Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Anurag Ahire

Pose for effect

A leopard appears as if ready to be photographed by a visitor at the Byculla Zoo.

Fooled ya!

The poster was a prank

Of the many announcements on social media yesterday that created confusion among netizens who were unsure if it was an April Fool's prank or not, the one about Gaysi CEO Sakshi Juneja joining the LGBTQiA+ wing of BJP took it to another level. "Fortunately, followers understood that there is no such wing in the BJP," laughed Juneja, who told us that the prank was inspired by her longstanding will to get into politics. The underlying goal, however, was to urge the members of the community to vote in the upcoming elections. "We need to be politically involved if we want to be heard. The first step would be to cast your vote, irrespective of who you vote for," she concluded.

Artsy canter at the racecourse

The artworks

As SoBo grapples with the ‘What will happen?' dilemma over Mahalaxmi Racecourse, 60-odd illustrators reached the public open space to document the experience over the weekend. "The favourite spot, naturally, became the Amateur Riders' Club, where some of the best subjects to sketch included horses, and young enthusiasts learning to ride one," shared Aniruddha Gupte, volunteer at Urban Sketchers Mumbai, who hosted the gathering. "Newcomers to the city were unaware that there is a space like this that is freely accessible to the public. There were discussions in small groups about the future of the racecourse," he revealed to this diarist.

The sketchers at the racecourse

This is gold

How does a lifetime ticket to pleasure sound? As dreamy as it seems, sexual wellness label MyMuse will be granting it to three lucky winners for its three-year anniversary. Founded by Anushka and Sahil Gupta in 2021, their journey was not without backlash. "We have learned that it's important to remain steadfast in your vision, rather than being brought down by people who may not understand you," shared Anushka, "Just like Willy Wonka's golden tickets, we will grant three winners access to all of our present and future massager launches for life. After all, what's better than the gift of pleasure, right?"

The label will give lucky winners a golden ticket to its massagers

Care for the caregiver

The kitchen has also installed 28 fridges (right) with free and necessary food supplies across the country

In 2014, Khushroo Adi Poacha, chief OS, Central Railway-Nagpur Division, regularly visited a hospital in the orange city because his mother was diagnosed with cancer. "When I headed down for tea, I would notice families of patients eating roti with achar or mirchi. Since I was fortunate to get fresh daily tiffin, that sight disturbed me. When my mother learnt about the reason for my state of mind, she offered a practical solution. ‘Why don't you serve them? The people of the world will help you,' she said." Six months later, she passed away. In his mother's memory, Poacha founded Seva Kitchen with his wife Fermin. "We started serving outside hospitals every Sunday. People joined us in our resolve. The only rule at Seva Kitchen is that we don't accept money," he said. As the kitchen expands its good cause to hospitals across India, the newest addition is Cumballa Hill's BD Petit Parsee General Hospital. Those keen to sponsor free meals for caregivers can contact 9561011264.

Khushroo Adi Poacha

Fan art gets massive

The fan artwork for Lucknow Super Giants was made in a day's time

Those who have been glued to their screens this IPL season could not have missed the recent unfurling of a gigantic fan artwork at a recent match between Lucknow Super Giants and Punjab Kings. The artists behind this 30x20-ft long artwork included Mumbai's street art group Wicked Broz, in collaboration with Delhi's Manmauji and LSG Brigade. "Fans flash portraits and T-shirts all the time. But the unfurling of such a huge artwork is a key moment. We felt proud when the moment was shown on the live telecast," shared Wicked Broz co-founder Zain Siddiqui. "We created this artwork in a day's time with the help of local artists," he added. The team is currently in Lucknow, and promises that there will be another similar moment in a stadium in the next week.