23 April,2026 08:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Satej Shinde
A man braves the morning sun to clear grass from the shallow waters of Powai Lake
Students at a previous reading. PIC COURTESY/DEVANGANA MISHRA
Today, filmmaker Kunal Kohli (inset) will swap his time on film sets, and head to classrooms in BMC schools in Dadar and Khetwadi for an Earth Day-themed (April 22) reading session. Organised by Brain Bristles, a platform that promotes awareness of autism in educational institutions, the initiative aims to bring stories and smiles into inclusive classrooms by supporting children with autism and learning difficulties.
These sessions will be held at Vanita Vishram Primary School and Shindewadi Mumbai Public School. "Inclusion must be a right, not a privilege. Every classroom should welcome, and empower children of all abilities," Devangana Mishra, founder, Brain Bristles, told this diarist.
A volunteer at work in Bandra. PIC COURTESY/ABDUL MUNAF
Volunteers across the city and its suburbs rose to the call of duty on Earth Day yesterday. While we lauded the clean-up efforts, our jaws dropped when we checked in on the numbers. The clean-up on Manori beach by Mission Green Mumbai bagged nearly 7800 kg of plastic, while a similar beach drive in Prabhadevi by Beach Warriors hit the tonne on the weighing scale with 1055 kg. "We had set out with a target of 300 kg, but we surpassed it with ease," said Abdul Munaf of Gully Classes Foundation, who led a session at a public garden in Thane's Kisan Nagar, and Joggers Park in Bandra. Is it time for heavier fines on habitual litterers, perhaps?
This week, we caught up with an Iranian musician who has struck a chord with Mumbai. Saleh Mirsaeedi will give Mumbaikars a glimpse of the Persian instrument setar in Girgaon today. "After learning Persian classical music, I came to India for the first time in 2016, drawn by Indian music," he shared. Having trained under renowned Ustad Mohammed Reza Lotfi back home, Mirsaeedi was taken under the wing by another guru in India, Pandit Pushpraj Koshti.
Neela Bhagwat reads from a large printout. These magnified pages helped the veteran read lyrics onstage (right) Saleh Mirsaeedi. PICS COURTESY/@saleh.330
"The setar is a centuries-old instrument that is said to originate in northeastern Iran, in the Khurasan province. The sitar and the setar share the same words for da (outward) and ra (inward) strokes," the musician revealed. Mirsaeedi remembers another maestro this week - Vidushi Neela Bhagwat, who passed away earlier this month. "I met her in Dadar three years ago. Her presence and insights were inspiring. It's a big loss," he said. Mirsaeedi left us with a timely message of hope: "I feel at home in India, and can't think of leaving this country ever. I hope peace will prevail in Iran too."
Rostam prepares for the long flight (Right) at his new home in Springfield
Does the NRI tag apply to felines? We're asking for our four-legged friend, Rostam. The blind rescued cat from Thane who shone in this section in mid-day's April 6 edition, has reached his new home in the USA. Vinita Kalgutkar, who sheltered Rostam before his big move, shared this happy bit of news with a glimpse of Rostam's airport look. After a smooth flight, the feline has finally touched down in Springfield, Virginia, and is already warming up to the new life. Looks like he's having the time of his life, all nine of them.
