Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Nimesh Dave

Hook, line and Sinker

Children show off their colourful catch from small ponds near Marve Road in Malad West.

For a green screen vision

A moment from Against The Tide. Pic Courtesy/YouTube

After four years of hosting the annual environment-friendly festival Alt EFF, its founders have turned over a new leaf. Their new pilot project Alt EFF Film Club will see the venture screen films focussed on the cause of protecting the environment across Mumbai, Bengaluru and Goa. The Mumbai edition will kick off with a screening of Sarvnik Kaur's documentary, Against The Tide on April 19. "Most of the films at the festival have limited opportunities to reach viewers outside of the festival. The idea of the film club is to host monthly screenings to connect with and build the community," co-founder Kunal Khanna (inset) told this diarist.

Embroidery with the masters

Artisans embroider the details of (right) the canvas Across Land by Nilima Sheikh

It is said that imitation is the best form of flattery. Yet, the upcoming exhibition at Worli's Snowball Studios from tomorrow will go beyond simple imitation by transforming the works of masters such as SH Raza, KK Hebbar, Ranbir Kaleka and Ram Kumar into embroidered weaves. "Embroidery is an under-explored art form. Hence, it was a tremendous experience curating the first exhibitions of its kind. It not only has given life to the artist's work, but it has allowed a new interpretation in engaging with their work through a new medium," said Dr Arshiya Lokhandwala, curator of the show, Threaded Visions. Describing the show, Gayatri Khanna of Milaaya Embroideries shared that the works were chosen to suit the theme of sustainability. "Collaborating closely with the artists, we get digital prints of their paintings and envision how they will translate into hand embroidery. For instance, in Nilima's [Sheikh] work, we use finer silk and zari threads to capture delicate text, while in SH Raza's work, we blend yarns and textures to recreate colour blocking," she summarised.

Rare sights in the sky

Oriental darter (right) Dr Raju Kasambe

On Sunday, when Raju Kasambe, assistant director, education conservation, BNHS, joined birders on a jaunt across the city, he did not expect a day of interesting data. With a retinue of 55 birders of the Maharashtra Pakshimitra, they spotted some rare species including gull billed tern, whiskered tern, wood and marsh sandpiper. But the sighting of the day was reserved for the Oriental darter that has been moved to a near-threatened status. "We have had only two sightings in Mumbai - near Powai Lake and Dombivli. With lakes being reclaimed, their numbers are on the decline," Kasambe said. A species that dives into lakes to forage for food, Kasambe shared that the darter prefers clear water. "The water has to be crystal clear for them to spot prey. The absence of such waters explains their numbers," he said.

Game, set and curtains

A moment from the performance on Sunday. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

The usual sight of spectators at a tennis match darting their eyes across the court saw no reflection in the match hosted by Alliance Française de Bombay at the Cricket Club of India on Sunday. When actors Chloe Zufferey and Lionel Fournier stepped on to the court to present their play Battue la Terre, a performance that plays out over the course of a tennis match, all eyes were at the nets, where the two reconciled. "It tells the story of two characters, Eliott and Camille, who have been in love for many years, and who come together for one last match before parting ways. It's the end of their love story, a moment to say what's on your mind, to express your anger, fear and gratitude, and also to ask yourself what love really is," shared Fournier.

(From left) Fournier and Chloé Zufferey at a performance

The duo trained for eight months with a tennis coach to get accustomed to performing their lines while engaging in a real game of tennis. As for the experience of finally performing the play for Mumbai audiences, Fournier told this diarist, "It was great to see theatre and tennis fans come together. We all ended up talking about love, separation and feelings. Some preferred to talk about the match, others about the text. Everyone ends up opening up in one way or another."