Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Who rules the roost?

A group of men play cards inside a chicken shop in Mankhurd.

A call to save nature

Some of the trees that are endangered due to the road-widening operation in Kolshet

A road-widening operation that is underway at Kolshet, in Thane, is threatening to displace around 431 indigenous trees, including the rare Urvashi plant. NGO Muse Foundation has been attempting to draw attention to this cause by raising awareness amongst citizens and authorities. "We're not against development. We want the authorities to look at an alternative plan. Indigenous trees, when trans-planted, will not be able to survive. The Urvashi plant is rare, and is the only one in Mumbai and Thane. While authorities said they won't touch it, debris is slowly killing it," rued founder Nishant Bangera.

Sounds foreign

Cissy Street is a French band that performed in the first edition

Back in the day, music company Gatecrash would regularly bring artistes down from abroad. But that was back in the day. Right now, that's not possible, given how the world changed about a year and a half ago. Yet, the show must go on. That's why Gatecrash has launched Spotlight, a new series that makes foreign, and Indian, artistes available to us via virtual gigs. The first edition, in collaboration with the French Embassy in India, Institut français and Skillbox, featured Gujarati band Duneheart and French funk-jazz act Cissy Street. Tanish Thakker of Gatecrash informed this diarist that the sets will last for about half an hour, adding that the firm hopes to rope in acts from Germany and Switzerland for upcoming sessions. "We used to get foreign acts down all the time and then thought, ‘Why not do an online edition [since live gigs are not possible]," he said about the idea behind Spotlight.

Danish, in focus

Last month, the news of photojournalist Danish Siddiqui being killed in Afghanistan while covering clashes rattled the country. From the telling images of India's COVID-19 crisis to the tragic migration of Rohingyas from Myanmar, Siddiqui leaves behind an inspiring oeuvre that held up a mirror to society. As a tribute to the Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, the Mumbai Press Club is hosting a week-long photo exhibition, titled Remembering Danish Siddiqui, at its Azad Maidan venue. Drop by, to honour the memory of a photographer and his lens that portrayed the truth.

Feni gets its own museum

While growing up, Goa-based businessman Nandan Kudchadkar would wonder why Goans were always depicted as alcoholics in mainstream cinema. "Feni is a prized possession and Goans drink rationally. Feni is a legacy left behind by the Portuguese, which evolved from a seed that travelled all the way from Brazil. I wanted to showcase this legacy for today, tomorrow and years to come," shared Kudchadkar, who has opened All About Alcohol in Candolim, a one-of-a-kind museum dedicated to feni and the history of alcohol. The curator-founder told this diarist that he's been collecting items showcased at the museum since he was in his teens. "I have been from Napa Valley to Scotland and never come across any alcohol museum. At the museum, thousands of items, from feni-making utensils and tasting glasses to bottles, are displayed. If all these items could speak, you don't know how much history would be told," he revealed, adding that the museum promotes the idea of responsible drinking. For those who cannot visit Goa, he's also planning a digital walkthrough of the museum. Cheers to that.

Between the lines

When the world shuttered last year, Mita Kapur (below, right), CEO of literary consultancy Siyahi, started curating a virtual series, titled The Universe Writes. As part of it, readers get to interact with some of the greatest authors from across the world. "We didn't know when we'll get to meet a lot of international authors again at festivals. I wanted to bring their voice, thoughts and writings to the Indian audience. So, I approached the Prabha Khaitan Foundation, which came on board," shared Kapur. Today's session will feature Nancy Springer (top, right), the author of the Enola Holmes series, in conversation with writer Eric Lindstrom. "Springer's Enola Holmes series is a huge hit, and last year, the first feature film burst onto the scene. Since there's this whole movement of book-to-screen adaptation unfolding right now, especially in India, I felt it'll be the correct time to speak to her and also shed light on her writing career," Kapur informed us. If you're keen to listen to them, head to @theuniversewrites on Instagram.