The mystery behind the death of a group of brothers seems to have been solved, said a report in this paper. The Chavan cousins were found dead between Kandivli and Borivli stations earlier this week.

A day after their death, an eyewitness informed the police he saw them jumping from the train to cross the tracks when it had stopped at a red signal between stations.

An inspector stated in the report that when the train halted, the boys tried to jump to cross the tracks. In doing so, they missed seeing a train coming from the opposite direction and were hit by it. Investigations are on and eyewitnesses are being sought to corroborate the version. Yet, it looks quite certain that this is yet another track death amongst the many in the annals of railway track death history.

We need to see signage on stations warning people not to cross tracks. Even some signage inside train bogies about the danger of crossing tracks will be helpful. This may not be an absolute deterrent, but will at least make people stop and rethink before crossing tracks.

Maybe passengers' unions can put up warnings on social media. A track crossing survivor, who has had a narrow escape, could recount his experience. He could even speak about how lucky he was to escape with his life and exhort the lakhs who use the service not to endanger their lives.

From riding rooftop of trains to crossing tracks, there are so many dangers that commuters bring upon themselves. A service that is already strained to a breaking point is inherently dangerous because of the sheer numbers. It is safety first, when it comes to this service, commuters must realise there is a greater onus than ever on them to ensure their own safety. Crossing tracks is an invitation to a grievous injury or a tragic end.

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A day after this paper published a report about a couple who has been left in limbo because a financial institute has misplaced their Sale Deed or Sale of Agreement papers, there have been a few readers who have written in claiming that they experienced a similar situation. They, too, had a harrowing story to tell.

According to our report, an Andheri couple who had taken a loan from a financial institution years ago to buy a home and were paying it off over years, finished paying their loan. They asked the institute to return their documents and that is when they learnt that the Sale of Agreement has been misplaced. Their nightmare began, but it has been months the paper has not been found and they have subsequently been unable to sell a home on the outskirts of the city because buyers are wary of buying a home without the original Sale Deed.

Finance institutes cannot afford to misplace such important documents. Institutes might have misplaced the documents while shifting or the file has been lost when being transferred from one centre to another.

If this happens, and from the responses we learn that this is unfortunately not very rare, it is the organisation's responsibility to give the affected a way out. There has to be a redressal mechanism. If the true copy of the document does not work for certain people, the institute has to step in and provide them a solution.

They need to be held liable and accountable. You cannot expect the affected people, who are already suffering considerably and have also spent time and money, to do all this on their own. Those who have erred cannot wash their hands off the matter. They need to be there with the people, whose papers they have irresponsibly, though inadvertently, misplaced, right till the bitter end.

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Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, the first citizen of Mumbai, recently visited Metro III construction sites, and a front-page report in this paper has already highlighted how he blamed the wrong agency (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority rather than the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation) for the possibility of flooding in the city.

While that was one aspect of the mayor's tour, it was his answer to our reporter's question about his view about the Metro work, that is cause for concern. The mayor said that although the BMC is the main planning authority of the city, the Metro authorities did not take permission from them before starting the Metro 3 work. They allegedly did not even take the civic body into confidence before beginning the project.

The mayor's answer was especially disturbing, considering the damage caused by the work to BMC's stormwater drains and sewerage lines. Because of this, there will be flooding if there is a rainfall of more than 300 mm. The state government will be responsible for the same, said the mayor.

Citizens are tired of the blame game that seems to have ensued even before the monsoon. They do not care which agency has done what, they only want to see that there is no major flooding this monsoon. If there is, the authorities need to work swiftly to ensure it is dealt with. Other service arms have to work to ensure the city does not go off the rails.

Every authority must be geared to if not prevent, then at least combat, all the challenges that the monsoon is sure to bring with it. We want to hear and see actions that reassure the public, rather than discouraging finger-pointing and statements loaded with ominous portent.

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This paper ran a disturbing front page story on the weekend. It cited how, for several months, the Mumbra Police have been at their wits' end over bikes and scooters going missing from various parts of the suburban township. Last week, however, the police tracked the culprits, who were a gang of 10- to 15-year-olds.

All the nine boys who were apprehended by the police were minors. All of them hail from poor families in Mumbra and they are passionate about bikes and just wanted to ride them for fun. While the boys have been put in a home, what is worrying is that a couple of parents are in denial about their boys being involved in the theft.
The report said that Mumbra residents had complained to the police about rash driving by young children, who didn't have a driving licence. A social activist in the area had even said that many children here start riding bikes when they are as young as 12.

