Amey Mirashi

  Mumbai's burger scene is about to get a little stranger. Bengaluru-born quick-service restaurant Alienkind opens in Andheri West this weekend, bringing its sci-fi aesthetic and UFO-shaped burgers to the city after finding a loyal following in Delhi. The restaurant created a buzz with a CGI-generated video on its Instagram, where helmeted figures step out of a spaceship, teasing a new store in Oshiwara, to open this Saturday, July 11.  Alienkind's flagship store opened in Bengaluru in 2024, taking the city by storm. Founders Vikram Kakkireni and Abhishek Kumar then expanded their business to Delhi, launching their first outlet in Connaught Place in March this year, with two more following in Moti Nagar and Kamala Nagar.    What to expect? You'd expect the usual: burgers, fries and coffee. And yes, those are here too. But Alienkind's menu leans delightfully offbeat, with Starship Burgers, HyperSlab sandwiches, Portal bagels and a line-up of experimental drinks. The flavours steer clear of the standard Indian fast food playbook too, with chimichurri sandwiches and gochujang burgers instead of the predictable tandoori-and-mayo combinations. The drinks have become something of a signature. Think strawberry and granola shakes, coconut-mango coolers with sago pearls, and protein-packed smoothies that have developed a loyal following of their own. And as the name suggests, the interiors of this next-gen cafe are alien-inspired – orangish neon-lit, scarlet walls, futuristic costum

Looking for another gallery to add to your rotation, Mumbai? Here's one for the list. While wandering around the CSMT station area, step into Kitab Mahal – built in the 1890s – where Gallery Maxima has just opened its doors. The space spans 1,600 square feet, giving artists room to exhibit large-scale work. White walls, stone flooring, curved glass windows and bright red bi-fold panel doors strike a balance between the building's Art Deco bones and a distinctly modern sensibility. Established by Sunaina Rajan, who previously co-founded Chemould CoLab, the gallery supports young and mid-career South Asian artists working across sculpture, painting, textiles, craft and new media. Translation: they’re not sticking to the usual roster of established names. The mandate is simple. Champion artists and build meaningful connections between them and the audience, all while digging into contemporary South Asian art. Dream Girl debuts Gallery Maxima has kicked off with a solo show, Dream Girl, by Mumbai-New York-based painter Maithili Chaturvedi. Through richly textured oil paintings on velvet, a material long associated with glamour and sensuality, the artist pays homage to Hindi cinema's iconic heroines. The series takes its name from Hema Malini's 1977 film Dream Girl, in which the actress plays five different characters. From resurrecting screen legends like Meena Kumari and Madhubala to Zeenat Aman, Helen and Rekha of the '70s and '80s, the works are not, strictly speaking, nostalg