The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Bipin Kokate
A place in the sun
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Visitors soak in the sunset at Napeansea Road over the weekend.
Astad's Kolkata connection
Astad Deboo (in blue) with Tess Joseph (second row, in white), Zarin Chowdhury (in maroon), and the rest of The Action Players (TAP) troupe saying “I love you” in sign language
The demise of Astad Deboo, a pioneering force in the field of contemporary dance in India, came as a shock to many, including city-based casting director Tess Joseph. In a heartfelt tribute shared on social media, Joseph recalled Deboo's work with Kolkata-based deaf theatre company The Action Players (TAP), founded by Zarin Chowdhury. Deboo was initially invited to do a workshop with TAP in the late '80s and in the course of time formed a close association with the troupe, even embarking on a production titled The Dancing Dolphins. Joseph still remembers watching a staging of it, as a student at Loreto House. "I had never seen anything that beautiful," she told this diarist.
Close to graduating from school, she joined TAP as a live musician. There she got acquainted with Deboo, who helped her realise her penchant for the stage. Eventually, she became a voicing actor for TAP and learnt American Sign Language. Joseph recalled how devoted Deboo was to working with the troupe that he also took about 20 members on a summer programme scholarship to Gallaudet University in Washington, where they trained in dance, history and culture, and even performed. "He egged people on to follow their passion and dreams. For somebody who is so accomplished to do that, is quite something," she said.
Spotlight on the saints
Celebrated Hindustani musician Neela Bhagwat and award-winning author Jerry Pinto have launched a new literary project. The two have translated abhangs by 10 prominent and lesser-known Marathi saints - Muktabai, Janabai, Rajai, Gonai, Bahinabai, Kanhopatra, Soyarabai, Nirmala, Bhagu and Vatsara - of the Bhakti movement. The collection titled The Ant Who Swallowed The Sun has been released by Speaking Tiger.
Commenting on his experience of translating these works, Pinto shared, "The voices of these women came down to me through the centuries, asking questions we are still wrestling with today. For instance, Soyarabai asks, 'If menstrual blood makes me impure/Tell me who was not born of that blood.' I wanted to cheer for this voice from hundreds of years ago." And we're sure, readers will want to, as well.
Inside the Dosa King's empire
When it comes to South Indian food, few can compete with Saravana Bhavan's legacy. The story of how late P Rajagopal built the fast food empire and landed in jail for allegedly murdering a man over a woman he loved is now the subject of a Spotify Original podcast, The Big Shots - Dosa King. Written by Aditya Kelgaonkar and Sheena Khalid (in pic), and produced by Sikhya Entertainment, it weaves together research, interviews and drama. About the "rags to riches meets true crime" series, Khalid shared, "Growing up in Mumbai, I didn't know much about Saravana Bhavan. I discovered it in London. I think the story of the man, the restaurant and the food is so interesting; add to the mix the saga that played on for the better part of three decades."
Shopping in the new normal
COVID-19 may have forever altered the future of retail, reveals a recent report published by a leading e-commerce company. Analysing data from over a million merchants across India, and factoring in consumer insights, the report found that online shopping has transcended age-related barriers to become the preferred mode for 86 per cent of Indian shoppers. Further, in keeping with the Indian government's clarion call of 'vocal for local', 83 per cent of buyers are choosing to support locally owned businesses. Sustainable and green products are sought by 87 per cent of shoppers, and 42 per cent of shoppers who purchase from local or independent retailers do so to reduce their environmental footprint.
BDL's digital roadmap for 2021
While art galleries have been given a go-ahead to open doors in the city, museums are yet to receive a nod. But in the meantime, we heard that Byculla's Dr Bhau Daji Lad (BDL) Museum is focusing on a strong digital footprint in 2021, by working with the online platform Google Arts and Culture to bring virtual exhibitions. In 2016, the museum was the first in Mumbai to be invited by the platform to showcase its collection.
"Google Arts and Culture reaches an international audience of over 51 million viewers, and this is the best way to bring the museum to the public in the coming year," director Tasneem Mehta told this diarist. In addition, Mehta also revealed that the museum will be taking a closer look at its existing collections and exploring stories pertaining to Mumbai. "We will be working on expanding our education programme digitally as well," she added.
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