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Trainer Narendra Lagad and jockey Dashrath Singh emerged as star professionals on Saturday's eight-race card. Both of them won three races apiece. Interestingly, both partnered to win two races together — Arabian Storm (Yogender Singh Trophy - Div II) and Wild Fire (Enaksi Plate).
While Lagad won his third race with Excellent Gold (A Sandesh up), Dashrath Singh earned his third point astride a vigorously ridden Name Of The Game who just about managed to hold a fast-moving Highland Princess (H Zeeshan up) at bay.
Meanwhile, today's Grade 3, S A Poonawalla Million has attracted a small field of only five three-year-olds.
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In the last one week, the Bhayandar office of A-Check Global Solutions has been inundated with phone calls from harried school authorities requesting their services. The US-based agency, which has branches across the country, is an employment-screening organisation that conducts background checks, digs out education history and criminal records (if any) of prospective and existing staffers. "Till about four years ago, we'd approach schools with the concept and be turned down because they never felt the need for such services," says Ravi Gupta, senior manager, corporate sales.
*Also read - Ryan school murder: Haryana government takes over, orders CBI probe*
That changed in 2014 when a skating instructor at a Bangalore school was accused of sexually assaulting a six-year-old student. More recently, after the two horrific incidents earlier this month — murder of seven-year-old Ryan International School student Pradyuman Thakur, allegedly by a bus conductor in Gurugram on September 8, and the news of rape of a five-year-old by a school peon in East Delhi the next day — that panic has struck.*Sujata Kate, principal of Sundatta High School, a Marathi-cum-English medium school at Tardeo, holds a class on child sexual abuse for students. Pic/Suresh Karkera*
*'Screen all staff'*
It's not just the capital that's reeling under attacks. Mumbai, too, has seen a series of incidents. In early 2015, the case of a 12-year-old girl from a reputable Dadar school who had been periodically sexually assaulted by a bus cleaner in the school's toilet came to light. In 2013, a four-year-old girl was molested by the cleaner of her school bus. But it's not just class IV employees who have been accused of these crimes. In June this year, the principal of a private school in Andheri East was arrested for allegedly molesting two minor students.
"To think it's only contractual staff that's responsible for this is plain wrong. Which is why we have conducted a background check of all 500 employees across our schools in Kandivli and Malad, including teaching and non-teaching staff," says Rohit Bhat, principal of the Children's Academy. Bhat outsources this responsibility to an agency and shells out Rs 900 per staffer — this involves getting a police clearance certificate and ensuring each has a valid identity card. In 2014, Bhat had CCTV cameras installed in the school including the parking area, which are monitored at all hours.
*Also read - Ryan school murder: School, police tried to hush up case, says boy's father*
Billabong High International School, Santacruz (West), has also upped security measures recently. Principal Kusum Kanwar says the school has appointed a security guard in the bus, along with two lady teachers. The guards at the gate have also doubled. Kanwar says the management is now making a conscious effort to go around the premises conducting random checks. "We have a team of counsellors as part of our Centre of Well Being programme. They conduct regular sessions with students to gauge their mental state. We have beefed up that team," she says. While Billabong has security in numbers — it has between 12 to 20 students per class and employs two teachers per class — not all schools have the privilege.
Ramesh Joshi, general secretary, Brihanmumbai Mahapalika Shikshak Sabha (BMSS) is appalled at the lack of attention being paid to security in municipal-run schools. "Previously, there was a system of bai-cum-caretakers who would double up as security guards, but the municipal corporation discontinued their appointment four years ago," he says. Instead, the BMC has appointed contract staffers from private companies.
*Also read - Ryan Schoolboy murder: Police verification, safety audits are essential, MISA*
"They are paid barely Rs 6,000 a month, when our caretakers would earlier get to up to Rs 14,000. Under such circumstances, they are bound to be negligent. In their attempt to downsize and pocket the money, they have put the children at risk," he says.*Indrani Malkani*
*Discerning the bad touch*
The fact that the issue is gaining steam is evident in the fact that Bengaluru resident Amrapali Dhaware's petition on Change.Org (India) to make schools safe, which barely had a couple of signatures till last month, now has 2,36,673 supporters. "I was inspired to start the campaign after a peon at Seth Juggilal Poddar Academy in Malad raped a four-year-old last month. My demand was for more safety measures," she says, adding that the campaign barely got traction initially. Addressed to HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and Anil Swarup, Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, the petition lists a set of rules (see box) which she believes should be made mandatory in all schools.
*Also read - Ryan schoolboy murder: 8-point student safety guidelines issued by CBSE board*
Ensuring that children learn to raise their voice against abuse is also becoming important.
Sujata Kate, principal of Sundatta High School, a Marathi-cum-English medium school at Tardeo has lowered the age when it comes to imparting lessons on good touch and bad touch. It now starts from Std 1. The school also regularly invited NGOs and women police constables to talk on the topic.*Rohit Bhat, Principal of the Children's Academy*
*Prevention a priority*
Social activist Indrani Malkani makes an important point — CCTV camera footage would work as evidence when a crime is committed or that counsellors can help detect a crime. Can something be done to pre-empt them?
