Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Sameer Markande

The Cat is out of the bag

A little girl gestures towards a pet cat that balances itself nicely between its owner and the carrier bag at a weekend event on Marine Drive.

Buzz around the real gully boys

The doctors pose by the graffiti

Local train delays, bad traffic or potholes aside, the monsoon is also the season for mosquitoes. "The real gully boys of the city," Dr Malvika Neeraj Singh, founder of Gully Clinic observed. To spread awareness about this seasonal menace, Dr Singh's NGO began a new campaign using art and graffiti drawn by doctors of the clinic. The first one went up at Backbay Depot in Cuffe Parade last Saturday. "We want to use art to put across public health messages on issues that are a burden on urban slums. These four to five months will witness cases of dengue in the city," she said, adding that the use of Hindi cinema monikers was a means to catch the public's attention. "We wanted to remind people that the time for mosquitoes is here and we need to be prepared." Keep an eye out for more such graffiti to come.

This yatra will be lit

Writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar at the Urdu Markaz Festival earlier this year; (right) director Zubair Kazmi

Come October and the lanes of Behrampada in Bandra and Madanpura in South Mumbai will witness the passing through of a different caravan. Urdu Markaz is set to take out an Urdu yatra through the city to revive its long-standing relationship with the language. "There are many neighbourhoods across the city that have a deep connection with the language," Zubair Kazmi, director of Urdu Markaz, revealed about the platform's upcoming plans. The caravan will see the society's members join journalists, poets and litterateurs deck out cars with images of the leading lights of Urdu literature as they pass through neighbourhoods. "People always connect yatras with politics. We felt it was time to connect it to literature and culture for a change," he remarked.

Bosco Hall and the Biparjoy effect

(From left) Bosco Hall in the 1920s as mentioned in Braz Fernandes' book; (above) the hall as it looks today. Pic Courtesy/Instagram

Out of the recent gusty winds, courtesy Cyclone Biparjoy, Bandra has gained something. For old Bandraites, the sight of Bosco Hall covered in shade was a common sight. Now, passersby have a better view of the structure. History enthusiast Debashish Chakraverty speculated, "A massive tree that stood in front of (and obstructed) the original St. Andrew's school building, now called "Bosco Hall" within the premises of St Andrew's Church. The tree gave way in the recent cyclonic winds." The building looks as it did in the early 1950s period. he elaborated, "Built in the 1800s, the hall has retained its early form, despite the developments." In fact, the space is mentioned in the neighbourhood's most famous historian Braz Fernandes' book, Bandra: Its Religious and Secular History. "It's a treat to see that it still looks as amazing as it did a century ago," Chakraverty remarked.

Bentornato, Napoli by Shatranj!

Interiors of the reopened space

…That's the Italian phrase for welcome back. Finally, after eight years, owner Ashok Datwani will be reopening the doors to Napoli by Shatranj at their familiar address off Carter Road. The iconic space for authentic Italian fare saw a run of 25 years. "I realised that Napoli by Shatranj had struck its saturation point after 25 years, and that people wanted something new and exciting. After trying our hands at Asian and regional fare, we concluded that going back to Napoli by Shatranj in the form of a modern Italian diner with a complex cocktail bar was the correct way ahead for us. The vision is to recreate the same family dining experience as we did in the past but to do it while keeping all the evolved hospitality elements in place," said Datwani.

Juggling is his universe

Omkar Dhareshwar

While many find it difficult to juggle their everyday tasks, for Marol-based Omkar Dhareshwar, it's a passion. The graffiti artist also practises his juggling skills and teaches it to school students in the neighbourhood. His recent social media video explaining the Big Bang Theory through juggling has been gaining traction for its uniqueness. "A simple juggling video wouldn't grab much attention. So, to attract viewers towards the skill set, I came up with these ideas where I explain different theories through juggling," he shared. Dhareshwar picked up the skill in the lockdown when his work came to a halt. Soon, he realised that it helped sharpen his reflexes. "I could use both my hands and legs with equal effectiveness," the juggler revealed.