Most of these kids have not been to school. There is also the prospect that this crime may be a stepping stone for them and it may escalate to bigger crimes once they are out of this home. Parents need to pay much closer attention to what their children have been doing. They may not know about the crime, as it is natural these children will hide this from their parents. But, as a parent, they must try to investigate and question their children in case they suspect an unusual pattern in their behaviour.

It is unacceptable that 10-year-olds are riding bikes, putting not only themselves, but also other bikers and pedestrians in danger. Report them, if you suspect it's an underage boy riding a bike.

Finally, much more social awareness, sustained campaigns, and acceptance rather than denial by parents, can counter this menace. The bike robberies are not all innocent fun, it has grave ramifications for the future.

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The lull in incidents involving doctors and relatives of patients has been broken once again. An indefinite strike called by resident doctors of the civic-run JJ Hospital entered its second day on the weekend. The doctors held a candlelight march to protest the attack on their colleagues and to pressure the management to take action to ensure their safety.

Doctors from other hospitals were supporting the protest as well. It started with over 400 resident doctors from JJ Hospital going on strike over the weekend after two were attacked by the family of a deceased patient.

We had seen these flare ups and thought that a long lull may spell the end of the doc-patients' fracas, which has been a very worrisome aspect of the health service sector in the country. It was not to be and the latest incident shows that measures have to be in place to tackle these incidents before they spiral out of control.
Doctors must have adequate security at hospitals. Fears for safety can inadvertently crop up in medical decisions or diagnosis, where sometimes a professional's judgement may be compromised if they think that their workplace does not care enough to protect them.

Violence is not the answer even if the relatives think that the doctors have neglected them or are shocked by the death of their family member. Our civic hospitals have too many patients, but staff is small is comparison. Awareness campaigns, an intermediary between doctors and patients' family, security measures, counselling, and somehow bringing the sense that patients' relatives and doctors are on the same side, could defuse volatile situations. The time for talk, discussion and clucking in disappointment is over. This is a medical emergency at our hospitals. An antidote needs to be found.

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Vishnudas Bhave. Pic/Premji Sosa

The next time you book your tickets for a play, think of this name: Vishnudas Bhave. An important figure in the history of Indian theatre, Bhave is best known for his pioneering work in the mid-1800s. Born in Sangli, Bhave arrived in Mumbai in 1852, only to change the face of not just Marathi theatre, but the whole infrastructure surrounding the industry. "He didn't invent theatre, but he certainly innovated it," says historian and researcher Murali Ranganathan.

Bhave will form the core of a talk on the modernisation of theatre in Mumbai that Ranganathan will deliver this Friday as part of arts and science conversation platform, Mumbai Local's first curated session by playwright Ramu Ramanathan. For over a decade, Ranganathan has been extensively researching the history and development of the entertainment industry in Mumbai, and this session is a leaf borrowed from the pages of his larger project. He says, "Bhave looked at the theatre infrastructure available in then-Bombay. He decided that, instead of staging plays in the backyards of the rich or through building temporary sheds, where people could just walk in, he could change the non-ticketed scene to actually charging for plays at Grant Road Theatre."

Interiors of Grant Road theatre. Pic/Drama Queens Representation purposes

The Bhave-fication of theatre in Mumbai also meant that people wanted value for money. Before Bhave's arrival, says Ranganathan, instead of tickets, an aarti plate was passed around at the end of a show, on which people would place a patron sum voluntarily. "Buying a ticket meant that audiences expected more from plays. Hence from semi-religious plots, the plays shifted to pure entertainment," he explains. A byproduct of this entertainment factor was the introduction of the genre of farce, in which the foibles of the rich and contemporary issues were critiqued through the veil of humour. Bhave and his company staged farces on widow remarriage, children's education, English missionaries, and, oddly, a cautionary tale to raise awareness on a series of murders of children that happened for robbing them of jewellery.

Stating that he is interested in "excavating" libraries with an archaeologist's enthusiasm, Ranganthan's research draws extensively from news archives. The reason is that Bhave's methods paved the path for previews, reviews, and ads, many of which are to be found in these archives. "Mumbai's theatre scene in the 20th century has been well-researched, but the times before that still need more work," says Ranganathan. He adds that his talk will also cover other theatre groups that followed Bhave's suit, a maverick balloonist who drives mass entertainment, and how practices like yoga caught the modern imagination. It all sounds intriguing, and best heard from Ranganathan himself.

