A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

Parineeti Chopra in a throwback photo from a film shooting. She has been propping her phone against books to shoot videos during the lockdown. FILE PHOTO: RAJU SHELAR

Silver in a lockdown

THE 25th wedding anniversary of Anjali and Sachin Tendulkar, the platinum couple of Indian cricket, will be a sombre affair due to the lockdown. The couple has decided not to celebrate as the country is facing a health and humanitarian crisis of giant proportions. This is also why Sachin’s birthday last month was a quiet one. He reveals they had elaborate plans for their anniversary but everything has been put on hold. But the couple’s journey together is still worth noting. Anjali famously gave up her medical profession for home and hearth. Being a car lover, Sachin drove to the wedding venue in Jade Gardens in Worli during the baraat, and also drove back home in Bandra East after the ceremony. There was no chauffeur on standby. Their wedding festivities went on for the next two days with just 100 guests.

Between the lines

NEXT month, Nihshanka Debroy, son of noted economist and bureaucrat Bibek Debroy, will release his debut book. The former under-12 Delhi chess champion, who twice represented his state at the national level, has brought together two abiding passions – love for the written word and chess – in his book. Aptly titled ‘Checkmate’, the novel straddles between Central India in 455 AD and contemporary Delhi to explore “ancient Indian themes through a modern Western lens”. Nihshanka is in his mid-30s and works in Atlanta, USA.

Ladies club

FORMER India stumper Kiran More is a proud man today – both as a father and son. A short film, made by his daughter Ruhi on her 97-year-old grandmother, is making waves online. It is shot on a Nikhil D’Souza song in a Baroda housing society, with an old lady coping with isolation and staying positive. The film is about her connecting with two young boys from a neighbouring flat. It has earned much praise for the 29-year-old Ruhi, who has made many commercials and assisted in about a dozen Bollywood movies in the last 10 years. “She has tried to draw an analogy between the isolation caused by social distancing and the loneliness felt by our parents,” Kiran said of his daughter.

A life in craft

YOUR diarist was introduced to Jenny Housego just a few months ago, and rather briefly too, and was immediately taken with the British lady’s disarming sparkle. The textile historian and founder of Shades of India and Kashmir Loom is now coming out with a memoir. ‘A Woven Life’ is co-written with journalist Maya Mirchandani, and takes one down Housego’s memory lane, from war-struck England to the deep valleys of Kashmir. Housego, who works closely with artisans, has always said that the colours and textures of Indian textiles have been her inspiration. She founded Kashmir Loom with carpet dealer Asaf Ali. Housego has also written a book on the tribal rugs of Iran previously.

Tailpiece

A leading film production house, currently backing a sure-fire superhit, has asked its director and lead actor to take a 40 per cent pay cut. The film is already on the floors, but the producers say unless these two take a salary slash, they may be forced to shelve the film. No, there isn’t any mention of a deferred payment or percentage of profits yet, which is leaving the two main players scratching their heads in disbelief.