Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Anurag Ahire

Learning the ropes

Two young boys find joy in playing on the ropes around docked boats at Marve beach in Malad.

Stitching futures

A moment from the preparations leading up to the pop-up

Nazareth Foundation turned a new page in women's empowerment with their pop-up at St Xavier's College that was held last Saturday. Having empowered 35 tribal women from Aarey Forest with the skill of stitching, the foundation is now aiming to better the lives of 25 more women. "We train them in stitching bags and other products. The aim is to upskill them and make them employable outside," Cassandra Nazareth, managing volunteer, told us, adding that plans to expand the initiative to other tribal pockets in Mumbai are underway.

Release the unsent note

A participant narrates a story at a previous edition of the experiment; (right) Vidhi Mehra

Where do all those messages that you poured your heart into, but scrapped right before sending them, go? Unshared Childhoods, an experiment by artiste Tanvi Shah and her troupe will witness participants take turns to read intimate and heartfelt unsent messages from anonymous submitters next weekend. "The idea is to give these letters a new lease of life. When participants read these letters to each other, there is a sense of familiarity in the unfamiliar that takes over us," Vidhi Mehra, troupe member, shared, adding that the letters usually range from confessions to letters written by children who lost their parents and a peculiar one that was addressed to God, written by an atheist. "At the end of the show, we offer the participants the option to write a letter. Whether it gets posted or joins our letters in the next performance is in their hands.

Let's pickle the fun

The newly-opened rooftop courts are equipped with mats that provide optimal bounce and helps players control the ball efficiently; (right) Divyesh Jain

For those who grew up playing box cricket on their compact terraces, this one will hit close to home. Globalsports Pickleball's newest gift to the city are three pickleball courts placed atop the Peninsula Corporate Park in Lower Parel. "The courts do not require large spaces. An average lawn tennis court can accommodate four pickleball courts," Divyesh Jain, team member, shared. The 44 ft x 20 ft courts are spread across a 1,000-sq ft area and come installed with mats instead of the traditional synthetic court flooring. The mats provide a good bounce and increased control to the players, Jain remarked. Commenting on the growing interest for the sport in the city, Jain informed this diarist that the recently concluded Indian Open held in Mumbai, players ranged from eight-year-old kids to 65-year-old pensioners. "Pickleball was once viewed as a sport played only by older individuals. But the last few months have completely tipped the balance. Children are taking to the sport increasingly. Just a year ago, we had only 20 courts in Mumbai; today, we can boast of 200 courts," he added. Players can rent one court at the rooftop arena for an hour for Rs 1,500 with extra charges for equipment.

The DN Nagar minute

A scene from the film shows a civil worker laying out cards with her daughter

City-based animators Shikha Sharma and Adarsh Panicker's latest minute-long film Look Again is a cinematic ode to the spirit of Mumbai. The film opens with a civil worker shuffling cards next to her daughter. "I witnessed this first-hand in DN Nagar, Andheri, a few years ago. I was appalled at first thinking she was introducing the child to vices," Sharma added. The second half of the film reveals a doting mother teaching her child numbers using the cards. "I learnt a lesson that day. We judge individuals based on our biases. Sometimes it's best to pause and look again," Sharma concluded.

Shikha Sharma

An eye on the pangolin

Pangolin. Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons

Pangolins, known for their solitary tendencies, nocturnal lifestyles and curling up into a ball every time they face a threat, would make the perfect spirit animal for some of our readers. Celebrating World Pangolin Day on February 17, Sanjay Gandhi National Park screened four documentaries to introduce the visitors to the mammal. "Unfortunately, despite being benign creatures, pangolins are poached extensively, and face the threat of illegal trafficking for their scales and meat in Asia," Shubham Murlidhar Hadkar, nature education and extension officer shared. This diarist was delighted to learn that visitors were so intrigued by the documentaries, that a one-day extension was announced.