<h2>Cutting corners</h2>
A man sits down for a haircut at a makeshift roadside barbershop in <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-weather-update-clear-skies-likely-in-city-on-wednesday-air-quality-remains-stable-at-60-23630232" rel="nofollow">Deonar</a>
<h2>South Mumbai on three wheels</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/may/Three-wheels_e.jpg" alt="Dakshata Parkar&rsquo;s illustrations imagine autorickshaws at South Mumbai landmarks like (left) Kala Ghoda and (right) Regal Cinema in Colaba. Pics courtesy/Dakshata Parkar" width="1280" height="720" /> Dakshata Parkar&rsquo;s illustrations imagine autorickshaws at South Mumbai landmarks like (left) Kala Ghoda and (right) Regal Cinema in Colaba. Pics courtesy/Dakshata Parkar
While it&rsquo;s unlikely that we&rsquo;ll see autorickshaws in SoBo anytime soon, illustrator Dakshata Parkar (below) has brought the idea to life with her autorickshaw-themed artworks of locales like Regal Cinema, Kala Ghoda and Dadar flower market.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/may/Dakshata-Parkar_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;The idea was simple. I realised that an autorickshaw is my favourite mode of transport,&rdquo; said the 25-year-old from Bhandup, adding that commuting between<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-local-train-updates-central-railway-to-operate-special-traffic-block-between-kurla-and-bhandup-from-may-15-to-may-18-night-check-details-here-23630306" rel="nofollow"> Kurla</a> and Mulund as a child made her feel that &ldquo;Mumbai will always be Mumbai because of the auto-rickshaws.&rdquo;
<h2>Global takeover</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/may/Wild-women_e.jpg" alt="Wild Wild Women perform in Mumbai. PIC COURTESY/ROLLING LOUD" width="1280" height="720" /> Wild Wild Women perform in Mumbai. PIC COURTESY/ROLLING LOUD
Since we always drape the saree to honour the state [in India] we perform in, this is the first time we&rsquo;ll have to think about our saree drapes,&rdquo; laughed musician Pratika Prabhune from the hip-hop collective Wild Wild Women. The all-women crew will soon get audiences grooving across five international venues. With shows lined up from June to August, in Reunion Island, Belgium, England and Hungary, the artistes are confident as ever to hit the stage. &ldquo;Along with our classic title track Wild Wild Women, and Gameflip, we will also be introducing a few new songs,&rdquo; Prabhune added.
<h2>TLC from mid-day</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/may/Eagle_e.jpg" alt="The bird was kept hydrated until rescuers arrived " width="1280" height="720" /> The bird was kept hydrated until rescuers arrived
Staffers in this newsroom turned part-time caregivers for a dehydrated kite that landed in mid-day&rsquo;s<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-fixing-road-bmc-style-dug-up-bandra-east-road-left-unattended-for-weeks-23622074?ramadan-2026-breakingnews" rel="nofollow"> Bandra East </a>office on Wednesday. As the March 26 report in this newspaper on the heatwave&rsquo;s effect on birds had outlined, quick-thinking security guards administered basic aid such as shade and a water bath. Help arrived, albeit after an effort spanning five hours on what seemed like a busy day for animal and bird rescuers in the city. Atul Kamble (left) of Wildlife Animal Protection &amp; Rescue Association, who rescued the bird, urges citizens to keep water bowls and damp cloths handy, and contact the Forest Department&rsquo;s official helpline 1926. As for the kite, we learnt it&rsquo;s enjoying chicken dinners in recovery!&nbsp;
<h2>Popping good times</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/may/Mixtape-Street_e.jpg" alt="An illustrated blueprint of the Mixtape Street plan for the festival. PICS COURTESY/CORE" width="1280" height="720" /> An illustrated blueprint of the Mixtape Street plan for the festival. PICS COURTESY/CORE
Fans who showed up to the recently concluded Comic Con Mumbai have about a month&rsquo;s time before another pop-culture festival hits the city&rsquo;s streets. The newly announced CORE: Culture of Real Experiences, conceptualised by Fanthology Studios and Black White Orange will take over BKC&rsquo;s Jio World Convention Centre on June 20 and 21. This diarist got a sneak peek into illustrations of the large-scale plans, including zones such as Kids&rsquo; Cosmos, Mixtape Street, India Gully, and a Japan-inspired Tokyo Street.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/may/Bhavik-Vora_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
Visitors will be in for cosplay competitions, augmented reality and virtual reality zones, immersive photo zones, and pop-culture inspired food courts. Popular characters like Godzilla, and anime characters from Doraemon to Demon Slayer are all in on the fun, we&rsquo;re told. &ldquo;We wanted to create an immersive, large-scale pop culture destination that celebrates fandom the way global festivals do,&rdquo; founder Bhavik Vora (above) told us.

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

Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Cutting corners

South Mumbai on three wheels

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