Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Toil of a different kind

Jhanvi Kapoor leaves the gym after a hard workout as daily wage labourers push a handcart past, on Wednesday in Bandra. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

All the world's a stage

While most thespians in the city were at the National Centre for the Performing Arts last evening where World Theatre Day was celebrated to hail the industry's unsung heroes, celebrations began early on in the day with the Gillo repertory hosting a workshop with Singapore-based artiste Jodi Thiele. The theme was Arts in Action: Using the arts for social and community development, and the session was attended by not just artistes but also select groups from across Mumbai including psychologists and writers.

On March 20, the repertory observed The World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People with the campaign, Take a Child to the Theatre. "This is an ASSITEJ initiative and on March 23, UNIMA celebrates World Puppetry Day,"Shaili Sathyu, artistic director of Gillo, told this diarist, referring to the European bodies. "A few years ago, it was decided the week from March 20 to 27 be observed as Performance Week. In India, it is not as widespread yet," she added. But with initiatives such as these, we hope this will change soon.

Artist Arzan Khambatta with a student

Art for all

The Jai Vakeel Foundation is completing 75 years, and to kick off the celebrations, the school for special children is organising a unique event on World Autism Day on April 2 in collaboration with Tao Art Gallery. In an alliance curated by Kaerzyn Mistry, over 20 Mumbai-based artists, including Arzan Khambatta, Kisalay Vora and Nayana Kanodia, will work with students of six prominent schools in the city, and children of the special school. Art, after all, can be both therapeutic and inclusive. Each artist will work with a small group of children to help translate their ideas on canvas, and all 75 such pieces will then go up as one massive artwork, which will be on display at the Worli gallery.

Triple seat? No, thanks

The Viral Fever's Tripling may be a laugh riot for many, but tripling on a two-wheeler is not funny at all. That's the message the web show's actors Sumeet Vyas, Maanvi Gagroo and Amol Parashar want to send to their viewers. And for that, the trio - who play siblings in the show, written by Vyas and Akarsh Khurana - recently wrapped up the shoot for a soon-to-be-released video campaign (made in association with Mumbai traffic police) that aims to raise awareness about the hazards of triple-seat rides on two-wheelers. Interestingly, all three actors, while flouting traffic rules can be still be seen wearing helmets. That's a two-in-one lesson.

A representation of Zorawar Kalra's dim sum menu with 68 varieties

The dimsum dare

Zorawar Kalra has something up his sleeve, and no, we do not mean Masala Library opening in Dubai. That's old news. Recently, Kalra shared a vibrant picture of what appeared to be an assortment of dishes announcing that it's going to be "A world first."

His creation is set to become (quite surprisingly) the world's largest dimsum menu featuring over 68 varieties ranging from baos, har gows, crystal dumplings and sui mais to baked puffs, he told us. "It's going to have every single kind of dimsum that exists in the world and so, we have imported a bunch of cool ingredients for it," the restaurateur said, adding that this quirky new addition will be available at Pa pa ya in Delhi from March 31, and is expected to arrive in Mumbai by April end.

A graphic win

Graphic novels may be vastly different from the healthy diet of Amar Chitra Katha comics we grew up on, but what hasn't changed is India's love for the fictional treatment of its mythological and historic heroes. At least, if the Comic Con India Awards held recently are anything to go by. Ashoka: The Mauryan Emperor by Campfire Graphic Novels is what swept the awards with three golds, including one for the Best Graphic Novel of the year, and one silver. Some things truly never change.

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