Mumbai Diary: Thursday Dossier

Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Jumbo spa

Anarkali, the elephant, gets respite from the soaring heat as two staffers bathe her at the Byculla Zoo.

That's the goal

Players at a previous match

Last Sunday, the fifth edition of The Sunday Football League kickstarted, quite literally, in Kandivali. The tournament, which features amateurs and expert players alike, will see eight teams from across the city compete every Sunday till June. "Utsav [Bachani] and I founded the league to provide a platform for football fans," shared co-founder Aman Jangid, who was a professional football player but couldn't break into the sport because he didn't have an agent. "Our aim is to invite agents to give these players a try-out," he revealed to us. Their next project, UA Sports, will include sports like pickle ball and hockey. Log on to thesundayfootballleague.com for match updates.

Weaving brighter futures

A woman from the foundation holds up a hand-crafted quilt

When this diarist last spoke to Cassandra Nazareth in February, her foundation was training 40 tribal women from Aarey in sewing to make them employable. "Currently, those women have been employed at textile factories," Nazareth shared over a call. But the victory is only cue for the Nazareth Foundation to work harder. With a new batch of 50 women under its wing, the foundation has taken to making vibrant quilts. "The quilt tops are put together using discarded pieces of cloth and the middle layer is made up of old bedsheets," the managing trustee revealed, adding that upcycling and minimising waste is at the core of the foundation's vision. The quilts will be on sale across the foundation's social media channels. Those interested to purchase them, can drop a message on 9820224450 or @thenazarethfoundation.

Hold the handle with care

Chatterjee's latest sketches list personality types based on how commuters hold handles in Mumbai's local trains

Did you know that how you hold the handles in a local train reflects your personality? Or, at least, it plays a major role in character judgement in Nayanika Chatterjee's sketch book. "I recently secured a full-time job. For this reason, I commute four days a week from Versova to Fort," the illustrator shared. "The judgements I make are completely random and for fun," she clarified. "Whenever people see that I am sketching how they're holding the handle, they try to adjust their hand; as if there is a correct way of holding it," she laughed. The personality types vary from having anger issues and being controlling to binge-watching Roadies, and being a serious Ludo player. And of course, she doesn't leave out the ones who have the habit of peeping into strangers' phones. While the artist currently has six such categories, she promises that there are more sketches lined up. Head to @isthisart__ to view the entire series.

Nayanika Chatterjee

Music has no language

Charles Vaz with Anup Jalota

Seven years ago, on April 17, musician and founder of Worli-based recording studio Globe Studios, Charles Vaz released a YouTube series titled My Guitar Sings. Over time, the instrumental series became a multilingual platform with songs in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Hindi, Konkani and now, Arabic. The musician, who holds an online live show every Sunday, will host another grand show this Sunday. "I will begin the anniversary week with a musical bonanza!" he told this diarist.

Bite into the bhajiyas

The miniature model of bhajiyas; (right) Anam Choudhary

If you're ordering in your iftar munchies from Andheri-based Anam Choudhary, just one portion might not cut it. The miniaturist, who has transformed every kind of edible from the humble vada pav, to Hyderabad's biryani into tiny models, showcased her latest creation - a miniature model of aloo bhajiyas. "No iftar is complete without a plate of hot bhajiyas," she shared. Over a short call, Choudhary revealed that the miniatures are made using homemade air-dry clay and polymer clay. "People love to see their favourite food turned into miniatures. Recently, my pani puri earrings sold out the moment I posted about them," she laughed.