*Also read - Ryan International Schoolboy murder: Bombay HC refuses pre-arrest bail to Pintos*
"Background checks can only reveal if the person has a criminal record, and if it's unreported, you wouldn't even know that. That's why you need psychological profiling as well. The more I know about you, the better I am able to know what you would do in a specific situation. While you can't ever predict a person's behaviour with 100 per cent accuracy, profiling the emotional and mental aspect can help ascertain certain characteristics. It is a preventive measure."
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In an attempt to explore all possible angles and figure out the reason behind pianist Karan Joseph's alleged suicide, the police are also probing if Joseph was unhappy after a clash between roommate Rishi Shah and friend, Tej Singh Brar, over a Facebook post.
Joseph allegedly killed himself by jumping off Shah's 12th floor flat at a Bandra high-rise on September 9.
*Also read - Karan Joseph death: Who is Rishi Shah? Acquaintances decode the man*
Explaining the minute details of Joseph's last meeting with his friends, a police source said Karan was confused as artist manager Tej Brar and other friends had asked him to stay away from Shah. This was allegedly the fallout of Shah's Facebook post where he said, "Rohan Majumdar [a common friend] is a bad singer. He smells bad and nobody should share stage with him". The source said Joseph was torn as he was worried about harming his career if he distanced himself from Shah as well as about his losing his friends if he didn't.
*Also read: Of the tens of friends Karan Joseph called, only two of them answered*
According to the statement of musician and friend Randolph Correia, Joseph was highly emotional, and took everything too seriously. "On September 8, I missed his calls and messages at around 11 as I was busy. Later, I saw that his message said he was upset, following which I asked him to come meet me so he would feel better. At that time, I was at a club in Khar and then I headed off to Drop at Waterfield Road, Bandra West. At 5 am, I got a message from Karan that read, 'I am getting beaten up'," Correia said. "I immediately called him up and told him to come to Drop, and when he arrived he seemed normal, which was the opposite of what I expected. We then went to Tej's house for the party. Other friends like Sohel, Paloma, Mandevi, Royson and Varun were present there."
*Also read - Karan Joseph death: Rishi Shah denies copying allegations by rock band*
Correia said that when Joseph entered the party, Brar hugged him and thanked him for coming. Joseph then went to the kitchen, drank a bit and stood in a corner looking tense. "Brar even apologised to him for the misunderstanding created because of the Facebook post. He asked him if he was OK. At around 5.45 am, Joseph left Brar's house without telling anyone," said the statement.
*Also read: Bandra police finds nothing suspicious about Karan Joseph dangling from window*
Brar has confirmed this sequence to the police.
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Worried about the 2019 polls, with the party fast losing ground in rural Maharashtra, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has decided, for the first time, to review the performance of the party's Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and Members of Parliament (MPs) on Monday.
Last month, at a meeting held to discuss the party's growth, the district heads aired their discontent at the MPs' and MLAs' way of functioning. They also pointed out that the party's ministers were proving to be of no help to party workers and were unable to resolve voters' issues.
After such claims at meetings, and fearing the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) rising clout in Maharashtra, Thackeray wants to ensure all MLAs and MPs work on the ground. The BJP has been the dominant partner in the saffron alliance with the Sena in the government, and has dominated all major council and corporation polls, almost winning the BMC polls earlier this year. These reasons have got Thackeray thinking that serious action was required, revealed sources.
The first big election will be the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, where the party is looking to contest alone from all 48 constituencies, following which it will fight the state assembly polls. The party has already prepared its list of 48 probable Lok Sabha candidates. The fact that none of the Sena ministers has stood out in the past three years has also become cause for concern for the party chief, said party insiders.
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Apart from starring in 'Race 3,' Salman Khan is said to be calling the shots in the casting as well as other aspects of the production.
He has already got Remo D'Souza on board as director.
The choreographer-director had planned a dance-based project which has been kept on hold. Sallu wants to ensure everything goes right in the multi-starrer. The Tubelight after effects?
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Now that the suspected male leopard that killed one and injured four others has been caught by the forest department, authorities plan to continue the camera trapping exercise for another three months. This is being done in order to ascertain whether a new leopard takes over the vacated territory.
On Thursday, the four-year-old leopard that had eluded forest officials for 40 days was caught at Goregaon's Film City area. Sunil Limaye, chief conservator of forest (CCF), Thane Forest Department (Territorial) said, "We are happy that the leopard has been trapped, but we will continue the camera trapping exercise as it will give us valuable information about the leopard movement and behaviour pattern along with crucial details if a new leopard enters the territory." The research done by biologist and leopard expert Dr Vidya Athreay from the Wildlife Conservation Society-India has proven that translocating wild animals may not always yield desired results, because a new animal will occupy the vacant space.*Leopard pug marks in Aarey*
A total of around 10 camera traps will be installed at Aarey Milk Colony and the Film City area. A logbook containing details of leopard activity will also be maintained.
For now, the suspected male leopard has been kept under observation at the Leopard Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Khamgaon.
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In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. At his Parel office, Father Walter D'Souza reads the memorable and authoritative opening line of the Bible's Old Testament to us. Just that it is not in English, but ancient Hebrew -- the language in which the earliest manuscripts of the Old Testament were written in.
Fr Walter, who heads a minor seminary at Our Lady's Home Training Centre in Parel, runs a course on Biblical Hebrew and Greek. The course, comprising 15 sessions, has been on for the last one year and has so far seen a modest number of dedicated takers. Classes are held every Saturday inside the orphanage's premises.
