Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

I walk the line

A young girl walks a tightrope at Kalyan's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, while a woman and child look on

Having fun with Sanskrit

Put your hand up if you can understand and read Sanskrit. Chances are that you won't, since you don't. If that is indeed the case, you might want to give DevaBhaasha a try. It's a card game based on the language that's meant to be a beginner's guide. One round lasts around 45 minutes and the winner needs to use strategy to leave the others in their wake. The progress is colour-coded, in the way a Metro map is. "We have taken Sanskrit grammar and converted it into game mechanics," shared Neelacantan Balasubramaniam from Coolture, one of the design firms that has collaborated with another called Thotpot to co-deliver the physical product. "This is not a linear game. Every time you play it, you understand the language differently," he added, meaning that if you give this game a shot, you might one day put your hand up for being able to understand rudimentary Sanskrit at least.

Bonding with the best

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar

The city of Dehradun has given us a cherished childhood literary icon, Ruskin Bond. Given that, a lit fest in the hill town has caught our attention. The Dehradun Literature Festival is set to host its fourth edition between April 1 and 3. Founder and producer of the fest, Samraant Virmani (inset), shared with this diarist that the announcement has thrilled local children.

"The fest was launched in 2017 and we are back with our fourth chapter after a two-year hiatus. We have always focused on children and in these two years, the festival sorely missed its young readers. For kids, it is almost like going back to school expecting a lot more fun," he said. Apart from Bond himself, others like Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, S Hussain Zaidi, Tahira Kashyap, Shashi Tharoor and Preeti Shenoy will speak at the event. Virmani mentioned that bookworms across the country can access a recording of the event online once the physical festival wraps up. For more updates on that, head to @dehradun literaturefestival on Instagram.

Grooming ideas

Adishakti Theatre, a theatre research platform in Tamil Nadu, completed 40 years recently. To mark the milestone, they are offering a fellowship programme called Theatriculate. Under this, artistes can turn their ideas into a scripted production. Apart from the prize money worth '1.5 lakh, the Adishakti team will train applicants and give them technical support on campus. Vinay Kumar, artistic director of the group, said, "The fellowship took planning. To put it out there, we required years of self-building and research, and we have now been able to provide a hotspot for creative people." Head to @adishaktitheatre on Instagram for more details.

Like a duck to water

When it comes to competitive swimming, the island city doesn't make too big an imprint on the global map. Karnataka reportedly has the highest number of well-trained swimmers in the country. To bridge that gap, Nisha Millet Swimming Academy in Bengaluru has joined hands with Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy at the DY Patil Sports Centre. Their training programmes kicked off on February 26, and Millet told this diarist, "The sports centre in Navi Mumbai concentrates mainly on cricket and other sports, not so much on swimming. Given that they have a 50-metre, eight-lane pool, we want to train children from the beginner level. That is the first step to having more trained champs from the area. Further classes on triathlon coaching and pre-competitive training are being planned; they will be introduced once the base has been built." Head coach Elvis Joseph will be helming the programmes designed by Millet and the Arjuna award winner will keep visiting Mumbai frequently. To register for the classes, call 9845398443.

And the kite soared high

Birds of a feather flock together, but that adage may not always be true. A kite bird which swooped low while flying slammed against a car near the Oval Maidan in SoBo recently. Colaba's Pervez Cooper who was there for a jogging session late Monday evening, saw the kite fall to the ground. "The bird was not crushed under the wheels, it slammed against a speeding car," said Cooper, who at once sprinkled some water on the bird. "I gave it [water] to drink in a little plastic container I found. At first the bird did not move, but after a few minutes, especially after the water-sprinkling, it flapped to life and suddenly took flight. It was a beautiful sight," he finished. Well, all kites do not come with strings, and when they fly, it is a beautiful thing.