Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Remembering Wendell RodricksAn image of Rodricks shared by Marrel on InstagramBy tapping into social media Wendell Rodricks was possibly one of the first Indian fashion veterans to foster direct relationships not only with his followers but also with the industry This legacy is continued till today by his partner Jeacuterocircme Marrel who shares regular updates on Rodricksrsquo many loves including his culinary joys his dream project The Moda Goa Museum it opens to the public on October 26 and his pets ldquoOne year since you leftrdquo he said in a recent post sharing details of an online mass organised by Rodricksrsquo family from Dubai today to mark the designerrsquos first death anniversaryThe post was wreathed with memories of an incredible talent and endless inspiration As one of the most prolific and admired designers in modern times his contribution to Indian fashion remains unparalleled his wry humour sorely missed More importantly he will be remembered for a sartorial style that meant freedom for women to reclaim power over their bodies In related news HarperCollins has commissioned Urvashi Bahuguna to write a biography of Rodricks her adopted uncleTropical state of mindThe buzzing TodiMathuradas Mill Compound is set to get a new hangout mdash Cafe Panama mdash today Replacing Cafe Zoe the 4000sqft bistro founded by Sohel Lalvani and Shaan Gidwani will be dishing out a fusion of European and Latin American flavours along with an extensive collection of tequila concoctions Think of a casual relaxed space that offers a quick escape from the city shared Lalvani ldquoThe Latin American theme came to us from the space itself mdash the natural sunlight exposed brick wall and the 30feet high ceiling We have used a lot of oldschool Panama artdeco inspired elementsrdquo Lalvani added that the menu boasts of dishes from Chile Mexico Peru and Argentina and ldquothe cocktails promise to mentally whisk you off to the beaches along the Caribbean Seardquo NeatA conversation starterIn creative industries sexual harassment is often brushed under the carpet This evening a panel of dance theatre artistes and activists including citybased Kathak dancer Sanjukta Wagh and cultural innovator Sameera Iyengar will come together to discuss the issue in the performing arts space ldquoA structure for addressing this is present in corporate spaces We need to see if those models work for usrdquo Paramita Saha inset codirector of Artsforward one of the organisations helming the event shared The opentable discussion will take place offline at Offbeat CCU in Kolkata as well as on Zoom To register log on to linktreeArtsforwardThis tram completes a decadeThe muchloved Tram Arts Trust TAT that introduced the city and country to object theatre is celebrating its tenth anniversary this month When this diarist asked its creative director Choiti Ghosh in pic if she envisioned this day she cackled ldquoOh God Just so neverrdquo before narrating a rather serendipitous journey It was Sanjna Kapoor the thendirector of Prithvi Theatre who asked five theatre artistes including Ghosh to make a play for the Prithvi Carnival in 2011 ldquoWe made a play but she told us she couldnrsquot just put the name of five individual artistes on a poster So we brainstormed and Tram Theatre came about We didnrsquot even know what we wanted to do after that playrdquo she said Well how time flies Keep an eye out for a special festival from TAT this year which will feature other theatre artistes Happy Valentinersquos Day dostClockwise from right Artworks by Div Anureet Tora Gayatri and ChetnaThe imagery associated with February 14 is often that of a man and a woman and red roses somewhere in between But that image is exclusionary and Dostcard a postcardexchange initiative by Forbidden Verses a Delhibased artistsrsquo organisation and Almaarii an illustrated collection of lsquoclosetsrsquo and what they mean for South Asian queer people is a step to change thatYou can choose to send a Dostcard mdash 13 designs have been illustrated by queer artists mdash to anyone you wish ldquoValentinersquos Day has always been a celebration of cisgendered heterosexual and monogamous relationships one which is romantic and sexual We wanted to expand it to be queer and celebrate all kinds of love be it platonic or that you have with a chosen family Why canrsquot we celebrate it with a friend or even a strangerrdquo Anureet Watta executive head Forbidden Verses shared A part of what you pay will go towards a mutual aid initiative to provide rations for working class cis women trans women and people from the Kothi communities Visit linktreeforbiddenverses to purchase one if you like