The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Ashish Raje
Let the game begin
Young wrestlers train at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Vyayamshala Kusti Akhara at Central Railway Workshop in Matunga
Bricks of uncertainty
The artwork titled, Everything in its right place? Pics courtesy/Sajid Wajid Shaikh
At a time when cities are constantly being built and unbuilt, Navi Mumbai–based artist Sajid Wajid Shaikh’s installation Everything in its right place? presented at ARCO Madrid in early March, reflects on the instability embedded within our built environments. The bricks used to construct the artwork appear both standing and collapsing portraying that balance is fleeting.
Sajid Wajid Shaikh
“The work considers the brick as both a symbol of shelter and a tool of erasure, foregrounding how quickly spaces of safety can turn precarious. For me, the brick carries the memory of shelter, belonging, and the promise of permanence, yet it is also the material through which homes are demolished and cities are erased; by pushing it to the edge of balance, I’m asking when a structure of safety quietly begins to collapse, and when a home stops being a home,” Shaikh said.
Delish memories
Hotel Lijesh (right) Kerela style chicken roast. Pics courtesy/Sachin Sadanandan
For foodies with a penchant for Keralam cuisine, the news of Matunga’s Hotel Lijesh closing will come as a blow. For five decades, this popular hole-in-the-wall joint, run by Sheela and Sadanandan Sukumaran, served authentic Malayali fare from delightful parottas and chicken curry to biryani.
(From left) Sheela, Sadanandan with children Devika, and Sachin Sadanandan
This diarist recalls walking in to snack on pazham poris. However, son Sachin Sadanandan confirmed, “We will be closing down permanently as it is becoming a challenge to manage it, especially with my parents’ advancing age. We did not expect people to give it so much love over the years.”
Voices for our mangroves
(With mic) Akshar Oza and (front) Nishna Mehta perform the song during the play. Pic courtesy/Nishna Mehta
As mangrove deforestation continues to threaten Mumbai’s fragile coastline, a street performance transformed into a moment of cultural resistance. Musician Akshar Oza joined Nishna Mehta, theatre maker and founder of Nature Narratives, for a duet in Mangrove Mudda, a street play organised by Save Mumbai Mangrove.
A view of the mangroves in Charkop. Pic courtesy/Wikimedia commons
Blending beatboxing with song, the act stood out within the narrative, using rhythm and voice to foreground the ecological crisis. Mehta said the piece “emerged as random impromptu verse that connected strongly with audiences; we’ve staged Mangrove Mudda at earlier rallies in Charkop and Andheri earlier this month, using a deliberately loud and exaggerated form to convey a pressing concern.” Oza added that “the urgency of the issue demands it be brought up repeatedly, so it remains impossible to ignore.”
Mind and movement
Patients attend physical therapy dance sessions to improve motor skills. Pics courtesy/PDMDS
Marking World Parkinson’s Day (April 11) alongside its 25th anniversary on April 6, the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Society (PDMDS) in Lower Parel centres care and celebration.
“Our whole motive is to provide free therapy to whoever needs it,” said CEO, Dr Maria Barretto (right, below), noting that patients will receive tailored motor and cognitive therapies after assessment, with dietary guidance. The celebrations of the day will culminate in patient performances, bringing participants together and closer as a community.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
