22 June,2026 08:46 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Ashish Raje
A streetside vendor in Dadar displays masks of popular comic book heroes
Red Indian Bugs
After a successful first edition of the Tarpa Theatre Festival in Aarey last month, festival director Harshad Tambe is already back to the drawing board for a second edition.
This time around, he might want to account for some uninvited, yet welcome guests. Tambe revealed that the outdoor performances saw some âVIP guests': Gray Langurs, Spotted Deer, Green Jumping Spider, and Indian Red Bugs to name a few.
A theatre troupe performs at the festival. Pics courtesy/Tarpa Theatre festival
"Frankly, the spectator turnout was lower than we expected, because of the rising temperatures. Ironically, the intent behind the festival was to highlight the perils of global warming. These wild guests really saved the day," he laughed.
Art supplies donated by visitors after getting flash tattoos
What if getting a tattoo could also help a child discover their love for art? That is the idea behind Rangcharitra, an initiative by Malad-based Sam Tattoo, which returns for its fourth edition on July 3 and 4.
A child from Palghar uses the art supplies. Pics courtesy/Saiyam Patel
Its founder Saiyam Patel, told us more, "Instead of paying for a tattoo, visitors are encouraged to donate art supplies such as pencils, crayons, and colours.
Saiyam Patel
The collected materials will then be distributed to underprivileged children across schools in Palghar, Virar, Ganeshpuri, and Thane. If donating a few colours or pencils inspires even one child to pursue art, every tattoo we create is worth it."
Umar Khalid. Pic courtesy/Juggernaut
Umar Khalid's book Fractured Communities (Juggernaut) is all set for a June 27 launch. It throws light on "The very first colonial incursions into the tribal regions of Singhbhum," explained Vineet Gill, executive editor at the publishing house, calling it "An original and lasting contribution to the fields of colonial and tribal history." Interestingly, the book is available for free on Kindle for a week before the publication day. Mansi Shetty, Juggernaut's head of marketing, explained the logic, "We wanted him to be recognised as the scholar and historian he is, not just a prisoner number, and for the students in liberal arts colleges to be able to access his work without any barriers."
Mumbai-based hip-hop artist Ashwini Hiremath, aka Krantinari, will join folk music ensemble Sound of Women along with artist Hemanti Devi (below) at Jatra: The Kasar Festival in Uttarakhand on June 25. The performance will bring together women artistes from different regions, using traditional songs to celebrate stories of land, memory, resilience and cultural heritage.
"The idea of Sound of Women is to increase the representation of women in the music industry, but more importantly, bring forward stories that have been suppressed by patriarchy. It is more than a performance; it is a cultural shift," shared Hiremath, adding, "Folk songs document reality directly and preserve the stories of women, culture and community."
