15 August,2026 07:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Ashish Raje
On the eve of Independence Day, the illuminated Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus casts a tricoloured vibrance
Children learn clowning at the workshop. PIC COURTESY/PRIYASHA BHARDWAJ
Brace yourself as theatre artistes Priyasha Bhardwaj and Piyush Kumar bring the fun with a clowning workshop. On September 5 and 6, at Iktara Studio, kids aged 8 to 12 will let go of seriousness and explore their playful side. Sharing details about the workshop, Bhardwaj said, "It will encourage every child to just be and make silly little mistakes." Actor and parent of a child attending the workshop, Mark Bennington, said, "With kids going through so much to be prim and proper, this workshop on clowning will give them a chance to be their own self with the freedom to do what they feel like. The society needs someone who is comfortable being themselves and who better to do that than a silly little clown."
Krushmi Kaku with the flags at Port Stadium in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh; (right) Lilavati Dedhia. PICS COURTESY/Krushmi Kaku
For Mulund-based creator Krushmi Kaku, the tricolour has become an ultimate labour of love. Kaku earned a Guinness World Record for creating the longest crochet bunting chain, featuring 47,671 Indian flags stretching 12.18 kilometres.
The record was achieved on August 7 at Port Stadium in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, a fitting venue given the state's connection with Pingali Venkayya, a freedom fighter who was born in Andhra Pradesh, and had pioneered the design that inspired India's National Flag.
Over a year, Kaku, her grandmother Lilavati Dedhia, Mahila Manovikas and 330 artisans created reusable flags as an alternative to the plastic flags often discarded after Independence Day. On the achievement, Kaku said, "Crochet brought together sustainability, mindfulness and skills to create something larger than ourselves. Inspired by my grandmother, it has helped me be mindful and declutter my mind."
The Autumn 2026 season of the Symphony Orchestra of India will witness some classics return to the stage. The familiar figures of conductor Martyn Brabbins and the Berlin-based cellist Bryan Cheng will take the stage on August 21.
Bryan Cheng performs at a previous gig in Wroclaw, Poland. PIC COURTESY/@BRYANCHENG.CELLO
Brabbins will open the season's second concert with a prelude to Parsifal, composer Richard Wagner's famed musical drama and last composition. For Queen Elisabeth competition-winner Cheng, the Mumbai performances will include a repertoire of complex melodies like Dmitri Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No 1, followed by Edwin Elgar's mysterious 14 Enigma Variations.
Children used clay to depict how they see India (right) a child makes the Indian flag using blocks. PICS COURTESY/BRAIN BRISTLE
On India's Independence Day, "What is their dream of India?" was a question asked of the kids of Brain Bristle, an NGO working with autistic children across 16 schools in the city. Putting together their creative juices using paint, clay, magazines and cut-outs, the children created flags, collages and artwork reflecting their own perspectives of the country.
Devangana Mishra
"It was beautiful to see them decide what they wanted in their India, whether it was happiness, animals or simply a better future," said founder and CEO Devangana Mishra.
