Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Kriti Sanon with Arjun Kapoor for promotion of a film

If looks could kill

Kriti Sanon can't take her eyes off Arjun Kapoor at a movie promotion at a Juhu five-star on Monday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Ending the festival on a high note

Chet Faker aka Nick Murphy and (below) Aneesh Pradhan

The last day of the NH7 Weekender in Pune was an interesting one - Sandunes played a ethereal experimental set with two wind instrumentalists - Bombay boys Shirish Malhotra and Rhys Sebastian; Job Kurian made revellers sing in Malayalam while Hariharan made thousands nostalgic with a rendition of Nahin Saamne (from the movie Taal). But the biggest moment and surprise was when Chet Faker aka Nick Murphy stepped on stage and was joined by tabla player Aneesh Pradhan. The Aussie musician, who was the main act of the last day, started his solo set, dressed in a kurta and completed his look with a tilak. Halfway through the set, Pradhan made it a duo act, as the two proceeded to indulge in some compelling improvisation, and a jugalbandi that left fans cheering. A successful first collaboration, which we would like more of, please.

Movers and shakers

You might have heard about Parkinson's disease, but how much do you know about it? Do you know the tremors that come with the condition deprive patients of the most basic of things - wearing clothes they would like to. And so, the second edition of Shake it up for Parkinson's, a charity event to generate awareness organised by Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Society (PDMDS), aims to showcase a unique collection by designer Nivedita Saboo specially made for patients. "I believe that fashion should be a platform where art and science come together to create solutions that empower people's everyday lives.

A sketch of Saboo's designs

It's important for us to think of inclusivity and be adaptive. This approach makes sure they don't struggle with what the rest of the world takes for granted," Saboo told this diarist. "If you are a Parkinson's patient, a huge effort is required to dress oneself up due to the tremors and the sheer fatigue while wearing clothes. So, these clothes don't have any buttons but have softly-cut velcro options and magnetic buttons [for those who don't have pacemakers]," she explains. The line will be available from December 15.

Need a non-judgmental friend?

Ever feel like you have silly questions swimming around in your head? Who do you ask those questions to? Google it, many would reply. And it's not just the assurance or the ease of getting a relatively legitimate answer that makes the Internet a hotspot for everyone's seemingly odd questions, but also the fact that no one judges you for your query - a fact pointed out by Mumbai-based cartoonist, Ruhin Chatterjee, in his comic strip on the Instagram page lifewritenow. The five-frame comic strip begins with the question, "You know when I really fell in love with the Internet?" It goes on to explain how people ask far-out questions, which end up in them inviting judgement. And though the Internet may swarm with bizarre ads related to your search, it's a small price to pay for a straightforward response. "As someone who has always as­­k­ed several silly questions, the Internet has grown to become an irreplaceable companion," Chatterjee explains.

An early start to fitness

Last Sunday began on an active note for many city kids and their families. At the Mumbai Juniorthon, an under-15 kids' run, nearly 4,000 families came out to spend an activity-filled day at BKC. "We want to make fitness a priority for every child and part of their daily routine. The increase in sedentary lifestyles today makes kids prone to physical and mental harm. This is a community project in which we appeal to parents to make running a part of their children's lives. As habits form early, we want to encourage kids to start at an earlier age," Bhavna Mehta, organiser and founder of the marathon, told this diarist. In a bid to keep these activities a year-long initiative, the group also conducts endurance and stamina building bootcamps.

For safer tomorrows

In a new video, actor Mithila Palkar navigates a dark alley with a torch on her way. It's the journey home for most women. To bring to light, quite literally, this issue, Palkar and Karan Johar have come together with NGOs Yuvaa and Save The Children for the #LightUpHerLife movement. Find a dark alley that could do with light? Use the hashtag, geo tag the pin and post it on Facebook, so a map can be created and shared with authorities. Worth a shot, isn't it?

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