The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Ashish Raje
The walls have eyes
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A cobbler mends a shoe against the mural of a peeking cat at Marine Lines
Bappa goes hip
Dhavanshi Shah’s artwork features a Gen Z inspired Ganesha
The city’s many mandals might have their own takes on the beloved Bappa, but Dhavanshi Shah, a Dahanu-based illustrator has given it a Gen Z twist. “I wanted to reimagine Ganesha as a Gen Z icon,” she told this diarist. Her illustration features a Ganesha sitting on a beanbag listening to music, drinking boba tea and relishing blueberry cheesecake while scrolling on Instagram. The artist also has Bappa sporting Gen Z fashion, swapping the traditional dhoti for streetwear. “I wanted to replace the modak with something more relatable to Gen Z. Hence, I chose the cheesecake,” she explained. “I would love to turn this into a real idol in the future,” she concluded.
Seniors take the ramp in Navi Mumbai
Lokare (in white) at a previous event for senior citizens; (right) Leena Dighe
City-based digital creator Siddhesh Lokare is volunteering with the Golden Nest Foundation in Navi Mumbai to host a fashion show for elderly citizens. “We believe an event like this can encourage them to dress up, feel confident, and lift their spirits,” shared Lokare, whose team of volunteers will help to style the senior citizens. The event will also celebrate the foundation’s resident artiste, Leena Dighe’s passion for makeup. “Dighe used to be a very talented dancer in her youth and loves getting dressed up when family or friends visit. She even teaches us how to do her makeup. This event lets us rekindle that joy,” Lokare explained. Dighe will also share makeup tips with the volunteers. The event will culminate in a ramp walk performed by the seniors, followed by a dance party for all the members. “The gathering is a chance to remind them of happier times and build a sense of optimism,” he shared. As part of the event, Lokare will interview senior citizens of the foundation to document their life story and learnings for a short video.
United in Manchester
Tushar Adhav poses with a bust of Dr BR Ambedkar at Ambedkar House in London during the tour
City-based musician Tushar Adhav aka Bamboy has found new fans far from home for his anti-caste music. During a three-part tour across London, Manchester and Brighton that concluded yesterday, Adhav’s poignant words echoed in clubs and underground basements alike. “I was there to perform under my moniker Kaali Duniya, where I spun instrumental dubstep, drum ‘n’ bass, and electronica beats. The audience, surprisingly, was familiar with my work as a rapper. I obliged them with a few singles,” Adhav shared over a call from Brighton. The Parel-based artiste’s trip would’ve been incomplete without a visit to Ambedkar House, where Dr BR Ambedkar lived during his time in England. “The tour reminded me of how much work is left to be done on the anti-caste front. Sometimes, we faced casual classism from our own Indian diaspora at the venues. The visit to Ambedkar’s house is one that will remain etched in my memory forever,” he added.
Green fragrance
Participants at a previous tree walk hosted at Rani Baug in Byculla
After an eight-month-long research and conducting tree walks in Bengaluru’s Lalbagh Botanical Garden, naturalist Abhishek Khan is bringing the idea to Mumbai through his new venture, Mumbai Vann. “The idea is to relieve people of what we call tree-blindness,” Khan shared. The walks will be based on different narratives, and focus on sensory experiences like negotiating gardens with the help of scent, instead of sight. For instance, the walk on Sunday is called the Fragrance Walk and the Botany of Alcohol, Khan shared. “An example from the Fragrance Walk is the narrative of the sausage tree, or the Kigelia Africana. This was planted by the Britishers in Rani Baug, and is an ornamental tree which seems to serve no purpose. But in Africa, people get drunk on its fruit,” he told this diarist.
Letters to the city
The Mumbai heritage postcard
Vile Parle-based computer science engineer Kevin Desai and brother Kushal Desai, a paediatric resident, are rekindling their childhood hobby of letters with an illustrated postcard series. Their new postcard features heritage structures from Mumbai such as the Gateway of India and Elephanta Caves, and a well-deserved shout out to popular haunts like Ashok Vada Pav in Dadar. “We developed a liking for postcrossing [a worldwide network of enthusiasts who send each other letters] as children. The idea is to now bring the culture of writing letters back with a fun twist,” Kushal shared. Those keen to find out more can head to heritageprints.in.
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