Event Listings

DJ ABHISHEK MANTRI @SIN ENVY PRIDE’S EDM SATURDAY NIGHTS

It’s party time, as DJ Abhishek Mantri gets you grooving to funk & Tech house courtesy the happening rooftop party at Sin Envy Pride. Be prepared for a mix of latest & a few original EDM tunes for all party lovers. Add the cool weather and the mood is set. Combine it with unique cocktails & delicious food.   

VENUE: Sin Envy Pride, Kapila Matrix, Koregaon Park

DATE: June 20

TIME: 8pm Onwards

CONTACT: +91 7770010897/8 

FATHER’S WEEKEND AT ATMOSPHERE 6

For the most dazzling rooftop place with a fantastic view, Atmosphere 6 is the place. Fathers, be ready to be treated on your day. Apart from the family having a gala time, the fathers & grandfathers have the mixologists give complimentary mocktails. Have a fun family time with Bollywood & tech house tunes.  

VENUE: Atmosphere 6, Skymax, Viman Nagar 

DATE: June 20-21 

Contact: 9960700734

INDIA TALENT SHOW WITH DJ NASH @ CLUB MIAMI

Let DJ Nash set the dance floor rocking at JW Marriott’s Club MiAMi this weekend on June 19^th from 9pm onwards. He will mix interesting music videos with eclectic music beats.  Burn the dance floor

VENUE: Club MiAMi, JW Marriott, Senapati Bapat Road

DATE: June 19

COVER CHARGE: Rs 1000 (Couples)

Free Entry for Ladies & College Students with Valid College IDs (Min. age 21 & above)

CONTACT: 020 6683 2223

MONSOON FOOD FEST @ DECCAN HARVEST

It’s food galore at Deccan Harvest with combo offers. In non-veg, choose dishes like Chicken Misskaki +Tawa Murg Masala; Mutton Kakori Kabab + Mutton Kheema & Pathri Tawa Fish + Prawns Masala. Veg combos include Tawa Veg Sashalik + Kurggi Paneer Masala Combo, Tawa Paneer Capsicum + Veg Kheema Tuk Tuk Combo. Book a table now.

Venue: Deccan Harvest, Magarpatta City

DATE: Till June 30 

CONTACT (For Reservations):  020- 26899696/67225882 or +91-9822000348

CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA FEST @M RESTAURANT COCOON HOTEL

@M Restaurant Cocoon Hotel has the food festival – Chandni Chowk to China. Get unique combos in Paratha apart from main course cuisines like Rasilla Rajma Curry with Paratha /Pickle & Lasssi and Mutton Sali Kheema/Pav. The Chinese inputs include Momos, Spring Rolls, Singaporean Street Fried Rice/Noodles, Garlic & Veggies & Tofu Fried Rice. Finish with desserts.

VENUE: @M Restaurant, Cocoon Hotel, South Gate Magarpatta

DATE: Till June 30

CONTACT: 8412900032

WELCOMES MONSOONS @ APRIL RAIN

Celebrate the rains at April Rain, with its delicacies. Feel happy with delicacies like Raan Buzaki (Whole leg of lamb, on a sizzling platter flambéed with rum), Sizzling Pashto Chicken (Bhuna chicken served flaming on a sizzler) and more.  Check it now at April Rain. 

VENUE: April Rain, Ground Floor, Centriole Mall, ITI Road

DATE: Ongoing

CONTACT: 8805310001 

INTENSELY INDONESIAN @ SEASONAL TASTES, THE WESTIN PUNE

It’s time you discovered the flavours of authentic Indonesian cuisine at Seasonal Tastes, THE WESTIN PUNE Koregaon Park with guest Chef Ridwan Hakim from Jakarta. His exciting culinary style will be seen in the scrumptious selection of signature Indonesian delicacies.

VENUE: Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Pune Koregaon Park

DATE: June 19–28

TIME: Lunch & Dinner

CONTACT (For Reservations): 9158882124 or Email taste.westinpune@westin.com

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH MOTHERSHIP @ BOTTLEROCKBe prepared to be blown away as Bianca Love from Mothership brings for you R&B, Blues, Jazz, Gospel & Soul along with Souvik Bhattacharya & Subid Khan at the strings only at Bottlerock Restaurant & Lounge on June 19.

VENUE: Bottlerock - Restro & Lounge, Sus-Pashan Road 

DATE: June 19

TIME: Gates Open at 7PM 

CONTACT: 7875604064 

FATHER’S DAY @ FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON PUNE

Celebrate Father’s Day at the special celebration at Four Points by Sheraton Pune. Enjoy interactive cocktail making & anti-hangover drinks session with Master Bartender Abhishek Shevade – finalist in Diageo World Class 2015. Session includes two complimentary classic cocktails & delectable appetizers.

