Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

Love in the time of masks

On a chilly morning, a couple finds comfort and quiet on a Kasara-bound local

Ode to crows, tellers of stories

Siddharth Dasgupta

Recently, The Bombay Literary Magazine debuted a new logo to weave in soul and personality to its scope of work. Siddharth Dasgupta, arts editor and visual director of the e-magazine, told this diarist, "Monsieur Crow speaks for the magazine and the city, too. It has character and tends to tell stories it picks up along the way.

The logo is an ode to the righteous melange of histories, people, narratives and dreams of Mumbai. In known literature, it is more of a fellow that visits and leaves, but in the case of our journal, I have cast it in a modern and cosmopolitan light where it is known for its whimsicality."

Motoring along

After delivering the most hilarious jokes, stand-up comic Sumukhi Suresh has now launched Motormouth, a story marketplace and content house that aims to create and promote shows, movies and a variety of stories with women in the focus. It will also lend space to other diverse gender-centric content across platforms. "For the past few years, I've been trying to find an umbrella under which I can fit all the things that I do - writing, acting, stand-up comedy and show-running. Funny girls, who are unabashed and don't have hang-ups, are common in all my stories. We want to create a range of characters for women, so they don't have to do the same kind of roles again and again," she told us.

Gobhai's art, Pinto's words

An untitled lithograph in Pinto's book on Gobhai shows the Nandi bull

Bookworm Goa will hold the virtual launch of the Mehlli Gobhai Visual Arts Program on January 29 and it will include a read-aloud session by Jerry Pinto followed by an art activity for children. The master abstractionist had taught Pinto art through a series of conversations. "It is a wonderful initiative that includes young participants who might like colours and forms as their chosen modes of expression.

Mehlli Gobhai and Jerry Pinto

The illustrator once told me, ‘A dog is a living piece of sculpture.' He meant when you choose a dog, you choose it to be a part of your visual landscape. Every conversation went back to art. I will be reading such excerpts from my book, The Secret World of Mehlli Gobhai: The Man Who Found Art Everywhere to make him accessible to kids," he shared.

Bagful of nostalgia for the Bengali

Trina Mukherjee; (right) Thakurmar Jhuli-themed coasters by Bag of Bong

This diarist came across a quirky handle on Instagram that had a connect with the past. Bag of Bong is a retail page run by Mumbai-based artist Trina Mukherjee. The creator draws satisfaction from her characteristic artistic style that shines through every household décor item, piece of furnishing and clothing or serveware she designs. "I was clear that ‘all things Bangali' will fuel my project. Each and every wall plate, coaster, sari or cushion is hand-drawn in nostalgic Bengali symbols. There are no prints. The symbols and characters I've been fascinated by as a child - Podi Pishir Bormi Baksho, stories from Thakurmar Jhuli, JabaKusum Aalta and the work of Satyajit Ray - adorn my products. So far, I have managed to strike a chord of relevance amongst my customers," Mukherjee said. Those who are looking for fun gifting options, can head to @bagofbong on Instagram.

Safer roads for Mumbai's women

In order to address many problems that affect city streets - from dim lighting to antisocial elements, to pavements blocked by illegal encroachments - FICCI FLO Mumbai and Akshara Centre will conduct a safety walk next week. It will lead participants through Bandra's streets and invite them to notice hurdles. These will be addressed by the organisers and relevant authorities. "Akshara Centre trained observers as most aren't sure what to look for. We'd be happy if more join," Lubeina Shahpurwala, Chairperson, FICCI FLO Mumbai, told us. Contact @ficci_flo_mumbai for details.