The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
PIC/SHADAB KHAN
No furry business
While it rained cats and dogs across the city and suburbs, this streetie duo found shelter in an automotive workshop in Colaba
Back to college
Satyajit Padhye at St Xavier’s College last weekend and in 2003. PICS COURTESY/Satyajit Padhye
Ventriloquist Satyajit Padhye’s visit to St Xavier’s College (Autonomous)’s Malhar fest last weekend was one to remember. “I performed in the same campus 23 years ago as a collegian. I was a Podarite [from RA Podar College], eager and nervous to take the stage,” he recalled to this diarist. This time, Padhye swapped places, taking the judge’s chair for a puppetry event at the college. “I was glad to see that students still take interest in the art form. In fact, they had some really imaginative narratives. On my way out, I also happened to bump into Aditya Roy Kapur, whom I had worked with on Ludo (2020). I wasn’t expecting the day to turn out so nostalgic,” he admitted to us.
It rains, they pore
Readers at Kemps Corner and Juhu. PICS COURTESY/MUMBAI BOOKIES, JUHU READS
Mumbai’s relentless downpour last weekend failed to stop play at the many silent reading clubs in the city. While the Juhu Reads community held an intimate gathering of six readers at the Kaifi Azmi Park, the Mumbai Bookies community drew a crowd of 200 to a Kemps Corner bookstore. “With the orange alert coinciding with the festive weekend, we weren’t very hopeful, but even six is a good enough number for us to get reading, If anything, I think reading in the rain is just double the fun,” Diya Sengupta, founder, Juhu Reads told this diarist.
Play the fool
A moment from the workshop. PIC COURTESY/MANISH RUPAREL
In A city such as Mumbai where one could be anything, why not be sillier for a day? In a workshop conducted on August 17, Manish Ruparel, a performer at heart who studied clowning in Berlin, Italy and London, set the stage for those willing to unleash their inner clown at Tangerine Arts Studio in Bandra. “This workshop was my first time teaching the art of physical comedy and clowning to non-actors,” Ruparel shared with this diarist. Check @manishruparel_ to stay updated on his upcoming workshops.
Hoop and pray
Shivani Dhopawkar performs a balancing act at the Ganpati aagman procession (right) Dhopawkar performs with a dhol group. PICS COURTESY/SHIVANI DHOPAWKAR
Hula hoop artiste Shivani Dhopawkar welcomed Bappa to the Nagdevi Cha Maharaja in Parel with a showstopping hula hoop performance on Sunday. Dressed in traditional Maharashtrian attire and sneakers amidst a sea of dhols, Dhopawkar spun the hoop around her waist, hands, forehead and even her nose. “Although I have been performing at festivals and processions to push the art form in Mumbai, this was the first time I attended one of the famed aagaman [welcome procession] in Parel,” shared Dhopawkar, who quit her cushy IT job to pursue her passion. “The art form needs exposure, and what better way than to take it to Mumbai’s favourite festival?” she shared with us.
Look... Hue’s done
Shubman Gill at the Khar studio. PIC COURTESY/HUE BY SLA
The ever-reserved Shubman Gill and the bold Urfi Javed might not have much in common, but next month they’ll be saying goodbye to a shared Mumbai favourite. Hue by SLA, the popular paint-in-the-dark studio that had drawn in Mumbaikars by the dozen, including celebrities like Gill and Javed, will soon close its doors. “The building that hosts our studio is going under redevelopment. While we don’t have immediate plans, I can assure our well-wishers that the concept isn’t going anywhere. We’ll be back,” founder Sakshi Lunkad assured this diarist. Old patrons and new have a little more than a month until the art-break truly sets in.
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