03 September,2024 06:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Satej Shinde
Passengers jostle for space as they try to board a crowded air-conditioned double decker BEST bus at Andheri railway station
Seated Hariti with children, 2nd Century AD. Pic Courtesy/CSMVS; (right) Naman Ahuja
Even as the country of Afghanistan descends into chaos, professor Naman Ahuja is hoping to shed light on a different world that also originated in the same region. Tomorrow, his lecture titled One Mother, Many Mother Tongues, part of the Ancient Sculptures exhibition at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) ongoing till October 1, will delve into Gandharan art using the iconography of the goddess Hariti from the British Museum's collection. "Gandharan art is often described as a mix of Indian and Greek forms. I hope to bring to light the many influences in style and culture from Egyptian, Zoroastrian, Lebanese, Hellenic and Buddhist that influenced it," Ahuja shared. A professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, he added, "Incidentally, Gandhara was in the Peshawar Valley in today's Afghanistan. To put up a public statue such as this tells us a lot about the multi-linguistic, pluralistic culture that attracted people to the region, and how it shaped their culture."
The signage at Mount Mary Chowk
It's never too late to correct something. When it comes to this chowk, it's a great time to do so, considering the nearby Basilica of our Lady of the Mount in Bandra has begun to attract countless devotees for the annual novenas dedicated to the Feast of the Nativity of Mary.
The photograph that inspired Matt Sterne. Pic Courtesy/Instagram (right) A moment from the film
The recently concluded online facet of the 4th edition of Culture Cinema Film Festival (C2F2) witnessed the documentary Ghost Town Cricket win the top prize. Incidentally, the film has an Indian inspiration. Director Matt Sterne (inset, top) shared, "During the pandemic lockdown, I spotted this picture of a hillside match in Shopian, Kashmir on the Internet. It set me off to look for a similar cricket ground locally."
Sterne discovered it in an abandoned town, 700km north of Adelaide, where former residents would gather to play cricket once a year in an effort to protect and restore the town. "The town was abandoned in the mid '60s. The ground is at the heart of this community and their love of the game," Sterne remarked. As for the festival, director Praveen Nagda (inset, above) noted that they will be travelling to institutions across India to screen the films and host workshops till December.
Sadhana Tewde (left) shows off her skills during the cypher at Vikhroli
Last week, a local hip-hop group, Street Hip Hop, was joined by 100 rappers and artistes at their Vikhroli park venue, making their recent event a rather vibrant one. The event saw Sadhana Tewde, a local rapper, perform verses on freedom. Shafi Shaikh AKA Mr Black Bond performed his crowd favourite verses and routines while Tewde beatboxed to the rhythm. "We performed and spread our love for the attendees," Sheikh told the diarist. "The event was attended by many underground artistes," he said. Some of the underground artistes in attendance were witness to performances by Salim Shaddy, Vedent and Junaid. Female hip hop artistes and rappers were a part of this event; encouraged by Tewde who spun verses and laid down beatbox tracks. The event was a cypher organised in collaboration with popular artistes like BMT and MC Ayaan.
