Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Are they bitingFishermen float on inflated tyre tubes as they look for game in the Manori Creek flow near at MaladMumbairsquos kaalipeelis get a lesson in autismWriter and neurodiversity consultant Gopika Kapoor has always taken the lead when it comes to spreading awareness about people living with autism This time she has reached to Mumbairsquos kaalipeelis for the cause Last week her son Vir who is on the autism spectrum was cheated by a taxi driver of Rs 700 mdashthe actual fare she says was about Rs 40 Vir realised he had been cheated but was anxious and flustered and could not ask for change She and her husband Mohit had to later explain to Vir about the concept of ldquocheatingrdquoGopika KapoorNot one to take this lightly Kapoor reached out to union leader Shashank Rao and AL Quadros general secretary of Mumbai Taximenrsquos Union hoping to speak with the drivers about autism While this was not possible Quadros has agreed to distribute fliers among the drivers she says Kapoor has created the fliers with basic information on autism and dos and donrsquots for drivers in English Hindi and MarathildquoHow a society treats its most vulnerable is a measure of its humanity The developmentally disabled populationmdashthose with autism Down Syndrome intellectual disabilitiesmdashare the most vulnerable of the vulnerable Their independent participation in society whether it is buying a ticket and going for a movie taking public transport or voting in elections is key to their idea of themselves and their selfworth Part of their vulnerability is that they tend to be painfully honest and seldom lie or cheat and while their manner may be perceived to be blunt or rude they are almost never meanrdquo Kapoor told this diaristldquoAs parents we have always tried our best to teach them to negotiate a world that is so different from who they essentially are but now the world needs to do its bit and take responsibility for our children as wellrdquo You can access the flier by reaching out to Kapoor via her Instagram accountA perfect partnershipFormer India captain Kapil Dev on the balcony of the Lordrsquos Stadium where India won its first World Cup in 1983 PicGetty ImagesThe divine and cricket are perfect batting partners at the crease for the upcoming season In a vibrant convergence of sport and culture Mumbairsquos Powai Bengali Welfare Association has Divine Innings as their theme for this yearrsquos Durgotsav to be held from October 19 and 24 in Powai As India gears up to host the ICC Menrsquos World Cup the same month this has added resonance symbolizing the cricketmad nationrsquos love for both the game and festivities Chairman Sourav Mitra says ldquoA replica of the Lords stadium where we won our first World Cup is being built for the Powai Sarvajanik Durgotsav and through this fusion we celebrate Durgotsav and cricketrsquos unifying powerrdquo Not to forget that the World Cup will be being played during this period Perfect timingUmpire Reporterrsquos role in Sunnyrsquos rolePiloo ReporterPopular cricket umpire Piloo Reporter who passed way last Sunday not only graced the greens with dignity he was also instrumental in landing cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar a lead role in a Marathi film titled Savli Premachi 1980Herersquos how The late umpirersquos sister Hutoxi Reporter screen name Madhumati who played Gavaskarrsquos elderly mother was also the producer of the filmSunil Gavaskar with costar Madhumati Hutoxi Reporter in the film Savli PremachiSenior film journalist Chaitanya Padukone tells us how Madhumati disclosed to him the other day that her brother Piloo had told her about Gavaskarrsquos ability to entertain his teammates with his excellent mimicry skills She recalled the cricket great being hesitant to don an actorrsquos avatar but was convinced in the end Madhumati also recalled their shoots every Tuesday Piloo was not only a fine observer but a fine judge of talent in other spheres as well God bless his soulRohit may want to change that capRohit SharmaWe love the way India captain Rohit Sharma goes about tackling the media at press conferences He doesnrsquot hold back appears convincing with his explanations and yet he doesnrsquot play to the gallery to invite controversy either But the caps he has been wearing at the last two press conferences that we watched on our television sets hmm The New York Yankees cap may be more appropriate for his social media posts but for press conferences like the ones he recently addressed hersquod appear more proper with the India limited overs cap Speaking of caps our inhouse cricket nut remembers Mark Taylor addressing the media after losing to Mumbai at the Brabourne Stadium in the build up to the 1998 Test series Suddenly Taylor discovered someone placing a cap on his head It was former Australia wicketkeeper Ray Phillips the Fosterrsquos representative accompanying the team The sponsorrsquos cap at media briefings was probably part of the deal and Taylor didnrsquot seem to have a problem with that