07 December,2024 07:04 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Rane Ashish
Two parakeets take a breather under the Kurla Flyover near Lokmanya Tilak Terminus amidst soaring temperatures in the city
Satyajit Padhye performs with Bandya
We heard through the grapevine that ventriloquist Satyajit Padhye's puppet Bandya has been brushing up his British accent lately. "I will be taking Bandya to Leicester for the European Marathi Sammelan in July next year. We're excited because it will be the first time I'll be performing for an audience in England," Padhye revealed. The upcoming edition of the cultural convention will also mark its return after the COVID-19 pandemic brought programming to a halt in 2020. "I will perform in Marathi and English, and I'm working on perfecting a short and sweet performance that will resonate with the children in the audience," he told this diarist.
The book will feature folktales from neighbourhoods like Kalbadevi. PIC COURTESY/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The Mythology Project's work on the myths and folktales of Mumbai, which this newspaper featured in April this year, is shaping into a full-fledged book in collaboration with INTACH.
"The book will feature some untold stories that we usually leave out of the talks due to time constraints," Utkarsh Patel, co-founder, told us. "There is some additional anthropological work that will add to the existing research. We are hoping to release the book within 18 months," Katyayani Agarwal, convenor, INTACH-Mumbai added.
Shafi Shaikh performs at a cypher
A global hip-hop initiative next weekend will witness rap groups from the hills of Shimla and Dehradun to the streets of Ontario head out to public spaces and livestream their cyphers live at the same time. Kurla-based rapper Shafi Shaikh, who will join the initiative headlined by Canadian rapper Spitty shared, "My 40-member crew is ready to give it our all. Representing Mumbai's street culture globally is a dream come true." To watch the live stream on December 15, log on to @globalcypherday on Instagram.
A moment from a previous convention
What began as a hobby for founders Prashant Maheshwari and Mohit Goel has grown into Meeplecon, a boardgame convention set to unfold this weekend at a mall in Kurla. "It's an opportunity to explore games and celebrate Indian designers and publishers. We're also launching a set of five awards across different categories to recognise these talents," said Goel. The event will host the national level competition for the boardgame Settlers of Catan as well as a workshop by national puzzle champion Prasanna Seshadri.
Students gather at the library (right) Adarsh Priyadarshi
A ray of hope is emanating from Powai's Jai Bhim Nagar where residents continue to recover from the June 6 demolitions. Sabki Library, a makeshift library run by collegians from across the city, is ensuring education doesn't take the backseat amid the conflict. "With many families currently living in makeshift homes on the footpaths of the neighbourhood, the children are finding it difficult to study, socialise and stay active after sunset. Sabki Library is a safe space where these children gather after 7 pm to not only study and finish working on their homework, but to also participate in extra-curricular activities like movie screenings, discussions and music," revealed Adarsh Priyadarshi, a PhD scholar from IIT Bombay who volunteers at the library. The collective is now calling for volunteers from across disciplines, with a focus on science, to join the efforts. "We noticed that science remains a subject that the children struggle with because of the many technical intricacies," he added. Those interested in volunteering can call 8197139622.
