Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Sameer Markande

The suitable boys

Two attendants attempt to set up a row of mannequins clad in heavy lehenga suits in a window display of a store in Kalyan.

Moms on a roll

A woman learns skating at a session held in Sion

While most mothers probably don't need a lesson in striking a balance, a new initiative by The Skate Academy is celebrating Mother's week with a unique offering. The academy's branches at Sion, Bandra, Santacruz, Ghatkopar and Andheri will host free sessions for mothers from May 13 to 19. "Inline skating is for everyone. We hope the hour-long sessions encourage participants to take up the sport seriously in the future," shared founder and coach Ajay Shivlani. Those interested, can leave a message at @the_skate_academy.

Sticking up for democracy

The stickers from the pack

It's time to scrape off that sticker that you've had on your laptop for ages. A new collection of ‘democracy stickers' created by Thane-based Kuch Bhi Studio is making symbols and slogans such as ‘aazadi' and ‘satyameva jayate' cool again. "The aim was to make something meaningful that can spread political awareness during this crucial phase," Prathamesh Shah, the artist behind the printable stickers revealed. While the pack, additionally contributed to by artist Richa Kumar, was made to be used as laptop stickers, Shah noted that the possibilities are endless. "If politicians can stick their posters all around the city, I don't think there is anything to stop concerned citizens like us," he laughed. Those interested in downloading the stickers or contributing to the pack, can log on to @kuchbhistudio.

Bhendi Bazaar, unveiled

An aerial shot of Bhendi Bazaar. File pic

Urdu Markaz director Zubair Azmi is bringing the spotlight back on to Bhendi Bazaar; and this time, he's got even bigger plans. Dating Bhendi Bazaar, Azmi's upcoming book will deep-dive into lesser known stories from the neighbourhood. From trysts with the royals of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to late night mushairas that defined the neighbourhood in the 1960s, the book will reveal the best kept secrets of the culturally-rich neighbourhood. "We have always been presented with an incomplete, outsider's gaze into Bhendi Bazaar. The book is my attempt to retell these stories as someone who was born and raised around the area and saw it evolve; an autobiography of Bhendi Bazaar, if you will," Azmi told this diarist.

Dune-like scenes in Mumbai

A still from the short video. PIC COURTESY/INSTAGRAM

The swirling dust and sudden thunderstorm caused havoc across the streets of the metropolis on Monday, but it also led to some visions of surreal beauty. For independent filmmaker Joshua Karthik, the similarities to the dystopian world from the blockbuster Denis Villeneuve film, Dune, were unmistakable. "I was indoors at my home on Sir Pochkhanawala Road when my brother shared a picture about the dust storm by the Worli shore. It was fairly calm outside the balcony when I stepped out. Everything changed suddenly," Karthik recalled. As the swirling dust took over, he captured the phenomenon on camera. "The construction boards were flying off, and people were shouting. I realised that the visuals were very much like the moment in Dune 2 where the worm emerges. I had to put it onto my desktop and edit it in the Dune font to create a Mumbai-version of Villeneuve's dystopia," he revealed. "It was unlike anything that I have ever seen. Hopefully, things remain calm now," the filmmaker shared.

And now, make way for the T-wave

Thai duo Win and Bright perform at an earlier edition of the fan fest. PIC COURTESY/YOUTUBE

As the city embraces the K-wave with K-pop, K-drama, and everything ‘K', a new sensation is sweeping in - Thai pop culture. The Buddies Huddle Cafe, Andheri, is all set to host a live screening of Love Out Loud, a Thai fan fest featuring popular Thai actors and musicians this weekend. "Thai culture is steadily drawing in fans every day in Mumbai. We conducted a survey online and within hours, 100 fans showed interest in the live screening," Irum N, a member of Tani, the organising group, revealed over a call. Those interested, can call 9920265699.