22 things to do around Mumbai from October 18 - October 24

mushroom

Sunday driver

Become an expert shroom gardener
12 PM - 3 PM: Want to grow your a cosy patch of oyster mushrooms in your garden? Pick up simple techniques at this
workshop and you also get to take home a mushroom kit. The session includes a presentation, hands-on demo and printed instructions. Once you've mastered the art, harvest your batch of edible mushrooms and call your friends over for a meal.
WHERE: Green Hope, HDIL Dreams, Bhandup West
ENTRY: Rs 2,000 (including mushroom seeds and materials)
CALL: 8108900312

Catch a Shakespeare original on live-stream
7.30 PM: If you couldn't book your tickets in time for the Globe Theatre's production of Hamlet in Bengaluru, then you don't have to give in to FOMO yet. This evening, keep your internet device handy to catch a live-streaming of the play, for free. Directed by Dominic Dromgole and Bill Buckhurst, and coming from the company that the great bard belonged to, this is as original as it could get. We suggest you keep your tissues handy for Hamlet's soliloquies and the tragic ending.
LOG ON: blog.britishcouncil.org.in/hamlet-world-tour
Free

Giggle away with stand-ups
7.30 PM: Beat those pre-emptive Monday blues with Tapathon, where stand-ups entertain you. This time, it's Neville Shah (in pic), who calls himself "craziebawa" on Twitter, and Amit Tandon, also known as the "married guy" in the comic circuit. Don't miss a spot by the bar counter for a pint or two.
WHERE: Tap, Royal Plaza, next to City Mall, Shastri Nagar, Andheri West
ENTRY: Rs 500
CALL: 33716069

Spread some smiles
5 - 9 PM: The School of Life, an education initiative at BMC schools, presents The Smile Bazaar. School children have created adorable Diwali decorations and festive gifts and this sale will support their education. Expect game stalls and activity corners as well.
WHERE: Vilasrao Deshmukh Park, Juhu Versova Link Road, Andheri West
CALL: 9833705966
FREE

Meet young poets
10 AM - 1.30 PM: Make the best of the last day of its ‘100 Thousand Poets for Change' festival. The event starts with a book launch of a collection of poems by Mumbai's school children, titled The Music of Spheres. Then, listen to young bards present their poetry, composed specially for the occasion. Noted children's writer Katie Bagli will also present a new skit.
WHERE: Kitab Khana, ground floor, Somaiya Bhavan, Fort
CALL: 61702276
FREE

Dine the Indonesian way
12:30 PM - 3PM (lunch); 7 PM onwards (dinner): Chef Isep Hidayatulloh brings his culinary flair for a special dinner celebrating Indonesian culture. Working with traditional and local ingredients, like kaffir lime leaves, seaweed and galangal, the chef presents dishes like nasi goreng kampung (tangy chicken and seafood fried rice), gado-gado (vegetable salad with spicy peanut sauce) and kolak pisang (banana compote).
WHERE: Pondichery Cafe, Sofitel, Bandra Kurla Complex
PRICE: Rs 2,207 (lunch); Rs 2,314 (dinner)
CALL: 61175000

Get out
Take a royal break
Make good use of the long weekend by planning a getaway to the royal palace and sanctuary of Jambughoda, Gujarat. The TripWorks has planned a special stay with the royal family, along with an indulgence in nature, culture and art. The trip includes a sunset watch from the Kada Dam, visits to neighbouring heritage sites Pavagadh and Champaner, bird watching, trekking, shopping at adivasi markets and a royal banquet with 25 dishes. Perfect for a quieter Navratri, right? Check with the tour guide to club this with a stay in nearby Vadodara.
WHERE: Jambughoda Palace and Sanctuary, Gujarat
WHEN: Oct 22 - 25
ENTRY: Rs 12,500 per head (including stay, food, transfers and charges for the historian)
CALL: 8097531063

Try this out
Dance into the night
6 PM onwards: Here is one night where you get to pretend you are Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Ladies, fish out your frilly frocks and dancing shoes; gents, fix your suspenders and bow ties, and head to a Lindy Hop social. And remember to groove, any way you like.
WHERE: Cafe Nemo's Party Cabin, 329/A Thadani House, opposite Indian Coast Guard, Worli Village
CALL: 24379841
FREE

Watch a puppet Ramleela
10.30 AM & 12 PM: Relive the epic war between the forces of good and evil, in puppet style. Kid's Club presents 45 minutes of the action-packed Dussehra tradition, in English, in which Ram rescues Sita from the evil clutches of Ravan. In keeping with the custom, but giving it a twist, a 10-headed balloon Ravan will be burst. Don't say we didn't warn you!
WHERE: West Room 1, NCPA, Nariman Point
ENTRY: Rs 300
CALL: 6570 0499

Watch Beauty and the Beast go desi
OCT 23, 8 PM: This is a show you don't want to miss. After a grand reception at New York's Broadway and West End, London, Disney's Beauty and the Beast will be staged in India for the first time. The 130-minute musical, however, has been locally developed, while sticking to the original story and music as the international production. The unlikely romance between Belle and a half-man-half-animal who is actually a cursed prince is being directed by Vikranth Pawar, a Mumbai-born stage veteran. Amitabh Bachchan, too, we hear has lent his voice for this musical.
WHERE: Dome, NSCI, SVP Stadium, Worli
ENTRY: Rs 1,000 - Rs 5,000
LOG ON TO: www.disney.in

Gilded glory
Artist Suvigya Sharma will be showcasing his latest collection - 46 life-size Pichwai paintings - in the city. Pichwai is a painting style originating from Rajasthan's Nathdwara area and the themes revolve around the myths and legends associated to Lord Krishna. It is a sub genre of Mewar School of miniature painting and was initially used to paint just the decorative background cloth (the word itself means ‘at the back') of lord Shri Nathji across temples in Rajasthan.

Traditionally, these paintings use precious stones and gold. What makes Sharma's particular collection unique is the 3D effect he has imparted in the pichwais using multiple layers of woodcarvings. "The life-size paintings are a first-of-its-kind. It took almost an entire year to carve the piece in teakwood. Each cow is carved in minute detail.

"However, the prime focus of the painting is Shrinath Ji, which is embedded with real 24-carat gold and semiprecious stones," explains Sharma, adding that the miniature intricacies in these Pichwais are still made following age-old traditions.

"We still use vegetable dyes and pigments and squirrel brushes to get the desired finesse. Each painting takes at least a month," he adds. The whole collection has taken Sharma around three years to complete and the price ranges between Rs 25,000 and Rs 15,00,000.

Where: Kamalnayan Bajaj Art Gallery, No 226, Ground Floor, Bajaj Bhavan, Jamnalal Bajaj Road, Nariman Point
When: Oct 19 - Oct 25
Call: 22023626

Get a history lesson
OCT 20, 6.30 PM: It was Vivekanand who paved the way for dialogue between America and India at a time when the two countries were at opposite ends of the developmental spectrum. As part of the ongoing exhibition on the history of US-India Relations, 1783- 1947, writer Girish Shahane will discuss how Vivekananda's contribution changed the way the West looked at our spiritual tradition.
WHERE: Dr Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum, Byculla
CALL: 65719211

Sail by the harbour
OCT 25, 8.45 AM: It's time to put your feet up on the deck and take a two-hour nautical journey. Sail past some of Mumbai's oldest lighthouses and gaze at the sea gulls, while being regalled with stories about the harbour's fascinating past. Go right up
till the Middle Ground and Oyster Rock, past Sunk Rock Lighthouse and then make your journey back to the anchorage.
WHERE: Apollo Bunder, Colaba
ENTRY: Rs 2,500
CALL: 9769187580

Get crackin'
TILL: OCT 30, 12.30-3.30 PM,
7 PM-12 AM: It may not make for romantic conversation but it will surely be a date to remember. Head to Mahesh Lunch Home for the crab and wine festival. Try crab tandoori, baked crab, crab chilly green pepper (in pic) and lobster dishes. There's complimentary glass of wine too.
WHERE: Mahesh Lunch Home, Juhu Tara Road, next to JW Marriott
CALL: 66955554

order of the day
Listen to this trio
19 Monday
7 PM: Attend a western classical concert by the Haydn Baryton Trio Budapest. It was founded by Kakuk Balazs in 1980 to revive Joseph Haydn's 200 compositions for Baryton, which is a bowed string instrument. Artistes include Kakuk, Jozsef Spengler, Andras Kaszanyitzky (in pic).
WHERE: NCPA, Experimental Theatre, Nariman Point
ENTRY: R500 - R850
CALL: 22824567

Look before you go
20 Tuesday
4.30 PM: The Dance Dialogue will hit the streets again. The fourth episode of Stop Look Go will take place at Aeroplane Park Signal. This social experiment observes how people respond when they are confronted with movement without
prior notice.

Do the garba
21 wednesday
6.30 PM: Navratri brings enough reason to don your colourful outfits and dance the night away. Take part in Shubh Aarambh 2015, a Navratri celebration by Bollywood Singer Divya Kumar who will sing latest hits and traditional Gujarati songs too.
WHEN: On till Oct 21
WHERE: Somaiya College Ground, 4 & 5, Ghatkopar East
ENTRY: Rs 250 (one day) - Rs 1,500 (season pass)
CALL: 7710009907

Get some burgers, beer
22 thursday
7 PM - 1 AM: Make your way to Mocktoberfest for all things brewed with 20 beers and 12 new burgers including Rooster Booster, Hawaiian, Old School and Patty Melt on the festive menu. Say cheese to German, Belgium, Dutch and Spanish beers.
WHERE: Monkey Bar, Bandra
WHEN: On till Oct 30
CALL: 26005215

Make your Bollywood debut
23 Friday
11 AM ONWARDS: Take a Bollywood Dream Tour and satiate your curiosity about behind-the-scene activities. A studio tour will show the history of Bollywood. You will even get to dub your voice for famous scenes from Bollywood movies and sing in a fully-equipped singing studio.
WHERE: Ground floor, Alfa Vista Tower, behind Inorbit Mall Link Road, Malad West
WHEN: Oct 13 - 31
ENTRY: Rs 599
CONTACT: www.bookmyshow.com

Carry home pretty pots
24 saturday
11 AM - 7 PM: It's time to stock on ceramic products at CERAFEST, the annual event that showcases studio pottery in the city. In this second edition, 25 studio potters and clay artistes will display their work.
WHERE: Coomaraswamy Hall, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Kala Ghoda
WHEN: Oct 23 - 25
CALL: 49479165
FREE