<h2>Love in the time of masks</h2>
<p>On a chilly morning, a couple finds comfort and quiet on a Kasara-bound local</p>
<h2>Ode to crows, tellers of stories</h2>
<p><img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2022/jan/Siddharth-ao_e.jpg" alt="Siddharth Dasgupta" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Siddharth Dasgupta</em></strong></p>
<p>Recently, The Bombay Literary Magazine debuted a new logo to weave in soul and personality to its scope of work. Siddharth Dasgupta, arts editor and visual director of the e-magazine, told this diarist, &ldquo;Monsieur Crow speaks for the magazine and the city, too. It has character and tends to tell stories it picks up along the way.</p>
<p><img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2022/jan/Monsieur-Crow_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>The logo is an ode to the righteous melange of histories, people, narratives and dreams of Mumbai. In known literature, it is more of a fellow that visits and leaves, but in the case of our journal, I have cast it in a modern and cosmopolitan light where it is known for its whimsicality.&rdquo;</p>
<h2>Motoring along</h2>
<p><img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2022/jan/Sumukhi-Suresh_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>After delivering the most hilarious jokes, stand-up comic Sumukhi Suresh has now launched Motormouth, a story marketplace and content house that aims to create and promote shows, movies and a variety of stories with women in the focus. It will also lend space to other diverse gender-centric content across platforms. &ldquo;For the past few years, I&rsquo;ve been trying to find an umbrella under which I can fit all the things that I do &mdash; writing, acting, stand-up comedy and show-running. Funny girls, who are unabashed and don&rsquo;t have hang-ups, are common in all my stories. We want to create a range of characters for women, so they don&rsquo;t have to do the same kind of roles again and again,&rdquo; she told us.</p>
<h2>Gobhai&rsquo;s art, Pinto&rsquo;s words</h2>
<p><img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2022/jan/Nandi-bull_e.jpg" alt="An untitled lithograph in Pinto&rsquo;s book on Gobhai shows the Nandi bull" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>An untitled lithograph in Pinto&rsquo;s book on Gobhai shows the Nandi bull</em></strong></p>
<p>Bookworm Goa will hold the virtual launch of the Mehlli Gobhai Visual Arts Program on January 29 and it will include a read-aloud session by Jerry Pinto followed by an art activity for children. The master abstractionist had taught Pinto art through a series of conversations. &ldquo;It is a wonderful initiative that includes young participants who might like colours and forms as their chosen modes of expression.</p>
<p><img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2022/jan/Jerry-Pinto_e.jpg" alt="Mehlli Gobhai and Jerry Pinto" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Mehlli Gobhai and Jerry Pinto</em></strong></p>
<p>The illustrator once told me, &lsquo;A dog is a living piece of sculpture.&rsquo; He meant when you choose a dog, you choose it to be a part of your visual landscape. Every conversation went back to art. I will be reading such excerpts from my book, The Secret World of Mehlli Gobhai: The Man Who Found Art Everywhere to make him accessible to kids,&rdquo; he shared.</p>
<h2>Bagful of nostalgia for the Bengali</h2>
<p><img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2022/jan/Mukherjee_e.jpg" alt="Trina Mukherjee; (right) Thakurmar Jhuli-themed coasters by Bag of Bong" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Trina Mukherjee; (right) Thakurmar Jhuli-themed coasters by Bag of Bong</em></strong></p>
<p>This diarist came across a quirky handle on Instagram that had a connect with the past. Bag of Bong is a retail page run by Mumbai-based artist Trina Mukherjee. The creator draws satisfaction from her characteristic artistic style that shines through every household d&eacute;cor item, piece of furnishing and clothing or serveware she designs. &ldquo;I was clear that &lsquo;all things Bangali&rsquo; will fuel my project. Each and every wall plate, coaster, sari or cushion is hand-drawn in nostalgic Bengali symbols. There are no prints. The symbols and characters I&rsquo;ve been fascinated by as a child &mdash; Podi Pishir Bormi Baksho, stories from Thakurmar Jhuli, JabaKusum Aalta and the work of Satyajit Ray &mdash; adorn my products. So far, I have managed to strike a chord of relevance amongst my customers,&rdquo; Mukherjee said. Those who are looking for fun gifting options, can head to @bagofbong on Instagram.</p>
<h2>Safer roads for Mumbai&rsquo;s women</h2>
<p><img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2022/jan/Lubeina-a_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>In order to address many problems that affect city streets &mdash; from dim lighting to antisocial elements, to pavements blocked by illegal encroachments &mdash; FICCI FLO Mumbai and Akshara Centre will conduct a safety walk next week. It will lead participants through Bandra&rsquo;s streets and invite them to notice hurdles. These will be addressed by the organisers and relevant authorities. &ldquo;Akshara Centre trained observers as most aren&rsquo;t sure what to look for. We&rsquo;d be happy if more join,&rdquo; Lubeina Shahpurwala, Chairperson, FICCI FLO Mumbai, told us. Contact @ficci_flo_mumbai for details.</p><p>
    <script async="async" data-cfasync="false" src="//pl23789885.revenuecpmgate.com/7445444aea29efc3d061cbd866026c06/invoke.js"></script>
    <div id="container-7445444aea29efc3d061cbd866026c06"></div>
    </p>

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Love in the time of masks

Ode to crows, tellers of stories

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Mid-Day Fast

Home / Mumbai / Mumbai News / Article / Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier