Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Rane Ashish

Timing an exit

A poster of NCP founder Sharad Pawar at the MVA rally in Bandra-Kurla Complex offers a premonition to the announcement of his resignation

A question of existence

Ranjit Hoskote. Pic Courtesy/Priyesha Nair

Poet and art curator Ranjit Hoskote's next, Icelight, is one for the existentialists. The first book of his poems to appear in the United States is set for an India release in June. Calling it the third in the trilogy, Hoskote said, "It follows Jonah Whale and Hunchprose. The main question that I pursue is what will survive the climate catastrophe and the politics of attrition, and what is the meaning of art. It is also about the rise and fall of cities, the condition of being a migrant or a refugee, and of trying to find some fragmentary archipelago of meaning where we can anchor ourselves," he shared with this diarist.

Make some noise in Karjat

The Noisy Pots perform on stage at a concert. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

The Czech duo of Michal Supak and Jakub Tengler are set to bang buckets tomorrow, quite literally. The duo, aptly titled Noisy Pots, are known for their unique blend of electronic music that includes sounds made from regular everyday material like buckets, pans and pots. The workshop at True School of Music (TSM), Vijaybhoomi University in Karjat tomorrow will see them share this knowledge with TSM's students. "We'll have the audience look into the cooking pot of our electronic set up and all our connections. We also think it could be interesting to show how to play non-traditional objects that you can find at home," Tengler told this diarist. The duo is in the country as part of their second India tour, which began early last week. Recalling their Pune sojourn, Supak shared, "Our sound engineer Alok Acharya took us around Pune, and showed us the lake, before taking us to his residence. We had a nice talk about differences between our cultures. Now we know what renowned Indian hospitality means." Their Mumbai trip has begun on the right note, too. The duo spent yesterday visiting Dharavi with rapper Vishnu Nair, and will be collaborating with singer Goldie Sohel on a single. "The single should be released in September. It would be great to have it on our new album of international collaborations which should be out by the end of 2023," Tengler remarked.

Tucking into memories

Illustrations on the cover of the anthology. Pic Courtesy/Memoriesonaplate

If Proust's madeleines were Indian, they would have found a way into Memories On A Plate. The edition, curated by Nivaala and The Alipore Post, compiles over 90 to 100 submissions of personal memoirs, recipes and art illustrations from Indian kitchens, The Alipore Post founder Rohini Kejriwal told this diarist. "Over the last two months, we have been collecting stories from Indians living abroad and from every state across the country. The idea is to represent the power of food and how it bridges a lot of differences," she explained. From recipes to memories that made simple meals special, the edition will carry a touch of personal connect for foodies across India. Currently in its final stage, the edition is set to come out in July.

Double the fun

(From left) Deanne Rodrigues and Sandeep Mohan

Mumbai-based filmmaker Sandeep Mohan is getting to be a dab hand at badminton. This space had noted his exploits on the national level having won the bronze at the recent National Masters tournament. Now, Mohan has managed to win the XD (mixed doubles title) in the 29th Badminton GD Birla Memorial Masters Tournament at Bombay Gymkhana last weekend. "I have been playing for the Andheri Sports Complex for over five years," Mohan told us. Teaming up with Deanne Rodrigues, the filmmaker won the 80+ category (where the sum of the ages of both players is more than 80). Sadly, he couldn't replicate the form for the club. Andheri Sports Complex lost out to Bombay Gymkhana by the margin of two games to one. "It was a close finish. Unfortunately, Rahul Tipnis and I lost one final, which made it too difficult for us," he shared. Well, there's always a next time, champ.