Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Ignoring the marching National Service Scheme cadre rehearsing for the upcoming Republic Day parade, a group of dogs nap at Shivaji Park in Dadar.

Speak the language of jazz

Students perform at the school. PICS COURTESY/SUNHIL SIPPY

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock received a special welcome at the Happy Home & School for the Blind in Worli on Monday. On his visit to the school, the students performed the jazz classic, What a wonderful world for the 83-year-old musician.

Herbie Hancock

"Hancock's visit is memorable for everyone at the school as one of their most heartwarming experiences. He established a strong bond with the students in the short time he spent here," Meher Banaji, head of the school, told this diarist. She shared, "The musicians from Hancock's troupe were pleasantly surprised when our students performed the song to perfection following just a short rehearsal."

Photographer Sunhil Sippy (inset) was at hand to capture the poignant moments during Hancock's visit. He revealed, "I usually plan my shots beforehand, but with a meeting like this, I went in without a concrete plan. I was lucky to catch Hancock playing some tunes on the piano with a wide smile before the event began. It's all in monochrome to distil the essence of the man and the moment in those frames. I believe it puts the focus on the spirit of the occasion, which is always paramount."

Leaving an imprint on Byculla

The artists at the workshop. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

Printmaking enthusiasts and students beelined to the Dot Line Space in Byculla yesterday to catch the second day of the Print Adda that brought together some of the more renowned Indian printmakers for a two-day printmaking workshop. "People have often seen artists like Anant Nikam, Paul Koli and Riyas Komu in galleries, but to watch them work on their prints and witness their technique in person is a whole new experience," Gourmoni Das, curator, shared, adding that the workshop saw the veteran printmakers demonstrate these techniques that students might not otherwise learn through books.

"Aspiring printmakers study techniques academically, but there is often a lack of interaction between them and experts who have mastered the art. Our goal was to facilitate such an interaction that offers a hands-on learning experience. We were thrilled to see that the visitors were not restricted only to students of the art form but also included young school-going students who had no prior experience in printmaking," he noted, adding that the plans to turn the workshop into a quarterly event are in the works.

Following the footsteps of poets

A mural featuring the Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib at Nagpada. PIC COURTESY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Walking for a cause is a tried and tested way of drawing attention to subjects of utmost importance. But for the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA), the subject in question is the need for love and harmony among countrymen. They are traversing 22 states, and spreading the message through the words and verses by prominent poets, under the Dhai Aakhar Prem: National Cultural Jatha. The troupe will demonstrate their penultimate jatha in Mumbai today.

Ranjana Srivastav

"This leg of our mission takes on added importance because the city has been home to poets like Shailendra and Kaifi Azmi," Ranjana Srivastav, joint-secretary, IPTA, told this diarist. The group will hold performances at spots of cultural and historical importance in the city such as August Kranti Maidan, the birthplace of the Quit India Movement; the Mirza Ghalib mural at Nagpada junction which commemorates the late poet's classical Urdu poetry; the Awami Idara library where Azmi was a regular; and the BIT chawl No 1, where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar resided. The event will be followed by a concluding Delhi leg later this year, she added.

Colour me pink

A moment from the fashion walk at a previous edition of the fest

The LGBTQiA+ community is already gearing up for the Gulabi Mela 2024, also called The Pink Fête, for Mumbai Pride Month. Dhruv Goenka, advocacy officer at The Humsafar Trust, said, "Gulabi Mela is of great significance for the LGBTQiA+ community, serving as a vital platform for visibility, acceptance, and advocacy. It celebrates love and diversity while breaking stereotypes, fostering unity, and promoting understanding." Leading up to Mumbai Queer Pride on February 5, and a week before the Pride walk, the event will play an important role in mobilising and uniting the community, Goenka shared. "It is part of a crucial stage for the visibility of the community's queer entrepreneurs in the ongoing fight for LGBTQiA+ rights, making strides towards a more inclusive and tolerant society." The team will organise stalls, performances, a drag race competition, workshops on latte art, mobile photography, and Zumba. There is an LGBTQ+ flash mob in the plans, too, Goenka told this diarist.