Alliance Francaise de Bombay's upcoming film festival, Fête du Cinéma, caught our eye not just for the stellar line-up but also because it offers a guided tour of grand old Liberty Cinema, one of our favorite movie halls in the city. The tour will be conducted on June 23 at 3:30 pm by the cinema's owner, Nazir Hossein, and (hopefully) include an eyeful of intricate Rococo carvings, majestic chandeliers and secret reel rooms. It will be followed by a screening of La Delicatesse (Delicacy) starring Audrey Tautou (of Amélie fame) at 4.30 pm and Une Vie Meilleure (A Better Life) at 7 pm. Entry is free on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Pluie-Proof Solution

The three day festival, which has been organized in association with the French Embassy and Institut Francaise, will showcase films from 2010 and 2011, including Poulet aux Prunes (Chicken with Plums), a contender at the Venice Film Festival, 2011; Poupoupidou (Nobody Else but You); and Polisse (Poliss). All movies will have English subtitles and be screened either at Liberty Cinema or PVR Juhu. Find the full schedule here.

Getting there: Liberty Cinema, 41/42, ground floor, Liberty Building, near Bombay Hospital, New Marine Lines, 22031196 and PVR Juhu, fifth floor, Shoppers Stop, near Chandan Cinema, JVPD Scheme, JM Marg, Juhu, call Alliance Francaise on 22036187, visit the website here, the festival will be conducted from June 22 to June 24, for more information on the films click here, to register for the guided tour email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , entry is free on first come fist serve basis.

Galoshes Galore!

We know that the Mumbai monsoon has been all about false alarms this year, but this is a real deal: a one-evening sale at Jean Claude Biguine in Juhu, which will feature not only cool rainwear by designer Sonya Vajifdar but also complimentary salon services for shoppers. 

Happening on June 21, the sale will stock dresses and caftans as well, but we suggest you concentrate on the rainwear: sequin-soaked waterproof trenches in silver and bronze, neon-plastic parkas and semi transparent paisley raincoats featuring fun design elements like double-cuff sleeves, cape shoulders and pointy hips. Check out designs at www.sonyavajifdar.com.

It's Raining Hems 

Sonya customises too and can tailor styles, fabrics and embellishments to your requirements. She works out of an apartment in Churchgate, accompanied by a team of tailors and two fat dogs, and has stocked at stores like Amaya, Bombay Electric and Attic.

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If the promise of pretty protection is not enough, the sale will also offer wine, snacks, sweets and best of all, a free manicure, pedicure or massage for shoppers. Freeloader alert: you don't need to buy anything to avail of these, but you do have to RSVP in advance. Pour favor!

Getting there: RSVP with Sonya at 9619855399 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , event held at Jean Claude Biguine, Ambika Building, 10th Road, JVPD Scheme, Juhu on June 21 from 5 pm to 8 pm, starts at Rs 2,800 for a raincoat. 

The duckbilled platypus is a funny creature. It’s a mammal, but it lays eggs. It’s poisonous, with an incongruous flat long duckface and a beaver tail. In fact, it’s so funny looking, that the first time scientists encountered it they assumed it was a fraud. It’s the unusual qualities of this animal that made former Scholastic editors Sayoni Basu and Anushka Ravishankar name their brand new children's publishing house after it. They hope Duckbill Books will be a bit like a platypus, a whimsical animal with a unique place in literature. When they first launched, they wrote to well known authors to draw them a picture of a platypus now available on their Facebook page for your viewing pleasure. Coming up they plan to release their first book in September, Mainak Dhar's young adult fiction starring zombies, and are looking for other promising children's authors to work with.

Minor Charges

That's where you come in. If you’ve always wanted to be the next Rosemary Sutcliffe or Anne Fine, here's your chance: Duckbill is organising a three day workshop on writing for children, including classes that explore children's fiction as a genre; personalised feedback on your writing; and if your newborn manuscript is any good—a shot at getting it published. Be very aware: this is not a workshop for picture books or young adult writing, aimed strictly at readers between 7 and 14 years. Participants have to be adult though, the youngest age to get accepted is 18.

