Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

Holi Flip!

A woman unleashes an explosion of colour as she tosses her hair during Holi celebrations at Shivaji Park, Dadar.

Omani canvas

Sunil Chauhan with an artwork by Omani artist Alia Al Farsi at the gallery

Sunil Chauhan, founder of Mumbai's Suan Artland Gallery has an eye for art. And in this case, the lack thereof. The gallerist was invited to Finnish artist Matti Sirvio's Gallery Muscat in Oman for the opening of a new art exhibition over the past weekend. Over a short call from Muscat, Chauhan shared his observations with this diarist about the surprising absence of Indian contemporary artworks in the galleries of the gulf nation. "Even though Oman has a sizable Indian-origin population, and a thriving market for all styles of art, Indian contemporary artworks remain underrepresented while artworks from other parts of the world find enough exposure," he shared. He revealed that the visit had sparked plans for a collaboration with Sirvio to take Indian art to Oman soon.

Chirpy bit of news

Volunteers and naval personnel plant saplings at the site; (right) Subhajit Mukherjee

A home spread across nine acres, with lush greenery and a view of the Arabian Sea. That's what city-based environmentalist Subhajit Mukherjee is building for the city's sparrows at the INS Hamla campus in Colaba. The sparrow forest comprising 14,000 plants including bougainvillea and lemon, once completed, is expected to attract sparrows back into the city within a year. "Sparrows are naturally attracted to short, vibrant plants and so, the Bougainvillea is the perfect choice," Mukherjee shared. The initiative, started by Mukherjee's green organisation, Mission Green Mumbai, is backed by the Indian Navy as well as the Maharashtra Forest Department, which has pledged to release a flock of sparrows at the site to inaugurate it. While Mukherjee has already planted 1,400 saplings with the help of city schools and organisations, the environmentalist is now calling for donations to reach his goal before World Environment Day on June 5. "I urge citizens to head down to the site to play their part in the movement. Something as simple as celebrating your birthday by donating five plants can add up to a lot in the long run," he concluded.

Collaborate for peace

The artworks from the event; (right) a participant sketches readers

The bustling neighbourhood of Juhu slowed down for a peaceful evening last weekend when silent reading and painting communities Juhu Reads and Juhu Paints joined forces for a collaboration at the Kaifi Azmi Park. "During our regular reading sessions at the park, we noticed an interest in something more interactive and engaging. We also introduced sketching as a part of the sessions recently. As Juhu Paints is our sister organisation, a fusion of colour and words seemed ideal, especially leading up to Holi," Diya Sengupta, curator, Juhu Reads told this diarist, adding that participants brought their own canvas and colours and silently painted alongside readers. "The session revealed many hidden talents of community members," Sengupta concluded.

Buzzing with talent

Buzzinka's mural in Mahim; (right) Himanshu Arora AKA Buzzinka

Busy as a bee describes graffiti artist Himanshu Arora AKA Buzzinka's upcoming months perfectly. Part of Mumbai's WickedBroz collective, Arora will be representing India at the Street of Style street art festival in Brazil in April, and the Meeting of Styles graffiti festival in Indonesia and Germany in the following months. Known for his murals depicting the macro fauna of the Western Ghats at Mahim Art District, the artist revealed, "It is an honour to represent India globally. As an ode to my roots, I will be presenting an artwork that blends Indian traditional miniature painting styles and western street styles. It's my attempt at bridging the two art forms."

Taking Naseer saab to Toronto

It is apt that theatre maker and writer Sapan Saran will commemorate World Theatre Day tomorrow with a performance of her latest work, Waiting For Naseer. Taking inspiration from the famed Samuel Beckett play, Waiting For Godot, Saran's work will be read out at the Daniels Spectrum in Toronto by Himanshu Sitlani, taking the Mumbai theatre scene to a Canadian audience. "There has been a sudden interest in the play Waiting For Naseer. Various groups from different parts of the country are reaching out to hold readings. I think this is why initiatives like Bhasha Centre's The Drama Library are important as they provide accessibility to scripts and writers, effectively encouraging conversations and enriching the theatre ecosystem," the Tamaasha theatre group founder shared. If that is not enough, the play is also currently under production for a staging by Srinivas Beesetty in Bengaluru for later this year, she revealed.