Trained in Delhi, Sumit Kumar is a former writer for Savita Bhabhi, the desi porn comic strip and the author of graphic novel The Itch You Can’t Scratch, published recently by Pop Culture Publishing. bpb gets a peek into his reading list.

Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein

In the near future prison colonies are set up on the moon, where prisoners are shipped. As years pass the population grows bigger, cross breeding occurs between inmates and second and third generation moon people are spawned.

This is a tale of revolution and the story of the disparate people—a computer technician, a vigorous young female agitator, and an elderly academic—who become the movement's leaders.

Jaise Unke Din Fire by Harishankar Parsai

Harishankar Parsai writes in Hindi, which is cool, and he uses a ton of references from almost everywhere. Jaise Unke Din Fire is, like his other works, a collection of short stories, and a book I had a lot of fun reading.

Love, Truth And A Little Malice and Absolute Khushwant by Khushwant Singh

If you think that Khushwant Singh writes only jokes, go buy these now.

Love Truth and a Little Malice is his autobiography, made more interesting with real names and people. In fact, the book is so detailed that Meneka Gandhi took him to court over it in 1998 when it was supposed to be published - it finally hit markets in 2002.

Absolute Khushwant was published eight years later and is a collection of his thoughts on life, writing, age, death, marriage and other things. A peek into the mind of one of the most interesting and honest people ever!

Blockbusters and burkas, booze and tasty bites, bells and whistles -- Mumbai cinema halls are almost as entertaining as the movies they feature. Here are the top five cinemas in India's entertainment capital. 

Read the whole story on CNNGo.com

Liberty: Art deco landmark

Journalist Naresh Fernandes, former editor Time Out Mumbai, once described Liberty Cinema as “Mumbai’s best jazz monument." With a giant piano carved into its facade, Liberty is also considered one of the finest examples of the city’s art deco theaters. Rococo carvings, majestic cove lighting and a 2,000-seater auditorium – it’s super for when you want a side of art history to go with your popcorn and movie.

41-42 Liberty Building, Sir Vithaldas Thackersay Marg, Marine Lines; +91 (0)22 22031196; libertycinema.in; Tickets start at Rs 50.

G7: Movie theater for the masses

This old-school multiplex in Bandra (West) has seven cinema halls called Gaiety, Galaxy, Gemini, Gossip, Gem, Grace and Glamour. Locally referred to as Gaiety, Galaxy, this cinema's audience is reputed to be the ultimate barometer of whether a movie is going to be a hit or a flop across the city. This is why Bollywood’s A-listers, sometimes disguised in burkas -- yes, the men too -- flock to the grungy theater to witness the public’s reaction to their films on first day, first show.

If there's masala popcorn flying in the air and dancing in the aisles, it's a super hit.

Gaiety Galaxy Cinema, TPS 3rd, SV Road, Near Railway Colony, Bandra West; +91 (0) 22 26558285; Tickets start at Rs 55.

Ebony Lounge at Metro Big Cinemas: As plush as it gets

Book out the Ebony Lounge at Metro Big Cinemas in Dhobitalao for a private screening and score not only plush leather seating, individual blankets and a separate waiting area, but also a fully catered menu and -- here’s the kicker -- an alcohol list. Although cinemas in the city aren’t allowed to serve booze, the superheroes here have managed to secure “one-day licenses” for private events.

Shot ready?

Metro BIG Cinemas, M.G. Road, Dhobitalao Junction; +91 (0) 9323512073; www.bigcinemas.com; Tickets start at Rs 220.

Read about PVR Juhu and Phoenix and INOX Santacruz on CNNGo.com.

Want to roll (and crunch and flex) like the Bachchans? It’s not as much of a stretch as you think – just stop by celebrity physical trainer Vrinda Mehta’s new wellness studio, Vibrations. Slated to open on the 21st of July, Vibrations centers around “mental strengthening for physical wellbeing, and happy, stress-free living”, as well as Vrinda’s star clientele. Of course.

The Recipe

So what’s her formula for lean, mean Bollywood bodies (much unlike those belonging to the Bachchans) you ask? It is a combination of the mundane and the exotic, Vrinda explains, where yoga and Pranayam meet boot camp and gymnastics. In true Bollywood style, Vrinda gets her clients to pretend like they’re stuntmen, making them exercise using suspension bands, hang from Olympic rings and condition on squat racks.

Starting July 20, online art auction house Saffronart will host a 24-hour auction titled 99 Modern Paperworks (here’s how to bid) featuring paintings by a host of bigwig modernists including Tyeb Mehta, V.S. Gaitonde, and Arpita Sing. Saffronart editor Nishad Avari canvases for the art you should add to cart.

