Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Nimesh Dave

Sea you tomorrow

A fisherman drains out water from his boat after the day's work at Versova Beach.

Bawa wants his boys to watch and learn

Hockey coach Marzban Patel with his students in the stands during the Mount Carmel rink hockey tournament in Bandra

Dronacharya Award-winning hockey coach Marzban ‘Bawa' Patel has always been a regular at most local tournaments across the city. However, of late, he picks and chooses events, given his age and a few health issues. So it was nice to spot him at the Mount Carmel rink hockey tournament in Bandra recently with his breed of young and chirpy hockey players (12-to-14-year-olds) surrounding him. "Mumbai used to be known for its rink hockey; unfortunately, the five-a-side version is dying with only two to three good events in the city currently. I have brought these boys with me all the way from Malad to watch and learn the finer nuances of the game. Kids want to just play, but sadly there are few tournaments for them. Mumbai needs more hockey tournaments for kids," he told this diarist as he turned around to yell at his noisy bunch, instructing them to keep quiet and pay attention to the action on the ground. Here's hoping former India hockey players, Dhananjay Mahadik and Adrian D'Souza, who have been recently put in charge of the Hockey Mumbai City and Hockey Mumbai Suburb bodies, respectively, by Hockey Maharashtra, are also paying attention to their mentor.

It's lit, it's green

Climate change might be a harsh reality, but environmental studies continues to be a subject in school which can be ignored or memorised to scrape through. Entomologist and environmentalist Dr V Shubhalaxmi Reddy has often noted how children mindlessly copy-paste information in projects associated with the subject, or worse, pass on the assignments to their parents to focus on disciplines that are considered "more serious". Her new title, The World Is My Canvas, commissioned and published by Rotary Club of Bombay, aims to act as a guidebook for kids of classes seven, eight and nine, and teachers, to provide a more interesting and practical application-based approach to the subject. "We've compiled topics like biodiversity, climate change, climate careers, as well as role models in the field and more, filling in gaps that exist in current books and updating the content with local and global examples. We've built in interactive elements," she said. The content has been curated based on research on the curriculum at SSC and CBSE schools in Maharashtra. The club will host workshops for teachers so they can understand how to use the book, which will be translated in Hindi and Marathi, too.

Starry nights

(From left) Rajendra Patil and Boman Irani at the art fair

Vincent Van Gogh would have been at home at the Mumbai Art Fair that took place over the weekend. As the city's annual event returned after a three-year hiatus with over 350 artists, it was the centre of attention on its opening night. Bombay Art Society president Rajendra Patil called it an attempt to create an affordable platform for artists to exhibit in the city. "There are 130 stalls with over 3,500 artworks covering every medium, form and style," he said. From actor Boman Irani and singer Jaspinder Narula to former mayor Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar and MP Supriya Sule, visitors soaked in the art on display. Irani, in particular, spent over two hours at the fair, interacting with artists. "He noted how there is a lack of space and opportunity for the art form. That is what we hope to change," the director added.

Wakanda's desi connect

Karrueche Tran at the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiere. Picture courtesy/Instagram

The recent premiere of the much-awaited Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has been creating waves across the world. Making heads turn at the star-studded red carpet was American actor and model Karrueche Tran, dressed in a hypnotic mustard one-shoulder asymmetrical dress. The actor's power look - drawing almost as much attention as Rihanna's emotional single, Lift me up, in the film - weaves in a desi connection. Designed by Mumbai-based designer Vaishali S, the pure silk piece was hand-woven in West Bengal, and draped and corded in Mumbai. "I am so happy to see this dress on such a unique red carpet," Vaishali told us. The signature cording technique, she added, was invented to eliminate wastage in fabrics. "It [Tran wearing the dress] is proof of my mission to highlight that handloom and sustainability can be glamorous."

Vaishali S

Say Sukala

The desi hip-hop scene just got a new addition - bars rapped in East Indian (EI) Marathi. Created by Vile Parle-based Clyde Yung Clement D'souza, aka Yung Clyde, Jiddi - meaning stubborn - sings of the never-back-down spirit of the EIs. We've seen how India celebrates communities through music. Inspired by the burgeoning hip-hop scene in Hindi, Tamil and Punjabi, D'souza believes that he can best share his culture through verses in his language. Soon, he'll be dropping his next song, Gaothi.