"Ancient Hebrew is a lot similar to the modern version of the language. The consonants, the vowels and the sentence structure of both the modern and ancient languages are similar. What modern Hebrew has is a far wider range of vocabulary," says Fr Walter.*Father Walter D'Souza, head of the Archdiocese of Bombay's Bible Committee*
As head of the Archdiocese of Bombay's Bible Committee, Fr Walter initiated the course last year in a bid to draw more interest to the Bible, as well as the study of the ancient language. "Most of the participants, who sign up for the course have previously attended a Bible study class. Through this course, many wish to know more about the Bible in its original form and thus, get a closer understanding of the scripture," says Fr Walter.
However, Fr Walter says that learning an ancient language, especially when it is not spoken widely in India, is incredibly tough. He has had first-hand knowledge of the gruelling study that was demanded of him at St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary in Bengaluru, where he was doing his Masters in Biblical Theology. "It gave us sleepless nights," he laughs, adding, "You have to start with the very basics and, in some cases just by heart the words without trying to make logical sense of them."
To make it simpler for his students, Fr Walter has divided the course into four parts and even authored a textbook that breaks down ancient Hebrew for modern learners — right from the alphabets to necessary vocabulary. The course costs Rs 3,000 and participants as young as 19, up to the age of 60, have enrolled.
Fr Walter says that learning ancient Hebrew is not for everyone as it is an intellectual exercise. Level one of the course also includes comprehending the famous first chapter of Genesis, a seemingly simple task, but arduous to achieve. With homework, a test in every session and an examination at the end of the course, Fr Walter says that just a few make it till the end.
One such student is Metilda Stanley, a resident of Chembur and the vice-president of a life insurance firm. "My primary reason for joining the course was to have a deeper learning of the Bible, which, as many of us know, has undergone numerous transliterations. My other reason is that I wanted to know a new language. But, ancient Hebrew is not easy," she says. Her friends reacted with surprise when they heard about the course that she was doing. "I explained to them that it is a lot like the manner in which Muslims study the Koran in its original form, which was in Aramaic," she explains. Having passed the first level, Stanley now assists Fr Walter with the course.
Requirements for the course include prior knowledge of English grammar. You also need to either be a Catholic or belong to a other denomination of Christianity. "The study of an ancient language needs to come with a purpose. As this is the study of Hebrew through the Bible, we do not think that secular people or those of other faiths will be interested in it. People might be interested in learning modern languages, such as Italian or Spanish," says Fr Walter.
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Currently, BCCI is planning to include more matches for women cricketers at the domestic level. Harmanpreet said: "Earlier, there were not many matches for us at domestic level but I think the BCCI is working on it and we would definitely get good quality of games."
The attacking right-handed batswoman, who sealed a final berth for India by playing a magnificent innings of 171 not out off just 115 balls against Australia in the semi-finals of ICC women's cricket World Cup in England, said that the India 'A' concept will help young women cricketers as they will get more matches that will provide them a chance to prepare better for the international stage.
Without doubt, life has changed for her and the rest of the team. "The comparison between men's and women's cricket is over. I think now everybody wants to watch cricket be it men's or women's. I think it's a great achievement for us. Now there is more responsibility on us.
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A Sub-inspector of the Shivaji Nagar police was caught red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 4,000 from a woman, who wanted action to be taken against her sister's husband and in-laws in a dowry harassment case.
According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, police sub-inspector Jalinder Babaso Misal, 57, had been allegedly harassing the family of a woman (name withheld) for bribe. The woman's sister had filed a dowry harassment complaint against her husband and in-laws a few months ago. But, Misal had been demanding money to file the case. He had already taken Rs 10,000 from her for the same, an ACB official said. Recently, when Misal demanded more money, she decided to teach him a lesson. She then approached the ACB and filed a complaint.
On Friday, when Misal was accepting a bribe of R4,000 from the woman, ACB officials caught him red-handed. "We will scrutinise his financial background to ascertain if he has amassed properties disproportionate to his income," an ACB official said.
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The anti-robbery and dacoity squad of the police have dented a major child trafficking racket with the arrest of five more people, who allegedly lured over 95 children to travel to France with the promise of securing their future. The same squad has until now arrested around 25 accused in the case, including the mastermind from Punjab.
In April this year, acting on a tip-off, the police had laid a trap at Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, and arrested two men and a woman, who were leaving the country with four teenaged boys. According to the police, the scamsters, who allegedly belong to the Bollywood industry, lured parents of teenaged boys into sending them abroad with the promise of providing good education and eventually a national citizenship.
The police recently arrested Poonam Behenwal, 38, her husband Raj, 45, Kiran Limbagiya, 48, Kamal Shah, 50, and Vijay Paswan, 50. The accused worked as carriers. Their job was to make passports using fake documents and then pose as parents of the children, who were being taken to France. Once the kids reached their destination, the accused would destroy their passports. "The carriers would get around a lakh per child. The police have so far managed to rescue four teenage boys, while the accused have successfully sent around 95 teenagers to France," a police source said.
Investigators suspect involvement of another one dozen people from India in the international racket.
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Despite getting his brother arrested in January, for seriously assaulting him 19 years ago, retired assistant commissioner of police Vitthal Kadam, 66, is still a dejected man. On Saturday, the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate court adjourned the matter until the first week of December. Kadam alleges that the evidence he had gathered against his brother, Netaji Kadam, was not even taken into account.
