Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

On Top Of Wasteland

Waste cloth being loaded into a truck by labourers makes for a colourful kaleidoscope at Lal Bahadur Shastri Road in Sion.

A stage for the young

An actor performs at The Show at Thespo in December 2016

Amid all the hype and hoopla around music, there is a growing buzz among theatre-goers in the city. Mumbai's oldest platform for young theatre artistes, Thespo, will return to on-ground events this year at Prithvi. Toral Shah, co-founder, told us that they are already curating the final list of plays to be staged over six days from December 6 to 11. "After two online editions, we are excited to return to the physical stage. We connected with a whole lot of young people who have been frustrated sitting at home, and want to get on stage and explore their passion for theatre. It has been incredible to meet them and hear their stories," Shah said. Now in its 24th year, the fest, she admitted, surprised her with the number of entries. "There are young people out there who are passionate about theatre, and are asking to be part of our festival. We were wondering if people would be willing to return to the offline stage, but the responses we got took us by surprise," she shared with this diarist. In addition to staging plays, the festival will hold workshops, performances and readings, too. Those wanting to get on stage to perform can write to Thespo24@thespo.org.

Hop on to the Vengabus

After arrival, the Vengaboys pose at Mumbai airport

The city has been buzzing with the sound of music in recent days. While fans were still cheering over the line-up for Lollapalooza, the '90s slowly descended onto the city on Friday. The cult pop sensations Vengaboys touched down in Mumbai early morning before their concert at a venue in Kurla yesterday. For anyone who grew up in the '90s and 2000s, We're Going To Ibiza and Shala Lala were party anthems. The Vengabus started with a hitch though as the flight landed a whole two hours later than scheduled. The band will be travelling to Pune on Sunday, before heading to Bengaluru for a concert on November 6. This bus is riding a wave of nostalgia.

There's a reason to be merry

(Left) A sample Christmas postcard; Anamica Jain

It may only be November but Anamica Jain is hosting a Christmas postcard swap through her Instagram page, @postcardsfromIndia. In its fifth year, Jain and Anushka Sawarkar Hubli's Sleighmail allows participants to swap Christmas-themed postcards. A big fan of the season, Jain informed this diarist, "Usually in a swap, people know each other. We keep it secret, so neither the sender nor the receiver knows. It's a surprise." Postcards that do not stick to the theme will be eliminated, she said. Mailers can reach out to Jain on Instagram or Sawarkar Hubli on @anushka.postcards before November 6.

Through the legal glass

Journalist Manoj Mitta's latest title, Caste Pride (Context, Westland Books) is slated for a 2023 release. The book examines the persistent problem of caste in India through the history of judicial and legislative records. Mitta spent seven years in research. While the research scoured the length of the country, the author pointed out that the city played a key role. "Along with Madras, Bombay was the main battlefield for caste reforms in the legislature and courts since the colonial period," he noted. The author added that the battles for equality related to issues such as inter-caste marriage, letting untouchables enter temples or access public amenities and acknowledging caste violence in the country. "It reveals that the reformers from Bombay went beyond the usual names of Mahatma Phule and Dr Ambedkar," Mitta observed.

A new motif to Art Deco

Tejookaya Park in Matunga. Pic Courtesy/Art Deco Mumbai Trust

For those who think that Art Deco is a theme restricted to the neighbourhoods of Churchgate and Marine Drive, an upcoming immersive walk hopes to change opinions. Hosted by Art Deco Mumbai on November 13, the experience seeks to bring to people a new perspective of the suburban neighbourhoods of Matunga. "Matunga as a neighbourhood is hugely significant because it is predominantly middle-class and was the first urban planning initiative in the city," said Atul Kumar, founder, Art Deco Mumbai. Describing the neighbourhood's Art Deco structures as possessing a distinct vernacular motif and culture, Suhasini Krishnan, who will host the walk, said, "The locality is an interesting amalgamation of various communities that were migrating to work in the city at the time, building their own microcosm." A key part of the tour will be the Aurora theatre - a familiar haunt for fans of South Indian cinema. "It was a neighbourhood theatre that enabled the middle-class to enjoy good cinema in English and regional languages without having to travel up to town," Kumar informed us.