A gift of hope

Representative Image

Compiled by Nimisha Patil, Jane Borges, Nidhi Lodaya and Kasturi Gadge

Cynicism is the penultimate refuge of the scoundrel and the poseur. Hope has been painted with cotton-candy colours, labelled a Pollyanna and turned out of doors as uncool. Never mind that. We must always remember that hope is the bedrock of human civilisation. Of life," says writer-translator Jerry Pinto in the introduction of the new collection of meditations and ruminations that he has edited. We want to agree with him. But the heart has a mind of its own - it wants to cling to this hope, but struggles nevertheless; whoever said that living through the pandemic would make it any easy. Pinto's A Book of New Beginnings (Rs 499, Speaking Tiger) serves as an antidote to the many problems we grapple with. This hardback is a curation of sweet verse and shining words of wisdom by poets, artistes et al, along with beautiful images to remind us that all is not lost. A perfect gift for those we love.
Available at all leading book stores

Mompreneur at work

Rhea Rajan

A new mom and entrepreneur, Rhea Rajan founded Uptot in her bid to tackle the environmental problems caused by the huge number of baby products that parents buy for their offspring, but have to discard soonafter, due to their shorter shelf life. "When our daughter turned six months old, a realisation hit us - how quickly our kids outgrow their things" Rajan tells us, adding, "We had numerous baby products piling up in the house. Many of them pinched the pockets when we bought them." This realisation led her to start Uptot, an e-commerce platform where parents can buy and sell all pre-loved baby-related products. A welcome expansion of the old customary circle of borrowing and passing things onto cousins. From cots, crib, pram to feeding pillows the website has everything a new mother needs for her child at decent rates. The USP of the brand is its range of pre-owned products, like strollers or cribs which are usually heavily priced. It is also a suitable website for mothers looking to sell such products and make few bucks from it.
Uptot.in

Making mythology fun

Former journalist Mudita Chauhan-Mubayi and quizmaster Adittya Nath Mubayi, who has worked on shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati, came together to pen Mythonama: The Big Book of Indian Mythologies (Rs 299, Penguin Random House). The book blends ideas, facts and legends from Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, and Sikh mythologies among others, while also dipping into tribal folklore as and where feasible.

Mudita Chauhan-Mubayi and Adittya Nath Mubayi

What makes it a fun read is its storytelling and interactive style - it has illustrations, games, puzzles and immersive activities, which can be either enjoyed alone or with friends. Instead of humans with capes and electric weaponry, the book features gigantic birds, and creatures that defy science but is written in a manner that allows kids to question the superpowers and storyline. The fact that it does not stick to one religious belief also earn brownie points from us.
Available at all leading book stores

Pretty in pink

PIC COURTESY/MUMBAI PAUSED

Born in March, Spotting Pink In Mumbai is our new find on Instagram - the page features everything pink in the city. Twenty one-year-old Nimisha Kaura hit upon the idea after Mumbai Paused posted a flamingo. "They mentioned an account called Spotting Pink in Karachi, and suggested that something suchlike could be started in Mumbai," says Kaura, "I informed Mumbai Paused and also Spotting Pink in Karachi that inspired by them, I would be starting a chapter in Mumbai." If you spot something in any shade of pink, submit a picture with the hashtag #spottingpinkinmumbai and tag the page; or directly message the picture to the account on Instagram. "I want my page to grow organically, and for people to follow this account because of the content and not through me," says Kaura.
@spottinginpink, Instagram

A tell-all documentary

Tahin Ojah Sharma

Mumbai-based filmmaker Tahin Ojah Sharma has taken up the task of highlighting the issues faced by the residents of Baghjan, a village in Assam, after all its surroundings were burned down due to a six-month-long oil well fire. "Though it was the largest oil well fire in the history of India, people in the country have not even heard about it, something which is common when it comes to the issues related to Assam or the rest of Northeast India," rues Sharma, a native of Assam. This documentary is Sharma's attempt to shed light on how Baghjan continues to deal with the aftermath of the disaster. The filmmaker further adds how the village, which was once covered with lush green trees, now looks like a deserted land with the odour of oil mixed in its atmosphere.
YouTube/RaSwar films production