<h2>Content is king</h2>
<p>A girl shoots a dance video near <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-mayor-ritu-tawde-writes-to-gujarat-cm-to-bring-two-pairs-of-asiatic-lions-at-byculla-zoo-in-mumbai-23619445" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>Asiatic</strong></a> Library at Fort.</p>
<h2>Realities on the screen</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Ashok-Vishu_e.jpg" alt="Ashok Vishu. PIC/INSTAGRAM@ashokvish" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Ashok Vishu. PIC/INSTAGRAM@ashokvish</em></strong></p>
<p>The Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) has finally kicked off bringing a fine collection of feature films on screens across the city. For the second Independent free weekly screening, Ashok Vish&rsquo;s short film Automagic was presented on March 6 at PVR Lido, Juhu. The plot of the film revolves around an androgynous artist Madhu who attempts to seduce Ratnakar, his rickshaw driver after a night of clubbing. Exploring how queer experiences are exhibited in a country like India, Vish tells a story full of quirks and subtle emotions in less than 15 minutes. Vish is a filmmaker in India who focuses on South Asian queer narratives.</p>
<h2>Highway talkies</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Lady-grp-Highway_e.jpg" alt="Embarq&rsquo;s last trip from Kashmir to Kanyakumari" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Embarq&rsquo;s last trip from Kashmir to Kanyakumari</em></strong></p>
<p>Embarq, the world&rsquo;s first women-only self-drive expedition company, is set to launch K2K 2026: The Bold Route Series this Women&rsquo;s Day. From March 8 to 28, over 30 women participated in this journey to drive more than 4000 kilometres in a convoy of ten SUVs &mdash; all the way from Kutch to Kibithoo. Behind this magnificent empowering concept is Medha Joseph and Sujal Patwardhan, who have spent a decade reinventing the luxury of travelling for women. &ldquo;We both love road trips and travelling. We realised there are a lot of Indians who explore offbeat places and love driving into different countries,&rdquo; says Joseph. &ldquo;Early this year, we have moved entirely to women <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-stone-dust-on-girgaon-metro-road-triggers-health-complaints-among-resident-23619517" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>road</strong></a> trips. In the past ten years, we have seen more and more women come out, looking for experiential travel and we wanted to cater to that,&rdquo; Patwardhan adds.</p>
<h2>Running to get connected</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Alicia-Bayer_e.jpg" alt="Alicia Bayer" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Alicia Bayer</em></strong></p>
<p>For 14 days, Alicia Bayer has been running from Mumbai to Goa. The seasoned German ultra-runner and trail enthusiast embarked on this journey on February 16. &ldquo;I am in Panjim now, relaxing a bit. I am fairly tired,&rdquo; she jokes. But what inspired such a decision? &ldquo;My goal is to connect with people a notch deeper,&rdquo; says Bayer, &ldquo;By running through these villages, I get to see the real India. I want to empower other women and spread awareness about girls&rsquo; education.&rdquo; Through every village she passes by, she meets up with the young girls to understand their problems. Bayer has also documented this little over 600 km run on her Instagram page @runtheworldwithalicia.</p>
<h2>Wankhede low in 1987, high in 2026</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Suryakumar-Yadav-a_e.jpg" alt="India captain Suryakumar Yadav after the victory over England in the semi-final at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>India captain Suryakumar Yadav after the victory over England in the semi-final at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday</em></strong></p>
<p>The Wankhede Stadium crowd walked out of the ground on Thursday night not only feeling proud of what <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/t20-world-cup-2026-western-railway-announces-superfast-special-trains-between-mumbai-central-and-ahmedabad-check-details-23619578" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>India</strong></a> had pulled off against England, but also raving about their viewing experience. In the lead-up to the game, cricket lovers were reminded about how England beat India in the semi-final of the 1987 World Cup there. Memories of Graham Gooch sweeping his England (with a century) to victory sure reduced the optimism levels of some India supporters. Not only did India lose then, the defeat also meant that Sunil Gavaskar&rsquo;s last game under an India cap ended in defeat; the batting legend bowled by Philip DeFreitas for four in India&rsquo;s pursuit of England&rsquo;s 254-6. A loss to England on Friday wouldn&rsquo;t have marked the end of a career, but it would have ended India&rsquo;s dreams of defending a World Cup title, something they haven&rsquo;t done so far across both limited overs formats. That dream is still alive. All set for a gripping Sunday evening?</p>
<h2>A little &nbsp;chhal kapat, but women will always support women</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/mar/Priyanka_e.jpg" alt="Priyanka Shaktivel Mudaliyar" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Priyanka Shaktivel Mudaliyar</em></strong></p>
<p>When we opened Instagram a week ago, what we saw was breath of fresh air. A female goods train manager, Priyanka Shaktivel Mudaliyar, has been documenting her railway life. We reached out to Mudaliyar, who said she would require permission from the Central Railway to give us an interview. So we set out and contacted the authorities. But instead of a one-on-one interview as requested, we heard that Mudaliyar was called to the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/womens-day-female-staffers-to-operate-marol-naka-csmt-stations-on-mumbai-metro-aqua-line-23619755" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus</strong></a> for pan-media interviews! This after it was us who spotted her. We felt betrayed. But at least now, &nbsp;this young woman who was recruited on compassionate grounds after she lost her father, will be featured in all the other newspapers today. &nbsp;Ms Mudaliyar, we are still rooting for you!</p>

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Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

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