Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Growing roots

Women walk past a dilapidated façade in Sassoon Docks.

A portal of possibilities

School students inside the Dharavi portal during an interaction with a team from Uganda

Don't dismiss the ink blue, 20 ft x 8 ft x 8 ft vessel stationed in Shivaji Chhatrapati Vidyalaya, Dharavi, as just another shipping container. It's a portal to the unheard stories and unexplored potential of climate crisis movements, big and small, from across the world. An initiative by the Museum for the United Nations - UN Live, it is among 20 such portals under Global We for Climate Action. In Dharavi, it is curated by Dr Ben Parry and Sharmila Samant of Compound13 Lab, an artist-run pedagogical space for experimental design and learning which works with people involved in plastic recycling. The portal is currently facilitated by Yabya Kewat. "The portal [fitted with screens and The Deep Listening Project] tries to capture the unheard voices of people on the margins, affected by policies, and puts them in contact with policymakers," shared Samant. The project aims to make the youth a part of the climate change conversation, with school students often landing up as attendees. "We also have performers playing, and responding to each other, workshops on different methods of addressing climate change, and more. On February 28, Sudharak Olwe and I will host a street photography workshop," she added.

Road safety is a big draw

A road safety sketch included in the WIAA calendar

The Western India Automobile Association's (WIAA) drawing-cum-slogan competition on the theme of road safety has completed more than 50 years. The annual competition for children below 12 years, will once again be held at the Colaba Traffic Park, Madame Cama Road, opposite Campion School, on Sunday, February 26, at 9 am. WIAA chairman, Nitin Dossa confirmed with this diarist, "It has been a little over 50 years for this hugely popular competition. The theme is always relevant and resonates across. With this competition, the importance of safety is inculcated in childhood. The drawings have been true eye-openers with the coming together of talent and a vital message." The prize distribution is scheduled for 11.30 am. To hit a nifty 50 and beyond deserves applause, too. We say, let's get the safe show on the road.

Die laughing

Come March, Mumbai will have over 30 reasons to laugh away. The Laughing Dead Comedy Festival, on March 18 and 19 will bring together some of the best names in Indian comedy, from Abhishek Upmanyu, Aditi Mittal, Anubhav Singh Bassi, Daniel Fernandes and Varun Grover to Prashasti Singh, Anu Menon, Mallika Dua and Punit Pania, among others. Headlining the fest is Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss (in pic, below), as part of his world tour, Daniel Sloss: CAN'T. "Sloss' comedy is audacious and provocative, but also utterly tender and empathetic at its core. His genius lies in bringing it all together effortlessly, and making audiences rethink everything they've known," shared Ravina Rawal, founder-CEO, DeadAnt, the organisers. "There is so much energy, talent and enthusiasm behind India's stand-up comedy scene. We felt it was past due for India to have a world-class comedy festival, and that Mumbai was its natural home. We want this to be a focal point and showcase for established and up-and-coming comedians," Rawal added.

Survival of the fittest

Pic Courtesy/Instagram

Everybody loves an underdog, but few want to be one. Last year, Fluxus Chapel in Bandra opened its doors to the community through a shared programme, offering a stake in the art space. "But many artists still hesitate to step into the drudgery of managing logistics and overheads," founder Himanshu S said. While they have had patrons, he hoped for greater participation by creators. "It is unfair to not pitch in for independent spaces, either for lack of money or otherwise, and complain that institutional hierarchies don't offer enough opportunities," he remarked, adding, "More than praise, we need participation."

Regional affair

After treating Mumbaikars to the flavours of Kashmir, home chef Jasleen Marwah has turned restaurateur with Folk, a 50-seater in Kala Ghoda that serves up regional delicacies. Think Awadhi kathal ki shaami, prawn pulimunchi, Kasauli chicken curry, gushtaba, and more. "Our extensive menu is a mix of rare and popular dishes that are region-specific. Home chef and partner Zarina Dadan curated the Konkani section. The beverage section doesn't have usual juices, but interesting local drinks like palli-palayam raw rasam and Bohra gol paani. We want it to be a comfortable, affordable space," Marwah shared.