23 things to do in Mumbai from September 6 - September 12

Barefoot

Sunday driver

Enjoy a cocktail
7.30 PM Onwards: No, we're not talking about drinking. Creative Cocktail is a platform where performing artistes - singers, comedians, actors and poets - showcase their talent. The ninth edition features a number of acts including one by sufi singer Rekha Raj and a dramatic reading of Gall Kufr Di.
Where: He Said She Said, Remi BizCourt, Veera Desai Road, Andheri West
Call: 9022480780
Free

Read at an open-mic
5 PM - 7 PM: Poetry Couture is back with a poetry adda and presents an interesting line-up of five poets, including Nitesh Mohanty and Mihir Chitre. This will be followed by an open-mic where dramatic readings in English, Hindi or Urdu are possible. Take your secret verses along and don't be shy.
Where: Mcubed, near Bandra Gymkhana, D'Monte Park Road, Bandra West
Call: 9560441193
Free

Go for a concert
6 PM - 9 PM: Two young artistes grace the evening at Kala Sangam Bombay's Classical Roots event. Amrita Chatterjee (in pic), who has studied under Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan, promises to fill the evening with traditional thumris, ghazals and dadras. Joining her is Smit Tewari, a sarod artist from Delhi.
Where: SPJIMR Auditorium, Bhavan's Cultural Centre, Andheri West
Call: 26390912
Free

Love, sex and all that jazz



8.30 PM - 10.30 PM: Delhi theatre group Barefoot's play, I Love You, Let's Have Sex (about a couple and their problems), is trying to answer that age-old question: Why do we complicate relationships? "We carry so much baggage, and most relationships become about the arguments. We try and offer an insight into how we can overcome that," says Shena Gamat, who acts in the play and has conceptualised it, the play with actor/director Ashish Paliwal. One way they do that is by interacting with the audience. "We ask people questions like, ‘How can the guy show his love better?' We also tell them to take sides - with either the man or the woman. It throws up some interesting observations. Sometimes, we even invite a couple on stage, and ask them to play us. That really gets them thinking," she says. The play, which has had runs at colleges and theatres across Delhi, is coming to Mumbai for the first time. "Relationships are a universal theme. So, everybody can relate. We have had people coming up to us to say that they now see their relationships differently. That's the best part about doing this."
Where: Blue Frog, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel
Entry: Rs 350
Call: 61586158

Attend a musical



4 PM and 7.30 PM: Young actors from the city's schools and NGOs take stage to celebrate the Mahatma. Ace Productions presents stories from when Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa. Learn of his teachings and hum to the melody of songs, including one compos-ed by musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.
Where: Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point
Tickets: Rs 200 - Rs 5,000
Call: 22824567
Free

Swing by a free gig
8.30 PM Onwards: Free gig! Yes, that's right. Ennui.bomb, an indie music label, hosts its launch concert of an online 42 track compilation called Stupiditties. Listen to a super line-up of seven artistes and bands, including Laxmi Bomb, Tejas, and Punk On Toast.
Where: Brewbot Mumbai, G-01, Morya Landmark 1, New Link Road, Andheri West
Call: 40034448
Free

Visit a gallery
11 AM - 7 PM: Spend an evening with the works of award-winning artist Shankar Devarukhe. His series, Tranquility, is inspired by the devout and includes iconic depictions of Vishnu, Buddha and Christ. There are also portraits of children, where innocence is equated with godliness.
Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda
Call: 22843989
Free

Sign up for a Gond workshop
1 PM - 4 PM: Be part of a session by master craftsman and National Award-winner Ramesh Tekam, as he mentors you on the folk-art form of Gond. With its bright colours and oodles of drama, discover the nuances of this indigenous art, at once rustic and psychedelic, inspired by nature and wildlife.
Where: Sweta's Sunshine, 210/A, Krishna Nivas, first floor, Dr B A Road, King's Circle, Matunga
Cost: Rs 1,499 per person (inclusive of materials)
Call: 32270033

Dig into steaming sizzlers
11 AM - 12.30 AM: Call your friends for a sizzling meal at any of Café Mangii's outlets. Indulge in a range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options such as grilled cottage cheese steak, crispy polenta with ratatouille, charcoal-grilled New Zealand lamb chops and harissa-marinated rawas steak. End with a sizzling brownie.
Where: Cafe Mangii, Mangal Bhawan, 14th Road, Khar West; 3, Transocean House, Hiranandani Business Park, Powai
Prices: From Rs 525 (vegetarian) and Rs 625 (non-vegetarian)
Call: 25705139/26498100

Order of the day

Appreciate world cinema
6:30 PM: Watch Versailles, a 114-minute film directed by Pierre Schoeller this week. The plot, which deals with poverty and parenthood, revolves around a five-year-old child, Enzo, and his young unemployed mother, Nina, who sleep on the streets. Their vagabond life leads them to Versailles. In the woods near the palace, a man named Damian lives in a hut, cut off from everything. What happens when they meet?
07 Monday
Where: Alliance Française Auditorium, 40 new Marine Lines
Call: 22035993
Free

Visit ‘turmeric city' on canvas
11 AM - 7 PM: Using the medium of oil, acrylic and water colours, artist GA Dandekar captures his memories and experiences in the areas surrounding his native place Sangli, the ‘turmeric city' of Maharashtra. The works include women with horses, bulls, fish sellers and festivals.
08 Tuesday
Where: Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda
When: September 8 - 14
Call: 22843989
Free

