Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Sameer Markande

Bell-a ciao!

A peon rings the bell at Nalanda Public School in Mulund East on Monday, when children returned to classrooms.

Here's a song that's just two good

Gary Lawyer and Usha Uthup are two veteran singers who have been shining beacons in the country's music landscape. They recently joined forces for a track called Fine brown frame, after Colin D'Cruz from Jazz Goa approached them with the idea. It's a fun track that showcases Lawyer's baritone and Uthup's booming vocals. "The song was one of my choices, and I thought that it would be ideal because apart from being a really good singer, [Uthup] has got a natural swing and sense of humour. I sent my vocal takes to Colin separately and I would imagine that Usha sent hers from her recording studio, before Colin did the mixing to bring it all together. Hopefully, this is the start of many more things to come," Lawyer shared with this diarist.

A space for collage

Collage-making is an art form that tends to get sidelined as a hobby, or as a part of other visual art projects. To shed light on it, and on the practice of collage-makers across the world, Finland-based collage artist Niko Vartiainen has conceptualised, edited and published a book, The Cutting Chaos. Among the 28 artists featured in the book is the lone Indian and Mumbai-based collage-maker, Kanika Agarwal. "This is a worldwide recognition for my practice. Vartiainen wanted to celebrate work spaces that collage artists inhabit, and their process," she said, adding, "Collaging is not too prevalent in India, so it feels great to be acknowledged." To take a peek into the chaos that these artists witness, head to @thecuttingchaos on Instagram.

Time to wear your aprons

Sanjeev Kapoor and Ajay Chopra

While some of us turned to our home chefs to beat the lockdown lows, others slipped into the chef coat themselves. To give such home chefs a platform to showcase their chops, Moj, an Indian short video app, is launching its first cooking competition, Kitchen Ministers of India, across 21 states. Starting today, it allows users to present traditional delicacies from their state not only on the app, but also to celebrated chefs such as Sanjeev Kapoor and Ajay Chopra, who will mentor participants over a month. "India is a country with diverse preferences, but the sentiment of food unites us. The depth of flavours and variations that regional cuisine has to offer is a constant source of discovery and learning. The contestants will be judged on the choice of ingredients, technique and their ability to innovatively present the best of their local delicacy," Chopra told us.

Blue's the colour in Worli and Lower Parel

The placemaking and urban design revamp at (left) Worli and at Lower Parel

If you're passing by Lower Parel and Worli, you're likely to be greeted by vast swathes of blue. The space below the flyover opposite Indiabulls Finance Centre has undergone a streetscape transformation under the One Green Mile project, a public-private venture, based on the principle of equal streets. Think a cycle track, play area, walking space, and more - all in one stretch. Mansi Sahu, director, StudioPOD, the lead urban design firm on both projects, shared that the idea was to create space for all the different uses of a street. "We've opened up around 800 metres of the one-mile space. Before this, all this space was clogged up for various reasons; we've reclaimed that and given it back to the public," Sahu added. In Worli, meanwhile, existing payvats or pedestrian areas that lead to the sea are being revamped using placemaking, wayfinding and urban design strategies. The first pedestrian lane near Hilltop Hotel opened up to the public, and features vibrant sea-themed murals. "There are eight such gullies, and we aim to connect all of them so that they make for a good walk from the upcoming Dr Annie Besant Metro station. These pedestrian lanes are in use, but aren't safe; they're also littered and don't have proper lighting. We also want to add QR codes so that during their walk, people can learn about the history of Worli," Sahu revealed.

On a filmy journey

Barely two years since they started out, the Bombay Theatre Company has raised funds for their first short film, and also set up a film production unit. Founder Raveesh Jaiswal told us that the project is an India-US collaboration that sparked off during a cross-country play that they worked on last year with LA-based writer Julianne Jigour. "I'm fascinated by cinema, and always wanted to make films. Titled Domestic Help, the film revolves around a woman and her house help in Mumbai," said the director. Jaiswal revealed that they've roped in award-winning Prateek Pamecha as the director of photography for the film that captures themes such as mental health, loneliness and empathy. "We'll continue making theatre though, as it's our first love," he added.