Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Atul Kamble

Immersed in faith

Two devotees bid goodbye to Lord Ganesha while his idol is carried for immersion past Lalbaug over the weekend.

Bound for Basel

Art Basel is a globally recognised event that's held every year in Switzerland, Hong Kong and the US, connecting artists with prospective buyers. Two Indian galleries - Chemould Prescott Road from Mumbai and Exprimenter from Kolkata - are part of the roster this year, when the event returns in a physical format after a year's gap. Chemould is exhibiting artworks born out of the pandemic, thanks to the likes of Atul Dodiya (in pic), Mithu Sen and Jitish Kallat. Speaking about how this tumultuous period has had an effect on artists, Chemould founder Shireen Gandhy said, "While some went silent, and some were unable to access their studios, others sat by a desk and drew every day; and some were productive like never before. Each artist was at their own rhythm."

Walk the talk

(From left) Mumbaikars Giriraj Prasad Meena, KK Madhoosudan Nair and Gajanan Hedaoo, and Lt Col Sandesh Agarwal took part in the walkathon

The Oxfam Trailwalker Challenge that took place last week had four Mumbaikars contributing towards a good cause - raising money for people affected by the pandemic. Gajanan Hedaoo, Lt Col Sandesh Agarwal, KK Madhoosudan Nair and Giriraj Prasad Meena covered over 17 hours each virtually, having physically participated in the same event earlier.

"My son is my motivation, as he is the one who's always encouraging me to stay fit. I have participated in 15 full marathons and 60 half marathons," shared Nair. Kudos to the quartet.

Nirav Modi makes it to a book

The twists and turns of the Nirav Modi case will soon find its way to the screen, with a series being produced on a book that journalist Pavan C Lall has written, titled Flawed: The Rise and Fall of India's Diamond Mogul Nirav Modi (Hachette). It's a dramatised take on the real-life story that unravels the persona of the man behind one of India's biggest financial scandal, and Lall (in pic) shared, "It is an extremely exciting opportunity, and I am thrilled to be a part of this book-to-screen adaptation journey. [This title] is my effort to bring to the audience the tale of a larger-than-life entrepreneur - his spectacular rise and equally dramatic fall which brought an entire industry to its knees."

Jolly good fellows

The Sahitya Akademi has announced the list of writers for its fellowship this year, the highest honour it accords. It features Ruskin Bond (in pic), who's written over 300 stories, essays and novels. There is also Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay, a Bengali novelist who began his professional career as a teacher, before turning to journalism; Malayalam writer, literary critic, and educationist, M Leelavathy; and Marathi author Dr Bhalchandra Nemade, among others including Tamil writer Indira Parthasarthy.

Korea calling for India

The Korean Tourism Organisation (KTO) in India is spreading its home country's culture virtually this year. It launched KExperience last week, a roughly two-month long celebration of all things Korean, from food to music to films. Those involved include artistes Alexa and Shraey Khanna (inset), and an as-yet-unannounced film star who will whip up Korean grub on a televised show. Skincare masterclasses and K-drama screenings are also on the line-up. There is also a social media challenge that entries are being called for, where users need to create videos of the Korean experience based on food, music, beauty and film (log on to kxperience.bookmyshow.com to find out more). "As a Korean artiste, I am pleased to collaborate with KTO to bring me closer to my fans in India. I love dancing, and partnering with Shraey Khanna for a dance-off was an absolute pleasure. I have been observing the fondness for Korean culture in India, and cannot wait to virtually connect," Alexa (below) shared.