Find out what's wrong with India
7 PM - 9 PM: The Awkward Fruit presents Aisi Taisi Democracy. Standup comedians Varun Grover, Sanjay Rajoura, along with Indian Ocean vocalist, Rahul Ram, attempt to make sense of the confusing times we live in. "In this transition phase, from 3rd world to 2nd, we are the proverbial gawaachi gaay (lost cow) of the times," they say. Expect a pointed barb at all that is weird in bhaarat-varsh.
09 Wednesday
Where: St Andrews auditorium, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 500 -Rs 1,000
Call: 26401657

Play Smelly Cat
Like to strum a few notes? Sign up for a guitar class by Guitarmonks. The workshop focuses on playing, creating and understanding music on your own. It will introduce you to chords as well as songs. Participants will get tablature reading, notations on great staff, chords and scales knowledge, and voice improvisation. If you are a left-handed player, they will sort you out too. Get a participation certificate too.
10 Thursday
Where: The Fisheye World Institute of Photography, B108 Phoenix Paragon plaza, Kurla West
Cost: Rs 1,000
Call: 9167996055

Bite into eight sandwiches
5 PM TO 12 AM: Calling all sandwich lovers to dig into eight vegetarian and eight non-vegetarian mini bread preparations at the One Bite Sandwich festival. Veggie options include sun-dried tomato and basil in multi-grain, artichoke-cheese spread bagels and Rolled olive sandwiches. For meat lovers, there's cucumber-salmon bagels, curried Chicken Tea Focaccia and Lamb masala spicy bread. Don't miss the free fries and coleslaw.
11 Friday
Where: Geoffrey's, Hotel Marine Plaza, 29 Marine Drive
Cost: Rs 350 - 550 plus taxes
Call: 22851212

Prepare to launch that start-up
7 AM - 8.30 PM: Attend the fifth edition of Smash-up, an event for start-ups by TiE Mumbai, a non-profit, global community of entrepreneurs. The event is themed around The Journey of an Entrepreneur. Meet 600 stakeholders across India. Attend sessions such as speed-dating for investors, panel discussions on topics such as the 365 days of an entrepreneur, The $100 million journey. PS: The best idea stands to win mentorship and awards.
12 Saturday
Where: IIT Bombay, Powai
Log on to: www.tiesmashup.org
Free

Guilt-free shopping
Shopping is may be good for the soul, but when you see all the plastic that you have collected at the end of the day, you realise that your little trip has not just been crauel to your savings, but also to the environment. Which is why we were happy to find out that there are some outlets in Mumbai that are willing to not just take back their plastics and recycle, but also give you a discount for helping the environment.

The first is the international cosmetics brand M.A.C. Use their lipsticks or rouge? Return three old plastic cases and get a discount on a new one.

Next on our list is the hairstyling salon B:Blunt. If you've been using their in-house shampoos and conditioners, here's another reason for your hair to feel happy. The salon accepts its old bottles back. There's no discount, but having done your bit for the world, is its own reward we say.

Lastly, there's the new grocery shopping app Grofers. Though they deliver their wares in trademarked cloth bags, it still feels like a sin to hoard so many. Return three and get R50 discount on your next bill.

Learn new garba moves
SEPT 12, 4 PM - 5 PM: If you want to pick up some cool garba and dandiya steps before Navratri, attend a workshop with Jainam Vora. The session will take place every weekend till September 27. The workshop is open to non-dancers as well.
Where: Whistling Woods, Sharyans-Audeus, Hardrock Cafe building, Andheri West
Entry: Rs 3,500
Call: 30916003

Win a drinking race
SEPT 11, 6 PM: Go bar hopping, with purpose. The Mumbai Barathon has organised a race, in Andheri this time. You start at The Little Door, get a beer and then head to six other bars on the way. The first person to finish at bar number 7 stands to win a stay at Yab Yum Resort in Goa, and gets a curated wardrobe by VoxPop, among other goodies.
Where: The Little Door, Plot B31, Shree Siddhivanayak Plaza, off New Link Road, Andheri West
Entry: Rs 1,500
Log on to: https://insider.in/event/barathon-sept11

Sing your heart out
SEPT 7, 9 PM: Closet singers, it's time to exercise those vocal chords, and this time in public. Bonobo has organised Karaoke Nights (every Monday) for a fun start to the week. To add to it, happy hours will be extended till midnight.
Where: Bonobo, 2nd Floor, Kenilworth Mall, Phase 2, Off Linking Road, Bandra West
Call: 26055050
Free

Catch a German film
SEPT 11, 6.30 PM: Max Mueller Bhavan is screening Christian Petzold's 2005 film, Ghosts (Gespenster) which is about a mother's struggle to find her daughter, who has been kidnapped. The 85-minute-long film is about loneliness, loss and longing.
Where: Goethe-Institut, Max Mueller Bhavan, Kala Ghoda
Call: 22027710
Free

Help


#GodSaveTheOcean
The environmental cost of visarjan is terrible. Each year, after devotees bid farewell to the Lord in the Arabian Sea, toxic paints and plaster from the thousands of statues pollute the ocean and harm marine life, leaving dead fish to litter across the coastline. There must be a better way to do this, right? The Sprouts Environmental Trust agrees. The NGO, which has been cleaning Girgaum Chowpatty for the last 12 years and will do so this year as well, has made a limited number of 9-inch Ganesha idols from natural, vegetarian, biodegradable and ocean friendly material which is not just harmless, but also environment-friendly. These are made from a combination of clay (shadu), corn, palak and fish-friendly edible materials and natural colours such haldi (turmeric), chandan and geru. Needless to say, ever since they have announced their campign, they have been overwhelmed with orders. So, book yours now and help #GodSaveTheOcean.
Where: Available in Mumbai only
Cost: Rs 900
Call: 9820140254 (between 11 AM - 7 PM)