<h2>Who&rsquo;s the boss?</h2>
A stray appears to be tailing a rider and his horse on <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-illegal-sand-mining-racket-busted-in-versova-sea-23585055" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Versova Beach</a>.
<h2>Bandra gets lit</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Literary-festival_e.jpg" alt="A session in progress from the 2025 edition of the literary festival" width="1280" height="720" /> A session in progress from the 2025 edition of the literary festival
Bibliophiles in Mumbai can look forward to the second edition of the Read A Kitaab literature festival. The collective will bring together readers and writers under the same roof and is scheduled to be held from February 28 and March 1 at Title Waves and St Pauls Media Complex in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-now-bandra-residents-seek-relief-from-two-wheeler-pain-23594902" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Bandra</a>. The two-day festival foregrounds a reader-first approach to literature.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Anurag-Kothar_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;The fest will include author conversations, poetry sessions, panel discussions, workshops for children, and book launches with esteemed authors such as Shanta Gokhale, Radhakrishnan Pillai, and director RS Prasanna in attendance,&rdquo; said co-founders Anurag Kothari (above) and Ekta Bhandari. Kothari and Bhandari mentioned that they hope the festival will become a space where stories do not just get read but get lived, shared, and remembered. For more details, log on to @readakitaab.
<h2>A different text</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Dr-Ammannur-Rajaneesh_e.jpg" alt="Dr Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar in a Kutiyattam performance. Pic Courtesy/@dr.rajneeshchakyar" width="1280" height="720" /> Dr Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar in a Kutiyattam performance. Pic Courtesy/@dr.rajneeshchakyar
DOES music inform movement? Participants at the upcoming workshop, Natya Lahari, by Studio Tamaasha might have a chance to find out. The city-based theatre group has invited Kutiyattam exponent Dr Ammannur Rajaneesh Chakyar to host a residential workshop as part of their UsPaar residency in February. &ldquo;He had previously visited us when we were in Aram Nagar (Versova). Traditional art forms are codified, and inculcate a certain rigour in practice. Moreover, it opens up certain possibilities,&rdquo; shared founder Sunil Shanbag. With the deadline tomorrow, interested readers would do well to log on to @studiotamaasha.
<h2>A masterclass off stage</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Concert-a_e.jpg" alt="(Above, from left) Pinchas Zukerman, Mehroo Jeejeebhoy, and Lang Lang watch the students of the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation perform; (below) Zukerman shares his observations with the students. Pics Courtesy/MMMF" width="1280" height="720" /> (Above, from left) Pinchas Zukerman, Mehroo Jeejeebhoy, and Lang Lang watch the students of the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation perform; (below) Zukerman shares his observations with the students. Pics Courtesy/MMMF
Last week, musical patrons witnessed maestro Zubin Mehta&rsquo;s (inset) 90th birthday celebrations in advance where fellow musicians Pinchas Zukerman and Lang Lang joined in. For students of the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation (MMMF) though, it was a rare treat as a lucky few presented a private performance for both guests.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Zukerman-1_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
While pianist Yash Prabhu rendered a performance of Chopin&rsquo;s Nocturne No 20, the Nota Bene Trio of Aisha Bhansali (violin), Ananya Kulkarni (cello) and Aatish Dhawan (piano) performed Winter from &lsquo;Seasons&rsquo; by Astor Piazzolla.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Zukerman-2_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;It was a surreal experience. We had a chance to watch Lang Lang warm up. The attention to detail was a lesson in itself,&rdquo; shared Dhawan. For 17-year-old cellist Kulkarni, Zukerman had tips. &ldquo;He gave me suggestions to improve my posture. He was so calm, and jovial throughout,&rdquo; she revealed. Bhansali concluded, &ldquo;They are &lsquo;Gods&rsquo; when it comes to music. It was surreal.&rdquo;
<h2>It&rsquo;s the final countdown</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Grace-cliches_e.jpg" alt="Grace n the Cliches during a show. Pic Courtesy/@grace.n.the.cliches" width="1280" height="720" /> Grace n the Cliches during a show. Pic Courtesy/@grace.n.the.cliches
While some music gigs might be facing uncertain times, the Mahindra Blues Festival is moving ahead on schedule. In fact, the band hunt for this year&rsquo;s edition is set to be conducted tomorrow. This diarist has been told that after a long and rigorous elimination process that began in December is on its final leg this week. Three bands have already made it to the final cut. The <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/passengers-deplaned-from-akasa-air-pune-bengaluru-flight-after-last-minute-glitch-23611800" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Bengaluru</a>-based R&amp;B and jazz collective, Grace n the Cliches will be joined by the Mojo Tribe, and the Ahmedabad-based OneNation in a final face-off at antiSOCIAL tomorrow. The winners stand a chance to perform at the festival on February 14 and 15. With Zubin Balaporia, Ehsan Noorani, and Loy Mendonsa leading the judges&rsquo; panel, the three bands will helm a special show tomorrow evening for music fans.
<h2>Novel meets traditional</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Praneetha-Yenduri_e.jpg" alt="A view of the koluvu created by Praneetha Yenduri" width="1280" height="720" /> A view of the koluvu created by Praneetha Yenduri
For Dr Praneetha Yenduri, the festival of Pongal comes with more than just the promise of good food. &ldquo;Every year, I spend a week creating handcrafted dolls and figurines (koluvu) that speak to a particular theme.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jan/Praneetha-Yenduri-a_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
This year, I spent a week recreating the hills of Tirupati using the leftover delivery bags, newspapers and tissues in a sustainable manner,&rdquo; the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-rcf-police-arrest-tanker-driver-for-damaging-chembur-fuel-pipeline--23603905" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Chembur</a> resident shared.&nbsp;

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce: A stray appears to be tailing a rider and his horse on Versova Beach

Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier | The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

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The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Who’s the boss?

Bandra gets lit

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