Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Gossip Girls: An under-repair cupboard serves as a makeshift sofa for a group of young girls near Chedda Nagar Junction in Chembur. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Musings on love

As another year of social distancing draws to a close, dating app QuackQuack has conducted a survey to understand the impact on the dating lives of young Indians. Ravi Mittal, its founder and CEO, said, "In my opinion, men and women are embracing more self-paced and healthier ways of dating." As per the survey, vaccination is a top priority with the majority of those surveyed (nearly 80 per cent) underlining the importance of compulsory vaccination. Both women and men (47 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively) strongly feel the need to date with purpose, a trend they claim has been influenced by the time they've had to reflect and introspect. Video calling continues to trump in-person meetings as a first-date option, with 56 per cent of users between 18 and 20 years preferring the virtual alternative.

Ready for some art darshan in Mahim?

Murals in the art district

To raise awareness about the importance of public art, art platform St+Art India is resuming guided walks. Their next walk is scheduled on December 11, through an art district in Mahim East. Created in 2017, the district's18 murals are inspired by local narratives - six of the artists have employed portraiture to celebrate the region's diverse population. The walk will provide insights into the history of the location, and the stories behind the project and the murals. "While museums may not be accessible to many, we enable the masses to access art. Our close ties with the local community inspire people and we wish to create more such spaces of creative expression," shared Ritish Sharma, its creative campaign projects manager. To register, visit @startindia on Instagram.

These women lead by example

Indo-American musician Madame Gandhi has reason to feel proud, as does city-based music director Misha Ghose. The two had collaborated on Gandhi's song called Waiting for me last year, which Ghose directed the video for. The message it encapsulated was one of how girls have the power to take charge of their own lives despite a patriarchal society. The hard-hitting video had a grey and green palette, and featured contrasting images of schoolgirls who are subjugated by the system, and a bunch of carefree bohemian women who live life on their own terms. We learnt that the video has now been nominated in the Best Music Video category at the Sydney Short Film Festival. The other nominees include huge international stars like James Blake and The Shins. Now that's definitely something to be proud of.

They're feline fine

As the festive season approaches, a Mumbai-based feline-oriented start-up named Curious Cat Co is giving cat lovers yet another way to celebrate. Through their Secret Santa initiative, they are offering participating cat parents the opportunity to share a gift with another kindred spirit anywhere in the country. "The idea was to engage our community and connect cat parents. We hope that this small gesture sparks conversations or even new friendships," said Vinda Dravid, its founder. To participate, visit curiouscat_co on Instagram.

Winning buzz for city filmmaker

A still from the film Evening Shadows; (right) Sridhar Rangayan

At the recently concluded Yatha Katha International Film & Literature Festival, which was held in Mumbai, Sridhar Rangayan's feature film Evening Shadows won the Best LGBTQ Feature Film Award. The movie, which has travelled to 75 international festivals and won 25 awards, narrates the story of a gay son coming out to his mother in a small town in southern India. It explores the mother's dilemma of accepting her son and standing up as a woman against a patriarchal society. Celebrating the win, Rangayan said, "We were thrilled to be screening Evening Shadows at a physical festival after the long two-year lockdown. Receiving the award was the icing on the cake. We are excited to continue this journey."