*Battle in court*
Kadam has been fighting a court battle against his brother, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Indian Army, and his subordinate, who had physically assaulted him over a property row in 1998. mid-day had reported about Netaji Kadam's arrest on January 19.
Speaking to mid-day, Kadam said, "On Saturday, I went to inform the court that my brother had lied on oath when he said he was undergoing treatment at Pune and that he doesn't have property in Mumbai, two grounds on which he has sought relief in his conditional bail. Now, with three months' extension, he has time to tamper with evidence."
*'Evidence that brother is lying'*
Kadam said, "My brother still owns the flat, the same house in which he assaulted me 19 years ago, at Oshiwara. Also, he has said he lives in Belgaum, yet his submission to the court was that he has to undergo daily treatment for his paralysis at a military hospital in Southern Command, Pune. How is it possible for him to travel 400km daily from Belgaum to Pune and back?"
Meanwhile, the same court issued an arrest warrant on September 7 to arrest Netaji's subordinate, who is a wanted absconding accused in the assault case. A police team from Oshiwara has left for Jammu & Kashmir, where the accused is believed to be living post retirement.
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After making much noise about the On-Screen Marking (OSM) and the ensuing mess that followed, Mumbai University is considering returning to its traditional practice of offline assessment for the reassessment of exam papers. The varsity has been flooded with 50,000 applications for re-evaluation and photocopy requests. Add to this, there are 28,498 answer sheets that are currently non-traceable. To combat the chaos, authorities want to go back to old-school ways of assessment, to hasten the process of re-evaluation. And more so, because next semester's exam schedule is out already.
"So many students upset with the assessment process are queuing up at the examination house. With answer sheets lost in the system, re-looking at hard copies is the only option. Now that the results have already been delayed, the re-evaluation process needs to be quick," said an officer at the examination section, requesting anonymity. The officer further added, "Yes, the first option is to trace the answer sheets in the online system. But, if some are not found, we will have to look at the bunches again to trace them." There are a total of 36,332 applications for re-evaluation and 8,931 applications seeking photocopies of answer-sheets. The combined figure exceeds last year's by 20,000.
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Farah Khan now has a lookalike Karah Khan. She not only dresses like her, but can make stars dance to her tunes, perhaps plan a film with Shah Rukh Khan, mince no words and has no qualms about laughing at herself.
The ace choreographer-filmmaker is back on the small screen with a weekend dance and music show, 'Lip Sing Battle'. Karah happens to be funny man Ali Asgar, who impersonates her. For starters, Karah wants to take over the show.*Farah Khan with Farhan Akhtar and Arjun Kapoor*
We are on the set of 'Lip Sing Battle' at Yash Raj Studios, Andheri, where Khan has just packed off one more episode. She kicks off her killer heels and settles for flat, comfy footwear. "I am not a judge on the show, where you wear fancy dresses and sit, give marks and occasionally get up to clap. I am the presenter with Ali as the co-host. There's lots more to do here. Coordinating the guests which consists of Bollywood stars besides singers and sports folk. Making them let down their hair is no easy task. Also, the stars have to dance to other actors' tracks, not from their own films as they might be familiar with the lyrics."
Lip Sing Battle's concept is based on the American reality show, 'Lip Synch Battle', which has celebrities battle each other with lip sync performances. It was used on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' before it was developed into a separate show. But to suit the desi audience, it has been called 'Lip Sing Battle'. "The makers felt people will say synch as sing, so they decided to change it."*Parineeti Chopra and Karan Johar*
*Hectic pace*
Khan has shot for five episodes and the plan is to run it for 20 episodes. "By the end of it, I think I will have to get myself admitted to the Jindal nature cure institute. I might just collapse. I have to constantly be on my toes." Considering that most guests are from the industry and are known to her, she's thankful that she is not judging them. "They would kill me if I gave them low scores."
Arjun Kapoor, Karan Johar, Preity Zinta, Farhan Akhtar and Raveena Tandon have already shot for the show. She is hopeful of getting Sunny Deol on board, knowing his aversion to dance. "It will be fun to watch him." She's also roping in buddy, tennis champ Sania Mirza, besides cricketers like Irfan Pathan and Yuvraj Singh. "It is for people who want to have fun and do crazy stuff. They have to let themselves go. I knew Farhan Akhtar had directed Shankar Mahadevan's Breathless video so I made him sing it. He was breathless himself after the performance. We had kept oxygen ready for him."*Farah Khan and Ali Asgar*
She cites the case of Arjun Kapoor, who landed on the set to see Farhan rehearsing. "Arjun then decided to take two hours off to prepare for his act. The winner is decided by a studio audience."
*String of shows*
Khan has been on the tube since 2004 when she judged Indian Idol. She has gone on to do several shows like Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Nach Baliye, Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karege and even a cookery show, Farah Ki Dawat. Khan combines her TV outings with films, but makes sure she spaces them out to ensure she spends time with her triplets (Anya, Czar and Diva). "I am a mango, not a banana. I prefer to take up seasonal offers. I always give gaps between new assignments," says Khan, whose last directorial outing was Happy New Year (2014).
*Preity Zinta on the set of Lip Sing Battle*
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A major fire broke out on the sets of a dance reality show at the iconic RK Films and Studios in Chembur on Saturday afternoon, gutting a revolving stage, made popular in the 1980 thriller Karz. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident.
