23 November,2024 07:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
Pic/Anurag Ahire
Two Mumbaikars sleep beside each other on a platform at Masjid Bunder railway station.
An elderly voice emerged on our screens during Day One of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series on Friday. We wondered who it was for a while until we were told that Allan Border was part of the Fox Sports commentary team. How apt it is to have the great Australian and the Indian little master lending their views on the Test. Border has not been in the pink of health and his been battling Parkinson's - but his views are clear, lucid and direct.
Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth on Friday. PIC/GETTY IMAGES
He seemed to enjoy himself and accepted the different kind of shots that were played. And amidst all that, he appreciated the courage on display. Border was a hard man as captain of his country. He wanted Dean Jones to continue batting at Chennai in 1986 despite him being in the throes of dehydration. Border was only alarmed when his late mate landed up in hospital.
Border's contribution to Australian cricket can never be underestimated. In that great sports writer Mike Coward's words, "Allan Border gave Australian cricket the kiss of life." Now, Border needs a gift of better health that he so richly deserves.
From painter to thespian to celebrated Bollywood actor, Amol Palekar has now added one more feather to his cap with the launch of his autobiography, Viewfinder, in Mumbai yesterday. Originally written by Palekar during the COVID-19 pandemic, the manuscript was revived by his wife Sandhya as a special project to mark his 80th birthday today, the actor tells this diarist.
Amol Palekar
Launching the book in Marathi was important for the actor, who takes great pride in his roots, but in order to reach a wider audience, the book is also being released in English, and a Hindi version is in the pipeline too. The book will include QR codes that will lead readers to Palekar's rare works, which many may not have seen. "I often hear that my directed films didn't reach audiences, and sadly, it's true," says the actor, "I urged the rights-owners of my films to make them accessible to the world. There are also some rare posters, vintage hand-drawn hoardings, my old interviews and articles⦠and a few other treasures readers will find through the book."
As for why it's named Viewfinder, Palekar shares a moving moment when veteran director Hrishikesh Mukherjee gifted the actor his own "director's viewfinder" - used to check the frame for a shot - which in turn had been given to Mukherjee by renowned director Bimal Roy. "In this book, I'm sharing with you the distilled memories of my 80-year odyssey, framed through this very Viewfinder," says Palekar.
This Bandra boy wears multiple hats - that of a singer, composer, recording artiste, and everything related to music, and he is set to drop a new track in the coming week, called Unspoken.
Arjun Kanungo
Arjun Kanungo has got one clear goal - to make his listeners "feel something". According to him, music must hit you right in the feels, but it also needs to have that perfect packaging: "fresh, new, and dripping with global vibes," he says.
The 30-year-old pop singer is on a mission to not be stereotyped into what Indian artiste sounds like on a global stage. He tells Sunday mid-day, "I am tired of outsiders telling us what "Indian" means in music," and he is flipping the script, one song at a time.
Post COVID-19 pandemic, Kanungo started his own label, and is aiming to venture into new markets, from performing in Japan to dabbling in K-Pop. Kanungo is slowly but surely building his global reputation as an independent artist.
The Samvidhan Amrut Mahotsav Samiti will be held in Ulwe from November 24 to 26, and hopes to arm citizens with knowledge of the constitution. "In today's socio-political climate, where political influences and even the masses seem to drift away from the Constitution, we risk losing its essence. The Constitution binds us together despite our vast differences and diversity. We must remind ourselves, as Babasaheb," says Mayura Saav, one of organisers, adding, "We are Indians firstly and Indians lastly."
The Samvidhan Amrut Mahotsav Samiti, Ulwe
The event will feature activities designed to engage all age groups: The Run for Fraternity Marathon, symbolising unity and equality, a puppet show by Varanasi's Creative Paper Theatre an Art Exhibition showcasing constitutional themes. Nirmik Arts and Yalgar Sathi Folk Group will be performing street plays, speeches and discussions, and a live orchestra performance.
The celebration stems from Samvidhan Katta, a grassroots initiative started earlier this year at Samvidhan Chowk in Ulwe. A small group of Samvidhan Pracharak Volunteers began meeting to discuss constitutional values, sing songs, and promote civic awareness. Over time, this evolved into a larger community movement.
There is a racket going on, of a sporty kind. Mumbaikars will soon see a game called Racketlon being played in the city. Here, a player competes against an opponent in the four biggest racket sports: table tennis, badminton, squash and tennis, and the game is coming to an upscale South Mumbai club very soon. The host club has a lawn, a genteel reputation, has another club as its neighbour across the road (accent on the neigh here) and the first part of the club's name signifies ready or eager to do something. Let the guessing game begin...
