Mumbai diaries: Friday frolics

Rainbow on the Rooftop
It is called coming out of the closet and going to the rooftop! Purple Skies, a film on Indian lesbians, bisexuals and transmen by Mumbai activist and filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan is all set to have its first screening in Pune at an unusual mainstream space, a rooftop cinema lounge. The film will be screened at the Meet The Director series organized by Pune-based group Lost The Plot.

Spaces going places: The venue where Purple Skies will screen tomorrow

The venue is the rooftop of Seasons Apartment Hotel in Aundh. The venue is completely open to the night sky, the retro ambiance is cosy. Then, there is the finger food menu and movie themed cocktails, served at the seat, which are part of the experience. What enthuses one is the fact that gay-themed offerings are breaking new ground, both metaphorically and physically.

More venues are opening their doors to LGBT events. Moreover, the discourse is going out to a mainstream audience. "It enables a more equitable and accepting society," says Rangayan.

So, if you are in Pune ,and rooftop gazing is your scene, you may as well gaze into a purple sky. You could log on bookmyshow.com/ events/meet-the-director-of-purple-skies-at-punes-only-rooftop-cinema for more details about this event.

Respect from the Master Blaster

Master stroke: Sachin Tendulkar performs a puja. Pic/ Suresh KK

Every little thing legends do has a touch of inspiration. Before Sachin Tendulkar interacted with the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team and the U-23 boys on Wednesday, his humility was there for every youngster to see. When the Little Master was asked to kick off the practice session by breaking a coconut and performing a puja, the record-breaking batsman promptly removed his footwear before participating in this sacred act.

The ‘God of Cricket' sprinkled coconut water on to the stumps and the pitch, and garlanded the stumps with flowers before seeking blessings of the 22-yard strip, and the stumps. Despite being the game's biggest icon, he remains grounded with deep-rooted values. Lessons for life.

In the light of poetry
Two blind poets, Prathamesh Bendre and Talha Ansari, are organising a poetry reading event where ghazals would be the mainstay. The event, Khwaabon KI Dastaan, would be held at Kamala Mehta School For The Blind at Dadar (W) on Sunday, September 13 on the eve of Hindi Diwas. The reading, under the banner of Lions Club Malad and Borivali, will start from 3.30pm and continue till 5.30pm, with 20 poems being read out. "Youth today hardly listen to ghazals, so we are taking a a chance and putting out some ghazals for them. We write in Hindi that is flexible and includes even slang to connect with the audience," Bendre says.

Look, who got his goat!

FENCE STANDEE: This diarist spotted this hulk of a goat tied near one of the buildings in Vile Parle. Standing on its hind legs, it was trying hard to reach out to eat the leaves of a nearby tree. When its attempts failed, the owner climbed up the tree and passed on a few twigs to the hungry animal. We were amused by this sight, but we're not quite sure if this gentleman was.

Mill mayhem

Each time we visit Mathuradas Mills/ Todi Mills, there are a million things that trouble us - poorly lit, parking and flooding issues. Recently, while at an eatery in the space, this diarist was privy to a chat between the owner of a restaurant and a music space in the area. They were discussing all these issues. But from what we could gauge, the lack of unity and communication among owners of properties seemed to be a roadblock. Until that happens, Todi Mills is likely to stay the same, like Mumbai.