<h2>So long, Gharial!</h2>
<p>A young visitor&rsquo;s attempt to pet a gharial at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Zoo is blocked by a protective glass panel.</p>
<h2>Haikyuu, Mumbai</h2>
<p><img title="The group cosplays as the characters from the new anime movie " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/jun/dos-june-four-b_e.jpg" alt="The group cosplays as the characters from the new anime movie " width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>The group cosplays as the characters from the new anime movie&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
<p>When members of Mumbai Anime Corps (MAC) decided to dress up last weekend, it was a different experience for most Mumbaikars. The group donned their best cosplay of Haruichi Furudate&rsquo;s manga, Haikyuu!! as they attended a special screening for fans in Parel. &ldquo;The movie made its way to Mumbai after a long wait, we saw it premiering worldwide in May, and had to wait for our turn. To celebrate, we decided to get a few of our members to cosplay as the characters,&rdquo; Rivika Khanna, founder, MAC, said. Working through the week, the team grinded it out despite the Mumbai heat. &ldquo;Cosplaying in the heat with make-up on is an ordeal. The wigs can be heavy and hard to manage; but it&rsquo;s worth it. People loved it, and came up to talk to us about details,&rdquo; she revealed. With a meet-up for die-hard fans coming up later this year, Khanna hopes the fans will only grow in number.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Customer is king</h2>
<p><img title="The well-stocked auto rickshaw" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/jun/dos-june-four-c_e.jpg" alt="The well-stocked auto rickshaw" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>The well-stocked auto rickshaw</em></strong></p>
<p>Hailing an auto rickshaw in Mumbai is a game of skill, persistence, and more importantly, luck. This was surely on actor Shakunt Joshipura&rsquo;s side last Sunday. The actor stepped into an auto in DN Nagar, Andheri, only to find goodies like magazines, a first aid kit, earbuds, tissues, and an ashtray. &ldquo;I was confused at first. The driver informed me that it was a gesture of support for the many struggling actors who frequent the locality to make a living in this heat,&rdquo; Joshipura told this diarist. &nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s moments like this that remind you what a privilege living in Mumbai is,&rdquo; he shared with us.&nbsp;</p>
<h2>These comedians aren&rsquo;t kidding &nbsp;</h2>
<p><img title="Rugved Paranjpe and Anannya Pathak" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/jun/dos-june-four-d_e.jpg" alt="Rugved Paranjpe and Anannya Pathak" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Rugved Paranjpe and Anannya Pathak</em></strong></p>
<p>Laughing at a child on stage will usually draw some concerned stares. But at Chota Packet Bada Dhamaka, a children&rsquo;s stand-up comedy show held in Matunga on Sunday, young performers left the audience with no choice. &ldquo;Children are naturally great storytellers, and humour comes organically to them,&rdquo; remarked organiser Pallavi Wagh Kelkar. Giving us a recap over a call, 11-year-old participant Rugved Paranjpe humoured us, &ldquo;My favourite bit is about my neighbour. Her name is Shanti; but we&rsquo;ve hardly ever seen her silent.&rdquo; To this, 13-year-old Anannya Pathak pulled out her best punchline. &ldquo;My set is about teachers. I will talk about my teacher who loves a good surprise... test,&rdquo; she chuckled. &nbsp;</p>
<h2>Log journal of trees&nbsp;</h2>
<p><img title="(Left) The artwork featuring gulmohar flowers; (right) the bombax ceiba panels " src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/jun/dos-june-four-e_e.jpg" alt="(Left) The artwork featuring gulmohar flowers; (right) the bombax ceiba panels " width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>(Left) The artwork featuring gulmohar flowers; (right) the bombax ceiba panels&nbsp;</em></strong></p>
<p>This time of the year is usually blocked on Dahisar-based illustrator Sefi George&rsquo;s calendar to step out and sketch sights from nature for International Nature Journaling Week. This year, however, the illustrator has a different approach. &ldquo;I fell ill, and I couldn&rsquo;t step out. So, I started turning the memories I have with nature into art,&rdquo; she shared. Her latest artworks are dedicated to the gulmohar and bombax ceiba, or red silk cotton species. &ldquo;Gulmohars are not native to Mumbai, nor does our weather suit them. Every year, the BMC trims the trees&rsquo; branches to avoid accidents. Still, they persist. It seemed like the perfect fit for the day&rsquo;s theme &mdash; growth and development,&rdquo; she revealed to us. For day three yesterday, George took inspiration from the bombax ceiba. &ldquo;Dahisar is home to many native trees. I spotted this species at a local park in the neighbourhood. It caught my eye and I spent a year logging its transformation through the seasons. The artwork is a collation of those logs,&rdquo; she informed us. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><img title="Sefi George" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/jun/dos-june-four-f_e.jpg" alt="Sefi George" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<h2>Pride and unity&nbsp;</h2>
<p><img title="Uttara Jadhav (centre) at the event held in Shivaji Nagar in Pune" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/jun/dos-june-four-g_e.jpg" alt="Uttara Jadhav (centre) at the event held in Shivaji Nagar in Pune" width="1280" height="720" /><strong><em>Uttara Jadhav (centre) at the event held in Shivaji Nagar in Pune</em></strong></p>
<p>For two cities that spend most of the year trying to one-up each other, Mumbai and Pune sure know when to dial it down to join forces. The Pune Pride last Sunday saw some familiar faces from Mumbai. Sweekar, a Mumbai-based community of parents of LGBTQiA+ individuals, showed up with pride colours to show their solidarity. &ldquo;Many young individuals came to us for help with coming out to their parents. It was heart-warming but it reminds us that we still have a long way to go in making inclusivity the norm,&rdquo; shared Uttara Jadhav, a member. Dhruv Goenka from the Humsafar Trust, who was also at the event, added, &ldquo;The atmosphere was electric. I was surprised to see corporate firms backing the movement unabashedly, something we could use here in Mumbai.&rdquo;</p>

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

Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

So long, Gharial!

Haikyuu, Mumbai

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