Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Big B's cryptic mango letter
B-town's original bubbly girl stuck true to her character on Twitter.

Juhi Chawla recently shared an image of a handwritten thank you note sent to her by none other than the Big B, and she followed up her gracious acknowledgment with a chirpy little post script saying, "This is beautifully written...love it...par kya likha hai?

[But what have you written?]" Tweeple then flocked to the post to help Chawla decode senior Bachchan's calligraphic message in which he was thanking Chawla for a carton of mangoes she had sent to him. Might we add, sweetest gesture ever.

A classic-modern jugalbandi
Sumeet Nagdev Dance Arts, known largely for contemporary dance programmes and productions, is gearing up for some kathak power. The Dadar-based academy has invited kathak exponent Uma Dogra to share her expertise with students through masterclasses which commence this July.

"The beauty of rhythm and musicality in any dance form can come from kathak. I have been a student of Uma Dogra ji myself and I look up to her as a mother figure in the field of dance," choreographer and SNDA founder Sumeet Nagdev told this diarist. He adds that it is Dogra's openness to experimentation and her insistence on keeping the sanctity of the dance form intact that he admires.

Just last week, mid-day had reported how classic writings in Urdu are being taken to younger audiences through various initiatives across the city, and that Hindustani classical music can now be heard in a hip Lower Parel café. We are liking this new synergy.

To Africa, with love
Common Threads - Fabrics from India for Africa is a new documentary directed by Dr Renu Modi, associate professor at the Centre for African Studies, University of Mumbai.

A scholar in the field of India-Africa trade, she has written extensively on the topic.

The good news is that the film has been selected for The Zanzibar International Film Festival, where it will be screened in July. Kudos to the team!

Back in form
We have long maintained that indie music in India is yet to come of age, although that space is a lot more active now than it was about a decade ago. So, every time we come across a track that truly matches global standards, we view it as a sign that the scene has taken a step in the right direction. And that's what happened when we gave Sahej Bakshi aka Dualist Inquiry's new track - You & Me - a listen.

It's a delightfully peppy electronic number that has a groovy bassline layered under guitar riffs and synth lines, with Sanchal Malhar's loopy vocals only adding to the overall head-bobbing vibe. Bakshi had been lying low for a while before resurfacing a couple of months ago with a few new tracks. And going by what we have just heard, it's fair to say that he is back with a bang.

IPTA's copyright grievance in Bihar
We are not new to seeing doctored images for government propaganda. But this has gone a bit too far.

The Indian People's Theatre Association's (IPTA) easily recognisable logo of a drummer was recently appropriated for the creative of a cultural event organised by the Bihar government.

This hasn't gone down well with IPTA, which has urged CM Nitish Kumar to take action. We'll wait and watch.

Sundays are for family

Actor Kangana Ranaut leaves from her sister's Bandra home to take her nephew out for a ride. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

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