More than 3.11 crore voters spread across 17 Lok Sabha constituencies will cast their vote today, in the final phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. While voters across North Maharashtra, Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and parts of Western Maharashtra gears up to cast their valuable votes come April 29, a popular restaurant in Malad added its own twist in order to urge its patron and voters to cast their votes as responsible citizens.

While the Mumbai votes today, innumerable initiatives have come up in the city with innovative ways to encourage people to exercise their franchise. However, a suburban restaurant in Malad came up with a cheeky poster to encourage voters to cast their valuable vote.

The cheeky message by Uncle's Kitchen, Malad requests voters to cast their voters on April 29, 2019

Uncle's Kitchen in Malad is a popular eatery and it put up a rather quirky poster on the wall outside their restaurant. The poster on the wall of Uncle's Chicken read, "We will keep our chicks away from you till 6 pm so that you can cast your valuable vote." Thus, urging their patrons and voters in Malad and Mumbai to come out in large numbers on April 29 and cast their vote. They, of course, were referring to their chicken dishes in the witty poster.

Uncle's Kitchen in Malad is a popular restaurant that serves Chinese cuisine and celebrities including Mithun Chakraborty, Raza Murad, music director Pritam, Mohnish Behl and Suresh Oberoi are believed to be regulars.

The right to vote is the gift of democracy. Let's all go out and VOTE!#VoteForIndia#LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/CuzLniWUsn

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) April 26, 2019

Just two days ago, Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter to urge voters to cast their vote on April 29. He said that this year besides him and Anjali Tendulkar, his children, Sara and Arjun too will cast their votes for the first time this election. He captioned the video: The right to vote is the gift of democracy. Let us all go out and VOTE!

The results of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be announced on May 23, 2019. You can log on to eci.gov.in for more information.

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Thane: A day after six people on election duty were rescued from a lift at a school in Maharashtra's Thane district, three more poll staffers got stuck in the same elevator as it malfunctioned again on Monday, an official said.

The three poll staffers were using the lift in Sahakar Prasarak Mandal School at Kalwa town in the morning when it got stuck on the building's fourth floor after developing a technical snag, Thane civic body's regional disaster management cell chief Santosh Kadam said. The fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and managed to rescue those stuck in the lift after around 15 minutes, he said. The lift was being used by the poll staff to reach the classrooms where the election material was kept, Kadam said. On Sunday, six poll staffers got stuck in the school's lift for around 40 minutes before being rescued, he said.

An average 18.39 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first four hours in Maharashtra's 17 seats on Monday as polling for the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state was underway. Polling began at 7 am and long queues were seen outside many booths, some of which were decorated with balloons and 'rangolis'. So far, Nandurbar Lok Sabha seat recorded highest polling at 24.59 per cent while Kalyan constituency saw the lowest voter turnout of 13.91 per cent, according to an official statement. The voting figures till 11 am in other constituencies are as follows: Dhule- 18.26 per cent, Dindori - 21.06 per cent, Nashik- 17.22 per cent, Palghar- 21.46 per cent, Bhiwandi- 17.25 per cent, Thane-17.43 per cent, Mumbai-North- 19.46 per cent, Mumbai-North West 17.64 per cent, Mumbai-North East-18.39 per cent, Mumbai-North Central- 16.21 per cent, Mumbai-South Central-16.80 per cent, Mumbai- South 15.51 per cent, Maval- 18.23 per cent, Shirur- 18.65 per cent and Shirdi 20.55 per cent.

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NCP chief Sharad Pawar pitched for a stable government at the Centre and urged citizens to come out in large numbers to cast their votes as he exercised his democratic right on Monday. Voting was underway for the fourth phase of Lok Sabha polls in 72 parliamentary constituencies spread across nine states.

#Mumbai: NCP Chief Sharad Pawar after casting his vote at polling booth 31 in Tardeo. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/G8VNrNwESd

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2019

In Maharashtra, polling was being held in 17 seats, including Mumbai. "Today is an important day for the country. It is required that a stable government is formed. It is expected that Mumbaikars will not lag behind, and will exercise their voting right by coming out in large numbers and voting decisively," Pawar, the former Union minister, tweeted in Marathi.

Earlier, BJP MP Poonam Mahajan, Congress nominee Urmila Matondkar, industrialist Anil Ambani and actor Rekha cast their votes in Mumbai in the initial hours of polling. State education minister Vinod Tawde, BJP candidate from Mumhai-North East Manoj Kotak and Congress nominee from Mumbai-Central Eknath Gaikwad were also among the early voters.

Pic courtesy/Bipin Kokate

Anil Ambani was spotted casting his vote in Mumbai

Pic courtesy/Faizan Khan

Manoj Kotak cast his vote in Mumbai

Pic courtesy/Yogen Shah

Urmila Matondkar present at the polling booth to cast her vote.

It was a delight to participate in the festival of democracy, casting my vote is for progressive development of every Indian, for #NewIndia. I urge Mumbaikars to join in and make each vote count! #MumbaikarVoteKar pic.twitter.com/epS3g0Vwk4

— Chowkidar Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) April 29, 2019

An average 18.39 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the first four hours in Maharashtra's 17 seats on Monday as polling for the fourth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state was underway. Polling began at 7 am and long queues were seen outside many booths, some of which were decorated with balloons and 'rangolis' (colourful decorations). The voting figures till 11 am in other constituencies are as follows: Dhule- 18.26 per cent, Dindori - 21.06 per cent, Nashik- 17.22 per cent, Palghar- 21.46 per cent, Bhiwandi- 17.25 per cent, Thane-17.43 per cent, Mumbai-North- 19.46 per cent, Mumbai-North West 17.64 per cent, Mumbai-North East-18.39 per cent, Mumbai-North Central- 16.21 per cent, Mumbai-South Central-16.80 per cent, Mumbai- South 15.51 per cent, Maval- 18.23 per cent, Shirur- 18.65 per cent and Shirdi 20.55 per cent.

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Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from Agencies

A dog with pro-BJP stickers on its body was detained along with his master in north Maharashtra's Nandurbar town where polling for the Lok Sabha elections took place Monday.

Eknath Motiram Chaudhary (65), a resident of Navnathnagar area, was spotted with his dog near Andhare hospital Monday afternoon. The dog's body was found covered with stickers bearing the BJP's symbol and the message "Modi Lao, Desh Bachao" (Vote for Modi and save the country), a local police official said.

As the polling was underway, police had received a complaint about the dog and his master who were roaming around the town, he said.

A case was registered against Choudhary under section 171 (A) of the IPC for violation of election rules which prohibit campaigning on polling day. The police have asked the municipal corporation to take custody of the dog, the official added.

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A major fire broke out at a Big Bazaar outlet in Matunga West area on Monday afternoon. As per reports, the fire broke out in a ground-plus-one building housing. However, no casualties have been reported so far.

Several Fire Brigade personnel, one ambulance and a Quick Response Vehicle reached the spot to douse the flames. Five fire engines have also been deployed at the spot, said the officials.

All the people inside the store at the time of the fire were reportedly were to rushed out to safety and no casualty has been reported as yet. Firefighting operations were continuing.

A similar incident occurred last week in South Mumbai. According to reports, a fire broke out at the famous Crawford Market area. Reports also state that four fire engines were immediately rushed to the spot.

The fire engines are currently making efforts to douse the flames at Crawford Market. No casualty was reported in the incident, he said.

The blaze erupted around 10.50 am at the shopping centre located behind a mosque on Abdul Rahman Street and spread rapidly in the complex, the official said.

Several electronic goods, plastic, stationery items and electric installations were gutted in the fire, he said.

Four fire engines, as many water tankers, and a quick response vehicle were rushed to the spot, he said. The fire brigade personnel managed to extinguish the flames after hectic efforts for about an hour, he said.

Also Read: Mumbai: Major fire at a chemical plant in Dombivli MIDC

The exact cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained, the official said, adding that a probe was on into the incident.

(With inputs from PTI)

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While many polling stations were bereft of facilities for the physically challenged and senior citizens, the situation was refreshingly different in Palghar district, where arrangements were made to bring in physically challenged voters and drop them back to their homes.

The voters had a car to take them to the polling stations, where they didn't have to wait in queue to cast their votes, and drop them back home once they were done. This process had begun as a part of the run-up to the polls.

Explaining the same, the district's social development officer Vibha Jadhav said, "We had conducted a survey and made a list of physically challenged voters before the election. Now, we have been calling them to know when they would be able to come to the polling stations to vote."

Election 2019: Prominent personalities, other Mumbaikars come out to caste vote!

The voters had a car to take them to the polling stations, where they didn’t have to wait in queue to cast their votes, and drop them back home once they were done

Virar resident Suresh Pawar, 43, thanked the government for the initiative, "I am visually challenged person, as is my wife. Until last year, we had to take an auto rickshaw to reach the polling booth. But this time, the government has given us relief by arranging vehicles for us.

The polling booths also had representatives stationed to help physically challenged voters. Jidnyasa Polekar, from the National Service Scheme, who was one of the assistants, said, "We kept wheelchairs for physically challenged and senior citizens. We also assisted visually challenged voters to understand the process of voting so that they can cast their ballot sans any hassle."

Bolstering voter turnout

Palghar collector Dr. Prashant Narnaware told mid-day that they had taken a number of initiatives to bolster voters' turnout in the district. "We had carried out campaigns to spread awareness among voters. We reached out to 13 lakh voters during our 25-day campaign titled 'I Shall Vote.' We also involved school students in the initiative by asking them to write letters to their parents, urging them to cast their vote," said Narnavare. On voting day, however, the district was hit with a slight EVM glitch. "There are 2,170 polling booths in Palghar, out of which the EVMs of 50 booths faced glitches. But they were changed within 10 minutes, as all the zonal officials were given additional EVMs to tackle the crisis," said Narnavare.

Salman Khan, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Kangana, Bachchans step out for voting

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I have been trapped in a bad marriage for years now. My husband doesn't respect me, we fight constantly, and nothing we have done to fix this has worked. I know we will never be happy together, because he won't change, and I am tired of trying to make him happy. I would like to end this nightmare, but I can't tell my family about this because they won't support me. They believe I should be with him no matter what and that I should try and make it work. My husband has given up on this a long time ago and probably has relationships with other women that I know nothing about. I don't care if he does either because we have been living separate lives for years now. My family will refuse to accept the fact that we have tried for years and failed. Without their support, it will be impossible for me to get a divorce and move on. What should I do?
Families can be tricky when we are raised to believe that they will always stand by us, because they sometimes don't. We believe what we are conditioned to believe, and your family may not know how to deal with this. I suggest you stop relying on them for support and consider other options. You owe it to yourself to be happy, with or without their support, and that is all you should focus on for now. It may be hard for you to think about moving on without their help, but there are other societal systems in place that can offer you some kind of support. Speak to friends, reach out to groups that can counsel you on options, think about what kind of help you will need to get a divorce and move out, and you may be surprised to find assistance in the most unexpected quarters. No one deserves to live in a constant state of unhappiness, so speak to professionals and worry about how your family will react later.

The inbox is now open to take your most carnal and amorous queries. Send your questions on email to lovedoc@mid-day.com

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

It is not often that you see practitioners of Kathak, Odissi and Mohiniattam share the stage to present not multiple performances, but one that threads together the three traditions. That’s what connoisseurs of the dance forms will witness at a performance that highlights their underlying unity.

It will be presented by Sujatha Sanjay Nair, daughter and disciple of Mohiniattam exponent Jayashree Nair; Indrayanee Mukherjee, the first ganda-bandh shagird of well-known Kathak dancer Uma Dogra; and Dr Prachi Jariwala (in pic), senior disciple of renowned Odissi dancer Daksha Mashruwala.

Free
On: Today, 6 pm
At: Visitors Centre, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Fort.

Art power

Attend a group exhibition where over 40 artists will showcase their works under one roof. The Power of Colours will feature paintings by nationally and internationally renowned artists such as Subrata Bose and Rabin Bar.

Till May 6, 11 am to 7 pm
At Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli.
call 24964676
Free

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According to provisional polling estimate release on Monday evening, the city scored about 54 percent, three percent more than its 2014 feet. The figures are expected to be revised after the final data crunching on Tuesday. In 2014, Mumbai had registered a turnout of 51.6 percent, which was an improvement from a low of 41.4 percent in the 2009 General elections.

Of the city's six segments of varied demography, South Mumbai couldn't match up with its previous mark while Mumbai North Central, Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, and Mumbai South Central performed better. Mumbai North, where actor Urmila Matondkar (Congress) fought against BJP's sitting MP Gopal Shetty, recorded the highest turnout (59.32 percent) in the city with a major spike of 6.25 percent.

Also Read: Elections 2019: No guidance at booths, claim furious citizens

A fierce contest in North Central Mumbai between MP Poonam Mahajan (BJP) and former MP Priya Dutt (Congress) saw a jump of 4.17 percent. Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora and Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant's South Mumbai polled at a percentage similar to that of 2014. However, former Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam, who was worried about the possibility of a higher turnout, shouldn't be much upset as his North West fight with Sena's sitting MP Gajanan Kirtikar raised the bar by a 4.14 percent.

BJP's eleventh-hour candidate from North East, Manoj Kotak, who replaced sitting MP Kirit Somaiyya, claimed a 4.61 percent increase in polling that would possibly benefit Kotak against NCP's sole candidate in the city and ex-MP Sanjay Dina Patil.

Mumbai South Central which had former MP Eknath Gaikwad pitted against incumbent Rahul Shewale crossed the 2014 figure by 2.26 percent. The average voter turnout in the city's six Lok Sabha elections was 41.40 percent (2009), 47.30 percent (2004), 45 percent (1999), 50.40 percent (1998), 45.10 percent (1996) and 41.60 percent (1991). 

Also Read: Elections 2019: Polling booth moved, names missing, faulty EVMs

Election 2019: Prominent personalities, other Mumbaikars come out to caste vote!

State does better

After the fourth phase of polling, the state's polling average was 60.68 percent, said Chief Electoral Officer Ashwani Kumar. According to CEO, today's average polling in the 17 constituencies, including Mumbai's six, was 57 percent — much less than that recorded in the first (63.46 percent), second (62.88 percent) and third phase (62.36 percent). Gadchiroli (71.98 percent) registered the highest voter turnout in the state while Kalyan that went to polls on Monday had the lowest turnout of 44.27 percent, said Kumar.

Monday marked the last phase of polling in Maharashtra which has 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, second highest after Uttar Pradesh. The outcome of the state will have a bearing on the formation of the government at the Centre, as both the BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP are banking heavily for the electoral gains here. In 2014, the BJP-Sena and their other allies had won a record 42 seats in the state while the Congress was reduced to a mere two seats and NCP managed just four.

Also Read: Elections 2019 in Mumbai: Physically challenged, elderly, get little help at polling stations

60.68
State's voting percentage across four phases

48
Total no. of constituencies across Maharashtra

Salman Khan, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Kangana, Bachchans step out for voting

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In times when Mumbaikars are criticised for not turning up to vote, many people in the North constituency could not vote because their names were missing from the electoral list. All of them have been voting in many elections, even from the same polling booths.

Gyanchand Somani, a 61-year-old Gorai resident, was frustrated after running around from one polling station to another, to find his and his wife's name in the voters' list. "This is not the first time I am voting. And my address has also not changed. How is it possible that my name is not in the list?" questioned Somani.

Bharat Desai's name was also missing

Bharat Desai, a 71-year-old resident of Eksar was also shocked to find that his name was not in the list. "I have been living on D N Mhatre Road for so many years and have always voted from St Rocks' school poll station," said Desai.

Nityanand Nair, who was born and brought up in LIC Colony in Borivali west had the same story to tell. "My entire family is missing from the list whereas we have been voting regularly," said Nair.

Disha Shah, a first time voter, also could not vote as her name was missing

A 22-year-old Babhai resident, Disha Shah, who was excited to vote for the first time was also disappointed. "My family members names were there, but mine was missing," she said.

Initially Mitali Sarvankar, a 21-year-old Kandivali resident was disappointed that her name was not in the list, but she managed to find it. "I found my name in Oxford Public School's list, thanks to the helpdesks set-up by different political parties," said Mitali who excitedly showed her inked finger.

Mitali Sarvankar found her name thanks to a helpdesk

Ganesh Mandals help

In areas such as Borivali and Kandivali, Ganesh Mandals, Senior Citizen's groups etc helped voters find their names in the lists and where they had to go to vote. "Though we are registered as Ganesh Mandals, we are all friends from this locality and hold several other activities. Setting up a helpdesk is part of our work," said Deepak Thorat, president of the Shree Siddhivinayak Navatarun Mitra Mandal.

Vijay Kate and his friends, all senior citizens also set up helpdesks. "So many people are frustrated with their names missing from voters' list. There have been instances when two family members' names are there and others are missing," said Kate.

Local restaurants pitch in

Several local restaurants had put up stalls to give out coupons of 10 per cent discount to voters. Many voters made it a point to stop by to pick them up.

Also Read: Elections 2019 in Mumbai: Voters, poll officials confused over ban on mobile phones

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Voter's names missing from lists is not unusual any more. But, in Bhendi Bazaar, an entire building full of voters has vanished from the list, leaving around 100 residents without their right to vote in this election.

Salam Khan, a 32-year-old businessman, has been casting his vote for years. On Monday, however, he got the shock of his life when he was informed that his name was missing from the voters' list. When he returned home, miffed, he discovered that all the residents of his building, Zainabiya, were not on the list for some reason.

"When I reached the polling booth, I was told that my name was not on it. I was very upset. Then when I reached home, my neighbours, too, start complaining about the same thing. Later, we got to know that the name of the building had gone missing from the list. This is such a big mistake, they have lost so many voters," said Khan.

Also Read: Election 2019: Mumbai scrapes through in voting report card

The residents alleged that they heard that because the building was old, the election officer was told that the structure had been demolished for redevelopment. "We cast our last vote during the BMC election in 2017. There was no problem then. But now, the whole building has gone missing. How is it possible?" asked Rasheed Sheikh.

Election 2019: Prominent personalities, other Mumbaikars come out to caste vote!

