Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Suresh Karkera

Chaar Choughi

These cats strike a regal pose on the stairs leading up to a house at Mazgaon.

Food for good

Tina Matlani with the feeders for strays

Mumbaikars passionate about providing for strays, especially in the city's unforgiving monsoons, have an ally in Chembur-based Tina Matlani. An interior designer by trade, she also runs an NGO called Risa Foundation, through which she is offering to build and install feeders in suitable locations at no cost. "I was keen to work for the benefit of stray animals. I have designed these feeders using PVC pipes and they can be filled as convenient for the animals to eat and drink from, through the day. The feeders don't only help dogs and cats, but are also visited by birds and rodents, whose fate is often overlooked," Matlani told this diarist. If you are keen to have these installed in your neighbourhood, connect with her at kristinaa1209@gmail.com.

Going south

After recently winning the National Award 2021 in India, Deepti Gupta's docu-feature Shut Up Sona is set to screen at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). The film, which follows protagonist Sona Mohapatra's journey in the music industry and as a performing artiste, explores her take on prejudices in this space and the broader society as well, while also diving into her musical roots and inspirations. "I am elated to see that this year's IFFM has a considerable number of women filmmakers, which is a great feat. This documentary is my personal voice and journey with Deepti in the land of visual storytelling," Mohapatra told us.

Creating a sound foundation

The Indian Foundation for the Arts (IFA) is organising a gig to raise funds, and what caught our eye is the quirky line-up. It includes a rapper who goes by the name of Q, and who is also known as a risqué, politically charged filmmaker. Then there's Roddur Roy, a YouTube sensation who makes parodies of Bengali songs (or so it seems). Hip-hop crew National Animal and vocalist-producer Suyasha Sengupta aka Plastic Parvati (in pic) complete the bill. All in all, it's an eclectic mix of artistes and Menaka Rodrigues, head of outreach at IFA, told this diarist that the event came about after she approached Q. She added, "The project grew from there, and the funds will be used to support IFA's programmes, which are aimed at boosting arts and culture across the country." Interested in the gig? Head to insider.in to purchase your ticket.

Play it write

Collaborations have always played an integral role in the theatrical process. While the pandemic compelled theatrewallahs to take their craft online in relative isolation, the Bombay Theatre Company is attempting to keep the collaborative spirit alive. "We're inviting playwrights to compose an original mono-act or monologue in English, which will be enacted by an actor of their choice. Selected entries will be showcased on our social media pages," shares Raveesh Jaiswal, its founder and director.

Art for our times

We might be getting used to the new normal, but the past year's experience has been nothing short of unique for each of us. From isolation and fear to longing and hope, we've been through a multitude of emotions. To mark this important chapter in history with art, the Kshirsagar Apte Foundation has launched their initiative, Ujaale Unki Yaadon Ke. They are calling for artistic projects that reflect the experience of Covid-19 in Mumbai. "It has been a unique time in our history, and we should find a way to remember it. As the arts reflect and bear witness to our stories, hence the call for artistic projects. We want to be representative of Mumbai, and therefore, we are accepting entries in four languages - Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi or English," shared Swati Apte its director. The projects can be across platforms - an artefact, a performance, a virtual idea, an exhibition or any other form. "The arts space has also evolved this year. So, the scope of the call has been particularly broad. The idea is to capture the experience of the pandemic which has brought a lot of grief and loss, but also gratitude and hope," explained Apte. Interested folk can head to kshirsagaraptefoundation.org for further details.