20 June,2021 08:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Atul Kamble
As if mirroring the despondency the human race feels while caught in lockdowns and infection waves, a pair of squirrels at Shivaji Park give each other TLC.
Mumbai-based writer Kashif Mashaikh, who has worked closely with author S Hussain Zaidi on several writing projects, and currently works for a start-up, is set to release his debut fiction, titled Mortuary Tales (Westland). Set in a mortuary in the fictional Grand Trunk Hospital in Mumbai, the book revolves around Jeevanram, who joins as a young apprentice and displays discomfort when confronted by death. Through the nine dark tales, the young man begins to understand the purpose of life. "The tales explore themes like death, loyalty, love and loss. They give us the courage to look for the light, as well as the hope that it'll all be okay in the end," says Mashaikh.
Milkha Singh was never one to hold back the tough talk. Pic/Getty Images
Legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh, who passed away on Friday night, was no stranger to controversy. In September of 1978, he said something that shook the Indian sporting scene and the brickbats came rushing in for the Flying Sikh. Disappointed at India's track and field performance at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Milkha said that some Indian athletes were on drugs during the trials for the big event. The massive difference between their timings at the trials held in Patiala and at the Canada Games was enough for him to smell a rat. Sportsworld magazine sent a reporter to Patiala's National Institute of Sports and a few athletes did reveal that doping was prevalent in some cases. Milkha was not off the mark, after all. However, in Mumbai, Jal Pardivala, the then vice-president of the Maharashtra State Athletics Association, ruled out doping, but not the possible manipulation of timings. "For us Indians [referring to athletes], a free foreign trip is difficult to resist. By hook or by crook, they must go on the jaunt," Pardivala told the magazine. And Joe Crasto, the athlete-turned-coach and sports journalist, slammed Milkha, called him a "frustrated man." Crasto added: "He is mentioning doping because he is not on the committee. Nor are many of his favourites in the India team. This remark is against those whom he does not like. But, on the other hand, one can't blame Milkha for what he has said because everything in this country connected with athletics is in one hell of a mess." That was quite a story.
Looks like sky is the limit for Sanchit Goyal, co-founder and director of Desi Records - Haryana's most premium music label set up in 2018. Their title, 52 Gaj ka Daman, has received immense appreciation since its release in 2020. With catchy Haryanvi beats, the song has reached a record-breaking moment by clocking in the highly coveted 1 billion views mark on YouTube in just 255 days, becoming the fastest Indian track across all languages and genres to achieve this colossal feat. Speaking to this diarist, Goyal says, "We knew that the song has come out really nice and the video has been well produced. It's one of the best from our library, but honestly, we never thought that it will become the fastest song to hit a billion views on YouTube from India and bring Haryanvi music on the global map. We are very surprised."
DAG is moving from Kala Ghoda to the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers in Mumbai. While renovations are underway to create a world-class gallery at an address that is synonymous with the city, DAG's temporary home will be the Taj Art Gallery located in the hotel's heritage wing. DAG's flagship gallery is based in New Delhi and in 2013, with a show titled Mumbai Modern, the gallery opened in the city, going on to expand its activities to New York in 2015. With a research-led focus, it has worked towards gaining recognition for India's modern masters.
Audrey Dsilva, former Miss India Goa, is set to launch Audreycious, her own label in power dressing and pageant wardrobe. Being in this industry for almost a decade, Dsilva says she realised how important it is to work on looking and presenting a powerful image. "Buying that perfect outfit for ourselves can either get difficult or expensive that's when I decided to customise outfits that will help people look and feel confident. These outfits are designed and made to suit every skin tone at affordable costs. While I have targeted corporates, I've also focused on outfits for pageant aspirants because you want to look your best every day when you dream of winning that crown."