Crèches at polling booths

The Election Commission roped in Aanganwadi Sevikas on voting day to take care of children coming with their parents to voting centres. While several such Sevikas were seen standing near the polling stations to take care of children so that they don't enter polling booths, other arrangements were made in rooms inside various schools where parents could leave their kids for a short while to vote.

Also Read: Elections 2019: Regular voters find their name missing at polling booths

In Prabhadevi, 147 Aanganwadi workers were roped in for this. A municipal school at Prabhadevi saw about 40 children taken care by these workers throughout the day. Even at Malad, the crèche was a big hit. Vandana Kothekar, who was on election duty and taking care of these kids from Prabhadevi, said, "We saw a good turnout and parents were willing to keep their children as it was just a matter of a few minutes."

Salman Khan, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Kangana, Bachchans step out for voting

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Amid the busy polling booths across the city, was a special room at the Mumbadevi polling station called the Sakhi Matadan Kendra - a polling booth managed entirely by women. The room had four female election officers dressed in sarees and the centre was entirely guarded by female police officers too.

The Election Commission began this unique initiative of an all-female polling centre in every constituency to make the electoral process more women-friendly. The booths were also decorated with rangoli and other art while cold drinks were offered to all the voters at these booths.

A senior officer at the booth told mid-day that the balloon and flower decorations and an all-women staff was meant to "encourage more female voters to cast their votes. It also provided a sense of refreshment among the chaos and tension of elections," she said. The Sakhi Matadan Kendra took up one room among the four at the Mumbadevi polling station.

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The 'No Mobile Phones' diktat issued by the Election Commission for voters at polling centres had a rather ambiguous implementation. While some carried it along inside the polling booth, others were asked to keep it out. With directions about phones not being allowed in the 100 meters vicinity of polling stations, the Election Commission had not made any provisions for safekeeping of phones.

Also Read: Election 2019: Mumbai scrapes through in voting report card

The rule ended up confusing voters across the city. Many were unaware of the 'no phone' policy and were left waiting outside the polling centres. The EC had issued such orders after some voters were found clicking pictures while voting during the last elections.

Salman Khan, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Kangana, Bachchans step out for voting

While most polling stations had police officials preventing voters from carrying their phones inside, there was no security checking of the bags that some voters carried, "thus making it difficult to ascertain if they were carrying a phone or not," said officials. Some centres also saw the police asking voters to hand over their phones to people standing behind them in the queue.

Dhanraji Yadav, who was at the Manohar Joshi Mahavidyalaya in Dharavi along with her family, said that police officials at the gate asked them if they were carrying any phones. "I waited with all the phones while my family voted. But while I was waiting there, the same police officials allowed other people to carry them by switching them off," Yadav said. An official said that the directives had come from the Election Commission of India. "We couldn't be responsible for everyone's phones and asked them to not bring them."

Also Read: Elections 2019: Regular voters find their name missing at polling booths

100m
Distance around polling booth where phones were not allowed

Election 2019: Prominent personalities, other Mumbaikars come out to caste vote!

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I began my Monday by first casting my vote and returned with both my index fingers inked at Municipal School No 1, Pratiksha Nagar.

I reached the polling station at 7.15 am and joined the queue there, but due to some technical snag, it took half an hour for the proceedings to start. Four voters who cast their votes before me were inked on their right-hand index finger and the official there wanted to do the same with me too.

Election 2019: Prominent personalities, other Mumbaikars come out to caste vote!

I informed him that the correct way was to mark the left index finger. He insisted on marking my right hand though and when I requested meeting his senior official to confirm, his colleagues told him that it was indeed the left-hand index finger that must be marked. When he realised his mistake, he wanted to ink my left index finger to rectify his error.

I tried to reason with him saying it was okay now that he had marked my right hand, but he wouldn't budge. While he was ultimately satisfied at having done his job, I had to roam around with two fingers inked.

Salman Khan, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Kangana, Bachchans step out for voting

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Despite the Election Commission (EC) announcing several initiatives to help the physically challenged and senior citizens during the voting process, no such arrangements were visible at many of the polling centres on Monday. Contrary to claims made by EC, no volunteers were present to guide the physically challenged or senior citizens to their polling booths, leaving them to either find a way on their own or rely on their family members.

No one came to help

Bagubai Shirwale, 70, who has a hunched back, had to inch forward using her walking stick as she tried to find her polling booth. She only had the help of her brother, Trimbak Shirwale, 72, who, like her relies on a walking stick. "We come to vote every time without fail. But I have diabetes, due to which I am not able to walk properly. My sister has chronic backache and can't walk much either. No one came to help us; we had to find the way around ourselves," he said.

They had to walk nearly 1 km to reach the polling station. Even after they successfully reached their venue, SK Pantwalkar Madhyamik Vidyalaya in Kurla west, finding the booth took some time. After asking around, they were pointed in the right direction.

In the absence of a wheelchair at the St Judes High School in Malad West, local Antony Roasario, who is physically challenged, is forced to crawl over a gutter under the burning sun. Pics/Suresh Karkera

Despite the sweltering heat, Sayaji Mokashi, 50, a visually challenged man, walked to his polling station, the Mahatma Gandhi Vidya Mandir in Bandra east, along with his wife Prajakta who also has problems with her eyesight, and their seven-year-old son. Mokashis, residents of the government colony in Bandra east, recall walking to their booth back in 2014 as well.

"It is our responsibility to vote and we take it seriously. We don't mind the walk but it would help if EC could arrange for some transportation," said Sayaji. Sudha Shantaram Nadkar, 75, who requires a walking aid, is thankful that her polling station is just across the road from her building in Kurla. However, she too has to rely on her neighbours to help her reach her booth.

"I have been voting since I turned eligible and I don't miss any election. But I fell three years ago, which made it difficult for me to walk. There is no one to help us find the booth and no one came forward to help me walk in either," she said.

Where are the ramps?

EC had also promised to provide ramps at all polling stations, as well as dolis (chairs with poles). Many of the polling stations across the city neither had any ramps for wheelchairs nor dolis. The police personnel stationed at the Central Railway Social Welfare Centre in Kurla east said no volunteers had showed up at the venue and no dolis were sent either.

"We are allowing senior citizens to go in directly; they don't have to wait in line. But their family members are helping them," said a policeman. Similarly, at L S Raheja College, an elderly man with an amputated leg walked to his booth with the help of crutches and his relative. Another aged man at the same venue had been brought inside by his family on a wheelchair, but had to walk the rest of the way with the help of his walking stick, while leaning on his son for support.

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Those who take on the world with ideas that outlive them belong as much — perhaps more — to it as they do to their families. While their work and public lives are well-documented, the personal side often remains obscured; the hardships and sacrifices taking a backseat as glory, at times infamy, take centre stage.

In Jenny von Westphalen, however, Karl Marx didn't just find a companion who provided him emotional strength and succour as the Marxes battled penury, persecution and the death of four of their children, but also an unrelenting collaborator as he analysed the flaws of capitalism and provided an alternative that continues to stir up impassioned debates. On the political theorist and revolutionary's 201st birth anniversary on May 5, Michaela Talwar and Satchit Puranik are bringing together their German and Indian backgrounds in the new play Mrs & Marx, to present what they call an impossible love story.

Michaela Talwar

Playing themselves, the city-based artistes invoke the spirits of Karl and Jenny (pronounced Yenny) to examine their story through the annals of history. A Harkat Studios production, work began on it exactly a year ago, on the 200th anniversary of Marx. It is a multilingual piece of documentary theatre that juxtaposes the performers' experiences in the present day with that of the world of the Marxes.

"I am privileged to know German. I read several of Jenny's letters, which opened an insight into her personality. Far from a meek housewife, she was a theatre critic, who was unapologetically outspoken," says Talwar, for whom collaborating with Puranik was an easy decision after she watched the production, Karl Marx in Kalbadevi, in which he plays the protagonist.

Puranik explains how his lived experience after marriage further refined Marx's theories and analysis of capital and cash supply, while Talwar says, "Marx wasn't a feminist to start with. [But with Jenny's outspokenness], he would learn to appreciate a woman's opinion. So, she set a subtle but effective example of feminism." Puranik adds, "'Social progress can be measured exactly by the social position of the fair sex...' is among Marx's oft-quoted statements. He rejected the idea of private property, which lay at the core of patriarchy. Even in his analysis of class struggle, he spoke of how women were appropriated into the factory system."

Two centuries after Marx and his beloved comrade and friend Friedrich Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto, communism as a political ideology struggles for survival today, existing only in a few pockets around the world, including India. Drawing from her experiences in India and Germany, Talwar tells us that opinions on Marx here swing between a deified and demonised image, while in Germany, it is easier to come across detached dissection of his works.

What remains undisputed however, say the directors and actors, is Marx's relevance. "With the financial depression of 2007-08, even his harshest critics couldn't escape the fact that through his works, he lives on to haunt them," asserts Puranik, while Talwar shares, "Nothing has changed in these 200 years, and the world remains an extremely unequal place." But she is quick to add, "Whether you believe in Marxism or not, this is a hopeful play; one that fights the discourse of hate that surrounds us with a love story."

On: May 5, 8 pm (for ages 15 and above)
At: Tata Garden, NCPA, Nariman Point.
Call: 22824567
Entry: Rs 300

ON: May 12, 7.30 pm
At: G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture, Laxmi Mills, Shakti Mills Lane, Mahalaxmi.
Log on to: bookmyshow.com
Entry: Rs 500

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Finger-inking good

Anushka Sharma offers voters at a polling station in Versova a frame worthy of the album when she poses with them on Monday after casting her vote. Pic/Satej Shinde

Not a happy ending

Ask any music-loving person who grew up in the 1990s, and they will tell you that AR Rahman's tracks were like anthems to the generation. As much as we love every chord the man has composed, there have been some visible cracks of late. But when we heard that the music director has composed the Marvel Anthem in Hindi for Avengers Endgame, we couldn't believe it.

For, Roke Na Rukenge Ab To Yaara faced a lot of flak after its release, and now that even more people are listening to it, many are calling it "cringe-worthy". A city-based musician even wrote, "My favourite part of Avengers: Endgame was not listening to Rahman's track at the end credits." Seems like Rahman will have to work on his game to please fans, many of who are tagging the song as the "only disappointment" in the movie.

A sweet goodbye

"I've known Pablo for 11 years; he's my best friend who was supposed to come help me out for two months but I was able to convince him to stay for three years," pastry chef Pooja Dhingra revealed to this diarist, albeit with a heavy heart while sharing with us that her close aide and business partner, chef Pablo Naranjo Agular, is all set to bid adieu to the city, and their labour of love, Le 15.

Le15 Cafe won the Best New Cafe at The Guide Restaurant Awards 2019 by Mid-day

"I'm going to miss having him around terribly, more as a friend and my moral support than anything else," Dhingra shared. Their camaraderie is apparent in Agular's thoughts, too, when he confesses that Dhingra was like a little sister and an incredible support system. "India has taught me so much not only as a person but also as a chef! For the first time in many years I can say I'm happy. However, I've been living away for 13 years and it's time to go home. Before I do that, I'm going to travel around Asia to learn and discover as much as I can," the Colombian chef told this diarist.

A whiff of Kashmir in Oz

The previous edition of MasterChef Australia saw history being made when an Indian-origin chef was crowned the king of the kitchen. Now, Kashmir-born Sandeep Pandit hopes to win the 11th edition. The IT project manager took one step closer to making this a reality when his name was announced as one of the 10 participants.

The Bangalore University graduate will be plating up a traditional feast from Kashmir, and hopes to charm Georgie Calombaris with his hot and spicy signature dish. The 37-year-old's social media profile mentions him as a complete foodie.

He has a food blog where he tells stories associated with the dishes like his mother's rogan josh, besides sharing their recipes. He picked up cooking after they moved to Australia and his parents worked hard to make ends meet. Well, here's hoping he introduces the world to the lesser-known delights of Kashmiri cuisine.

Live in concert

The voting day holiday for Mumbaikars packed in a treat yesterday with a day-long concert at the NCPA, celebrating Ustad Allarakha's birth centenary. While the free entry ensured it was open to all, the Nariman Point venue isn't logistically accessible to everyone. But that didn't bar music lovers from across the city, and for that matter anywhere in the world, from soaking in the tunes played in memory of the legendary tabla player. For, the venue ensured that the concert was streamed live on its Facebook page.

And as word spread, listeners kept joining in through the course of the day, as a stellar line-up of artistes — which had been kept under wraps — including Asha Bhosle, Prabha Atre, Rakesh Chaurasia and Niladri Kumar as well as folk drummers and a brass band from Jaipur performed. Now that's what we call an inclusive event.

Tete-a-tete with Gulzar

Poet, lyricist, and dire­c­tor Gulzar, known for classic movies like Aandhi, Angoor and Ijaazat, wi­ll be in conversation with three authors who have written bo­o­ks based on these films, at a ta­lk by Harper Collins India in Worli later this week. Author Sa­ba M Bashir who has done a cl­ose textual analysis of the film Aa­ndhi, will examine the details of its cast, dialogues and songs, while author Sathya Saran, who has traced Gulzar's adaptation of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, will talk about the filming and plot.

Author Mira Hashmi, who will be joining on camera from Pakistan, has written about how Gulzar's skill as a storyteller is exemplified by his complex characters. "The movie is a perfect showcase of Gulzar's impish wit, his way with words and how he can look at the world from a unique angle. I loved the humour in the dialogues and the way the songs are set; they are so tongue-in-cheek," Saran told this diarist.

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One of the major issues faced by the voters of the Mumbai North West constituency was that most of their names were missing from the voters' list, and they did not get much guidance at the polling booths. Those who did not find their names on the list, had to return without casting their votes, and they even complained that the officials posted at the polling stations could not address their queries.

The fight in the constituency is between sitting MP and Shiv Sena – BJP candidate Gajanan Kirtikar and Congress NCP candidate Sanjay Nirupam. Due to the scorching summer heat, most people preferred to vote in the early morning and evening hours. Long queues were spotted outside polling stations at Jogeshwari East, Goreagaon, Dindoshi, Andheri East and Versova.

The Pathak family whose names were missing from the list

Missing names

A family of three — senior citizen Parashar Pathak, his wife Anju Pathak and daughter Silky Pathak had landed at the Gyan Kendra School in Andheri West early to cast their votes, however they were shocked to find their names missing from the list. Speaking to mid-day, Silky said, "My mother had a doctor's appointment, so we decided to first cast our votes and then head to the clinic. But we were shocked to see that our names were missing. The officials at the polling station could not help us in any way, and after wasting two hours we left."

Shilpa Ajgaonkar from Goregaon East, who faced the same problem, said, "Though my husband's name was there on the voters' list, my name was missing. I had no option but to return after two hours without voting because even the polling officials could not help." Forty-six-year-old Genevieve Da Silva said that the election officials at the entrance of the St Anthony High School told her that her name was not there on the electoral roll. However, her husband, Clinton, could vote.

Goregaon East resident Shilpa Ajgaonkar's name was missing from the list

Senior citizens enthusiastic

Even though senior citizens of the North West constituency showed a lot of enthusiasm this time, many of them said that the facilities at the polling centres could have been better. A residents' association in Juhu had arranged for a pick-up and drop facility for senior citizens and even wheelchairs were available at polling stations.

Speaking to mid-day, Juhu resident Shankar Adnani, 82, said, "We are happy that adequate arrangements had been made for senior citizens at our centre and we did not face any difficulty in reaching the polling booth." However a youngster, who voted at the Gyan Kendra School polling station in Andheri West, said, "At the Gyan Kendra school, ramps for senior citizens were kept only at one place. Some of them, who had to vote at the adjacent building, were made to sit on chairs, which were then carried to the booth."

First-time voter Devangshi Haria from Four Bungalows

No ink applied

Meanwhile, first-time voter Muskan Gupta, who cast her vote at the Gyan Kendra School, said that an official at the booth forgot to mark her finger with ink. "I have cast my vote but the official in-charge might have forgotten to ink my finger. Even I was not aware of the exact process."

First-time voters
Four Bungalows resident and a first-time voter Devangshi Haria said, "I always wanted to vote and I am happy that I could do it this time. More youngsters should come out and vote because this is the process of nation building." Versova resident Mahesh Babaji Padyal, who is also a first-time voter, said, "I have been waiting to cast my first vote since over a year now and finally I could do it. I feel happy that my vote will play an important role in deciding the fate of the candidate, who will represent us in the Lok Sabha."

First-time voter Mahesh Babaji Padyal from Versova

Kurla resident Rita Vishwakarma was a happy mother on Monday since both her children — 19-year-old son Chandraprakash Vishwakarma and 22-year-old daughter Komal Vishwakarma — voted for the first time. As no one had explained them the voting process, the brother-sister duo said they figured it out themselves.

Muskan Gupta, whose finger was not inked

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Couple begins 36th anniversary by casting votes
Ranibai and Ramanlal Bakliwala

Ramanlal Bakliwala, an 81-year-old resident of Colaba arrived at the polling booth to cast his vote along with his 77-year-old wife Ranibai. It was a special day for them because it was their 36th anniversary which they started with a "noble" cause. "Every year, we first go to the temple to seek blessings but today, we came here to cast our votes as it is more important. We wanted to start the day with a noble cause. We missed the previous elections as we were out of Mumbai. This time we thought there is no better way to celebrate our anniversary than by first voting for the development of our nation," said Ramanlal holding Ranibai's hand.

'Found name only after searching for two hours'
Sanjay Jain

Like thousands of Mumbai residents, Sanjay Jain, a 48-year-old businessman, left home early with his family to cast his vote at Mumbai Central. But he had to run from pillar-to-post for hours as his name was missing from the voters' list. "When I reached the polling booth, I was told that my name is missing. Then I was told to go to the main office where after almost two hours of searching, I was told that by mistake they have put another similar name in my place. After almost three hours of waiting, I had to return home without casting my vote," he said.

Senior citizen encourages voting
Pervin Daruwalla

Like thousands of Mumbai residents, Sanjay Jain, a 48-year-old businessman, left home early with his family to cast his vote at Mumbai Central. But he had to run from pillar-to-post for hours as his name was missing from the voters' list. "When I reached the polling booth, I was told that my name is missing. All my family members cast their votes except me. Then I was told to go to the main office where after almost two hours of searching, I was told that by mistake they have put another similar name in my place. After almost three hours of waiting, I had to return home without casting my vote," he said.

