02 February,2026 06:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Ashish Raje
A thick haze descends on the Coastal Road at Haji Ali as Mumbai experienced AQI in âsevere' and unhealthy categories last week
A performance by Lifafa at an earlier edition of the festival. Pic Courtesy/Spoken Fest
Mumbaikars can look forward to a homecoming of words. The 10th edition of Spoken Fest will kick off on February 21 and 22 at Jio World Garden, BKC. From Kommune's stable, the festival brings together poetry, storytelling, performance, music, and conversation, with voices such as Sheeba Chaddha, Swanand Kirkire, Raj Arjun, and Waseem Barelvi.
Roshan Abbas
Co-founder of Kommune, Roshan Abbas told this diarist, "The milestone edition marks a homecoming that celebrates language and shared listening. Spoken Fest exists to remind you that your voice is not background music, but the entire song."
Mumbai's followers of philosophical thought have a chance to listen to Sharad Baviskar, assistant professor, Centre for French and Francophone Studies, JNU, who will take the stage as the keynote speaker at the annual programme of the Dr Aroon Tikekar Centre for Advanced Studies at the Asiatic Society of Mumbai today. With the subject titled Philosophy of Non-Philosophers, Baviskar is certain to plant some seeds of thought in this city. Readers who might be interested can log on to asiaticsociety.org for more details.
Rajesh Punjabi (left) and D Wood (right) in performance. Pic Courtesy/@gaylordrestaurantmumbai
Music rolled back the years within the vintage-soaked walls of Churchgate's iconic Gaylord Restaurant on Friday, January 30. For the first time since the late 1960s, the restaurant welcomed the Bombay Jazz Club led by Rajesh Punjabi and D Wood for a performance. "Gaylord used to be one of the original homes of jazz in the city. It was once the hub along the line from Colaba to Churchgate where artistes would drop in and perform," shared Punjabi. In September 2025, Gaylord celebrated its 70th year with a new look and an upgraded menu.
A view of the refurbished interiors. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
A first concert within the restaurant seems to be the next step to its evolution. "We were delighted when the restaurant reached out to us to ask if we would be available. A large part of what we do as a collective is to rekindle the love for jazz and its complexities among audiences. It felt only right [to accept] considering the legacy of the restaurant and its connection to the genre of music," the veteran composer Punjabi added. Ashley Perez, restaurant manager, revealed to this diarist that the concert is the beginning of more to come. "We are looking to host more such experiences at the restaurant," he shared, adding that the next event might be scheduled this month. "It is a chance to roll back the years of Bombay jazz," Punjabi summed up.
Kekoo Gandhy. Pic Courtesy/Ram Rahman
Were he around, late gallerist Kekoo Gandhy (inset) might have a thing to say about the rising AQI in the city limits. "He would not recognise the Mumbai of today," shared daughter Behroze Gandhy, whose short film, Kekee Manzil: The House of Art will be screened this weekend by the Brief Encounters Film Club in Bandra.
Incidentally, today (February 2) marks the 106th birth anniversary of the gallerist. "It is a fascinating film about a person who encapsulated the lofty ideas of his time," shared Aparajita Sinha, founder, Brief Encounters Film Club.
Monica Mahendru
On February 6, theatremaker Nikhil Katara will bring history, personal and cultural memories to life with the production Paanjo Kirdaar, at the ongoing Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. Staging at the Horniman Circle Garden, the production is a collaboration with author Saaz Aggarwal, and her research on the people of Sindh. "It examines Sindhi culture through the stories of five incredible people told through monologues," he shared.
