07 July,2026 07:37 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
NDRF personnel wade through a waterlogged stretch near Azad Maidan
Shadab Momin aka Spiderman of Bhiwandi clears trash from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk. PIC COURTESY/SHADAB MOMIN
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and it was the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man who came swinging to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk in Bhiwandi on Sunday. In a now viral video, a man dressed in a Spidey suit can be seen wading through ankle-deep waters and clearing the area of floating trash. We learnt that the real-life hero behind the mask is 27-year-old Shadab Momin, who works as a salesman on weekdays, and slips into his superhero avatar on weekends. "I love Spider-Man. I wanted to use the character to bring hope in my neighbourhood, and spotlight important issues with a dash of humour," he told us, adding, "I was on the streets last monsoon as well. Little has changed over the years. The municipal corporation needs to find a way out of this annual ordeal." We say it's time civic authorities realise that with great power comes great responsibility.
A scene from Naruto directed by (right) Hayato Date. Pics COURTESY/Wikimedia Commons
Anime fans have a date with one of the most celebrated directors in the industry this August. Hayato Date, the brain behind the popular anime series Naruto, will head to Goregaon as part of the upcoming Anime India Mumbai convention. For the uninitiated, the series topped streaming charts last year with more than 51 million views. At the event, Date will revisit anecdotes from the anime's 15-year-long run, and answer fan's curious questions, we learnt. The director's attendance was confirmed alongside announcements of popular figures such as Ryota Hasegawa, producer of manga Sakamoto Days, and Yura Akari, voice actor and musician. Those keen to meet the stalwarts can keep an eye on @animeindia.live for updates.
The monsoon's ongoing fury brought the city's most reliable workhorses to a halt yesterday. Mumbai Dabbawalas president Ulhas Muke (below) shared that a day off was prompted by flooding in the homes of dabbawalas in the Vasai-Virar area, and slow-moving local trains. "Maintaining our efficiency is important, but dabbawalas are humans too. Safety comes first," Muke shared.
The artwork inspired by the cultural beauty of Maharashtra. PICS COURTESY/VINI CHANDRASHEKAR
A holiday souvenir usually ends up on a shelf, but for the Dombivli-based illustrator Vini Chandrashekhar (right), it has become an art project. A trip to Himachal Pradesh in 2019 kickstarted the artist's Indian State Series. We were drawn in by her depiction of her home state, Maharashtra, which features the Gateway of India and Mumbai's local trains. Chandrashekhar said, "The elements came together organically, inspired by my own experiences and what every place means to me. Every state has its own identity and that's what I hope people see in these illustrations." To follow the project or purchase her artworks, log on to @vinichandrashekhar.