Also Read: Elections 2019 in Mumbai: Physically challenged, elderly, get little help at polling stations

Lack of facilities
Anil Kejarival shows his mother's voting ID

Lalitadevi Deviprasad Kejarival, an 81-year-old resident of Pedder Road, fractured her leg few months back and was advised bed-rest. On Monday, she was determined to cast her vote. But the lack of basic facilities at the polling station meant she couldn't do so. "Her serial number was at booth No 2 which was on the first floor. She can't move so it was impossible for her to climb 22 steps. She requested she be allowed to cast her vote on the ground floor but the officials told her that it is not allowed. But don't rules say that for senior citizens there should be volunteers and other facilities? This is a very sad state of affairs," said her son, Anil Kejarival.

Also Read: Elections 2019 in Mumbai: Official inks both fingers of mid-day photographer

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It is hard to imagine how a single sweet — that otherwise holds hereditary, nostalgic and gastronomical relevance for many — keeps reappearing as a bone of contention between members of the civil society. It was only in March that the tussle between West Bengal and Odisha saw a new facet, with the latter challenging the Geographical Indications’s grant to ‘Banglar Rosogolla’ in November 2017, which stated that the juicy and soul-stirring treat was, in fact, from Bengal.

Now, this guilty pleasure is back in the news, and it reappears as West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s ammo. While campaigning in Raniganj and responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Didi claimed Bengal would be gifting him rosogollas made of clay and filled with gravel instead of votes. And while the two leaders made national headlines engaging in a rather infantile, albeit funny, donnybrook, we kept dreaming about the dessert. If you’re looking for a sweet escape from this political circus, here are few places to hide.

Sweeter than roses

Something that is meant to make people happy is now being used as a weapon in a war of words. It is a rather sad state of affairs," laments chef Jerson Fernandes. At this Juhu eatery, the gulabi rosogolla (R399) gets its name from the rose-scented syrup it’s dipped in. "The trick to making perfect rosogollas is kneading the dough well. We soak the chena dumplings in a rose-water sugar syrup, instead of the regular kind. It also happens to be very popular among patrons," Fernandes shares.

At Jeon, Hotel Sea Princess, Juhu Tara Road. Time 7 am to 12 am Call 26469500

Taste of Bengal

At Sweet Bengal, you can choose from plain rosogolla (R20), special rosogolla (R23) and kesari rajbhog (R25), as well as seasonal versions like mango and jaggery. Manager Chanchal Chakraborty tells us, "We source milk from Bengal to esnure authenticity, and the aim is to arrive at perfectly spongy rosogollas." He adds that they sell 2,500 pieces of the treat in total across the city.

At Sweet Bengal (all outlets). Time 10 am to 10 pm Call 9137155884 (Bandra West)

Café rosogulla

Staying true to their core principles, this restaurant is serving the traditional Bengali sweet with a zany twist. Speaking about the coffee rosogulla (R425), chef Thomas Zacharias says, "Why restrict rosogulla to its sickly sweet sugar syrup and not infuse it with another flavour? We soak the rosogolla in dark espresso and serve it with salted caramel ice cream and a homemade peanut brittle for crunch."

At The Bombay Canteen, Kamala Mills Compound, Lower Parel. Time 12 pm to 1 am Call 49666666

Treat from the past

Opened in 1971, Sandesh Bengali Sweets would originally serve samosa, jalebi and lassi. Then, sometime in the ’80s, the demand for Bengali sweets rose among Mumbaikars and the establishment introduced a range of sandesh and mishti over the years, but the offering began with rosogollas. "Uss time pe Bengali sweet ka ek hi matlab tha — rosogolla [R16]," shares second-generation owner Chandan Singh, adding, "Now, it has become so popular we sell close to 800 pieces a day."

At Sandesh Bengali Sweet, Dharmeshwar Building, TH Kataria Marg, Matunga West. Time 7 am to 10 pm Call 9004104908

Only serve it sweet
Around since the 1940s, Brijwasi Sweets’ Goregaon East outlet specialises in Bengali treats. Owner Anurag Agrawal tells us, when his forefathers introduced Mumbaikars to rosogollas in the ’50s, very few knew about the dessert. Today, it is one of their top-selling items. They serve rosogolla (R13 to R26) as well as rajbhog (R35), which is bigger and has an oozy centre. Asked to comment on the debacle between Didi and NaMo, Agrawal said, "I wouldn’t like to get into politics; all I know is that rosogollas should only be served sweet."

At Brijwasi Bengali Sweets, Sonawala Road, Goregaon East. Time 10 am to 9 pm Call 26863392

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Thanks to our time spent in North India, we belong to that bunch of foodies who will settle for nothing short of the ideal version each time we decide to try out a new eatery.

And so we set out to try a parantha and roll delivery kitchen that has recently opened in Chembur. We use an app to order classics like aloo and mooli parantha (R160 each), as well as a chicken tikka roll (R150), chicken shawarma (R110) and a double chicken omelette roll (R190). The service is abysmally slow: we wait for about an hour and 15 minutes for our order to arrive, contrary to their promise of 40 minutes. The reason, we learn is that since it's a home kitchen, all the ingredients aren't available.

Chicken tikka roll. Pics/Datta Kumbhar

The aloo parantha has a decent amount of filling, but lacks salt. And the biggest miss — especially if you've enjoyed countless, delicious North Indian versions — is that the parantha is served without any makkhan. We move on to the mooli parantha, only to realise that it is actually another kind of aloo parantha. We use their measly portion of kokum (R70) to wash the disappointment down with.

Next, we try the chicken shawarma roll, but cannot taste the filling inside, which they have substituted with another chicken roll filling. We bite into it, and in contrast to our forgettable experience with the paranthas, are surprised by the tasty combination of succulent tikka pieces and chutney. It's a no-nonsense approach sans any added masala makes it the star of the deli order. The egg variant is juicier and for once, they have actually doubled up the amount of filling. We'll order their rolls, if we are prepared to check our order and call them to see if there will be any delays.

Kokum

At Loving Paratha & Roll, Jai hind nagar, Samaj Kalyan Society, Chembur East.
Time 8.30 am to 11 pm
Call 7506464646
(for delivery)

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After waiting for a year, most fans of Avengers Endgame would have left the cinema hall in tears. As the final credits rolled, what had come to an end wasn't just the longest feature film in the series, but also an era of comic goodness we knew as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or the MCU.

Celebrating the culmination of the 22-movie series, the folks at Cancetta Mumbai, a social media-handling firm, will organise a gathering for all Mumbaikars to meet like-minded fans and discuss the conclusion of the series.

"It's the Star Wars of this generation," says curator Anthony Stephen Mendes. The event will include fun activities like cosplay and scene recreations, fact-sharing sessions, and character-based rapid-fire rounds. There's even a quiz where the winners will stand a chance to bag cool merchandise from the series.

A still from the film

The meet-up is sure to take you on a trip down memory lane from what started with an experimental move at the end of Iron Man (2008) over a decade ago to a movement and hysteria that has resulted in a new genre of movies and growing fan base, stemming from readers of the original comic books. "The gathering is an offline way to bid goodbye to one of the best cinematic universes of all time," adds Mendes. The event is open to all but participants below 21 years will have to be accompanied by parents.

On Tonight, 7 pm onwards at Doolally Taproom, 135 Kwality House, Kemps Corner.
Call 48931314
Free

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Mumbai: Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has said Indians were, in the past, enslaved by an 'Italian government', in a veiled jibe at the Congress party. The 32-year-old, while speaking to reporters after casting her vote at a polling station in Khar area in Mumbai on Monday, said, "This (polling day) is a very important day for us, it comes only once in five years. I feel India is gaining independence today in real sense. Earlier, Indians were slaves of British, Mughal and Italian governments. Please exercise your Swaraj (independence) and vote."

The 'Italian government' remark is an apparent reference to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who was born and raised in Italy. Gandhi was the president of the Congress party for nearly two decades before handing over responsibilities to her son Rahul Gandhi in December 2017. Kangana went on to say that the situation that prevailed in the country was the worst during Congress' government at the Centre.

"The political leaders used to chill in London and the country used to suffer from an array of issues like poverty, pollution, rapes etc. The situation in our country was worst when Congress was in power. Now that our time has come, we should vote in large numbers," she added.

Polling was held on Monday for 72 seats across nine states including five seats in Bihar, one in Jammu and Kashmir, three in Jharkhand, six each in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, 13 each in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal and 17 in Maharashtra. An overall voter turnout of 64.05 per cent was registered in the fourth phase of polling. Seven-phase elections will end on May 19, and results will be declared on May 23.

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Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora on Monday took to Twitter to congratulate the Election Commission for peacefully conducting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in the metropolis. In a statement, Deora, the Congress' Mumbai South Lok Sabha candidate also appreciated the efforts of the Mumbai police and other security personnel deployed for poll duty and heaped praises on them.

I'm grateful to all @INCMumbai karyakartas, @MumbaiPolice & other security personnel, @ECISVEEP officials, and - last, but not the least - lakhs of voters who made our festival of democracy that much more vibrant. pic.twitter.com/GeJqzJsq7t

— Milind Deora (@milinddeora) April 29, 2019

"The voters are the real heroes of this election and I thank them for strengthening our democracy today. On behalf of the Mumbai Congress, I congratulate the Election Commission for peacefully conducting elections in Mumbai," he said.

Also Read: Elections 2019: This how Mumbai police helped senior voters at booths

"I also appreciate and thank Mumbai Police and other security personnel for maintaining law and order in the city," he added. Deora also thanked his party workers, stating they "demonstrated their commitment to the values of the Congress". He also said that the media kept a close vigil on the proceedings of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Mumbai.

Blessings of the elders after a day of hard work ! No reward can even come closer to this #MumbaiFirst #YourChoiceMatters #LokSabhaElection2019 #लà¥Â‹à¤Â•सभानिवडणà¥Â‚à¤Â•२०१९ pic.twitter.com/9BHTyAWh6t

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2019

On April 29, 2019, Over 12.79 crore voters came out and cast their votes in order to decide the fate of 945 candidates. On the other hand, the Mumbai Police's Twitter handle which is well known for their quirky yet remarkable tweets, on the voting day, shared an impactful message of senior citizens of Mumbai setting an example for the youth of the city with their active voting. Mumbai Police on Twitter shared a heartwarming post of senior citizens at different polling booths.

While we salute all Mumbaikars who voted, this one’s for all of you who have excuses for not turning out to vote today. Meet Laksmi Aniruddha Kantawala, 100 years and going strong...keeping democracy stronger! We ensured she has no discomfort #Salute #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/wLvYSz85zu

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2019

Mumbai Police personnel posted at various polling booths across Mumbai on April 29, 2019, earned kudos for lending a helping hand to senior citizens and differently-abled people who had come out in numbers to cast their votes in the six Lok Sabha constituencies in the city and suburbs that went to polls.

They know their duty and we know ours! Always there to lend a helping hand to every good cause in the city. Very proud of each Mumbaikar who has stepped out to vote #YourChoiceMatters #LetsVoteMumbai #LokSabhaElections2019 #लà¥Â‹à¤Â•सभाà¤Âšà¥Âनाव2019 #लà¥Â‹à¤Â•सभानिवडणà¥Â‚à¤Â•२०१९ pic.twitter.com/pESY2Vaqb1

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2019

The Mumbai police personnel were seen helping the elderly voters at the polling booths by holding their hand and offering them assistance as they walk towards the polling booths to cast their valuable votes. In the Fort area in South Mumbai, which falls under Mumbai South Parliamentary constituency, police personnel of Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Marg police station were seen assisting senior citizens to their polling booths.

मतदान à¤Â•रणà¥Âयासाठà¥Â€ à¤Âœà¥Âयà¥Â‡षà¥Âठ नाà¤Â—रिà¤Â•ाà¤Â‚नà¥Â€ दाà¤Â–विलà¥Â‡ला पà¥Âरामाणिà¤Â•पणा यà¥Âवा पिढà¥Â€साठà¥Â€ नà¤Â•à¥Âà¤Â•à¥Â€à¤Âš पà¥Âरà¥Â‡रणादायà¥Â€ ठरà¥Â‡ल. तà¥Â‡वà¥Âहाà¤Â‚ à¤Â†ता मतदान न à¤Â•रणà¥Âयाà¤Âšà¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‹णतà¥Â‡हà¥Â€ à¤Â•ारण नà¤Â•à¥Â‹. मतदान à¤Â•रा à¤Â†णि लà¥Â‹à¤Â•शाहà¥Â€ला बळà¤Â•à¤ÂŸ बनवा #लà¥Â‹à¤Â•सभानिवडणà¥Â‚à¤Â•२०१९ #LokSabhaElections2019 #YourChoiceMatters #LetsVoteMumbai pic.twitter.com/2G14yfWEo9

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2019

Similar scenes were witnessed in areas that fall under the rest five constituencies that cover the island city as well as distant suburbs. Many Mumbaikars who exercised their franchise to vote clicked photos of the goodwill gesture of Mumbai Police and shared them on social media.

Fighting all the odds for an able democracy! Our salute to all the specially abled voters for not compromising on their duty! Let’s not make any excuses, #LetsVoteMumbai #YourChoiceMatters #LokSabhaElections2019 #लà¥Â‹à¤Â•सभानिवडणà¥Â‚à¤Â•२०१९ pic.twitter.com/0Mjj4qte9I

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2019

"Fighting all the odds for an able democracy! Our salute to all the specially abled voters for not compromising on their duty! Let's not make any excuses." Mumbai Police tweeted from their official tweeter handle at Mumbai Police.

Raising the bar for the youth, senior citizens across the city are turning out in large numbers at the polling booths to vote. It is our pleasure to help them in every little way we can. #YourChoiceMatters #LetsVoteMumbai #LokSabhaElections2019 #लà¥Â‹à¤Â•सभानिवडणà¥Â‚à¤Â•२०१९ pic.twitter.com/jH2KAO0IcS

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2019

In another tweet, Mumbai police said, "Raising the bar for the youth, senior citizens across the city are turning out at large numbers at polling booths to vote. It is our pleasure to help them in every little way we can."

Leading by example, they vote till this age so that democracy lives longer and healthier! They have fulfilled their responsibility of creating a legacy, it is our responsibility to keep it alive. MRA Marg policemen assisting senior citizens to vote comfortably #LetsVoteMumbai pic.twitter.com/lDUkJyJSVm

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2019

A heavy contingent of over 40,000 security personnel, including local police, QRTs, Central forces, was posted on election duty in Mumbai.

Over 17,000 officers and men of Mumbai Police have registered to cast their vote via postal ballot, to ensure they do not miss fulfilling their duty towards democracy while being on duty for its people #LetsVoteMumbai #YouChoiceMatters #PostalBallot #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/nwBvYdfnz3

— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 29, 2019

Over 17,000 officers of Mumbai Police cast their vote via postal ballot, to ensure they do not miss fulfilling their duty towards democracy while being on duty for its people.

See Photos: Elections 2019: Politicians, Bollywood celebs, Industrialists cast their vote in Mumbai

Here's how netizens lauded Mumbai Police for their selfless service during the Lok Sabha polls in Mumbai:

it was awesome to see senior citizens come out in full force to vote at my polling statation too. All the officers on duty were pleasant helpful & made it a wonderful experience for all. Kudos @MumbaiPolice https://t.co/LqVJQqmqjP

— Suchitra Krishnamoorthi (@suchitrak) April 29, 2019

Mumbai police was helpful at polling booth of Bhartiya vidya Bhavan- even to our enthusiastic grandmother Sushilaben D Jhaveri aged “100 “ years - residence of Morvi lane Girgaum chowpatty sea face - thanks for assisting her . Jai Hind jai Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/zx1psGxumJ

— Jyot Jhaveri (@bharatkajyot) April 29, 2019

Mumbai police is best in country. I never seen such courteous police personals in any such sensitive public gathering like national election. Iwas in a polling stn for 80min due to EVM snag. Everyone was tensed & irritated. Only smiling faces were the cops there. Salute to u all

— Sudipto SEN (@sudiptoSENtlm) April 29, 2019

Impressed with Police professionalism. One citizen had come with an election slip issued by political party. The policeman on duty guided the citizen but tore off the political party sign. Smart and professional policing

— AshwinYardi (@AshwinYardi) April 30, 2019

Thank you Mumbai police for your hard work and support. Proud to be a Mumbaikar, proud that we have you to watch out for us!

— Nononsense (@nononsese) April 29, 2019

There are also many policeman who never HELP for Photos but keep working for citizens. My salute to them & all who are always kind. Dev Jain

— DEVENDRA JAIN (@shubham9601) April 30, 2019

Salute to this grandma🙏...She inspires masses... Hats off to Police force for their tireless efforts in making it so convenient for all of us to go n vote🙏👍

— CA. Vivek R. Kasat (@cavivekkasat) April 30, 2019

The Mumbaipolice was very coperative in the booths. Hats off Mumbai police

— ahmed bhatkar (@2963ff9265b8491) April 29, 2019

We salute the Mumbai Police for doing an excellent job yesterday inspire of the weather conditions prevailing.. helping the aged and physically challenged. Hats off to you guys.

— Maneesh Prabhakar (@maneesh_pr_here) April 30, 2019

A great job done by the Mumbai a police yesterday at the Polls. They were very cordial and helpful

— Manjunath Hegde (@manjunathheigde) April 30, 2019

We should salute the mumbai police too, you have a huge responsibility u work so hard for us. Whether its helping elders people, and getting the process done smoothly so that the voters don't find any discomfort..

— Kavita Sunita Muknath (@KavitaMuknath13) April 30, 2019

We citizens Salute the Police Force . Standing in the que for casting vote we realised that our Police were performing the duty in the same heat for hours 🙏🙏

— Muzaffar (@muz08887) April 29, 2019

Great job done today on Election Day ,Sir! Absolutely professional policing. 👌👌🙏🙏

— Chowkidar Capt.Harish Pillay (@captpillay) April 29, 2019

It was well deserved blessings. Standing in the heat, yet alert and doing your job.Well done @MumbaiPolice for ensuring that the day was organized and safe for civilian.

— Dolly Kota (@DollyKota) April 30, 2019

The results of the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 will be announced on May 23, 2019. You can log on to eci.gov.in for more information.

