Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Life comes to a pawsMorning walkers let sleeping dogs lie at Thane East on TuesdayNew chapterAfter closing its doors nearly a year ago wersquore pleased to hear that the library at the Asiatic Society of Mumbai is opening today Dr Shehernaz Nalwalla who is part of the managing committee told this diarist that they are undertaking strict precautionary measures ldquoFor those of us associated with the library it is a second home We are opening up the institution in a phased manner so now only the library will be open not the reading room Even borrowed books will be kept apart for a while We urge people to send their book requests by email so they donrsquot have to wait when they come inrdquo she suggested Write in to asiatictownhallgmailcom to ask for a titleA poetic tributeKaifi Azmi is one of the greatest icons of poetry in India and an event tomorrow will celebrate his 102nd birth anniversary Itrsquos a musical show called Raaga Shayari that will witness Shabana Azmi his daughter and Javed Akhtar reciting a select bunch of his poems That apart stalwarts including tabla maestro Zakir Hussain vocalist Shankar Mahadevan and sitar player Purbayan Chatterjee will stage performances Speaking about the event Chatterjee in pic told this diarist ldquoRaaga Shayari is and will remain one of the most special shows of my life first of all because we are paying tribute to Kaifi Azmi saab who I think is one of the most amazing poets of our country Also it is immensely special for any artiste to be on stage with Ustad Zakir Hussain Shankar Mahadevan Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar and also my wonderful colleagues Dilshad Khan and Soumil Shringarpure Itrsquos a dream come true for any artisterdquoBite into a smart cookie at MasqueMasque is a finedine that is nestled in a corner of Shakti Mills in Mahalaxmi For the past 10 months the place had been shut due to the pandemic stalling operations But the eatery was opened once again for dinein customers from yesterday with necessary safety protocols being followed There is now greater distance between two tables with fewer diners being allowed in at one time The place used to be a menuless restaurant anyway but now you have the option of scanning a QR code for the list of dishes being served Chef Prateek Sadhu also told this diarist that all other necessary steps such as servers wearing masks and chairs and tables being sanitised will also be adhered to But the interesting bit is a cookie that diners will be given as souvenir after their meal Itrsquos made from leftover bread that was served at tailgate parties that the restaurant was hosting while the indoor restaurant was shut ldquoItrsquos part of a new direction we are taking that of being responsible and consciousrdquo Sadhu sharedWish granted for theatrewallahsLast year performing arts venue Harkat Studios had joined forces with Max Mueller Bhavan Mumbai to announce three grants for people who could use Harkatrsquos new virtual interactive stage for their projects The first of these will now take place on January 17 Itrsquos called O Gaanewali and Avanti Patel has conceptualised it The plot deals with the intriguing story of tawaifs or nautch girls who entertained the nobility in ancient India with song and dance but who were also vilified for exercising their sexual agency ldquoIt will be a live performance where the actors will use our virtual interactive stage to broadcast it to the worldrdquo shared Harkat Studios founder Karan Talwar in pic Visit linktreeharkatstudios to buy your ticketsDesigning a more sustainable futureConcerns that emerge from effective waste disposal remain one of the biggest challenges facing the world right now Thatrsquos why international platform What Design Can Do has launched a contest in India in collaboration with experiential learning group Unbox Cultures Futures Society UCFS where they are calling for designers to come up with creative ideas for effective waste disposal ldquoDesign holds the power to embed principles of sustainability at the heart of any new business or policyrdquo said UCFS cofounder Ayush Chauhan The competitionrsquos results will be decided in May and three winners will get a grant of euro10000 89 lakh to complete their projects Log on to whatdesigncandocom to apply