*Also read - Mumbai: Major fire breaks out at the famous R. K. Studios, no injuries reported*
According to the Mumbai Fire Brigade, a fire broke out on the sets of Super Dancers, aired on Sony TV, around 2.30 pm. Initially, the disaster control room of the BMC received a call of a minor fire at the studio. However, soon, the fire spread rapidly, destroying almost the entire set of the show, said officials.
Seven fire engines, four water tankers and two ambulances were rushed to the spot, leading to a chock-a-block situation in the already congested Chembur area.
*Also read - Mumbai: Gas cylinder blast in Juhu building kills six people, 11 injured**The revolving stage is best remembered for the iconic number Om Shanti Om*
A source from the set said that nobody was inside when the incident took place. "There were some inflammable materials stored on the set, which caused the fire to spread. However, we have managed to control it. There was no loss to life or injuries to anyone," said PS Rahangdale, chief fire officer.
Sources said that the fire, which was confined to a 100×80 sqft area on the ground floor structure, was brought under control at around 4.30 pm. But, the fire gutted the entire set. Cooling operations continued till late into the evening.
*Also read - Mumbai: Fire breaks out near Dombivli station*
While Rahangdale said that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, Senior Police Inspector Shashikant Mane, Govandi police, said that prima facie it appears that a short circuit led to the incident. "We have noted the incident. We will file a case based on Reliance Energy and the fire brigade's report," Mane said.*Actor Rishi Kapoor, son of legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor who founded the studio in 1948, arrives at the spot of the mishap in Chembur on Saturday evening*
Meanwhile, the BMC is investigating if there was any negligence.
RK studio was founded and setup by legendary actor, filmmaker Raj Kapoor in 1948. His son, actor Rishi Kapoor later took to Twitter to share updates related to the incident. "Sad. A major fire broke out at RK Studios. We have lost the iconic Stage 1. Thankfully no casualties nor injuries. All your concerns appreciated."
*Also read - Mumbai: Fire broke out at Goregaon's Oberoi Mall, no casualties*
Dilip Pithwa, general secretary of Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), said that this is the fifth fire incident in a studio, this year. "We have been fighting with studios and producers to have better safety measures. I only hope they take the issue more seriously," he said.
Film historian JP Choksey, who was close to Raj Kapoor, said, "It is unfortunate that a huge stage at the set, which also happens to be the biggest in the country, has been destroyed in the fire. The set had a revolving stage on which the famous Karz song [Om Shanti Om] was shot. Several Manmohan Desai and Yash Chopra films have also been shot at the same set. Some costumes of RK Studio were burnt in the fire."
*Also read: Fire breaks out at a highrise in Nalasopara; 20 rescued*
Journalist Chaitanya Padukone recalled attending the 60th birthday celebration of Raj Kapoor on the same stage.
*With inputs by Bharti Dubey*
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A man hardly discussed in the media until September 9, Rishi Shah has repeatedly hit headlines since pianist Karan Joseph was found dead in the compound of his Bandra Bandstand building. Known to the indie music community as publisher of RAVE magazine, and music entrepreneur, he, however, is remembered by actor and anchor Kubbra Sait as "a certified medical marijuana prescriber".
*Also read - Karan Joseph death: Rishi Shah denies copying allegations by rock band*
"That's how he was introduced to me," she tells mid-day, recalling an event she hosted in Hawaii in 2011. This is when she first met Shah. When he learnt that she was to holiday in New York the following year, he said, "Come over, stay with me. I will take you to some fashion parties.""And I said, yes, why not," she recounts. His Manhattan apartment overlooked the Hudson, and at the parties they frequented, he seemed to know the right people. "I don't know what they thought of him, but he knew his way around. It was clear he was well-off and he shared a camaraderie with the people he met."*Illustration/Ravi Jadhav*
*An American life*
Scouring the Internet confirms Kubbra's claim. Pictures of Shah on the website of the New York Social Diary show him partying with the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Sachin Tendulkar and Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General at the British Embassy David Lelliott. Kubbra next met Shah in March 2017 when she hosted a party to re-launch RAVE, a music magazine he had first introduced in India in 2002. "I hadn't kept in touch with him ever since New York. But [when I met him], he was the same. A jittery energy surrounded him."
*Also read - Karan Joseph death: Karan was mentally, physically abused by Rishi, allege friends*
Shah lived the life of a high-flying elite thanks to his successful urologist father Dr Shashi Shah. The man with a 40-year-long career in America, much of it at Franklin Hospital, Valley Stream, NY, has held several prestigious positions including President of Medical Staff and Chairman of the Medical Executive Committee. In the 1980s, he is believed to have performed the first percutaneous nephrostolithotomy (keyhole kidney stone) surgery in Long Island, according to a report in The South Asian Times. He met Pushpa when they were students at Sawai Man Singh Medical College in Jaipur. She did her residency in Rehab Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, but gave up her practice a few years later to focus on family. The Shahs are a prominent couple in the Indian-American physicians community. Their younger, Rahul, runs an asset management firm with wife, Anjani in New York. Rishi Shah, himself, also apparently has a background in medicine, but chose to work in the entertainment business.