With inputs from PTI

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The art display at the debut edition of the festival

This weekend, if you step into the heritage precinct of the Great Eastern Mills compound in Byculla, you’ll get to feast your eyes on oil and watercolour paintings by 50 artists from across India. The showcase is part of the second edition of Art 35, a three-day carnival that celebrates affordable art. “Though we had a basic festival last year, I have taken it to a bigger scale this year by curating carpet displays, fashion apparel, jewellery and food stalls; paper and origami workshops for children and music performances too,” shares Charu Tewari, CEO of Ficus Fine Living, that’s presenting the festival.

Mooralala Marwada

The performance line-up includes an afternoon of Sufi renditions by Mooralala Marwada, a well-known folk singer from the Janana village in Kutch district of Gujarat. The artiste, who sings in the Kaafi form of music, will regale the audience with poetry of Kabir, Mirabai and Ravidas. Other must-catch acts include a Dastangoi storytelling session with Ankit Chadha and a stand-up comedy show titled Oye... Stand Up by Ankita Shrivastav and Mohit Sharma. The latter will also perform a solo act of Toba Tek Singh. The play based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s famous short story set in the aftermath of Partition will see the actor don 19 characters in 60 minutes.

Mohit Sharma in an earlier performance of Toba Tek Singh

The fest also offers a range of workshops — from one on digital photography by Himanshuu Chandrakant Sheth to tarot card reading by Ruchi Shah, finger painting, fabric painting, mural painting, collage making as well as cupcake decoration with fondants and frostings. Each workshop is curated for specific age groups, including two-year-olds.

What’s a carnival without yum food? Dig into chaat, sandwiches, baos and organic fare from the stalls set up at the fest. These include gourmet lunchboxes for `500 whipped up by Savor, a subscription service launched by the folks behind The Secret Supper Project along with probiotic European fermented milk drink, Kefir, by Moina Oberoi, who runs the city’s first Kefir delivery service. You can also binge on Mutton Kheema Samosas, biryani and other sumptuous fare from a pop-up by The Bohri Kitchen.

If you’re looking for retail therapy, check out faux and semi precious jewellery, fashion apparel by Neelu Oberoi as well as exotic carpets and hides from The Merge Projekt in Bandra.

A still from Some Stories Around Witches

In the tribal villages of Odisha, a teenage girl kills an elderly relative believing that she is a witch and the cause of her father’s death. Overnight, a village turns into a mob to kill three people — a man and two women — who were identified as witches by a witch doctor. Meanwhile, a family is threatened and ostracised, for it is believed they bring ill fate, after they cook meat.

Lipika Singh Darai

The audience is engaged with three real life incidents in the 53-minute documentary, Some Stories Around Witches. Directed by Bhubaneswar-based FTII alumnus Lipika Singh Darai and produced by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT), the film explores the politics of witch hunting and the humanitarian crisis surrounding it. It will be screened tomorrow as part of the 22nd edition of Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum’s monthly screening programme, Movies At The Museum.

“There is a mystery surrounding tradition and myths about witchcraft but we should also see it in the light of socio economics and politics to understand the complexity of the events. The cases are very sensitive and my priority was to make the camera’s presence insignificant,” says Darai, who will be present for a Q&A session post the screening, which marks its premiere in Mumbai.

At the event, also catch the screening of another PSBT production, There Is Something In The Air. Directed by Delhi-based filmmaker Iram Ghufran, the Hindi-Urdu documentary is a series of dream narratives, and accounts of spiritual possession as experienced by women ‘petitioners’ at the shrine of a Sufi saint in north India.

Key, Chair

As the morning sunlight casts a warm glow on a terrace in Andheri, Yash Soni hands us a small glass bottle with a cork stopper. It fits between our thumb and index finger. Glinting at us from within is a tiny guitar carved out of the nib of a pencil.

Mic and fist, Eiffel Tower

A ‘wow’ escapes our lips as we squint to check out the intricate details — there are strings, tuning pegs, a saddle and Soni’s name carved on the instrument’s body. “It took me four hours to make it,” says the 26-year-old artist, one of the few in the city creating microscopic art out of pencil lead. This weekend, he will present a live carving session at Maker Mela, an event that celebrates art, engineering and science with a DIY mindset, at KJ Somaiya’s Vidyavihar campus.

Watch, Guitar

Russian inspiration
With a professional background in event management, Mumbai-born Soni’s tryst with pencil art began two years back, when he came across the works of experimental Russian artist Salavat Fidai on Instagram. “He carved a heart within a heart on a pencil. I was fascinated. Since art had been a hobby (he has created graffiti and speed painting works), I decided to try this too. I bought a pencil, a five-rupee cutter, and tried to carve a heart in a car, while travelling to Thane, and I was able to do it,” recounts the self-taught artist, who watched Fidai’s art-making videos repeatedly to learn the finger movements. “Now, we correspond too. His advice to me: be gentle and use minimal movements with fingertips,” he says.

Yash Soni with spool-and-needle carved on a pencil tip. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Be patient
Till date, Soni has created over 50 pencil carvings, including a key, a stiletto, a champagne glass, a watch, a chair, the Eiffel Tower, a fist with a detachable mic, a windmill with rotating blades and even a needle and spool, carved entirely out of the wood and lead of the pencil. On his wishlist are a scooter, a neckpiece and Mukesh Ambani’s tower of blocks, Antilla.

Soni’s tool set comprises two scalpels and a needle

“Carving on pencil requires a lot of patience. Since I prefer to focus on the details, it takes about four to five hours to make a piece, though I can make a heart in 20 minutes,” reveals Soni. The artist uses three basic tools — two scalpels with surgical blades and a needle fitted into a pen-like holder. “I start by shaving the wood with the scalpel and then, use a needle to carve the finer shape and details,” he adds. When we ask if he works in a particular kind of light, he confesses, “Initially, I would use a USB LED lamp attached to my laptop as a source of light when I needed to carve at night. My parents were anxious about it affecting my eyesight. Now, I’ve become more careful but I can work from any spot,” he adds.

Pencil matters
Soni uses a range of pencils, from 2B to 8B leads with a shiny finish, graphite pencils featuring matte-finish leads and carpenter pencils with a flatter surface. “Indian pencils aren’t great in quality and often, the lead within the pencil is already broken. The biggest challenge is breakage. 8B leads are thicker which helps me carve more intricately,” says Soni, who preserves the pencils in glass bottles or in customised frames.

Last week, he conducted a workshop-cum-exhibition at IIT-Chennai. Now, he also customises his works and sells them, starting from `4,000. “Most people are dismissive of the art since it’s on a pencil. My aim is to give micro sculpting the credibility it deserves,” he signs off.

A Nepalese farmer’s son will walk the ramp at the upcoming Mumbai style extravaganza, Lakmé Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017, and ‘he’ isn’t modeling menswear Anjali Lama, born Navin Waiba to a family of agriculturists in Nuwakot, is Nepal’s first transgender model. In another first, she is about to become the first transgender person to model clothes at an Indian fashion show next month.

Before Anjali, 32, could tackle the identity crisis, she was battling poverty. “My family is uneducated. We hail from a small village. We had no electricity when we were growing up. I completed my education by studying under lanterns,” she says, her flawless skin showing no signs of the struggle when we meet her at a central Mumbai hotel.

But juggling her dreams with anguish was something she learnt early. For as long as she can remember, Anjali wanted to be a girl. Finding solace in the company of her late mother and female friends, she realised she didn’t identify with the gender she was assigned at birth. “By the time i hit my teens, I was drifting away from the family. My brothers wondered what was wrong; they had already heard rumours. I decided to come out. When I did, they told me to stay away from the family. But my mother supported me. She would have been thrilled to see this,” she says, taking a moment.

Anjali’s success coincided with Nepal making progress in recognising the rights of transgender communities. The country allows its citizens to choose their gender identity, and issues passports with a third gender category.

In Kathmandu, where she moved to find her freedom, she was ostracized in the hospitality industry that she tried breaking into. Then, she met others like her and was guided to a community center that worked for LGBT rights. Friends suggested that with her lean frame (she’s 5’ 9”) and killer cheekbones, she stood a chance at modelling. “I liked the sound of it,” she says about the career she dabbled in back in 2009 while continuing to work for the centre. When she was featured on the cover of Voice of Women, a Nepalese magazine, that same year, she thought it would be her big break. “There were times I was better than the others but didn’t make it. My trainer at a modelling agency admitted it was my orientation that was coming in the way of success. Brands didn't want to associate with me.”

The next year, when she walked for an event titled, Monsoon Fashion Show, she caught a blogger’s eye, who told her story to the world. That was the turning point. “By 2016, I had established myself in Nepal,” she recollects, although she was yet to crack a premier fashion week. “I didn’t have the money to travel far or invest in an expensive photoshoot.” India was close at hand. She wrote to the Lakmé organisers last year to check if they’d entertain an entry from a transgender model. And although, they were game, she failed the audition. A disappointed Anjali returned to Nepal but couldn’t take the idea of walking the ramp before hundreds out of her head.

“I couldn’t sleep, and began working out to distract myself. I spent the year reaching out to agencies in Mumbai, gymming and learning the catwalk from youtube videos. “The models out there were young, beautiful. I was already 30,” she says, explaining how an attempt to put on weight with calorie rich foods ended in acquiring a paunch. “I decided to work out every day for 30 minutes, and managed to crack the auditions this year. I was in the top 5.”

Anjali says if she hadn’t made it, she was planning to quit modelling. But that’s another story.

Shacking up with friends at an apartment in Santacruz, she is already dreaming big the way everyone does in Mumbai. The breast augmentation she underwent in 2010 was a step towards transitioning fully, which she hopes to do with a sex change surgery. “I hear things get better for models with this big a platform, but my orientation worries me. That the fashion industry is a lot more open gives me hope,” she says, wondering if she’ll ever model for the designer she has her heart set on. “Manish Malhotra… I want to walk for him.”

'I realised I’m not the typical model'
He is “obsessed” with Manish Malhotra’s designs, but also digs Sabyasachi and Manish Arora. That’s a string of strong likes for someone who will model on the Indian runway for the first time.

Czech-born Petr Nitka, 23, is used to making news. And it’s no different here, with a ramp gig planned at fashion week in early February. Hailed as Czechoslovakia’s first gender-neutral model, Petr says over an email from his country that he, like his colleagues back home, is curious about what Indian designers are going to dress him in.

Having taken to modelling like fish to water, Petr first modeled for designer Alexandra Blanc at the South Africa Fashion Week in July 2016. Johanessburg-based menswear designer Roman Handt saw an article on him in a publication the next day, and was keen that Petr become the face of his brand.

A career in fashion, predictably, allowed him to explore his passion for make-up and clothes. Growing up in Ostrava, a city in north-east Czech Republic, he remembers a childhood marked by an unusual interest in getting made up. “When I was a kid, I was disappointed that I couldn't wear make-up or nice clothes. Contrary to that, I feel free now.”

His mother’s support and a move to Australia to pursue academics proved to be game changers. The trip led to a meeting with independent photographer Bharathan Kangatheran in Perth. When pictures from a shoot were published in a leading magazine, Petr met his moment of truth. “I realised that I wasn’t the typical model. The best aspect of being a gender-neutral model was that I could pursue my profound love for fashion.”

Petr, who in an interview to fashion magazine, Emma, last year, said he was a bit of a man and woman (“I am empathetic [like a woman] but I am lazy like a man. I’m a mix of both sexes.”), has worked towards moving away from conventional gender identification. Gender-neutral persons prefer not to identify as man or woman, and have recently begun taking on unisex pronouns like ‘they’ or ‘them’. Petr’s variegated choices reflect in long, mascara-lined lashes and unwaxed arms.

When he isn’t working, Peter prefers to dress in unisex clothing. “But I am skinny and it is difficult to find basic male clothing. I prefer simple fashion for women — skinny jeans and tops. They look like they were made just for me.”

Petr is excited at walking the ramp in India, because it’s only in strange places that he has found fame and acceptance. His career really began outside of his own country after he found that no Czech agency wanted to represent him. Now, he walks for brands that make menswear (Brandt) and womenswear (Jaroslava Prochazkova, Marcel Holubec, Lukas Krnac). Although, he does admit to designers finding it challenging to figure what they will dress him in.

Is Manish Malhotra racking his brain?

Bombay To Barcelona Library Cafe in Marol and a tray of herbs

While many high-end restaurants in the city are struggling to execute the farm-to-table experience, street kid-turned-author Amin Sheikh has found a way to add fresh herbs into the fare prepared at this four-month old Bombay To Barcelona Library Cafe in Marol. Sheikh, who launched the café to help provide employment to street boys and girls and give back to society, has installed a vertical garden in the premises. “At the café, everything is made-to-order.

We wanted to enhance the organic experience by adding fresh produce,” says the 35-year-old, who received the modular, four-tier, self-watering system from the Mumbai-based start-up Enverde, specialising in urban farming. The owners happen to be regulars at the cafe.

“I bought herbs like basil, lemongrass, parsley, oregano, coriander and even spinach from a nursery at Bhavan’s College, and planted them last week. We get ample sunlight so we will wait for the plants to grow and then use them in the food,” informs Sheikh, who had earlier visited farmers’ markets but found the produce too expensive.

The café was launched with the funds Sheikh had gathered from the sale of his autobiography Bombay Mumbai Life Is Life I Am Because Of You (self-published in 2012), which captures his gritty success story. Run by seven staffers, it serves Spanish tapas, Spaghetti, sandwiches, rolls, muffins as well as Indian fare — all the dishes are priced under `200. “A friend of mine in Spain, a chef, just finished a nine-day training with the boys,” shares Sheikh, who plans on launching the café in Barcelona too.

Time: 10 am to 10 pm
At: 3 and 4, Gold Nest Housing Society, Marol Naka, Andheri (E)
Call: 9820212029

Haitham with Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of Dil Hai Hindustani where the two sang SRK’s chartbuster Jabra Fan

When we meet Haitham Mohammed Rafi inside the dimly-lit sets of a popular music reality show, he stands out from those sitting beside him. The white of his traditional dishdasha and the colourful turban — called the massar — make him look like an anomaly. The 23-year-old appears to be closely observing his fellow singer — a girl half his age — who is on stage and singing the famous DDLJ-towel song, 'Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye,' when we raise our hand and call for his attention. There is instant recognition.

"Wallah!" he yells out in Arabic. "How come, you here?" he goes on, in his Middle-Eastern accent.

It has been three years since we first met Haitham. The last time it was in his hometown Muscat, the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman. "I will sing in Bollywood, someday, Inshallah!" he had then rapped, much to the amusement of this correspondent. At the time, we had wished him luck, without mocking his expectations or pointing out the risks.

Last week, when a video of filmmaker Karan Johar sitting in stunned silence after Haitham’s performance of Naina Thag Lenge, went viral on Arab social media, this writer was glad she had kept mum then.

Haitham, an Omani national, has just made it in the final 11 of the first season of music reality show Dil Hai Hindustani. Being an Arab, has only worked in his favour. For the judges, Johar, Badshah, Shalmali Kholgade and Shekhar Ravjiani (of Vishal-Shekhar fame), the first question on their mind was, “Can an Arab sing in Hindi?”

"Okay, maybe!" "But, that good!"

"I have Mohammed Rafi’s blessings," Haitham jokes. Not like, we hadn’t been meaning to ask him the story behind his namesake. Haitham al Balushi takes his middle name, Mohammed Rafi, from his father, who was surprisingly christened by the veteran Hindi singer himself. "Though Omani, my grandfather was a huge fan of Mohammed Rafi," he recounts. “When my father was born, Rafi saab was performing in Bahrain. My grandfather, who was working there, went for the show and managed to have a quick chat with him backstage," he says, adding, “He told Rafi saab, I want you to name my newborn.” The rest, as the Balushi family recalls, is history.

Until seven months ago, Haitham worked as a personal banker with a leading national bank in Muscat. “It was so boring. I hated going to work...it was suffocating," he says. Unable to take it anymore, Haitham put in his papers, and ferociously started looking for opportunities to sing. "I wanted to pursue my passion," he says. We ask him what that is? And, pat comes the reply, "I want to become the first Arab playback singer and composer in Bollywood." Haitham has been harbouring that dream since he was 11.

In Oman, Haitham says, there is no concept of vocal training. "If you're a good singer, you're a good singer." His only source of Bollywood music was audiocassettes and CDs as a child, and later YouTube. "So, when I told my Omani friends that I wanted to become a singer, they laughed. They said, 'You can’t make it big in India…it is so tough'."

On an Indian friend’s advise, he started listening to a lot of ghazals. "I was told that it would help me get my nuances and accent right," he says. His favourite ghazal singers are Jagjit Singh and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. But, that's how Haitham’s Bollywood dreams first took flight.

In 2012, he became the first Omani to win Muscat Idol, which sees participants mostly from the Indian Diaspora. From there on, due to dearth of a great body of work, Haitham started composing music for Omani TV shows. “But, I realised that I wasn’t enjoying Arabic music. Each time, I sang in Hindi, I was happier,” he says. Of the 500 songs he has composed, 450 were in Hindi. “My mum knew I wasn’t meant for Oman. So, she kept pushing me to try my luck at Indian reality shows,” he says. He tried thrice and failed. The fourth time, he decided to think practically and opted for 'The Voice Ahla Sawt', the Arabic version of the international music show. “Even there, I could not fit in,” he says. This December, after five years of working towards his dream, he got the call. And, that too, from India.

Here, he is still just another contender at the show. But, back home, things have changed for Haitham. After a video of his performance went viral, Omanis in Muscat, who he claims love Hindi cinema, have gone into an overdrive. “I’ve already signed 13 shows in Muscat and Dubai,” he says. “My friends are buying the Indian digital channels, just to watch my show.”

"I think it's a proud moment for my country," Haitham says. Just as we end, he gets his cellphone out, and shows us a photograph of his, clicked with Shah Rukh Khan, where the two are facing each other, striking the latter's signature pose. “India has already opened its arms to me," he gushes.

Bombay Chamber Orchestra concert

Did you know that world renowned classical composers like Mozart, Beethovan and modern day legends like George Gershwin and Nat King Cole were Freemasons?

