The opening day of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2026 will witness the magic of 11 children showcasing the ancient art of mallakhamb. Plus, our top picks
A student from Victoria Memorial School for the Blind performs a pose on the mallakhamb; The school trains students from the ages of 6 to 18 years in mallakhamb; The children practise a pyramid on the school grounds. Pics Courtesy/VMSB
The final scene of Takeshi Kitano’s 2003 Samurai masterpiece, Zatoichi, ends with the hero singing, ‘Even with my eyes open/I can see nothing’. Uday Deshpande understands the philosophical depth of that song. After all, the Padma Shri Awardee will be guiding the 11 visually-impaired students from the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind (VMSB), Tardeo in one of the unique displays on the opening day of this year’s edition of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival.
The journey for the coach first began in the early 1990s. Mahesh Mhatre was still a student under Deshpande when he first joined the Victoria Memorial School as an instructor. “As someone who enjoyed working out, mallakhamb was an opportunity to combine multiple facets such as yoga, strength training, and flexibility,” the instructor at the school reveals.
Uday Deshpande (in deep blue) guides Venkatesh Mandadi through a routine
Teaching unsighted children might sound almost impossible. Not quite, both instructors assure us. It requires an adaptive training technique. Deshpande shares, “It was difficult when I began in June 1990, but eventually, I realised that they are keen listeners and intuitive. Every action had to be clearly stated and described.”
Precision is key. To bolster the commands, Mhatre would himself hold a pose on the mallakhamb, allowing the children to sense this posture through touch, and replicate it. The school batch of 25 to 30 students practice these routines thrice every week. “It takes them a year to master the basics. The progress is down to practice,” Mhatre reveals.
Mahesh Mhatre
On the inaugural day, 11 students from the batch, instructed by Mhatre and Deshpande, will be performing complex poses, including a 11-man pyramid structure on the pole.
For principal Rajani Hiremath, the experience shapes the children. These exercises offer more than physical fitness, he believes, “When they learn complex poses, they learn to focus, gain awareness of their surroundings, depth, and height. They also learn to listen, and react.” The facet of team work, and adapting to their team members’ needs is another crucial aspect, she adds.
Like the fictional Japanese character Zatoichi, none of these students consider their lack of vision a weakness. Mhatre observes, “Sight can be distracting sometimes. They are laser focused.” For the veteran coach of the Shree Samarth Vyayam Shala in Shivaji Park, the experience is a lesson in itself. “By teaching them, I have learnt to teach better,” Deshpande concludes.
ON January 31; 6.25 pm
AT Cross Maidan, Marine Lines.
ENTRY Free
The guide's top picks
Out of the box
PIC COURTESY/KGAF
Get hands on with master sculptor Arzan Khambatta (below) at a workshop where young designers will learn how to turn box boards into innovative masks.
AGE GROUP 7 years and above
ON February 1; 11 am
AT Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (near the Baobab tree)
Tibetan moves
Snow Lion dancers. PIC COURTESY/TIPA
Witness traditional Cham and Yak dance performed by The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA).
ON February 1, 2, and 3; 5.30 pm
AT Horniman Circle Garden
Is that a bird?
A moment from Cultured Vulture. PIC COURTESY/VANYAVANI
Watch Maharashtra’s avian life come alive onstage in the wildlife-meets-theatre play Cultured Vulture. Produced by the Vanyavani Foundation, the play makes a case to protect one of the state’s most important, yet misunderstood species.
ON February 2; 7.45 pm
AT Yashwantrao Chavan Centre
Behind the bowl
Pull up your socks and get hands on at a noodle pulling ‘food workout’ with chef Rahul Punjabi.
ON February 4; 3 pm
AT YWCA International, Madame Cama Road.
Tale of cities
Sit down for a slow exploration of cities with poet Ranjit Hoskote at the David Sassoon Library. The curator will explore how ideas of utopia shaped newer cities like New Bombay, Chandigarh and Auroville.
ON February 5; 5 pm
AT David Sassoon Library Reading Room
Turtle talks
A still from Turtle Walker. PIC COURTESY/YOUTUBE
Catch filmmakers Zoya Akhtar and Taira Malaney in conversation after a special screening of their critically acclaimed documentary Turtle Walker, which explores the life of India’s endangered sea turtles.
ON February 7; 7 pm
AT Cama Hall, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Marg
Step up
Farhan Akhtar. PIC COURTESY/@FARHANLIVEOFFICIAL
The iconic open-air concerts will return this year with performances by Farhan Akhtar and Monali Thakur of Moh Moh Ke Dhaage fame.
ON February 8; 5.30 pm onwards
AT Asiatic Library Steps, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg.
Smile, please
Before you wrap up the weekend, don’t forget to drop by the iconic 1928-established Hamilton Studios that is offering an exclusive discount for the week on
all portraits.
ON January 31 to February 8
AT Hamilton Studios, NTC House, Ballard Estate.
EMAIL hamiltonstudiosbombay@gmail.com (a day’s advance notice needed to book an appointment)
Home sweet home
Our pick for this year’s inventive installation is Padma Shri awardee Sudharak Olwe and Sanjay Nikam’s Our Dream House (sneak peek below). The stack of mini houses will invite visitors to paint their idea of ‘home’ on them.
ON January 31 to February 8
AT Rampart Row
Note: Stage events and workshops have limited seats. Arrive early to catch your favourite shows on first-come-first-served basis
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