Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

On a high
Who said exercise is boring? A woman at Juhu beach finds a fun way to work out.

The brilliance is back on stage

Quasar Thakore Padamsee; Vivek Madan

Late last year, when venues reopened, theatrewallahs let out a collective sigh of relief, after the pandemic brought things to a grinding halt. Every Brilliant Thing by QTP was one of the most talked-about plays on the circuit and had a digital run, too, during the lockdown. It struck a chord for its sensitive take on depression. Now, the play will return to the physical stage next week. Director Quasar Thakore Padamsee is elated that the Vivek Madan-led act is back: "The feeling of coming together to work on something and share that with an audience is almost indescribable. I didn't think I had missed it this much until we started rehearsals again. The theatre has a huge part to play in this post-lockdown world, where we can collectively look at other human beings with generosity and curiosity rather
than suspicion."

Art for heart's sake

In this unprecedented year of losses, it's art that has kept our spirits high. And starting tomorrow, 75 artists, including Ajay De, KH Ara and Jogen Choudhary will come together to showcase their artworks to raise funds for children battling cancer. The CherishArt Exhibition, which comes days after World Cancer Day, will be held at Viewing Room, Colaba, from February 6 to March 7.

One of the artworks to go on display

Proceeds from the exhibition-cum-sale, organised by the Cherish Life India Foundation, will go towards funding treatment. Founder Blanche Saldanha (in pic) shared most childhood cancer cases are curable if the right treatment is provided in time: "Poverty is the main killer. The exhibition will help enrich the lives of art lovers and save children with cancer." Drop by and show your support for a cause.

See you at The Steps

A pre-lockdown event at TheStepsBandra. Pic Courtesy /Facebook

A few months after TheStepsBandra gave the city a cool new open space, the lockdown happened. But we're happy to see the art-friendly hangout buzzing again, with Feb Fest taking place this Saturday. Organised along with LYP Mumbai, Bombay Greenway and Little Big City, the line-up includes live - no, thankfully not on Zoom - sessions by Neel Adhikari, Institute of Classical and Modern Dance India, Deepmalika Kathak Institute and Kelly D'lima, among others. "There'll be another round of concerts on February 20. After months of staying at home, I think people want to be outdoors and active," pointed out Anca Florescu Abraham, partner, Abraham John Architects. True that.

Embrace the nomadic spirit

Nahargarh Ranthambore, the property where the fest will be held

The music industry is inching towards normalcy in terms of live events, and 2021 will witness the launch of a new electronic music festival, Nomads. The folks behind the Magnetic Fields festival in Rajasthan are organising it in Ranthambore, and emphasis will be laid on elements that are often at the fringes of the larger festival. Only 400 people will be allowed to attend it, and all safety measures necessary at venues will be maintained. "Our focus this year is on championing and supporting local excellence in food, culture and music as we cautiously celebrate the encouraging signs of revival in India," organiser Munbir Chawla told this diarist.

Little minds, big questions

A previous edition of Bal Parishad

Every year since 2007, "health monitors" or student representatives from Mumbai's civic schools who are part of Bal Parishad and Bal Panchayat - advocacy and leadership forums created by NGO Salaam Bombay Foundation - come together to voice their concerns on issues related to the health of youngsters in front of policy-makers. In its 15th year, the Bal Parishad was held virtually yesterday, with over 450 students, representing 20,000 kids from across India, tuning in to raise questions such as the measures the authorities plan to take while reopening schools and the status of mid-day meals, shared Tshering D Bhutia, V-P, Projects (Preventive Health & Research). "COVID-19 gave us the opportunity to go national. Every year, we focus on tobacco control, but this time, a variety of questions were raised," she added.