Well, they were. Freemasonry is not the shadowy organisation it is made out to be in popular fiction. Freemasons are actually the world's oldest and largest non-religious, non-political and charitable organisation. It also has the honour of being the world’s largest fraternal society.

The first Grand Lodge in England is said to have been formed on June 24, 1717. This means that 2017 is the 300th or Tercentenary Anniversary.

The Freemasons are celebrating the completion of three hundred years of their formation, with a series of events in Mumbai, spread over the two days of January 27 and 28.

Many non-Freemasons, know very little of Freemasonry, and even if they do, consider it a secret society. Even lesser is known about the fact that Western Classical music has been deeply influenced by Freemasonry and many leading composers were Freemasons themselves.

Freemasons, together with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra have invited leading performers from India and abroad, and have put together a once- in-a-life time musical soiree. The event is scheduled to be held on Saturday, January 28 at 6:00pm, Sophia Bhabha Hall, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai.

ALSO READ: Not such a secret society, after all

Donor passes for the premium segments of Rs 5000 and Rs 1500 have already been sold out. The last few regular seats at Rs 1000 are still available. The funds raised by the event are earmarked towards the cause of dementia.

So you have got to rush and book those passes right now.

For programme details and online donor passes log on to:
http://freemasonryintheeast.dglbombay.org/concert/

Baby Olive ridley turtles all set to embrace the sea in Velas.

Turtles - female Olive ridley turtles in particular - have a phenomenal memory. In their lifespan of about 50 years, where they swim for thousands of miles in the underwater world, they never forget one route. The females return to the same beach where they hatched to give birth to new life. The creatures are also communal in nature - they arrive at their native beach in thousands to lay eggs. The phenomenon, which makes for a stunning sight, is called Arribada.

Inhabitants of warm waters, the species has two haunts on the Indian coastline: Rushikulaya in Odisha and Velas in Ratnagiri. Over the years, Olive ridley turtles have borne the brunt of human activities and are now recognised as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Conservation measures have been underway to ensure the eggs hatch in a conducive environment and the hatchlings safely take their first steps to the sea. If Arribada has piqued your interest, a two-day eco-tour organised by Mumbai Travellers will take you to the Velas beach where you can watch the phenomenon unfold before your eyes.

"The baby turtles trek to the sea in early mornings and evenings, so we take travellers straight to the beach as soon as we arrive in Velas," shares Karishma Joshi, eco-tours division head of the travel group. The trip includes a visit to the Bankot Fort and Harihareshwar. "In the evening, travellers will be taken to conservationist Mohan Upadhye's home, where they will watch a documentary on the turtles. This will be followed by a skit presented by local children on turtle conservation," shares Joshi.

WORKSHOP

Do yoga by the sea
Sat, feb 25 & sun, feb 26 Set your mat aside and dig your toes deep into the sand. Listen to the sound of the waves and breathe in the fresh air as you move through energy boosting yogasanas. Taught right on the shore by Shweta D’souza, this yoga class is structured to give you a full body and mind workout.
TIME: 7.30 am to 8.30 am
AT: Silver Beach (beach entrance from Godrej House), JVPD, Juhu.
CALL: 9820401592
COST: Rs 650 per class

PLAY

Witness a strange reunion
Sun, feb 26 Catch a play titled Class of 84, which tells the story of seven friends who belonged to a tight-knit college group from 1979-84. They come together because of the death of their eighth friend. Will the friends come to terms with this death, and, more importantly, themselves, through the course of the evening?
TIME: 8.30 pm onwards
AT: Prithvi Theatre, 20 Janki Kutir, Juhu.
LOG ON TO: bookmyshow.com
COST: Rs 500

ART

For the love of pets
Till today View the work of young artist Manish Bobade, whose love for animals finds expression in his series My Pet. Bobade has created his works in the semi-abstract genre, which showcase dogs, cows, goats and in some instances, birds.
TIME: 11 am to 7 pm
AT: Gallery Pradarshak, 100, Kalpana Building, Plot 338, 12th Road, Khar(W).
CALL: 26462681

Go artsy with humour
Today Attend a talk on art and a demonstration by Sanjeev Sonpimpare at the Bombay Pier Pop-Up. The artist is known for reshaping Mumbai street scenes, middle class protagonists, magazine covers, and advertorial images with a tinge of humour in his works.
TIME: 5 pm to 6 pm
AT: Radio Club, 26, PJ Ramchandani Marg, Apollo Bandar, Colaba.
Call: 22845025

SHOP

Drop in at a flea
Sun, feb 26 Attend the Big CSR Flea and shop for a cause. The curated flea market will comprise stalls put up by a number of NGOs, women entrepreneurs and start-ups. There will be an array of handmade products to choose from.
TIME: 11 am to 10 pm
AT: Urban Community Development Center, 104/B, 14th Road, Bandra (W).
CALL: 9833984214

Get ready for summer
Ongoing Kolkata-based designer Vedika M brings her latest Spring Summer 2017 collection to Mumbai. The collection, which comes in vivid hues, uses a combination of brush and block printing techniques. Pick from short and long dresses, skirts and jackets.
CALL: 9830020022
LOG ON TO: vedikam.com
COST: Rs 3,000 onwards

FOOD & DRINK

Celebrate Margaritas
Till tues, feb 28 Raise a toast to Margarita Day by celebrating it for a whole week. Paying tribute to the refreshing citrus beverage that is loved the world over, a special menu has been curated to honour iconic women from Mexico. Try drinks named after not just the famous Margarita Carrillo Arronte, but also Frida Kahlo, Ellen Ochoa, Salma Hayek, and more.
TIME: 12 pm to 1 am AT The Good Wife, ground floor, The Capital, Bandra Kurla Complex.
CALL: 40039433
COST: Rs 450 plus taxes for each drink

Take a bite of cheesecake
Ongoing Dig into a new cheesecake menu that includes unique flavours such as Sprinkle Birthday Cake, Banoffee, Ferrero Rocher (in pic), Gluten Free Smores, and the seasonal classic, Strawberry, which features organic Mahabaleshwar strawberries and homemade strawberry jam.
TIME: 7 pm to 1.15 am
AT: Bastian, B/2, New Kamal Building, opposite National College, Linking Road, Bandra (W).
CALL: 26420145
COST: Rs 500 (per slice), Rs 2,750 (full cake)

Try a festive menu
Ongoing Celebrate the Year of the Rooster with a new menu featuring dishes like Beggar Spring Chicken (in pic), Charcoal Grilled Spare Ribs, Wood Baked Spiced Oily Pomfret, and more.
TIME: 6 pm to 1 am
AT: Dashanzi, JW Marriott, Juhu.
CALL: 9769311654

DEAL WITH THE WEEKEND

Be an early bird
Till March 31 Arrive for dinner between 7 pm and 8 pm, and enjoy a 30 per cent off on a dinner buffet featuring soups, salads, starters, main course and desserts.
AT: The Earth Plate, Hotel Sahara Star, Vile Parle (E).
CALL: 39895000
COST: (after discount) Rs 1,610 plus taxes

Shop for a steal
Ongoing Get up to 70 per cent off on the entire collection of 80 designers. Shop from a wide variety of outfits along with clutches and jewellery.
TIME: 10.30 am to 9 pm
AT: Kashish Infioré, Hughes Road.
CALL: 23613111

Go sip happy
Sun, feb 26 Enjoy extra long Happy Hours this Sunday and indulge
in unlimited drinks
such as Apple & Malta Sangria, Watermelon & Mint Sangria, flavoured wines, and beer, all for `899 (inclusive of taxes). Dig into Crab Cakes and Pork Van Dogh.
TIME: 11 pm to 12.45 am
AT: Veranda, Hotel Executive Enclave, Pali Hill, Bandra (W).
CALL: 33126749

COMEDY

Laugh at a ladies' special night
Today Ladies, if you think you are funny and have an opinion about booze, boys, Bobbi Brown or anything else under the sun, register for the stand-up comedy open mic evening, hosted by Kaneez Surka. Not only do you catch her at her best, you also get to attempt to be the next comic star.
TIME: 8 pm onwards
AT: The Cuckoo Club, Mc Ronell's Compound, Pali Hill, Bandra (W).
CALL: 9619962969
COST: Rs 200

Pick the best performer
Tues, Feb 28 Ten stand-up comedians will be trying out new jokes and you get to choose the best performer. All the jokes may not work, but the fun lies in listening to fresh material. The show will be hosted by Hijas Moosa.
TIME: 9 pm
AT: Backstage Cafe and Bar, Andheri (W).
CALL: 98927 20001
COST: Rs 200

MUSIC

Sing along
Thurs, mar 2 Catch Yatharth Ratnum, the winner of the first season of singing reality show, The Stage, at a gig. He will be joined by four other finalists from across the last two editions of the show.
TIME: 8.30 pm onwards
AT: Hard Rock Cafe, Wadia International Center (Bombay Dyeing), Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli.
CALL: 24382888
COST: Rs 750

Catch a tribute concert
Wed, Mar 1 Ustad Zakir Hussain and the SOI Chamber Orchestra will pay tribute to legendary composer Vanraj Bhatia, who is known for his iconic scores in films like Manthan, Junoon, Mandi and more.
TIME: 7 pm onwards
AT: NCPA, Tata Theatre, Nariman Point.
CALL: 24382888
COST: Rs 500 onwards

Tune in to the santoor
Thurs, Mar 2 Immerse yourself in soulful tunes by santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
AT: A concert, being held to raise funds for an NGO. The funds will be used towards promoting the welfare of children.
TIME: 7 pm onwards AT Nehru Centre, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli.
CALL: 24964676
COST: Rs 300 onwards

FOOD & DRINKS

Dig into a Thai feast
Till Mar 5 Take a culinary tour of Thailand with a new menu of Hued Grob (fried mushrooms in Thai black pepper sauce), Gai Yang (chicken leg marinated in curry paste), Koong Phad Kaprao (prawns tossed with garlic), and some interesting rice and noodle preparations.
TIME: 7 pm to 11.30 pm
At: Saptami, Holiday Inn, Saki Naka Junction, Andheri (E).
CALL: 40851800
COST: Rs 1,399 plus taxes

Bake teatime treats
Tues, Feb 28 Learn to make melt-in-the-mouth cookies like Earl Grey shortbread, jam drops, cardamom tea cookies, oat biscuits and the classic Shrewsbury biscuits. These make for the perfect accompaniment to your hot cup of chai, or a delightful gift for a loved one. Registration closes 24 hours prior to the class date and time.
TIME: 10 am to 1 pm
AT: Cakesmiths, second floor, Jatia Chambers, Dr VB Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda.
CALL: 30213333
COST: Rs 4,255

Get rid of a hangover
Ongoing Recover from a night of excessive drinking with this special Hangover Breakfast menu. Dig into oven-baked egg white omelette topped with vegetables and cheddar, chicken sausages served with French fries and salad, and even comforting pancakes, served alongside espresso and freshly squeezed orange juice.
TIME: 8 am to 11.30 am
AT: Silver Beach Cafe, Jaldarshan Building, Gandhi Gram Road, Juhu.
CALL: 9819966495

SHOP

Dress in your festive best
Ongoing Pick an outfit from Shyamal and Bhumika's Spring Summer 2017 Collection, titled Fragrant Winds. The collection combines Indian silhouettes with patterns of blooms, grasslands and birds.
LOG ON TO: shyamalbhumika.com
CALL: 9833525200

ART

Marvel at the muse
Till mon, Mar 6 Head to a solo exhibition of paintings titled Muse 2, by artist Vijay Belgave. Through his works, he attempts to showcase the beauty of a young, sensitive woman and her thoughts, besides depicting the attachment between young lovers.
TIME: 11 am to 7 pm
At: Jehangir Art Gallery, MG Road, Kala Ghoda.
CALL: 9820960057

PLAY

Head to the smoking zone
Thurs, mar 2 Catch the play, Dhumrapaan, set in the smoking zone of a corporate building where employees discuss appraisals, politics and all that comes with working in an office. The stress and fears will help you draw a parallel with your own life.
TIME: 8.30 pm onwards
AT: Prithvi Theatre, Juhu.
CALL: 26149546
COST: Rs 300

South Dandies Swaraj rappers, Tamizh (left) and Sean YKV (centre) who are working on their debut album, recently performed with Kadhal Jack (extreme right) of Kacheri Movement in the city. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

“I say what I want to say and do what I want to do. There’s no in between. People will either love you for it or hate you for it.” Eminem, the global Rap icon, had elucidated the fundamentals of the genre cogently, whose origins are in Africa and Jamaica. Owing to the free flow, it entered India on a blissful note.

Legendary actor Ashok Kumar offered its first glimpse with the song, Rail Gaadi (Aashirwad), in 1968. Within two decades, the genre found allies in AR Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja. South Dandies Swaraj — a Rap duo comprising Suresh Agailan Bose (Sean YKV) and Rahul Prasad (Tamizh) - are taking forward the legacy, albeit in the independent space. The Mumbai-based group raps in four languages, but their highlight is Tamil.

Message in music
Sean, the lead rapper, wants to bring about a change through an album, that’s in the making. “My motto is Rap for change and Hip-Hop for life. I try to convey a message through every song. I am looking for a producer,” says Sean. The name of the band is suggestive of their South Indian roots. Earlier, the group had more members. “We were a Hip-Hop Collective with nine people, including a miniature artiste and a graffiti artiste. We had to bid goodbye to some members,” he shares.

The 28-year-old from Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) resides in Mahim and believes that rapping in different languages will help him reach out to more people. “It helps me connect to more listeners who understand these languages. We want to take our regional languages abroad,” he adds. Sean also performed alongside Apache Indian and Shankar Mahadevan in his initial days. “I didn’t get any break after those shows. But kids would take my autograph while senior citizens would kiss my hand. They thought my Tamil was retro,” he says.

Society matters
“Our music talks about recycling, rape, terrorism, social media and other social issues,” says Sean, who can also rap in Marathi. His colleague, Tamizh, sticks to Tamil.

One of the singles from the Dandies’ kitty is Idli Vada, the traditional breakfast in South Indian households. “I observed Idli and Vada vendors and wrote a song around their daily struggle, and how they see the society through customers,” explains Sean. The track, Social Kadhal/Pyaar, dwells on the overuse of social networking sites. “The world has become dynamic with Facebook and Twitter. This song is about the youngsters who spend hours on it.” The group also has a track dedicated to the feminists, called Nari Meri Nari.

The Dandies also developed a brother culture, being close to Kacheri Movement, a Rap outfit from Dharavi. They are often seen playing gigs together.

Sean is hopeful about his music’s reach. “I am not a party person. I am interested in the social issues. We know how African Americans changed the face of Hip-Hop when they used music as a vehicle for their struggle. I will try to do the same,” he signs off.

Unlock the mystery of butterflies

12 PM: Attend a session, where you will witness first-hand the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. The session will also include a short introduction on the life cycle of the butterfly, the plants that it attracts, and how you can rear your own winged insect.
WHERE: Green Hope, HDIL Dreams, Bhandup West
ENTRY: Rs 1,000
CALL: 8108900312

Groove with DJ Lloyd

5 PM: Bid adieu to the sun's last rays with DJ Lloyd serving you groovy tunes at Thalassa. A veteran in the music and programming industry, Lloyd Gueizelar, popularly known as DJ Lloyd, performs on psychedelic, house and various genres of electronica. While dancing, you can also dig into the delicious food.
WHERE: Thalassa, 21st Street, Khar (West), Off Carter Road
FOR RESERVATIONS: 9820004018/9820004019
FREE

Create that dynamic poster

BOOK A SEAT
11 AM: Don't miss this interactive Indiefolio masterclass conducted by illustrator Raj Khatri, creative art head of Marching Ants Advertising. At the session, Khatri will discuss the art of making movie posters. With movies having multiple characters — plot lines, venues, and themes — Khatri will talk about how one can package all those nuances and details into one poster. With 14 years of experience behind him, he is the man behind some of the most famous Bollywood movie posters of the last decade, including Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Bang Bang, Kahaani and Baahubali.
WHERE: antiSOCIAL, Rohan Plaza, 5th Road, Khar West,, Mumbai, India 400052
TO BOOK: events.indiefolio.com
FREE

Go on a filmi tour

12.20 pm and 2.30 pm: Hop on for a two-hour guided bus tour of Film City, which will offer you a rare glimpse of the famous studio that has been the venue for some of the greatest movies in Indian cinematic history. If lucky, you may also get to see a live shooting in progress.
WHERE: Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagri, Santosh Nagar, Gate No. 1, Film City Road, Goregaon East
ENTRY: Rs 599
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com

Talk about colour

11 AM: Do you know why there's no pink in a rainbow? Arnab Bhattacharya, a scientist at TIFR and a passionate science communicator, will discuss this and more in a special lecture on why colour is central to our lives.
WHERE: Prithvi Theatre, 20, Janki Kutir, Juhu
CALL: 26149546

Enjoy a Bohri dawat

12.30 PM: Enjoy a shahi home-cooked meal with this curated menu by The Bohri Kitchen. With smoked mutton kheema samosas for starters, and the legendary raan in red masala, lagan ni seekh and saancha ice-cream, your Sunday lunch is going to be a treat. Address and details will be shared once you confirm your presence.
CALL: 9819447438

Surf the coast

4 PM: Take your family out for a sunset sailing experience in the evening. The two-hour boat ride along the Arabian Sea will end with the gorgeous spectacle of dusk settling over the horizon. This could just be the perfect short break you needed to wind down, after a long work-week.
WHERE: Near Taj Mahal Hotel, Jetty No. 5, Colaba
ENTRY: Rs 1,300 per person
CALL: 7738073691

Watch a political satire

7 PM: Make time for a political satire this evening. Ghashiram Kotwal, an adaptation of a play written by the acclaimed playwright Vijay Tendulkar, is based on Ghashiram Sawardas, who trades his daughter to Nana Phadnavis — a minister in the court of the Peshwa of Pune — in exchange for the position of police chief. The play highlights how people in power give rise to new ideologies and agendas and reject the same when their purpose is served.
WHERE: Sophia Bhabha Auditorium, Sophia College Campus, B. Desai Road, Breach Candy
ENTRY: Rs 500 - Rs 2,000
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com

