30 April,2025 06:24 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Shadab Khan
A monkey makes a long swing from a branch to quench its thirst at a pond in Alibaug
Turning Vasai's streets into a melange of colours, graffiti artist Siddhesh Vinod Sapte aka NME's (right) latest work not only fuses elements of the art form but also carries an important message about wildlife.
"The idea was to play with forms and simplify the style. This piece was inspired by a signboard I saw at the crocodile viewpoint in my hometown, Chiplun. It read, âDekho magar pyaar se', which is a clever play of words where magar means âbut' as well as âcrocodile' in Hindi. The graffiti is trying to convey how wildlife isn't separate from us, humans. It is a part of our larger ecosystem," he shared with this diarist.
A moment from the band, Bound Morphemes' performance. Pic courtesy/Assam Association
The Assam Association Mumbai welcomed spring with a cultural celebration of Rongali Bihu at a Bandra venue last week. Held every year in April, when the granaries are full of fresh produce, the festival stayed true to its spirit of community bonding and fun.
It included a traditional husori performance, a dance-drama performance, and an indie rock act by Guwahati-based band, Bound Morphemes. "This is one of the ways for us to enjoy the fun of the festival and give back to the community as well," Devabrata Chakravarty, (inset) general secretary of the association, told us.
The posters explain the many types of mangoes. Pics courtesy/Imperfect Orange
The season's sweet offerings, mangoes, might be flying off the shelves this summer, but do you know the types of mangoes you can get your hands on? Jiya Somaiya founder of Imperfect Orange, a culture collective on Instagram has now devised an A to Z guide for you to refer. "Every summer, my family has several conversations about what variety of mango can be used for the household favourite, aam ras. This led me to dig deeper into the types of Indian mangoes, their flavour profiles and varieties to research more about them," Somaiya revealed to this diarist.
Arushi Nigam and Avenev Mukherjee in performance. Pic courtesy/Aadyam Theatre
Back in December 2023, The Guide section had written about the album created by Dhruv Ghanekar for the Devika Shahani-backed production, Mumbai Star, as it headed for Japan. Now, the show will be part of the latest offering by Aadyam Theatre, and open in the city on May 24 and 25. Shahani shared, "Mumbai Star is very close to my heart. It is a universal story about one of the most important relationships of our lives - the guru and shishya. Aadyam is taking a new and bold step in this different storytelling form." With Akarsh Khurana and Arghya Lahiri taking on the script, director Nadir Khan added, "The show celebrates dance - both modern and traditional, and dancers themselves as individuals and a collective. We are hopeful that the industry will allow it to grow and innovate."
A participant cuddles a dog during the event. Pic courtesy/Yoda
Last Sunday witnessed a fun session for animal lovers and their furry friends who signed up for a special fundraising event for stray dogs, Padel With Paws, at St Stanislaus High School's Padel Park in Bandra West. Akarsh Hebbar, co-founder of animal welfare NGO, YODA, shared, "Over 30 players from Mumbai's padel community came together to attend coaching sessions by coach Victor Perez, to make the sport accessible to newcomers. A vibrant, festive atmosphere was created with curated pop-up stalls."
