29 April,2026 09:24 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Shadab Khan
Visitors flock to Carter Road as the sunset turns the sky a deep shade of blue
Eva and Chandresh Kudwa. PIC COURTESY/CHANDRESH KUDWA
How young is too young for rock music? Ask Chandresh Kudwa, who introduced his three-year-old daughter Eva to AC/DC before the ABCs. Eva, now 14 years old, is gearing up to join her father on the Dad N' Daughter India Tour across Pune, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Himachal Pradesh next month. Rock fans will recognise Chandresh as a familiar face in the Mumbai rock circuit. If your memory serves you well. you might even recall his appearance in Farhan Akhtar's Rock On!! (2008) as a member of the band Chakravyuh that locks horns with Akhtar's own group, Magik. "People tell me daughters stop talking to their fathers once they're old enough. I can't imagine that. The guitar has become our language. We converse in tunes in our free time," he revealed. Those who can't make it to the live concerts, can tune into the duo's new EP, Rock This World on YouTube.
A dated photograph of Gurmeet Sangha Rai with Raghu Rai
As India comes to grips with the loss of iconic photojournalist Raghu Rai, this diarist was reminded of a chance meeting with his wife, Gurmeet Sangha Rai last year while on a visit to Kolkata. Those familiar with his body of work will recall her fleeting presence in a few frames that captured her profession. Sangha Rai, an accomplished conservation architect, was invited to participate in The Timeless Heritage-Past Forward exhibition, a daylong event organised by the Calcutta Heritage Collective (CHC).
Gurmeet Sangha Rai. PICS COURTESY/@raghurai.official; @gurmeet_s_rai
She along with contemporaries from other cities, including Mumbai's Vikas Dilawari and Kolkata's Ayan Sen, and CHC founder, Mukul Agarwal, were part of a series of sessions on the day. On the sidelines, we caught up with the heritage custodian, and got a glimpse of her diverse oeuvre, from being a leading voice for Amritsar's heritage, including its baolis, the Grand Trunk Road project, to a 17-year-long passion project to restore her ancestral home in Gurdaspur. Her pride and knowledge of the vernacular architecture of Punjab, her home state, was awe-inspiring, but what struck us more was the warmth and down-to-earth demeanour to discuss and share insights about heritage with a rank stranger, despite the accolades. Our prayers are with you, Gurmeet.
Eric, the trusted indie, stands guard at Carter Road skatepark. PIC COURTESY/Azhar sayyed
This diarist heard whispers that the Carter Road skatepark was preparing for the birthday of a certain old timer, Eric. We dialled a few skateboarders to find out more about this popular figure. "Eric is our resident streetie who has kept us company since 2019," skater Tulika Naag confirmed. We learnt that the red bandana-sporting indie has been diligently standing guard at the skatepark, supervising entries and keeping trespassers at bay while young athletes skate. "Eric can tell who is here to practise, and who is looking for trouble. If he senses danger, he chases them out of the park. Sometimes, he sprints alongside us when we skate," shared Azhar Sayyed (left), an athlete who is co-organising a skating and BMX jam to mark the day. Those who wish to be a part of the celebrations can head to the skatepark tomorrow morning at 7.30 am. He'll be the one in the red bandana, of course.
Indira Jaising
On May 20, The Constitution Is My Home (HarperCollins India) by senior advocate Indira Jaising will arrive with the force of lived history and hard-won battles, promising an unfiltered look at power, resistance, and the making of modern India. In this memoir, Jaising revisits some of India's most defining legal moments - from the aftermath of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy to the charged debates around Sabarimala and triple talaq. There's urgency, reflection and an unflinching honesty as she unpacks decades of advocacy rooted in justice and equality. In conversation with Ritu Menon, feminist publisher and writer, the book blends personal memory with constitutional history. As Jaising writes, "The Constitution is not just a text - it is where my home lies."
