Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Pic/Satej Shinde

Living on the edge

Ignoring the risk to their lives, passengers dart across the railway track as they scramble to board a train at Diva railway station.

Let's paint the bigger picture

Art is everywhere, they say. Writer Anish Gawande (inset) will aim to scratch beneath the surface with industry leaders, including Tina Tahiliani Parikh, Kamal Malik, and Sangita Kathiwada, at a panel discussion set to take place in Worli on January 13 as part of the Mumbai Gallery Weekend. Titled Art Beyond the Canvas, the discussion will be the highlight of Evolution of Now, a pop-up exhibition for young collectors. The panellists will explore how art is perceived, and the place it holds in industries where there is a strong overlap. "Indian art is stepping into a bold new phase in its evolution - incorporating exciting collaborations with design, architecture, and fashion. I see this panel as a space to explore the ways in which both individuals and institutions can create spaces for conversations that allow these disciplines to learn from each other," Gawande told this diarist.

Regal tribute

The illustration features purple shadows on the beige Regal Cinema building

What do you turn to when you're homesick? For California-based artist Varunika Gupta (below), whose latest illustration depicts Mumbai's iconic Regal Cinema in a new shade, the answer is making art. "The pandemic made it hard for me to visit the motherland, so I thought I'll bring it to me through my art. I've been painting the places with references, and some from memory," the artist shared, adding that it was on a trip to the city last year that she noticed the Regal Cinema building standing tall in its Art Deco style.

The 32-year-old artist explained, "While painting this piece, the purple complemented the building's beige colour very well. It created a striking contrast with the facade's muted shade, adding an unexpected twist. I aimed to bring out the appeal of the iconic spot through my painting. And what better way to showcase an iconic spot than with the timeless Sholay poster. It's a match made in cinematic heaven!"

A heavenly raga concludes

Ustad Rashid Khan with Purbayan Chatterjee at a recording session

Listeners and musicians across the Subcontinent were plunged into sadness on Tuesday with the news of the passing of Ustad Rashid Khan. The Padma Bhushan-awardee passed away in Kolkata where he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. The vocalist - who was once hailed by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi as ‘the assurance for the future of Indian classical music' - hailed from the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana of Hindustani music. In fact, he was the great-grandson of the gharana's founder, Inayat Hussain Khan. While the classicists hailed him for his mastery over the vilambit khayal and tarana, film music lovers fell in love with his voice through songs in Jab We Met or My Name Is Khan. For sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee, the loss felt personal. He said, "In this day and age, he was among the rare musicians we could equate to the legendary status of Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan or Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasiaji." Recalling a jugalbandi on stage in Jaipur with the late singer, Chatterjee said, "I remember in 2019, he agreed to perform the Bilaskhani Todi with me. It was a wonderful gesture and one of my most memorable performances." They also collaborated on Chatterjee's Unbounded, where the late Ustad sang the composition, Intezaar. "His notes were spontaneous. The beauty of his music was that it was not contrived or meant to show off skill. He carried within himself the vintage genius that can only belong to an all-time great. To lose him is a tragedy beyond measure," Chatterjee said.

This Ujaas is truly jhakaas

Advaitesha Birla (left) and Dr Neerja Birla prove where there is a will there is a way, inside the Ujaas Menstrual Health Express van. Pic/Atul Kamble

It was all about letting the good (health) times roll. The Ujaas Menstrual Health Express, a van, took off in a flurry of flag-waves and flying balloons late Tuesday morning from Worli. The Express initiative by Advaitesha Birla, founder, Ujaas, will traverse across India, covering 25 states and 106 cities, over 10,000-plus kilometres. The aim is to reach different regions gaining insights into cultures, practices, and beliefs surrounding menstruation there. Going beyond awareness, the initiative includes distribution of free sanitary napkins, spreading information, ensuring health and hygiene and busting myths about menstruation. As the launch event got into full throttle on a turbo-charged Tuesday, proud mom Dr Neerja Birla said of the Aditya Birla Education Trust initiative, "We hope to support girls to lead a dignified and independent life during menstruation." As the ceremonial coconut was broken in front of the van, Neerja congratulated team Ujaas and her daughter Advaitesha as she said, "When I gave you all this launch date, I was unsure you could make this happen, but you have taken up this challenge and made sure it did." As applause rang out, here's to many more Padman and beyond moments. We say, break the silence, shatter stereotypes, talk instead of declare taboo and blow menstruation myths away into India's winter winds.