Between them, Sayoni and Anushka come with barrels of experience, so you’re in good hands. Anushka is the author of several children’s books, some published internationally (we loved her At Least a Fish!) and as publishing director at Scholastic, has worked with authors like Paro Anand and Manjula Padmanabhan. Sayoni was with Puffin books before becoming publishing director at Scholastic, after which she moved to Amar Chitra Katha. She’s collaborated with Siddhartha Sarma, Jerry Pinto, Ruskin Bond and APJ Abdul Kalam, among others. Those are some presidential recommendations!

Read Your Follies

Sayoni and Anushka are looking at first time writers or writers who haven’t written for kids before but would like to try. To sign up, you need to send a writing sample as well as a description of your most favourite and least favourite children’s book, with a note explaining the choice - the workshop will be held at a yet-to-be-decided date this August in association with Caferati, but is now open for submissions.

Duckbill’s list of recommended children’s reading:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Book 1) by Jeff Kinney

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by JK Rowling

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Dial a Ghost by Eva Ibbotson

Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond

Excuse Me? by Anushka Ravishankar

Faces in the Water by Ranjit Lal

The Mystery of the Secret Hair Oil Formula by Asha Nehemiah

Tabby McTat by Julia Donaldson

Harsha Vardhana by Devika Rangachari

The Curse of the Broken Step by Bubbles Subberwal and Anjali Raghubeer

Taranauts: The Quest for the Shyn Emeralds by Roopa Pai

Getting there: Email submissions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit their Facebook page here, entry free.

June 15: Rock band Pralay at Bistro Grill, Hotel Bawa Continental, Juhu Tara Road, opposite JW Mariott, Juhu, 32108585, 9 pm onwards (6 to 8.30 pm happy hours), free entry.

June 15-17: Father’s Day lunch menu at Café Pico, Le Mill, 17/25, Wadi Bunder Bridge, Nandlal Jani Road, Masjid Bunder railway station, 23742419, 11 to 3.30 pm onwards, Rs 800 per head (including a glass of champagne).

June 16: The Best in Stand-up Comedy featuring Tanmay Bhat, Amogh Ranadive and Abish Mathew at The Comedy Store, third floor, Palladium mall, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, 43485000, 8.30 and 10.30 pm, Rs 600.

June 16-17: Indo-contemporary and Bolly Hop workshop by Mohena Kumar Singh of Dance India Dance at Temperance, Sherli Rajan Road, Bandra (W), 98338 33270 or email at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 8 to 9 pm, Rs 1200 per person.

June 16-30: A la carte menu of dim sums, contemporary desserts and more at San-Qi, Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, Worli, 2224818000, starting at Rs 350.

June 17: Tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan by Rizwan and Muazzam, Blue Frog, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Lower Parel, 40332300, 9 to 10.30 pm, Rs 500.

June 17: Dinner With Friends play at Prithvi Theatre, 20 Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu, 26149546,  6 and 9 pm, Rs 300, book your tickets here.

June 17: New mango menu at Yogurtbay, Sagar Vilas CHS, opposite Navroze Apartments, Warden Road, Breach Candy, 9833360235.

June 21: Pairing of wines with Indian food with All Things Nice at Neel, Tote On The Turf, Mahalaxmi Race Course, opposite gate number 5 and 6, Keshav Rao Khadye Marg, Mahalaxmi, 61577777, 9 pm, Rs 2,550 per person.

June 8: Mia Discoteca with special performances by Monica Dogra and DJ Kris Correya at F Lounge.Diner.Bar, One India Bulls Centre, third floor, Senapati Bapat Marg, Elphinstone Road, 266505820, 9 pm (cover charge after 10 pm).

June 8: Beer appreciation and tasting workshop by All Things Nice at Woodside All Day Bar & Eatery, shop no 11/12, Link Plaza Co-Operative Society, New Link Road, Oshiwara, Andheri (W), 8 pm, 26328963, Rs 995 per person.

June 8: DJ Eddie Halliwell and Nikhil Chinapa at Blue Frog, Mathuradas Mills Compound, Lower Parel, 40332300, Rs 1,200.    