VENUE: The Eatery, Four Points by Sheraton Pune

DATE: June 21

TIME: 12.30-3.30PM (30 Minute Session) 

ENTRY: Rs. 500 per Participant 

CONTACT: 7709006688

STAND UP MONDAYS - AMIT TANDON BY THE AWKWARD FRUIT &INDEPENDENCE BREWING COMPANY

Be prepared to laugh courtesy “Family Tandoncies” – a hilarious stand-up comedy show by Amit Tandon where you go through his journey of growing up in an Indian middle-class household. From why Indian men are brought up like dogs to how does our education system teach us to lie, he has answers for all in his story telling.

VENUE: Independence Brewing Co.. 

DATE: 22nd June, 2015

TIME:  9:30PM 

ENTRY CHARGES: Rs 250; Book tickets on Book My Show
CONTACT: 8888168886

Feel it personally!!!

Author, attorney & human rights activist Rafia Zakaria speaks about her book The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan, about Pakistan in the 80s affected by Islamization and its effect on her family, especially her aunt.

Indian Subcontinent is filled with stories old & new, considering its history. The partition between India & Pakistan was such event, which changed lives forever individually and together. Many books around it have been written about how each country developed & changed along with its citizens. Author, attorney and human rights activist working for domestic violence victims Rafia Zakaria has come out with The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan – a look at Pakistan via her family’s eyes.

Based on Zakaria’s family, which shifted to Pakistan from Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1962, they came against odds when the military powers brought in Islamization in the 80s to retain power. Sohail, her aunt’s husband takes another wife (allowed by new laws). Rafia sees the internal & external turmoil & anger. The book speaks about how personal life & political changes mingle to change things forever.

At what point did you realise that this personal tale must be told? How did the title come about?

The past few years have been incredibly difficult ones for Pakistan and as a columnist, documenting the vast catalogue of tragedy has been a daunting one. Like all Pakistanis, I feel a sense of terrible loss. It is not that things were beautiful before but there it is hard not to be baffled by the darkness of now. I wanted to trace the beginnings of that as best that I could. I believe that the most excluded characters; the most marginalized are the ones that have the most poignant stories to tell. For me, this was my aunt and her story. I wanted the title to tell the story of the division of affections, emotions and land that is the center of the book and so I chose this title. 

It’s not easy to share something personal, though connected to a larger picture of Pakistan’s struggles.

I think Pakistan in the global imagination and even the Indian imagination as a very monolithic place; synonymous with danger, terror, and violence. My basic goal was to humanize Pakistan, to show how ordinary people’s lives are within this landscape. I think it is difficult to get the world to empathize with any Pakistani character, and to try to accomplish that I had to lay bare the story of my family. It was also important because I feel that the narrative of Pakistan in literature has been largely been dominated by elites. The lives of ordinary people are hence unrepresented and I wanted to represent them.

How do you look at Pakistan’s journey & things that happened, during the time you have mentioned?

Well, the hardest portions to write were the ones that take place in India before my grandparents came to Pakistan. I have never been to India or Mumbai (then Bombay) and so I had to combine their recollections with as much historical research as I could manage. Another challenge was writing about the portions that relate to the ethnic conflicts that took place in Karachi, or episodes under martial law. All of these are politically contested in Pakistan and it is difficult sometimes find accurate death counts.

How has your family taken to the book?

I think it’s been a gradual process for them. I think they knew the sincerity of my intent and larger than that the importance of the idea that if we are to have a description of what life is like for ordinary Pakistanis, someone has to begin that task. I think our story is representative of many families; the unanswered questions in the book are the ones confronted by generation of Pakistanis today. What can be done, how does our past determine our future and more than that, how does the violence in the public sphere infect the private? You cannot pose those questions without making the private public. 

When it comes to women & their issues, they have to really struggle anywhere. Writing a book

Rafia Zakaria

on them and intertwining it with politics is double whammy. What was the reaction in Pakistan about it?

It is certainly true that we live in a patriarchal world. My desire through this book, however, was to reclaim Pakistani history for Pakistani women. I think the lens of Western feminism limits itself to only those stories that feature an individual disavowal of tradition and culture; I wanted to underscore the value of resilience and endurance. I think the women of the subcontinent have borne more than perhaps women anywhere else in the world. In both India and Pakistan, nationalism and patriotism has often been interpreted as the ability to control women and this is reflected in our history. 

They say of course that history is written by the victors... I want women to be the victors but they aren’t as yet. And my hope is that the reverse; that those who write history become victors, is also true.

As an attorney and human rights activist, is it a struggle to fight for what one sees as basic rights? What makes you cringe and want to shout aloud to be heard?

Of course, I think one of the most cringe inducing realizations is how much women growing up in male dominated cultures learn to sabotage and hurt each other. One of the biggest curses of this is that they spend all their time manipulating and hurting one and another rather than challenge the men that make the system and insure that women are refused the power to make their own decisions. So if I could shout out one thing to all the women of the world, it is to stop hating each other, to stop subjugating and sabotaging each other’s success and believing each other to be the enemy. 

