08 May,2026 08:17 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
A vendor balances stacks of roses on SV Road in Andheri.
Amrita Sher-Gil. Pic courtesy/Wikimedia Commons (right) Artworks from the exhibition. Pics courtesy/Ildiko Morovszki
When I arrived in India in 2015, I already knew about Amrita Sher-Gil. But I realised not many people in India knew of her," admits Ildiko Morovszki (below), head of secretariat at the Consulate General of Hungary in Mumbai. "I adored her paintings, and as I toured India I began first painting its people, in her style," she revealed, adding that Sher-Gil, who was born in Budapest, spent her early childhood years in Hungary.
Over 70 of Morovszki's works will be part of Hungry for India that will open at the Cymroza Art Gallery on May 18. Among them will be the Promenade series, inspired by her observations of life on Marine Drive. "It is about equality. Marine Drive is where people across class, gender, and religion enjoy their freedom," she added.
Toast, Biscuit, and Khari at the shelter. Pic Courtesy/YODA
Chai, biscuit, khari and toast. Sounds like Mumbaikar's tea break session but these are the names of three-month-old puppies at Youth Organisation in Defence of Animals (YODA). Currently up for adoption, the puppies were found in Thane in January. While their siblings were adopted, Chai, Biscuit, Khari and Toast were left behind.
Meenal Jain, project head at YODA, told this diarist that is a common occurrence for indies to be neglected, "They are very loving and playful, and yet they get left behind because of how they look. We realised that if we give these puppies quirky names it draws attention and helps them find a home." she added.
Participants during a previous walk. Pic courtesy/Bombay Poetry Crawl
Urdu Progressive Poetry Crawl will return to the lanes of Madanpura on May 17, tracing the legacy of erstwhile Bombay's progressive Urdu writers through poetry and storytelling. Organised by Bombay Poetry Crawl along with poet Seema Noor (below), the two-hour walk will revisit cafes, libraries and neighbourhood spots linked to the movement. "The poets were writing about hope, politics and solidarity with struggles across the world. Their work still feels relevant today," said Saranya Subramanian (above), founder. The crawl hopes to connect participants with the city's literary history while exploring how poetry and life continue to shape each other.
A moment from the band's perfomance. Pic courtesy/ABHANGA Repost
Abhanga Repost will celebrate its 11th anniversary with a live performance at Lok Kala Mahotsav in Quepem, Goa on May 10. The Mumbai-based band is known for giving traditional Abhangas a contemporary sound by blending devotional poetry with genres like rock, reggae and pop.
"We wanted the younger generation to connect with Abhangas in a new way. So, we started using Western instruments and modern genres, but the original poetry written by saints like Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar remains unchanged," said Swapnil Tarphe, (left), bass guitarist. The band has been performing across Goa over the past few months and decided to mark the milestone in the state itself. "Goa has given us a lot of love recently, so celebrating our anniversary here felt special," Tarphe told this diarist.
