Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Raje

Just hanging out

Workers clean the glass panes of a high-rise in Mahim.

Punk for Spidey

Pathare in his costume at Comic Con Mumbai

Last weekend was one for the comic nerds. From cosplayers to illustrators and artists, everyone descended on Mumbai as the two-day annual fest of Comic Con was hosted at a Bandra venue. For Raj Pathare aka Mooz, this year's meet won him the Best cosplayer in the Movie category for his Spider-Punk costume. While he did not make it to the main competition, Pathare shared it was a thrill. "I have been cosplaying as a hobby for 10 years," shared the graffiti artist, who always chooses Spider-Man. "I pulled out my old Spider-Man outfit and decided to accessorise it with elements to create the Spider-Punk appearance." The character recently made an appearance in the 2023 animated film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Armed with spiked gauntlets, and an electric guitar, Pathare sure made an impact. "I was surprised that more cosplayers did not try the same look. I was actually supposed to play something else, but then I decided to go with this look. Somehow, we managed to create it over two nights before the day of the competition. I got a lot of attention for it," he shared.

Redux, reboot

The new look interiors of Gaylord

The times are a-changin', and Churchgate's iconic restaurant Gaylord knows how to keep up. The 67-year-old restaurant is re-opening its doors with an aesthetic revamp of its interiors and fresh additions to its iconic menu. "Among other changes, the walls are adorned with over 150 original black and white photographs sourced from photographers like Madan Mahatta. Every element is carefully curated, paying homage to our enduring legacy while embracing the spirit of modernity," Divij Lamba, its co-owner, told this diarist.

Boeing, going, gone

Koli's scale model held up against an original Boeing 747

Monday began with a tinge of sadness for fliers of a certain vintage. It marked the end of the iconic Boeing 747 as the last of the planes in the Air India fleet took its final flight today. For student pilot and scale modeller, Aditya Koli, the plane was one of the reasons for his love for aviation. "I remember my dad taking me to the airport, and watching the Boeing [747] on the runway," he said. As a tribute, Koli created a scale model that captures the plane, down to its logo. "It is an iconic aircraft that is instantly recognisable through its hump. It is also among the first wide body planes that changed the way we travel," he told this diarist.

Aditya Koli

Growing into their own space

Participants at the workshop; (right) a collection of their artworks

For Neethu Venkateshiah and the facilitators of the city-based NGO Haanh Hum, the last week proved to be a novel experience. Having worked with the residents of Kamathipura over the last couple of years, they recently hosted a workshop that delved into street photography. "In an environment often laden with judgment, we ventured together to help them reclaim their space through the lens of a camera," she said. Using forms such as clay and cyanotype artworks, the facilitators enabled participants to step out and take ownership of the neighbourhood they live in. Inspired by the Theatre of the Oppressed, they will soon be taking on community theatre in June, followed by an art festival in December 2024.

Houston, we have a winner!

The team of students with their winning robot, Bot-Thoven (centre) in Houston

The city team of FRC Team Sigma set a record by winning the Rookie All-Star award at the FIRST world championship for robotics in Houston on April 20. The team of 26 students from 12 schools across Mumbai were mentored by the RFL Academy, and were the only Indian team in the competition. The team's creation, Bot-Thoven, was required to strategically manoeuvre musical notes into various scoring elements and ultimately hang from a chain. The 63 kg robot performed these tasks while moving at the speed of 4.1m per second. The lead technical mentor of the team, Virendra Singh shared, "The students dedicated over 100 hours to mastering CAD and Java programming. They also had hands-on experience with power tools, CNC machines, and 3D printers to bring the bot to life."