02 June,2015 07:50 AM IST | | Hemal Ashar
The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Kashish, window to gay world
Mumbai's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) film festival, Kashish closed on Sunday night. Though the country in focus for this year's Kashish was Australia, activists all over the world and Mumbai too, had Russia on their mind. Gay rights are trampled upon in Russia.
Russian riot policemen detain a LGBT rights activist during an unauthorised gay rights activists rally in central Moscow. Pic/AFP
This year, Mumbai was shown a glimpse of the Russian turmoil, with a Norwegian film called Jealous Guy. It featured Russian prez Vladimir Putin and was in fact, a spoof on him. The film's storyline was: âA 3D animated short film. Vladimir Putin has seen the error of his ways, and is genuinely repentant of his anti-gay policies.
Together with The Pussy Bears he has organised a concert on the Red Squareâ¦.' is the synopsis. Kashish film festival director, Sridhar Rangayan says, "Though we did not have a film from Russia this year, the Russian situation is grim and is of concern to the community everywhere. That is why the film Jealous Guy was so relevant. In this way, Kashish acts like a window to the world of LGBT issues."
Getting ready for the rains
The perennial question heard everywhere, as May exits, giving Mumbaikars a taste of its brutal mercury is: When will the rains come? The civic authorities claim they are ready for Mumbai's rains, floods and other emergencies that the season brings on.
Mumbai Fire Brigade operators and flood rescue team members participating in a drill at Marine Drive, recently. Pic/PTI
Yet, with the city's roads, many of them in disarray, thanks to paver blocks and their replacement in many places, the Mumbaikar is naturally skeptical of all claims. Scepticism and cynicism aside, there are some arms of the city, readying for all situations that the Mumbai monsoon brings.
Like we saw fire brigade operators and flood rescue team members in a drill recently. Given the fires in the city and the impending monsoon, this was a very reassuring sight.
