25 February,2026 06:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
PIC/Ashish Raje
Ahead of Holi, the colours of the rainbow come alive inside a shop in the Jivraj Bhanji Shah market at Masjid Bunder
A padel player prepares to return a serve during a game
Padel courts in Worli are set for a busy weekend, from February 27 to March 1, as The School Parents Padel League (SPPL) 2.0 is back. Hosted by sports organisation, PadelPark India, the league includes 16 teams competing across multiple categories. "The SPPL tournament now attracts over 250 parents from schools in Mumbai. The competitive spirit it fosters is unmatched," shared Ronak A Daftary (above), co-founder, PadelPark India.
This year's edition of the Comic Con India in Mumbai in May will also witness the inaugural celebration of the first India Comic Book Awards. Instituted by the newly-formed Comic Book Trust of India, the awards will be a national annual recognition of artists and creators in Indian graphic novels and comic storytelling from across the country. The trust itself was the product of a long-time plan, chief trustee, Jatin Varma, confirmed with this diarist.
A closer view of the artwork for the announcement. Pic Courtesy/tcbtindia
"I have been sitting on the idea for almost a year. We wanted it [the trust] to be a non-profit, with the key aim to platform comic book creators. We also want to set up a grants programme to help creators find a way to be published," he shared. With objectives that include setting up a national archive for comic books, a website and social media platform to highlight new artists, and advocacy for industry-specific legislation, the trust is aiming high.
Jatin Varma and Dan Parent
"The awards are the first step. The submissions are already open, with the jury of members including Vaibhav Kumaresh, and Dan Parent [Archie Comics] among others," Varma shared. With the deadline ending on March 31, creators and artists might do well to head over to tcbtindia.org to read the rules.
An untitled work by the artist on display at the Jehangir Art Gallery. Pics Courtesy/Saroj Malick
Yesterday (February 24) was the concluding day of an exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery, in Fort, featuring a series of abstract photographs by photographer Saroj Malick (right). Hailing from the Bardhaman district in West Bengal, the showcase marked Mallick's first time presenting his works in Mumbai.
"My photos look like abstract art, which I found is something many visitors enjoyed when surveying the gallery. I visualised them based on themes of human life, the mind, and even a void or limbo space," Malick revealed to this diarist. He added, "I was pleased to see Mumbaikars interested in my works. They had come for the art, not just for an outing."
Siddharth Kak. Pic/Getty Images
A generation of readers still recall the nostalgia of the DoorDarshan series, Surabhi. Those readers will delight upon hearing that host Siddharth Kak has released his latest title, A Fire over Mount Everest (Penguin Random House India). The book captures Kak's emotional and physical toil as he accompanied the 1984 Indian expedition to the summit. The mission, which saw Bachendri Pal become the first Indian woman to summit the peak, was the subject of his National Award-winning documentary, Everest â84. From writing a final letter to his wife to crossing the treacherous Khumbu icefall, trust the presenter to be in his narrative element.
