​Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier 

For the V-Day album

A man clicks a photo of a young woman while she poses on a parked boat at Juhu beach. 

Jules will mix it up

Musician and DJ Jimi Jules at a previous gig. Pic courtesy/@jimi_jules

Mumbai’s electronic music scene is set for a major shake-up as Swiss DJ and musician Jimi Jules brings his signature sound to Bastian, on February 15.  “This is more than just a performance; it will be a journey where sound, atmosphere, and emotion come together. We aim for it to move beyond the idea of a traditional DJ set and become an experience altogether. We’re also bringing this to Bastian beach club, in Juhu, which is our new venue, designed to complement the music and vibe,” said Kunal Jani, its co-founder.

Women hit the wheel

The team alongside their cars. Pics courtesy/Embarq

This year, International Women’s Day will see a self-drive expedition of over 30 women driving 4000 kms from Kutch to Kibithoo, Arunachal Pradesh, from March 8 to 28.

A participant waves to the crowd

Titled, K2K 2026, The Bold Route series, it is organised by Mumbai-based self-drive platform, Embarq. Medha Joseph, its co-founder, shared, “Women can focus on the freedom that comes behind the wheel.”

Garima Arora wows Thai royals

Chef Garima Arora with her husband Rahul Verma (left) greeting Her Royal Highness Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya (in white). Pics courtesy/Garima Arora

OG Mumbaikar, Garima Arora, is once again showcasing Indian cuisine to a special audience. Most recently, she celebrated her art with Thai royalty. The chef-owner of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Gaa was invited by the Indian Embassy in Thailand to curate a dinner in Bangkok for Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya ahead of her official visit to India.

Tuna Bhel

The menu wove India and Thailand together, featuring Tom Kha Pani Puri, Tuna Bhel, Morel Mushroom Biryani and Chai Mousse. Arora told us, “It was an honour to be invited by the Indian Embassy in Thailand. Our team at Gaa created a special menu to bring together the food cultures of India and Thailand on one plate while telling the historic story of the relationship between our two countries.”

Bandra flags off pan Indian lit-hop

(Left to right) Kyung-sook Shin, Shanta Gokhale and Banu Mushtaq. Pics courtesy/@inkquillcollective

This Sunday, Bandra will host authors from literary powerhouses, India and Korea. Man Asian Literary Prize Winner Kyung-sook Shin, the ‘Queen of Korean Crime’ Jeong You-jeong, and sci-fi author Sung-il Kim will be in dialogue with desi luminaries including Booker Prize-Winner Banu Mushtaq, author Shanta Gokhale, and Jeet Thayil at the inaugural session of the India Literary Tour 2026. “We wanted a model where literary conversations engage with multiple cities and languages, rather than being concentrated in one location,” said festival director Arijit Nandi. It will move to cities like Dibrugarh, Imphal, and Guwahati, and conclude in Delhi on February 24.

 

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