03 February,2026 06:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Rane Ashish
A woman appears engrossed with her smartphone at the Villoo C Poonawalla Indian Derby at Mahalaxmi Racecourse on Sunday
Anoushka Shankar, Tom Farmer, and Sarathy Korwar perform at the Worli venue. PIC COURTESY/DOMEINDIA
I'd rather be here, performing for you," is what sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar had to say about ditching the 68th Grammy Awards to treat Mumbai to a musical evening at the Dome SVP Stadium in Worli on Sunday. The venue was chock-a-block with listeners - which, to our delight, included groups of teenagers. "I presented this band [Sarathy Korwar, Arun Ghosh, Tom Farmer] for the first time here in Mumbai three years ago, and we're still going strong," she revealed. While we learnt last morning that the Grammy eluded the sitarist for the 14th time, we're sure Shankar has taken it in her stride. "What is it... 13 for nothing? That's not a great record, is it?" she had quipped in good spirits onstage.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav with Kuldeep Yadav during the fourth Twenty20 International against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam on January 28. Pic for representation/AFP
Where are the black armbands, our in-house cricket nut asked as he caught the India vs New Zealand fourthT20 International action on television last week. "The BCCI lost one its most dynamic presidents in IS Bindra on January 25, and it's insensitive if not surprising that they chose not to instruct their team to wear black armbands as a mark of respect," he rued.
Inderjit Singh Bindra. File pic
Is it necessary to do that for a past president, we asked. "Of course," he shot back, providing an example: "There was no series in progress when Jagmohan Dalmiya passed away in September 2015, but the Indian team were playing a Test in Antigua when Arun Jaitley died in August 2019, and Virat Kohli & Co had their black armbands on during Day Three of the Test." We are not sure whether this is a case of not remembering to remember Bindra, or just insensitivity. Our man thinks it's the latter.
Neo-Classical Neo-Gothic architecture at Horniman Circle. Pic courtesy/Mustansir Dalvi
Snippets of Mumbai can be unearthed through its diverse cityscape. Architect and academician, Mustansir Dalvi held a session on the same on February 1 at an event by Pint of View Mumbai, which hosts lectures in bars. "Take a walk down South Mumbai, and you'll probably see structures with varying styles on either side, Neo Gothic to Classical. There are also buildings in areas like Girgaum and Bhuleshwar that weren't built by the British, but by migrants from Gujarat and the Konkan region, amongst others, using varied methods," Dalvi revealed to this diarist.
Urvashi Thacker with a bonsai. Pic courtesy/IBFS
In a city that rarely pauses, this unique plant demands that. Organised by the India Bonsai Friendship Society (IBFS), a Bonsai masterclass, on February 7 and 8 at Jamnabai Narsee School will explore techniques and styling demonstrations. Bonsai experts including Michael Morden from The Philippines, and Hayes Siaw Hui from Malaysia, amongst others, will guide attendees on caring for the plant, showcasing around 200 bonsai. IBFS vice president, Urvashi Thacker shared, "Bonsai, more than a plant, is a way of life that will teach you patience and responsibility."
A sketch of the late Mahendra Doshi
Ordinary objects like chairs can reveal a lot about history. Fine antique collection platform, Mahendra Doshi's, will put up an exhibition, History of India Through Chairs in Wadala from February 28.
A Savonarola chair. Pics courtesy/Mahendra Doshi's; Vivek Gandhi
"The legacy of collecting was initiated over 50 years ago by the late Mahendra Doshi. [We] understand the evolving yet deeply informed landscape of India's material culture," said his relatives Chiki Doshi and Anand Gandhi, partners of the House of Mahendra Doshi.
