Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Kirti Surve Parade

Sisterhood and swag

Women in vibrant traditional attire click a selfie at a Gudi Padwa rally in Bhatwadi, Girgaon.

Celebrate Dalit history in Chennai

A still from Jyoti Nisha's film

City-based writer, filmmaker and theorist Jyoti Nisha will take her celebration of the Dalit History Month to Chennai today. Her documentary, Dr BR Ambedkar: Now and Then, will be screened by the PK Rosy Film Festival - a festival named after the trailblazing Dalit actress, late PK Rosy. This will be part of the ongoing Vaanam Art Festival. "The festival features my documentary and many other films representing the marginalised communities. I will be present for a post-movie discussion," Nisha told us. Her multilingual feature-length documentary in Gujarati, English, Hindi and Tamil offers a Bahujan feminist gaze into the political situation of India, beginning from 2014.

Jyoti Nisha

Tracing the city's roots

Dr Rajdeo Singh (centre), assistant professor, St Xavier's College, leads the walk

The next time you're sharing stories with someone on Marine Drive, look around to spot the trees that line the promenade; there might be a cooler fact to reveal. A Tree Walk last Sunday by the Bombay Natural History Society saw participants being introduced to unique trees like the Samudraphal and Breadfruit. "Samudraphal is unique to Marine Drive, and is said to have antibiotic properties," Asif Khan, associate officer, BNHS, shared, adding, "The city is home to some unique trees. For instance, the baobab tree in Rani Baug and the various species of palm trees in Sion." An upcoming tree walk in Mazgaon on April 21 will uncover more such tree tales.

Breadfruit. Pics Courtesy/Tahir Shaikh

Fuelling vintage dreams in SoBo

The 1920 Fiat at the fuelling station

Daniel Sequeira, who runs Karfule, possibly Mumbai's oldest surviving Art Deco petrol pump, is no stranger to all things old-world. "But it's unusual that a car older than the pump itself pulls over for a refuel," he laughed, referring to a restored 1920 Fiat that rolled into his Ballard Estate pump last week. Sequiera added that the car is a rare find even in the vintage car community in the city. "This model underwent heavy restorations over a period of two decades with every part carefully put together," he revealed. For the long-time vintage car enthusiast, the highlight sat at the tip of its bonnet. "I have an idol of St Christopher in my car. He's believed to be the patron saint of travellers. When I spotted the same figure on the Fiat, I was pleasantly surprised," he concluded.

Single player adventures

A moment from the gameplay of the game; (right) Pravin Nikam

How much do you have to love gaming to quit your job and move cities and work on creating one yourself? Ask Mumbai and Pune-based game developer Pravin Nikam who has been working on Loop, an indie video game for the last five years. "My job in animation wasn't cutting it for me anymore. I wanted to work on something bigger," Nikam told this diarist, about quitting his job in 2017. The video game, made up of three parts, features surreal themes with hints of India in its landscapes. While the release is slated for October, a demo version will be available within the next two months, he revealed to this diarist.

All eyes on the noble cause

Used spectacles; (right) Mohta (in red), and Patodi hand over the collection to a distributor (centre)

While most 17-year-olds might be busy collecting or ‘copping' the latest sneakers, Rebant Patodi, Keshav Mohta, and Adeetya Jain from Andheri have a bigger vision. The teenagers have been collecting used spectacles from the neighbourhood for their new platform Specsaid that aims to refurbish and distribute them among the needy. "Spectacles can be a luxury for many people. There are some who do not even know they need a pair. That's how the idea to collect and refurbish them came to us," Mohta shared. With help from the Lokhandwala Oshiwara Citizen's Association (LOCA), the teenagers have already collected nearly 500 used spectacles from the neighbourhood and handed it over to a popular optics chain to be refurbished. Mohta shared with this diarist about their future plans that that includes eye check-up camps with an optometrist in a few slum areas of Mumbai. Those interested in joining the initiative can drop a message at @specsaid on Instagram.