Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Waari Waari happyOn the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi children dress up as warkaris at a nursery in Lower ParelMessage on a muralA rough draft of the artwork that will form the base for Rohini Bhadargersquos inset upcoming mural Pics CourtesyRohini BhadargeEarlier in February this diarist wrote about muralist Rohini Bhadarge flying down to Colombo as part of a collaboration with an art venture Fearless Foundation Now the Chemburbased artist is looking to create a new work for the Sri Lankan collective in Mumbai ldquoThe foundation has picked 15 artists from South Asian countries to work on murals based on specific themesThe idea is to create a mural in your neighbourhood that captures the issues faced by the peoplerdquo Bhadarge shared With climate changecaste as her focus Bhadarge held workshops with women from Dalit and tribal communities last week to understand the issue ldquoThese issues will be part of the mural on the walls of Swami Vivekananda High School that I will begin work on tomorrowrdquo she revealedThe Bard comes to townHamlet Macbeth Duncan and Romeo might come visiting Khar next week The characters will be part of a new creative writing series by MYNA Academy of Performing Arts starting July 17 Stating that the idea is not to approach William Shakespearersquos works from a lsquofixed view pointrsquo writerdirector Anjali Karpe below said ldquoWe will take a look at theatrical storytelling through the lens of some of Shakespearersquos most compelling plays We will unpack Shakespearersquos important themes characters and language and understand his original approach to writing and the stagerdquo The special programme will offer an insight into the Bardrsquos plays themes languages and performances through films too Those interested can call 7977011717 for detailsGoarsquos streeties spotted in KhotachiwadiGuests appreciate Rohit Chawlarsquos top inset exhibition Rain Dogs at Gallery 47A in KhotachiwadiAs if it had a whiff of the buzz around the corner this diarist noticed an indie pup tail her as she made her way through an alley in Khotachiwadi on a wet July evening We like the many who had dropped by on opening night at the heritage gallery 47A were soaking in awardwinning photographer Rohit Chawlarsquos visual tribute Rain Dogs a photo exhibition of his works of Goarsquos beachside beauties read streeties that he had captured during the three years of the pandemic when he made the state his homeArtist Brinda Miller views Chawlarsquos works on display at the gallery PicsAshish RajeA photo book by the same name was another reason to celebrate these frames the proceeds of which go to animal welfare NGO The Welfare of Stray Dogs Inside familiar faces across the arts advertising politics and photography from Brinda Miller to Sanjay Jha discussed the rainwashed frames with the wizard each frame had evocatively captured the many moods and the magic of the protagonistsldquoThese dogs and the minimalism of the seascapes was my metaphor during the pandemic It was a onceinalifetime experiencerdquo admits dogfather to Marco Polo and Hero Amidst the pitterpatter that was the perfect background score for dog lovers like us this was the best love letter from Goa gift wrapped with solitude and susegadArt served on a platterDr Jayanta Sengupta speaks to the visitorsThe concluding week of People of Bengal Etchings by F Baltazard Solvyns witnessed Dr Jayanta Sengupta director of Alipore Museum drop in for an immersive experience titled Melting Pot at DAG Colaba Dr Sengupta shared ldquoIt was the concluding event in which many of his etchings mdash on Bengalrsquos grains fruits and vegetables and occupational groups like milkmen confectioners and bawarchis mdash were scoured to arrive at an approximate understanding of what Bengalrsquos foodways might have looked like around the turn of the 18th century and how those might have been shaped by crosscultural influencesrdquoKanakchur khoier bora Pics CourtesyDAGWith a tasting platter designed by Sujoy Chatterjee and Amar Khamar guests were treated to dishes such as Aakher gurer murki sweetened puffed rice and Kalirai dhaner murki savoury puffed grains Ashish Anand MDCEO DAG added ldquoWe hope to curate more such immersive programmes as they bridge various disciplines to create new ways of understanding art and its connection to our shared historiesrdquoLetrsquos move with prideA moment from a previous session Pics CourtesySuhail AbbasiHerersquos some good news if you like to dance The Humsafar Trust is conducting a special session called Aaya Sawan Jhoom Ke on July 11 where members of the LGBTQiA community can participate in performances and also network Director Suhail Abbasi told us ldquoWe organise themed programmes on two Fridays of every monthSuhail AbbasiThese are safe spaces for the community to hang out together and dress up as they wish In the past we had sessions on mental health and yoga This is a space where they are not judged Being the monsoon season we titled it lsquoAaya Sawan Jhoom Kersquordquo To know more log on to thehumsafartrustofficial on Instagram