17 April,2026 08:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Ashish Raje
A young cyclist sporting a bright red helmet leads his friends on the rocky cemented walkway along Dadar beach
Vanraj Shastri (right) Ganesh Murali Iyer. PIC COURTESY/ARTISTE's INSTAGRAM
While President Vladimir Putin confirmed his attendance at the upcoming BRICS Summit in India yesterday, Chembur has already sent its finest to Moscow. Mridangam artiste Ganesh Murali Iyer is all set to get feet tapping at the BRICS Melody festival in Russia's Ulyanovsk and Moscow next week. Travelling with the Sangam Ensemble featuring Vanraj Shastri, Shantanu Mayee, Hrishikesh Majumdar, and Ninad Adhikari, the percussionist revealed a special presentation of raag Jhinjhoti and Keeravani is in the plans. "BRICS is a huge stage. We're focusing on presenting Indian classical music in its purest form. I'm looking forward to meeting and collaborating with artistes from the diverse member countries, and learning from them," he shared with us.
Manoj Bajpayee and Jitarth Patil. PICS COURTESY/JITARTH PATIL
Manoj Bajpayee is every bit the amiable Family Man off-screen, this diarist learnt. Nineteen-year-old Jitarth Patil, an aspiring neurodivergent actor looked back fondly upon his nearly 20 days shooting for Bajpayee's next, Last Man in Tower. "Manoj sir, Divya [Dutta] ma'am and the whole crew went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable," Patil recalled.
Jitarth Patil (left) during a previous stage performance in Versova
The Juhu resident is set to debut as Dutta's son in the Rana Daggubati production, which is an adaptation of Aravind Adiga's book by the same name. The young actor learned the ropes at Andheri-based theatre group Raaashaa, which works closely with artistes with Down Syndrome and those on the autism spectrum. "I love being on the stage, but it is just one of my many hobbies. I spend most of my time baking and cooking. Working on the movie was one of the most memorable phases of my life. I can't wait for you to see it," he told this diarist. We're sure this baker's performance will take the cake.
A view of the rooftop space at the new Tokyo venue. PIC COURTESY/SOHO HOUSE
If you're one of the lucky few who can flaunt a Soho House membership in this city, you might want to look to the Orient for your next big soiree. After taking Maximum City by storm with the launch of its first Mumbai outpost in Juhu in 2019, the members-only club has opened its first ever outpost in Tokyo's Aoyama District. This diarist learnt that the new space set across 75,000 sq ft offers a direct view of Mount Fuji and Tokyo Tower from its rooftop. The long journey to Japan might just be worth it for the age-old Japanese art forms dotting its rooms, a luxury wellbeing centre, and craft cocktails that will help you forget the price tag on the annual membership, starting at 2,90,000 Yen.
Pinky Moonlight by Prachi Sharma. PICs COURTESY/TVASTRA BY PRACHI
A father's bid to etch his late daughter's name in the world of art manifested in the form of a unique exhibition of canvases at Eve, Santacruz yesterday. "Over nearly 18 years, our daughter Prachi made more than 200 pieces of art, using every medium and feeling, and every emotion she could find. In 2022, destiny took her physically away from us, but it couldn't take what she left behind," shared Sumit Sharma.
Sumit Sharma
In addition to the exhibition, her parents have been conducting art initiatives across BMC schools to celebrate their daughter. "Prachi taught us that creativity can change a child's whole world. She will live on in the work of every artist who finds their voice through our efforts," Sharma shared with this diarist. To view Prachi's artworks, log on to tvastrabyprachi.org.
