Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Testing times

Youngsters prepare ahead of the Mumbai Police Entrance Exam at Shivaji Park in Dadar.

Her passage through India

Anoushka Shankar. Pic Courtesy/Anushka Menon

It has been a while since multiple-Grammy Award winner, Anoushka Shankar has been in India. The singer arrived earlier this week for her cross-country tour. What's more, she is set to perform in the city on December 16. For the singer though, the India tour also has a personal connect. "On the personal front, I will be paying homage to my father, my guru - Pandit Ravi Shankar on his 10th death anniversary in the presence of my children as they visit India after many years," she told this diarist. Shankar will take to the Mumbai stage with British musician, Gold Panda (Derwin Decker) to interpret her father's legacy. In addition, the musician will join artistes to play her own repertoire, and the album, Between Us, during the course of the performance. She said, I hope the audiences enjoy listening to the music as much as I enjoyed creating it." Welcome to Mumbai, Anoushka.

Wind in her sails

Anandi Chandavarkar steers her skiff to the win at the Regatta in Phuket. Pic Courtesy/ Mathias Heitmann

The bright sun, open seas and you by yourself. While this might sound like a dream life, sailors swear by the hard work involved. Even as others her age are caught up in the books, 13-year-old Anandi Chandavarkar is riding the waves of success. The youngster won gold at the Phuket King's Cup Regatta earlier this week. This was the latest achievement for the Juhu-based teen this year, following the fifth place finish in the French Open Skiff National under-15. She also participated in the Japanese Open Skiff Nationals earlier. The win marks a first international medal for her. She said, "The sailing conditions were tricky in Thailand as the wind was unstable, and I had to change my strategies as per the weather condition." Surprisingly, she had started sailing only four years ago after a trip to a sailing club at Versova beach, and considered this trip to Phuket a true test. "During some of the races, it was extremely windy. To be consistent in all these conditions is quite challenging," she added. Despite the challenge, Chandavarkar seems to have taken to the seas well. Talking about her ride, she shared,"Skiffs are faster than the dinghy class of boats. They are easy to rig, too." With a first international win under her belt, the youngster has her sights set on more. "My next target is the Open Skiff Worlds which will take place in July 2023 in Rimini, Italy. Till then, I plan to train and hone my skills," she told us.

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Jungle jam in Lower Parel

Captain Jack Sparrow might have been thrilled at this news. The Bombay Canteen bar is set to be taken over by Joshua Ivanovic (below), co-founder of the award-winning Junglebird, from Kuala Lumpur today. Ivanovic revealed that they have a bespoke drinks menu for the tour. "The drinks we'll be serving haven't and shall not in the future be served outside of India," he declared. Yash Bhanage (inset), founder, Hunger Inc Hospitality, said, "Their beverage offering encompasses a wide variety of spirit categories with a heavy focus on rum - which makes it unique." But serving flair is not the only thing on Ivanovic's mind. "India is one of the best places on earth to enjoy flavour, be it for culinary pursuits or mixed drinks," he added.

A stage for Marathi

A moment from a play being presented at the ongoing competition

Step into Ravindra Natya Mandir any of these days from December 13 onwards, and you are in for a treat. A new generation of playwrights and actors are displaying their skills at the 61st annual Maharashtra State Marathi Theatre Competition. Bibhishan Chavare, director, state cultural affairs, told us, "The competition is an annual event for amateur Marathi theatre artistes from across the state. Mumbai is one of the 19 centres across the state hosting over 400 plays this year." The director revealed that the selection process began in August 2022. "We are currently in the primary rounds which will continue till January 2023, followed by the final round in March. "It is a great opportunity for amateur playwrights to showcase their talent, and also discover stories." For those interested in the next round of selections, keep an eye on mahasanskruti.org.

Tides of change

A moment from Sarvnik Kaur's film, Against The Tide

A very Koli tale is heading to the hallowed viewing rooms of Sundance Film Festival in January. Sarvnik Kaur's (inset) documentary, Against The Tide, will have a world premiere at the film festival on January 20. The filmmaker said that the story was born of her personal interest in displaced people. "People are often displaced from homes in the name of nationalism or development," she noted. This led her to the stories of Rakesh and Ganesh, Koli fishermen and cousins, whose conflicting approaches to the changing tradition and the rapid urbanisation around the city forms the core of the story, which she began filming in 2017. "We need to protect the people at the intersectionality between nature and species. If we save them, they will save the species," she shared.