14 April,2026 09:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Satej Shinde
Spot Swordtail butterflies form a flutter near the busy Thane-Borivli twin tunnel project site at Magathane in Borivli.
It was a quiet 90 minutes for Navi Mumbai-based rangoli artist Shreehari Pavale when he heard of Asha Bhosle's passing on Sunday. "I left a major ongoing art project and rushed to Vishnudas Bhave Natyagruha in Vashi to create a tribute," said Pavale, who also created a similar tribute for Lata Mangeshkar when she had passed away in 2022. Over the next hour and a half, passers-by watched Pavale piece together a touching tribute to the late icon at the venue's lobby. âEka suvarnayuga cha ant [The end of a golden era]' says the rangoli. "Nobody had to invite me, or pay me to make this artwork. Asha ji had a special place in my heart, and this is my way of saying my last goodbye. That's the impact greats like her leave on their fans," he told us.
She laughed, and laughed, and laughed," that's how ventriloquist Satyajit Padhye, and we're sure her fans across the world, would love to remember Asha Bhosle. Padhye recalled how a performance at Veer Savarkar Auditorium in Dadar a decade ago left the late singer in a jolly mood. "She met me after the show and told me I must never give up performing. I kept my word. When I perform with my puppets now, I often sneak in a rendition of Asha ji's Deewana Hua Badal," he revealed. To put Asha tai's long career in perspective, she was witness to both Satyajit and his father, veteran ventriloquist Ramdas Padhye's early acts.
The April heatwave did not deter a 150-strong crowd of citizens who gathered to celebrate the bicentenary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, hosted by Mumbai For Peace, on April 11 at Reti Bunder in Mahim. Film buffs would have spotted the renowned filmmaker Anand Patwardhan who joined the walk that passed through Parsi Colony, Sindhi Colony, Marinagar, Moghul Lane, and Kapad Bazaar. "The walk is part of several events in support of communal harmony. We spoke to community members, and recalled the work of leaders like Mahatma Phule, Dr BR Ambedkar, Savitri Mai, and Fatima Shaikh to assert the historical plurality of our state," a member of the group shared.
Word in the woods is that Aarey Forest is set to see its first theatre festival next month. The open-air Tarpa Theatre Festival will host theatre, music, and local tarpa performances under its towering trees and open grounds on May 15, 16 and 17. "You can trace the festival's roots back to the Save Aarey movement, when street plays filled Aarey's green lanes. We're bringing it back in a larger, structured format," said founder and actor Harshad Tambe. What's commendable is that the festival will give back to the tribal communities by employing local residents in its production, marketing, and programming teams. To keep an eye on updates and line-ups, log on to @tarpatheatrefestival.