June 9: Coho Bohemia- art show by Jerry Pinto, Zameer Rafi and Chandra Ragi at Le Sutra, above Out Of The Blue restaurant, second floor, Union Park, 3rd Road, Hanuman Nagar, Bandra (W), 9892118548, 2 pm onwards, free.

June 9: Cinema City film and documentary screenings at NGMA, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Colaba, 22881969, 1 pm onwards.

June 9 – 24: Imaging a Legend- a Tribute to MF Husain at Tao Art Gallery, The View, 165 Dr. Annie Besant Road, Worli, 24918585, 11 am onwards.

June 10: Strings live at Club Royalty, G1/B, Krystal Building, Waterfield Road, Bandra (W), 42296000, 9 pm, Rs 2,000, book tickets online here.

June 10: New menu at Trikaya, 6/11 Meera Apartments, Juhu Versova Link Road, Seven Bungalows, Andheri (W), 65047177.

June 10: Bike servicing workshop at Quick Service Point, Tribhuvandas Bhimji Zaveri Compound, Opera House, Charni Road (E), 9820855056, 10 am to 4 pm, Rs 1,200.

June 10: Varun Thakur, Sundeep Rao and Rohan Joshi at The Comedy Store, third floor, Palladium mall, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel, 43485000, 8.30 pm onwards, Rs 600, book tickets online here.

If this Friday, you’re doing exactly what you did last Friday, read on.

NCPA, Nariman Point is hosting a jazz night on June 8 featuring Grammy award-winning artist Bill Evans on saxophone (and occasionally vocals), who blends jazz with hip-hop, rock, funk, bluegrass and reggae. 

In the past he’s performed with other super artists like legendary trumpeter Miles Davis, guitarist Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Rolling Stones front man Mick Jagger. Evans will be joined at the NCPA by Etienne Mbappe, who you might recognise from a previous Blue Frog performance; drummer Ranjit Barot who has collaborated with musicians like AR Rahman and Zakir Hussain; and French guitarist Marc Guillermont.

If you insist on sticking with your usual Friday evening plan, the same bunch will be playing at Blue Frog one day before on Thursday, June 7. Give them a (jazz) hand, ladies and gentlemen.

Getting there: At Blue Frog, Lower Parel on June 7 at 10 pm, Rs 1,000 entry; NCPA, Nariman Point on June 8 at 7 pm, passes start at Rs 150.

What: Vir Das at Café Zoe, Todi Mathuradas Mill Compound, 126 NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, call 24902065, no entry or cover charge.

Why: The super funny and easy-on-the-eyes stand up comedian performs two and a half hours of new material for Fosters LOL finale at the recently reopened Café Zoe. Entry is free and first come first serve. Warning: Only Fosters beer will be served – that and mock tales!

When: Sunday June 3 from 7:30 pm – 10 pm. Learn more here.

June 1: Anil Chawla live at F Lounge.Diner.Bar, One India Bulls Centre, third floor, Senapati Bapat Marg, Elphinstone Road, 66505820, 9 pm (cover charge after 10 pm).

June 1: Bay Beat Collective, Ox7gen and Vachan Chinnappa at Blue Frog, Mathurdas Mills Compound, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, 61586158, 10.30 pm, Rs 500.

June 1: Last day for the anniversary special prix-fixe lunch and dinner offer at Hakkasan, Krystal, Waterfield Road, Bandra (W), 26444444, Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500 (per person for a minimum of two) for lunch and dinner respectively.

June 1 – 7: A la carte set lunch offer at Amadeus, NCPA, Nariman Point, 22821212, Rs 800 and Rs 1000 for vegetarian and non-vegetarian respectively (per person, plus taxes).

June 1 – 7: Quesadilla and Margarita festival at Bonobo, second floor, Kenilworth Mall, off Linking Road, near KFC, Bandra (W), 26055050, all margaritas priced at Rs 350.

June 2: Projekt EDM Junktion at Cool Chef Café, Thadani House, 329/A Worli Village, Worli, 24301127, 9 pm, Rs 300.

