<h2>Divine craftsmanship&nbsp;</h2>
Ahead of Navratri, an artist adds final touches to an idol of <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/photo/in-photos-gulal-chants-and-devotion-mark-mumbai-ganesh-visarjan-2026-113265" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Goddess Durga &nbsp;at a workshop in Chinchpokli.</a>
<h2>When art recognises art</h2>
<img title="The artwork made by Achyut Palav which resembles Nana Patekar&rsquo;s signature; (right) Palav with Patekar at the Silver Calligraphy Exhibition in 2011. Pics courtesy/Achyut Palav" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/dos-nine-oct-c_1791508636_s.jpg" alt="The artwork made by Achyut Palav which resembles Nana Patekar&rsquo;s signature; (right) Palav with Patekar at the Silver Calligraphy Exhibition in 2011. Pics courtesy/Achyut Palav" width="1280" height="720" />The artwork made by Achyut Palav which resembles Nana Patekar&rsquo;s signature; (right) Palav with Patekar at the Silver Calligraphy Exhibition in 2011. Pics courtesy/Achyut Palav
Leonardo Da Vinci once said, &ldquo;A beautiful body perishes, but a work of art dies not,&rdquo; and calligraphy artist Achyut Palav agrees to the statement when it comes to legendary actor Nana Patekar. &ldquo;Apart from Nana being a celebrated actor, our relationship bloomed over the love of art. As we attended the same college <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-jj-school-of-arts-students-allege-delay-in-receiving-original-marksheets-after-graduation-23653912" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">(Sir JJ School of Art)</a>, to me he was a calligrapher, artist, and a true supporter of my work. The signature was my way to honour his legacy the way he would like it, through art.&rdquo; said Palav reminiscing the actor on his day of passing.&nbsp;
<h2>For the love of food</h2>
<img title="(Far left) Kunal Vijayakar, Mahesh Manjrekar with (far right) Nana Patekar. Pic courtesy/Kunal Vijaykar" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/dos-nine-oct-b_1791508670_s.jpg" alt="(Far left) Kunal Vijayakar, Mahesh Manjrekar with (far right) Nana Patekar. Pic courtesy/Kunal Vijaykar" width="1280" height="720" />(Far left) Kunal Vijayakar, Mahesh Manjrekar with (far right) Nana Patekar. Pic courtesy/Kunal Vijaykar
Food journalist and author Kunal Vijayakar was among those shocked by the news of Nana Patekar&rsquo;s passing. Recalling their friendship, he told this diarist, &ldquo;We bonded over three things: food, especially while working on, the movie, Ab Tak Chhappan (2004), our love for Marathi theatre, and being alumni of the same college (Sir JJ School of Art).&rdquo;&nbsp;
Despite Patekar&rsquo;s stoic demeanour, Vijayakar remembers him as &ldquo;unbelievably funny and extremely warm.&rdquo; He adds, &ldquo;He would cook excellent Mutton and Rushichi Bhaji, usually prepared on Rishi Panchami, which falls on the second day of Ganesh Chaturthi.&rdquo;
<h2>Stage is set at Prithvi</h2>
<img title="(From left) Zahan, Kunal, and Shaira Kapoor at the 2025 Prithvi Film Festival. Pics courtesy/Prithvi theatre; Instagram" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/dos-nine-oct-d_1791508705_s.jpg" alt="(From left) Zahan, Kunal, and Shaira Kapoor at the 2025 Prithvi Film Festival. Pics courtesy/Prithvi theatre; Instagram" width="1280" height="720" />(From left) Zahan, Kunal, and Shaira Kapoor at the 2025 Prithvi Film Festival. Pics courtesy/Prithvi theatre; Instagram
With November less than a month away, theatre-goers, fanatics and artistes in the city know what time it is. The Prithvi Festival returns from November 1 to 16, marking its fifth decade, with a line-up that includes 27 Seconds by Motley, Swanand Kirkire&rsquo;s musical Yo Brother, This is 95, Everything We Forgot To Say with Lillete Dubey, and the Tibetan production Phayul, written by Abhishek Majumdar and Tibetan playwright Tashi Wangchuk, among others.
<img title="Lillette Dubey, Swanand Kirkire and Abhishek Majumdar" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/dos-nine-oct-e_1791508744_s.jpg" alt="Lillette Dubey, Swanand Kirkire and Abhishek Majumdar" width="1280" height="720" />Lillette Dubey, Swanand Kirkire and Abhishek Majumdar
Kunal Kapoor, trustee of <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/bollywood-news/article/naseeruddin-shah-saif-ali-khan-neena-gupta-grace-prithvi-festival-2025-23601911" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Prithvi Theatre</a>, reflected on the festival, &ldquo;Since the first festival in 1983, the team has worked hard to keep this tradition alive. With the support of the theatre fraternity and audience, the festival carries on into its fifth decade.&rdquo;
<h2>Finding Jafar at Opera House</h2>
<img title="(From left) Kiran Rao, Sarnath Banerjee and Imaad Shah (also, below) at the book launch. Pics/Special Arrangement " src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/dos-nine-oct-f_1791508775_s.jpg" alt="(From left) Kiran Rao, Sarnath Banerjee and Imaad Shah (also, below) at the book launch. Pics/Special Arrangement " width="1280" height="720" />(From left) Kiran Rao, Sarnath Banerjee and Imaad Shah at the book launch. Pics/Special Arrangement&nbsp;
Kiran Rao and Sarnath Banerjee opened up proceedings nicely. Both admitted that the session felt like being at a picnic, an on-stage adda, reminding us of their common Kolkata roots. By then, Imaad Shah&rsquo;s first set had already wowed the audience. A sensitive, humour-tinted narrative, aided by Banerjee&rsquo;s panels in Absolute Jafar (HarperCollins) was splashed on screen to an evocative background score (complete with live actors on stage for added effect). We were in for an immersive storytelling experience for the graphic novel&rsquo;s launch at the historic Royal Opera House.
<img title="Imaad Shah at the book launch" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/oct/dos-nine-oct-g_1791508823_s.jpg" alt="Imaad Shah at the book launch" width="1280" height="720" />Imaad Shah at the book launch
The evening adda organically moved from discussing its plot, to Rao and Banerjee, sharing lessons from raising opinionated, bright children, to a tongue-in-cheek look at societal woes, and the importance of recording emotional history. In between guffaws and applause from an attentive audience, he patiently took questions about his craft and the status of the graphic novel in India (not without taking pot-shots at a few mainstream authors!) in his no-fuss approach, his dry humour, intact. Rao played incisive moderator throughout, juggling between a timely subject and a gifted author. In the audience were Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak-Shah, who would&rsquo;ve smiled at their son&rsquo;s brilliant stage work, lending voice and tonality to bring the book to life. Jafar would have been thrilled about being in the limelight, we think.

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

Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Divine craftsmanship

When art recognises art

Trending Stories

Latest Photos

Latest Videos

Latest Web Stories

Ganeshotsav 2026

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