Mumbai diary: Saturday Dossier

An acrobatic squirrel lands on its feet at Shivaji Park in Dadar West

Taking a stand

An acrobatic squirrel lands on its feet at Shivaji Park in Dadar West on Friday. Pic /Pradeep Dhivar

This sign is quite fine

Call it the fine art of making a trenchant point. A residential society on DK Sandu Marg, Chembur, has had it with people parking outside their front gate. Despite protests by the security, a majority of shoppers at a departmental store in the vicinity insist on leaving their vehicles at the spot. Several housing societies display the ubiquitous 'park here and tyres will be deflated' signage. This society, however, felt that the idea is a bit flat (pun intended). So, they have put up a more eye-catching notice outside their gate that read: "Parking in front of gate: (Trishab Signet, DK Sandu Marg) Reserved for idiots and educated illiterates.' Touché, we say.

The show must go online

A still from Maze, a non-verbal play

The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META) is the latest among such annual events to go digital this year. The organisers have announced that the show will be held online at the end of this month, with three weeks of pre-event celebrations prior to that.

Lillete Dubey

These include a conference for theatre critics, the launch of the published version of the META Best Original Script, and a tribute to the lifetime achievement awardee, thespian Barry John. The jury for this year includes Mahesh Dattani, Lillete Dubey and Vinay Pathak.

Barry John

Speaking about the shift to the digital medium, Jay Shah, who is part of the organising committee, said, "The show must go on. We rise to the challenges thrown up by the pandemic and I applaud the entire theatre community for coming together at this difficult time."

Stamp of the Indian loom

Staff dressed in handloom sarees pose with a stamp

Yesterday, many in the social media universe caught on to the handloom bug, since it was National Handloom Day that commemorates the Swadeshi Movement of 1905, and also salutes the craftsmanship of India's weavers and artisans. At the ground level, India Post, Mumbai, also celebrated with postage stamps at the General Post Office near CST that included handloom works including Baluchuri, Pochampally ikat, Kashmiri pashmina, Bhagalpur silk and the Tangaliya shawl. The officials also wore handloom masks and sarees. "We are reliving the day with a set of five exclusive stamps on handlooms of India, to hail our rich handloom traditions, and each piece reminds us of the talent and perseverance of our weavers," shared Swati Pandey, Postmaster General, India Post, Mumbai.

When Sima met Rima

It's tough to ignore Sima Taparia, the star of Netflix's docu-reality series Indian Matchmaking who has earned cult-like status across the country and even beyond. Funnyman Kunal Vijayakar paid ode to her by transforming into Rima Taparia for The Week That Wasn't with Cyrus Broacha - nailing the vocal delivery, makeup and costume. "Getting her look was key to my portrayal of her. Our show completes 700 episodes in a few weeks' time, so I have tons of stuff in the wardrobe. Ivin [Cambal] did the makeup, and we mixed and matched whatever we had at home."

Strays on our mind

Utkarsh, an animal welfare organisation in Mulund West, pressed the pedal when torrential rains have affected strays. CEO DR Londhe told this diarist, "We responded to calls, and a few rescued dogs and cats are now recuperating at our animal hospital." Dial 8291294204 if you, too, spot an animal in need.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news