ORDER OF THE DAY

Grow greens at home

MARCH 12, 11 AM - 2 PM: If you want to do something for the environment, start with your own backyard. Learn to make terrariums, miniature plants in glass. They are easy to maintain and perfect for most of us who live in flats. So sign up for the workshop, Make Your Own Terrarium (miniature gardening) organised by Urban Fireflys where you will learn the A-Z of making and maintaining your own terrariums and take home your own baby terrarium.
WHERE: Vrindavan Cafe, Dosti Club House, Dosti Acres Wadala (East)
ENTRY: Rs 2500
CALL: 9820341463

Go ga ga over mean machines

MARCH 9 - 12, 11 AM ONWARD: Attend the Mumbai International Motor Show which will feature some impressive automobiles, a 4x4 test drive track, a simulator zone, an accessories section, tyres pavilion and more.
WHERE: MMRDA Grounds, BKC Rd, G Block BKC, Bandra (East)
ENTRY: Rs 250

Laugh with Aseem Banatwalla

MARCH 10, 6.30 PM: Listen to Azeem Banatwalla from East India Comedy who is back with an hour of new jokes on travel, road rage, religion and his personal favourite — married life.
WHERE: Experimental Theatre, Nariman Point, NCPA Marg
ENTRY: Rs 399
LOG ON TO: bookmyshow.com

Live the good life

MARCH 9, 6 PM: Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway on your anniversary or an activity-packed family vacation, there's a yacht for every occasion. All you need to do is sit back, relax and experience the joy of a fully crewed charter yacht sailing along the Mumbai Harbour.
WHERE: Blue Whale Water Sports, Apollo Bunder Road, Opposite Taj Mahal Hotel, Colaba.
ENTRY: Rs 12,000
LOG ON TO: bookmyshow.com

MARCH 06, MONDAY

Stuff your face with gujiya

TILL MARCH 13, 3.30 PM - 11.30 PM: Puranmal, a 90-year-old traditional Indian restaurant, has rolled out a Holi food festival titled Colour Me Food. From Gujiya, samosa stuffed with a mixture of grated and roasted dry fruits and khoya to the Chandrakala, a moon-shaped North-Indian Holi dessert, there's lots to look forward to.
WHERE: Puranmal, Bharat Bhavan, Juhu Road, Ville Parle (West)
CALL: 26718105

MARCH 07, TUESDAY
Listen to a married man's rant

9.30 PM: Attend a stand-up comedy night with Amit Tandon, who is known as 'the married guy' of stand-up comedy. After marriage and two kids, he realised it couldn't get any worse and took
to humour. With over 700 shows across India, Tandon is popular
for his witty observations culled from everyday life.
WHERE: Hard Rock Cafe, Sharyans Audeus, Fun Cinema Lane, near Balaji Telefilms, off Veera Desai, Andheri (West)
ENTRY: Rs 1,000
CALL: 8898087841

MARCH 08, WEDNESDAY

Watch Einstein come alive

6 PM and 9 PM: Watch Naseeruddin Shah make the great scientist come alive on stage. Gabriel Emanuel's Einstein, directed by Ratna Pathak Shah, captures the essence of Einstein, the man, who despite being a towering thinker, was plagued by doubt and disappointments.
WHERE: Prithvi Theatre, 20, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road
ENTRY: Rs 500
CALL: 26149546

MARCH 09, THURSDAY
Get an extra dose of chai
9.30 AM - 11.30 PM: Tea Trails has rolled out happy hours in the form of Thirsty Thursdays. So choose any signature tea and bites, and get another for free. Try out the South African Red Tea, Japanese Genmaicha or the Smokey Chinese Lapsang Souchong.
WHERE: Kingston Building, Ground Floor, Tejpal Road, Near Old Railway Crossing, Vile Parle (East)
CALL: 9022337766

MARCH 10, FRIDAY

Whip up a gluten-free breakfast

2 PM - 5 PM: Learn to prepare healthy, yummy food devoid of eggs, refined sugar, refined flour, processed salt, preservatives and gluten. This workshop will teach you how to make buckwheat porridge, five lentil dosa, ragi pancakes and nutty fudgy granola bars.
WHERE: Convent Avenue, Santacruz (West)
ENTRY: Rs 2,100
LOG ON TO: insider.in

MARCH 11, SATURDAY
Shake it like Shakira
6. 30 PM - 8 PM: Ladies, let your hips do the talking in this belly dance workshop with dancer Nupur Shah. She will teach you how to do hip lifts, pull off a basic shimmy, breathing techniques to keep in mind while you move and more. Apart from being a dance form, it's an effective way to lose weight.
WHERE: Aleph-The Divine Space ( Hippie Yoga Cafe ), 7-28/29 1st floor Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu
ENTRY: Rs 550
CALL: 9930384641

Holi shakes!
till Mar 15 This Holi, say hello to The Holy Freak! Sip on this tall sinful glass of rabdi churned with vanilla ice cream, cake and milk, layered with special home-made jalebis and topped with colourful sprinkles.

TIME: 9 am to 1 am
AT: D:OH!, ground floor, Unit 2B, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel.
CALL: 62372829
COST: Rs 299

Shop
Fashion for men
ongoing Gentlemen, give your appearance a touch of glam with the Black collection featuring bracelets crafted in Onyx stone and pure leather, cufflinks, pocket squares, lapel pins and tie bars in quirky designs.

log on to thebrocode.in

Shining stars
ongoing Add some bling to your life with the jewellery from Radhika Jain, which features pendants, necklaces, bracelets and earrings made using handcrafted fibres finished with metallic elements.

AT: FUEL Store, 14th Road, off Linking Road, Khar (W).
TIME: 11 am to 8 pm
CALL: 9831030700

Shoulder talk
till mar 13 Ladies, avail a stylish deal where, for every handbag you purchase, you get a discount of 30 per cent on any mobile pouch and sling bag.
AT All Baggit outlets.

log on to baggit.com

Art
A visual feast
till tues, mar 7 Attend a solo exhibition of abstract paintings by Chandrakant Prajapati. His artworks are colourful, and he uses rollers, bold brushstrokes and knife work to create hidden patterns and shapes.

TIME: 11 am to 7 pm
AT: Jehangir Art Gallery, 161B, MG Road, Kala Ghoda.
CALL: 9825656177

Common lives
starts tues, mar 7 Catch a series of paintings, Living Lines at 360⁰, which is an extension of Ashok Hinge's earlier Living Lines series. This one looks at the
common man and society, including family bonding, friendships and crowded market places.

TIME: 11 am to 7 pm
AT: Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Discovery of India Building, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli.
CALL: 9930103369

Event
Painting party
wed, mar 8 Take your girlfriends, sisters, daughters or mothers and join a painting party with Bombay Drawing Room. Art supplies, a glass of Sangria and an appetiser will be provided.

TIME: 11 am onwards
AT: Raasta, Rohan Plaza, SV Road, Khar (W).
CALL: 9619273009
log on to: instamojo.com
COST: Rs 1,650

Laugh riot
tues, mar 7 Get your weekly dose of laughter from Amit Tandon, the comedian known as 'the married guy' of stand-up comedy. His humour centres on everyday life and issues that affect all of you.

TIME: 11 am onwards
AT: Hard Rock Cafe, Sharyans Audeu, Fun Cinema Lane, near Balaji Telefilms, Andheri.
log on to: insider.in
COST: Rs 500 (Entry) + RS 500 (Cover)

Thali deal
Every Monday Men, this deal is for you. Drop in at Khandani Rajdhani and get a 50 per cent discount on your thalis. Enjoy dishes like Masaledar Puri Bhaji, Zaikedar Paneer Aur Masala Dal Ke Saath Roti Chawal, Karare Farsan, Amdavad Ni Dhokla ke Sath Khatta Meetha Chutney, Crispy Jalebi and Swadisht Rabdi, Rasila Gulab Jamoon, and Halwa.

TIME: 12 to 3.30 pm, 7 pm to 11 pm
AT: All Khandani Rajdhani outlets.
CALL: 65226074 (Ghatkopar)

Garhwali delights
till mar 12 Savour the lost cuisine of Uttarakhand at a Flavors of Garhwal food festival. The food includes Urad Dal Pakodia, Jakhiya Machchi, Mutton Tari, Koda Khichdi, Jhangora Khichdi, Kafuli and authentic Garhwali desserts like Jhangore ki Kheer, Till a Laddoo and Swala Bhangjiri.

AT: JW Cafe, JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar.
CALL 28538656
COST: Rs 2,199 plus taxes

Travel
Grape escape
from wed, mar 8 Head out of the city for a grape-stomping break, featuring walks through vineyards, good food, wine tastings and a chance to see how wine is made.

TIME: 11 am onwards
AT: Soma Vine Village, Village Ganghavare, Gangapur-Ganghavare Road, Nashik.
COST: Rs 1,500 per barrel

Perform
Woman, unleashed
wed, mar 8 Attend Devi Unleashed, a unique theatre experience combining monologues, story reading, classical dance and singing, performed by women artistes.

TIME: 7 pm to 8.30 pm
AT: Title Waves, St Pauls Media Complex, 24th Road, Bandra (W).
CALL: 24920482

Genius speak
tues, mar 7 to Thurs, mar 9 Learn about the life of Albert Einstein in this Motley play. Enacted by Naseeruddin Shah, it looks at the spirit of the scientist, who was plagued with doubts and disappointments.

TIME: 6 pm, 9 pm
AT: Prithvi Theatre, 20, Janki Kutir, Juhu.
CALL: 26149546
COST: Rs 500

Search engine giant Google unveiled a special doodle on Holi. The doodle shows a group of children splashing the Google logo with many colours.

According to Google, "Today, the Google letters are taking on a fresh set of colors in honor of the Holi festival. Coinciding with the arrival of spring, the vibrant celebration looks a lot like the Doodle: people run around happily covering each other in a rainbow of powdery hues.

Amid the cloud of red, blue, yellow, green, and everything in between, festival-goers can often be found laughing, singing, and dancing in the streets. The joyous event, which takes place in India, Nepal, and other countries around the world, traditionally marks the triumph of good over evil. It also gives family and friends a chance to simply come together, enjoying a spirited “Festival of Colors” that undoubtedly lives up to its name."

About Holi
Holi is a Hindu spring festival in India and Nepal, also known as the "festival of colours" or the "festival of love", It signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships, and is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest.

The first day is known as Holika Dahan (हà¥ÂŠà¤²à¤¿à¤Â•à¤¾ दहन) or Chhoti Holi and the second as Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi or Dhulivandan.

Podcasts - best described as audio shows you can play at your convenience on your smartphone - are now enjoying immense popularity in the US, and have begun picking steam in India, too. Earlier called audioblogging, podcasting became more commonplace only in the 2000s, with the introduction of broadband Internet and portable devices such as the iPod.

If you're interested in learning about this medium, head over to The Revolver Club for two workshops that will equip you with all the information you need to start producing your own audio podcasts.

The workshops, conducted by podcast experts Chhavi Sachdev and Dhaval Mehta, will take you through not just the basics of creating content, but also deal with radio etiquette, sound editing, distribution platforms, and how you can go about marketing your finished product.

Chhavi Sachdev

Make it available
Chhavi Sachdev, who runs audio content and production house Sonologue, first began making podcasts back in 2008. "Smartphones weren't really around when I started. Recording a podcast involved a lot of effort, and only a diehard enthusiast would do it. Today, it is simpler once you learn the necessary skills," says Sachdev, who is a regular contributor to BBC and NPR podcasts.

At the upcoming workshop, she will touch on the basics of podcasting. "I'll begin with how you can fine-tune the kind of content you want to talk about, move on to what equipment to use, and how you can record and mix. Finally, I will discuss how you can distribute your podcast," adds Sachdev.

Dhaval Mehta

Make it visible
Dhaval Mehta, CEO of digital marketing agency DPM*Social, will follow this up with a workshop on podcast marketing. "Although I've been making podcasts since 2005, this is the first time I'm hosting a workshop on the subject," he says. Mehta will share his personal trade secrets on how he promoted various podcasts in non-traditional ways to gain listeners.

"Earlier, I used to email newsletters about my latest podcast to friends and family. It's a simple thing that worked. Today, getting your podcast to a larger audience would involve sharing it on social media platforms."

Interested folks may sign up for one or both workshops. All you need is your laptop, headphones and ideas for that path-breaking podcast.

Sexual harassment is one of the most unfortunate acts that can happen in a workplace. It is a crime in its truest form that puts a woman’s safety and security in question. Sexual harassment is not only difficult to experience, but also an adverse event that is difficult to eliminate. We have heard stories related to sexual harassment in workplaces several times and about female employees getting wrong hints from their male colleagues (managers at times), dirty looks, unwanted dinner invitations, being touched inappropriately or hearing lewd comments. Sexual harassment should be dealt smartly and tactfully. We have listed six such measures to tackle sexual harassment in a workplace:

1. Get in touch with the HR team: Almost every organization has a dedicated Human Resource cell that looks after anti-harassment policies. A woman who falls prey to sexual harassment should immediately get in touch with the anti-harassment team of the HR division for immediate action against the accused and his untoward behavior. Also, the HR team possess good knowledge of anti-harassment policies, which they should implement without any delay.

2. Document the situation: Do not endure sexual harassment and report it immediately. Find out if there are other victims also, gather witnesses and secure the statement of witnesses in written. Also, find out if there are any video recording or CCTV footage of the event. Put all documents and video recordings in front of the HR or top management while complaining.

3. Inform the supervisor: Whoever is harassing you, be it your team member or somebody from other teams, inform your immediate supervisor about the entire incident. Write an official email citing the incident and request the supervisor for a personal meet. A supervisor has the right to know about what is going on with the team members.

4. Draw a line: It is good to engage in jokes and informal talks with colleagues, but do not forget to draw a line and maintain a gap between you and the male colleagues. Be direct and straightforward and speak up when you are not liking their attitude or behaviour towards you. Ask them to stop their 'over-funny' acts and not to cross limits. This will help you tackle sexual harassment in the initial stage right after you get wrong vibes.

5. Talk to the harasser: Do not stay away from the accused and speak with him directly. If he does not apologize and discontinue doing so, let him know that you are going to file an official complaint for being sexually harassed at workplace. If he still continues to harass, take strict and immediate action. Women have the right to go for legal actions too. 

6. Get in touch with senior management: If everything fails and your supervisor cannot take any action against the event, get in touch with the senior management of the organization. Put forth all evidences including video footages and written statements and let the senior management know about it. Ensure that the management handle the situation tactfully and take strict steps against the accused.

Many women who are victims of sexual harassment tend to stay quite because of threats or the fear of losing their jobs. However, this is not the solution to prevent sexual harassment. Women must raise their voice if they are molested or sexually abused in their workplaces. Only if their voices are raised, they will get the strength to fight against such ill acts.

Based on a discussion with Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, the DoPT (Department of Personnel & Training) issued fresh guidelines regarding 'sexual harassment of women at workplace' in December 2016. Following are the guidelines the DoPT issued:

1. Brief details of the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act including the number of cases received and disposed shall form a part of the Annual Report of all ministries/ departments and authorities there under.
2. The enquiry of cases must be completed within 30 days and under any circumstances within 90 days from the date of the complaint.
3. The ministries/ departments etc. have to keep a watch on the complainant so as to ensure that she is not victimized in any manner because of her having filed the complaint. The aggrieved woman has been given further option to send representation to the Secretary or head of the organization in case she feels that she is being victimized because of her complaint. The concerned authority will be required to dispose of this complaint within 15 days.
4. All ministries/ departments etc. are now required to submit a monthly progress report to the Ministry of Women and Child Development so that the progress can be monitored.

Check out a festival that celebrates women's writing across genres, and the long and short forms of writing. Organised by SheThePeople.TV, there will also be workshops on how to get one's work published.

