Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Wah, kya scene hai

Two children shoot a video at a saltpan in Wadala on Thursday.

All views are aerial

Rufus, the hawk, looking out for pigeons. Pic courtesy/Twitter

He has wings. He has a bird's-eye view of the proceedings, literally. And he has one of the most important jobs at the Wimbledon championships. Meet Rufus, the hawk whose main task is to keep an eye out for pigeons before play commences every day during the two-week-long tennis spectacle. His patrolling job, described as an environment-friendly way to keep pesky winged intruders from pooping or creating a ruckus on the hallowed grass turf, ensures he has access to all the cool happenings. He even tweets about his adventures on @RufusTheHawk that has a following of 10,300 fans. And going by his recent post: "Federer's out but it's a new dawn for the young hopefuls. A slight hurdle- Djokovic!" he seems to have a sensible reading of the game.

Making sense of Mumbai's magic

The city's biodiversity is soon going to be the topic of an upcoming podcast called Marine Lines - Mumbai's Hidden Worlds, from Suburbs to the Sea. The 10-part podcast series hosted by journalist and author Raghu Karnad has been co-created by Ministry of Mumbai's Magic (MMM) and DeadAnt. "Marine Lines is an attempt to capture a microcosm of Mumbai. Each episode explores different facets of the city - a glamorous city of Bollywood, an island with rich biodiversity, a chaotic metropolis," shared Arpita Bhagat of MMM.

In the spotlight

Is theatre your calling? The Drama School Mumbai has announced admissions for its post-graduate course in acting and theatre making. It provides industry preparedness for its graduates on how to use their skills across different mediums like film, television and OTT. "The course is designed across two semesters, an intensive digital semester followed by a residential boot-camp programme of training," shared Jehan Manekshaw, its head. The last date for applications is August 25.

Dilip saab acted in good faith

When Dilip Kumar passed away this week, it's not just the film world that lost an icon. The Pasmanda community also lost a champion for its cause. Pasmanda Muslims are those who belong to marginalised classes such as Dalits, and Kumar - whose real name was Yusuf Khan - joined the All India Muslim OBC Organisation (AIMOBCO) late in his working life to fight for their rights in Maharashtra. Artist Siddhesh Gautam highlighted this with an illustration (below) that he posted on Instagram after the actor's demise.

Gautam told this diarist that Kumar's sensitivity towards the issue began in his childhood, when he was part of a cricket team. "There was a fellow cricketer [from the community] who, along with him, was invited to a friend's house. But he was denied the food and drinks there because of his background, and that's when Kumar understood the concept of untouchability for the first time. He then tried reading Dr BR Ambedkar's works, and there are reports that say that when he met Ambedkar for the first time, it wasn't very pleasant because Ambedkar had trust issues with the world of show business. But Kumar didn't mind that, since he took it as positive criticism," recalled Gautam.

Rethinking India's cities

"There's a contradiction in our country. On the one hand, we enjoy the UNESCO World Heritage tag and on the other, we demolish iconic buildings. For instance, a collection of 19th century buildings in Fort was given the UNESCO tag, whereas the Hall of Nations and Nehru Pavillion in New Delhi were demolished. Despite an international outcry, we saw the declaration of Central Vista," shared architect Poonam V Mascarenhas, adding that it raises the question: do we always need to destroy to build? This contradiction will be at the heart of a webinar initiated by non-profit Habitat Forum (INHAF) on July 10. Titled Heritage Conservation in the Emerging Indian City - I: The Future of 20th Century Architecture in Indian Cities - (Un)Learning from Chandigarh, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, the webinar will feature eminent architects, structural designers and urban designers.