ey have been practising," adds D'Souza. All proceeds from the evening will be given to the centre's Runners of Hope Initiative.

ON March 1, 7.45 pm onwards
AT St Andrew's Auditorium, St Andrew's College, St Dominic Road, Bandra West 
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CALL 26410926
COST Rs 300 onwards

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The mention of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DIO), more popularly known as multiple personality disorder, is likely to evoke memories of chilling sequences featuring James McAvoy in Split (2016). Or closer home, Vidya Balan in her blood-thirsty alter ego of Manjulika in Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007). Theatre director Suketu Shah's response was no different when writer-actor Abhishek Pattnaik suggested it as the crux of their new play. So, before embarking on their production, Kaise Karenge, the duo decided to further educate themselves about the mental health condition through online research and speaking to psychologists, and came away surprised.

"Dissociative identity disorder [DIO] is often bracketed with violent personalities who do grotesque things, thanks to their on-screen portrayal. But there is really nothing to be scared of. In fact, it could even be a case of multiple specialties — more like a superpower — which comes across in the play," says Shah, who started Out of the Box Production with Pattnaik over seven years ago, making it one of the youngest professional theatre companies in the country.

Keeping up with the young vibe, the cast of the play, which revolves around the story of two brothers, includes Pattnaik and Darsheel Safary in the lead roles. Safary, known for his moving portrayal of a dyslexic child in Taare Zameen Par, plays the younger brother. A smart 21-year-old who already has four patents to his name and is about to leave for the US for his masters at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his world changes when he realises his elder sibling suffers from DIO. He decides to stay on, and figure out their lives together.

"I am not from a science background, so I had to take a mini crash course in it from friends pursuing their studies in the stream," admits Safary, who completed his graduation in mass media, and is considering a masters in filmmaking. Having made his foray in theatre with the English comedy Can I Help You? this is his third play.

When asked about the experience of acting on the stage vis-à-vis for the camera, he shares, "In theatre, you get to see the audience reaction live, which helps forge a connect with them. It also limits the room for error. So, with all your senses switched on, it sharpens you as an actor. This is a skill I hope to employ before the camera, too."

About playing multiple characters rolled into one, Pattnaik says that it took three months of rehearsal to get a grip over them. "I speak in Hindi; Hindi with a touch of Haryanvi; and like a pakka Mumbaikar in the roles I play. That required me to shed all inhibitions, and practise switching seamlessly from one role to another using body language and intonation," he says.

Having started out as management students who plunged into theatre full time, Pattnaik and Shah also want to use their productions to encourage young people to consider making a living in the medium. "Theatre is a challenging medium to work and survive in. Finding the right people to work with is another challenge. We learnt everything on the job," shares Shah. Pattnaik is quick to add, "But we have made it for seven-plus years. And that's the message we want to send out."

ON March 17, 6.30 pm
AT Balgandharva Rang Mandir, off Linking Road, junction of 24th and 32nd Road, next to Patwardhan Park, Bandra West
LOG ON TO bookmyshow.com
CALL 9920536475
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Aamir Khan had a customary cake-cutting ceremony with the media at his Bandra home, holding a press conference. On his birthday, the actor, who turned 54 today, made an announcement of his next film titled Laal Singh Chadda. Aamir's next release is a remake of Hollywood film Forest Gump (1994). The film starred Tom Hanks and Robin Wright and was based on a novel of the same name.

Following this, Aamir Khan will take off for North Ireland to attend the ongoing Belfast Film Festival. He will be in conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir on 16th to discuss his body of work.

Check out the pictures of Aamir Khan's 54th birthday celebrations here. (All pictures/Shadab Khan, Yogen Shah)

Aamir Khan's 54th birthday celebration

Aamir Khan was accompanied by his wife Kiran Rao.

Aamir Khan cuts his birthday cake

Fans across the nation have been pouring in wishes for Aamir by posting the actor's pictures, which also saw a strong social trend with the #HappyBirthdayAamirKhan.

Aamir Khan and wife Kiran Rao at his 54th birthday celebrations with media persons

Kiran Rao clicked while feeding the birthday cake to Aamir Khan

Known as Mr Perfectionist of the industry, Aamir Khan for Bollywood has over the years created an image that many look up to. From making films that address the pertinent issues of the society, to speaking his mind on raging issues even off camera, Aamir Khan has always been the one with a calculative brain and has used his position to impart a change in the society.

On the professional front, Aamir Khan likes to explore with the character he plays and the actor likes to surprise his fans with new characters. To experiment with roles, Aamir grows his hair and beard before every film. This also gives him the flexibility to play with multiple looks in one film. We wonder, what Aamir Khan's look would be in Laal Singh Chadda!

Here's wishing a very happy birthday to Aamir Khan!

