Hey, how’s it growing?

Actor Bishal Rungta was one of many who found themselves out of work during the Coronavirusinduced lockdownWith time on hand he decided to take up gardening ldquoBeing a nature lover I have always had questions about the destruction that we are causing by using plastic products and the longtime implications of it I also realised that I was being a contributor to the problem as all my planters were plasticFittonia GreenAs luck would have it I was talking to my aunt and she reminded me about the terracotta planters that we once had at homerdquo Rungta is now the founder of EcoGardening a homegrown venture that offers hardy plants and terracotta planters made by local potters They have also tied up with a few households in Bhiwandi to procure paper bags that they use for their deliveriesTerracotta planters made by potters in DharavildquoInstead of using a mainstream logistics company we thought why not rope in youngsters from underprivileged backgrounds living in and around Versova for deliveriesrdquo They offer plants that thrive in tropical climate like Areca palm Monstera Fiddle Leaf Snake Plant and AgloenemaBishal RungtaApart from this they also have perennial flowering plants like Mogra Hibiscus Ixora Adenium and Champa ldquoWe are helping local potters design their terracotta planters as we realised that design was one of the main reasons why they were failing to attract customers as compared to ceramic or plastic plantersrdquoEcogardening_ InstagramPainting utopiaTherersquos something dreamy about art that captures the beauty of life We felt that way when we chanced upon Goabased artist Richa Kashelkarrsquos paintings which capture everything from vernacular and heritage architecture to fabrics and the local flora and fauna Her hues mostly pastel draw you into her world as she sees it or imagines it to be From a couple seated with their backs against each other which she has titled Companionable Silence to the riveting architectural details captured in her work Art Deco Bombay the rolling hillscapes of Goa and the stillness of time as witnessed from a Goan balcao Kashelkarrsquos works are a visual treat as deep and vivid as a real photographldquoI started painting because I felt a limitation with photography in trying to convey what Irsquom imagining The only medium that comes close to visually translating your imagination and letting you express so freely is paintingrdquo admits the artist ldquoWhen I started out I didnrsquot have a set idea in mind about what I wanted to paint I just did whatever appealed to me naturally But looking back now I can see a clear pull towards depicting a certain utopiamdashboth in terms of ideas and materialsrdquo She takes inspiration from a world where ldquopeople are inseparable from nature in moments of repose contemplation and wonderrdquoRicha KashelkarldquoI like to think of a world where all the beauties and mysteries of life are held sacred with love and basked inrdquo she says Her artworks which are on sale are available on Giclee prints These printers use 12 pigmentbased inks instead of the usual four dyebased inks so colour reproduction is more accurate the artist shares Kashelkarrsquos artworks are priced at Rs 2800 and abovehttpsstorerichakashelkarcomWhere selfcare meets planetcareThere is a delicate balance between our health and our planetrsquos Abhishek Kumar and Rhea Shukla cofounders of The Switch Fix TSF are conscious of the fact that what we consume affects our planet and that in turn affects our wellbeingmdashmental and physical Reading about our depleting water sources that are continually pumped with toxins and plastic from the beauty and personal care industry the founders were determined to remove water and plastic from a product we all use regularly The result was clean and conscious personal care that helps the user curb the damage caused to their scalp hair and skin by pollution heat humidity and stress Their products are plantbased plasticfree and help to save waterAs they like to say ldquoitrsquos where selfcare meets planetcarerdquo TSF has recently introduced a new line of vegan shampoo bars With their expertise and ldquowild tamed by sciencerdquo approach they have created plantbased bars that are easy to lather promising gentle cleansing and conditioning There are seven shampoo bars that solve problems such as hair fall flakiness dryness and frizziness As opposed to other shampoos TSFrsquos shampoo bars are sulfatefree parabenfree phthalatefree and also free of harmful chemicals derived from petroleum TSFrsquos shampoo bars are suitable specifically for the Indian scalp and hair types They offer varieties like Acai of Relief made using antioxidantrich acai berries plant keratin and onion extract to fight hair fall the BlueTeaFul Shampoo Bar formulated with blue pea flower extract that is especially soothing for a sensitive and flaky scalp and the Mylky Way Shampoo Bar cocreated with Goodmylk utilising the latterrsquos proteinrich plant milk to tame the frizziness caused by heat and humidity They also have the Viva La Sative for dry and damaged hair Play It Coal for scalp buildup Slay with Clay for oily scalps and The Grape Escape for colourtreated hair TSFrsquos shampoo bars are priced at Rs 429httpstheswitchfixcoTales of humanityUlka Mayur who has a doctorate in Literature from Mumbai University started the theatre company The Story Circus in 2010 with screenwriter and actor Mayur Puri as a platform to showcase her love for storytelling and theatre In 2020 she decided to take to digital media to tell stories for a series titled 21 Shades of Humanity Directed and produced by Mayur the series documents the personal narratives of 21 peopleActor Chandan Roy Sanyal during the shooting of an episode of 21 Shades of HumanityldquoEach story brings out a distinct shade of humanity such as giving goodness poignance and loverdquo says Mayur So far the series has released eight episodes featuring people like Sadiya Siddiqui Danish Husain Chandan Roy Sanyal Bhavna Pani and Rahul Pandey ldquoHistory captures horrifying events But as Gandhiji points out in Hind Swaraj there must be plenty of good things that happen too but are never documented I strongly believe that for our wellbeing we need to document and propagate the positive storiesmdashstories that might not be dramatic or overthetop but of little moments where humanity shonerdquo Mayur pointed outOne episode features textile designer Hima Dholakia who is hearingimpaired Mayur recalls that during the shoot Dholakia struggled to fathom instructions which made her understand the challenges of her daytoday life Another episode was with actor Danish Husain ldquoDanish being the master storyteller that he is had many to share In the final cut the story that we have retained is a beautiful one about how one can give while keeping the dignity of the recipient intactrdquo Mayur says The show releases a new video every alternate SaturdayStory Circus YouTubeCurated by Jane Borges Kasturi Gadge and Cynera Rodricks