Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Sameer Markande

He fits right in
A child joins a group of statues at a park in Thane West on Wednesday.

Time to end the stigma, period

The foundation's volunteers during a session in Pune

A key factor to help develop menstrual hygiene in India is the normalisation of the topic, especially among marginalised and rural communities. And Bengaluru-based Sukhibhava Trust, which works towards ending this stigma, has launched a programme called The Period Fellowship. It invites participants to work towards imbibing this behavioural change among marginalised communities, explained co-founder Dilip Kumar Pattubala. "Fellows will be placed in Maharashtra, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, where they'll work with locals to promote a helpline, Hello Saheli, created in response to COVID-19." The helpline enables a woman to seek information and consultation on menstrual health. Keen to lend them a hand? Log on to sukhibhava.org.in.

Water waste

Artwork by Priyanka Paul

Most people might not grasp the amount of water that the fashion industry consumes. That's why a group of seven artists have come together to create a series of artworks that underline the issue. They include Priyanka Paul, Aditi Mali and Sonali Bhasin. "By 2050, fashion will become the second-largest water polluter. It's imperative for us as consumers to talk about the consequences of fashion on the climate," shared Divya Thomas of The ReFashion Hub, under whose aegis this series has been conducted.

Opening with a bang

Visitors at CSMVS before the lockdown began last year

It's been a long wait but one worth waiting for. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) is set to open its doors to the public on February 16 from 10 am to 3 pm every day, in phases. The museum has two new exhibitions ready for viewing: one at the children's museum called Entwined and the second one that stems from prominent late architect Kuldip Singh's collection of Tanjore paintings.

"We have a discounted ticket as we restart and all our safety measures are in place to welcome people back to their city's museum. I encourage the people of Mumbai to come with their families, enjoy our galleries and relax in our open spaces after a challenging and difficult year," shared director general Sabyasachi Mukherjee (inset).

The sound of pipes

The drought is ending almost completely for the city's art lovers, in terms of paying galleries a physical visit. After privately owned ones including Method and Chemould Prescott Road opened their doors to the public, it's now the turn of Jehangir Art Gallery at Kala Ghoda to invite visitors back again after the pandemic. Artist Bibhuti Adhikary will display his works at an exhibition called Faith and Fury - Unveiling the Eccentric, which launches for the public on February 16. The most unique piece at the show is called The Rolling Painting (in pic), which is made of PVC pipes. "It's 5 ftx4 ft with the canvas rolled on PVC pipes and colour applied to each pipe," Adhikary shared about his method. Head to the gallery to catch this unique artwork before February 22.

Berlin calling for city talent

Tanaji Dasgupta. Pic/Joel Ryan

There is of course much more to films than the images we see flashing on our screen, and Berlinale Talents is a talent development programme meant for the whole movie-making ecosystem, including screenwriters, producers, cinematographers and directors. The organisers of Berlin International Film Festival host it every year, and one of the selected participants for this edition - which will be held virtually for the first time - is Mumbai-based Tanaji Dasgupta.

He is the producer behind critically acclaimed films including Ronny Sen's Catsticks and The Disciple, directed by Chaitanya Tamanhe (inset). Dasgupta told this diarist, "You apply in the specific category that fits you, and the mail I received said that there were over 3,000 applications, of which 200 were selected." Our congratulations to him.