Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

Sparrow them a few Bites

Sparrows peck on grains scattered on the road near the Mumbai Press Club near CSMT

Shining a light on cinema for the mind

If you assumed that the pandemic left only physical scars, Mumbai-based journalist-filmmaker Minnie Vaid might have a thing or two to teach you. Vaid's latest film, MITA Cares, was telecast on October 9, ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10. The 27-minute documentary - made over two years of the pandemic - revolves around mental health struggles in the oft-ignored reaches of Assam. "There are many pockets of this country that remain untouched by public gaze. No one considers their problems or innovative solutions," she explained. One of those innovative solutions was the work by The Ant (an NGO based in rural Assam) through their MITA camps, which treat 3,000 patients a month for their mental illnesses, at R10 a day. Describing the impressive programme, Vaid added, "The main purpose behind making the film was to create awareness about this sustainable, replicable model to encourage more such centres across India. It also aims to bring mental health out of the closet of stigma and shame, so that people realise it is just another illness."

The hills are alive

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia with Sathya Saran

Author Sathya Saran returned from the hills earlier this week after attending the recently concluded Khushwant Singh Literature Festival. While discussing her latest book, Breath of Gold: Hariprasad Chaurasia, the writer also took in the events at the literary gathering in Kasauli. One surprise was the sight of keynote speaker Amitav Ghosh reading from his latest release. She also remarked that it was a treat to listen to Booker Prize-winner Geetanjali Shree. "Listening to icons like Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Muzaffar Ali, Mallika Sarabhai and authors like Geetanjali Shree among others was a treat that even other authors enjoyed attentively," she remarked. The former journalist added that Rahul Singh and Niloufer Bilimoria, the festival organisers, walked the talk about the theme of climate change by composting food waste and planting hundreds of trees in Himachal Pradesh and Delhi, which added heft to the festival experience.

Singapore, ahoy!

Hemali Bhuta work titled My pulse is beating and my veins throbbing And in wonder, my song bursts forth, 2021

Artist Hemali Bhuta is turning philosophical in Singapore. The artist has been invited to the ongoing Singapore Biennale to showcase a compilation of her works.

The works explore questions on changing forms and order. "Within this lies the possibility of chance ecologies, minor attitudes. Can we propose a practice in which form ceases in order to become space?" she mused.

Sukhala for Maria's masalas

Former VJ-turned-author Maria Goretti was recently felicitated by the Mobai Gaothan Gram Panchayat as East Indian Of the Year 2022 for her efforts to promote the East Indian bottled-masala. "I am very proud of my roots," she admitted to this diarist. She revealed that she carries her favoured East Indian bottled-masala everywhere. "It brings back memories of how we celebrated feasts, how a certain dish is cooked, and our fugiyas," Goretti remarked. The recognition from the community seems to have spurred the author towards new ideas. "It is a well-known story that East Indian households do not share family recipes readily. I hope to some day in the future work on a book that has all the ingredients," she added.

Fare and unfair in Mumbai

Fare fights are erupting over revised cab fares. Passengers and drivers can be seen having verbal spats at the time of alighting. Recently, one Mumbai cabbie told his passenger that people were arguing even when shown the new fare card, as the meters are old, and are yet to be recalibrated to reflect new fares. The start fare in the new system has jumped from Rs 25 to Rs 28. "Some commuters are refusing to pay the new fare, stating that we will pay meter price, we do not care about the card," said one peeved cabbie. There are two sides though, to the cab coin. One witnessed a high-decibel exchange recently between a cabbie and passenger. The former was citing some fare stating this is the new ‘correct' fare. "Show me the fare card; it cannot be that much higher," demanded the sceptical commuter. The cabbie shot back, "I do not have a card. I left my cab window down while stepping out to buy a vada pav, and somebody filched the new fare card." Like this newspaper had reported pre-fare hike that it should come into effect only ‘after' all meters have been calibrated, as there is much acrimony between both sides. We do not like to say we told you so, but in fact, we just did.