Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

For the love of god

Two curious women observe the re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ during a Good Friday procession in Khar West.

Watch out for Pammi aunty

Artist Kully Rehal's take on ‘aunty' establishments might catch your eye the next time you are in Marol. Part of the Ladies First art project, the graffiti shows Pammi aunty musing over why the cutting chai is better than her home brew. "I have always been interested in the evolution of aunties," said Rehal who grew up in England. "The work was chosen to champion the cause of the working class."

Look up! Is that Uranus?

The photo of Uranus captured by NASA. Pic courtesy/Instagram

The recent photos of our Solar System's last planet, Uranus, taken by the James Webb Space telescope of NASA came as a progressive milestone in the field of astronomy. For the first time, 11 of the 13 rings of Uranus are visible to the human eye, along with a few bright images of six out of its 27 known moons. Arvind Paranjpye, director, Nehru Planetarium told us that these photos are important because for the first time, humanity can clearly study the planet instead of relying on minute observations. "The telescope has discovered new information and possibilities of finding signs of primitive life on Uranus," he shared.

Where the ink is inspirational

All That Blue magazine will be launched later this month, and will cover art from and about the Dalit community

Recently, artist Siddhesh Gautam announced on Instagram the launch of a print magazine All That Blue that will cover art from and about the Dalit community, demanding equality, liberty and fraternity. This week, to commemorate Dalit History Month, he shared an open call for visual art submissions on Dr BR Ambedkar for the magazine. The artist said that the aim is to visually document the anti-caste movement, and added, "Artists can publish the projects that are otherwise rejected because they don't fall into the mainstream culture which is controlled by a few elites." While the inaugural edition is scheduled for international distribution later this month, you can head to the artist's profile @bakeryprasad for illustrations and informative posts on stalwarts of the anti-caste struggle including Savitribai Phule, Jogendra Nath Mandal, Gadge Maharaj, Guru Ravidas, Kadubai Kharat, Grace Banu, Birsa Munda, and Gail Omvedt, as well as Rohith Vemula, Payal Tadvi and Harshal Solanki. Exploring art's limitless nature to further communication, resistance and crossing the boundaries of thought, space and experience, Gautam shared, "I am trying to amalgamate the rich history of the community with surrealism [in the art] for viewers to wonder, question and reason, and also relate with these great minds and hearts."

Siddhesh Gautam

When Kasbekar met Capa

The legacy of war photojournalist Robert Capa is being celebrated at the Dilip Piramal Art Gallery till April 12. The display of black and white portraits lined up on the wall, provide an insight into a world that we no more recognise today. Indian photographer and film producer Atul Kasbekar might agree with us. Invited as the chief guest, Kasbekar's long association with the gallery and his journey in the profession were the pillars of the conversation during the preview of the exhibition last week. Mukesh Parpiani, head of the gallery told us, "He was quite happy that we brought Capa's works to Mumbai and that too, not just one but 108 of them."

Smells like teen spirit

Not all 17-year-olds are happy with being just teens. Take the example of Khush Naheta, the mind behind MyBumbo, an online clothing platform. He has joined hands with city-based SRCC Children's Hospital's child development centre to donate part of the proceeds from online sales, beginning April 1st. "As a teenager, I wanted to make a difference in other children's lives. It's imperative in this era of social media and self-importance to look beyond ourselves and reach out to help those who need it," he said, adding that he is keen to continue this for a long period.