Masque at Mahalaxmi Industrial Estate has been rated one of the topnotch restaurants of not only Mumbai, but India. But to reserve a table you need to pay upfront Rs 5,000 for two people and Rs 10,000 for three people! This is to ensure that people who make reservations do turn up. Incidentally, this is a problem that most restaurants face. This is Masque’s policy and you cannot do anything about it. The tencourse tasting menu is priced at Rs5,950; taxes and service charges are extra. Wine and cocktail pairings are priced at Rs7,700 and Rs5,500, respectively. The menu includes unheard of dishes like Aji Limon chilli, Barramundi, Kakka roast, Mushk Budij, mushroom sando et al. I spotted tadgola and instantly connected with this street side fruit. The place is so exclusive that it serves only a few people on any given evening. You may complain about the prices. But then no one held a gun to your head and asked you to go there. Marketing is something that other restaurateurs would do well to learn from Aditi Dugar, the owner, and the main chef, Varun Totlani.

Rekindling The Spirit Of Sport

The city has been successfully hosting marathons every year. Thousands of people take part in the mega event, displaying the spirit of sports. But after the event all is forgotten. Barring cricket no worthwhile sport is being played in the metropolis. One of the reasons could be the lack of playgrounds. The ones that are there are totally neglected by the BMC. The Garden Department is supposed to maintain the maidans. But it fails to do that. Most maidans do not have round-the-clock security as a result of which these grounds become haven for drug and alcohol addicts. Take Gandhi Maidan in M/West ward, for instance. It is a vast ground fully fenced but with zero security. This newspaper took up the matter with Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and he immediately instructed the ward to provide security. For a few days some guards were indeed seen in the security cabin. But after that they did the vanishing act. Local residents have to often call the police control room to complain about raucous parties going on till late at night. Complaints to Deputy Municipal Commissioner Kishore Gandhi, who is in charge of all gardens and maidan, fall on deaf ears. Even when mediapersons go to meet him in his office at the zoo he continues to look at some files and does not hear them out. High time the BMC appointed a DMC who cares for gardens and playgrounds. That is the only way we can rekindle the spirit of sports in the city.

All For A Good Cause

Venkitachalam Venkat is a retired corporate executive who has dedicated his life to raising funds through vintage Hindi film music. A man of tremendous dynamism, he is equally passionate about promoting old film songs and helping raise funds for various charities. Over the years, he has organised umpteen number of live orchestra programmes in almost all the halls of Mumbai. People flock to his events not only to listen to some of the best music, but also help worthwhile causes. His fame has spread so wide that he has been asked to hold a show in far off Trinidad, which has a large population originally Indians. The show titled ‘Valentine Nostalgia’ will be held on February 15 and, as the title suggests, romantic songs of Rafi, Lata, Kishore, Asha, Manna Dey and Geeta Dutt will be performed. The orchestra is that of Ajay Madan, who is a permanent fixture at Klub Nostalgia programmes. The singers from Mumbai include Prasan Rao, Sangeeta Malekar, Rana Chatterji and some local artistes. Incidentally, Venkat is also a big fan of Mohd Rafi and is close to the family of the late singer. Every anniversary of the singer, Venkat makes it a point to visit the mazhar of the singer and offer floral tributes. He recently conducted a Rafi programme for each month of 2024 for the Shanmukhananda Hall to mark the 100th birth anniversary of the artiste.

Tailpiece

A social media post shows a massive crowd at the Maha Kumbh and below that there is a photo of Ajit Pawar with Narendra Modi. The caption says: “When it comes to washing away your sins taking a holy dip in the Ganga is still the second best option; joining the BJP is the first.”

(Compiled by S Balakrishnan)