Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

On-ion Guard

A man relaxes on a stock of onions at Priyadarshini Park in Malabar Hill

Musical heartbreak

(Left) Chatterjee plays the instrument in his studio (right) The damaged see-tar within its case

A musician's instrument is an extension of their own self. Naturally, any damage to it leaves a deep scar. Sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee recently suffered damage to his see-tar, a unique transparent sitar iteration that was conceptualised and designed by him, during a transit from Singapore to Kolkata for a concert. "I was returning from a month-long tour in Australia, and had a long layover in Singapore because it was a Singapore Airlines flight," the musician shared. Upon landing in Kolkata on August 16, the musician did not suspect any damage. "I always check the case for broken wheels or signs of bad handling. There were none," he said. Sadly, the next day, he discovered the irreparably damaged seetar inside. "The neck had cracks running throughout: the body was completely broken, and so were the strings," Chatterjee revealed. A complaint was filed with the airlines on August 18, but Chatterjee shared that he is yet to receive a response. "Several musicians, including Ustad Amjad Ali Khan saab and Ustad Shahid Parvez have suffered this fate. I hope to take this further than a mere complaint by calling upon other musicians to find a solution," he said.

Rock hunting in Mumbai

A performer at Rocktaves 2022

One of the oldest college festivals in the country, BITS Pilani's OASIS has begun its preliminary selections for Rocktaves 2023. To be held on October 29 later this year, the festival will have a keen focus on music, shared coordinator Anantshree Pandey. "The first preliminary elimination rounds begin on September 8 and will conclude on September 17 in Kolkata," he said, adding that there have been eight registrations across cities like Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi. "For Mumbai and Chennai , we are still open for registrations. Mumbai has already seen four bands selected," he said. The city will witness the festival hold its preliminary selection on September 16. Incidentally, the festival saw Mumbai-based band Western Express Highway take the top prize last year. "All bands are looking for a platform to showcase themselves, and we hope to provide it," Pandey told this diarist.

The Dubai mix

A moment from a previous takeover

Patrons at Koko will get a taste of some Japanese delights on August 25 and 26. The restaurant will host a bar takeover by one of Dubai's premiere bars, Clap Dubai. Keenan Tham, co-founder and managing director of Pebble Street Hospitality, shared, "We are thrilled to provide our guests with an extraordinary offering to savour world-class cocktails expertly crafted by Lilian Sausset and his team." Sausset, bar manager of Clap Dubai, revealed that alongside their signature cocktails, their maiden takeover in India will mark the unveiling of two new concoctions, The Holy Smoke and The Kawai Club. "The takeover holds the promise of an exceptional cultural exchange and a valuable opportunity for mutual learning," he told this diarist.

Sea the plastic

A shore full of plastic at Gorai Beach prompted the Watchdog Foundation and Bombay East Indian Association to write a letter to the state government highlighting the problem of plastic pollution with requests to tackle the issue. Watchdog Foundation trustee Godfrey Pimenta said, "Adding a netting at points where the rivers meet the sea will arrest the plastic to a large extent." Trustee Nicholas Almeida added, "Sewage treatment plants must be installed at Dahisar, Poisar, Oshiwara and Mithi rivers, along with proper execution of plastic bans."

When words start to travel

The community-led spoken verse festival, Spoken Fest, won the Best Event IP and Best Long Standing Event IP awards for India at the EEMAX Global awards held in Mumbai last weekend. For co-founders Roshan Abbas and Ankur Tewari, it was the validation of a project that began with a small group of people sharing their thoughts. Tewari said, "Our basic principle has been that it is not the people on stage, but the people watching and how they interact. They should feel safe enough to find themselves on stage some day." While being thankful for the recognition, Tewari (right) noted, "Our idea is not to do something drastically different, but retain the vibe - our USP." Roshan Abbas (left) shared, "There are three new additions planned this year, with the festival in Mumbai, Bengaluru and an international destination, too."