VS Gaitonde
Untitled
1962
Ink on paper
21 x 29.5 in
Signed in Devnagari and dated in English (center right)

Estimate
$30,000 - 40,000 (Rs 13,20,000 - 17,60,000)

One of Gaitonde's early ink paintings on paper, this is a sublime work inspired by Zen philosophy and the artist’s contemplation of the horizon from the gardens of his studio at the Bhulabhai Desai Institute in Mumbai, where each element seems to alternately emerge into being and evaporate.


Francis Newton Souza
Untitled
1956
Mixed media on paper
21.5 x 14.5 in
Signed and dated in English (upper left)

Estimate
$20,000 - 30,000 (Rs 8,80,000 - 13,20,000)

A vivid mixed media portrait on paper, this work represents the artist’s powerful figurative oeuvre that sought to unmask the hypocritical practices of individuals and institutions in positions of power. The vacant eyes placed high on the forehead, the cross-hatches underlining the ruggedness of the face, and the stiff demeanor of this suited man are characteristic of Souza’s mockery of the powerful and moneyed classes from this period.

Four hair stylists (probably leaving their bosses stranded) make their own cuts in Bandra.

Martinis and Manes

When was the last time you leaned against a bar and asked for a pedicure, straight up? You can now at Tesoura, a brand new, bright purple salon and spa (for men and women) in Bandra where martini glasses hang over a reception counter, blow driers light up a mini smoking room and disco lights glimmer in the bathroom. All around, thrones of different shapes and sizes lie in wait for bums who want to become beautiful. How shot would you like to go, ma’am?

Portuguese for ‘scissors’, Tesoura is run by ex-Nalini & Yasmin hairstylists Aarti Modi and Pragati Malhotra, who transformed a run-down dentist’s clinic to look like an amethyst coloured dream where you can get your hair cut, coloured, styled and spa-treated. Aarti recommends disconnected bangs and copper highlights for the monsoon. Besides treating your mane well, they also work with a band of experts who can paint your face, buff your nails, defuzz your legs and exfoliate your skin while you wait for the colour to set in. Inside, in a breadbox-sized massage room where a magnificent chest of draws threatens to rob your eye candy status, you can get a head, foot and back massage sans oil.

Getting there: Tesoura, 101, Luis Belle, plot no 85, 16th Road, in the building opposite Shiv Sagar, Bandra (W), call 65660444, Rs 1,250 for a haircut (special rates until the end of July), opens on Friday, July 22.

Cream of the Crop

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part II

As the Harry Potter series comes to its final closure, there are tears and howls amidst the bittersweet smiles. So does the last movie leave audiences bewitched? bpb rounds up the critic reviews for you.

The New York Times: “This is such great screen villainy it makes you regret there wasn’t more of Voldemort all along… It’s also often beautiful, washed in grey and so drained of other color that at first it looks as if its in black and white. (However) a few scenes feel calculated to work as synergistic complements to the Harry Potter Empire beyond.” (Read more here)

CNN: “They saved the best for last... This is blockbuster filmmaking with heart and soul, as well as grand spectacle, excitement and that typically British line in wry self-effacement.” (Read more here)

DNA: “(It) is stunning. It's also terribly entertaining, keeping you at the edge of the seat through it's run time, touching a chord, drawing a tear; the works. It has some amazing SFX, enough action to thrill, and emotions to pull the right (heart) strings.” (Read more here)

Huffington Post: “Final film is better than the book! ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II’ is a triumph of a finale, to both the film series and the entire "Harry Potter" franchise. What was muddled in the book comes into stunning focus with this final installment, and now we can really close the book on "Potter," so to speak.” (Read more here)

People Magazine: “All seven previous films in the Harry Potter series faithfully executed the magical minutiae of J.K. Rowling's books. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the first to re-create the feeling of reading them. Grim, beautiful and unabashedly emotional, this is nearly as satisfying an end to the saga as a fan could wish for.” (Read more here)

BONUS: Highlights of Hogwarts: Harry Potter's Best Spells, Coolest Creatures, Saddest Deaths and More!

Bali, Hawaii, Morroco and Philippines: at Kaasha, we were promised therapies from all these exotic lands. When we first got there, though, all we could think of were those shady parlours found in every nook and corner of Bangkok! We braved a flight of stairs up an old building to the newest spa in town, which lacked signboards and a fluent English-speaking phone operator. On entering their haven, however, we was transported to the promised lands. Orchid buds and rose petals strewn in water containing brass pots, scented candles, dim lighting and soft music.

