24 July,2026 07:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Atul Kamble
An indie strolls past police personnel posted at the Shivaji Park protest site on Tuesday
Dipna Daryanani at Juhu Circle. PIC COURTESY/@provocauteure
It was a full circle moment, quite literally, for educator-artist Dipna Daryanani and theatremaker Tanvi Shah, who took to their home turf of Juhu to spread a timely message. Commuters and passers-by at Juhu Circle were greeted by a placard that read âDon't be afraid to care' by Daryanani and âWhat question did you ask today as a citizen?' by Shah. Daryanani told this diarist that the move was inspired by a senior citizen who would often stand at the same spot, with a message about love. In line with official restrictions imposed on gatherings, those who wish to take a leaf from the duo's book would do well to find their own corners to sow the seeds of change.
Merlin Dsouza, Vivienne Pocha and Hamsika Iyer
Two's a company and three is a party for award-winning music director and pianist Merlin Dsouza. Ahead of an onstage comeback at a BKC venue this weekend with long-time collaborator and vocalist, Vivienne Pocha, she's looking forward to inviting vocalist Hamsika Iyer into the tribe. Listeners might recall the last time Dsouza and Pocha shared the stage as bandmates at Indiva, the all-women folk-fusion band. "After our journey with Indiva, celebrating cultural diversity, it's now time to herald back timeless English and Hindi retro classics," she told this diarist. For the uninitiated, the trio has contributed to classics such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Ra.One, and countless popular jingles, between them. "Coming back on stage feels like picking up a beautiful conversation with the audience," Pocha told this diarist. Now we're talking.
Vincenzo Capuano with his golden scissors; (left) Bellaria pizza
Pizzerias in the city might soon have tough, or should we say dough, competition. Naples-born World Champion of Pizza Vincenzo Capuano opened doors to his first restaurant in the city at a Lower Parel space on Tuesday. The third-generation chef has a few interesting surprises up his sleeve, including a pair of golden scissors. Experts like Capuano use the shiny snippers to cut pizzas without deflating or damaging the crust, we learnt. "India has one of the most curious, food-forward dining communities in the world. Mumbai was always where this had to begin," reveals the pizzaiolo. That's Italian for a skilled pizza maker, by the way. Is there a term for skilled eaters?
Shanta Gokhale. FILE PIC
Remember the delight of wandering into a library for the first time? For the celebrated author, bibliophile and critic, Shanta Gokhale, it has been a lifetime of friendships with books. They all find a place in her latest title, Of Ancestors and Friends: A Life in Books (Speaking Tiger). The work carries a touch of nostalgia with the Sahitya Akademi awardee looking back on her reading life, and recalling books and writers she has loved and returned to often, from Shri Na Pendse to Kiran Nagarkar and UR Ananthamurthy, to Jane Austen and Jean Paul Sartre. Gokhale also fills the book with anecdotes of her own reading journey like finding dusty tomes, inscriptions in second-hand books. Now, that's a serious reader.
