Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Pic/Bipin Kokate

Ghode bech ke

In a case of life surely not reflecting art, a man takes a nap in front of a mural that showcases jockeys horseracing

Easy runs, tough runs and a broken helmet!

Brian Lara during the English summer of 1994. Pic/Getty Images

So India's Test cricket specialist Cheteshwar Pujara (we can still call him that; his recent exclusion from the team notwithstanding) will head to England later this year to be part of Sussex's county cricket pack. The experience can only stand him in good stead and it is expected that the adhesive batsman will frustrate if not not flay some of the finest bowlers in English cricket. Cricket is always at its best when quality batsmen cross swords with equally skilled bowlers. At times, the contest within the contest can become one-sided like it did in 1994 when Warwickshire armed with a certain Brian Lara faced up to Northamptonshire, who had Curtly Ambrose bowling for them. Lara cracked 197 with 185 scored off the other bowlers, who sent down 152 balls. We'll save you the math and quote Scyld Berry from his February 1998 Wisden Cricket Monthly essay: "Ambrose bowled 45 balls at Lara, conceded 12 runs and split his helmet." Warwickshire ended up winners by four wickets but there's a good chance Lara hasn't forgotten that battle. There's a good chance of Pujara returning home with such riveting memories as well.

A dose of fruity tunes

Music producer and bassist Harshit Misra who goes by his moniker Hashbass, released Pineapple, his second single of the month on March. Pineapple follows the first single Mango, released on March 12. Even though born in the ‘90s, Misra is shapes by influences from the ‘80s and its video game and music culture. He always wanted to create a sonic soundscape like the game GTA Vice City. He wrote this EP, Fruits in the summer of 2020.

"While I was writing it, I would eat fruits and the thought came to my head that should name it Fruits," he says. After listening to the soundscapes, he decided which fruit each track would feel like and named them all in the summer of 2021. Mango, the first single, was released on his mum's birthday as it is her favourite fruit. Pineapple was the second song to release after a fruit he
digs. "The idea is to have fun with the music and make something that everybody can relate to." Misra will release one single every week from this six-track EP.

She is bipolar and thriving

Aparna Piramal Raje

It certainly ain't easy for somebody to open up about a mental illness like bipolar disorder, more so when you belong to a well-known business family in the country. But Aparna Piramal Raje wants to talk about how one can not only live but also thrive with a mental disorder and that's why she penned her second book, Chemical Khichdi (Penguine Random House, Rs 399). Part memoir, part reportage and part self-help guide, the book sees Raje talking about her two-decade-long struggle with bipolar disorder and how she came to terms with her condition, in her attempt to challenge some of the stigma associated with it. "Writing is a compulsion for me and in late 2014, about 18 months after I was officially diagnosed as bipolar, I wrote a note for my immediate family and friends titled ‘10 things I've learnt about being bipolar'. They liked it and it became a template for this book," shares Raje, 46, daughter to VIP's Dilip. "But I kept having mood swings at the time and wasn't sufficiently detached from the material. It is only more recently that I found the time, space and distance that I needed to arrive at the insights that I hope will be helpful to readers. I think real-life stories of anyone who is living and thriving with a vulnerability are motivating, especially when situated in the Indian context of extended families, close-knit communities and workplaces," adds Raje, who hopes to present a helpful pathway with her book for all those who are dealing with a mental health condition.

Cue the music...

Pic/Instagram

DJ and producer Dualist Inquiry, aka Sahej Bakshi, has had a baby girl, who turned one month old last week. Bakshi, who is quite popular for his mellow dancey vibes, took to Instagram to say, "Newest member of the band turned one-month-old today". He is married to Anna De Costa, whom he tied the knot with in his hometown Chandigarh on March 15, 2020. The couple lives in Moira, Goa. Even though the baby is one month old, the announcement caught everyone by surprise. Fellow musicians like Arjun Vagalae, Anoushka Shankar, and Saba Azad congratulated the DJ, and so do we! May this bring more inspiration.

Rangaai returns

Tushar Dalvi

Mumbai's Rangaai Theatre Company, one of the three theatre groups focusing on immersive sensory experiences in India, had hit rough weather during the last two years of the pandemic. Tushar Dalvi, founder and artistic director of the company told this diarist that they had to move to Pune, as it was financially unviable to continue in the metropolis. "After the first lockdown, we tried performing for the Pune audience. But because it's a predominant Marathi theatre market, it became difficult. People were also reluctant to come for live performances. We saw a huge dip in ticket sales and had to cancel many of our shows," says Dalvi, adding, "Since our plays required close proximity with the audience, involving the use of olfactory scents and blindfolds, it also meant a possible health hazard for both audiences and actors." After a difficult phase, Dalvi and team are finally returning to Mumbai with their popular Darkroom franchise. Titled Darkroom 3.0 it will be staged at Si Mumbai in Kala Ghoda on March 27.