Time to relfect

A large puddle near the Municipal Corporation Building reflects a striking image after a spell of rain

Epic coincidences

Satyajit Padhye with the Ravana puppet in Leicester. PIC COURTESY/SATYAJIT PADHYE

You’ll never guess who’s turning heads in the United Kingdom. After his performance at the European Marathi Sammelan in Leicester last weekend, ventriloquist Satyajit Padhye bumped into a larger-than-life 10-headed Ravana puppet walking the streets. “I believe it was part of a parade by another group outside our venue, the Athena hall. They also had a Hanuman puppet alongside. It reminded me of the Ravana puppets I had crafted with my father for actor Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao’s Paani Foundation last year. I showed the puppeteers pictures of our version. They were in awe. Ours were larger, to be fair,” an enthusiastic Padhye told us from the UK. The performance also marked another sweet coincidence for the artiste. “My grandfather started his journey in ventriloquism in 1920, inspired by an English World War 1 veteran who had performed live in Mumbai. His puppet, Ardhavatrao, was imported from England. At the event here, my daughter Neeva performed alongside Ardhavatrao. It’s a full circle moment in that sense,” Padhye revealed.