Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

GridlockedMotorcyclists and scooters cross the yellow box grids near Shiv Sena Bhavan at Gadkari Chowk in DadarA perfect day to cycleA moment from the grouprsquos previous bike ride Pic CourtesyInstagramItrsquos a pretty good time to cycle in Mumbai as the air quality has partially improved due to early monsoon Taking advantage of this and to celebrate World Cycling Day June 3 Mira Bhayandar Cycling Association MBCA organised a special cycling programme on Sunday where they cycled to Dongri fort from Mira Bhayandar Malad and Borivli Edward Pinheiro a member of MBCA shared with us ldquoUttan was an ideal location for cycling this time of the year given the scenic views it offers The goal was to provide Mumbairsquos cyclists the opportunity to begin the cycling year with a lighthearted meeting in an open space with fresh clean air There were more than 150 cyclists from all across MumbairdquoNew harmonies in ColabaFrom left A photograph of a traditional mass at Afghan Church File Pic right A previous candlelight concert Pic CourtesyInstagramIf a visit to the 19th Century architectural marvel of the Afghan Church in Colaba has been on your checklist this bit of news will be music to your ears The Church will open its doors for a firstofitskind candlelit instrumental concert dedicated to the hits of rock band Queen and pop icons ABBA and Coldplay this Friday Organised by Candlelight Concerts the performance will mark the Churchrsquos embrace of contemporary performances ldquoWersquore always looking for unique and inspiring venues that can elevate the experience Historic churches offer a remarkable atmosphere full of character and cultural significance which aligns perfectly with our goal of making classical and contemporary music more accessible through unforgettable settings In this case the Church was very open to the idea Once we shared our vision for the concert and how respectful we are with the spaces they welcomed the conceptrdquo revealed Kriti Bhargava the organisationrsquos senior project manager in India Listeners will be in for an auditory treat as well we learnt ldquoThe architecture and natural acoustics will create an intimate and immersive environment and the soaring ceilings ornate details and candlelit setting will amplify the emotional power of the musicrdquo Bhargava told this diaristTuned to impressPradipto Sengupta performs on a mandolin Pic CourtesyPradipto SenguptaA string of events or should we say an event of strings introduced Mumbaikars to the musical gems hidden in their favourite Bollywood tracks last weekend Veteran mandolinist Pradipto Sengupta brought out his collection of world instruments for a special showcase in Andheri On the lineup were the Turkish bouzouki Middle Eastern rabab and Bolivian charango ldquoThe rabab has been a mainstay in Hindi cinema Songs like Yaari Hai Imaan from the Amitabh Bachchanstarrer Zanjeer 1973 or the more recent Tere Haath Mein from Fanaa 2006 all feature riffs played on the instrumentrdquo Sengupta shared adding ldquoPeople are often surprised by how common these exoticlooking instruments are It sparks a new interest for world instruments in themrdquo After concluding the show with a traditional Turkish tune on the bouzouki the musician is now planning a performance with his mandolin orchestra in the JulyTransformation as PascalMedha Srivastava before left and after the transformation rightLooking for a new challenge cosplayer Medha Srivastava has moved from characters in comics to reallife actors Her latest cosplay as Pedro Pascal in the series Last of Us caught this diarist by surprise ldquoI like to transform into characters As I have explored my skills further it has enabled me to study faces better I often do a lot of face study my own and theirs to understand the featuresrdquo Srivastava shared Over the course of almost five hours she used her makeup to create the closest likeness to the actor ldquoIt comes down to contouring Pedro has a slightly squarish face while mine is triangular This requires careful contouring to shape the appearance It is similar to creating an illusionrdquo she revealed Meet the ElsewhereansJeet ThayilThe last time Jeet Thayil was in Mumbai it was April The authorpoet was on stage jamming to verses from his book Irsquoll Have It Here The collection was his first since the Sahitya Akademi Awardwinning work These Errors are Correct 2008 It was quite the session and could have possibly sparked something creative given that he is back with another fiction title The Elsewhereans The book will be released later this month and delves into meditation loss and the fragile question of identity ldquoThe Elsewhereans came to me of its own accord falling into my lap in its entirety arising out of material that carried its own mandate ancestral material that had built up over the decades Irsquom happy to see it out in the world at lastrdquo he told this diarist