Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

No pain no gain

A young girl winces in pain while getting a tattoo done by a traditional artist on Juhu beach.

Rema gets a taste of Japan in aamchi Mumbai

Lakhan Jethani (right) with Rema

Clearly, chef Lakhan Jethani couldn't calm down when Nigerian singer-songwriter Rema - aka Divine Ikubor - recently dropped by his eatery, Mizu. An admirer of his work, Jethani was pleased to meet the approachable creator who wore an infectious smile throughout the two hours he spent at the restaurant. "I think he and his team have been in the country for a while and after having tried Indian food, he wanted a change. They were a group of nine to 10 people, and I can say that they enjoyed their meal. Rema's team also got a cake from us to mark an end to their India tour; that was a sweet gesture," the chef shared. About a dish that he didn't think the rapper would try, Jethani added, "The salmon gondhoraj yuzu truffle seems to have struck a chord with him. He actually went on to order more plates of it."

Artiste's city

Girish Karnad. File pic

An amusing facet shines through every time this diarist attempts to read a city through its artistes. On legendary playwright Girish Karnad's 85th birth anniversary, theatre-maker Sunil Shanbag shared snippets from a time in Mumbai that shaped the actor's journey. "As a young man, Karnad would spend hours at the Bhulabhai Memorial Institute in Nariman Point. It was in the mixed arts space that he picked up the impressions of modern theatre." Shanbag noted that the Jnanpith awardee's life and times come alive in the book, The Scenes We Made. "Another space that contributed to his becoming was the Walchand Terrace in Tardeo. Arvind Deshpande and Satyadev Dubey held their rehearsals there. Young actors would often stay back, share a drink and chat till late. One night, Karnad had an argument with Vijay Tendulkar. They went off to sleep. The next morning, he woke up expecting to find Tendulkar still there but instead, he found Badal Sircar who had arrived on a night train to Mumbai."

Let's get artsy

A sketch by one of the students

In collaboration with The Community Library Project, Art1st, a city-based arts organisation, conducted a six-month art programme for children from rural Delhi. "Our artist-mentor Ghanishka Kedar taught them that knowledge is not only about collecting information but also about understanding visual art. We helped them create sketches and pop-up books," said Lokesh Khodke, director, education. An exhibition of these artworks will be held in Delhi until May 28.

Weeding out phobias and divides

(Left to right) Pradipta Ray, Nilakshi Roy, Tinesh Chopade

In the context of International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia - which is observed on May 17 - the Humsafar Trust is organising a panel discussion in the city tomorrow to throw light upon the different kinds of struggles faced by individuals with diverse gender and sexual identities across fields. The discussion will feature speakers such as filmmaker and professor Pradipta Ray, architect and communication educator Kamlesh Gade and academician Dr Nilakshi Roy, among others. About the spirit of the interaction, Tinesh Chopade, associate director, advocacy, The Humsafar Trust, told this diarist, "We are sticking to the theme of diversity. Our speakers belong to different walks of life and they will highlight different kinds of phobias faced by LGBTQiA+ people. They will speak from experience. For instance, Nilakshi Roy, who has a bisexual daughter, will discuss biphobia in a family."

An evening in suburbia

A moment from the recently held session in Belapur

The Mahim-based Revolver Club's latest venture into Navi Mumbai would come as a surprise to many. Not to founder Jude de Souza. It has been a long time coming, he shared, adding, "We had a lot of people travelling from the suburbs for our regular sessions. So, we decided to hold one over there." The session, held at The Park Hotel in Belapur saw vinyl aficionados gather to listen to records featuring Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Daft Punk among others. "It was a surprisingly good turnout, and the plan is to now build on it." Next up is a Taylor Swift night in June - one that is dedicated to Swifties, said de Souza.