The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Necessity is the mother of invention
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A child sleeps in a tub under the watchful eye of its mother by a foothpath in Bandra
Unlike any other city
It felt serendipitous that this diarist could meet Martha Thorne, senior advisor of the Henrik F Obel Foundation just before World Cities Day (October 31). The United Nations General Assembly has designated the date to ensure that “urban areas are not only engines of growth, but beacons of sustainability, resilience, and prosperity for all,” to quote UN Secretary General António Guterres. Thorne was here on behalf of the platform, The Henrik F Obel Foundation that grants the impactful, visionary Obel Award, and has also established a teaching fellowship. Thorne (below) revealed more, “I wanted to listen to feedback from Mumbai’s top opinion makers and influencers in the field of architecture, design and/or the built environment.” The conversation threw up views and observations from some of the city’s most respected urban planners, historians, architects and developers. The Obel Award annually identifies an inspired and adaptable project that makes a significant contribution to people and the planet. The teaching fellowship programme with a focus on localised urban thought hopes to encourage new voices and pedagogies in university-teaching about the built environment. After getting a sense of Thorne’s dizzying schedule that criss-crosses continents, we nudged her to pick the city she considered most vibrant. “It’s Mumbai, hands down; it draws you in unlike no other city!” she said in a flash.
Malay canvas
Mooz’s artwork on display in Malyasia
Graffiti artist Raj Pathare AKA Mooz has painted Malaysia red, quite literally over last weekend. The artist was the only Indian who was invited to The International Meeting of Styles event. “The meeting of styles brings together different artists from across the world,” he explained.
Grafitti Pavitra Prabhakar in Ulwe, Navi Mumbai
Incidentally, the artwork that earned him a place on the two-day competition was one this page had noticed back in August. It is an artwork of Pavitra Prabhakar, the Indian Spiderman Pathare worked on in Ulwe.
“Graffiti refers to artworks and words. I was inspired by the film and that graffiti represented my style. The event was an exhibition where two artists worked on a wall to create something that captures their skills,” he shared.
Look who came to dinner!
Gauri Devidayal, Martha Stewart and Jay Yousuf post dinner
American business icon Martha Stewart is currently on her first-ever Mumbai visit. And among her many halts across the city was Colaba’s eatery The Table, where owners Jay Yousuf and Gauri Devidayal hosted an intimate dinner for the food enthusiast. “I didn’t know what to expect,” Devidayal, told us, adding, “Martha completely bowled me over with her down-to-earth attitude and her genuine interest in learning about the city and its cultures.” Devidayal revealed that the culinary icon has the ability to make people feel comfortable and get the conversation going. “Even at 82, she is as zestful as she looked in her recent swimsuit cover, which I am sure inspired a lot of women,” she remarked. The group shared conversations about wine, food, business, and lifestyle, as Stewart was served their regular menu with insights on which ingredients were sourced locally from India.
Where’s the party going tonight?
The highlight of the concert was the fireworks that lit up the sky
In a first-of-its-kind, the otherwise quiet gullies of the extended suburb of Vasai witnessed a bash over the weekend as nearly one thousand fans gathered to attend Sunteck Waves’ first two-day beach party. This diarist witnessed the fun and revelry that took over this new setting, which could become a haunt for music trippers starved of new spaces in the city. And safe to say, we weren’t disappointed. In a refreshing departure from the smaller venues in SoBo and Bandra, at this location, this diarist didn’t have to tiptoe to get a glimpse of the artistes, or avoid getting elbowed by fellow attendees owing to the crammed-up space.
(Third from left) Amit Trivedi performs alongside his team
In fact, we could shake a leg and even stretch if needed, without the fear of getting into an argument. “Do you think this will become the next party adda?” Our friend asked in the midst of Amit Trivedi’s electrifying sequence, with fireworks, party poppers and confetti dominating the horizons. On the downside, the ‘beach’ spectacle had no beach in immediate sight. All we could spot was a stretch of marshland that offered a scenic sunset view, and many Instagram-mable spots. It is a far-off location that required a lot of walking, and we had to struggle to locate an autorickshaw. But to answer our friend’s question, yes, we see it as an option, provided that the organisers tweak their ‘sea’side location hook, and find solutions to overcome the public transport issues.
Memories on track
The notes by (right) Dhani Vyas. Pic courtesy/X
Many moons ago, this diarist was at Victoria Terminus (today’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) where she had seen a steam engine on display, in the backdrop of the stunning Gothic landmark — a happy memory. So, we were stoked to spot a photo on X (formerly Twitter) of a page, where a young girl had scribbled her happiness on experiencing something similar. Bhuleshwar-based eight-year-old Dhani Vyas, was at CSMT’s museum, where she spotted a replica of a steam engine that ran on a dummy track. She told this diarist, “I had heard about steam engines that were operational in the old days, but this is the first time I saw it. I wanted to remember the moment, so I wrote it down!”
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