Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

One way ticket

A diesel train engine comes to a halt as pedestrians cross the track along Behrampada in Bandra East

Remembering Salesman Ramlal

Satish Kaushik in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron. Pic courtesy/YouTube

While fans recall the comic timing and humour of actor-director Satish Kaushik on his passing, theatre maker Makarand Deshpande remembers him as a man of the stage. "His performance in Salesman Ramlal, an adaptation of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, was incredible. It reflects the shades he could portray as an all-round actor," Deshpande shared. Recalling a moment with Kaushik at a staging of his own play, Meri Maa Ke Haath, Deshpande said, "After the play, he held my hands and spoke so warmly. A senior actor and director congratulating his junior, reflected his sensitivity."

Also Read: Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Explore the lesser-known city

A few weeks ago, we had mentioned on this page about Urdu Markaz's initiative, Sakhafati Gasht (cultural walks). We are happy to report that their first cultural walk will be conducted this weekend. The trail will cover a few prominent halts that have a connection with pioneers of Urdu literature in India - Saadat Hasan Manto's home in Madanpura and the Mirza Ghalib mural at Padmakar Tukaram Mane Garden, Nagpada. "The cultural walks will focus on historic areas that are significant not only to Urdu literature but also to Marathi and other regional languages. The first walk will discover the lanes of Bhendi Bazaar," director Zubair Azmi shared with us.

The art of education

The sculpture in Pali Hill

A favourite pastime for this diarist while driving through the lanes of the city is to look out for installations at junctions and traffic islands. Adding to this collection is artist Sangeeta Babani who in association with the BMC has created a sculpture in Pali Hill. It was opened to the public yesterday by actress and producer Dia Mirza. Titled Quest for Knowledge, the installation is centred on the theme of education as it is located opposite a school.

Sangeeta Babani and Dia Mirza

Vocalising the importance of education among children, Mirza said, "As citizens, each of us must draw our attention and contribute towards ensuring that every child receives the best opportunities to learn. This will reduce social and cultural inequity and deliver to our children what is their absolute right." Babani explained that the title suggests the endless quest to gain more knowledge, "Art brings attention to an often-neglected space and encourages people to appreciate their environment. I hope I succeed in this mission that I have undertaken along with the BMC."

Woman power

Pic courtesy/Instagram

Cinema Collective, a forum founded by a group of Indian women filmmakers, is organising a one-day programme today - Women in Entertainment & Media - Roles & Perceptions, which will include conversations with leading content creators in media. Amruta Subhash, one of the key speakers at the event that will be hosted in a Bandra space, told this diarist, "I am excited to see incredible speakers like Paula McGlynn here. Even if we consider cinema, OTT and television today, we have seen women grow from roles of meek and docile homemakers to don such powerful characters. I am elated to share this journey at the talk." Subhash added, "Women before us started a revolution to give us more power and we are bearing the fruits today. I hope a similar impact is created by such initiatives."

The equity she needs today

Cued into this year's theme of International Women's Day, Embrace Equity, an event organised by the Department of Communication and Journalism at the University of Mumbai is taking the idea forward. She.quity is a three-day event that began on Wednesday. Assistant professor Daivata Patil shared, "It's a student-driven initiative. Our discussions on changing marginalities and centralities led to conversations of the state of women in our society." So far, the event has featured photography and essay competitions, and a reading session. Today's activities include screenings of women-centric films.