Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Aradhya Bachchan with mom Aishwarya Rai Bachchan at an event

Mother knows rest

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan gives Aaradhya the perfect mom hug at an event at a children's hospital in Mahalaxmi on Wednesday. Pic /Atul Kamble

Another fest 'add'ed to Mumbai

It's possibly the only time of the year when Mumbaikars can afford to use the line - 'It's raining festivals.' The most recent addition will be NCPA's big, fat cultural extravaganza, Add Art Festival that will take place next weekend for three days across its venues in Nariman Point. "We are excited about the newness that it will bring. The programming is diverse, and will cater to all age groups. We hope the city will embrace it," Khushroo N Suntook, chairman, NCPA, told this diarist yesterday while revealing a few refreshing elements.

While audiences will be treated with stand up acts, theatrical pieces, handpicked curated music sets and where a host of names from Ustad Zakir Hussain to Kubbra Sait, Jim Sarbh and Yuki Ellias will grace the stage in varying acts, Suntook also shared that the venues will be transformed into a festive atmosphere with food and drink kiosks, masterclasses, and what we like to see more of - street performance acts like busking. We also learnt that sustainability will be a key factor where the fest will adopt an all-out green policy. Music to our ears.

Mind the gap

Reena Saini Kallat with a sculpture to be showcased at her solo

Internationally-acclaimed Mumbai-based artist Reena Saini Kallat is back after four years with a solo exhibition at Chemould Prescott Road titled Blind Spots. Using the preambles to the constitutions of seven pairs of warring nations - Kallat has revisited the preamble to the Indian constitution in multiple works from 2003 - as Snellen charts (eye charts used to test vision), Kallat explores the threat to democracies over the world.

Speaking about the month-long show that opens next week, she told this diarist, "I'm exploring the space of the missing fragment/omission of data/no cognition where we seem to have lost sight of some of our common core values and aspirations." And as for the takeaway for visitors, Kallat has a clear message. "I hope we can still find some space to reflect on our own shortcomings and our perceptual limitations in understanding other perspectives," she said.

Naked truth

Comedian Papa CJ is a man who's led one adventurous life (he once performed a show at gunpoint in South Africa), and he's now going to lay it bare in the form of a book. It's called Naked (Westland), and when this diarist asked him what compelled him to pen his story, he said, "The book is based on my show, Naked, which uses the vehicle of my life to talk about the human experience… I wanted a wider community to be able to enjoy the experience in a medium that allowed me greater depth."

Making a mark on celluloid

Andheri's Harkat Studios is the only theatre which has fully working 8mm, 16mm and 35mm projectors and has been known for its 16mm Film Festival where films made on film stock are presented. Now, the studio is all set to take their work to Goa's annual Serendipity Arts Festival that takes off next month. Here, under the umbrella of India on Film, ground-breaking films of the last seven decades will be screened - from Akbar Padamsee to Amit Dutta. "We'll also be having three installations and two workshops. Since we have a ready programme, we hope to take it to other cities," co-founder Karan Talwar told this diarist.

Are men stepping up to the plate?

Ahead of International Men's Day, a watch company conducted a survey that showed how there is a gradual understanding among men that for too long, they have unfairly let women shoulder the bulk of domestic duties. It highlighted, among other things, how a mean of 3.4 men of the 200 people sampled in the survey felt that they helped more in the kitchen, compared to a corresponding number of 4.3 for women. In fact, as many as 65 per cent thought that they shared responsibilities equally at home, while only 42 per cent women agreed. How true is that perception? You decide.

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