08 February,2026 08:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
Pic/Ashish Raje
A shopkeeper keeps himself entertained on his phone in Dadar.
The climate film is directed by Tej Sisodia
This diarist is especially tired of the rising AQI and pollution levels in the city. But we say this sitting in an air-conditioned room with an air purifier. Climate change is not the equaliser you may think it is. That's exactly the point of It's Only 47 degrees Celsius, a short film written and directed by Tej Sisodia that explores climate inequality through its character, traffic constable Laxman Chaubey, living in Mumbai, and pushed to a breaking point by extreme heat. Producer and CEO of Civic Studios Anushka Shah says, "As Civic Studios we came onboard to produce this film because of its stark reminder that heat doesn't affect the rich and the poor equally." The film received high praise at its screening at Redbulb Studios, Andheri West this Wednesday. Actor Naseeruddin Shah, who was a producer on the film, said, "It is made out of such honest concern and conviction."
Kalpana and Sanjana Shah with artwork from their book
It has been an eventful few months for mother-daughter duo, Kalpana and Sanjana Shah, who are founder and creative director, respectively, at Tao Art Gallery. Months after celebrating the Worli gallery's 25th anniversary, the pair have now launched their own coffee table book, Circa Full Circle (Penguin Random House India), blending their individual art forms. Combining Kalpana's signature knife-work acrylic art with Sanjana's poetry, the book marks a powerful collaboration between two artistes who independently turned to creativity to heal from a shared personal crisis - the death of husband and father Pankaj Shah in the 26/11 terror attack.
"We began our independent journeys quietly after we lost Pankaj Shah, a beloved husband and father in 2008," says Sanjana, "Grief can be very empowering when channelled in the right ways. For mom it was her art and for me it was my writing." Kalpana adds, "The journey merged when we realised that we were grappling with the same themes through our respective creative expressions. This book is a very personal one. It is poetry and art combined, but fundamentally it is philosophy. The philosophy of healing and of doing it together."
Saagar Gupta
Well, here's a little Berlinale whisper doing the rounds: Indian filmmaker and curator Saagar Gupta - yes, the force behind the KASHISH Pride Film Festival - is packing his critical eye and queer sensibility for Berlin. He's been invited to sit on the Teddy Awards Jury at the Berlinale 2026, which just happens to be the Teddy's 40th anniversary year (no pressure, darling). Reacting to this honour Gupta said, "The Teddy has long been at the forefront of celebrating queer cinema with courage, rigour, and global relevance. To engage with stories from across cultures at such a pivotal platform is an honour and a responsibility." This is the first time an LGBTQIA+ voice from South Asia will be part of the Teddy jury. From Mumbai to Mitte - queer cinema just got a deliciously desi seat at the table.
A screenshot of the unofficial National Cricket Academy website
Wannabe cricket coaches be warned. DO NOT log in to a website called nationalcricketsacademy.com (don't miss the âs' before âacademy') in the belief that you can enrol for a coaching course at the National Cricket Academy.
Yes, the Bengaluru-based, BCCI body conducts various cricket courses, but applications have to be made via the state associations. For example, a Mumbai person needs to approach the Mumbai Cricket Association.
mid-day was informed recently by a local cricketer wanting to be a coach, that he remitted '3150 for a course through a supposed National Cricket Academy website. The player with coaching ambitions only found something fishy when the amount was credited to an individual and not the NCA.
On making enquiries, an influential person at the NCA told us that the NCA doesn't even have a website! Hope no one else gets bowled by this googly.
Lenscape Kerala, the travelling photography exhibition, will land in Mumbai soon, bringing 100 photographs that move far beyond the postcard view of God's Own Country.
Uma Nair
Curated by art historian and author Uma Nair, the exhibition brings together 10 leading photographers from across India, each sent into Kerala's landscapes with a simple brief: observe closely. The result is a layered portrait of the state, its temples and palaces, backwaters and coastlines, wildlife and festivals, food, faith, and everyday life.
"I wanted them to realise that Kerala is a land of a cherished heritage and has within a cultural and historic fabric of architectural as well as sculptural lineage," says Nair. "When we speak of heritage, it's not just what is past, it's also the present," she says.
The show threads together very different visual languages. Manoj Arora's architectural studies sit alongside Kounteya Sinha's evocative Theyyam imagery. Shivang Mehta's nocturnal wildlife photographs add another layer altogether. "The challenge was to find a thread of continuity that holds the idea of historicity," Nair explains.
An initiative by the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, the exhibition has already travelled across cities and will continue till March. In Mumbai, it will make a stop at the Jehangir Art Gallery from February 12 to 14.
