<h2>On My turf</h2>
<p>A man appears deep in thought against the backdrop of a wall mural of a jockey and his horse at Mahalaxmi Race Course</p>
<h2>Meeting Miyazaki</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/mar/Eriyat-Miyazaki-1_e.jpg" alt="Suresh Eriyat&rsquo;s illustration recalling the moment he met the filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki at his Studio Ghibli premises. Illustrations Courtesy/Suresh Eriyat" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Suresh Eriyat&rsquo;s illustration recalling the moment he met the filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki at his Studio Ghibli premises. Illustrations Courtesy/Suresh Eriyat</em></strong></p>
<p>Never meet your heroes, they say. Animator Suresh Eriyat would disagree. For over 15 years, the city-based animator and filmmaker has travelled to Japan hoping to run into his idol, Hayao Miyazaki. This week, the dream came true.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/mar/Eriyat-Miyazaki-2_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>&ldquo;People would always dissuade me saying that he never attends public events.&rdquo; Last week though, Eriyat and his wife, Nilima, were at the famed Studio Ghibli for a work-related meeting. &ldquo;Although I knew meeting with him was highly implausible, I still hoped for it,&rdquo; he revealed.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/mar/Suresh-Eriyat_e.jpg" alt="Eriyat and Hayao Miyazaki" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Eriyat and Hayao Miyazaki</em></strong></p>
<p>As it would happen, Eriyat and co were going through their accreditation at the studio entrance when they felt the presence of the maestro. &ldquo;I suppose this was after his break, and he was coming back to the office. When I saw him, I could not help but say, &lsquo;Miyazaki san&rsquo;, and he gave me a big smile. We shook hands, and I was in utter disbelief. He has a surprisingly firm handshake,&rdquo; Eriyat admitted. Though the maestro did not speak much, and spent only a minute in passing, Eriyat recalled, &ldquo;It was the memory of a lifetime.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>All that jazz by Juhu</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/mar/Denzil-Bombay_e.jpg" alt="Rhys Sebastian D&rsquo;Souza (left) and Denzil Smith at a previous staging of the play" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Rhys Sebastian D&rsquo;Souza (left) and Denzil Smith at a previous staging of the play</em></strong></p>
<p>It seems that the old rhythms will return to the city this April. Denzil Smith will step on to the Prithvi stage for another run of the popular production, Bombay Jazz. Written by Ramu Ramanathan, the play delves into the works of Goan and Anglo-Indian musicians whose influences defined Hindi film music between 1950s and 1970s. &ldquo;The play remains the same, but the performances have evolved,&rdquo; revealed Smith. With Rhys Sebastian D&rsquo;Souza adding to the presence of a musical talent onstage, the veteran actor said, &ldquo;There are some classic hits by icons like Anthony Gonsalves, Micky Correa, and of course, Rhys&rsquo; grandfather, Sebastian D&rsquo;Souza. There is one wonderful medley in which Rhys does a jugalbandi where he plays a jazz variation to the Hindi film classic playing in the background. I enjoy that.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Who was William?</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/mar/William-a_e.jpg" alt="The coffee mug (right) The Hornbill House in Fort. File Pic" /><strong><em>The coffee mug (right) The Hornbill House in Fort. File Pic</em></strong></p>
<p>The 60th anniversary celebration of Bombay Natural History Society&rsquo;s (BNHS) headquarters, The Hornbill House in Fort, was marked with a nod to the eponymous hornbill. The staff celebrated the event last weekend by releasing a coffee mug imprinted with the image of &lsquo;William&rsquo;, their mascot. &ldquo;William was a Great Indian Hornbill gifted to the Society by H Ingle of Karwar in 1884, a year after the Society was founded. He lived on for 26 years, and became the society mascot,&rdquo; shared director Kishor Rithe. In fact, it was the large and bright yellow beak of William that earned him the sobriquet, Office Canary. As for the cup, Rithe said that visitors can buy one as a memento on their next visit.</p>
<h2>Italian lessons in aesthetics</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/mar/Prof-Catucci_e.jpg" alt="Stefano Catucci" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Stefano Catucci</em></strong></p>
<p>Italian professor of aesthetics Stefano Catucci will put a cultural lens on the oft invoked yet under explored concept of aesthetics at The KR Cama Oriental Institute on March 19. Organised by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Mumbai, the event will witness Catucci in discussion with former professor of Philosophy, University of Mumbai, Kanchana Mahadevan, moderated by architect Kaiwan Mehta. &ldquo;My aim is to go beyond styles and languages to find a space where people, despite their opinions and tastes, feel the pleasure of living in a shared space &mdash; the one of their connections with others,&rdquo; Catucci said. Those keen to attend can log on to&nbsp;<br />@mumbai_iic on to register.</p>
<h2>Let the games begin</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/mar/Martina-Spies-book_e.jpg" alt="Children pore over books at a playspace in Dharavi" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Children pore over books at a playspace in Dharavi</em></strong></p>
<p>Architect and activist Martina Maria Spies&rsquo; next book, Cult of Play, which launches on March 27 will revolve around the subject of awareness of play. Co-authored with Chennai-based architect Prithika Akhil Kumar, the book dives into the need to account for play spaces for children in urban infrastructure.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2025/mar/Prithika-Kumar_e.jpg" alt="Martina Spies; Prithika Kumar" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Martina Spies and Prithika Kumar</em></strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;The book is in two parts. The first part is a product of our long fieldwork exploring the nature of play among children in the informal settlements of Juhu and Khar Danda. The second part offers inputs and voices of architects, urban planners and professionals across different fields on the role of such playing spaces,&rdquo; Spies told us.</p><p>
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