Did the situations around you while growing up reflect in the choice of your career?

Definitely, I think what I saw in my aunt’s marriage. What impressed on me as a young girl was its inherent injustice; and that no one had the power to undo it. That was the beginning of a realization that unless I speak out & devote my life to this, there would be no change, just new tragedies.

Are you working on any new book?

I am working on several projects; one is focused on my own life and the choices I had to make as a woman. I felt it was necessary to write this book first because you cannot really understand the path you take unless you engage with the paths of those that came before. I am also working on a project that deals with women and terrorism and particularly the tactics used by extremists to recruit women.

The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan is available at Rs 599 trade paperback. 

Photo Credit: www.salon.com & www.dawn.com 

Mumbai street food marked...

The month-old The Bombay Bronx at Dhole Patil Road gets it street food and ambience right for the young crowd. However, will it be enough? It will be a challenge, indeed!

I have been an almost Mumbaikar (living in Thane does count as living in Mumbai, to some extent) and now I call Pune my home. I love both the cities and hate it too for reasons, which I prefer not to share now. While eternal battle continues between the two regarding big & silly issues, the food holds a separate issue. Each city has its distinct culinary mark and do not mind sharing it with each other. Sharing of restaurants has been taking place in recent times and one of the recent Mumbai eateries to be seen around is The Bombay Bronx. It opened around few weeks back.

The Bombay in its name suggests the food type to be seen at the eatery. Bronx, on the other hand, is the street-smart area of New York. Therefore, this eatery located at City Point on Dhole Patil Road represents the street cuisine of Mumbai. Most would question as to the reason behind opening an eatery around street food when one can get it anywhere. The answer I found lay in the fact that most want to taste their favourite Mumbai street snack in an eclectic atmosphere complete with relaxed interiors, good music and great company.

What I appreciated on entering this place was its spacious yet young ambience and interiors. It reeks of Mumbai, in the furniture to the colours. You see reference to the trains, pan stalls, Bollywood and more. I found it quite an ode to the city that never sleeps. The Amitabh Bachchan-Deewar reference with his painting on the wall is a stunner. Even the menu has reference to places and Mumbai lingo. How fun is that? What itched me was the fact that the outdoor seating could do with cover, in case of rains. In case of wind, things can get out of hand. Minor hiccups could land you in major trouble one day.

It is the food, which counts the most important at any eatery. Duh! Street food is The Bombay Bronx’s forte and it does a neat job of it. Neat... not mind-blowing awesome. One can say it is a limited but decent menu covering almost some important food items from amchi Mumbai. While a separate detailed page comes for drinks, the food section attracts you with stuff, which is tempting. You have the ‘Vez’ section and the ‘Non-vez’ section. The Bombay Bronx Fries (Rs 150) tempted you with it spiciness and crispiness. Winner, surely! The Butter Toasted Vada Pav (Rs 100) did make a dent with the exact flavour one finds on the street. I totally loved the Basa Tikka (Rs 250) with its delicate yet tangy flavouring and delicately melt-in-your-mouth. The Pizzas –veg & non-veg – were typically cheesy, tasty and not very Indian. Quite the fun thing to pair with your drinks! While the Masala Fish Fingers (Rs) got our interest with light & extremely delicately tempting, the Chilli Garlic Mushroom (Rs) did not go well with our palette.

For the interested, the Thalis might be an attractive option, if famished. There is the veg Thali – Chowpatty Fast Food Thali (Rs 300) which consists of all chat items. But what interested me was the non-veg Thali called Dongri Galli Thali (Rs 450) which had Chicken Roll, Mini Chicken Baida Roll, Dongri Mutton Sandwich & Bhuna Mutton served with Paratha. The choice was perfect. While the chicken roll was spicy and enticing, the Baida roll too mustered towards perfection. Ignore the sandwich but definitely pick the Bhuna mutton, which was as authentic as it gets.

The best news is reserved for the last. For those who wish to hang out with pals sharing some easy-on-budget drinks, this would be a great pick. Most of the drinks are decently picked and only a few go over 500. This includes the imported stuff. If you want to choose the wines, it is a different case. What you could also select would be the Signature Cocktails like Pani Puri Caipiroska, Kalakhatta, Kokum Sour, Iced Peru, and Jaljeera Sour and so on. Each just adds zing with their unique combination. The service is excellent here with most of the staff friendly and eager to suggest the fare.

While it is nothing spectacular to speak about, The Bombay Bronx does not fall into the okie-dokie category. The decent food & good drinks section fits your pocket. The ambience with the Mumbai reference and good music allows you to casually sit with people you want and spend your time with ease. It is slightly above mediocre and little short of greatness. For those not too hung on hi dining, heading here would be a good option. Come here to just relax & eat respectable budget food.

RATINGS:

FOOD 3 out of 5

AMBIENCE 5 out of 5

SERVICE 5 out of 5

VALUE FOR MONEY 4 out of 5

TOTAL 15 out of 20