Also Read: Aamir Khan is a family man, these picture-perfect frames are proof!

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"Empowerment is such a frequently used term. Sab bolte hai. But what it really implies is to just be yourself," Avantika Mathur asserts. The 30-year-old artist from Navi Mumbai has been making graffiti on the city's walls for years — and in some cases, the street lamp got there after the artwork did. "Art is a powerful medium, but street art is the best form to explain an ideology. It's an open gallery," she adds. And next week, Mathur along with six female artists will transform the neighbourhood of Marol into a gallery through Ladies First, India's first women-only street art festival.

Walls spanning over 10,000 sq ft will be painted on in Marol Village

The week-long event organised by Marol-based graffiti agency Wicked Broz in collaboration with the Military Road Residents Welfare Association, will see artists paint on multi-storied buildings and running walls spanning over 10,000 sq ft. Although talks about putting together a street art festival were in the works for a year, the idea of turning it into a women's-only event culminated from a Rajasthan trip in January that the organisers were part of. Rikis D Santander, a street artist from Chile, had mentioned that not only were India's gullies overcrowded, but very few women were part of that crowd.

Avantika Mathur

"Even globally there are very few female-centric events. Someone even asked us why women need a separate festival. I said that if I count the number of women who paint on the streets, that number will still be miniscule. Until we don't celebrate these artists, people won't be motivated to come out and paint," Zain Siddiqui of Wicked Broz explains, adding that they initially conceptualised a grander event with more artists. "But a lot of festivals happen as a one-time thing and then disappear. We didn't want that," he says, while proceeding to talk about the line-up that includes Abigail Aroha Jensen from New Zealand, Delhi-based Anpu Varkey and Ratna Singh, a Warli artist.

Zain Siddiqui

"The styles are diverse and we haven't only restricted ourselves to graffiti because we don't want to go around painting something ambiguous. It should mean something," Siddiqui tells us, while Mathur adds, "While Anpu paints large animals, I follow a bohemian surrealist style, which is all about finding yourself."

MC Manmeet Kaur

In addition to wall painting, Ladies First will also feature workshops, exhibitions of canvas work by participating artists, talks and film screenings. Hip-hop cyphers by female artistes such as Goa-based rapper MC Manmeet Kaur is also scheduled to take place. And on the last day, the public (including men) will be free to create artwork on a large wall. As Mathur says, education is key. "For people to appreciate street art, it is necessary that they understand it first. So, each piece we create will have a narrative."

ON March 25 to 31, 9 am to 6 pm
AT Bharat Van, Military Road, Marol Art Village, Andheri East.
CALL 8887795823
Email ladiesfirststreetart@gmail.com

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It is the festival of colours and most of the people are celebrating their day of happiness with family and friends. Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor's son, Taimur Ali Khan, who is already a social media sensation, was spotted celebrating Holi with the paparazzi, whom time and again, he is seen waving and smiling at! 

A video shared by one of Taimur's fan club, where the tiny tot is seen playing with the water gun at his Bandra residence, has become a wave on the net. Take a look!

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Tim is playing with pichkaris 😂😍❤ðŸÂÂ’™ðŸÂÂ’šðŸÂÂ’›ðŸÂÂÂ’ÂÂÂœ 📹- @viralbhayani #taimuralikhan

A post shared by Taimur Ali Khan (@taimuralikhanworld) onMar 20, 2019 at 11:05pm PDT

Taimur, in his house, is seen in a playful mode while spreading joy with his smile and spraying water from the balcony.

Meanwhile, Soha Ali Khan, sister of Saif Ali Khan, also shared a colourful pretty picture of Inaaya Naumi Kemmu on Instagram. Soha captioned the image: "Happy holi!!! [sic]"

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Happy holi!!! ❣

A post shared by Soha (@sakpataudi) onMar 20, 2019 at 11:25pm PDT

Isn't she looking adorably cute? 

Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is married to actor Saif Ali Khan, has time and again expressed concern over the growing paparazzi culture in India. She wondered how people could be so interested in her two-year-old son Taimur's life.

Also Read: Taimur Ali Khan is also a bookworm just like papa Saif Ali Khan; see photos

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Do you know what Chandler Bing does for a living? If the answer is yes, and you think you can do better than Rachel and Monica did in a quiz in Season 4 episode 12, head to this Friends-themed meet-up in Bandra West. Conducted by quiz organising company Ace of Pubs, who recently hosted similar events themed around the Game of Thrones and The Office, the aim is to take you on a trip down memory lane with some fun games.

"The questions will be around iconic moments from the show and we'll have 10 to 15 teams of three to eight people. Just sign up with your friends online," says Hardik Jain from the gaming company. While you'll get something from the menu on the house for each right answer, including their special line of craft beer, they also have movie tickets and Friends merchandise up for grabs.

