01 November,2026 07:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
Pic/Shadab Khan
Youngsters practise stunts and summersaulting at Dadar beach
Fatigue, brain fog, mood swings, joint pain, poor sleep - the 40s can be a rollercoaster for women, and yet, barely anyone talks about it. Nutritionist and lifestyle coach Vinita Contractor went through the same struggle, which inspired her to design a six-week online group coaching programme for women over 40, which kicks off on November 16.
Vinita Contractor
"Along with my professional experience, I have also experienced the changes in how our brain handles things like stress, or the ability to push without sleep. Sleep has become a non-negotiable for me, and I got consistent with the right kind of exercise that has made me stronger than ever before. I did the Everest base camp trek as a 50th birthday gift to myself, so it's completely possible to take your health to the next level if you recalibrate how you approach it," says Contractor.
The programme, Vibrant Health Circle, will also highlight the benefits of being more plant-forward - not necessarily vegan, though, Contractor emphasises - as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts seeds, legumes are great for the gut microbiome. By the end of the programme, participants can expect to build a deeper understanding of their hormones, the role of strength, movement, sleep and stress management after 40. To learn more about the programme, look up @vinitacontractor on Instagram.
Mumbai Indians made a major announcement earlier this week - Sri Lankan batting great Mahela Jayawardene replaced as head coach by Kieron Pollard. To be fair, the franchise's IPL showing hasn't been glittering in the last six editions and when the cupboard doesn't get filled with silverware, a change is imminent.
File pic
Tall and strong Pollard appears more in the face than Jayawardene. However good or bad that will prove, only time will tell. But he does have the experience to be respected. That he was part of the Mumbai Indians squad in all their five IPL triumphs (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020) is no mean feat.
Pollard's task will be made easier through the fact that he has been the team's batting coach. He's pushed up the order as it were and is expected to deliver. A young IPL fan tells us that if needed he can walk out to bat too and indulge in some vintage big-hitting. Hopefully, Mumbai Indians will not endure such severe batting blues to force Pollard to pad up and carry that trusted SS bat again.
At the recently held MVIRDC World Trade Centre Mumbai's Women's Summit & Awards, the gathering was one of true icons.
Manju Lodha. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
This diarist got an award, but was more excited to hear and interact with all the wonderful women present. Some things that stayed with us was when Susieben Shah, who is a spokesperson for the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), said that her initiative, the Priyadarshini Taxi Service, now had a counter at the Navi Mumbai airport.
Also philanthropist, author and social worker Manju Lodha was a delight to listen to. "Before walking out every day, every woman should look in the mirror, and tell herself she is the most beautiful woman ever. Then, when people ask her, âWhat face-pack are you using?', she can say, âThe face-pack of confidence!'" Hear, hear.
The documentary Chidiya Ke Baser (Bird's Nest), based on Magahi folk songs from Bihar and Jharkhand, language, and the cultural memories associated with them, seeks to explore folk traditions as a living cultural heritage. Completed in 2026, this 78-minute documentary brings to the forefront the people, experiences, and memories through which Magahi folk songs continue to survive.
Dr Pratik Mahant
Chidiya Ke Baser does not view Magahi folk songs merely as music or entertainment. The film attempts to understand how folk songs carry a community's language, memories, emotions, relationships and cultural identity from one generation to the next.
Director, Dr Pratik Mahant, says, "This documentary is an attempt to listen to the folk songs that have shaped our lives, memories, and relationships for generations. For me, Chidiya Ke Baser is not merely a record of folk songs, but a story of language, memory and cultural identity." The documentary was recently selected for the Documentary Showcase at Jagran Film Festival in Patna.
Shubha Menon
I have always stored all these memories about my bipolar childhood and my life, and they needed to be aired," says author Shubha Menon, whose new memoir, Traitor in the House (Westland), explores what it was like growing up with bipolar disorder. Six years in the making, the book was, she says, "a very difficult book to write". "Every time something came up in my head, I just kind of broke down."
But writing it also brought an unexpected closure. "I forgave my mother, who is the traitor in the house. A person who is unwell is not a traitor. They are suffering so much themselves. As a child, you may look at them like that. But when you grow up, you have to change your thinking around that."
