The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Nimesh Dave
Need for speed
Toy airplanes on sale along Western Express Highway in Malad while a Metro coach zips past in the background
Let’s celebrate Gujral’s canvas
Satish Gujral in Mumbai. File pic
The autobiography, A Brush with Life (HarperCollins India), written by the late Satish Gujral (1925-2020), is all set to be re-released on January 23 with a new twist. The book offers a deeply personal account of one of India’s most celebrated modern artists. First published in 1997, it traces the painter, sculptor, muralist, and architect’s journey from Jhelum to Lahore, Bombay, and Mexico, reflecting on art, politics, and the making of modern India. It also recalls the artist’s encounters with figures such as poet and author Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Mexican painter Diego Rivera, and Jawaharlal Nehru. Reissued in the artist’s centennial year, the book features a new foreword and epilogue by his son, Mohit Gujral. Gujral notes, “The book [A Brush with Life] captures the extraordinary journey and lived experiences that shaped the author and inevitably found expression in his art. It offers an intimate reflection on a life in which experience and creativity were inseparable.”
Heights of laughter
Aditi Mittal during the trek. Pic/Vijayeta Kumar
You certainly would not want someone to pull your leg (literally, and perhaps figuratively too) when climbing mountains, especially not the treacherous terrain of Mount Everest. Aditi Mittal has done it the safe way though, by humorously bringing the mountains down to the audience. The city-based comedian and actor led a stand-up comedy presentation on January 18 at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), inspired by her trek to the Everest base camp in April 2024.
Mittal performs at the NCPA. Pic courtesy/Aditi Mittal
“It took me two years to come up with the concept for this show, where I relayed my trekking experience, my motivations for it, and the people I met along the way. One takeaway would be how we’re all selfish, as humans, when we become aware of our own humanity and vulnerability in these scenarios,” she informed this diarist. In a hilarious twist, she reveals she wrote the show to claim all the money spent as ‘work expenses’ on her taxes. Mittal found the performance nerve-wracking, saying, “Performing for a camera and simultaneously for a live audience requires constant self-awareness on stage.” Either way, we are certain the audience was in stitches.
Riding the waves
Arthi A at the Mumbai Surf Festival last weekend. Pic courtesy/@wild_virar; Mumbai Surf Club
A teenager created quite a splash at the Mumbai Surf Festival-National SUP (Stand-up Paddle Boarding) Championship Series 2025 on January 17 and 18, at Rajodi Beach, Virar. Arthi A, aged only 14, emerged as the winner in all three races in the senior women’s category. “She was competing against women who were significantly older and far more experienced. To add, the series saw the largest registration of women paddlers,” Preeti Rawat, co-founder of Mumbai Surf Club, which hosted the festival, shared with this diarist. Meanwhile, Arthi, a resident of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, has termed Mumbai as a ‘very new experience’ for herself. “I hope to visit new cities and attend international competitions as well,” she told this diarist.
Catching a second wind
Senior citizens during the Tata Mumbai Marathon. Pic courtesy/Adhata Trust
Age does not always weaken the mind and body. Take the 2300 seniors who participated in the Tata Mumbai Marathon last weekend, and gave youngsters a literal run for their money. Supported by the Adhata Trust, an institutional partner for the Senior Run, the group featured a majority of seniors over the age of 75, including two runners who were above 90 years of age. “This was the third time we participated in Mumbai; the numbers are increasing every year. We attempt to give our young-at-heart seniors opportunities for physical and mental fitness, and social interaction. The Mumbai Marathon provides all of the above. The joy of my life was to see the enthusiasm and happiness on the faces of over 2300 participants,” shared Arun Nanda, founder and managing trustee Adhata Trust.
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