The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Ashish Raje
Heatwave, with humour
Climate change has a darkly humorous side too. Today (March 13) marks another performance of the play, Fever Dreams, at the National Gallery of Modern Art, by city-based company, tafreehwale. It was also staged yesterday in Versova, and shows a trio of innovators pitching a creative climate invention.
Actors Sahir Mehta (left) and Shivani Tanksale during a previous performance. Pic courtesy/tafreehwale
Meghana AT, founder, tafreehwale, shared, “We wrote the play foreseeing the issue of heat, but now, we are no longer physically emoting the heat, but experiencing it. It feels surreal to be living something that we wrote about. Even as we speak, we hear about 45,000 trees under threat in Charkop, and mangroves being cut down. Sometimes, I feel sad that I will never again be able to write anything as absurd as the present-day world.”
Mural makeover in Bandra
Considering the outpouring of grief after veteran actor Dharmendra Deol’s passing on November 24 last year, fans will be disappointed to learn that a mural in Bandra dedicated to the superstar, has now vanished from view for good.
A man walks by the mural of Dharmendra Deol. Pic courtesy/@bollywoodartproject; @dheerajpaul_india
The larger-than-life mural, once occupying a wall on Chapel Road, had immortalised the actor’s rugged, masculine style in splashes of yellow, orange, and blue. Currently, it stands replaced by a fresh one of actor Kiara Advani posing for an international cosmetic brand, which was captured in an Instagram post yesterday by writer and archivist, Debasish Chakraverty. While we will certainly miss the old-school Bollywood charm it brought to the street, we were more curious to hear what the artist behind the work, Ranjiet Dahiya (below), had to say.
The new mural of Kiara Advani on Chapel Road. Pic courtesy/@deb_on_insta
“I painted that mural about six years ago. With time, when such murals are painted over, it creates a buzz of discontent on social media; sometimes, I even receive messages informing me about it, but of course, the owner of the property takes the call.
I merely paint what I like with permission,” he told this diarist. But if a door closes, a window can open too. Dahiya revealed, “I plan to paint a new mural in Bandra dedicated to the film, Sholay (1975), which completes 51 years in 2026.”
Kashmir frames come to Fort
There is a generation that connects the imagery of Kashmir to green valleys, clear lakes, flowers, and peace. Think Shammi Kapoor carolling on Dal Lake. The upcoming exhibition, A botanist in the field: the Kashmir archives of PN Kohli, at Chatterjee & Lal might bring back some happy memories.
A Kashmiri Pandit woman spinning pashmina yarn, 1940s, Photograph. Pic Courtesy/Heirs of PN Kohli; Chatterjee & Lal
Opening on March 17, it showcases the work of Prem Nath Kohli, an Indian photographer, botanist, and forester, whose photographs document life in the region, its ecology, seasonal rituals, political ceremonies, and the rhythms of common life. “They highlight the fragility of time — moments and eras that are either passing or already lost — prompting viewers to consider whether a part of Kashmir should be, and might yet be, saved,” independent curator Qamoos Bukhari wrote.
Wowed by the park
Diana Fox Carney (right) during her visit to the park. Pic courtesy/@mmrda_official
The Maharashtra Nature Park was host to a special guest recently. Canadian climate policy expert (and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s wife) Diana Fox Carney stopped by the park in Dharavi for a guided tour. For the uninitiated, the park opened in 1994 after a dumping ground was transformed by the MMRDA. It was this ecological restoration that drew Carney in, we learnt. She explored key sections including the Butterfly Garden, Astral Garden, and the Nature Trail, an MMRDA official told us. Carney left a note of gratitude that read: ‘Thank you so much for welcoming me and inspiring me. MNP is an amazing oasis of calm. I would never have guessed the origins. Wishing you the best for the future and the next phase of development.’
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