*Also read - I'm ready to leave all my friends for Rishi Shah: Karan Joseph told a close friend*
He is believed to have started his career at Arista Records in 1992, and since has been on the board of prominent committees, including the American Society of Young Musicians and the Multicultural Motion Picture Association.*Rishi's parents Dr Shashi Shah (in pic on facing page) and Dr Rupa Shah (in sari) are prominent names in the Indian-American physicians community. Pic/Kaushal Punatar*
*A wannabe star maker*
Shah returned to India in 2002 and launched RAVE, which he said at the time, would be India's answer to Rolling Stone.
*Also read - Mumbai: Is bad advice from flatmate Rishi Shah to blame for Karan Joseph's death?*
Pop singer Shibani Kashyap met Shah at the same Hawaii event as Kubbra. But it was in New Delhi in 2003 that she was first introduced to him when she was being interviewed for his magazine. "RAVE was doing well then. He seemed to have a passion for music and played the guitar. He was positive about my talent and later got me to record three songs with Silva Ganesh, which he produced. I don't know what happened to those songs, though," she says. This trait of leading on musicians is responsible for the negative image he has within the industry. Two days ago, Kolkata-based band, Underground Authority, released a video that recounted how they had been shortchanged by Shah. Lead guitarist Adil Rashid told mid-day that he met Shah at a gig in Blue Frog last year, where he expressed his desire to help them record new material and get them gigs. "He even travelled to Kolkata to convince us. He almost begged us. We arrived in Bombay and recorded five songs at Famous Studios." Once that was done, Shah became a changed man, Rashid alleges. "He ridiculed us in front of his staff. He told us we were s*** and he was the reason we were doing anything at all. We don't know where those songs are. We were never paid for them."
*A man of many faces*
Event management and public relations firm Picture N Kraft owner Parul Chawla handled three events for Shah, and remembers him initially for his confidence and his enthusiasm. "I remember how he fired his former PR rep on the phone right in front of me. He was aggressive and eccentric but had the zeal to do something. He had an eye for talent too. For RAVE's re-launch, he sniffed out a talented bunch of kids from Dharavi and had them perform."
*Also read - Mumbai: Pianist Karan Joseph's friends want full probe on Rishi Shah*
The non-payment of dues comes up again when Chawla says that her firm was never paid for managing the launch. "Shah said it was because he wasn't keeping well and had been admitted to Lilavati Hospital," she says. A well-known musician, who requested not to be named, confirms Chawla's story and in fact shares that Shah said he was suffering from pancreatic cancer and had 18 months to live. "For old times' sake, I'd meet him once every couple of months to find out how he was." Projects he collaborated with Shah on would rarely take off, and his reputation was getting sullied, so they parted ways.*Kubbra Sait*
A former colleague and scriptwriter remembers him for his sound knowledge of music. "His heart was in the right place and he had a vision for his company. But, he seemed to be grappling with emotional issues, and that got in the way of his work," she says.
*Also read - Mumbai: Karan Joseph told me he was getting threat calls, says pianist's roommate*
Most people who knew, and worked with him, will agree he was arrogant and a horror to work with. "He is a bully," said one acquaintance. "Can he kill or drive someone to death? I don't know."
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*Letting off steam*
(From left) Singers Harshi Mad, Aditya Narayan and Arial Romal seem to be living it up at the launch of their song in Juhu on Friday night. Pic/Atul Kamble
*Let's drink to Kohli's health!*
So, Virat Kohli has spurned the cola endorsement because he does not consume the beverage. Noble indeed, reckoned his supporters, and cynicism aside, he has indicated what is healthy and what is not.
Social media is abuzz with reactions to Kohli's thanks-but-no thanks response to the cola giant. One sports writer remarked on Facebook: "He captains an IPL franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore named after a whiskey brand. Does one therefore assume he consumes 'hard' drinks but is opposed to 'soft' drinks? Strange upturned world we live in!"
And, a former first-class cricketer remarked: "Kohli refuses cola when he has enough; Gopichand refused when he had nothing. Not comparing, just saying." As for us, we salute 2001 All England champion and ace badminton coach P Gopichand, and let's drink some good old paani to Kohli's health and the spurning of the endorsement deed.
*Tejas made it happen*
Singer-songwriter Tejas's album, Make It Happen, dropped on Friday and we haven't been able to stop listening to it. The 27-year-old started crowdfunding on Wishberry at the beginning of this year and the initiative seems to have paid off. "Well, first off, the crowdfunding made me take my own album really seriously. There was no more room for slacking off since there were so many people's time and money now invested in it. But more importantly, I had to match every single rupee I received with my own, to make sure nothing else was half-baked. I paid for the mastering and artwork and practically everything else to make sure I sustained a level of quality with the album," he told this diarist.
And, it shows. The album, which will be available exclusively on Apple Music for the first week, is a treat to listen to with 'Wine' being our favourite. But, if you are hoping to catch him performing any time soon, you will have to wait a bit. "The plan with the album is to let it simmer for a bit with listeners. I didn't want to do a tour immediately, because I really was looking forward to people listening and looping their favourite songs and learning the lyrics and parts, because that's what my show is good at creating: playing the songs for listeners. For now, there is a tour planned for November-December." We can hardly wait.
