Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Coasting along

After a day's toil, workers leave Juhu Chowpatty on a skid-steer loader

Kicking it off in Mumbai

A moment from the football coaching session

Earlier this month, sisters and team-mates Nicole Begg and Ashleigh Sykes joined Football Australia in a workshop for women's football coaches.Describing her first trip to India, Sykes shared, "I enjoy doing development programmes such as these because you have the ability to impact change and maybe, even inspire people in the communities we meet."

Nicole Begg and Ashleigh Sykes

The footballer also mentored a few young girls in the coaching session as part of the NGO Oscar Foundation's Kick Like A Girl programme the next day, supported by the Australian Consulate General, Mumbai. Begg added, "Women's football in Australia is developing over time, like it is in India. I never had female footballers as icons growing up. As the game continues to grow - more footballers and coaches become visible and fill those roles as icons." As for sightseeing, Begg admitted time was short. "It would be great to see some sights. I love trying local food and am open to suggestions for Mumbai specialties," she shared. Let's hope they managed to savour some city favourites.

All set for Pride Month

June 2023 Scenes will include performances, discussions and parties

Gaysi, the LGBTQiA+ platform, is ready to kickstart Pride Month this week with a multi-city schedule of June 2023 Scenes. On June 1, they will be conducting two private screenings of Joyland, followed by an interactive discussion with filmmakers in Mumbai. Other events across Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi include an all-day queer party with workshops and games; a two-day festival showcasing services by queer entrepreneurs; as well as a musical production called Be-Loved by Tamaasha Studio Foundation. All events are free with prior reservation. Founder Sakshi Juneja (top) said, "The aim is to bring diverse queer narratives to the mainstream through pop culture platforms, and showcase queer talent, brands and businesses."

A bite of the cross-section

A ham and burrata cheese sandwich by Sahil Makhija

What do you call the layers of a sandwich? Sahil Makhija, or Headbanger Eats, calls it the cross section. Soon, the words became a trend with his fans. "Suddenly, people began pointing it out or saying it," he chuckled. The heavy metal musician teamed up with visual artist Aaron Pinto to create merchandise around the theme. He's also hosting a contest; buy a t-shirt, and get a chance to dine with Makhija.

Mind over all else

Julian Sidana (right) Dolly Sidana

Last Friday, 16-year-old Julian Sidana and her mother Dolly Sidana visited Mumbai for a screening of In Search of Julian, a 37-minute biographic documentary, conceptualised by Julian. The story follows the teen as she narrates her journey of self-discovery and the mental health struggles she faced while trying to fit in with her peers. Dolly shared, "Julian made the film when she was 15 years old. It's an important topic that needs a direct conversation." With a view of breaking the silence on the impact of people-pleasing on one's own individualism, the recent screening at Andheri's Veda Factory went beyond usual screening formats and included interactive panel discussions with film and mental health experts to explore the topic.

Sing bluebird

Sonam Chaturvedi

You don't have to dial your mobile service provider to copy this ringtone, just head to Out Of Line (OOL), a Delhi-based platform that uses mobile devices as art sites. They recently launched the second series of OOL Tones that shares alarm and ringtones conceptualised to fit a theme. The latest in the series is titled Bluebirds, and is based on a Charles Bukowski poem by the same name. Co-founder and multimedia artist Sonam Chaturvedi explained, "The bluebird signifies the being within us that is trying to express itself and break through our body that we use as a front to [mask what is true]. We have taken various dialogues to fit the theme." If you'd like to treat callers to a recitation of the poem by Bukowski, you know where to head to.