Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

Circle of life

A goat gets a lift over the tracks at Govandi railway station.

Famous Studio gets futuristic

Imagine a pop-up speakeasy inside Famous Studio, where you can dine as the walls project content. It's one of the plans that Anant Roongta, partner, Warehouse 47 and managing director, Famous Studio, has for Pixelab by Warehouse 47. The partners have set up a future technology lab that is pushing the boundaries of experiential content production. It's a collaborative effort by Warehouse 47, Famous Studios, and Green Rain Studios, which promises to be a game-changer. Pixelab boasts cutting-edge technology like robotic arms, green screen virtual production, and interactive features like thread laser lighting and AR/VR experiences. The space has strobe lighting and motion sensor detectors, LED walls that can change the look of the space, and there's 3D projection mapping as well. And, the team behind it has big plans. "We want to offer our tech to creators to take their storytelling to the next level. At the same time, we also want to have curated ticketed events, " says Roongta. This set of interactive experiences has been designed as the partners wanted to build for the future. "Live events and experiences are picking up speed, and a lot of people who consume media, consume events too," Roongta told us.

A dog who is also a fox

Colaba is desperately looking for its community dog called Fox, missing from the vicinity since May 2. Locals call him a community dog as, "he was looked after by a number of persons in the neighbourhood," said a resident, adding, "He has lived inside Colaba Fire Brigade for years." She said, "He came to the fire brigade during the lockdown period in 2020. We think he hailed from the Sassoon Dock area. During that time, a lot of animals were scouring the streets for food, moving out of familiar sites. He has all his shots up to date and is not aggressive." The resident explained, "He has gone missing since May 1. We have had dogs disappearing in the past, , but people spot them once we put up information on area-specific WhatsApp chats and they are eventually found. Here, we have heard nothing." Fox is a friendly, small, brown dog who answers to his name. He has a few front teeth missing and his left ear is clipped. For Fox's two-legged friends, it has been a long but uneventful wait. Call: 9821768058 if you think you have seen Fox.

Good time and place to remember Prof DB Deodhar

Prof DB Deodhar (right) with Eknath Solkar in the early 1970s. PIC/MID-DAY ARCHIVES

The Maharashtra Premier League (MPL) will conclude in Pune on Saturday and the battle for supremacy is hotting up. The tournament has had its share of fours and sixes as well as emerging batting stalwarts, but we wonder if those players have heard of the name, Prof DB Deodhar in whose memory, a major tournament used to be played. The Deodhar Trophy which was the country's No. 1 limited overs tournament till the 1990s, no longer features in the BCCI domestic calendar. Deodhar was ageless as it were. He once hit a century in each innings in adversity for Maharashtra against Nawanagar in 1944-45 at the age of 52. The MPL organisers have honoured Chandu Borde by naming the Orange Cap after him and the Purple Cap has Vasant Ranjane's name attached to it. Remembering Deodhar in some way during or after Saturday's MPL's final at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium at Village Gahunje would be a nice touch.

A marine life lesson with hip hop tadka

June is Ocean Month. City rapper and environment enthusiast Sahir, Sahir Doshi is celebrating it by educating Instagrammers about marine life. "Mumbai is a bio-diverse city," said Doshi, adding that there are over 600 species of marine wildlife on our shore. Doshi is an ex-policy maker and raps about the "Samudra Sundaris" in English, Hindi, and Marathi - a mix that you often hear in Mumbai. Throughout June, he aims to introduce a new species daily and has so far rapped about arrow worms, hydroids, green button polyps and cowries. Among others. What made him choose hip hop to educate people about Mumbai's Pani Pranis? "I love hip hop. It's one of the best mediums to speak your mind. Mumbai too has a hip hop movement, and I think it brings in a little mazaa to biodiversity," he said. Doshi has written songs on and off throughout his life but never professionally. Last year, he wrote a tiger song for Kids for Tigers, an educational outreach programme by the Sanctuary Nature Foundation. And, he wants to continue talking about different species with music. "It's what I enjoy personally - mixing language, bending, and playing with words," he told this diarist. You can follow Doshi's series on Instagram, follow his account
Doshi is also an ex-policy maker

Desi rap goes int'l

Mr Mickey

India's first all-English (international) rap album, Cheddar Chase, was launched on Saturday. The album, produced and released by Mousetrapp'd!, marks India's debut in the English international rap scene. Headlining the launch were the production's in-house names like Mr Mickey, Limitless, and Jay Kila. ‘Cheddar Chase' features 15 artists and 10 tracks, with Mr Mickey headlining eight songs. The album also features talents like Smoketripn, Sarah Black, Yelhomie, Micah, Itz_yxng.Jay and Limitless. Speaking to this diarist about how this album will change perceptions of Indian hip hop, Mr Mickey said, "This album showcases authentic hip hop and rap, bringing the true drip and swag of our culture to the global stage. It demonstrates that Indian artists are on par with international standards, giving the Indian audience a sense of pride." The launch was attended by politicians Rahul Kanal and Zeeshan Siddique, alongside desi hip-hop icons Divine, MC Stan, and Shah Rule.