Best Foot Forward

We had appointments for Accu Reflexo Foot Therapy Message (Rs. 750 for 30 minutes) and a Hand Luxury Manicure (Rs. 450 for 40 minutes) simultaneously, which had the masseuse gasping, “But madam, you won’t be able to relax properly.” But relax we did, perched on a lazy couch with our feet up. The foot massage started with a hot water scrub followed by cream therapy where our feet were stretched and kneaded vigorously and finished with a hot towel wrap to soak up the cream. Having opened up only on the 1st of July, the spa is still experimenting with a range of international creams and oils, and is open to customer suggestions.

Musicians, dancers and aficionados share their greatest albums of all time. The rain will add back-up acoustics. Hit play!

Nikhil D’Souza, Performer, Bollywood Singer

Grace by Jeff Buckley: To describe this album in one word: sublime. For me this album represents the best of melodic songwriting, vocal intensity, and even re-interpreting classic songs to make them your own (Hallelujah, Lilac Wine). 

Soul Cages by Sting: Bit of a departure from the usual Sting sound, this album was his attempt at dealing with his father's death. Haunting.

The Bends by Radiohead: This one started it all for the band (my favourite band, by the way). They've gone on to become an ever evolving music monster.

O by Damien Rice: His best songs, his first album. I can't remember how many times I've heard it.

Achtung Baby by U2: U2 is the band that has influenced a lot of modern sound and contemporary bands. This is probably their best work.

***

Mukul Deora, Musician, DJ, Bollywood Producer

Bringing It All Back Home by Bob Dylan: This is the album in which His Bobness shrugged off the folk god mantle, went electric, and wrote two of his finest songs.

Protection by Massive Attack: The perfect soundtrack for a dark monsoon. Dub, funk, and soul expertly blended in a cauldron of pre-millennial tension.

Orbital 2 (the brown album) by Orbital: The album that proved that two men with machines can be as warm and emotive as anything else. Still rocking dance floors everywhere.

Selected Ambient Works 85-92 by The Aphex Twin: Lush textures and finely tooled beats from one of the greatest modern composers.

Second Toughest In The Infants by Underworld: Brilliantly fuses deep dance grooves with top-notch songwriting and production.

***

"They go a long way in supplementing our salaries." "It’s not compulsory at all ... even a great smile can make our day." "International guests do it more often." "Yes, it would be nice to get one."

People in your hair, mixing your drink, driving you to work, delivering your food and massaging your feet say how much you should be tipping them.

Follow this guide to all that you can and can’t leave behind, in Mumbai.

Read the full story on CNNGo.com.

At the Hip Hair Salon

Tipping senior hairstylists isn’t quite as easy as doling out a couple of 20s to your waxing lady at the corner beauty parlor.

"I don’t end up tipping my stylist not because I’m cheap, but because I feel like it would offend her," says a media professional.

Shimsha Shetty, salon director and senior hairstylist at b:blunt, Bandra clears the air.

"Tipping is a gesture of appreciation, that's all," she says, adding that those who feel uncomfortable with direct transactions can always leave the money at the reception or even just flash a smile.

But how much cash would be appropriate?

“Ideally, 10 percent of the service cost,” says Shetty.

Celebrity stylist and owner of the Mad O Wot chain of salons Sapna Bhavnani says 90 percent of their customers tip, with the average amount being a whopping Rs 500.

Have you met Prarthna Singh from Bandra? No? You should! She can hook you up with a dozen women starting this Thursday, including an air hostess and magazine editor, fashion designer and writer. And when you stare at them (of course you will), she won’t say it’s not polite to.

Dame a Dozen

That’s because these women are framed and up on a wall, part of Prarthna’s latest photography project titled Twelve, on view at Le Mill until August 14. A fine arts photographer whose works have appeared in publications like Vogue, Elle, CNNGo and Rolling Stone Magazine, she believes this to be an “unconventional self-portrait” where each of the Mumbai women are an extension of her. Besides finding herself in her subjects, Prarthna is “often found wandering across the country in men’s clothing" looking for interesting people to collaborate with.

Twelve is one such joint venture between the photographer and Manipur-born London-based jewellery designer Mawi, whose whimsical baubles you’ll find on the girls in Prarthna's photos, as well as in Le Mill’s showcases. Combining North Eastern tribal elements and Victorian whimsy, these pieces (also retailed at Harrod's in London, Le Bon Marche in Paris) are known to act pricey, sometimes even more so than the women.

Good luck with that!

Getting there: Le Mill, 17-25 Nandlal Jani Road, next to new railway bridge, Wadi Bunder, call 23742415, on until August 14, 32 by 21 digital inkjet prints, price on request and Mawi jewellery start at approximately Rs 16,000 for a pair of earrings.