19 things to do around Mumbai from August 7 to August 12

A quick verdict on the buzz
Where's the spice?
We recently found out about a range of spice chocolates launched by Divinite Chocolates, which is affiliated to Sa'Ni'Sa, an NGO that works towards employment of disadvantaged women of Parli in Raigad. The assortment included salt, cardamom and ginger. Chili wasn't available, they said. Sadly, the flavour of cardamom turned out to be disappointingly mild. Our hope for a spicy punch was quashed when salt and ginger tasted similar. While we appreciate the brand's social initiative, the chocolates could do with some upliftment.

On Modiji and taxes
Even as more than most of us are left confused and complaining by GST and its many mysteries, trust Vipul Goyal to whine in style. The comedian's latest set takes a dig on 'Modiji's' move of increasing indirect taxes in the form of GST. He does not even spare the LPG subsidy reforms or Swachh Bharat and Krishi Kalyan. And at points when you feel he's being dangerously politically incorrect, he cooly says, "That last joke was written by Arvind Kejriwal." Insisting that he's a 'big fan of Modiji', and his fantastic oratory skills, Goyal goes on to call the PM the "Crime Master Gogo of taxes". In his laidback style, he takes one dig after another at Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Amit Shah, and, of course, Kejriwal - much to the relish of the aam aadmi, if not the Aam Aadmi Party.

These friends got it bad
NETFLIX'S Friends From College will make you take a hard look at your own life. We watched all eight episodes in one sitting, and were thanking our stars our lives are not half as f''''' as up as the characters in it. The show deals with a close-knit group of Harvard alumni, who are figuring life out, all while having meltdowns and affairs (with each other). We love Keegan-Michael Key as Ethan Turner and Cobie Smulders as his wife Lisa Turner. The rest, even though not entirely charming, are too dysfunctional to not be interesting.

Order of the day
Holy Cow
07 Monday
11 am to 6 pm: Oil on canvas and water colour paintings of bulls and cows by various artists are on display. Each of them has created their own interpretation of the much-in-controversy animal, using a variety of techniques and a visual language rich in vivid colours.
WHERE: Studio3 Art Gallery, 12 Nagin Mahal, ground floor, Veer Nariman Road, Churchgate
CALL: 9819344839

Dragon Tattoo beckons
08 Tuesday
7 pm onwards: Titled Ek Shoonya Teen, this play has been inspired by Steig Larsson's bestseller The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo. The fast-paced, sometimes violent thriller, sticks to the original text but incorporates contemporary desi elements. It also has a social message at its core.
WHERE: Experimental Theatre, NCPA
ENTRY: Rs 354
CALL: 6622 3737

Bucket List
09 Wednesday
1 pm to 1 am: While it continues to rain buckets outside, why not have some fun indoors? Bucket Wednesdays at this Greek eatery is serving booze by the bucket. While you are at it, you can munch on treats like wok tossed fish, ceprese, chicken cilantro and more. Just what a mid-week break needs.
WHERE: Blanco, 201-202, Samarth Vaibhav Co-operative housing society, off link road, Oshiwara, Andheri West
CALL: 8097004656

Govinda aala re
10 Thursday
10 am to 9 pm: Start the Janmashtami week with a fun quiz for children called Matki Khod. A decked up matki filled with candies, chocolates and biscuits will be tied to a pole on the main square. The child that answers all five questions correctly will win the goodies inside.
WHERE: R City Mall, 3rd floor, North Wing, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Amrut Nagar, Ghatkopar West
ENTRY: Rs 950 onwards
CALL: 1800 102 1222

Humour in the house
11 Friday
8 pm onwards: This Lokhandwala special will feature 10 amateurs and three pro standup comedians (from Lokhandwala) take up the challenge of making the audience laugh. The show will be hosted by Dhruv Deshpande and will feature Adhiraj Singh too.
WHERE: Dancamaze, Samarth Aishwarya Apartment, New Link Road, Lokhandwala Complex
ENTRY: Rs 200
CALL: 9967320468

Knowing Matisse
12 Saturday
4 PM to 7 pm: In this workshop, participants will learn about Henri Matisse's works made in the French artist's later years, when he became wheelchair-bound. The workshop will explore the central themes in his work, and attempt to understand an important phase in the history of art.
WHERE: What About Art, 7, Baitush Apartments, 29th Road, Bandra West
ENTRY: Rs 750
CALL: 9773361243

Sculpting a story
Aug 10, 6.30 pm to 9 pm: Savia Mahajan's first solo exhibition at Tarq art gallery, Liminal, will see the artist toggle with a variety of mediums, including sculpture, drawing and illustration, through which she has explored notions of life and death.
While the Mumbai-based artist started out as a painter, seven years ago she turned towards ceramics. She has worked extensively at a local pottery studio in the city, that gave her the space to experiment with myriad techniques in ceramics. It's a result of that departure, out of which Liminal has born.
WHERE: F35/36 Dhanraj Mahal, C.S.M. Marg, Apollo Bunder, Colaba
CALL: 66150424