ON: Today, 1 pm; March 18, 11 am onwards.
AT: Goethe-Institut, Kala Ghoda.
REGISTER: shethepeople.tv

MUSIC

Melodious tunes
Sun, mar 19 Get enthralled by the music of Rakesh Chaurasia, one of India’s most promising musicians and an accomplished flautist. He blends his flute with mixed instruments. He will be accompanied by Ojas Adhiya on the tabla.
TIME: 7.30 am
AT: Prithvi Theatre, Juhu. LOG ON TO bookmyshow.com
COST: Rs 300

Travelling musician
Tonight Catch Nicolette Gore, a singer, songwriter from Ahmedabad, performing original numbers at a gig tonight. An avid traveller, her songs are inspired from her numerous trips across the country.
TIME: 10.30 pm
AT: Tuning Fork, first floor, Hotel Unicontinental, Khar (W).
CALL: 9833358490
COST: Rs 550

ART

Beauty and nature
Ongoing Catch the latest works of artists Ishaque Ali Sayyed and Avinash Deshmukh, which feature nature, still life and spiritual elements, at an exhibition titled Funne–Hayyat.
TIME: 11 am to 8 pm
AT: Nehru Centre Art Gallery, Worli.
CALL: 9833833149

Recycled furniture
Till sun, mar 19 View a unique exhibition, Installation Furniture, which has 60 furniture pieces divided into three series, Emotional, Recycled and Art. The recycled series uses materials like old tyres, cloth, wood, trees, and chains.
TIME: 11 am to 8 pm
AT: The Art Hub, Atria Mall, Worli.
CALL: 9167221322

WORKSHOP

Yoga for peace
Sun, mar 19 Attend a workshop with Bijay J Anand and learn how to deal with the physical and emotional pain in your life. He will be using Kundalini Yoga mantras and kriyas to lead you on a better path.
TIME: 11 am to 12.30 pm
AT: Arts in Motion, 57, Rajdoot, Khar (W).
CALL: 65533333
COST: Rs 1,000

Droning on
Sat, mar 18 Learn to make drones and quadcopters. You will learn about each component and how they work together, and get to fly the drone you create.
TIME: 10 am to 1 pm
AT: Todi Mill Social, 242, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel.
CALL: 65110361
COST: Rs 2,500

SHOP

Bridal stop
Till mar 31 Upgrade your wardrobe, especially your wedding collections, at Payal Singhal’s annual sale. On offer is a 50 per cent to 70 per cent discount on all outfits at the store.
TIME: 11 am to 7 pm
AT: Shop No.3, Raj Mahal Building, Altamount Road.
CALL: 65656121

PLAY

The Juhu life
Sun, mar 19 Take a peek into the lives of Balvinder aka Bubbles, brother Goldie Siddhu and sisters Pammi and Smiley, a dysfunctional family living on the 14th floor of a high-rise, Sea View Towers. Despite the location, there are problems in the building and within the family. These issues form the basis of the play, The Siddhus of Upper Juhu.
TIME: 7 pm
AT: TATA Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
COST: Rs 975

Diplomatic treaty
Sat, mar 18 Motley production, A Walk in the Woods, is about two diplomats who take a walk in the woods to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations between their countries. Rajit Kapur and Naseeruddin Shah play the lead roles.
TIME: 7.30 pm
AT: Bal Gandharva Rang Mandir, Bandra (W).
CALL: 9892585856
COST: Rs 200 onwards

FOOD & DRINK

British brunching
Sun, mar 19 Join this Sunday brunch and enjoy dishes such as Grilled Ham and Salami, Stuffed Omelettes, French Toast, Chicken Tikka, Pepperoni Pizza, Shepherd’s Pie, and Bread Butter Pudding. Sip on craft beer or apple cider.
TIME: 12 pm to 4 pm
AT: The British Brewing Company, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel.
CALL: 65656121
COST: Rs 600 to Rs 1,200

EVENT

Jenga fun
Sat, mar 18 Unwind this weekend over UNO and Jenga contests. UNO will be knockout style while the Jenga games will be one
on one or team-based. Winners get free beers.
TIME: 3 pm to 8 pm AT Reise All Day Bar & Kitchen, Andheri (E).
CALL: 33836086
COST: Rs 300 to Rs 500

Deal with the weekend

Pocket friendly
Today Now, enjoy your favourite cocktails and other drinks at prices starting at just '70. Premium drinks are available for an additional '70.
TIME: 4 pm to 8 pm
AT: All Hoppipola outlets, except Todi Mills.
CALL: 8286089737 (Khar)

Jim Beam day
Sat, mar 18 Groove to the beats of DJ Nikhil while sipping on Jim Beam for just '150, this Saturday. There will be cocktails like Sunrise, Bourbon House, House Side Car and Big Booty available as well.
TIME: 8 pm onwards
AT: The House Gastropub, Bungalow 1, JP Road, Aram Nagar, Versova, Andheri (W).
CALL: 39652955

Happiest hours
Till mar 19 Drink unlimited beer (till your bladder bursts) for only R420 or unlimited Sangria for R899. You can also munch on Chicken Faffa and Caribbean Chicken Strips while you drink.
TIME: 5 pm to 8 pm
AT: Raasta Bombay, Rohan Plaza, 5th Road, SV Road, Khar (W).
CALL: 8655000811

Josh Feinberg will also perform in Pune, Goa, Gangtok and Dubai this month

Few royal residences in India could be imagined without the rich sound of ragas flowing through them. Connoisseurs of Indian Classical music, nobles and royals often hosted artistes in their homes, where intimate concerts formed an important cultural tradition. But as the era of royalty ended, and with the advent of theatres and proscenium stages, these baithaks as they were called, faded away.

A baithak session in progress

As part of an initiative to revive this tradition, music lovers of Mumbai can attend one such baithak tonight, where acclaimed US-based sitarist Josh Feinberg will share his insight into the Maihar Gharana through an interactive performance. To be held at a private bungalow in Malabar Hill, the baithak will see Feinberg present a traditional Hindustani sitar recital with Ariff Khan on the tabla.

Feinberg, who started learning Western Classical music and Jazz when he was four, was introduced to the sitar as a 12-year-old. The music of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Nikhil Banerjee made a lasting impression on him. Feinberg became a student of Khan in 2004 and continued learning from him at his music school in California until the virtuoso passed away in 2009. “The sitar’s elegance and grace drew me to it. Hindustani Classical music is beautiful, deep, complex, and offers scope for improvisation. It is one of the great music traditions of the world,” shares the artiste, who tours the US, Canada, India and Europe.

“I grew without much exposure to Indian Classical music and got introduced to it only when I started learning Kathak from Pandit Chitresh Das. When I moved to India and began teaching the dance form here, I realised the students weren’t exposed to Classical music either. I wanted to change that,” says Seema Mehta, Kathak artiste and director of Chhandam Nritya Bharati, organisers of the baithak. The baithak series - with the aim to host one gathering every quarter - began in 2014, and was initially for the dance school’s students and their parents. It’s popularity grew as more music lovers heard of it.

Feinberg summarises the idea, “I like both situations. At a concert, the audience is far away that it allows the musician to get immersed in his music. In a baithak, there is a direct connection with the audience. The musician derives energy from the appreciation he receives.”

Marc Chagall, Over the Town, 1918

The director of the Louvre, where collections span from 6th century BC to the 19th century AD, once estimated that 80 per cent of the museum’s visitors come there to see just one thing - the Mona Lisa. However, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece is considered overrated and unremarkable by some. Why, then, has it captured the imagination of artists over time, with everyone from Salvador Dalí to Andy Warhol adapting it in their own works?

Edgar Degas, The Dance Class, 1874

To understand what makes a painting iconic, sign up for Art of Looking, a Western art appreciation workshop for those aged 16 and above, organised by Flying Tricycle, which aims to conduct out-of-the-box art and design workshops. Co-founder Madhumita Srivastava will conduct the workshop, comprising seven two-hour sessions.

“It’s important to understand the context behind a painting - the time during which it was made, and how it may have come about as a reaction to something else,” shares Srivastava, who holds a Masters in Architecture from the University of Michigan, and a Masters in Fine Art (Design and Technology) from Parsons School of Design, New York.

Participants will be taken through works by Michelangelo, Van Gogh, Renoir, Picasso, Frida Kahlo, and Andy Warhol, among others. The aim is to take a look at a variety of styles, media, genres and techniques, from the Renaissance era right up to the 1980s.

The workshop will involve freewheeling discussions where she will help participants interpret their feelings about a piece of art, and form an opinion about it. “This is not a history lesson. In each session, I’ll bombard you with a slideshow of around 80 artworks. We’ll stop at a few iconic pieces to talk about why we like or don’t like them, and why they’re important. When you see all the pieces in one go, you’ll start noticing a pattern to them,” she believes.

The sessions will conclude with a visit to an art gallery. Here, Srivastava hopes to strike up a hot debate. “Every person notices different elements in a painting. In fact, the more abstract a piece is, the more interpretations you’ll get.”

She adds that she wants to rid people of the intimidation that often accompanies art. “We feel like we need to have a degree to understand art. But art is subjective - it’s about how it makes you feel.”

Google unveiled a special Doodle on the occasion of Nowruz. The doodle showed the letters Google logo redesigned as flowers with butterflies and bees flying around them.

Nowruz, which is also known as the Iranian New Year and the Persian New Year occurs on 21 March or the previous or following day, depending on where it is observed.

The festival is celebrated worldwide by the Iranian peoples, in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin and the Balkans.

Nowruz marks the first day of the first month (Farvardin) in the Iranian calendar. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years.

The moment the sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families gather together to observe the rituals.

Nowruz is a secular holiday for most celebrants that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths, but remains a holy day for Zoroastrians.

DANCE

Celebrate Kathak
Sat, Mar 25 Watch dancers from Kadamb Performing Unit present Vivarta, a Kathak performance based on Ni-ra-tata-dhang, a composition that narrates the actual bols of the Kathak vocabulary and highlights its classical techniques. It has been choreographed by Kathak exponent Kumudini Lakhia.
TIME: 7 pm
AT: Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point.
COST: Rs 200 onwards
CALL: 66223724

EVENT

Take a walk
Sun, Mar 26 Attend a two-hour walk where underprivileged children from the non-profit Angel Xpress Foundation will take you around the Bandstand neighbourhood and offer a glimpse into their lives. The kindness-themed walk has been organised by EverytingOnAPlate and Yash Rane as part of World Insta Meet.
TIME: 3.30 pm
MEETING POINT: Opposite Mannat, Bandra (W).
CALL: 9820246669

EXHIBITION

Trace different strokes
Till Mar 27 Check out a group show titled, Three Visions, showcasing mixed media sculptures by Vishal Rajas, along with paintings by Nilesh Nikam and Shivaji Mhaske. Nikam plays with textures and motifs while Mhaske's works offer a glimpse of ethereal landscapes of Maharashtra.
TIME: 11 am to 7 pm
AT: Jehangir Art Gallery, MG Road, Kala Ghoda.
CALL: 9967440683

MUSIC

Soothe your soul
Tonight Catch a performance by singer-songwriter Shanay Shah to add a soothing touch to your weekend. Apart from Western music, the versatile singer is also known for his renditions of Bollywood tracks and traditional Sufi songs.
TIME: 9.30 pm onwards
AT: Fat Man's Café & Grill, Tian Building, Gulmohar Road, JVPD, Juhu.
CALL: 26254446

Meet Jan Jaani
Sat, Mar 25 Swing to the tunes of singer-songwriter Jan Graveson, also known as Jan Jaani. Her set will be a blend of Alternative, Pop and Rock classics. Howard Pereira will accompany her on the guitar.
TIME: 8 pm onwards
AT: Thalassa, 21st Street, off Carter Road, Khar (W).
CALL: 9820004019

Find your FOMO fix
Sun, Mar 26 Attend the first edition of FOMO Fest and groove to diverse sounds by experimental outfit Bombay Black, singer-songwriter Monica Dogra (in pic) and Electro-Rock group Donn Bhat + Passenger Revelator. Meanwhile, Electronic artistes Zokhuma, Chhabb, DJ Beat2, Twisted Bass and Shivani Sawant will spin
Trance beats.
TIME: 12 pm onwards
AT: Razzberry Rhinoceros, Juhu Hotel.
CALL: 7400402604
ENTRY: Rs 500 (12 pm to 4 pm); Rs 1,000 (4 pm onwards)

WORKSHOP

Get a taste of Singapore
Today Learn to make Flat Rice Noodles with Fresh Herbs, Forest Mushroom Rice Spaghetti with Fried Shallot and Chinese-Style Pak Choy and Rice Vermicelli Soup at a Singaporean cuisine demo.
TIME: 5.30 pm
AT: Foodhall, Palladium, Lower Parel.
CALL: 30264581

FOOD & DRINK

Dine in the dark
Sat, Mar 25 If you're keen to do your bit for the planet, participate in Earth Hour celebrations, which also make for a great way to bond with your partner. Enjoy a candle-lit dinner and sip on glow-in-the-dark cocktails.
TIME: 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm
AT: Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel, Powai.
CALL: 66927491

COMEDY

Laugh away the stress
Tonight Stand-up comedians Amogh Ranadive, Sonali Thakkar and Abhishek Upmanyu will pull out new jokes from their bag at a special comedy gig. They are best known for their observational and anecdotal comedy.
TIME: 10 pm onwards
AT: Andheri Base, Whistling Woods Sharyans Audeus, Andheri (W)
CALL: 30916003
COST: Rs 200 onwards

WORK

Enter an open house
Today If you're a freelancer, head to the Open House at Todi Mill Social to avail of high-speed Wi-Fi, on-demand printing, office stationery and a 10 per cent discount on membership if you sign up on the spot. You can also participate in networking sessions planned by the team.
TIME: 9 am to 6 pm
AT: Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel.
CALL: 7045940448

Deal with the weekend

Cool off with hot stones
Ongoing Pamper yourself with spa therapies offered at 30 per cent discount. Opt for a 90-minute Hot Stones Therapy (Rs 4,500) done using volcanic basalt stones, or a 75-minute Rope Massage (Rs 3,500).
TIME: 11 am to 10 pm
AT: Caressaa Day Spa, Peninsula Grand Hotel, Andheri (E).
CALL: 28519191

Enjoy a girl's drunch out
Ongoing Catch up with your gal pals over a lunch, brunch or drunch and avail of 10 per cent discount on the entire bill. Enjoy eats like Rosemary Cottage Cheese Kebab and Salmon In Labb Sauce and sip on Orange Basil Mojito and Sunday Sangria.
TIME: 11 am to 3 pm
AT: Terttulia, Hotel Parkway, Ranade Road Extension, Dadar (W).
CALL: 24468833

Get high on beer
Till Sun, Mar 26 If you love beer, especially Bira, don't miss this offer. For every 330 ml bottle that you buy, you get a 500 ml can free.
TIME: 12.30 pm to 1 am
AT: Reise – All Day Bar & Kitchen, Tarun Bharat Society, Dr Karanjia Marg, near Cigarette Factory, Chakala, Andheri (E).
CALL: 33836086

Create your own Mandala
4 PM: Ever tried your hand at therapeutic art? A Mandala workshop organised by Bombay Drawing Room hopes to help you create great art that is also spiritually calming. The visually appealing design of the Mandala is said to enable you to steer away from irritating thoughts, which in turn allows you to develop a higher level of consciousness. It's a perfect exercise for the mind.
WHERE: Somaiya Centre for Lifelong Learning, M G Road, Kala Ghoda,
ENTRY: Rs 1,500
CALL: 9619273009

Enjoy quick grub
12.30 TO 4 PM: Too lazy to cook on a weekend? Head to the British Brewing Company that's out with a lavish Sunday buffet to scarf down a quick, delicious meal. From boiled eggs, smoked salmon, grilled sausages, salami with freshly baked foccacia, croissants, muffins and lavash, there's something for every palate.
WHERE: British Brewing Company, Level 4 & Level 5, Palladium, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel
PRICE: Rs 1,200 per head with taxes; Rs 600 for kids between 6-12 years
CALL: 65656121

Bite into an icy treat
10 AM TO 12 PM: With summer around the corner, there's no better way to beat the heat than by enjoying lollies. Bright, peppy and fruity, popsicles are just what you need this weekend. Garde Manger has cherry picked a flavourful combination of these icy treats that you can devour along with their lunch and dinner staples.
WHERE: Garde Manger, 3, Paranjay Scheme Marg No 1, Paranjape Nagar, Vile Parle
CALL: 7045004488

Go on a heritage ride
4.30 PM: How about learning about the city's heritage while burning some calories? This unique heritage cycling trip in South Mumbai is the perfect way to wrap up the weekend. You'll start the cycling trip from Colaba towards Gateway of India. On the way, you will stop for interesting stories, fun facts, and of course, selfies! Cycles will be provided.
MEETING POINT: Colaba Sweet Mart, Ruby Terrace, Colaba Causeway, Apollo Bandar
ENTRY: Rs 1,100
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com

Watch the funny men
12.30 TO 4 PM: Ready for some pure, unadulterated laughter? Cyrus Broacha and Kunal Vijayakar, two of the funniest men in Mumbai, are set to take the stage again, with 40 Shades of Grey Hair. Now, reinvented with new segments, the duo will tickle your funny bone with a stand-up cum theatrical revue that lampoons the life and times of Indian men.
WHERE: St Andrew's Auditorium, 55, Saint Domnic Road, Bandra West
ENTRY: Rs 100 – Rs 2,500
CALL: 9320130013

Catch a tribute show
8 PM: Here's how fans of classical Marathi music can spend their evening. Singers will come together to pay tribute to the two Big Bs of Marathi music Babuji (Sudhir Phadke) and Balashaeb (Hridaynath Mangeshkar). Catch Shriram Narsule, Makarand Gokhale, Amit Nikharge, among others, perform some of their most popular tracks.
WHERE: Shivaji Mandir, NC Kelkar Road, Kelkar Wadi, Dadar
ENTRY: Rs 100 – Rs 300
CALL: 9819314181

Attend a music fest
2 PM: What better way to spend your afternoon than swinging to great music. Get ready for some high-octane live acts at the FOMO FEST. Independent artistes will spin some new-age contemporary music with genres such as deep house, psychedelic rock and electro funk dominating the scene. And, it's going to be on till midnight.
WHERE: Razzberry Rhinoceros, Juhu Hotel, Airport Area, Juhu
ENTRY: Rs 500- Rs 1,000
CALL: 7400402604

Drape like a dream
MARCH 30, 5.30PM: If there's a versatile piece of clothing, it's the saree. And, Rta Kapur Chishti will certainly vouch for it. Her famed Sari School is in back in town. So, look beyond the Nivi drape, the saree as it is popularly worn, and explore new ways of draping it. This workshop will explore regional wearing styles and will be conducted by Kapur, who will show you four unique styles that you can use every day.
WHERE: ARTISANS' Gallery 52-56 V B Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda
ENTRY: Rs 1,500
LOG ON TO: insider.in

Dig into fusion food
ONGOING, 7 PM to 1 AM: Want to try a red velvet dhokla? Desi Culture, a new venture by Corum Hospitality, gives Indian food a twist. You could try items like chicken tikka sev puri and motichur tarts with elaichi foam. We'd recommend chef Gidwani's signature butter-chicken and dal makhni (cooked for over nine hours) learnt from alma-mater Padma Shri Imtiaz Qureshi.
WHERE: Desi Culture, C wing, Trade World, next to The Bar Stock Exchange, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
CALL: 24955766

Enjoy indie music
MARCH 29, 9.30 PM: Groove to talented indie artistes at the new edition of AWESTRUNG. The concert will feature singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad, the energetic Local Train and Praveer Barot Projective, whose music is music is heavily inspired by The Beatles and Niravana.
WHERE: Courtyard, High Street Phoenix, 462, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
FREE

Watch fave TV show over drinks
MARCH 27, 6 PM ONWARD: The House at Versova is hosting lazy Monday soaps wherein they will showcase TV shows that we all have seen in the past, but wouldn't mind watching again over scrumptious food and drinks. With the likes of Friends, Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother, they are open to showcase any other show as well. Entry is free.
WHERE: Bungalow 1, JP Road, Aram Nagar, Versova
CALL: 65264888

Give a cool makeover
ONGOING: This is a shoutout to salon professionals and stylists. Salonex is hosting an inter-salon competition along with hair and make-up competition. The event will be held in three categories — red carpet look, bridal and barbering games. Participants will have to send in their entries before March 30 and once selected, they will have to replicate the look at the finale on April 17.
LOG ON TO: http://www.salonex.in/competitions.aspx

