13 March,2025 07:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
Children of special needs celebrate Holi with their friends at the SEC Day School in Khar Danda.
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Zakwana Bagban never thought her interest in exotic dance could open the road to Spain. The Andheri-based dancer is on her way back from the Exotic Generations international pole dancing competition that concluded late in February. "It is an annual competition, and Spain was the destination this year," Bagban shared over a phone call. The dancer finished first in her category, Fresh New Face-Flow, making her the first Indian in the competition to return home with a citation. "I have been learning pole dancing for the last four years. I was actually more interested in aerial dancing, but on a trip to Dubai, I took up pole dancing. I have since travelled across the world learning the form. This was my first competition on the international stage, and it was quite a thrill to be honest," she told this diarist.
Marathi will fill the air in Croatia at the 62nd edition of the Goranovo proljeÃÂe later this month. "Five of us, namely Mustansir Dalvi, Sampurna Chattarji, Sanjeev Khandekar, Manya Joshi and I will be travelling to Croatia. We will read poems in our languages, as well as having the translated versions read out at the venue," shared Hemant Divate. Instituted in the honour of Croatian poet, Ivan Goran KovaÃÂiÃÂ, the festival will take place from March 20 to March 23. "This will be our second trip. In 2023, the festival had honoured Marathi where Manya Joshi, Sanjeev Khandekar and I were part of the festivities," Divate recalled.
If you spot Dr Chandrakant Lattoo ambling past you at Joggers' Park in Bandra on Sunday, do not be surprised. Nicknamed Mumbai's Tree Encyclopaedia, Dr Lattoo will lead a limited group of participants alongside the Green Chimes initiative to help familiarise them with the trees and biodiversity in Bandra. "Whenever we conduct a tree walk, one of the key aspects is to help people understand the importance of a tree, its type and size. I have conducted walks in different locations around the city to help citizens understand what grows around them in the neighbourhood," shared Dr Lattoo.
Among the points of discussion will be the differences between native and foreign species. Addressing the concern, the botanist said, "Personally, I do not believe in differentiating between native and foreign species. The only consideration is to note if they are an invasive species. Considering the park's location, I will also be speaking on the effect of the coastal air on the trees, how we can nurture them, and the biodiversity that thrives in such conditions." With limited seats, readers would do well to reach out at 9833865805 to register for the walk.
There is no doubt that Mumbai's shoreline is blessed with a flourishing ecosystem. At a recent spotting, naturalist Sahir Doshi has uncovered two groups of marine invertebrates who are often mistaken for plants. "The coral zoanthids and sea sponges are quite abundant in Mumbai's shorelines. Although they are animals, people assume that they are plants because they show very little movement," Doshi informed us. Populating rocky shores and tide pools, these animals are an integral part of Mumbai's marine health. "One of the roles that the corals play is that they build a nursery for juvenile fish species, keeping the ecosystem and commercial fishery intact. All these animals can be studied and researched to understand what features of the water - from chemical changes to sewage particles have made them increase or decrease in population," the naturalist added.
The new batch of performers from The Jeff Goldberg Studio will put up their first major production, In My Absence, in Andheri tomorrow. Directed by Glenn Hayden, the play is a satire revolving around four siblings dealing with their deceased father's will. "It is always difficult to find the right play for a graduation performance. So, we decided to write our own play. Some of the graduates pitched in with the idea of doing a comedy. We brainstormed, and finally chose a satirical approach with a touch of grief thrown in as a challenge," Hayden shared with us. The play is among a slate of productions soon to come from the actor's studio, founder Jeff Goldberg added.