ON March 26, 8 pm
AT Effingut, Ganga Jamna Sangam Building, Linking Road, Bandra West 
CALL 71179491
LOG ON TO https://bit.ly/2UaR7aS
FREE

Varun Dhawan, who is currently promoting his upcoming movie Kalank, was spotted at a popular studio in Juhu, Mumbai. While on his way, the actor bumped into Sunny Deol, and he couldn't stop fanboying after meeting the Gadar actor.

Sunny Deol with Varun Dhawan/picture courtesy: Satej Shinde

Varun Dhawan was elated on meeting Sunny. The actor greeted Sunny Deol and was pleased to share this moment when they bumped into each other.

Sunny Deol, who is currently shooting for Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, which is his son, Karan's, Bollywood debut, also had a small conversation with his fan. 

On the professional front, Varun Dhawan will be next seen in Karan Johar's multi-starrer period drama, Kalank and Remo D'Souza's Street Dancer 3D.

Talking about Kalank, the film has a star-studded cast comprising Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Madhuri Dixit-Nene, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditya Roy Kapur, and Sanjay Dutt, this period drama set in 1940s India, is definitely going to take you on an unforgettable journey.

The first look posters of the three men of Kalank came out on March 7 and the leading ladies' first looks were revealed on International Women's Day (March 8). The film was originally conceptualised about 15 years ago by the late Yash Johar and his son Karan Johar, who has bankrolled the film. Abhishek Varman has helmed the period drama that releases on April 17 this year.

Also Read: Kalank is the highest viewed teaser in Bollywood in 24hrs!

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Why would anyone name their café and juice bar after Thanos? Our company for the evening questions, diving into telling us more about the Marvel Comics supervillain.

This powerful villain who has stood up to many heroes belonging to the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Fantastic Four, and X-Men series, greets us in a larger-than-life sculpture. We spot a child pick up Thor's axe to pose for a picture.

The 20-seater is packing on a Sunday evening, and we are game to wait it out, stepping up onto the comfortable grey stools as we tune into more of Thanos' exploits.

When the automatic glass doors open into the spaceship-like interiors, the Bollywood buff in us jokes that it reminds us of Shakal's den sans the sharks. The space is done up in grey, with a burst of pop in orange chairs; Captain America stares back at us from the wall outside the washroom, and there's a galaxy drawn on the walls and larger table tops. Our table top for two holds up a fist. The space décor is exciting, and we order a veg burger (Rs 229), chicken salami and egg sandwich (Rs 349) and khow suey (Rs 299). The menu, interestingly also has dedicated keto, all-day breakfast and waffle sections, which we skip for another day.

Veg cheese burger

The burger comes with a fat aloo patty marinated with herbs, and a crusty coat the crunch of which we can hear with every bite. The side of potato wedges are fresh from the fryer and the coleslaw is creamy with slender strands of salad. Their salami sandwich is homestyle, as is the filling. For a change, we like the simple treatment that gives us what we asked for — a juicy salami strip and well-done eggs.

Orange and celery juice

The khow suey tastes more like a pasta-based dish, and we have no qualms about being snooty about the fact that no one does a Burmese khow suey better than Joss by restaurateur Farrokh Khambata. This one comes in a bowl held by red claws, and sides of fried basil, fried cashew nuts and full peanuts which we prefer chopped, but no garlic shreds. The noodles are overcooked and the curry needs more depth; overall, the dish fails to come together. To wash all this down, we've picked a healthy orange and celery juice (Rs 269) that comes wearing a fruit slice hat on the rim.

House of Thanos is charming for its offbeat ambience, and a comfort menu that makes room for your keto and other diet demands. Still thinking about the name, we conclude: That's the thing about comics fanatics, right? You never know whose side you are on.

AT House of Thanos, 7/8, Rizvi Mahal Building, Near Bhabha Hospital, Waterfield Road, Linking Road, Bandra West
TIME 9 am to midnight
CALL 8879362686

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House of Thanos didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals

A leopard entered a society in Marol, Andheri. He was caught after almost two hours.

There was a big crowd at Vijay Nagar near Marol Marushi. People were waiting with sticks in their hands.

CCTV footage of the leopard

In the CCTV footage, the wild animal was seen running around the premises of Woodland Apartment near Police camp.

The SGNP leopard rescue team and Thane team reached the spot immediately while Dr Shailesh Pethe, Deputy Conservator of Forest Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, Range Forest Officer Santosh Kank were preparing the strategy.

Also read: Decomposed body of leopard found at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

The forest officers were able to nab the leopard after two hours. He was taken away in a van. The Powai team, MIDC police and fire brigade were also involved in the rescue operation.

In February this year, a leopard was spotted in the basement of Korum Mall in Thane.

Also read: Mumbai: Leopard numbers increase in Sanjay Gandhi National Park

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates