Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

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

Welcome home

A baya weaver flies back to its nest in Karjat.

Freshly baked nostalgia in Vasai

The logo features the founders’ grandmother, Catherine, in a lugra

Founded by sisters Kadambari and Jessica Julius Lobo, Vasai’s new café, Catherine’s, is filled with aromas of fresh, warm bread, desserts and nostalgia. “This is our third venture after we founded The Cake Next Door and The Bread Next Door. We wanted to open a café of our own in 2020, but that did not work out because of the lockdown,” Kadambari revealed. Named after their late grandmother, the logo of the cafe is an illustrated photograph of Catherine. “She is wearing the traditional lugra in it. We selected this picture as an ode to our East Indian roots,” she shared, adding that it is also how the neighbourhood remembered Catherine. “She was quite popular in Vasai in her time, as she was a midwife. So, a lot of people still remember her, and are happy with this decision,” she revealed. “The café will be open five days a week, and mostly during the evenings. This small café is for those who like our offerings as they can now eat here as a community,” Kadambari signed off. 

Kadambari and Jessica Julius Lobo at the new café in Vasai

Beautify, but with the right colours

A mural near the Thane railway station

While the recently painted ceilings of the viaducts at an elevated bus terminal near Thane station may grab the eye, The Walking Project community has reason to believe that it may affect movement in the area. “The project came under SATIS (Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme),” explained Vedant Mhatre, programme manager of the community. The issue, he explains, is not in the idea of beautifying the city by painting murals, but in the insufficient guidelines on how to go about these. “These murals are painted using dark colours. In the evening, there is a lot of pedestrian activity. These colours will make the area difficult to navigate, especially in the monsoon,” he said, adding that an ex-BMC official revealed to him how such colours make it difficult for the BMC to check for cracks and crevices as well. 

Dreams are made in Dharavi

Members of the cast

When you have a story as gripping as Dharavi’s emergence on the back of its artistic talent, you need more than just one medium to do justice to it. After promoting hip-hop as a means of self-expression among the children of Dharavi for nearly a decade, The Dharavi Dream Project is now gearing for its first theatre production, Dharavi Dreams. Based on stories and lived experiences shared by the students at the project, the play is set to give viewers an insight into the lives, dreams, and challenges faced by the residents while kindling a passion for the arts. The musical is directed and written by artist Neha Singh. “The play will be an immersive, musical experience presented through a narrative that emphasises on our core belief that art can save kids. We plan to roll out our debut show by the end of September, after which we will take the production on a tour to 10 venues across Mumbai. For now, we are in the process of crowdfunding the operations,” Sampada Salunke, a core member of the project, revealed. Head to @tddp_in to contribute to the project. 

Rehearse for the musical

Autopilot love

A rider naps in an auto rickshaw with shattered glass in Bandra. Pic Courtesy/Craig Boehman; (right) Craig Boehman

What started in 2017 as a simple curiosity for rickshaws as an American in Mumbai, is now an everlasting project, #RidingRickshaw, for street photographer (right) Craig Boehman. “It’s by far my favourite mode of transportation in Mumbai, and I take auto rickshaws whenever I can instead of cabs,” Boehman revealed. While he loves to hail an auto rickshaw for its speed and practicality in a heavy-traffic city like Mumbai, he cherishes the stories of the riders more. “I find English-speaking riders from time to time, and learn about their lives. Most hail from Uttar Pradesh, and live here alone. They only get back to their villages occasionally. So, I take it that it can be a lonely existence, but they have plenty in common with their fellow drivers and form tightly-knit communities and friendships,” he said, adding that this project is one that will never cease to exist as long as he is in the city. 

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