The Press Club, Mumbai, has acquired a karaoke system for the benefit of its members. In the process it is discovering singing talent. Photographers Ashish Raje, Pradeep Dhivar and others surprised everyone the other day by belting out melodious songs.
Under the leadership of Gurbir Singh, the Bishma Pitamaha of the club, Rajesh Mascarenhas, Samar Khadas and others, the place is becoming more interesting. Earlier they used to have a record player on which the best ghazals of Begum Akhtar, Mehdi Hasan and other legends were played while members sipped Old Monk mixed with chilled Thums Up.
The food was so-so. But not any more. The managing committee has got Thane’s ‘Methkut’ restaurant owner to run the canteen. This has made a huge difference to the quality and variety of food. There is near unanimity on this, except that some members are complaining about the quantity of dishes being “too much”!
All in all, an ideal place for journos to unwind after a long day of covering Maharashtra’s ever-changing politics, crime, potholes et al before catching the last local to Panvel, Kalyan, Mira-Bhayandar or wherever.