*One year down*
It's been a year since Ananya Birla launched her own startup with luxury ecommerce venture that curates handmade lifestyle products. It was with an immersive virtual reality presentation that CuroCarte splashed into the scene at a flamboyant launch last year. To commemorate the completion of its first year, the 23-year-old Birla scion has kept a party at one of Bandra's newest restobars, that's rather popular among the city's swish set. The handmade revolution that the venture had accomplished to bring in, has been going well, we hear. In fact, on its anniversary, there'll be further announcements on the journey forward. We'll keep our eyes and ears open.*Chef Scott Linquist*
*Burrito in Bombay*
In the last 20 years, Chef Scott Linquist has rustled up delicious Mexican fare across the world including Miami, Santo Domingo and Dominican Republic. Now, he's set to come to Mumbai. The chef joins as partner to XICO, a contemporary Mexican restaurant that will launch at Kamala Mills this month. "The food scene in Mumbai is on fire! It is rapidly emerging with so many new spots opening all the time.
In that sense, it is similar to Miami with its current culinary revolution," he says. Linquist hopes to apply the knowledge that he has acquired through years of travel and studying the cuisine and culture of Mexico. "Indian and Mexican cuisine have so many similarities they would seem as if they are family. Both cuisines use a lot of chillies and spices and have bold and exotic flavours. With Mexican food, we serve tortillas with every meal just like the Indian roti," he says.
*The great Indian heroine*
There's nothing as exciting as looking forward to a book from a fine writer. And, when this person happens to be Mumbai's good ol' mulga, Kiran Nagarkar, there's only more reason to jump with glee. Nagarkar's delicious and tongue-in-cheek writing apart, fans of his famed Ravan and Eddie series, have been waiting with bated breath for the veteran to churn out another page-turner. His new novel titled Jasoda (HarperCollins India), which is slated for a November release, takes us into the drought-ridden village of Paar.
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*Voices get Boulder*
What started out as an intimate gathering of literary minds and authors in the Pink City, over 10 years ago, has gone global, thanks to their outreach festivals in other parts of the world, including taking the festival to Boulder in the US and an association with the MoMa in New York.
Presently, in its third edition in Boulder, the Jaipur Literature Festival has drawn over 70 authors from India and the world. Leading the Indian brigade is father-son duo of Shashi and Kanishk Tharoor; current Indian ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna; diplomat-author Vikas Swarup, and Emmy Award winning writer Kayhan Irani.
With such a promising line-up of some of India's most diverse literary voices, we are pretty sure the ideas must have floweth over.
*Urban designs*
Architect Ashiesh Shah believes that good design is not determined by snob value. The result of this philosophy is a collaboration with an online furniture store, for a collection called Wabi Sabi.*Ashiesh Shah with one of his designs*
You can now own a solid teakwood piece designed by the architect, who is the brains behind the glitzy homes of Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif and Ranbir Kapoor. "Wabi Sabi is a Japanese philosophy that I have been following in my interior design practice for a couple of years.
Today, we take our lives too seriously and forget that there is perfection, in imperfection. To achieve that perfection we burn ourselves. Sometimes it is easier to let go and enjoy it. Wabi Sabi celebrates imperfection and things that are raw, uneven, like your skin that has bumps and is still beautiful," told this diarist about the line that goes live from September 21.*Pic/Bipin Kokate*
*That's the offside, Mr Chief Minister*
State Education Minister Vinod Tawde seems to have an important point to make as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis looks on at a football event held at the Bombay Gymkhana yesterday.
*Chikoo vino in city*
If you were at the annual chikoo festival held in Dahanu earlier this year, you'd have tried the world's first chikoo wine, bottled by locals Nagesh Pai and Priyanka Save, under the family-owned label, Fruzzante. If you weren't, there's some good news.*Nagesh Pai and Priyanka Save*
The husband-wife duo has collaborated with wine consultant Ajit Balgi to introduce Mumbaikars to the cider-style concoction, which has been crafted from the luscious, farm-grown Dahanu-Gholvad chikoos and created with some help from Canadian winemaker, Dominic Rivard. While plans are to add it to restaurant cellars in the city, for now, it will be available at leading wine shops.
*New hat to don*
Not too long ago, we reported that chef Jaydeep Mukherjee had exited from deGustibus Hospitality.
A void that massive can't be left unoccupied, and we now hear that chef Kedar Bobde has been appointed the new corporate executive chef for the brand, which runs restaurants like Indigo, Indigo Deli, Neel and D:OH.
With 23 years of experience working with the cream of the crop - The Leela, Jumeirah, Meridien, InterContinental, Radisson and Hyatt - he sounds like the right man for the job.
*Actor then, DJ now*
Like several star wives have interior or jewellery designing as their go-to profession, turns out there's a favourite new career for has-been actors too. In the past few months, we have spotted three such names. First to come to our mind is DJ Shilpi Sharma (in pic), who has worked in films such as Jo Bole So Nihaal and Heroine.
Sharma has been a regular on the circuit, spotted at DJ nights at pubs across the city. She has also done official remixes of Bollywood songs (the latest being Radha for Jab Harry met Sejal). Another famous face is DJ Zulfi Syed, the hunky model from underwear ads who also played Shah Jehan in the movie Taj Mahal.
He's been doing the rounds as a DJ, including at a Bollywood EDM concert at NSCI. The last one on the list is Ali Merchant, famous for tying the knot on a reality show. Merchant played at a Bollywood night at a Thane bar yesterday. We wonder who'll be the next 'star' at the console. Any guesses?
