International Women's Day 2024: Celebrate by indulging in these activities around Mumbai

Isheeta Chakrvarty says she’s excited to pay tribute to her favourite artistes. Pic/Anurag Ahire

Round up the girls; there's no time to waste. There's so much happening in the city - proudly the safest one for women in the country. Here's a map of everything you can do for yourself, and your tribe of sisters this Friday and in the weeks ahead.

Listen

The Royal Opera House, in collaboration with Avid Learning, has put together a showcase of South Asian voices. The musical tribute pays homage to classical music stars. "Sraddha stands for devotion," says Isheeta Chakrvarty, the main artiste. "We're paying homage to some iconic women artistes by presenting the songs people know them by, but with a different take." While their music is rooted in their unique traditions and culture, it's also universal, she feels, and the programme aims to convey that. Three of her personal favourites include Pakistani maestro Abida Parveen; thumri and ghazal legends Shobha Gurtu and Begum Akhtar, whose songs will be sung alongside original compositions of hers, written by songwriters Meenakshi Pathak and Ginny Diwan. They will be accompanied by Amandeep Singh on guitar, bassist Adil Kurwa, percussionist Vaibhav Wavikar, violinist Nastya Saraswati, who will be playing the saxophone and flute along with the violin, and Swarupa Ananth, the guest performer for the evening. Expect a soulful tribute that celebrates the songs, voices, and lives of these diverse women.
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WHAT: Sraddha: Celebrating Iconic Women Artists from South Asia
WHEN: March 8, 7 PM onwards
WHERE: The Royal Opera House, Girgaum
PRICE: Rs 399 onwards
TO BOOK: insider.in

Laugh

Savani Vaze

The Thane Special Ladies' Dabba is a Marathi stand-up show featuring the stories of stand-up comedians Sayli Raut, Savani Vaze, and Prajakta Kulkarni. The two-hour comedy special evening aims to celebrate the idiosyncrasies that make women who they are.

Prajakta Kulkarni

Kulkarni tells us that it's not just general gender-based humour, but specific incidents that the comedians have experienced. The ladies' dabba in a train is a space of chaos and fun, and the smallest incidents assume humourous proportions. Expect a back-and-forth between the performers and the crowd, she says.
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Sayli Raut

WHAT: Thane Special Ladies Dabba
WHEN: March 8, 5 PM onwards
WHERE: MH04 The Drunkyard: Thane
PRICE: Rs 499 onwards
TO BOOK: bookmyshow.com

Eat

You deserve a drink, or twenty, so make haste to the airport (just aroundabouts; you don't have to take a flight) for Vineyard Rhythms for a wine-tasting weekend. Archana Singh, Founder of VinoDeBella, a Nashik-based artisanal wine brand, has curated the wine-tasting festival. "Our aim is to bring the vineyard experience to the city," says Singh. It's also a tribute to women; she says women-led brands need to be given visibility.

Vineyard Rhythms aims to bring together a community of women

"We're so enterprising; we can put our minds to anything," she says. At the wine fest, one can try the classic Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, and Catawba. There's also a dance programme featuring Latin styles by Sabnam Lahkar, Aniket Khhopkarand and Amit Rathore and a fashion gala, inspired by designer Isabella Valentina.
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WHAT: Vineyard Rhythms
WHEN: March 9 and 10, 7 PM onwards
WHERE: Radisson Blu, Mumbai International Airport
PRICE: Rs 2,950 onwards
TO BOOK: bookmyshow.com

Tread

The camping trip features a movie screening and adventure sports

For women who run with wolves, there's a special camping experience curated by Happy Event Management. The two-day overnight trip features a tent stay at Revdanda Fort in Alibaug that was built in 1504 and is situated at the mouth of the Kundalika river. There's also an early Holi celebration, with a live DJ party in the evening and a barbeque night. Women are encouraged to come dressed in shades of pink.
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WHAT: Woman's Day Special Alibag Beach Camping
WHEN: March 8 to March 9, 3 PM to 11 AM
WHERE: Revdanda Fort, Alibaug
PRICE: Rs 1,000 onwards
TO BOOK: insider.in

Rhyme

Every year, UnErase hosts special women's day poetry meetups

Every year on Women's Day, UnErase Poetry comes together to listen to the voices of those identifying with the gender. Their first poetry session was held on March 8, seven years ago, says founder Simar Singh, and now there is an annual theme. Last year, it was gender identity; this year, the focus is on celebrating the life and stories of women, from different age groups, backgrounds, and walks of life. "Most of the stories and poems presented will be personal. It's going to bring different perspectives on what it is to be a woman in India," says Singh. Poets from different parts of the country have been asked to perform, and you can look forward to Taranjit Kaur, Vanika Sangtani, Sainee Raj, Helly Shah, Shweta Tripathi, and Priyanshi Bansal taking the stage with their works. There's also a special surprise act planned this year, to commemorate the seventh year of the collective.
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WHAT: UnErase's Women's Day Special
WHEN: March 16, 8 PM onwards
WHERE: Experimental theatre, NCPA
PRICE: Rs 707 onwards
TO BOOK: bookmyshow.com