Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Cheap thrills in Navi Mumbai
The quest to find a bar to fulfil one’s pocket-friendly alcohol needs for the weekend is a never-ending adventure that this diarist loves to undertake. The key to finding the right place includes women-friendly staff, and music that doesn’t induce migraines. And now we hear that the Pub Exchange chain from Gurgaon will open in the city this month and they claim to offer the lowest rates ever.

The Thane outlet will open at Korum Mall on Eastern Express Highway, and the Navi Mumbai joint (in pic) in Seawoods Grand Central. The concept is similar to another popular chain of bars. Who wins the race? We’ll give you a low-down soon.

Farzi heads to Riyadh
The Delhi-based modern Indian restaurant is gearing up to open its doors in Riyadh this month. The launch of the restaurant makes this the chain’s second international outpost. The 300-seater joint has furniture and fixtures from Italy and Spain, along with Maserati baby chairs.

Founder and managing director of Massive Restaurants, Zorawar Kalra said, “We are very excited about the launch and are opening in six more locations by December this year.

Zorawar and Dildeep Kalra

We will soon see its footprint in eight countries.” While the eatery received a lukewarm response here in Mumbai, it might be interesting to see how they fare in the Middle East.

Mark your date with Neil Gaiman
In 2004, Neil Gaiman wrote, “The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” Staying true to this quote, Gaiman has made the day better for his fans in India.

In reply to a fan (that we wish was us) on Twitter, multiple Hugo award-winning author announced his entry into India for the Jaipur Literature Festival, this January. The line-up also includes the likes of Zadie Smith and Ian Mckellen.

So long, Kali
A little over 14 years ago, Kali came into the lives of The Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD) family, and till her last breath, which was yesterday, she was always the poster girl for strays in the city and the reigning queen of the WSD kennels. Wherever she went, and especially when she mingled with little ones, her gentleness and easy-going character took away any fear or anxiety that they might have had about a canine or a stray.

“Kali was the friendliest doggie I’ve known; she played a key role in educating children about being kind to and unafraid of strays,” recalls WSD CEO Abodh Aras, adding how she was found when the police informed him of a dog that had been run over near Breach Candy. She underwent an orthopaedic surgery that didn’t work out and she became a WSD resident dog with a permanent handshake. “She was our ‘reception committee’, loved kids and had visited many schools,” he adds This diarist recalls watching her in action as a demo dog at a WSD first-aid workshop, ever calm and thrilled, too, with all the attention. She is sure to get a warm welcome in doggie heaven.

Support rugby
As much as the Indian junta loves to watch sports-related films, in real life, anything other than cricket fails to rake in the moolah. One such example is the under-20 touch rugby team that will represent India at the Youth World Cup 2018 in Malaysia, which begins on August 8.

The team is undergoing severe setbacks due to a lack of funds. They are now running a web crowd-funding campaign to make ends meet and fulfil their dreams.

Talk to the hand

Actor Anil Kapoor's banter seems to amuse Aishwarya Rai Bachchan as Rajkummar Rao looks on at a promotional event for their forthcoming film at a Juhu five-star on Tuesday. Pic/Shadab Khan

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