The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Loving the lal dupatta
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A girl flaunts her dupatta as people soak up the sun at Girgaon Chowpatty.
GI tag for Kutch Ajrakh
Close-up of the Ajrakh form of block printing. Pic Courtesy/Youtube; (right) Dr Ismail Mohammed Khatri
The art of textile block printing practised in the Kutch region received a stamp of global acceptance with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Government of India earlier this week. This region is now recognised as the holder of the claim to produce Ajrakh. The craft originated among the herder community of the region, Dr Ismail Mohammed Khatri, one of the campaigners for the tag, shared. “The news has not yet spread through the village, but it is such a thrill to finally receive the honour,” the master artisan told Mid-day. The application process began almost a decade ago. “We did not know how to go about it, and struggled for a long time to collate documents and prove its ancestry and authenticity.” With the Textile Committee stepping in, things moved swiftly, he shared. “The digital marker will prevent replicas from entering the market, while also giving our artisans recognition on the global stage. It is a validation for the work of countless generations,” he remarked. When this diarist probed on how the creators of Ajrakh in other regions might respond to the news, Dr Khatri said, “The reactions to receiving the tag have been one of happiness because it is a print unique to this specific region.”
Chinapa relives his destiny
Band members Michelle Williams, Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland with Nikhil Chinapa
When DJ Nikhil Chinapa’s six-year-old daughter decided it was time to dig up some old photographs and learn about her parents’ past, amid pictures of Chinapa and his wife Pearl, she found one photograph where her father was posing with three unfamiliar women. “Papa, who are they?” She asked. The women in question, unbeknownst to the Gen Alpha kid, were the members of the early 2000 famous girl band Destiny’s Child. “This picture was taken in 2001, just before the release of their album Survivor. We met in Phuket as part of a conference by Sony Music. I was required to interview them as a representative from India,” recalled Chinapa over a call with this diarist. Soon after his daughter discovered it, he decided to make a throwback post. “Coincidentally, I learned immediately after posting, that this week also happens to be when their album Survivor turns 23!” he chuckled.
Vote, India
A first-time voter outside a polling station; (right) Chaitanya Prabhu
As the second phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections ends, not-for-profit Mark Your Presence Organisation has announced a campaign, My Election My Pride, to promote voting. “Every voter will have an experience to share. We will feature these stories on our platform. The idea is to evoke a sense of pride among them,” shared founder Chaitanya Prabhu, who, since 2018, has managed to get five lakh people registered with the national voter service portal. “Our next campaign, Youth Manifesto, which is launching on May 2, demystifies the common belief that the GenZ don’t care about elections,” he revealed.
Mumbai’s biodiversity
Participants can click pictures of various species of plants and animals and share them on free mobile apps like iNaturalist by April 29. Results will be announced on May 6
As part of the ongoing City Nature Challenge, World Wide Fund for Nature-India launched the ninth edition of the biodiversity hunt yesterday, which urges people of the 206 Indian cities to photograph the biodiversity in their neighbourhood. “Mumbai has a rich diversity of plants which attract insects and birds. One can easily spot sunbirds, bulbuls, and don’t forget the insects,” suggests Komal Chaudhary, senior manager, media and PR, WWF.
Veni flies to Japan
Anjali Patil as Varsha in a moment from the film; (Right) Vishal Jejurkar
After three years of efforts, director Vishal Jejurkar’s dream was finally realised when he was informed that his short film in Marathi, Veni, has been selected for a premiere at Japan’s Short Shorts Film Festival, an Oscar Qualifying Film Festival. “We were screaming over the phone when we heard about the results,” shared Anjali Patil, founder of the production company Anahat Films, who also played the lead character, Varsha. This 2023 film delves into the challenges faced by middle- class-families, and the emotional journey of caregiving for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease.
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