<h2>Lift kara de</h2>
Two pooches get a ride on a youngster&rsquo;s two-wheeler near <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-mahalaxmi-bridge-construction-shows-how-to-build-without-breaking-the-city-23598732" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mahalaxmi</a> station.
<h2>Gourmands, assemble!</h2>
<img title="Farzana Contactor" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/nov/dos-thirty-nov-b_e.jpg" alt="Farzana Contactor" width="1280" height="720" />Farzana Contactor
We&rsquo;d go to great lengths for good grub, so we were thrilled to hear that there&rsquo;s an entire smorgasbord coming up just a <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-metro-updates-mmrc-launches-discounted-monthly-passes-on-metroconnect3-app-check-details-here-23605363" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Metro </a>ride away. The UpperCrust Food &amp; Wine Show is returning for its 22nd edition on December 5-7 at the World Trade Centre, a two-minute walk from the Cuffe Parade station on the new Aqua Metro line. Visitors can sample and shop from more than 100 exhibitors bringing the finest food and beverage products, and watch masterclasses by top chefs. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s that time of year which food lovers of Bombay look forward to,&rdquo; says Farzana Contractor, organiser and curator.&nbsp;
Entry is free and open to all between 10 am and 8 pm on all three days of the event.
<h2>Home-cooked cinema</h2>
<img title="A still from Qadira" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/nov/dos-thirty-nov-c_e.jpg" alt="A still from Qadira" width="1280" height="720" />A still from Qadira
When personal worries consumed filmmaker Rohit Saha, a TV news story about Gaza shifted his entire perspective, and led to the creation of his short film, Qadira, now a semifinalist at the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sunday-mid-day/article/how-this-sandwich-shop-in-santacruz-continues-to-serve-mumbaikars-its-unique-flavours-23605550" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Mumbai </a>Indie-Film Festival 2025.
<img title="Rohit Saha" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/nov/dos-thirty-nov-d_e.jpg" alt="Rohit Saha" width="1280" height="720" />Rohit Saha
&ldquo;It feels like the universe was helping me make this film,&rdquo; Saha says, joking, &ldquo;I could say that I have spent only one rupee making this.&rdquo; He leveraged his network and reached out, stating, &ldquo;I told them about the script and that I did not have any money to pay, so they were free to decline.&rdquo; To his surprise, no one said no, with his entire crew treating the project like &ldquo;their baby too.&rdquo; He even cooked meals for his crew as it was all he had to offer.
Qadira&rsquo;s screening on December 5th marks its last public showing. It will move to YouTube in January 2026.
<h2>Mom and her son-shine boys</h2>
<img title="(From left) Saagar Gupta, Sridhar Rangayan, Yadu Narayan and Lilette Dubey who presented the award. Pic/Special Arrangement" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/nov/dos-thirty-nov-e_e.jpg" alt="(From left) Saagar Gupta, Sridhar Rangayan, Yadu Narayan and Lilette Dubey who presented the award. Pic/Special Arrangement" width="1280" height="720" />(From left) Saagar Gupta, Sridhar Rangayan, Yadu Narayan and Lilette Dubey who presented the award. Pic/Special Arrangement
You know your mother is batting for your team when she goes up on to the dais and accepts an award on your behalf. There was pride in every stride of Rangayan&rsquo;s mother Yadu Narayan, 90, who was with the Mumbai duo filmmakers Sridhar Rangayan and Saagar Gupta receiving the Laadli Media Award &amp; Advertising for Gender Sensitivity (LMAAGS) 2025 for their <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sunday-mid-day/article/why-this-clinic-chain-for-lgbtqia-community-is-in-urgent-need-for-funds-23556653" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">LGBTQ</a>+ film Kuch Sapney Apne at the 15th LMAAGS ceremony held at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA). The citation read: &ldquo;For its heartfelt portrayal of queer lives and relationships, its nuanced storytelling that normalises difference, and its commitment to fostering empathy and inclusion through cinema.&rdquo; Filmmaker Rangayan said, &ldquo;Our film not only deals with the romantic love between a gay couple, but also weaves a strong story of four women who stand up against patriarchy.&rdquo; Co-director, writer and lyricist Gupta added, &ldquo;This recognition reaffirms that our work resonates not only within the queer community but also with the wider society. It strengthens our commitment to continue spotlighting narratives that are often overlooked.&rdquo; Kuch Sapney Apne had a limited theatrical release in India in February 2025 and is awaiting an OTT release. Rangayan signed off with, &ldquo;My mom has always stood by me as a gay man. Kuch Sapney Apne has won several awards but for mom to be up on stage to receive it made this one extra special.&rdquo; For so many gay families and parents to have a gay child means living in secrecy and silence. Yet here, &lsquo;mum&rsquo;s the word&rsquo; though has a different meaning altogether.
<h2>Esports goes to the Opera</h2>
<img title="Jonathan Amaral" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/nov/dos-thirty-nov-f_e.jpg" alt="Jonathan Amaral" width="1280" height="720" />Jonathan Amaral
The battleground for India&rsquo;s fiercest solo gamers isn&rsquo;t a stadium, this time. Instead, it&rsquo;s Mumbai&rsquo;s cultural landmark draped in velvet and chandeliers. On December 2, the century-old Royal Opera House will host its first-ever esports event, the Red Bull Solo Legends National Final.&nbsp;
Jonathan Amaral, aka Jonathan Gaming, a Red Bull athlete, describes the contrast as surreal. &ldquo;We have competed in stadiums and arenas before, but here it is chandeliers and century-old architecture. It is a unique experience and also an incredible honour,&rdquo; he says about the experience.&nbsp;
This competitive showdown will see 64 of the country&rsquo;s most skilled Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) players, pitting 32 qualified finalists against 24 top-tier pros. This includes star athletes like Amaral, in a gruelling, pure solo format. The century-old venue, known for theatre and classical music, will echo with a new kind of intensity as digital athletes compete across five matches.
For Amaral, the focus is entirely on the individual clutch. &ldquo;Solo <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/photo/in-photos-asian-games-sailing-trials-in-mumbai-108481" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">games </a>are a completely different ballgame. In a team setting, you have others to support you, share strategies, and cover for your mistakes. But here, every decision, every rotation, every shot is on you. It is about trusting your instincts, staying calm under pressure, and being ready to clutch in any moment. It is thrilling but intense,&rdquo; he says.
Amaral believes hosting here &ldquo;proves that gaming has moved beyond being a niche hobby and is now recognised as a legitimate form of entertainment and competition.&rdquo;&nbsp; You too can watch the new performance art of competitive gaming from the Royal Opera House&rsquo;s ornate balconies. Tickets are on Swiggy Scenes.
<h2>Hurt re, let&rsquo;s move ahead</h2>
<img title="Gautam Gambhir" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/nov/dos-thirty-nov-g_e.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir" width="1280" height="720" />Gautam Gambhir
Our in-house cricket nut is delighted that India lost the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ind-vs-sa-1st-odi-skipper-kl-rahul-and-co-seek-fresh-start-after-test-debacle-23605542" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Test series</a> to South Africa 0-2. How unpatriotic of you we yell, calling his joy blasphemy.
He smiles back, reassuring us that the India loss has upped his happiness quotient for another reason. He reminds us that cricket fans keep complaining about the lack of importance Test cricket gets and how players are not serious enough about red-ball cricket. &ldquo;Yes, so&hellip;? we ask. &ldquo;Darlings, isn&rsquo;t it good that the public is hurting over a Test series loss? This shows that Test cricket means the world to them and that&rsquo;s why I have a smile on my face. Now let this loss lead to action from the powers and move ahead,&rdquo; he says.
&ldquo;Point taken, but let&rsquo;s hope we get a new head coach for Test cricket,&rdquo; we say in closing. He nods and walks away with a don&rsquo;t-think-that-will-happen look.

From gourmet tastings to cooking masterclasses, the UpperCrust Food and Wine Show at WTC offers a delicious weekend for food lovers this December

Mumbai Diary | Sunday Dossier: UpperCrust Food and Wine Show returns to Mumbai, December 5-7 at WTC

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Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Lift kara de

Gourmands, assemble!

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