Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Shadab Khan

Common time pass

RK Laxman's famed Common Man watches on as a passer by strikes a pose with the Bombay Stock Exchange bull at Horniman Circle in Kala Ghoda.

Bluesy high with the divas

(From left) Sheryl Youngblood; Beth Hart at a performance

For the first time in their history, the audience will witness girl power at the upcoming Mahindra Blues Festival, thanks to their all-women showcase. "This is the first year we have broken our own rule by having an all women line-up. Sometimes, it's okay to tip the scale," noted Jay Shah, head of cultural outreach at Mahindra Group. The line-up includes names such as Chicago Blues Hall-Of-Famer Sheryl Youngblood, Miley Cyrus' idol Beth Hart, saxophonist Vanessa Collier, Samantha Fish, Dana Fuchs and Tipriti Kharbangar. "It's a powerful statement about the resilience, diversity, and the extraordinary talent of women who have shaped this genre," said VG Jairam, director of the festival.

Mantras for life

Although, as the popular slang phrase suggests, sh't happens, there's a way to avoid getting stuck in it. US-based life coach Dr Neeta Bhushan (below) thinks so too. Her new book That Sucks, Now What launched in the city at Juhu's Soho House last week, and provides people with a mantra to get past life's hurdles. She said, "The book helps to reframe depressing moments and move beyond them to the next opportunity instead of merely bouncing back. I've also shared tips to help readers in [family-centric spaces] and in a fast-paced city like Mumbai climb the ranks by building their confidence and living their truth without the fear of losing oneself and others around them."

Reframing our favourite films

An adapted frame from the film, 3 Idiots

Imagine a movie theatre screen that extends vertically like a mobile screen. Well, you won't have to anymore because thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and two video production professionals, you can experience movies in this format. Kandivali-based creative agency TanCat Studios' founders Shubham Agarwal and Devansh Mehta have been using the technology to reimagine what iconic films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and 3 Idiots would look like if they were to be shot in a 9:16 video aspect ratio.

Devansh Mehta and Shubham Agarwal

The project, @bollyvert.ai, opens up questions of framing, ideation, aesthetics and the emotional value expressed through such composition. They shared, "Perhaps, films aren't created for vertical formats because they're not meant for it, but if they were, what would they look like? We're also looking at the commercial use of AI in creating content for different formats."

Jingle the East Indian way

(From left) Roland Hanso, Zenobia Hanso Gracias and Maxwell Fernandes in the studio

Why do planners bother with chairs at East Indian weddings when everyone is on the dance floor? Once the trumpets cue in the famous masalas, you'll see handkerchiefs being waved in one hand, and glasses in the other. December, the festive and wedding season, will see much of this fanfare across the community. And so, an appropriate tune comes from the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP) with a revamped record in East Indian Marathi. The track Jingle Bell was composed in 1970 and the story, like all good tales, begins over a few drinks. Performer Roland Hanso asked his buddy the late ‘Baba' Francis Gomes to pen an upbeat song which they performed that year at Sunshine Dramatic Club's singing event at Rangmandir in Khar. It's sung by Hanso, Zenobia Hanso Gracias, Mariet Hanso Kinny and Sherline Barretto with music composed by Maxwell Fernandes, and brass by Valley Ferreira from Jesus Band in Uttan. Could this be the next party anthem among the people after the popular Paskin?

Creative call in Juhu

A sketch from the session hosted by the group

It began in Bengaluru's Cubbon Park and is all the (quiet) rage in Mumbai. After Cubbon Reads, a public reading community, a sister group called Cubbon Paints came about to form a silent community of creatives and reclaim public spaces. After the reading group chapters mushroomed across SoBo and suburban locations, the only Mumbai iteration takes place in Kaifi Azmi Park with Juhu Paints.

Sushila Kaur and Charvi Budhdeo

While the art-based group launched in July this year, the pace picked up only in November. Co-curators Charvi Budhdeo, expressive arts therapist, and Sushila Kaur, a software engineer, told this diarist, "Creative processes can get isolating. The idea here is to find a space as a community for ourselves to be creatively engaged." This Saturday, the group will hold a Christmas origami themed session.