Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Celebration central

A giant floral rangoli, measuring 40 feet and made from 400 kg of flowers, added colour to Panvel station on the occasion of Onam on Thursday

Let's be paws-itive

Sophie Choudry, Shahira Sunder, Soha Ali Khan with Kunal Kemmu

Wouldn't it be amazing if your love for fashion married your passion for animal welfare? After two years, vintage and thrift finds platform Dolce Vee is uniting with animal care NGO World For All (WFA) for their annual virtual flea. The flea that opened on Dolce Vee's official website on September 5, which is International Charity Day, offers pre-loved fashion picks by actor-writer Soha Ali Khan and performer Sophie Choudry. "The proceeds from the flea pop-up help WFA in rescue, sterilisation and adoption of strays. Khan and Choudry have supported and furthered our efforts. Their pre-loved fashion picks are in good condition, wearable, and comfortable. This flea not only promotes animal welfare, but also helps the environment through a circular economy in the fashion industry," said Shahira Sunder, adoptions and social media manager at WFA.

Run for all, all for run

Nidhi Singh

If you pass by Marine Drive this Sunday, you may spot a crowd of determined runners. The promenade will be a part of the campaign to generate awareness for PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) organised by the patient-focused community, PCOS Club India. Co-founder Nidhi Singh told us that the five-km run would generate deserved attention for the condition. Singh remarked that it remains largely under-diagnosed. "When it comes to diagnosis and treatment, there is a huge health discrepancy that needs to be highlighted." In addition to Mumbai, there will be campaigns in Bengaluru and Delhi; the capital will also have a hybrid summit with 30 speakers on PCOS.

Hall of fame approaches landmark birthday

West Indies' fast bowling great Wesley Hall will turn 85 on Monday. He has lived a fulfilling life in which he has preached the language of cricket and love. We learned that Reverend Hall is leading a healthy life in Barbados and that the secret to his well-being is swimming in salty waters every day. There are several anecdotes related to Hall, but the one that is probably most famous is his conversation with then West Indian captain Frank Worrell in the closing stages of the Tied Test at Brisbane in 1961. Fellow Barbadian Worrell told Hall that he wouldn't be able to return to their native land Barbados if he bowled a no ball. Hall didn't and the rest as they say, is history - the first tie in the history of Test cricket! Apart from touring India for Test match series in 1958-59 and 1966-67, Hall also came over as the manager of Clive Lloyd's team in 1983. He was as popular as his star players, and Air India included him in their ad campaign (above) along with other West Indian greats like Clive Lloyd, Michael Holding and Jeff Dujon. In a way, Sir Wesley Winfield Hall is still flying high. Happy birthday in advance.

The icons return

A performance of Parikrama from a previous edition of Independence Rock

Fans of rock music have been buzzing ever since we reported the return of Mumbai's traditional rock fest, Independence Rock, in this section. The festival has finally released the line-up of 10 bands that will take the stage in November. Among them are the big daddies, including Pentagram, Parikrama and Indus Creed who will be joined by Avial, Thaikkudam Bridge, Zero, Bloodywood, TheF16s, aswekeepsearching and Parvaaz. VG Jaishankar (inset), MD, Hyperlink Brand Solutions that is partnering with founder Fahad Wadia, maintains that rock music reflects a cultural change in society.

He said, "It is a force in its own right. As the original generations of rock fans matured, the music became a deeply interwoven thread in popular culture." He added that this would reintroduce the iconic rock festival to a new generation.