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And the BAFTA Award goes to…
We landed in London on Friday morning and managed to fit in a couple ageless pubs in Ealing, train, tube and taxi travels, a touristy wander around Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields, saw part of an opera at Trafalgar Square, skirted the edge of China Town, chowed down on fab Caribbean cuisine and rum at Dub Pub in Covent Garden…
However one of the highlights was a stop most tourists miss… the hallowed halls of BAFTA – the British Academy of Film and Television. (more…)
Sunday stroll on Juhu Beach
OK… I know it is mid-week not Sunday. However I also know we live near the sea yet for some strange reason it is rare to find us strolling by the water.
So we when we arrived on Sunday slightly early for a private preview of Anurag Kashyap’s Bombay Velvet, conveniently located at Sunny Villa in Juhu, I took the opportunity to wander along the beach and thought today to share some quick snaps.
For those not familiar with Mumbai’s Juhu beach, it is a weekend favourite for families, blushing couples, energetic adolescents and hawkers… one of the few places free to come out and play. There is a long stretch of sand with plenty of room to jog, play soccer, enjoy a picnic with a multitude of vendors catering to the crowds that grow until sunset the gradually slip away. (more…)
Discovering hidden venues – “Charge” at Sitara Studio
On average we see a play once a week or so. The typical venues in Mumbai are NCPA, Prithvi Theatre, sometime one of the college theatres like Sophia or St Andrews.
However there are alternate venues too. We’ve seen theatre performed in someone’s living room or in the middle of a field at The Company Theatre in Kamshet.
Last weekend, we were introduced to another venue – Sitara Studio in Dadar West – compliments of Eric Kaiser’s play “Charge“. The venue has this industrial warehouse feel perfect for a post apocalyptic play about a bed-ridden couple Martha and George who are obsessed with betting or chasing the illusion of reality with their whims and bodily needs catered to by their androids Gigi and Pierre. (more…)
Tokyo Day 1 – Wandering around Shinjuku Nichō
I promised a few more details and pics of my Japan trip… so here goes!
Before I left Mumbai, I consulted with a friend who lives in Tokyo for what to do in my ONE free day… His advice was:
- Airport to hotel only long enough to check-in and dump bags
- Head straight to Tsukiji – Fish Market – noting that while I would miss the really active early morning, even the outer edge is remarkable
- Walk to the Hamarikyu Gardens and have the maccha green tea
- Take a boat from there to the Asakusa Kannon temple
- Catch the subway back to the Hotel
- Nap (he’s done enough overnight Tokyo – Mumbai trips to know!)
- Go to the Robo Bar for the evening’s entertainment
It sounded ambitious but amusing.
And the reality? Far from the recommendations! (more…)
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
What fun! This weekend was the ‘Indian Premier’ of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with a special viewing for cast n crew. (more…)
Silencing “India’s Daughter”
Quickly before yet another version of India’s Daughter was blocked, I watched the documentary lest I be tempted to comment on something without actually seeing it.
I needn’t have panicked I’d miss the opportunity… like rabbits, as soon as one is blocked, another link pops out of another YouTube hole.
Social media and mass media alike are abuzz with reactions to the decision to not permit showing the BBC “India’s Daughter” documentary in India. And catapulted its viewing via YouTube in a way a mere airing on BBC TV alone could never have accomplished. (more…)
Bleeping ‘Bombay’?
My partner’s play Bombay Jazz is on Sunday and the press is paying attention!
But I noticed a funny little caveat at the end of an article “When Jazz Hit Mumbai” that came out yesterday in Mid-Day…
Note: Mumbai has been referred to as Bombay to retain flow of historic events.
Then proceeded to pepper throughout the article:
… Mumbai (Bombay, then) …
To someone from outside India, it seems rather schizophrenic – Mumbai vs Bombay!? (more…)
Personalising Bombay’s Paparazzi – Fahad Samar’s Flash Point
When you think ‘paparazzi‘, you think of mad shutter bugs hounding celebrities going about their everyday activities…
However Mumbai’s breed are rather more civilised. “Please sir… just one more sir! Thank you sir!”
Before I met my partner, I was completely oblivious of Mumbai’s paparazzi.
With him, I discovered there is often a warm symbiotic relationship between photographer and photographee. What isn’t captured on camera are the greetings by name, teasing exchanges and general camaraderie. (more…)
Moosehead dude cycles into Bandra!
Anyone who has wandered around the streets of Bandra can’t help but stumble across some rather remarkable art on building walls, hidden along winding lanes, tucked away on the corner of a convenience stall.
Multiple arts projects find home in this western suburb of Bombay… one of the more recent was part of the Celebrate Bandra festival where St+art brought together a mix of Indian and international artists to create a new series of murals to brighten the buildings of Bandra… (more…)
The “Real” Mentalist – Lior Suchard
I’m a closet TV series addict. As much as we enjoy being out n about, nothing beats curling up at home and watching a good show. Or occasionally even a not so good show. 😉
And sometimes all you crave is fluffy filler type stuff – predictable shows following a formula that you can follow without full attention.
So, as I’ve been doing a variety of mundane tasks at home, my current companion is The Mentalist.
It is perfect – enough dialogue to follow without really watching. Between various updates, I can glance up and watch for a bit then get back to the main task at hand.
A bit of an irony considering the premise of the series is a brilliant guy (Simon Baker) who is able to solve crimes through his powers of observation and mental manipulation.
It also accepts that with these elements, adding a dash of distraction, a drop or two of research, one gives the impression of having psychic powers.
So when invited to see real live mentalist – Lior Suchard – how could I resist? Especially as it was a private function with promise of single malt and good food! (more…)


