09 August,2024 06:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
A diverse spread of footwear line a popular stretch along Linking Road in Bandra.
If, like this diarist, you are worried about the Mercury retrograde and its effects, then Arvind Paranjpye has a few wise words for you about the phenomenon that began on August 4 and will end on August 27. The director of the Nehru Planetarium remarked, "It is an optical illusion similar to what happens when one of two trains moving at the same speed slows down. From your perspective, it feels as though the other train is reversing. It has nothing to do with life on Earth. The phenomenon has always puzzled humans. It was this odd movement that led to the Greeks calling these celestial bodies, planetes - Greek for wandering stars," he said. For amateur astronomer Milind Desai, the experience is worth capturing on camera. "Every planet retrogrades since it orbits the sun. Mercury is closer [to the Sun] and faster than Earth in this respect," he shared.
Nothing says freedom like the growl of a Lamborghini's engine. For members of the Super Car Club Garage in Thane, the Independence Day weekend will be a chance to open up the throttle and let their machines breathe free. The community is planning a parade of supercars to commemorate the special day. "It is a celebration of Independence Day with the community. With over 200 members, most of them from Mumbai, we are hoping to showcase the best of our community. Already, 42 members have signed up for the parade; we are expecting nearly 100 participants," shared Arvaan Joshi (inset), representative of the community. The parade will begin with a flag hoisting at the garage in Thane's Pokhran Road 1, before heading across the Atal Setu bridge, and turning back. "You can expect a fleet of supercars including Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Porsches that attract crowds," Joshi told this diarist.
The newly-announced line-up for the Ziro Music Festival in Arunachal Pradesh will see Mumbaikars, Saniya MQ and Hanita Bhambri tee up alongside the heavyweights of Parvaaz, Niladri Kumar and Parikrama. Aside from the joy of performing in the idyllic climes of Ziro, Bhambri shared, "This year's line-up is absolutely electric. I'm especially excited to see Hanumankind bring his fresh, raw energy to the festival." For the teenage rap sensation from Govandi, Saniya MQ, the festival will mark a debut. "Performing at the festival there, with artistes from different states is exciting. I will definitely be performing Mayanagari, my tribute to the city of Mumbai," she revealed.
The young filmmakers of the ongoing film programme by the NGO Nazaria received a visit by Laapata Ladies director Kiran Rao last weekend. "As part of the programme, we screen films, and Laapata Ladies was among them. One of the mentors happened to write to Rao, and she obliged with a visit. The kids were delighted to ask about her journey, making films, and discuss their projects," revealed co-founder Riddhi Samarth.
While others might think of Mumbai as a city too crowded for animals, illustrator Ishneet Ahluwalia (below) chose to capture the inherent correlations between its crowded marketplaces and its strays. A pet rescue volunteer who feeds around 25 to 30 strays daily, Ahluwalia shared, "Cats and dogs are a very big part of my life,
Wherever I am, they are. I have made a connection with my rescue work," she expressed. Her art about the city captures this dynamic relationship among fisherwomen as they yell, clean, and sell fish while letting the cats mill about. The illustration by the designer highlights the bond between strays and the community caring for them, by providing medical care or fish bones for them to fight over. "Mumbai will always be my number one city; the colours of the kaali-peeli will forever be etched in my heart," she concluded.
