Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

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

Just Beach-type things 

A little girl plays in the sand while her mother surfs on her smartphone on Juhu beach.

House the love for Bandra with art

Phoebe Baskett's artworks capture Bandra's timeless beauty in changing times; (below) Shormistha Mukherjee. FILE PIC

Everybody loves Bandra. You can tell from the jam-packed roads and highway that lead into the suburb. For Shormistha Mukherjee, appreciation of the things that give the hub its quintessential character — like the quiet, and old bungalows — piques curiosity before gently nudging her into action. When Mukherjee, who is an advertising professional, author and history buff, began coursing through Bandra’s lanes, she noticed a rapidly changing landscape where old structures gave way to high-rises. Afraid of losing memories and visuals, she began documenting the suburb’s bungalows on Houses of Bandra (HoB) on Instagram in early 2022. Now, this documentation will have a physical archive through illustrations, photograph prints, and linographs. “When people see HoB, they tell me how they’ve been away for 30 years but still think about and miss Bandra every day. So I thought it would be great to create something more tangible as a keepsake for memories,” she said. The HoB art shop, which launches digitally in June, will collaborate with artists who share their interpretation of Bandra’s homes as well as photographs of the houses in different seasons. Proceeds from the sale will go to the artist and be donated back to the community.

Shormistha Mukherjee

Back to the millennial dream

Backstreet boys performing in Mumbai. Pic courtesy/Getty Images

This generation Z diarist may not have understood the excitement of millennials initially, but witnessing attendees crying and screaming out at pop band Backstreet Boys’ performance on Thursday made her get a bit fan-crazed as well. Coming to Mumbai as part of their DNA World Tour, the band — that has now aged along with the generation that adored them — had the same energy on stage that they had before. Kinni Jhaveri, a businesswoman, would agree. “Those were the songs we used to groove to during college. So, I had to go there to relive those moments. I think it was nostalgia that brought all the millennials together. I would have loved to bring my young son to take him down my memory lane, but it was a school day,” she sighed.

Kinni Jhaveri (in black) and her friends with the Backstreet Boys stage behind them

Weaving health

(Left) Co-founders Dr Ami Shah and Dr Rajiv Kovil of Rang De Neela initiative; (right) The previous mascot used to promote art and healthcare

The co-founder of Mumbai-based Rang De Neela, Dr Ami Shah, recently launched a programme to spread awareness about diabetes and related co-morbidities. In the campaign, 50 doctors will travel across the state’s interiors to reach out to weavers and also speak about prevention of diabetes, using Paithani designs as an educational tool. They will collaborate with an artist to create a special weave. “Rural outreach is important to change the low testing rate due to lack of awareness,” she noted.

Buy the good stuff

A bag from Sui Kapda Baagan; (right) Anuradha Bhaumick

Here’s a chance to shop better. Embroidery artist Anuradha Bhaumick’s Sui Kapda Baagan collaborates with clothiers Paher who have offered their deadstock — handwoven shirts on which Bhaumick has hand-embroidered flowers in stark relief; while proceeds from sales will fund a social impact partner every three months. This month, they aid NGO Bahuarwa Foundation’s work in running The Savitribai Phule Memorial School, a free school for under-served children in Bihar’s Bahuarwa village. “I wanted to extend my art practice to clothing and ensure my work helps neglected communities,” she said. 

All for one

Women from the transgender community at the Malad church selling the plates they made

We recently learned that the citizens of a Malad church helped out transgender individuals seeking alms near the church. A good Samaritan offered a paper plates-making machine, while the church donated money for raw materials, and a free stall on the church grounds. “They often pay fines [for asking for money]. We wanted to help them embark on a journey of self-sustenance,” Father Michael Pinto, the parish priest said. Malad resident Jane Soares, who helps them with marketing, shared that the customers’ response has been heartening. Support them on Orlem Connect on Facebook.

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