Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Bipin Kokate

Aiming for the skies

A couple of youngsters watch a flock of pigeons take flight at Girgaum Chowpatty on Tuesday.

The female voice

British radio pioneer Annie Mac recently lamented the lack of female representation in global music, while retiring from the BBC. The issue is prevalent in the music business in India as well, feels industry body Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS). That's why they have launched a campaign called #EmpowerHerMusic, to give a leg-up to women who aspire towards a career in music. It will kick off on July 8 with a one-hour session titled Education in Music, which will involve Sonali and Ashish Mehra, founders of Gurgaon-based music school Music Meleti, talking about how female artistes can apply for 25,000 courses across 400-plus universities across the world. "Even though the number is still very less, we have started to witness female creators making their mark in the industry," shared IPRS CEO Rakesh Nigam (in pic), adding that this campaign seeks to improve the situation.

Striving for an equal world

Think about it. When we come across LGBTQiA+ characters in mainstream films or shows, they are often presented as caricatures with comedic traits. Or, in the case of the trans community, as beggars on the streets. This needs to change, feels activist-performer Sushant Divgikar, who is part of a discussion titled Queering Art, Advocating Space, as part of the year-long series of events called Culture Connects that begins today. Divigikar, along with fellow activists Rudrani Chettri, Anwesh Sahoo and Sharif Rangnekar, will talk about how homophobia plays out in the creative arts and how queer artistes are seen with a heteronormative lens. "When mainstream media and pop culture represents LGBTQiA+ characters, we are always considered as ‘the other'. Films are a huge platform, but when you have that power and send out the wrong message, it does more harm than good. Even though you have changed laws, how are you taking equal rights forward on humanitarian grounds when you do that?" Divgikar (in pic) asked. Good question.

Why it's important to be vulnerable

The essays consist of slides with infographic panels that explain the subject

Agents of Ishq (AOI) is a platform that promotes progressive conversations around sex and relationships. It has now launched a monthly series called Bole Toh: AOI ka Chhotu Essay, which explains a subject with eight to 10 infographic panels that dissect it. The first edition is themed on, ‘Without vulnerability, there is no revolution', and shows what vulnerability feels like and what happens when we share the emotion. "We will explore the theme of friendship in August," shared AOI founder Paromita Vohra. Log on to @agentsofishq on Instagram to follow the series.

The heat is on

The ongoing tussle between the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) and food aggregator apps Zomato and Swiggy has now taken an official turn. NRAI has filed a complaint with the Competition Commission of India about alleged malpractices of these platforms, including charging arbitrary commissions. NRAI president Anurag Katriar said that they have been in talks with Zomato and Swiggy for about a year now. "But we decided to seek regulatory intervention when nothing seemed to be getting resolved," he added.

Bake it or break it at this contest

For culinary enthusiasts, the online platform Cook A Dream has launched the second virtual edition of the Baker's Arena contest, open to bakers across the board - young cooks aged between 12 and 18 years, home bakers or culinary students, and professionals. The competition has gone virtual. Its founder Deepa Iyer (in pic) shared how they will judge the contestants in such a scenario. "We work with only the best chefs who are used to judging and evaluating recipes based on the look and feel of it, and proportions of the recipes," she shared. Along with a cash award of '10,000, winners can look forward to other prizes too. "We are offering a 21-day curated baking course, hampers, and a bumper prize for the best contestant," says co-founder Sumit Jha. To take part, visit cookadreamchallenge.com and send in your entry by July 8.