<h2>Bird&rsquo;s eye view</h2>
A White-throated kingfisher perches on an overhead wire near <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/Mumbai--Santacruz-becomes-1-600th-railway-station-in-India-to-get-fast--free-public-Wi-Fi-20712169" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Santacruz Railway Station</a>
<h2>A giant cut above</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Monster-hunter_e.jpg" alt="Sameer Shaikh dresses up as Monster Hunter. Pic courtesy/Sameer Shaikh" width="1280" height="720" /> Sameer Shaikh dresses up as Monster Hunter. Pic courtesy/Sameer Shaikh
LO and behold, cosplayer and artist Sameer Shaikh (right) &nbsp;has created his own Azure Star Blade sword from Monster Hunter Rise. Coincidentally, with Monster Hunter Wilds&rsquo; Global Exhibition coming up in September, the seven-foot-two-inch prop took over 45 days to build and can be detached into six pieces.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Sameer-Shaikh_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
&ldquo;As a cosplay artist, I love making weapons and outfits, but the real challenge was the sword which was made entirely of <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/buzzfeed/article/india-s-transition-to-lead-free-piping-gains-momentum-with-far-reaching-impact-9344" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">PVC pipes</a>, glue, EVA foam and diffusible foam,&rdquo; points out Shaikh. This diarist hopes to spot this quirky weapon at the exhibition as well.
<h2>The commute is a sketch</h2>
Let&rsquo;s be honest, the city&rsquo;s traffic is starting to feel like something straight out of a movie. If you&rsquo;re lucky, you&rsquo;ll be moving within five to 10 minutes, but if not, rest assured, it can take up to 30 minutes. That&rsquo;s what Dakshata Parkar, a<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/maharashtra-bhandup-ramsar-wetland-to-get-rs-45-crore-eco-nature-park-and-birdwatching-centre-23640724" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener"> Bhandup</a>-based artist, thought too.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Sketch_e.jpg" alt="A sketch of a bird during a long traffic jam in Airoli" width="1280" height="720" /> A sketch of a bird during a long traffic jam in Airoli
&ldquo;I travel from Bhandup to Ghansoli every day, and since most of my time is spent on the bus, instead of being on my phone and getting hooked on to reels, I decided to sketch whenever I get stuck in a traffic jam, which unfortunately, usually occurs around Airoli,&rdquo; said Parkar.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Dakshata-Parkar_e.jpg" alt="Dakshata Parkar" width="1280" height="720" /> Dakshata Parkar
From painting bus stops to birds on the footpath and daily commuters, you&rsquo;ll find them all in this artist&rsquo;s sketchbook. For Parkar, what began as a way to pass time has turned into a visual record of her art, capturing people and the city in their most natural moments.
<h2>Planted with love</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Planted_e.jpg" alt="People plant trees in Alibaug. Pics courtesy/@100treesforfriends" width="1280" height="720" />People plant trees in Alibaug. Pics courtesy/@100treesforfriends
If you love someone, plant a tree. That is the simple idea behind <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbais-wilson-college-marks-national-science-day-with-interactive-exhibits-for-school-students-23618900" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Wilson College</a> alumnus Jaydatta Nikalje&rsquo;s 100 Trees for Friends, an initiative that brings together friendship and a love for nature. Started two years ago, the initiative sees Nikalje plant a tree whenever he wants to, dedicating it to a friend.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Jaydatta-Nikalje_e.jpg" alt="Jayadatta Nikalje" width="1280" height="720" /> Jayadatta Nikalje
With more than 350 trees already planted this season, the upcoming Independence Day planting is set to bring together more people to make Alibaug a little greener. When this diarist asked Nikalje about the initiative, he said, &ldquo;I plant a tree and then name it after a friend or someone that means something to me because of a friend, and this started with the mentorship under Professor Sudhakar Solomonraj, and let&rsquo;s hope we get to 100 by the upcoming Independence Day.&rdquo; For more information, check out @100treesforfriends.
<h2>Tunes they&rsquo;re a changin&rsquo;</h2>
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/aug/Purbayan-Chaterjee_e.jpg" alt="Purbayan Chatterjee performs at a gig. Pic courtesy/@purbayanch" width="1280" height="720" /> Purbayan Chatterjee performs at a gig. Pic courtesy/@purbayanch
Among a crowd of business leaders, social entrepreneurs, and political analysts, Purbayan Chatterjee will stand out at the upcoming Global Impact Forum in September in Mumbai, &ldquo;I am happy to see the Government of India taking cognisance of the changing music industry. We are a booming gig economy, with many international bands taking notice,&rdquo; he said. Naturally, the topic will centre on music, the sitarist shared. While others might complain about algorithms and numbers defining musc genres, Chatterjee observed, &ldquo;It is a choice. But these factors force artistes to create music that are aimed to achieve these numbers,&rdquo; he added. Something to ponder about.

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

Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Bird’s eye view

A giant cut above

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