Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Bowl a guava googly

The humble peru or guava is enjoying its last days now, with the season spinning towards its end. A Bandra resident known just as “Dee Kay” is enjoying the fruits of his labour or of the season, with guava amongst several fruit trees in his terrace garden at home. Said Dee Kay, “Each guava is bigger than a cricket ball! I planted this in a pot a couple of years ago and it has pride of place in my terrace garden.” Dee Kay said he kept some for himself and distributed  the guavas among those he knows who like them. Whether you enjoy it plain or with with salt and chilli powder, the fruit which shares its name with a South American country, grown in a humble pot on a terrace garden in Mumbai, has you saying “Guava wah wah”. As for cricket balls? Lob that guava across the terrace garden and call it a guava googly.

The collab we didn’t need

PIC/INSTAGRAM@ANUVJAIN

Singer-songwriter Anuv Jain recently faced backlash after a widely circulated video of his on-stage collaboration with global music star Jacob Collier in Mumbai drew criticism for its lack of chemistry and allegedly off-key delivery. The performance evoked sharp reactions from musicians and listeners alike, with some calling it “embarrassing” and saying Jain is overrated and technically underwhelming as a live performer. While fans continue to defend his emotionally-driven, minimalist style, the controversy has fuelled a wider conversation about musical standards and the rise of social-media-led indie pop. Music artist Chaar Diwaari wrote, “I don’t blame him meri bhi personally fatt jati Jacob ke samne tbh [Even I would be scared in front of Jacob (Collier)].” Flutronic added, “I feel embarrassed.” Musician Shreya Jain commented, “Why?” Meanwhile, Mayur Jumani weighed in with, “The only mistake was thinking this pairing made sense.”

It’s 10 years for Rahane’s double treat

Ajinkya Rahane after scoring a century during the Colombo Test between India and Sri Lanka in August 2015. PIC/GETTY IMAGES

If you suddenly asked India and Mumbai batting stalwart Ajinkya Rahane where he was exactly 10 years ago today, he’d probably come up with a pleasant ‘No idea… why?’ response. We can tell you that Rahane was lapping up the accolades for the role he played in India’s 337-run win over South Africa at the Kotla in New Delhi. He scored a hundred in each innings of the Test, joining greats like Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, and then teammate Virat Kohli in a distinguished group of Indians to accomplish such a feat. Quite naturally, Rahane took home the Player of the Match award as India ended the series 3-0. This feat, and Rahane’s overall ability, reminds us what India are missing in their current ranks. As for South Africa, they were thoroughly defeated, but their batsmen showed they could stick around and scrap away even in tough Indian conditions. ESPNcricinfo tells us that SA battled for more than eight hours before India dismissed them for 143 in the last session of Day Five. Their current skipper Temba Bavuma hung on for nearly three hours the previous day for his 117-ball 34 as opener. He won’t probably forget the December 3-7, 2015 Test easily.

On the other side of a love story

Milan Vohra

Milan Vohra, the Bengaluru based-author who primarily writes romantic novels has ended up collecting the stories of broken hearts along the way, in Heartbreak Unfiltered – Things Nobody Told You About Love, Loss and Letting Go. “People often shared their real life stories one-on-one with me, on flights, on trains. Not just about a glossy love but all the highs and lows. I knew I must write about the other side of love,” Vohra says. “I researched heartbreak for 10 years, struck by how no one is spared this experience. I spoke to experts and tracked the full relationship journey, especially what came after that heartbreak. It often led to such inspiring changes in the person. People usually suffer silently from heartbreak, unable to move on. Heartbreak Unfiltered gives you an understanding and do-able way to work through it,” she adds. So if you want to know why heartbreak is so hard for you to get over, pick up this read.

Mon ami, Miami was a roaring success!

A little birdie tells us that Indian art just had a major moment of pride at the Miami Art Week. Not only did the Rajiv Menon Contemporary gallery sell out its entire booth in under 24 hours, but collectors were queuing up to catch a glimpse of the exhibit, The Missing Figure. Comprising work by three artists, Ahsan Javaid, Ammama Malik, and Sid Pattni, the exhibit confronts migration, colonial memory, and gender politics with an unapologetic edge. “The response was instant; every piece was placed before the second day even opened,” says gallery founder Rajiv Menon.

Visitors at Miami Art Week gather to appreciate Rajiv Menon Contemporary gallery’s exhibit

“This is a cultural watershed moment: Indian artists didn’t just ‘show up’ at Miami — they dominated it. We haven’t seen this level of momentum for talent from the subcontinent at a major American art fair in years. Miami Art Week is one of the most influential art-market events in the world. A sell-out at a fair of this scale is more than commercial success — it’s cultural validation, visibility, and a signal that South Asian artists are shaping the international conversation.”

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