*At the blogger's Emmys*
Ankiet Gulabani, who makes us hungry with posts on his Instagram handle, @ankietgulabani (Belly Over Mind) is going places. Saveur magazine, a global guide to cooking, entertaining, and food travel, has nominated Belly Over Mind in the Best New Voice category.
The magazine scans over 30,000 blogs from across the world to select those that will be felicitated at an awards ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina, home of the Culinary Institute Of America. As the day draws near (the first week of October), the 26-year-old food writer says, "I'm looking forward to it.
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Travel safe, or better still, stay home - road works at 1,668 spots and repairs at 112 junctions will be carried out across the city from next month.
Works on MG Road, Dr BA Ambedkar Road, SV Road, NS Phadke Road, Linking Road, LBS Road, Ghatkopar-Mankhurd Link Road and other major ones are likely to be undertaken, besides the ongoing Metro rail construction. Civic officials, however, said motorists won't face a lot of problem as the work will be carried out in phases.
*Splitting the work*
Currently, the civic body is working on road repairs by dividing the work into four parts - project roads, priority I, priority II and priority III. 'Project roads' is reconstruction and complete repair of the road, and under this category, there are 835 roads measuring 351.64 km. Under 'priority' works, the civic body will resurface the roads using a method called milling and carpeting, which involves scraping the road and then resurfacing and levelling it.
While a majority of roads under priority I were completed before the monsoon, the remaining five will undergo repairs from October. Under priority II, 828 roads will be repaired from next month, and priority III are those that need repair but not urgently; thus, they are currently in the tendering stage.
*Final stages*
The civic body completed work on 561 roads and at 40 junctions, which had been going on for over a year, before the monsoon; it has planned work on 664 new roads for which tenders will be issued at the earliest. Of these, 394 roads (93.89 km) are in the final tendering stage and fall under priority III. The BMC also plans to take up 59 more junctions for repairs, which too are in the final stage of tendering.
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Clad in an aesthetic flowy attire with a bolero and a distinctly Indian belly belt, Eshan Hilal raises his arms elegantly, a touch of kathak mudras evident in his movements. A change in beat, and his torso and hips acquire a life of their own. He shimmies and gyrates effortlessly, the tassels on his belly belt jiggling in sync. But what makes the performance heartwarming is the smile that refuses to leave Hilal's face. Being a male belly dancer in India is rare and to be accepted as one, the 25-year-old has had to fight opposition.
"The joy of being able to finally pursue my passion as my profession is something that will never fade away," shares Hilal, ahead of his first belly-dancing workshop in Mumbai. "For as long as I can remember, I have loved to dance.
As a school kid, I used to save the tuition money I was given for science coaching and joined a kathak class instead. I also learnt various Indian folk dance forms as they use hip movements more than classical forms, which was something I enjoyed. The day I came across belly dancing, it blew my mind," he recalls.
But finding his calling invited his parents' wrath, and Hilal regrets not being able to mend his fences with them. "They found my interests girlish. For the shy, gawky kid that I was, the disapproval impacted my childhood adversely," he says, adding, "The more I delved into the history of belly dancing, the more I realised men have always pursued this beautiful art form. It is all about the body. What does gender have to do with it?"
Hilal's challenges, however, weren't restricted to the personal front. Every belly dancing class he contacted turned him down saying they accepted only female students, and the young boy took up his other interest, fashion designing. "Then one day, I got a call from a belly dance school in Delhi informing me they were open to male students. And there was no looking back," he says.
Performance opportunities started coming Hilal's way and soon, he was travelling with the troupe from his dance school across India and abroad. He also participated in three dance reality shows, and won the second prize at an international belly dancing competition in China last year. Two months ago, BBC Worldwide made a short film on him. "I have been getting messages from cousins and schoolmates apologising for ridiculing me. The people who used to call me girlish now call me an artiste," he shares. "But the greatest change belly dancing has brought to my life is that I have started loving myself more. I am a different Eshan Hilal now."
*On: September 18 to 24 *
*At: The Soul Studio, New Link Road, Andheri West. *
*Call: 9967441915*
*Cost: Rs 3,500*
Reported by Mid-Day 2 hours ago.
*Srinagar:* Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Abu Ismail, the mastermind behind the July 10 attack on Amarnath yatra pilgrims, was among two terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in Srinagar on Thursday, police said.
Police was investigating reports of an "explosion" in a carriage of a London Tube train on Friday.
The Mysore Race Club Trophy for maiden three-year-old horses is slated as the feature event of Saturday's race card which features eight races. There are seven runners in the fray, two of them--Grand Accord & Sagittarius--making their debut.
Trainer Narendra Lagad and jockey Dashrath Singh emerged as star professionals on Saturday's eight-race card. Both of them won three races apiece. Interestingly, both partnered to win two races together — Arabian Storm (Yogender Singh Trophy - Div II) and Wild Fire (Enaksi Plate).
Offering a chance to locals to explore their city, a travel boutique called No Footprints is set to introduce free guided tours. This will be done on the lines of free tours that are popular across Europe, which function on a tip-only basis. Esha Singh, head, consumer operations said, "We have been budget travellers all our lives and have greatly benefitted from the free guided tours around the world. There is no better way to learn about the history of a place. And, we thought it’s about time Mumbai had its own."