Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Anurag Ahire

The morning after

While one man takes a nap on a hand cart, his companion reads the newspaper at Lohar Chawl in Kalbadevi.

Whatever gets you reading

The portable bookshelf can hold 20 books and requires no floor space; (right) Rajiv Mehta

Rajiv Mehta, trustee, Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust, believes the only time Mumbaikars get to read a book nowadays is while waiting at the doctor's office. Following suit, he's taking the books there. Sapno Ka Pitara, the Girgaon-based trust's new initiative is distributing free portable bookshelves with 20 books to offices, schools and hospitals. "Even in schools, teachers lock the books in glass shelves to save them from damage. It's laughable. Books must be easily accessible to everyone," Mehta noted. The trust customises the range of 20 books based on the requirements of their beneficiaries. "We have children's books, mythology, science fiction, and many more genres. Greater choice draws in more readers," he suggested. Those interested can call 8530485324.

More than an aam party

A previous mango party in Delhi

If you've ever let out a ‘I could eat these all day' while digging into a juicy mango, your time to shine is here. A ‘mango party' organised by Delhi-based content creator Ravinder Singh at Juhu Beach this Saturday will witness participants do exactly that. "We all have at least one childhood memory linked with mangoes. At the party, we will sit down and share these memories while biting into fresh mangoes," Singh revealed. After kicking off in Mumbai, the party will travel to Hyderabad, Lucknow, Bengaluru and Delhi later this month. "The aim is to try as many variants of the fruit along the way," he told this diarist over a call from Talala, a village in Gir, Gujarat. "I'm here to check out the Gir Kesar variant. Travel has been tiring. I hope the mangoes are worth it so I can bring them to Mumbai," he signed off.

Ravinder Singh

It's going to be lit

A moment from a previous community meet in Mahalaxmi; (right) Rahul Saini

After hosting multiple candid reader meets in the city, Rahul Saini, actor and founder of Paperback Talks, is ready to turn a new page. A literature fest planned by Saini is set to bring together 200 readers to a Powai venue on June 23 to participate in readings, art workshops, pottery, and more. "Only one half of the six-hour-long event has been planned. The rest of it is for participants to network and build connections. We hope to give some deserving young writers, who sometimes struggle to get exposure, or a platform to talk about and market their book," Saini informed us. Those interested, can log on to
@paperbacktalks on Instagram.

Cine hit on track

Hemwant Tiwari (left) holds up the placard outside Bandra railway station

If you have to do it right, you have to do it yourself, they say. This diarist was surprised to spot filmmaker Hemwant Tiwari carrying a placard at Bandra railway station asking viewers to watch his film, Lomad, on YouTube. "It is a one-take feature film," he explained. With limited funds, Tiwari took it upon himself to hit the streets in February. "Initially, I would be embarrassed and timid. This is reflected in people's reactions. No one stopped to ask about the movie. As I got more animated, they loved it, and would come up to me to talk about the film," he said.

India takes the wheel

The digital illustration by Smish Designs

City-based anonymous artist Smish Designs' new artwork has something to say about the recently concluded vote count in India. The illustration depicts a girl wearing a democracy sash running the Ashoka Chakra in the form of a tyre, using a stick. "I wanted to capture the joy of rural Indian kids. It is only because of the marginalised, rural, underprivileged sections of the country that India is witnessing such a drastic change in election results. The girl in the sash is democracy having a light moment, rejoicing this period in Indian history," she shared.