The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Nimesh Dave
Cross culture
A woman and a child cross a street in the foreground of a mural depicting Maharashtra’s cultural traditions at Dahisar East
Aamir Khan’t say no to art
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan reminisced about his 2007 hit, Taare Zameen Par, at a surprise visit to the Nehru Centre Art Gallery in Worli on Tuesday. Walking into the ongoing watercolour exhibition, Emergence, reminded Khan of Act Four of the film, where he paints a striking watercolour portrait. “Khan was not part of the guest list for the inaugural day.
Aamir Khan gets a walkthrough of the exhibition from Vikrant Shitole (left) Khan addresses visitors at the gallery. PICS COURTESY/PARAG BORSE
When he walked in, we weren’t sure what to expect. Through our interactions, it was clear that Khan knew an artist’s mind too well. He praised the artists for the unshakable focus that goes behind every canvas. The actor looked back fondly upon working with veteran painter Samir Mondal, who had painted multiple canvases for Taare Zameen Par,” said pastel artist Parag Borse, who shared the stage with Khan.
The Centre is currently exhibiting the group show of 28 artists from renowned watercolour artist Vikrant Shitole’s ChitraSutra Art Academy. Khan’s ex-wife, Reena Dutta, we learnt, is an alumna of the academy. The actor wasn’t there for a fleeting guest appearance, Borse revealed to us. “He spent his time understanding each of the works. He’s an excellent listener as well. When I spoke about the growing participation of women in fine arts, he listened intently,” Borse added. Here’s to hoping more superstars from tinsel town follow suit and turn patrons of the fine arts.
All in the details
Watercolour miniatures
Can art still be appreciated if done on an inch-long piece of paper? It’s possible. In a Grain of Sand, featuring miniature paintings on paper by artists Maïté Delteil (right, above) and Sakti Burman (right, below), on display at Art Musings in Colaba, is proof of that.
Maite Delteil and Sakti Burman. Pic courtesy/Art Musings
“Earlier last year, I saw Sakti da and Maïté painting on small canvases in their studio in Greater Kailash, New Delhi. It was beautiful. What sets them apart is that the canvas ranges from 1x1 to 7x7 inches, not a typical fullscape painting. The works are water-coloured, and there are about 50 compositions having four to eight works each, paying exquisite attention to detail,” said Sangeeta Raghavan, director of Art Musings.
Training the naturalists
A participant learns about wildlife habitat. PIC COURTESY/BNHS
The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) will launch the 5th edition of its leadership training workshops for aspiring naturalists on December 6. The programme is designed for those who want to move beyond casual interest and fully immerse themselves in biodiversity and nature study. The BNHS conducts these workshops twice a year — first in June and July, and the second, in December. The upcoming sessions will mark its fifth edition. “The sessions cater to people seeking structured, detailed learning in a field where there isn’t a lot of information available,” said naturalist Shardul Bajikar. He reminds us that being a naturalist means embracing the outdoors in its raw form. “Nature study isn’t merely about biodiversity, but also stones, mountainous terrain, the sea and a culmination of these elements. And as a trainee you cannot have a luxurious setting — you must be ready to work in dirty surroundings, not-so-ideal weather, and around mosquitoes to be a true naturalist.” Those keen to join to join can contact 9821120494.
More open hours for our parks
The August Kranti Maidan is one of the many public parks and gardens that remain shut from 1 pm to 3 pm. FILE PIC/KIRTI SURVE PARADE
It is no wonder that Mumbaikars crave the feeling of grass beneath their feet. In its October 2 edition, mid-day carried a report on residents protesting the two-hour daily closure of the August Kranti Park Maidan. This problem is not limited to one park, it seems. “In a city such as Mumbai, you cannot keep open spaces shut,” shares Anca Abraham (right), founder, Love Your Parks.
A signatory campaign by her initiative along with Bombay Greenway and Nagar seeks to right this error. Not only are the timings irregular, Abraham shared that many parks are made inaccessible through rules. “The campaign is an effort to raise awareness. We hope to reach out to the BMC in the coming week for a discussion. We are asking that all parks be open from 5 am to 11 pm. Plus, discuss other issues,” she concluded. Mumbaikars looking to sign up, can head to @LYPMumbai for details.
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