June 2: Table for Two- theatre at The Comedy Store, third floor, Palladium Mall, Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel, 43485000, 6 pm, Rs 500, book tickets online here.

June 2: Everyday pre-set three course lunch menu (includes a drink) at Lagerbay, 183, Waterfield Road, Bandra (W), 67369900, Rs 600 (inclusive of taxes).

June 3: Newly launched Sunday brunch at Veda, second floor, Palladium Mall, Phoenix Mills, Lower Parel, 24900055, Rs 1899 and Rs 879 (per person, inclusive of taxes) for the unlimited alcohol and non-alcoholic options respectively.

June 3: The Bureaucrat at Sophia Bhabha Auditorium, Sophia College for Women, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Cumballa Hill, 7.30 pm, Rs 150 onwards, book tickets online here.

June 3: Wacken Open Air Metal Battle featuring Albatross, Chaoskampf and Providence among others at B69, Jaisingh Business Center, basement, Sahar Road, Parsiwada, Andheri (E), 6 pm, Rs 200.

What: The Great Gig in the Sky with Caralisa Monteiro at a sea fort in Alibaug, call 9819726688 / 9619793983 or view details on the event page here, limited seats available, Rs 2,600 for transport, meals and concert.

Why: Your weekend gig: packed room, sweat, exorbitant drinks. Their weekend gig: Alibaug fort, dip in the sea, mysterious lighthouse and under-the-stars performance by singer/songwriter Caralisa Monteiro (last heard in Don 2, Karthik Calling Karthik). Yes, it’s a tough choice.

When: To the Lighthouse on May 26-27.

May 25: Love, Wrinkle Free at Little Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, 6.30 pm, 22824567. 

May 25 – 27: Unlimited sangria at The Tasting Room, first floor, Good Earth, Raghuvanshi Mills compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel , 65285284, valid on two sessions from noon to 6 pm and 6 pm to 11.30 pm, Rs 400 per person plus taxes.

May 25 – 31: Quesadilla and Margarita festival at Bonobo, second floor, Kenilworth Mall, off Linking Road, near KFC, Bandra (W), 26055050, all margaritas priced at Rs 350.

May 26: Live from the Console featuring Harbour Light, Stella by Starlight, and The Ungulates at the Recording Theatre, Stage 5, Mehboob Studio, Bandra (W), 7.30 pm, view the Facebook page here, Rs 150.

May 26: Grand finale of The Bandstand Revival featuring Dharavi Rocks, Mumbai Police Band, Something Relevant & Friends and Rang at Dadar Chowpatty, behind the Mayor’s bungalow, Shivaji Park, Dadar, 5 pm, view the Facebook page here, free.

May 26: The Other People at Blue Frog, Mathurdas Mills Compound, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, 61586158, 10.30 pm, Rs 500.

May 26: AR Rahman live in concert at DY Patil Stadium, DY Patil College, Nerul, gates open at 4.30 pm, Rs 400 onwards, book tickets online here.

May 26: Yoga workshop with Samanta Duggal at Temperance, St. Xaverian Court, Sherli Rajan Road, Bandra (W), 9833833270, 11.30 am to 2 pm, Rs 1,000. 

May 26 – 27: Bombay Underground’s extended pavement sale outside Al’s Tattoo Studio, 5 Natraj Shopping Centre, 68, Hill Road, Bandra (W), 9773361243, 5 pm to 8.30 pm, view the Facebook page here,

May 26 – 27: Fire-poi spinning workshop by Poitrix at H2O, Marine Drive, 6.30 pm, to register call 9819066376, view the Facebook page here, Rs 800.

May 27: Sunday roast at The Bar Above Yellow Tree Cafe, second floor, Yellow Tree Café, 33, Ambedkar Road junction, Bandra (W), 26487800/9820062122, 1 pm onwards, Rs 475 and Rs 650 for the vegetarian and non-vegetarian roast respectively. 

May 27: The Best in Stand-up Comedy featuring Amogh Ranadive, Ashish Shakya and Gursimran Khamba at The Comedy Store, 8.30 pm, Rs 600, book tickets online here.