03 August,2024 06:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
A dog and his best friend rest for a bit in their auto at Turner Road.
Although there is massive competition for places across all levels in today's cricket, rarely do we hear of cricketers enduring long stints of being in the wilderness. Our in-house cricket nut stumbled on one such case concerning West Indian fast bowler Colin Croft; Colin Craft some West Indians liked to call him.
West Indies fast bowler Colin Croft seems delighted to be in the Kensington Oval, Barbados, dressing room during the 1981 Test against England. PIC/GETTY IMAGES
Croft, who claimed 125 wickets in 27 Tests by tormenting batsmen in the 1970s and 1980s, first played for Guyana in 1971-72 only to be discarded and recalled by the Guyana selectors for the game against Leeward and Windward Islands in 1975-76. He made his Test debut against Pakistan at Bridgetown the following season and ended the series with 33 scalps, the most by a West Indies bowler in a home rubber. He didn't look back until his decision to join a rebel series in South Africa. All the same, Croft provided a classic example of anything can happen in cricket if you keep your dreams alive.
The kindhearted post box in Dadar
Take a chill pill. Or, put it in this quaint letter box that is catching eyeballs and attention at Dadar West. The box is for people who do not know what to do with their leftover/unused/not expired medicine like tablets, pills/capsules. They can post not a letter but their medicines into the medical drop box, which is placed outside the Rajasthan Handicrafts store on SK Bole Road. Gunvanti S Bhansali, store in-charge, said of the drop box, "The dropped medicines will be picked up periodically and provided to the needy by Manav Jyot Trust, Mulund." The most charming aspect of this heartwarming initiative is the letter box itself, made by a craftsman from Jodhpur. "Shop till you drop" goes the adage. SK Bole road bole: "stop and drop".
Docubay's new documentary, Bad Toys Inc has explored India's burgeoning pleasure toy market. Producer Richa Sahai explained, "We wanted to create something provocative and thought-provoking, and this topic certainly fit the bill." The film challenges stereotypes, revealing a nation far more open-minded about sexuality than many might imagine.
A couple featured in the documentary
With the global sex toy industry valued at a staggering $35 billion, India's own market is poised to explode, reaching a projected $200 million in the next five years. The documentary takes viewers on a journey across the country, uncovering stories of BDSM-leaning tastes of Assam to Mumbai's fetish-focused consumers and West Bengal's penchant for edible erotica.
Producing the documentary was no easy feat. "Finding participants was incredibly challenging," Sahai admitted. One highlight of the film are its candid street interviews. Sahai said, "The impromptu catching of people on the streets for soundbites was most frustrating and also the most amusing - there was this delightful 80-year-old lady who talked about sex toys most easily!"
Dr Prakash Kothari
Beyond statistics, the documentary delved into personal narratives. From a Kashmiri woman overcoming vaginismus to a Pune-based individual prioritising self-love, Bad Toys Inc offers intimate portraits of individuals. Sexologist Dr Prakash Kothari emphasised the need for comprehensive sex education, and also challenged misconceptions about sex toys usage: "Sex toys are not just for unmarried couples. They can enhance intimacy even in long-term relationships."
Raju Z Moray (centre) launches his book illustrated by Farzana Cooper (left)
Bombay High Court lawyer and author Raju Z Moray has long been considered the funny guy of the legal world in India, and in his latest book, Tales of Law and Laughter (OakBridge Publishing), the Bandra West resident brings yet more âadalat antics' to life with his razor-sharp wit. If you enjoyed the legal comedy series Maamla Legal Hai, you will likely relish his stories, which employ a tongue-in-cheek approach to address issues that plague the justice system, such as lawyers delaying cases by seeking extensions. There's one about a senior lawyer attempting to dodge an appearance before âJustice Irascible', instead pushing a rookie lawyer to do it. "When the judge asks what she wants, the junior lawyer - who hails from a rural background and has never been in court before - says in Marathi, âWhat's the time?' Confused, the judge asks what she means, and the rookie says the senior had told her to ask the judge for time. Everyone burst out laughing. The judge agreed to grant the lawyer more time, but also asked her to bring her senior to court at the next hearing to answer for his actions," chuckles Moray. The 66-year-old continues to practise law and is already looking forward to his next book coming out in December. "My son asks me when I'll retire, but I say a lawyer never retires, he only loses his appeal, and I haven't lost mine. Of course, neither does a writer retire."
