Mumbai saw a weekend packed with cultural highlights—Samay Raina’s comeback show in Worli, an eco-friendly Ganpati display at the zoo, a sensory trail at the British Museum by Access for ALL, and the return of ART MUMBAI 2024. From ocean-inspired student art to global collaborations, the city continues to shine with creativity.
PIC/NIMESH DAVE
Samay said so
Samay Raina at the show in Worli last weekend. PIC COURTESY/SAMAY RAINA ON INSTAGRAM
Laga nahi tha apne desh mein phir se perform karne milega [I didn’t think I would perform in my country again],” said comedian Samay Raina at his comeback show last weekend. After landing in hot water over the India’s Got Latent row in February, Raina marked a return by performing for a crowd of 25,000 fans in Worli over the weekend. Parth Betkar, an attendee, told this diarist, “Samay was in his element. It was more of a heart-to-heart with his audience, than a comedy routine. He even took a few tongue-in-cheek digs at the absurdity of his situation.” Fans of the comedian will be thrilled to know that Raina also hinted at the return of his reality comedy series, adding that he will continue to look back on the ‘first season’ fondly.
Bappa’s day out at the Mumbai Zoo
The miniature replica of the Mumbai Zoo. PIC COURTESY/KARAN PATIL
Lower Parel-based Patlancha Goad Ganpati has set up quite the unusual meeting between Bappa and the city’s beloved Humboldt penguins this year. As part of a Rani Baug-themed display, the Patil family has recreated each detail, including the triple arched gateway and the Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in the complex. “All our elements are made from eco-friendly materials like coconut fibre, cardboard, grass and rocks. Visitors across ages are loving it,” artist Karan Patil of the family told this diarist. Dr Abhishek Satam, zoo biologist, Mumbai Zoo, who had just returned from his visit to the pandal when we reached out to him, gave it a thumbs up, adding that the work was “superb.”
Overseas access
Siddhant Shah at the British Musuem. PIC COURTESY/ACCESS FOR ALL
There is a desi change in the offing inside the British Museum in London. Mumbai-based Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) consultancy Access for ALL has joined hands with the museum to create a unique sensory trail for neurodiverse and autistic individuals, as part of the museum’s ITP Legacy Project for the “Ancient India: Living Traditions” exhibition. The trail focuses on giving neurodivergent visitors an opportunity to experience the heritage gallery in a way catered to their specific needs. Designed in collaboration with the Asian People’s Disability Alliance, this trail is rooted in the firm message that accessibility for disabled people is not optional, but a collective responsibility. Siddhant Shah, founder of Access for ALL, revealed, “This is a year-long project to open up heritage spaces for neurodivergent people, and those with autism, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. We used sensory kits to let visitors experience the museum via sound, touch and smell. It is not just public places like metro stations that need to be made accessible for neurodiverse people, but also places like museums.”
Going big with art
A moment from the 2024 edition. PIC COURTESY/ART MUMBAI
The city’s popular art fair ART MUMBAI returns to town this November. The annual edition is scheduled from November 13 to 16 this year. Its third edition at the Mahalaxmi Race Course will feature more than 80 exhibitors, including 16 new Indian exhibitors and nine new international galleries.
Co-founder Dinesh Vazirani (left) told this diarist, “A 55 per cent increase in the number of exhibitors [since 2023] is a strong reflection of the fair’s growing stature. ART MUMBAI continues to be a platform for dialogue, discovery, and connection — rooted in the region, for the world.”
Big blue ideas
A section of the installation. PIC COURTESY/THE CATHEDRAL AND JOHN CONNON SCHOOL
It was all hands on the deck at The Cathedral and John Connon School last week when students, teachers, and parents crafted a salute to the ocean through art and craft. “Our efforts aligned with the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. While crafting models, they learnt about real-life environmental problems,” said Susmita Ganguly, headmistress of the junior school. With the deep-sea exploration wrapped up, the school will continue its 165th year celebrations, undertaking social initiatives across its sections.
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