Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Aishwarya Deodhar

Feeling peckish?

A crow watches on while a man has lunch inside a van stationed at Shivaji Park, Dadar

Dough! Not a smart move

The posters on the pillars at CSMT station. Pics/Rajendra B. Aklekar

This diarist has always been annoyed by the very Indian tendency to leave our mark on history using the humble chalk or a marker pen. Several visits to forts across Maharashtra have revealed hallmarks of modern love left behind on the ramparts. So, it was even more annoying to find sticky posters in the urban spaces of the city; on the pillars of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) earlier this week. Telling passersby to look out for missing cookies and cakes, they were meant to be a funny announcement for the launch of Bake Live Studio's new outlet in Colaba. They did catch the eye of Mumbaikars, but the result was not profitable for the bakery. Citizens and heritage lovers online and offline have condemned the act of defacing a heritage site. The Railway Police Force (RPF) has now taken up the matter. We've learnt from our sources that a case has been registered against the bakery vide CR no 244/23 under section 166 of Railways Act for pasting advertising posters without authorisation. While the case is under enquiry, we hope it serves as a warning against future acts.

Gorillaz in Mumbai?

The recent Gorrilaz artwork. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

Indian fans of the London-based band Gorillaz woke up to a surprise this week when the band dropped a mention of Maximum City on their timeline. Keeping with their wacky and fictional reality, the caption described that the quartet of Russel Hobbs, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and 2D will pick up their fake passports and head to Mumbai. The image drops clues from the Ganesha on the wall, a copy of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha on the bed to Hobbs playing a "been" in front of a cobra. Whether this was a simple distraction from the recent cancellations of their concerts at Los Angeles and Austin, or a possible visit to the East, this diarist, like others, will be keyed to their feed in hope.

Diving into the blues

Aanchal Bordoloi

The cinematic ideal of the struggling musician - moonlighting at gigs between jobs before they break through into the limelight - might be hiding a mental health hazard. Singer-songwriter Aanchal Bordoloi's upcoming post graduate research will specifically dive into the anxiety-riddled, mental challenges faced by independent musicians in India. "I have seen many musicians give up because they are constantly dealing with mental health disorders. But no one really wants to talk about it," said the Bengaluru-based singer. The research, to be completed in August, will also hope to make interventions and help individuals through their struggle, she added.

A seat at the table for Aapki Poojita

A panel from Aapki Poojita. Pic Courtesy/Bakarmax

In November last year, this section featured news about Bakarmax co-founders, Sumit Kumar and Adhiraj Singh's decision to go the Kickstarter way to crowdfund their series, Aapki Poojita. It follows the journey of the sanskari, ideal Indian woman from the television screen into the gritty reality of India. Six months since, the team will have their first online table read of the script on July 1. "The series was about to be picked up as a pilot when COVID-19 happened," shared Kumar. The table read, he remarked, was a reward to the backers who had supported the team on the Kickstarter campaign. "It is the first time such an animation series is being created in India. Since most of the roles are being voiced by the team, it gives us a chance to understand what jokes work, what do not and how people react," Kumar explained. With a tentative date set for December, Kumar revealed that there will be 10 episodes to start with.