Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

Me too

This stray gives its own twist to yoga as a man in the background attempts an asana at Dadar's Five Gardens area on Tuesday.

Art for a cause

Lady With Bird (1999), Manjit Bawa, oil on canvas. Pic Courtesy/Prinseps

From MF Husain to Manjit Bawa, rare and esteemed works of modern Indian art are set to go under the hammer at an upcoming auction by Worli-based Prinseps. The Modern Art Auction, to be held live and online on July 6, will also include four lots, wherein 100 per cent of the proceeds will go towards Masina Hospital, Welfare for Stray Dogs and Give India. "We've been working hard behind the scenes to curate this and other upcoming auctions. Now, with restrictions easing slowly, we felt it would be right to start the auction process. In this auction, we've tried very hard to include works from original collections," founder and director Indrajit Chatterjee told this diarist. Also in the works, he revealed, are the first NFT auctions in India - Gobardhan Ash's Avatars, which is a recreation of an exhibition from the 1950s, as well as Bhanu Athaiya's sarees (The Traditional And the New).

Lens in homes

Winning submissions made by Mandakini Menon

The Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation (JNAF) held a competition recently as part of Museum Week activities around the globe. They called for entries on the theme of Art is Everywhere, to highlight how everyday objects and spaces have taken on a new meaning during the lockdown.

Anita Yewale

"People could send us drawings or photographs, and prizes were given to the best three entries," JNAF director Puja Vaish told this diarist, adding that the winners were announced on Monday. They are Vasudev M Nair, Mandakini Menon and Anita Yewale (inset).

A rainbow for makeup artistes

Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan - there are hardly any Bollywood beauties whom celebrity makeup artist Daniel Bauer hasn't glammed up. And now, you might have a chance to be personally mentored by Bauer and win a scholarship worth '1.5 lakh at the Mumbai or Delhi branch of Daniel Bauer Makeup Academy. To celebrate Pride Month, Bauer has collaborated with a popular LA-based makeup brand that will provide a scholarship at the academy. The contest is open to anyone who belongs and supports the LGBTQiA+ community. All you've got to do is create and share your beauty looks and tag the collaborators on social media. "I'm of mixed race - not fully German, not fully Australian, not fully Indian, but 100 per cent me. Growing up, I never really fitted in anywhere. I was too Asian-looking to be German, too German-sounding to be Australian, too straight to be gay, too gay to be just another regular guy. I found acceptance in the world of makeup and I have found enormous happiness from my life in India. I am a man of Pride and I want to give back to the community that has given me so much," Bauer told this diarist. He will fully support a deserving artiste of the LGBTQiA+ community at his academy. "It's a hard time for many people due to the pandemic, especially those in the field of makeup. With this being Pride Month, it's the perfect time to celebrate and support the community," he added.

Shillong Chamber Choir loses a light

Abhishek P (extreme right) with Zakir Hussain (centre). Pic/Facebook

The globally-acclaimed Shillong Chamber Choir (SCC) lost an integral member recently when Abhishek P, the ensemble's drummer, passed away. He was in his mid-30s, and Abhishek had joined SCC in 2011. "He started with the tabla but gradually moved to percussion, playing darbuka, dholak and drum pads. We will miss his versatility enormously since he could play Indian classical music or Punjabi songs, and then move into disco beats with ease. He was also instrumental in composing one of our most popular songs, Something new, which Ustad Zakir Hussain had named," recalled SCC lead singer William Richmond.

Rain men missing

One typical Mumbai facet that has gone into oblivion since the pandemic is roadside vendors who would come to car windows to peddle their wares. The big colourful umbrella was a staple in the Mumbai rains. But the rainbow-hued, quintessentially Mumbai chhaatas and their silver-tongued, sprightly sellers are nowhere to be seen this monsoon season, thanks to the lockdown-like restrictions. We await their return, like so much else that gives the Maximum City its unique identity.