The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
An actor prepares
Actor, and now Congress candidate from Mumbai North, Urmila Matondkar, joins the locals for Gudi Padwa celebrations on Saturday. Pic/Satej Shinde
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When Cuckoo talks of vaginas
Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal's version of Vagina monologues is celebrating 17 years, and today's performance also features Kubbra Sait. Sait, who is now a bonafide star thanks to her lovely portrayal of Cuckoo in Scared Games, told this diarist that she loved the show because of its uninhibited courage.
"It highlights the grief that we have gone through as women, the kind of shovelling we've been faced with," Sait told us. The show, which is playing at Prithvi Theatre today, also stars Mona Ambegaonkar, Swati Das and Dolly Thakore. For Sait, it's an exciting opportunity. "I am really happy to share space with wonderful, strong women who have voices to be heard and are change makers."
Cream of the crop
Writer and adman Manoj Pandey has all reasons to celebrate. Pandey, most known for Tales on Tweet, a compilation of tiny stories contributed by writers for his eponymously titled Twitter project, has found a mention in the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2019 shortlist, for his debut collection of stories, The Legacy of Nothing. What's worth a note is that he finds himself among the crème de la crème of the Indian literary scene, including Mumbai writers Jeet Thayil and Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi.
Manoj Pandey
"I felt even more elated. Firstly, on being shortlisted for this prestigious prize. Secondly, on being a debutante among the literary giants in the list. Jeet, Rana [Dasgupta] and Neel [Mukherjee] are the heroes of our generation. And I'm now on the same list," he told this diarist. The winner will be announced at the India International Centre, IIC, New Delhi, on April 23.
Klusener's praise for MSD is simply cool
MICHAEL Bevan, Lance Klusener and Mahendra Singh Dhoni can be considered the best finishers in limited overs cricket over the last two decades. Bevan won several games towards the end for Australia and Klusener was the scourge of the opposition in South African teams under the astute Hansie Cronje. Left-handed Klusener was on song during the 1999 World Cup where the Proteas made an exit due to a tied result against Australia in the semi-final at Edgbaston. Klusener stayed unbeaten with 31 in that game which ended with the run out of Allan Donald.
Will MS Dhoni be Mr Cool during this year's World Cup in England?
Klusener has watched quite a bit of great finishes during his playing as well as post-retirement days and expressed his appreciation for India's final flourish specialist MS Dhoni whose last ball six to win the 2011 World Cup final was recalled with glee by cricket lovers just the other day (April 2) on the eighth anniversary of India's second ODI World Cup triumph.
In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Klusener said: "MS, it is almost like he doesn't care. If he is chasing a score and he hits a six and a four, he doesn't really care. He is worried about what else needs to be done." Now that's a fine insight into a once-in-a-lifetime cricketer.
Lance Klusener
Klusener was a cool dude too during intense situations and while he agreed with his interviewer, he remarked, "But I hated walking on to the field knowing I hadn't prepared 100%. It kept me calm knowing that I have prepared the best I can." Are all those the young cricketers listening?
When the Mumbai crow wooes the artist
Artist Illesha Khandelwal, founder of the Colaba space, Ikattha, has become an unlikely champion of Mumbai's most ubiquitous inhabitants: the crow. Over the last few months, she has created several artist books with drawings and paintings of crows, written prose pieces and worked on a clothing line dedicated to the bird.
"In my studio practice, I have begun to research, draw, embroider, paint and watch crows," she tells this diarist. "The fact is that so much of our frustration with the city we live in is a direct consequence of human habitation. The crows only exist in large populations because the garbage in Mumbai is out of control. We created the ideal breeding ground for scavengers. I like to believe that if we let go of the hate, and started to even love them, perhaps our relationship with the city would begin to heal as well."
Cast your vote
Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member and social activist Mayank Gandhi, has launched the Ungli Dikha campaign in the city, aiming to push holidaying voters to the polling booth. When this diarist spoke to social entrepreneur Chetan Temkar, who handles Mumbai operations, he said, "Even today, a lot of women and youngsters do not cast their vote. It is important that we reach out to them.
Among many other projects, the Ungli Dikha volunteers are cycling across the city for 25 days. We have selected eight members for this; their job is to pedal all day and urge citizens to vote for the upcoming Lok Sabha Assembly polls. Voting is a right and a duty." Next time you see cyclists donning the Ungli Dikha t-shirts in your area, do remember to exercise your right to vote.
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