28 July,2026 09:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Devashish Kamble
Students of the Chhandam School of Kathak. PIC COURTESY/@chhandam_india
Raindrops keep falling on my head, and it seems fitting that three performing artiste troupes have come to bloom in the city just in time. Raindrops and Rhythms, a showcase by the Tender Roots not-for-profit initiative that aims to expose children to the vast treasure of performing arts, will present a window into folk art onstage later this week.
Nandini Mahesh
"Children today are drowning in academic pressure. They seem to be disconnected from the performing arts, the stage, the many textures of live sound and light. Watching a performance online isn't half of the true experience. If they don't know what treasures the world of Indian folk art holds, the traditions might fade to oblivion soon," says co-founder Nandini Mahesh.
Moved by the increasing dearth of younger audiences at cultural showcases, Nandini and Mahesh Babu have been organising children's art festivals in the city since 2014, while simultaneously giving folk artistes in rural India incentive to keep in touch with their traditions. The two worlds will meet in Prabhadevi on a pleasant monsoon morning this Friday.
ON July 31; 11.15 am
AT Ravindra Natya Mandir, near Siddhivinayak Temple, Prabhadevi.
CALL 9323930139 (for queries and bookings)
>> The Langa Repertoire
A young group from Western Rajasthan rooted in the Langa folk-music tradition will perform monsoon-special songs at their first major performance.
>> Chhandam School of Kathak
Founded by Kathak exponent Pandit Chitresh Das of Kolkata, this Kathak academy will present a young troupe that is upholding the traditional dance form.
PIC COURTESY/ARTISTE
>> Hrishikesh Majumdar
Taking after his father and guru, Pandit Ronu Majumdar, flautist Hrishikesh Majumdar (above) will serenade the audience with a flute recital. He will be joined by budding musicians Siddhesh Mhatre, Megh Pote, and Mukundraj Kadam.
Sign your children up for these hands-on activities that will keep them off-screen
PIC COURTESY/ROOTS NATURE CLUB
Back to nature
Led by the Roots Nature Club, this three-part monsoon exploration camp will teach young participants the value of observing the natural world around them.
ON August 8
AT Bombay Natural History Society-Conservation and Education Centre, Goregaon.
LOG ON TO @rootsnatureclub
PIC COURTESY/PLAYSEUM
It's all light
This limited-time edutainment experience encourages visitors to play with shadows, paint with glow-in-the dark paint, and learn how light really works.
ON July 29 and 30
AT Playseum, Linking Road, Santacruz West.
LOG ON TO district.in
