<h2>Pieces of a puzzle</h2>
<p>A gathering of bikes and handcarts wait for the signal to turn green at a zebra crossing in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/things-to-do/article/badlav-for-bhendi-bazaar-23306809" rel="nofollow">Bhendi Bazaar</a></p>
<h2>Remembering India&rsquo;s Ratan</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/oct/Ratan-Tata-az_e.jpg" alt="Ratan Tata. File Pic" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Ratan Tata and Harish Bhat. File Pic</em></strong></p>
<p>Respect is often deserved and not commanded and very few leaders embody integrity and compassion like Ratan Tata. Doing the Right Thing (Penguin Random House India) by Harish Bhat (below), is a personal tribute to the icon, a leader who defined success through compassion. Marking the first death anniversary of Ratan Tata on October 9, Bhat shares rare anecdotes like being recruited by Tata himself, to making him a part of the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/tata-power-to-supply-electricity-for-mumbai-s-first-fully-underground-metro-line-3-23597809" rel="nofollow">Tata </a>family, and working closely with one of India&rsquo;s greatest entrepreneurs. With an endorsement from N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, the book offers insights on leadership, ethics, and humanity. Bhat also said, &ldquo;Writing this book was a labour of love for him.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Touched by the blues</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/oct/Landscape_e.jpg" alt="My Landscape by (inset) Meenakshi Nihalani. Pics Courtesy/AMCA" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>My Landscape by (left) Meenakshi Nihalani. Pics Courtesy/AMCA</em></strong></p>
<p>As a member of the Sindhi community, I was familiar with the history of the Partition. But it was when I began researching about the Indian struggle that I truly learned about the journey,&rdquo; artist Meenakshi Nihalani shared. The artist evoked Mahatma Gandhi&rsquo;s letters, written from Champaran during the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917, in the works of her debut solo, Seven Yards of Blue. The exhibition opened at the Anupa Mehta Contemporary Art Gallery in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/colaba-police-recover-late-fathers-stolen-rolex-from-trusted-house-help-23597852" rel="nofollow">Colaba </a>on October 9. &ldquo;The works were to document the memories of the struggle as a visual artist. Having worked with blue as a colour, it was important to learn its history.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Because every paw matters</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/oct/Zanes-grooming_e.jpg" alt="A pet receives its spa treatment. Pic Courtesy/@zanes.coffee" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>A pet receives its spa treatment. Pic Courtesy/@zanes.coffee</em></strong></p>
<p>This year, to mark World Animal Welfare Day on October 4, Zane&rsquo;s Pet Spa decided to extend their care beyond regular clients by doing something special for rescued and sheltered animals, because they deserve love and grooming too. &ldquo;At Zane&rsquo;s Pet Spa, our initiative and priority have always been to put pets first. This applies to all of us, be it someone who gives the dogs&rsquo; washes, to the founders who are passionate animal lovers, whether big or small,&rdquo; said Ashka Saxena, who works for the spa&rsquo;s Lower Parel branch. In collaboration with YODA [Youth Organisation in Defence of Animals], the team groomed seven to eight rescued/sheltered dogs, offering them baths, washes, and full grooming services to help them feel clean, comfortable and looked after. &ldquo;The goal was simple,&rdquo; Saxena explained, &ldquo;It was to make them feel and look good, because every paw truly matters.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Doon returns</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/oct/Imtiaz-Ali_e.jpg" alt="Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali at a previous edition" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali at a previous edition</em></strong></p>
<p>The Dehradun Literary Festival (DDLF) will return to the Doon International School venue for a three-day spell starting November 14. &nbsp;&ldquo;Our festival is an annual celebration &mdash; of and for the community &mdash; as we honour India&rsquo;s vibrant heritage and continue building a movement that embraces diverse voices from India and around the world,&rdquo; shared founder Samraant Viraani. The festival will host three key awards &mdash; The Ruskin Bond Literary Award, Shivani-Iron Lady of the Hills Award, and Guardians of the Himalayas Awards. The speakers will feature a diverse list from Arundhathi Subramanian, <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/bollywood-news/article/imtiaz-ali-reflects-on-emotional-compulsion-of-making-amar-singh-chamkila-23596472" rel="nofollow">Imtiaz Ali </a>(above), Bhawana Somaaya and Sam Dalrymple, among others.</p>
<h2>The legacy of an artiste finds the limelight</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/oct/Manik-Varma_e.jpg" alt="Manik Varma.  Pics Courtesy/Pancham Nishad" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Manik Varma. &nbsp;Pics Courtesy/Pancham Nishad</em></strong></p>
<p>The three-day festival of Manik Swar that opens today will bring back to the Hindustani classical stage the memory of a lost artiste. &ldquo;Padma Shri Manik Varma was an artist who embodied the rare harmony of brilliance and grace,&rdquo; says Shashi Vyas (inset), founder-director, Pancham Nishad. &ldquo;Her voice carried the discipline of the Kirana gharana. She could move seamlessly from classical purity to the lyrical beauty of bhavgeet and natya sangeet,&rdquo; he added. In addition to hosting performances by Indrani Mukherjee, Jayateerth Mevundi and Pt Venkatesh Kumar, among others, the festival will witness the release of a book, Manik Moti, and two awards instituted in her name. &ldquo;On the occasion of her birth centenary, we, her daughters, are attempting to repay in some small way the immeasurable debt of being her children,&rdquo; shared the artiste&rsquo;s daughter Rani Varma.</p>

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