12 October,2023 07:12 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Satej Shinde
A woman carries her baby through a sea of autorickshaws outside the railway station in Kalyan West.
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Earlier this week, the city witnessed some heavyweights on one stage at a book launch in a SoBo five-star. Architect Hafeez Contractor, Dr Keiki R Mehta and Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar were among those present for the launch of city ophthalmologist, Dr Cyres K Mehta's books - The Sight Guide and CYRES: The Education of an Ophthalmologist. "It was gracious of them to come. I know them in a professional capacity," Mehta shared. As for the books, they had different journeys. "Over a span of 20 years, I have had patients walk in with the same set of questions about eye care. So, I decided to write The Sight Guide in a question-answer format to clear the doubts that arise in our mind. It is a step-by-step guide to help people." The second book, he revealed, is a biography co-authored with professor Cyrus Gonda who has previously authored the biographies of MS Dhoni and JRD Tata. "It was his suggestion to pen the biography. I would often tell him about my life as a biker and cyclist. I also practise shooting as a professional sport. I thought I should share my journey for others to learn from."
It is Halloween on October 31, and to take a more serious look at the horror scene in the country ahead of the festival, literature-centric community Purple Pencil Project has dedicated the month to thriller and mystery books, but with Indian connect. While one of their posts was a shout out to Indian novels of the genre translated to English from languages like Malayalam, Bangla, Marathi and Hindi, among others; another series is full of riddles, the answer to which is the title of an Indian book. "We will curate activities like this throughout the month," said Prakruti Maniar, founder. "It is difficult for us to relate to vampires or zombies from international fiction sometimes, simply because they do not originate from the commonly-known tales in South Asia," she added, explaining why she thinks the currently trending hashtag ganji chudail tales became an instant hit among Indians, "Hence, our curation will be diverse yet relatable."
After Trevor Noah's recent visit, it looks like a rock legend is heading East. Guitarist Steve Vai will visit Mumbai as part of the India leg of his Inviolate Tour in December. Quite the announcement, shared city guitarist Adil Manuel. "Vai is known for his constant sonic exploration. From working with Frank Zappa
to his latest album, he is always reinventing," Manuel told this diarist, adding that he can't wait to see Vai's famed three-headed guitar, âHydra' in action.
Singer-songwriter Malavika Manoj AKA Mali is having quite a week. Her name popped up on a distinguished roll call after earning a nomination for Best India Act for the MTV Europe Music Awards. "I have no idea what I am even doing among names like Divine and Dee MC on that list. I am just a singer-songwriter," she shared. The final winners will be announced on November 5 in Paris. The nomination should come as no surprise seeing how the year has panned out for her. From discussing song-writing with Apple CEO Tim Cook, to performing on the Lollapalooza stage, she admitted that it has been thrilling. "If this award comes through, it would be the icing on the cake," she remarked. The nomination is just the beginning though. The singer is already at work for her next single, and is also planning a cross-country tour later this year. "I cannot reveal much other than that it will be my first India tour. The idea is to go out there and have fun," she told this diarist.
The Xavier Institute of Communication (XIC) will host their annual media festival, Ikshana on November 3 and 4. This year's edition will open with a distinct theme as well. "We are focussing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and education," shared Rajeev Chawla, course head and visiting faculty. "The role of AI is expanding and we are looking at its utility in aspects such as customer engagement, reach and marketing," he said. With the festival inviting entries for its short story and short film competition over district, state and national levels, the scale has also expanded. "It will be interesting to see how students interpret it," he said.
