Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Out of the sea

Visitors enjoy the evening at Gorai Beach.

Global vibes

Kilter

The city has two major international arrivals in the coming days. The first of those would be Russ Vitale, a hip-hop artiste, this weekend. Bhavya Shah, founder, Rock Age Entertainment, that is organising Vitale's two-city show for his India tour, shared, "This will be a monumental moment for DHH [Desi Hip Hop] because Russ is idolised by some of the best artistes in the game and has amassed millions of listeners from India." Vitale will follow his Mumbai stopover with an event in Delhi in the same weekend. "We hope Russ is the beginning of a wave of many such international acts who will come down to India and experience what we have to offer in terms of audience listenership," Shah added. The week after Vitale, the city will witness another unique act in the French-American metal jazz-trio, Kilter. On their debut India trip, the band will take over six venues, including Mumbai on November 2, and also conduct a workshop while on tour.

Russ Vitale

Game for EV?

A screenshot of the filter

From pasta to Prada, everything today can be delivered to your doorstep. But ever imagined how every last-mile delivery contributes to air pollution? A new Instagram filter game called #EVmyDeliveryChallenge engages the user to deliver packages riding on an Electronic Vehicle (EV) to cut down emissions. It is part of #EVmyDelivery, a campaign by Purpose in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru that seeks to push young urban consumers to urge their favourite labels to transition to EVs for deliveries. In Mumbai, the project is being anchored by Ministry of Mumbai's Magic, while the filter has been designed by illustrator Yash Pradhan. "Orders are delivered on two or three-wheelers. This project aims to transition those vehicles to EVs," said Navdha Malhotra, global head of campaigns, Purpose.

Playing for their rights

Girls from Parcham during a football match

Since 2013, the non-profit Parcham has been bringing Muslim and non-Muslim girls from Mumbra together to play football, to challenge patriarchal stereotypes and break away from ghettoisation. The young footballers have been trying to secure a football field for years, but aided by the lack of political will, the reservation remains stuck on paper. This diarist learnt that a report on their journey called ‘Levelling the playing field: Advocating for a sportsground for girls in an urban settlement in Mumbai, India' - authored by Sana Contractor and Sabah Khan - has been featured on the website of WHO's Every Woman Every Child Global Progress Report 2022. "It talks about how the girls have tried to assert the right to play; it also links how essential play is to wellbeing," Khan said. That's a goal.

Begin a new chapter

Conservation of old books in process. Pic courtesy/Youtube

The hallowed halls of The Asiatic Society of Mumbai (ASM) house thousands of rare books and manuscripts that run the risk of fading away. In the festive spirit of spreading the joy, ASM is encouraging people to adopt a book by paying R10,000, to help conserve it and pass on knowledge to future generations. Vice-president Dr Shehernaz Nalwalla shared that the conservation is carried out in their restoration lab. "Our staff has been well-trained to restore books, giving them a new lease of life. One can also select a book of their choice," she revealed. The process entails reconstruction of old, tattered pages. Acid layer from the selected book or manuscript is removed; it is fumigated and treated chemically, covered with tissue paper and rebound. Those keen to become book guardians can call 9833969496 or head to @asiaticsocietymumbai.

In Malfoy's words

Pic courtesy/Instagram

Every time this Potterhead goes back to the Harry Potter series, Draco Malfoy's character unravels new shades of grey. Brought to life by actor Tom Felton, Malfoy inspires a mix of hate, compassion, pity and even love. How did it feel to play the role of Potter's nemesis? Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard is Felton's account of starring in one of the most popular franchises in the world. Fresh out of the press, the memoir promises a peek into behind-the-scenes action, his journey from being a 12-year-old, and maybe, some magic.