Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Sameer Markande

Water under the bridge

Early morning walkers cross the Chena Bridge on Ghodbunder Road in Thane

Gaining some social credit

Sonali Sikdar (left) of the Missing Link Trust at the gong ceremony

Artist Leena Kejriwal's Missing Link Trust just entered the BSE building. The NGO became only the third such organisation to be listed on BSE's Social Stock Exchange. "We had been hearing for over a year that the selections for the roster would begin, and started our preparations duly," shared Kejriwal (in pic).

Selected last week, Kejriwal's Kolkata-based NGO has been working towards prevention and rehabilitation of young girls caught in the cycle of trafficking. Describing it as an impressive achievement for a "young organisation", Kejriwal said, "It will give us credibility. Our visibility relies on word of mouth. The listing will give us the reputation of being an impact-driven organisation."

A taste of Abu Dhabi in the city

While chef Hemant Oberoi has been blitzing between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi, the culinary ambassador will be hosting a special two-day pop-up at Trident till tomorrow. The chef revealed he will introduce aromas from Martabaan, his Michelin-selected contemporary Indian fine dining destination to town. "It's going to be a unique experience of Martabaan Abu Dhabi presented to our esteemed guests," he shared, teasing us that we'll have to attend to find out what's under the cloche.

Mumbai se Bhabni tak

The artwork by Maurya

Andheri-based graffiti artist Rahul Maurya (inset) aka Alchemy has taken his work from the city's walls to his grandparent's village, Bhabni in Siddharth Nagar district in UP. His oeuvre includes celebrations of hip-hop culture like the mural near Rizvi College of rapper crew 7Bantai'Z. Recently, on a visit to Bhabni, the 25-year-old brought his work closer to home when he painted a mural of Lord Ganesha with his tag ‘LKMY' on his grandparent's bungalow wall. "Although I am the first artist in the family, they support me. It's the first time they saw my work up close. Their reaction was a big "wow," the
artist shared.

Look who's making hiss-tory

Harankhede with the banded kukri (right) with a baby mongoose

Tiss Mumbai student Vikrant Harankhede reached an unusual landmark in this academic year. A first-year student in Master's of Urban Policy and Governance, Harankhede has already caught 50 reptiles in the last six months on the campus, the latest being a banded kukri. "We have lush green surroundings at the institute, and a vibrant ecosystem of reptiles and rodents. The two dining rooms of our campus often attract rodents, which in turn draw snakes. So, it was not unusual for the kukri to have wandered in there," the 28-year-old said. Harankhede's fascination with nature began during his engineering years in Pune where he volunteered with Hari Reddy. "I grew up watching Discovery Channel on television, and admired Steve Irwin greatly," he added. While he joined the institute in July 2022, Harankhede has acquired a reputation of the snake charmer on campus. "Whenever they spot one, I get a call. I prefer to save them and release them away from civilisation. It is nature's way of keeping the balance between the species," he remarked.

A century on air

A look at theatre maker Vikram Phukan's social media made this diarist realise that this is the centenary year for Indian radio broadcasting. "It is also the centenary year for radio drama broadcasting in the world," he shared. The writer shared that India's journey into the radio waves began from the city's historic Bombay Presidency Radio Club in 1923, before All India Radio took over. The Colaba-based club was the pioneering centre for Indian radio broadcasting, the writer shared. The more interesting part, he revealed, was the role of the broadcasters in popularising plays during the era. "I was keen to learn about the national programme of plays that was launched in 1956," he said, adding, "The programme often translated a regional play into multiple languages, and broadcast them across the country. These plays have now been digitised by All India Radio and are available online for readers." For history hunters eager to learn more, the theatremaker's social media handle @vikithephu might be the place to start