The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Ashish Raje
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Pre-election preparations reach full swing at a local sculptor’s workshop in Kurla
Govandi, through a new lens
Children watch a film at the library during a previous private screening
The city’s new favourite film screening haunt might have emerged from a quiet gully in Govandi. Kitab Mahal, along with two other community spaces in the suburb that were recently revamped by the Govandi Arts Festival (GAF) team will transform into mini-cinemas to host the All Living Things Environmental Film Festival (ALT EFF) in November. “Environmental films are usually screened in swanky, gated cinemas — far away from the areas that face the reality of environmental issues. ALT EFF’s vision to decentralise its screenings aligned with our vision to transform the suburb’s image from a crime hotspot to a hub of artistic talent,” shared GAF curator Natasha Sharma, adding that the children of Govandi will play their part by hosting parallel art sessions.
She’s on a roll!
Mishti Vora at a pre-match practice run
Sion-based skater Mishti Vora knows a thing or two about striking balance. With her 10th grade board exams around the corner, Vora has managed to qualify for the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) National Championships after bagging consecutive gold medals in skating and swimming qualifiers. The athlete will now head to the National Games in Rajkot (swimming) and Delhi (skating) in the upcoming months. “I was up against the best of the best at the competition. Earlier last year, I had to put aside my passion for swimming to fully focus on skating. I’m slowly getting back to it now and there couldn’t have been a better way to restart things,” Vora shared over a call from her training session in Sion. With the coveted Roller Skating Federation India competitions scheduled for December inching closer, Vora has no plans to hit the brakes.
Cracker of an idea
Participants at the ongoing camp
ChessBase India is planning one move ahead this festive season. Ahead of Diwali festivities in the city, the chess platform is hosting the Big Chess Diwali Camp at Phoenix Market City, Kurla. “Young or old, expert or novice — we want to popularise the game among Mumbaikars. You can join the camp as and when you like and pick up one of our self-learning modules to start working on your game. It’s a judgement-free learning space for everyone,” shared dentist Dr Vidhi Karelia, one of the many volunteers from the city who will help young minds hone their skills at the week-long camp. For more details, visit
@chessbaseindia on Instagram.
Hip-hopping in Hyderabad
A moment from the cypher in Hyderabad. Pic courtesy/Instagram
After their weekly rap cyphers on the streets of Kurla, the Street Hip Hop Community travelled to Hyderabad recently to collaborate with Street Culture Hyderabad for a cypher at Krishna Kanth Park in Kukatpally that included 30 participants. “The idea has always been to unearth underground rap communities. When I heard about this thriving rap community in Hyderabad, I wanted to collaborate with them,” said Shafi Shaikh (left), founder of Street Hip Hop.
The cypher was not a battle between the cities and did not pit them against one another. “Our goal was to support each other, and not engage in the diss culture. I would love to see more patrons support Hyderabad’s underground rap scene.” A pan-India online cypher featuring artists from major cities is scheduled for November 15.
Let’s make it a paw-sitive Diwali!
A stray at the NGO. PIC COURTESY/INSTAGRAM
Thrift store Bombay Closet Cleanse has collaborated with NGO Yoda for a Diwali-special de-clutter and donate initiative. “This time, we are officially extending our initiative to animal care,” shared Sana and Alfiya Khan, who co-founded the thrift store five years ago.
Sana and Alfiya Khan
“People can donate clothes to us by dropping by our stores in Bandra and Vasai. Clothes that cannot be used will be sent for upcycling. Apparel in good condition will be sold at our store. We will donate 25 per cent of the proceeds to Yoda, and are accepting pet toys, medicines, towels, and more,” Sana shared. They will also run a thrift-per-kilo offer for the festival, as well as launch their first store in Goa this weekend.