The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Uday Devrukhkar
Royal Rumble
Artists paint a mural depicting Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s encounter with a lion on a wall in Jogeshwari East
Sixty, and going strong for Mumbai
The special postal cover with the stamp and the diamond jubilee book
Mumbai’s cultural community was in full attendance on Thursday evening as stalwarts and custodians attended the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of The Museum Society of Mumbai (MSM) at the Premchand Roychand Gallery at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS). The Museum Society of (then) Bombay was set up in 1963 to be a cultural conduit between the citizens and the (formerly) Prince of Wales Museum. In her address, Dr Pheroza J Godrej, chairperson, MSM, chronicled the journey as the audience that included Devangana Desai, Saryu Doshi, Sudhir Patwardhan, Atul Kumar and Shirin Bharucha, soaked in these historic highlights. Admitting that the ceremony was two years late, she reiterated the challenges of running a society with volunteers. “Sustaining a society is no mean feat.
Dr Pheroza Godrej, Cyrus Guzder, Amitabh Singh, Simran Kaur and Dr Sabyasachi Mukherjee at the book release. Pic/Atul Kamble
Today’s ceremony is to reflect deeply on our journey; one that was started and continues to be run by ordinary individuals to promote our heritage and culture,” she shared. She thanked stalwarts from the museum as well as Mumbai and India’s cultural ecosystem who nurtured the society. Dr Godrej made a special mention of the book’s authors, Sunday mid-day columnist, Meher Marfatia and Dr Shefali Balsari-Shah who did it “for the love of the city,” as well as current director general, CSMVS, Dr Sabyasachi Mukherjee and the museum’s staff who worked tirelessly with MSM. In his address, Dr Mukherjee informed the audience that of the 103 years of the museum’s existence, MSM’s contributions span 60 years, highlighting their close association.
Amitabh Singh, chief postmaster general (Maharashtra Circle) and Simran Kaur, director, postal services (HQ, Maharashtra Circle) released a postal cover with special cancellation and a stamp in the presence of Dr Godrej, Dr Mukherjee and Cyrus Guzder, chairman, board of trustees, CSMVS. Kamalika Bose ended the evening with a special lecture on the dynamic history of Western India’s rich maritime legacies. Singh brought cheer to the audience when he mentioned his keenness to open a postal museum in Mumbai, with the support of CSMVS and MSM. Going by the positive energy that filled the room, we’re sure that these ‘ordinary’ citizens would be eager to get cracking pretty soon.
Call me by my name
The labels include Hindi, English, Marathi, and Latin names. Pic Courtesy/SUSHMA BAKSHI
Powai’s most dedicated green guardians will no longer work anonymously. The tall trees dotting the neighbourhood’s streets will soon receive shiny name tags under local naturalist group Kilbilat’s new tree-tagging initiative. “I noticed how residents’ knowledge of trees was restricted to recognising a coconut tree or a banyan tree every now and then,” shared founder Sushma Bakshi. Assisted by environmentalist Kirti Amritkar, the group recently tagged trees in the IIT Market area. After recognising species like the Copperpod and Kadamba, the group will soon venture out to more localities.
Two worlds, one stage
Dipna Daryanani and Devpriya Bihani in performance. Pic Courtesy/Kinnari Gandhi
It’s time for children to keep their gadgets aside for a timely lesson. Not Same, Not Different is a unique show that will help young minds learn the value of tolerance through a theatre play. Ahead of its premiere tomorrow, director Dipna Daryanani explained, “The core idea was to bring different worlds together, and find a connection.” Co-director Devpriya Bihani added, “The multi-disciplinary performance will have live music, two dance styles and dialogues.”
The big fat Wall Street wedding
(Left) Arjun Shah performs at (right) the traditional procession on Wall Street in New York. Pics courtesy/DJ AJ MUMBAI
The markets moved and swayed to desi tunes when Mumbai-based Arjun Shah spun the decks on Wall Street earlier this week. Performing at a wedding procession that passed through the financial district, Shah aka DJ AJ managed to keep more than 400 guests grooving on the go. “At first, I knew that I was booked only to play for a multi-day wedding, but when I heard one of them was happening in the middle of Wall Street, I realised this wasn’t just another wedding. What stood out was how passers-by and locals stopped to watch, smile, take videos, and even join in. It wasn’t something people found odd; it was more like a spontaneous celebration that brought everyone together. I felt like I was part of something bigger than just a wedding; it was a true cultural moment.” Shah told this diarist.
When Andre met Anand
Eric André with a vinyl record featuring Dev Anand. PIC COURTESY/ERIC ANDRE ON INSTAGRAM
American comedian Eric Andre meant no funny business when he walked into Mahim’s vinyl record store, The Revolver Club, earlier this week. Known for his eccentric style of humour, André spent half an hour browsing through records and turntables, store founder Jude de Souza shared. The entertainer is in India to attend a close friend’s wedding, we were told. “André turned out to be a music buff. He even took home vinyls of Hindi classics like Shalimar [1978] and Qurbani [1980],” de Souza added. In a short video clip posted online, André picks up a shiny record of the 1971 Dev Anand-starrer blockbuster Gambler. “You know, I know a player when I see one,” he quips referring to the actor’s striking image on the cover. Like they say, it takes one to know one.
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