Attend a charity event
MARCH 29, 10.30 AM ONWARD: Do your good deed for the day by attending a fundraising event by Tata Memorial Hospital, where proceeds of the exhibition go towards the cause of kids battling cancer. Titled Helping Hands, the exhibition will be a blend of philanthropy, fashion and food. Monisha Jaising, Farah Ali Khan and Kanika Kapoor will exhibit their collection.
WHERE: St Regis Hotel, Level 8, Lower Parel
LOG ON TO: www.helpinghandsindia.in

Take home a masterpiece
Ageless wonder
MARCH 27, 11 AM - 7 PM: Octogenarian Vishwanath Ram Kantak is frail, slightly bent and suffers from Parkinson's which makes his hands tremble and gait difficult. Yet, once he holds the paintbrush, his fingers weave magic. Check out the 82-year-old artist's new exhibition titled, Divine Vision, that comprises some stunning artworks. Monday is the last day to catch the exhibits.
WHERE: Jehangir Art Gallery 161-B, MG Road, Kala Ghoda
CALL: 9503344464

ORDER OF THE DAY

MONDAY, 27 MARCH
Get your dose of humour
8.30PM: If you think you have what it takes to be a stand up comic, sign up for this event. As an audience member, you can come and watch new talent take baby steps into the spotlight. You might even see some tragic attempts. Sourav Ghosh will be your host for the evening.
WHERE: Canvas Laugh Club, 3rd Floor, Palladium, High Street Phoenix, Tulsi Pipe Road, Lower Parel
ENTRY: Rs 200
CALL: 9004603115

TUESDAY, 28 MARCH
Celebrate Gudi Padwa
NOON - 12 AM: Enjoy traditional Maharashtrian fare on Gudi Padwa at Saptami. Vegetarians could try the paneer kala rassa, bharleli vangi, kale chanyachi ussal, dal varan and masala bhaat, while omnivores can dig into mutton Kolhapuri and kolambi chi biryani.
WHERE: Saptami, Holiday Inn, Sakina Junction, Andheri (East)
ENTRY: Rs 1,099 plus taxes
CALL: 40851800

WEDNESDAY, 29 MARCH
Let's talk health
4.30 PM: Macrobiotic nutritionist, Shonali Sabherwal, who specialises in improving immunity and managing weight, is holding a talk on her book, The Detox Diet. She will help you unravel the secret to weight-loss, anti-aging and how to beat bad bacteria.
WHERE: Who Are We Hall, first floor, Nehru Centre, Worli
RSVP TO: aratidesai@nehru-centre.org
FREE

THURSDAY, 30 MARCH
Play beer bingo
7 PM ONWARD: Play a game of beer bingo at The Irish House. First you grab a bingo card for yourself that will have 'IRISH' written on it with numbers in each letter. A staff member will call out the numbers. The winners receive cash vouchers, glasses of free beer and more.
WHERE: Level 2, Rampart Row, 30, K Dubash Marg, Above Royal Oak Banquets, Kala Ghoda, Fort
CALL: 7095949925
FREE

FRIDAY, 31 MARCH
Pay tribute to Nasir
5 PM: Celebrate the joyous cinema of Nasir Hussain on the 15th death anniversary of the legend. Author Akshay Manwani will take you through some of the finest moments in his cinematic journey. The Revolver Club will play music from Husain's films through the ages on vinyl.
WHERE: Godrej ONE, Auditorium, first floor, Vikhroli (East), (Entry from Eastern Express Highway)
RSVP to: indiaculturelab@godrejinds.com.

SATURDAY, 1 APRIL
Enjoy baos and burgers
ONGOING, 12.30 PM - 1 AM: Hoppipola has rolled out a burger, bao and beer festival. Order a paneer khurchan bao for Rs 175 and get a beer for R50. You could even try the specials like the pan fried chicken burger, falafel and kidney bean burger, seafood burger and a mutton shammi kebab burger.
WHERE: Across all outlets
ENTRY: Rs 200
CALL: 32038653 (Lower Parel)

Thunderbird. Pic/Illustrated by Tomislav Tomic © Bloomsbury Publishing 2017, taken from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

One for the muggle library

If you're a Potterhead, you'll love the updated version of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Bloomsbury; '599) that comes on shelves 16 years after JK Rowling gave muggles the original edition. An A to Z guide of the magical creatures lurking in the wizarding world, this one includes six new beasts (total of 81 species), new illustrations (neat work by Tomislav Tomic) and a revised foreword by the book's fictional author and magizoologist Newt Scamander. The breezy 144-pager teleported us into the Potter universe as familiar images of Hungarian Horntail and Basilisk flashed before our eyes. We also discovered incredible new beasts, including Thunderbird or Hidebehind. Apart from Scamander's wry humour, evident in the footnotes, we were hooked by the foreword, where he clarifies wild assertions made by Rita Skeeter and hints at being the secret-keeper for Albus Dumbledore. That's some fine foreshadowing, JK.

Gluten-free goodness

We've never shied away from going for the bread basket when it's placed in front of us at a restaurant. But, for those who have embarked on a let's-eat-healthy mission, Kitchen Garden by Suzette has launched the country's first organic, multigrain, gluten free bread, which they say looks and tastes like 'normal' bread. We decided to call for a loaf this week, not knowing what to expect. Organic goodness or just fancy jargon? The bread came as a nicely packaged gigantic loaf. The texture was soft and fluffy. You might not fall in love with it at first go, but with each bite the taste grows on you. Packed with nutrients and fibre, it's got the flavour of buckwheat. We had it with peanut butter and it went well. If you're having a PB & J craving, this could be the healthier version to try.

Blanco
If you are one of those who trips out on watching Laurel and Hardy make a fools of themselves, or Charlie Chaplin and his antics, then head to Blanco to rid yourself of the Monday blues. Sit on the open-air terrace and enjoy some comfort food like cheesy overloaded nachos, chilly cheese toast, fish fingers and home-made chicken nuggets. They also show Tom and Jerry cartoons as well. Who would want more?

Where: 201/202, Samarth Vaibhav, Lokhandwala Rd, Oshiwara, Andheri West
When: 5 pm to 8 pm
Call: 8097004656

The Pantry
Three years ago, at a time when short films were yet to be a rage, The Pantry in Kala Ghoda kick-started their short-film Fridays, wherein on the last Friday of every month, they'd screen a short, 8 pm onwards. Since then, it has been a regular hangout for film buffs. The screenings are organised by Cyrus Mistry's Shamiana Film Club and Manjari Makijany's Mac Productions. Diners can continue sitting at their tables while chairs for the audience are placed on the passageway between the tables. The next screening is on April 28.

Where: Plot No 14, ground floor, Yashwanth Chambers, B Bharucha Road, Kala Ghoda
Call: 22678901

Vkaao
Want Notting Hill to play in the background as you ask your girl to marry you? Or want to treat your action-crazy friend to a Transformer movie on his birthday? Vkaao at PVR allows you to do that with your whole gang in tow. They just rented a screen out for a proposal where the couple watched SRK tearjerker Veer-Zaara. Just get on their app and book a screen, and select from their 400+ library of Hollywood and Bollywood movies. You can either hoot at every scene or just shut your cellphones off. No one can tell you what to do anymore!

Where: PVR screens all over India
Cost: Same as a ticket cost, book on PVR website or app

Cuckoo Club
What's the point of watching an interesting film if you can't discuss it? The best part of this Bandra venue, is that often the cast/crew is brought on to conduct a Q&A with the audience. "When we screened The Stoning of Soraya M, a film that's banned in the US and Iran, we called the prinicipal of Sophia College, who has a deep understanding of Middle Eastern culture, to talk to the audience," says Sharin Bhatti of the Cuckoo Club.

Where: 5AA, Mac Ronells compound, next to Candies, St Andrews Road, Bandra West
Call: 9619962969

Harkat Studios
Movie nights at Aaram Nagar's Harkat give you the experience of watching a film with friends in someone's living room. This is a function of both, how they curate their guest list (you can drop and email at us@harkat.in) and that the space is, well, a living room. The films are usually indie creations and are joined by a theme for the day. Last Sunday's was 256 million colours of violence. The next one, though there's no date set, is slated to be a two-day fest of experimental films. You will share the space with 44 others. There's no entry fee, but you are welcome to donate to the cause.

Where: Bungalow #75, Aram Nagar 2, JP Road, Versova, Andheri West
Call: 26350064

Raasta
The party-hard venue turns into a quieter, intellectual space come Sunday when they screen indie Hollywood movies. Last Sunday, they screened Eddie Redmayne's controversial Danish Girl, which has since been banned from airing in the country. It seats around 400 people and there's free entry. Also, you can order your food and booze to your seat. This sounds too good to be true.

Where: 4th Floor, Rohan Plaza, Road no 5, Khar,
Call: 8655000811

Join an improv show
7.30 PM: Are you a fan of Whose Line Is It Anyway? If, yes, this desi version might just interest you. Join artistes Ankit Challa and Avinash Verma as they take suggestions from you to create an explosive and entertaining show. Incorporating music, theatre and comedy, this show will be nothing like anyone has seen before.

Where: The Cuckoo Club, 5AA Pali Hill, Macronells Compund, Side of Learners Academy Bandra West
Entry: Rs 350
Call: 9619962969

Paint like Picasso
4 PM: Spend your evening at a workshop, where you will be taught how to create cubist paintings - a style of art developed by Pablo Picasso. The unique form of expression draws inspiration from tribal art forms and modern thinking. No prior experience is needed.

Where: Four Seasons Hotel, Gandhi Nagar, Dr E Moses Road, Upper Worli, Worli
Entry: Rs 2,050
Call: 9619273009

Sip into a mango treat
12.30 PM to 1 AM: Your affair with the king of fruits just got bigger and better. This weekend, head to the Mighty Small Cafe and lose your soul and heart to delectable varieties of special mango cocktails and mocktails at the mango drinks festival. You can sip on some lip-smacking thirst quenchers like Mango Pulse, Chatpata Martini, Mango-hito, Mango Cream Delight and many more.

Where: Mighty Small Cafe, SMAAASH, Kamala Mills Compound, Gate No 4, Lower Parel
Price: Rs 249 onwards
Call: 49143143

Go for this
Analyse dreams with art
11 AM TO 7 PM: What do your dreams look like? Are they colourful, maze-like or are they monochrome? Catch Kolkata-based artist Tusar Kanti Pradhan reveal his unique perceptions about dreams and nostalgic memories of the past, with his mixed media exhibition. Some of the works depict his shared memories of people, people struggling in cities for their survival, but still bearing the organic traces of their rural origin and a complex sense of belonging. For this exhibition, the artiste dabbles with mixed media and natural pigment on paper.

Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, 161B, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda
Call: 22843989

Relish a Cantonese meal
7 PM onward: Call the weekend a wrap with a lavishly designed three-course set menu featuring a variety of chef's special Cantonese dishes. You can begin your meal with the mock duck salad followed by any two small eats. For the main course, you can choose between stir-fry chicken with black bean and stir-fry Indian salmon, before ending it with a mandarin sorbet.

Where: Hakkasan, 206, Krystal, Waterfield Road, Linking Road, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 1,750 per person
Call: 26444444

Enjoy a soulful evening
7 PM: Enjoy a scintillating evening, titled Lataasha with Pancham, that will bring alive the magic of legendary playback singers, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, and composer RD Burman.

Vocalists Shailaja Subramanian, Sampada Goswami and Alok Katdare, along with a live orchestra of 35 musicians, will perform to some of their most super-hit melodies.

Where: Ravindra Natya Mandir, Near Siddhi Vinayak Temple, Sayani Road, Prabhadevi
Entry: Rs 250 – Rs 1,500
To Book: in.bookmyshow.com

Groove to Bachata
5 PM: This afternoon, take that boat and head straight to Raigad for an evening of dance and music. Artiste Dhanashree Mehta will get you grooving with a Bachata workshop that will get your heart racing and your feet tapping. You will return to the city rejuvenated.

Where: Beach Box, Mandwa Jetty, Kolgaon, Raigad
Entry: Rs 700
Call: 8291902662

Catch an animated film
6.30 PM: Watch the Secret of Kells, a story of young Brendan who lives in a remote medieval outpost which is under siege from barbarians. One day, a master illuminator arrives carrying an ancient but unfinished book, containing secret wisdom. To help complete the book, Brendan has to go on a quest.

Where: Alliance Française Auditorium, 40, Theosophy Hall, New Marine Lines
Call: 22035993

Put memories to canvas
11 AM - 7 PM: Drop by at Jehangir Art Gallery to catch a glimpse of an exhibition by Kolkata-based artist Tusar Kanti Pradhan. Tilted Nocturnal Dreams, it reveals his artistic perceptions about memories of the past along with nocturnal illustrations about people, old trees and heritage.

Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, No 3, MG Road, Kala Ghoda
Call: 22843989

Get high on brew
Till April 15, 11 AM - 11 PM: AKA Bistro has launched a new bakes and brews menu. You can opt for an XOXO latte which contains double espresso, chocolate syrup and truffle oil. Mojito lovers can have the offee mojito with espresso, mint, lime and orange.

Where: AKA Bistro, 121 Nagindas Master Road, ground floor, Radha Bhavan, Kala Ghoda, Fort
Entry: Rs 150 onwards
Call: 9029293968

Hear songs of peace
7.30 PM: Watch Ekam Satt, a musical conceptualised and orchestrated by Ameya Dabli featuring Devaki Pandit (in pic) and Rakesh Chaurasiya. With an aim to spread the message of love and unity, the concert is curated in a way to make the audience pause and reflect.

Where: Nehru Centre, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli
Entry: Rs 300- Rs 3,000
Call: 24920510

LOL with Johny Lever
8.45 PM: Johny Lever will tickle your funny bone with his live stand-up show. In this session, Lever incorporates references and his witty observations to do with social media, politics, human behaviour, pop culture, cultural affairs and technology, among others.

Where: Vishnudas Bhave Natyagruha, Hindurao Patil Marg, Sector 16A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai
Entry: Rs 300-2,500
Log On To: bookmyshow.com

Join a midnight peddle
11. 30 PM: Explore the spellbinding coastal route of the city in the night. Your task is to completing 25 km; it starts from Colaba (Causeway) and ends at Band Stand (Bandra) taking multiple halts at Marine Drive, Shivaji Park, Worli Sea Face and beyond.

Where: Colaba Causeway
Entry: Rs 999
Log On To: www.mumbaitravellers.com

Book ahead
Revive ancient Indian weaves
April 13- 15, 10.15 AM - 12 PM: Vastrabharana, a textile fundraiser that has been initiated by the Craft Council of Karnataka, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. And, for the first time the event will take place in Mumbai. The exhibition, which is dedicated to reviving languishing handicrafts, will showcase unique textiles such as Palash weaves from Orissa, Kimkhwāb fabrics that originated in the Moghul era and Kalamkari, an ancient art form that was started by weavers in Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh.

Where: Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
Call: 22844484

Dine in the dark
April 4, 8 PM and 10 PM: They say the first bite is always with the eyes. But, what do you do when you're blindfolded? TAG GourmArt Kitchen by chef Ranveer Brar will provide this experience at Tickle Your Sense - a first of its kind blindfolded dinner experience. The chef will surprise you with a five-course vegetarian menu inspired from his travels in Europe. The idea is to enjoy your food without the use of one of your primary senses.

Where: TAG GourmArt Kitchen, 1st Floor, Kamala City, OSS Compound, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Lower Parel
Entry: Rs 1,200
Call: 8850566538

Humour dose
Laugh out loud
April 16, 7 PM: Remember the riot Laughter in the House sparked at the box office four years ago? The same team of vintage stars, leading a younger ensemble cast, will present its sequel, Laughter in the House – 2. This tribute to Adi Marzban has yet another choice selection of skits and songs from the legendary writer.

Where: Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point
Entry: Rs 200 to Rs 1,200
Call: 6223742

Enjoy delish aamras
Ongoing, 12 PM - 11 PM: Satisfy your mango craving by sipping on delicious aamras at Golden Star Thali. The Charni Road restaurant is offering unlimited aamras every Saturday and Sunday - in addition to the sweets that accompany the thali. They also serve a bowl of complimentary aamras on weekdays from Monday to Friday. If you want to continue the party at home, they have the same in ½ litre & 1 litre packs.

Where: Golden Star Thali, 330, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, Opera House, Girgaon
Call: 23671952

Chill with the ladies
April 5, 8.30 PM: Chalta Hai Comedy's new edition of Dame Funny will see Trupti Khamkar (in pic), improv artist Jeeya Sethi and writers Sumaira Shaikh and Urooj Ashfaq and IIM drifter Prashasti Singh at the event. Since Wednesdays are ladies nights at The Barking Deer, they will be giving away the first drink to all ladies at Rs 5. Men can come early and enjoy happy hours on the house brews and select liquor till 8 pm.

Where: The Barking Deer, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
Entry: Rs 150 for ladies, Rs 250 for rest
Call: 61417400

Enjoy Gujrati poetry
April 8, 5 PM: Listen to Udayan Thakker and Dileep Jhaveri, two veterans of Gujarati poetry, as they discuss the form and its rich heritage and read their popular work in the language. While Thakker's poetry collection Ekavan (1987) was awarded by Jayant Pathak Poetry Award of 1987-88, Jhaveri is writing has received the Critic's Award (1989), the Gujarati Sahitya Parishad award (1990).

Where: Mithibai College, Conference Hall, Gulmohar Road, Suvarna Nagar, Juhu Scheme, Vile Parle (West)
Entry: Rs 200
Log On To: bookmyshow.com

Last Sunday evening, nearly 400 people made it to Juhu's Novotel Hotel to watch a screening of Pulp Fiction. What made the evening special was that the "seats" i.e. the gaddas were laid by the pool, with cool breeze blowing in from the Arabian Sea.

It was the first film screening in the city organised by SteppinOut Movie Nights, which has presence across Chennai, Delhi and Bangalore. Ojal Kulkarni, the brand head for the firm, says they chose Novotel for its cool vibe and plan a movie night at the venue every two months.

In a city that's brimming with cinephiles it only makes sense to have non-commercial venues that will screen the classics as well as the indie films. And, Novotel promises to be a killer of a venue. Tickets will range from Rs 300 to Rs 400 and the movies will be chosen after a poll is conducted on their FB page.

But, if you can't wait until then to catch a screening of some well-curated films, along with other lovers of cinema, here are the some of the other venues in the city to watch out for.