Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Yoga Express

A man, impervious to the commotion around him, meditates on the platform of Diva railway station.

Slacklining from Mumbai to Chattisgarh

Pic/Ajin Ajayan

Samar Farooqui, founder of Slacklife Inc, a company that promotes slacklining in India, has been roped in by the Chattisgarh government to promote the sport in the state. The 31-year-old who ran into trouble for slacklining at a public place in Mumbai, is thrilled about the opportunity. "It is nice to finally see slacklining get recognition and a push by officials in India. Apart from the obvious health and exercise benefits, there are numerous mental health benefits, which will help these kids develop and shape a better future for themselves. Through the sport, we are hopeful that they'll rise up to any challenge and handle the difficult days of life with calmness."

Jimmy's bats and Sandhu's memory

Mohinder Amarnath hits out during the India v West Indies World Cup final at Lord's on June 25, 1983; (right) Balvinder Singh Sandhu. Pics/Getty Images, AFP

Our in-house cricket nut hasn't rushed to the nearest theatre for his first viewing of 83, the movie on India's most significant cricket triumph. But he's got a fair idea of how particular the makers of the film were when it came to ensuring they had all bases covered in terms of authenticity. His suburban home was visited a couple of years ago by Balvinder Singh Sandhu, the swing bowler who got India its first wicket in the final and one of the biggest behind-the-scenes personalities for the film. Sandhu got our man to unleash his collection of books and magazines for him to check the types of shoes and bats cricketers used in the tournament. With Assistant Director Haider Naqvi for company, Sandhu recalled teammate Mohinder ‘Jimmy' Amarnath using a teammate's Symonds bat initially and later Gunn & Moore in the tournament. Cricket nut believed Amarnath only used the latter. Sandhu insisted and was soon proved right when a book indeed showed Amarnath's dual usage. This incident is only one of the many reasons why our man believes that Sandhu is probably a bigger 83 hero than Ranveer Singh, who plays Kapil Dev. Ranveer may even agree!

This Star of David is from India

Vasai-based computer engineer turned numismatist Pascal Lopes, who has been collecting old coins as a hobby for the past 20 years, recently acquired a rare Star of David coin. The Star of David is often linked to the Star of Bethlehem, also known as the Christmas star, a decorative motif that appears in fourth century synagogues and churches in Israel and Europe. Historians believe that David probably lived around 3,000 years ago, and that Jesus Christ was his descendent. But, Lopes' coin traces back to the 2,500-year-old India Punched Marked coin, considered to be one of the initial coins minted in the Awadh region of northern India. There are around 35 variations of this coin, which date back to the Mauryan Empire. The coin is made of silver and known as panas of karshapanas. "There is a circle in Mumbai that collects and exchanges coins. That's where I got access to this one," says Lopes.

Capturing the humour of misfits

Leena Sharma

Leena Sharma, a PhD research scholar at the Centre for Comparative Literature and Translation Studies, Central University of Gujarat, has been working on a photo series titled Asylum on the Run on uninstitutionalised madmen, the concept behind the project being to question the set norms and definitions of the term sanity. Sharma wanted to capture the humour of misfits and her series is a step towards normalising madness. The misfits here refer to those who survive on their own. The project grew out of letters she and a fellow researcher exchanged. "One such conversation was about the turmoil that was going on at his home and how his father who worked at a mental asylum in Jodhpur was too entrenched in his work. I sent him a postcard that a misfit friend of mine had drawn. His state moved me, as he was not institutionalised. This was the first in the series of letters in which we addressed this form of madness," she says.

Bringing music to all

A Class XII student's passion for Western Classical Music has led her to pen a new book titled, Overture, which offers a quick primer on music and how it has evolved over the years. Ambica Kale, who is currently studying at the Cathedral and John Connon School, Fort, is not just a trained pianist, but has also been volunteering to teach a few students in her free time. She says that the book is for "anyone interested in learning music, but doesn't know where to start". "I have been a student of piano since age 7, and chose Western Music as my elective in the IX and X grade, allowing me to immerse in learning the history and various forms of music. My classmates and I did not have a reference textbook, so I embarked to write one to aid my juniors. I expanded my vision for the book from an exam tool to a holistic introduction to music," she says.