The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Atul Kamble
No rock, but let’s roll
Prateek Kuhad. PIC/GETTY IMAGES
After a last-minute cancellation upset in 2024, the popular NH7 Weekender festival is returning to Pune this March. That rocks! Not quite. Loyal audiences who remember the likes of Steve Vai, Megadeth, Cigarettes After Sex, and Karnivool taking the festival stage, aren’t too pleased by the absence of international rock acts this year. Punjabi rapper Talwiinder, OG indie pop artiste Prateek Kuhad, and desi pop sensation King headline the packed roster, which leaves just enough room for OG indie rockers Indian Ocean. Do we pin it on the evolving audience, or a budget-strapped comeback? Let’s just say they’re caught between a rock and a hard place.
A Bluesy road to Mumbai
The poster features a bridge between Mississippi and Mumbai
If Eric Gales were around, he would’ve been tempted to strum a few notes inspired by the poster of the Mahindra Blues Festival 2026. Photographer-artist Vikram Bawa (above) has created this artwork for the theme of the festival’s 14th edition that opens on February 14.
The image of a road transforming into a guitar captures the journey of the Blues to Mumbai. “Being on the road has always been music to my restless traveller’s soul. Set against Mumbai, a city where my journeys begin and end, this image reflects music shaped by rhythm, movement, and the spirit of the blues,” Bawa said.
Better skate than ever
A skater pulls off a trick at Carter Road skatepark. FILE PIC
Skating coach Sameer Ansari has warned us of a possible jam on Carter Road this weekend. Skateboarders from across groups and crews are set to converge at the Carter Road Skatepark for a 13-hour-long skaters’ jam. “The event is an ode to everyone who plays a part in upholding the skateboarding culture in this city. It has been a while since all of us met and socialised. I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and new there,” said Ansari, who will also celebrate eight years of his community Formigas on the weekend. If you have two left feet and no skateboard to land them on, you can still show up to cheer the skaters on, we were told. Those keen to watch the spectacle can catch the action live between 7 am and 8 pm on Sunday.
High on Japan
Cocktail Tiny Bouquet
It’s Mumbai call-up for Japanese ace bartender Michito Kaneko (right). As part of a one-day takeover at Akina in Worli on February 20, Kaneko will whip up concoctions from his acclaimed Lamp Bar, ranked among Asia’s 50 best bars.
“The last time I was in Mumbai, the city and its people left a strong impression, and I knew I wanted to return one day. This time, I would love to bring ingredients and cocktails from my home in Nara to India,” he told us.
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