20 July,2025 08:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
PIC/KIRTI SURVE PARADE
A woman sells an array of braided blooms at the Dadar flower market
A short documentary on Marol's Rap Cypher - the Sunday freestyle ritual in Marol Art Village - is now live on YouTube, shining a light on its beatboxer Tash and peers from the local scene. Shot by Showstopper Network, the documentary, hosted by Milind Mehta, takes you through the cypher sessions in Marol. There's raw energy, underground rappers making videos on phone cameras, rap in Marathi, Punjabi, English, and an infectious passion throughout the film.
Tash
The 16-minute film tracks the cypher circle that has been laying it down every weekend - no stage, no tickets, just rappers, poets and the freedom to flow. Tasheer Khan aka Tash, the founder of the cypher, is excited to have his peers on film. "This project means the world to me. It captures our journey, our love for hip-hop, and the real energy of the underground scene we've been building from scratch," he says.
For the next generation of rappers and beatâÂÂmakers, this documentary is a nudge to be a part of the Mumbai rap and hip-hop scene. And, a reminder that there are folks who can help support and train them to be better. As Tash puts it, "It uplifts every local artist trying to make their voice heard."
Manchester, where India play their next Test against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy on Wednesday, is where popular England all-rounder Tony Greig made a splendid Test debut (two match-winning half-centuries and five wickets) against the Australians in 1972.
Tony Greig. PIC/Getty Images
The departed crowd favourite shouldn't be forgotten for his cricketing deeds as well commentary. "They are dancing in the aisles," he loved exclaiming on air to describe a crowd-loving moment of play. Greig was also a forthright writer. When hosts Australia lost five games in the league phase of the 1982-83 triangular series also involving England and New Zealand, Greig spoke his mind in his Australian Cricket magazine column.
Here's what he wrote: "The Australian selectors must wield the axe. Rod Marsh should be chopped for Queensland's Ray Phillips. Jeff Thomson is far too inaccurate and expensive, and I read with interest where Geoff Lawson told Australian Cricket [magazine] he thinks one-day games are "cowboy games." Sack him too, and find someone who likes being a cowboy. Let's bring in players like Bruce Yardley, Trevor Chappell or Ken MaCleay, men who can bat and bowl. And let's not forget Kepler Wessels. It's time he went back to Shield cricket to work out his leg stump weakness. Drop him and recall the faster-scoring Graeme Wood."
Although Greig's concerns were valid, Australia went on to win the triangular series by beating New Zealand in the best of three finals. However, they under-performed in the 1983 World Cup, which they kicked off with a shock loss to Zimbabwe.
Tyeb Mehta and Sakina Mehta. Pic courtesy/The archives of Tyeb Mehta
The coming week marks an important anniversary for the art world - Tyeb Mehta's birth centenary on July 26 - and the who's who of the city's art fraternity is expected to join celebrations at Jehangir Art Gallery on July 26. Organised by The Tyeb Mehta Foundation and Saffronart Foundation, one of the highlights of the evening is the release of a limited-edition portfolio of 13 prints by the feted modernist, hand-picked by his wife Sakina Mehta. In addition, scholarships will be announced for students of Sir JJ School of Art. The grants will be offered to two students. In addition, in honour of 100 years of Mehta's legacy, the Foundation has planned a series of programmes through the year. Here's to the birthday boy!
Kids can learn about Earth from these books. PIC/ISTOCK
Parents, are you wondering how to explain climate change to your little ones? And what they, and you, can do about it? The Centre for Science and Environment's environment educational set of books can help your child learn about the environment, waste management, healthy food, etc. Sounds boring? Not really - there are colouring books, fun stories, and activity journals, making it powerful learning toolkit designed to nurture critical thinking, environmental awareness, and scientific curiosity in students from primary to senior secondary levels. Each book is built around real-life challenges, which can help students develop critical thinking, and the motivation to act. The books are aligned with NEP 2020 and NCERT guidelines, and the group activities will take your kids beyond rote learning. You can get them at csestore.cse.org.in.
Malini with her father Mohan Mansukhani
The Kolhapuri chappal and controversy made unlikely sole mates (pun intended) recently, when the humble footwear and Italian luxury fashion brand Prada made headlines. The latter acknowledged being inspired by the footwear for its sandals featured in the recent men's Spring/Summer 2026 collection. There was significant slamming for a failure first to acknowledge the similarity to Kolhapuri chappals. A blitzkrieg of opinions followed. Dr Malini Mansukhani Laud, who manages Mumbai's iconic 75 year-old Navyug footwear store at Prathana Samaj, next to HN Reliance Hospital in SoBo gussies up the humble footwear she said, "with snazzy colours, so that we reach a younger demographic. What the Prada controversy brought inadvertently maybe, was visibility for the humble Kolhapuri. We get our footwear stitched, never pasted and source from places like Kolhapur, Neral, Wai. We also buy directly from the craftsmen, eliminating the middleman," said Laud, who added, "We should now concentrate on a much younger demographic. This should be a springboard to bring the Kolhapuri to young feet," she added while acknowledging that Navyug founder her grandfather, Gangaram Mansukhani and then her father, Mohan Mansukhani who held the reins till he passed away last year would have been mighty amused at the Kolhapuri Prada fashion bit of a raada. "Pure leather, stitched footwear, desi, indigenous craftsmanship? We have been doing that for years, they would have laughed," Laud signed off with a chuckle.
