05 January,2025 06:01 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
A pair of foreign tourists roll back time as they take a ride along Bandra Bandstand in a decked-up motorised Victoria carriage.
December took a heavy toll on the arts community. While the world mourned the loss of Shyam Benegal and Ustad Zakir Hussain, among others, Bandra lost a friend and philosopher who loved its streets like his own. Fashion designer and street photographer, Firoze Shakir, passed away in December after battling serious illness. He was 70. "Street photography is not the best term to describe what Firoze did. His pictures were a commentary on society," shared American photographer Craig Boehman, who first met Shakir in 2016. For sister Farzana Suri, Shakir was a âcreative and evolved soul.' "He cared for people who did not have a voice, and sought to celebrate them through his photos," she said. Daughter Samiya Shakir agreed. "He once wore a paper suit to show that his design for Govinda in the film, Gambler, was practical. He shaped our idea of humanity. We would often walk into our home from school to see Aghori sadhus having a conversation with him. It was shocking then, but now I admire his outlook," she recalled. On January 12, Shakir's friends, and photographers will set out on a photo walk as a tribute. If you wish to join, log on to @craig.boehman on Instagram.
Yesterday, on National Bird Day (January 5), Mintage World, an online museum dedicated to all things vintage and modern, paid tribute to the avian species with their latest book, Endangered Parrots of the World on Stamps, Coins and Banknotes. The book, which was launched last month, features a compilation of 459 stamps, 37 coins, and 12 banknotes from around the world, each representing a different parrot species. "In India, parrots hold a special place in our cultural and historical narratives. We have sought to explore and document the often-overlooked stories of these susceptible parrot species worldwide. With this book, we aim to pay tribute to these cherished creatures and raise awareness about their conservation," Sushilkumar Agarwal, CEO, Mintage World shared with this diarist.
City-based author and social worker Viji Venkatesh might be 72-years-old, but she is gearing up to give the city a run for its money, quite literally. At the upcoming TATA Mumbai Marathon on January 19, Venkatesh will run to raise funds for the Project Shiksha initiative by the Friends of Max (FOM) Foundation that takes young cancer patients under its wing to facilitate their education. "We are focussed on patients suffering from a rare kind of leukemia. The expenses for its treatment often push parents to compromise on the child's educational needs. My knees might be creaky, but I'm determined to help the children," shared Venkatesh, also the managing trustee at FOM. Those keen on donating towards the cause can log on to unitedwaymumbai.org/fundraiser/20927.
Turkish theatremaker Betal Ozay stopped by fellow artiste Tanvi Shah's residence for a unique performance last weekend. Ozay put up a performance of his mixed-media creation, Goodbye Erdogan, in the more intimate space of a residence to open it up for a conversation. "This was his last performance in the city. A home is a different space than a black box or a stage, and more intimate. It opens up for the audience, reaching out to people across all demographics. When Václav Havel, the former Czech president's plays were banned, they began to be performed at home. It is the best way an artiste can reach out beyond censorship," Shah pointed out.
