Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Rolling in the deep
Young skaters learn the ropes at All India Balkan-Ji-Bari in Santacruz West.

Appt way to travel in time

The Jaya He Museum is housed in the T2 terminal of CSMIA

With travel taking a backseat amid the pandemic, the Jaya He Museum, housed in the T2 terminal of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), has launched an app for travellers around the globe to get a peek into the museum. The app, available on App Store and Play Store, enables users to tune into interesting tales about the artefacts at the museum and how it was set up. Rekha Nair, head of airport services and museum director, said that it is perfect for art aficionados who like to travel through the rich history and culture of India, without giving up the comfort of their homes. "At CSMIA, it is always our endeavour to be an agent of change by creating meaningful experiences. The app is designed to allow users to explore the fascinating stories of the country, reinterpreted through six thematic compo-sitions," she added.

New beginnings at CSMVS
Even as the George Wittet-designed Indo-Saracenic landmark undergoes extensive restoration, staff at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) is working in fifth gear towards their centenary celebrations that are a year away. "The first half will offer a virtual itinerary for obvious reasons; we'll gradually introduce physical events, based on how things pan out," Sabyasachi Mukherjee, director general, CSMVS, told this diarist.

Director general Sabyasachi Mukherjee

There's a book on the museum in the offing too, that he will pen with leading architect Rahul Mehrotra, who had designed the Children's Museum within its premises. Like most institutions that depend on footfalls, the city's museums and cultural centres continue to bear the brunt of the lockdown. However, we are happy to report that CSMVS has opened its doors to visitors in small numbers, on a prior-appointment basis.

The crest on the facade reveals ‘G' and ‘V', representing King George V, who was Prince of Wales before he became the king. CSMVS was formerly named after the Prince of Wales

"The city is starved of large, open spaces; people have been cooped up in their homes for nearly 10 months now. Stimulation of this kind is important for the mind and body. We've provided chairs on our lawns where visitors can relax with the canopies of green and historic building for company. We're hopeful that the museum can reopen fully by next month," Mukherjee revealed. Send an email to csmvsmumbai@gmail.com for a free guided walk inside the museum.

Peek into the lives of artistes
From social exclusion and political threats to online trolling, artistes in India have braved all kinds of adversities over the years. Bandish 20-20,000 Hz is a play by theatre initiative Aadyam that seeks to depict these struggles, or ‘bandish'-es - which is Urdu for being bound or stopped and also refers to composition in Hindustani music.

A previous staging of the play

On January 26, the play, which features Anubha Fatehpuria, Danish Husain, Harsh Khurana, Hitesh Bhojraj, Ipshita Singh Chakraborty and Nivedita Bhargava, will give us a peak into the lives of a nautanki singer and a baithak (classical) singer who meet in the green room before an Independence Day function, exchanging anecdotes about their glory days.

The play also features melodies by Shubha Mudgal. About the online showcase, director Purva Naresh (left) said, "I am happy that the shows have been scheduled around Republic Day. What better time to explore ‘bandish' than in the con-text of freedom and Republic Day?"

A class act

Some of the kids from the class that will benefit from the fundraiser

The past year was incredibly tough for school students, who had to adapt to virtual classes from home for the first time. But while some had the financial wherewithal to buy the necessary equipment such as laptops and smartphones, others were left in the lurch since they simply couldn't afford such expensive gadgets. Thirty-one such fifth-grade students of Ja'fari English High School in Govandi faced this pinch, and had to stall their education temporarily. But they now have a helping hand from two of their teachers, Bhagyashree Nambiar and Anisha Chamaria, who have started a crowdfunding exercise to sponsor learning devices, data charges, fees and stationary for these pupils. They are looking to raise Rs 2 lakh, and shared, "Children from the low-income community have taken a huge hit and we strongly believe that education is the right of every child." Log on to ketto.org to contribute to the cause.

Mediterranean flavours come to Thane

Mumbaikars seem to be really lapping up Middle Eastern cuisine. Last week, we had written about the opening of Diablo Mumbai, and now, this diarist hears that Sumac Haute Cuisine is the latest addition to the F&B scene, and brings the flavours of Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, and Middle East to Thane. It's helmed by chef Bhairav Panchal, who has previously worked in the kitchen at Taj Land's End, apart from a plethora of restaurants abroad. "We create an experience of warmth and comfort through the vibe and food, highlighting diverse flavours from the rich Mediterranean cuisine," the chef said, adding that they also host live musical performances over the weekend.