Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Aishwarya Deodhar

In the calm zone

A dog takes a nap while a woman practises yoga at Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali.

Food for thought

Sri Vamsi Matta

Can food show us the unconscious or subconscious bias and differences that plague our society? But the country's complex religious and caste divide can be healed through food, believes theatremaker Sri Vamsi Matta. The Bengaluru-based theatre artiste will bring his interactive performance, Come Eat With Me, to the city in June. The show combines Matta's recounting of oral histories, documentation of subaltern stories with a sampling of food that allows the audience an insight into the experience. "This is the first performance in Mumbai," he told this diarist. The idea for the concept, Matta shared, began from his observations in childhood. "The reason I chose this format is because of my interest in food, and how it interacts and engages with caste. As a young boy, surrounded by students from different communities, food was the lens through which I observed our similarities and differences." The show arrives in Mumbai after travelling through Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Delhi. "Every show is a new show. I tweak it depending on who my audience is. We adapt and expand it, because it's not just about my stories. My audience gets to share too," he said.

Shining the goal-den boots

The PIFA Colaba team (in red) defend their goal

The curtains came down on the fortnight-long inaugural edition of the Mumbai Rink Football League (MRFL) in Bandra on May 28. The three finals led to interesting results with Kalina Rangers coming from behind against Hope United Mira Road to win the men's open. The veteran's open saw an all-Orlem affair with MYJ Orlem B defeating MYJ Orlem A. But it was the women's open that caught everyone's eye. The girls of PIFA Colaba ran riot to beat Mumbai Knights by four goals to nil. Anjali Shah, manager of PIFA Colaba, shared, "The final was absolutely fantastic, and a completely one-sided affair. We bulldozed our way." The key to success was in keeping to the plan, Shah reminded this diarist. The valuable player for the team was Laura Estibero, who ended up taking the match ball. Praising her star player, Shah said, "Laura is 40 plus, and a role model who shows that if you keep yourself fit and active, you can achieve anything." It might just be the inaugural edition, but the league has drawn in the Bandra crowd. Shah noted, "It [the crowd] was far more than at Cooperage for a women's football match. It certainly adds to the experience for the teams."

Ready for a Spanish welcome

Anjali Patil in a moment from the film

It is no surprise that the red carpet of Cannes is the flavour of the season. For city-based filmmaker Sandeep Mohan though, the quieter a film festival, the better it is. His latest film, Danny Goes Aum, will head to Madrid, as part of the Imagine India Film Festival this September. "I applied to very few film festivals across the world," Mohan shared. The film will also be part of the Cinequest film festival in San Jose come August, he revealed. "Imagine India is special because the jury is headed by famed Iranian filmmaker, Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Also, this is an indie film festival where the conversation is focused on the film, and making friends," the filmmaker concluded.

Sandeep Mohan

Draw awe at Patwardhan Park

A section of the artworks on display at Patwardhan Park

The fight for Bandra's Patwardhan Park (PP) is on a simmer with citizens against the proposal for an underground car park beneath one of the green lungs of the western suburbs. The PP saviours held a sketching session at the park recently, where people were invited to illustrate the park through art. This was one of several activities conducted as part of the ongoing campaign. This is an interesting way to conduct a Park-agraha (if you combine Satyagraha and Park), highlighting its beauty and usefulness through different modes of community engagement. Greens and open spaces up the livability quotient of a city. Meanwhile, a look at the sketches breathes life into the adage: If a picture can say a thousand words, imagine what so many pictures can say? To borrow from the line of a popular TV advertisement: My daddy strongest; Patwardhan Park prettiest, we say.

We'll show you the money

We'll show you the money

Ever heard that annoying question, "Does environmental conservation bring in money?" V Shubhalaxmi, founder of iNaturewatch Foundation has the answer to it now. The foundation joined Dr Prerana Chandak and Divyanshu Pawar to conduct an ecosystem service valuation at Taloja Hills in Kharghar. Speaking with 36 people visiting the green space over two weeks, the surveyors quantified the benefits of the ecosystem to people. "Every funding agency talks about metrics, but no one talks about nature's invisible capital. Through the project, we are measuring nature's capital," she told this diarist. The value of the carbon reductions by the trees amounts to Rs 33,96,000, she informed. The foundation is planning similar surveys around the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mulund and Ambivli Biodiversity Park in Kalyan.