Boost your kitchen confidence
Aug 12-13, 11 am onwards: This two-day workshop will take you through the finer skills in the kitchen, that involve wielding the knife. Participants will also learn to create classic sauces like Bechamel sauce, brown sauce, tomato sauce, veloute, mayonnaise and Hollandaise sauce. There'll also be a master class on essential stocks.
WHERE: Culinary Craft, 247, Second floor, Powai Plaza, Central Avenue, Hiranandani Gardens, Powai
ENTRY: Rs 6,356
CALL: 99203 38627

Grab your weekend dose of the best medicine
Aug 11, 6.30 pm onwards: In what promises to be this year's biggest comedy nights, five of India's best comedians, including Biswa Kalyan Rath, Varun Thakur, Rohan Joshi, Ashish Shakya, along with host Sumukhi Suresh will take centrestage, to do what they do best - make you ROFL. The lineup will be a mix of improv, sketches and angry rants. Watch Sumukhi's improv pitted against Thakur's high-energy impersonations, while AIB boys Shakya and Joshi doll out their tongue-in-cheek best.
WHERE: Shanmukhananda Auditorium, Harbanslal Marg, Sion East
ENTRY: Rs 845-Rs 1100
CALL: 24078888

A soundscape to remember
Aug 12, 9 pm to 1 am: One of the pioneers in global fusion, Karsh Kale will be regaling audiences with his experimental tunes. And keeping the beat with him will be Mumbai's much loved guitarist and composer Warren Mendonsa. Joining them will be flautist, Pandit Ajay Prasanna with his Indian classical touch.

Kale has made a name for himself as a genre-bending collaborator, who has worked with the likes of Ustad Zakir Hussain , Pandit Ravi Shankar, Lenny Kravitz, Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones, to name a few. He's also one of the few musicians who has performed at the White House in 2013.
WHERE: Todi Mill Social, Lower Parel
ENTRY: Rs 600
CALL: 65110361

Sufi Souls Calling
Aug 12, 9.30 pm onwards: This one promises to be a one-of-a-kind musical blend. Finch, Andheri's well-known Jazz bar, will transform into a Sufi haven as Sonam Kalra performs The Sufi Gospel Project, an ensemble of prayer, poetry and music.

Formally trained in Indian classical under Shubha Mudgal and Sarathi Chatterji, she has also studied various genres of Western music like gospel, jazz and opera.

The idea behind this concert was to create a sound that blends the lines of all faith. "That is Sufism, for me. We create walls around us, by imposing restrictions on everything thereby creating differences. But, we must remember, it is our job alone to liberate ourselves from the maze of faith. Music is my medium of liberation," says the singer.
WHERE: Finch, Saki Vihar Road, Andheri East
CALL: 28578300

The stories behind the pages
aug 12, 10.30 am to 1.30 pm: How are books made? What comes first - words or pictures? These are among the many questions that shall find answers in this fun-filled interactive session. It will be conducted by Dhwani Shah, an illustrator and graphic designer.
WHERE: Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Byculla East
ENTRY: Only museum entry ticket applicable
CALL: 23731234

Watch a play
6 PM: Catch Pankaj Kapur and Supriya Pathak weave their magic on stage in Sehar. The play tells the story of Mishra, who arrives in the quaint town of Kasauli for a weekend, when he is pulled into a mysterious search.
WHERE: Prithvi Theatre, 20, Juhu Church Road, Janki Kutir, Juhu
ENTRY: Rs 590
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com

Sip on a sangria
12 PM - 1 AM: Try some fresh, juicy and mouth watering sangria and elevate your mood at the ongoing Sangria Festival. You can choose from an array of sangria's like the Mercurial, made with cinnamon and appie, or the delectable Quarter Life Crisis, which includes jalapeno and grenadine.
WHERE: Summer House Cafe, Todi Mills, Lower Parel
PRICE: Glass for Rs 450; Pitcher for Rs 1,800
CALL: 33951631

Dig into tangdi
12 PM - 11 PM: As part of the 70th Independence Day celebrations, Barbeque Nation has curated a special mouthwatering menu from all over the country. The menu includes Mughlai tangdi, fish Amritsari, Hyderabad mutton sheekh kebab and chatu besara among others.
WHERE: Barbeque Nation, ground Floor, 355, Hotel Metro Palace, Bandra
CALL: 7861004444

Go for this
Arrange a bouquet
2 PM-4 PM: With the festive season just around the corner, learning flower arrangements could help bring about a great change to your home décor. Join horticulturist Sandhya Vaidya at a one-of-a-kind workshop, where you will learn unique DIY flower arrangements. The session will also demonstrate how you can create wonders with items that are readily available at your home. Art material will be provided.
WHERE: House of Wow, 10, Natraj Building, Hill Road, opposite St Stanislaus School, Bandra West
ENTRY: Rs 1,400
TO BOOK: in.bookmyshow.com