For years now, the suburban Mumbaikar has squeezed into trains bound for CSMT, Churchgate, Andheri or Bandra, to catch gig nights and show openings. It would seem like culture has finally boarded a train in the opposite direction to meet us in the middle: Malad. Organiser and writer Amitosh Nagpal recalls a discovery at a much-spoken-about festival that recently concluded in BKC. “I found out that many of the artistes and audiences were actually residents of Madh, Malad, Goregaon and beyond. It’s quite ironic that they don’t have a festival closer to home,” he says.

Visitors at the Malad venue during a previous cultural event