Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce.

Giving it his best shot

An eager batsman finds his audience at a Jogeshwari neighbourhood

On a friendly note

It isn't often that you see a millennial and an octogenarian being best friends. But Shantanu Naidu and Ratan Tata's friendship is an exception — and now we're going to get a peek into it via a book Naidu has penned. After starting off as an automotive design engineer at Tata Elxsi in Pune, Naidu went on to launch Motopaws, a start-up dedicated to putting reflective collars on stray dogs in 2014. Tata, an ardent canine lover, decided to invest in it, which eventually led to their friendship. Naidu's book titled I Came Upon A Lighthouse [HarperCollins India], a memoir of life with Tata, is geared for a mid-January release. Illustrated by Sanjana Desai, all author proceeds will be donated to the animal welfare organisation Sparsh Trust. Naidu shared that he "wanted to show how genuine and wholesome intergenerational friendships can be," while Tata, in a note in the book, hopes that his friend "can be a shining light of kindness who will continue to be driven by genuine goodwill." Sweet.

An independent victory

Warren Mendonsa

The Indies is an awards ceremony that was constituted for the independent music industry in 2020, a year when the circuit has faced an existential crisis. The results for the debut edition have just been announced, and they include acts such as the Mumbai-based Pacifist for Best Metal Artiste, Warren Mendonsa for Best Guitarist and Swadesi for Best Rap/Hip-hop Artiste.

Swadesi won an award for their track The Warli Revolt

Swadesi won it for a track called The Warli Revolt, which highlighted the issue of the felling of trees at Aarey Colony. About the thought behind the song, Aklesh Sutar aka MC Mawali of Swadesi said, "I feel that not just tribes [like the Warli community at Aarey], but also farmers are still facing the same problem [about land that is rightfully theirs being grabbed]."

A surprise honour

Menka Shivdasani and Eunice de Souza

Several poets received good news on Christmas Day as the poetry platform Women Empowered-India announced multiple awards and prizes that no one expected. The platform was due to announce one prize for the Kamala Das Poetry Award (KDPA) but instead announced 15 across various categories. While academic Sanjukta Dasgupta was conferred the KDPA, Menka Shivdasani and Savita Singh won the inaugural Eunice de Souza Award.

"The KDPA was a nucleus under which these many awards have bloomed," founder Smeetha Bhoumik told this diarist. The platform posthumously honoured de Souza with The WE Trailblazer Poet Teacher Award; Bhoumik added that the decision was taken because she was revered as both a poet and teacher. "A generation of Bombayites have been taught by her. She lived life on her own terms. Her poetry was dangerously beautiful."

Good ol' Xmas

Pic courtesy/Past Perfect

Ever wonder how Xmas was celebrated in colonial India? City-based heritage management agency Past Perfect's new social media series #RememberingColonialChristmas shows you how. About the initiative, co-founder Deepti Anand said, "The colonial era presented an interesting mix of experiences — from new exposure and increasing familiarity for local residents to British families finding themselves amidst new settings for the Christmas season, especially the hot weather that put them outside their comfort zone." Head to @pastperfectlive on Instagram to learn more about the series.

Support for safe music spaces

Over the weekend, stalwarts from the classical music and arts industry, including Shubha Mudgal, TM Krishna and Sangeeta Sivakumar, were part of a panel that addressed #MeToo in the Indian classical tradition, during Darbar Festival 2020. About the issue that's often brushed under the carpet, Mudgal shared with this diarist that safe spaces for survivors can be created only if organisations choose to follow laws already in place. "Perhaps the first step is to audit institutions. The many loopholes that permit delays in investigation enable the accused to continue with their lives unfettered, while the victims are stigmatised. Organisations and individuals will need to examine if they wish to continue featuring accused artistes in their events, or continue to give them recognition despite accusations against them," she opined.

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