Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

The trouser trial project

A group of women shoppers closely inspect wares of a streetside vendor on SV Road in Borivali.

Carry on, Savitribai

Nandita Patkar during a moment from a previous performance of the play (right) Sushama Deshpande

While she has written and directed Vhay, Mi Savitribai for over 30 years, Sushama Deshpande (inset), veteran theatre maker, does not claim ownership of the iconic story. "It is the story and life of Savitribai Phule. It belongs to anyone who chooses to tell it," she said. The director will helm two performances in Andheri this weekend. "We have the Marathi adaptation featuring Shubhangi Bhujbal and Shilpa Sane on Saturday, while the English adaptation on Sunday features Nandita Patkar," Deshpande revealed. The English adaptation is the latest addition to the play that began its run in January 1989. "We needed to reach out to the non-Marathi audience, and it has worked very well," she noted, adding that the idea of outreach is an important part of the performances. "With colleges and schools set to reopen in July, we hope to take the production to other suburbs of Mumbai, especially to educate students and a younger generation about the life and legacy of a great woman," she told this diarist.

Go surfing, girl

A woman surfs at the club during an event. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

With the rains expected to arrive next month, Mumbai Surf Club will be hosting their final surfing session for the season this Sunday. Co-founder Preeti Rawat revealed that this session is exclusively for girls. "Surf season lasts till May. We are teaming up with Oh My Girls, an Instagram page and girls' community to host this session before we resume in September," she shared with this diarist. Participants can opt to camp overnight on May 11 and May 12. "No prior experience or skills are required to sign up," Rawat added.

Vasai welcomes the Miyawaki method

Children at a plantation camp held by the organisation (right) a glimpse of the native plants at the location

Even as the swirling dust around the city threatens to become a regular feature, Sanjay Vaishnav (inset) is taking steps to change it. The founder and director of Nanhe Haath Foundation will host a planting session near Sun City in Vasai this Sunday as the first step to their target of planting 5,000 trees in 2024. "We have decided to take on an urban forest in the neighbourhood, currently an abandoned site near a salt pan.

Using the Miyawaki method, we are cultivating native plants since they are non-invasive and prevent soil erosion," he emphasised. The session is aimed at building awareness among the next generation. "We are expecting participation of close to 50 children who will plant these saplings. It is important to help them understand the biodiversity, how to cultivate these plants and protect these resources," he reminded us.

Taking art beyond the gallery

Participants discuss art at a session

Do you always have to visit a gallery to experience art? No, says Mittul Agarwal, founder of art venture, The Art Hub. Having started an annual art festival, Splash, Agarwal is now set upon a new idea of taking art out of its gallery settings. "We are hosting the session in a co-working space in Powai on Sunday because we hope to take art to the common people. Our theme is titled, Kalaa Har Jagah. It is a compressed version of the festival where people can look and interact with art in a different way," the 24-year-old shared. But it is not just art that Agarwal hopes to introduce to participants. "We are hosting a session on haikus and AI by Saloni Shukla. It builds on the idea of art as a facet of narrative storytelling," he revealed. "Setting this in an alternative space such as restaurants, cafés or book clubs is our way of taking the experience out of the gallery space," Agarwal said. For those interested, details are available on @splashbytah.