Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

What kind of a voter are you?
Is the question actor Rajkummar Rao wants to ask you with his newest video with Being Indian, Know Your Indian Voters. In the video, Rao portrays the different kinds of voters who get excessively active when elections near, ranging from uninformed conspiracy theorists, the reality show voters, the nationalists or the social media and hashtag junkies. "Sometimes voting can be a fad to take selfies for the social media. Although it's a humorous take on such voters, the point is to make people aware of the voting process in India," the actor tells us. The video went live yesterday.

Pic/Nimesh Dave

The shutterbug's delight
Actor Jacqueline Fernandes happily obliges lensmen as she arrives at the shoot of a reality show at a Goregaon studio on Thursday.

Giving peace a chance
Some of us might feel like we live in troubled times, given the state of geopolitics as it stands today. But there was some succour to be derived from an event that students of St Xavier's College held on Thursday to mark World Peace Day.

Pics/Atul Kamble

It involved a mime, an experimental theatre production and a procession that the students took out to spread the message of global harmony.

Sameera Khan (in pic), an independent journalist, also gave a talk on how significant the occasion is, given that conflict resolution - as always - remains the order of the day.

When Masaba met a fan in London
"I study in London College of Fashion... I always use your designs for my projects; my designer teachers, who are very difficult to please, also ask me who the designer is," read a neat hand-written note that a young admirer left for Masaba Gupta at her fashion pop-up in London.

The designer was recently in the UK capital for her showcase on the India Day at the London Fashion Week. With an ever-increasing number of Indian designers showcasing their work abroad, international fandom seems only natural.

A pre-Independence slice of life
Mirchi Gali may now be more of a highlight on the itinerary of heritage walks in Lalbaug, but did you know that it was a preferred destination for grocery shopping for many Mumbaikars in the pre-Independence era? Much of what is written about the years leading up to 1947 captures the politics of the era and the freedom struggle.

Pic/Atul Kamble

But what was everyday life like 70 years ago? The city's history enthusiasts got a glimpse of it yesterday when author Lavanya Shanbhogue-Arvind took them back in time with a reading session of her book, The Heavens We Chase, at Kitab Khana in Fort.

"To move beyond the usual narratives of conflict, I delved into unpublished civilian accounts, which included those by wives of British officials," Shanbhogue-Arvind told this diarist about the research she undertook for the novel, which was published last year. Much of it is set in Mumbai, and one of the main characters is a man who was born in one of the migrant workers' chawls the British established.

The novel has a wealth of interesting details like the toothpaste people used, their source of entertainment, etc. So, what was the brand that defined oral health then? "There was something called Eucryl tooth powder that the British used. It soon became popular with the Indian elite, too," answered Shanbhogue-Arvind.

A cultural initiative with a difference
This diarist recently happened to speak to economist-singer Rongili Biswas about a cultural movement her father, and eminent Bengali singer, author and political activist Hemango Biswas, spearheaded with the legendary Bhupen Hazarika during the linguistic riots in Assam in 1960.

The late Khagen Mahanta with wife Archana

The duo formed a troupe of singers, dancers and theatre artistes and travelled across the state with a strong message for peace.

"En route, they roped in local artistes, many of whom went on to become established names in the arts and cultural scene of India. One such name is the folk music exponent of Assam, Khagen Mahanta. For the uninitiated, he is popular playback singer Papon's father," said Biswas. A cultural movement that brought peace and became a talent launch pad. We could do with more such initiatives.