The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Shadab Khan
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College students stare fixedly into their smartphones during an impromptu gaming session on Carter Road in Bandra.
New musings in Mira Road
Nida Fazli (centre) at a mushaira in Naya Nagar in Mira Road. File pic; (right) Saranya Subramaniam
Inspired by mid-day’s January 28 report that unveiled the rich literary history of Mira Road, young poets from Mumbai will now step into the far suburb to witness it firsthand this Sunday. Led by founder Saranya Subramaniam, the Bombay Poetry Crawl community will visit Naya Nagar, where Urdu literary icon Nida Fazli once resided. “We regularly step out for poetry walks in South Mumbai. Ever since we read about what Mira Road was hiding amidst its bustle, we wanted to explore the story in depth. I had heard of Fazli through popular ghazals of Jagjit Singh, but visiting the spots that he frequented and tracing his journey will be a whole new experience. We will also shed light on how Mira Road transformed into a mini-hub of the arts in the late 20th century,” Subramaniam revealed. Those interested can log on to @thebombaypoetrycrawl on Instagram.
More power to community reading
Children browse through books at the library. Pic Courtesy/Instagram
On Tuesday, Worli-based Muktangan Education Trust completed three years of their Mohalla Library initiative, which commenced on the occasion of Vachan Prerna Diwas on October 15, 2021. The initiative began with a desire to provide continuous education support during the pandemic. “My purpose has always been to bring a positive change in mainstream education,” founder Elizabeth Mehta told this diarist. “We believe that a learning community is a growing community, and we notice this at Muktangan regularly, where each stakeholder is actively involved in the process,” Mehta added. The organisation started in 2003 and has 35 parent volunteers, five from each of their seven schools located across the city. They plan to recruit more parent volunteers to expand their community outreach.
No pressure, just laughs
Radha Karia; Shweta Mantrii; Kajol Srinivasan
Comedy has a new address, and it’s yours! Comedian Kajol Srinivasan has launched Guinea Pig Comedy Nights, an online open mic where artistes must deliver raw and unperformed material in a comfortable setting, without the pressure of tailoring it for an audience. “I knew that some people including me felt nervous trying out raw content in offline setups, and for others, it wasn’t logistically possible to frequently attend open mics,” she explained. This free event takes place every Wednesday at 10 pm, welcoming a worldwide audience who can also perform impromptu. Among the guests at the latest edition were comedians Radha Karia and Shweta Mantrii who joined the fun from their homes. Highlighting the confidence boost from real-time audience reactions, Karia added, “It’s a great initiative, especially for people like me who have access issues and can’t attend live open mics often.” Head to @lolrakshak to know more.
Kandeel on canvas
Kandeel Gully in Mahim. File pic; (right) Zainab Tambawalla
As festive vibes sweep across Mumbai, Mahim’s Kandeel Gully comes alive with vibrant lanterns illuminating the streets. Sketching group, Urban Sketchers, will be hosting a sketch walk in the colourful neighbourhood. Lead admin, Zainab Tambawalla, shared, “Since we don’t have access to this all year long, the vibrant street makes for a unique sketching opportunity. The kandeels are handmade by local residents, which makes them even more special,” she explained. The group will gather on Sunday morning when some shops are closed, to sketch. “The idea is to find a corner and sketch away. Interacting with people while sketching adds an interesting layer to the experience.” Afterward, the group will come together to display their works, discuss their process, and experience. “The aim is for everyone to channel their creativity,” she concluded. For more details, check out @uskmumbai.
Mere paas Ma-rvel hai!
Amitabh Bachchan reimagined as Doctor Strange in the AI art series
Amitabh Bachchan’s angry young man takes a rather strange turn in AI artist Sahid SK’s new Marvel meets Bollywood series. Bachchan ‘dons’ Doctor Strange’s blue sorcerer’s robes with his signature swag in the cover of the series that includes Rajesh Khanna as Captain America, Shashi Kapoor in a spidey suit and Madhubala as Scarlett Johannsson’s Black Widow. “The most interesting part was drawing parallels between the stars and the superheroes. Big B for instance, brings the same aura of wisdom that Benedict Cumberbatch personifies in the movie. Dharmendra’s muscular look made him the right choice for Thor. For Dev Anand, it’s his eye for detail and charisma that made him the archer-superhero Hawkeye,” Sahid shared. We’re sure Dev saab would’ve loved the artist’s many nods to the golden era of Bollywood.
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