Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Ready for some vitamin seaCitizens make the most of a breezy evening on Carter Road promenade in BandraWhatrsquos masculinityA still from the film A real Man would never by Harkat Studios commissioned for the conferenceGenerationsold stereotypes perpetuated by society have drawn up rigid definitions of masculinity An initiative by GoetheInstitut in India and Bangladesh aims to take a relook at these ideas of masculinity through different perspectives mdash stereotypes and role models as well as individual ideas Titled M3 Man Male Masculine the digital conference will delve into topics such as masculinity and power masculinity in the media and performing masculinity through discussions films standup comedy and other engagements starting today ldquoWe strongly believe in a culture of equality and masculinity is an important part of that conversationrdquo shared Amruta Nemivant senior programme manager Gallery MMB and Cultural Programmes programme department GoetheInstitutMax Mueller Bhavan Mumbai Head to goetheinstitut_india on Instagram to register and tune inLit up for a causeEvery year the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus CSMT and the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai headquarters are lit up in bright colours to mark the International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month This year too in an initiative by NGO Access Life Assistance Foundation the two structures were lit up in shades of gold over the past two days to draw attention towards the cause ldquoIt is very important that people are made aware about early detection and treatment as childhood cancer has the highest survival raterdquo Ankit Dave cofounder of the NGO explained to this diaristDesigns on the countrySeptember 2 marked the 92nd anniversary of the Indian Institute of Architects The institute which was conceived at the Deanrsquos Cottage of the Sir JJ College of Architecture as a studentsrsquo association in 1917 evolved into a professional association in 1929 Commenting on this milestone professor Mustansir Dalvi a faculty at the college and chairperson of the board of studies in architecture at Mumbai University said ldquoAt the time of the institutersquos formation most architects in the city were graduates from the schoolSir JJ College of Architecture Pic CourtesyPrangali Mathure college websiteThere were strong alumni ties with the school in the fraternity and a great harmony between academics and practice Principal architects at some of the biggest firms in the city were teaching in the school It was therefore inevitable that when an association of architects had to emerge it would emerge out of the student body of the school The institute went on to become a very important factor of consolidation for the community of architects in the city and the country at largerdquo He added that most architects in the city are affiliated with the institute and that it has continued to serve as a forum for discussing common problems making friends and talking allthingsarchitectureBond with the bestRuskin Bond Pic CourtesyFacebookItrsquos been a year since bibliophiles like us had the chance to soak in the excitement of lit fests and the best part interact with our favourite authors However in good news for all Ruskin Bond fans in the house the 87yearold author is set to make a rare live appearance online of course on September 5 evening for a readalong session of his stories He recently shared a video from his bookfilled room in Landour inviting readers to join in We know digital fatigue is real but not when yoursquore bonding with the best rightFor the lastmile kidAn illustration by Rajiv Eipe from Puchku Seeks a SongTen years ago Pratham Books kicked off a storytelling campaign to reach the lastmile child the ones who donrsquot have access to story books in their mother tongue Titled One Day One Story it is celebrated on International Literacy Day September 8Priya Desai senior manager marketing and communications shared that in the past decade the reach of the campaign has grown exponentially ldquoEvery year we pick two books and our volunteers host storytelling sessionsrdquo Like last year the initiative has gone online this time with two books mdash Satya Watch Out written by Yamini Vijayan and illustrated by Vishnu M Nair and Puchku Seeks a Song written by Deepanjana Pal and illustrated by Rajiv Eipe mdash in focus Give it a shot