Where: Kitab Khana, Somaiya Bhavan, Flora Fountain, Fort
When: May 18, 5.30 PM
Free
Call: 61702276

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Cousins Ayush, Aryan and Arjun Asher enjoy some quiet book reading time with their friend Rudra Shukla at their Worli residence. Pic/Ashish Raje

Of gods and humans

Author Arshia Sattar is no stranger to mythological retellings. Best known for her English translation of Valmiki's Ramayana, Sattar recently released a new children's collection titled Garuda and the Serpents (Juggernaut Books), which draws from the Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana to deliver stories that will evoke both wonder and delight. From tales of why the gods and the asuras churned the ocean, to how Vishwamitra and Vasishtha became enemies for life, these marvellous adventures of gods and humans is not to be given a miss. And, with Sattar, who has a PhD in South Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago, helming the narrative, these stories, we know, rest in safe hands.

Garuda and the Serpents by Arshia Sattar
Age Group: 10+
Price: Rs 350

A rare friendship

The recently-released graphic novel, Indira (Context, Westland), definitely has a special place in history. The young adult novel, which has been brilliantly executed by writer Devapriya Roy and animation filmmaker and illustrator Priya Kuriyan, begins with the story of Indira Thapa, a Std VI student at a government school, who is given an assignment to write an essay around her namesake. Over the course of a long, hot summer and a curious friendship with an artist who is working on a biography of Gandhi, Thapa gets tangled up in the life and times of the country's only female prime minister Indira Gandhi. Through graphic panels and beautiful prose, Roy and Kuriyan lead us through Gandhi's rich legacy, including her rise during the Bangladesh War (1971) and fall, post the Emergency (1975-77). This one is for teenagers who'd like to revisit history differently.

Indira by Devapriya Roy and Priya Kuriyan
Age Group: 13+
Price: Rs 599

Magic on wheels

Lavanya Karthik's Neel on Wheels (Duckbill) is what we think, should be on every kid's must-read list. The book, illustrated by Habib Al, tells the story of Neel, who is wheelchair bound. But, that's hardly holding him back. Neel's wheelchair transforms itself to fight dragons and monsters and chase away scary creatures of the night. One of the prize winners in the Children First contest — started to create more books featuring children with disabilities as protagonists — this book deals sensitively with his challenges and the lovely relationship between Neel and his younger brother, who regards him with awe and respect.

Neel on Wheels by Lavanya Karthik and Habib Al
Age Group: 5+
Price: Rs 299

Family matters

Sharanya Manivannan's poetry is a sheer delight to read. With The Ammuchi Puchi (Puffin Books), the poet and writer has collaborated with illustrator Nerina Canzi to tell the story of Aditya and Anjali, who love listening to their grandmother's stories. Unfortunately, their lives fall apart on the night their grandmother passes away. Suddenly, her stories seem to lose their meaning. It's only when something magical happens that they feel their grandma is with them, after all. The dreamy illustrations complement the poetic prose, for a poignant story.

The Ammuchi Puchi by Sharanya Manivannan and Nerina Canzi
Age Group: 4-7
Price: Rs 199

Grandma knows best

No summer reading is complete without escaping into the stories by author Ruskin Bond. In his new book, Memories of Hills and Dales (Rupa), Bond's protagonist is an affectionate, brimming-with-stories grandmother, who shares tales of the past with her granddaughter Koki. From a mysterious kiss by a stranger in the dark to schoolboys taking off for a trek to a glacier, an old kite-maker reminiscing about his heydays and a beautiful village girl whose charms a city boy can't resist, this slice-of-life collection — many of which are autobiographical — takes us through the life in the hills and the joys, sorrows and excitement it holds.

Memories of Hills and Dales by Ruskin Bond
Age Group: 8+
Price: Rs 195

Suitcase memories

Nidhi Chanani's heart-warming debut graphic novel, Pashmina (HarperCollins India) weaves a tale about the hardship and self-discovery that is born from juggling two cultures. The story revolves around Priyanka Das, who has many unanswered questions — why did her mother abandon her home in India? What was it like there? And, most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? Pri's mom avoids all these questions. For Pri, her homeland only exists in her imagination, until she finds a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a fantasy world more vivid and colourful than anything she could have ever imagined. But to know whether this world is for real, she needs to travel further. For young readers, Chanani creates a world that magical through her prose and illustrations.

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
Age Group: 8+
Price: Rs 399

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Pics/Crossing lines

On a fine April morning, when Mumbai-based slackliner Samar Farooqui drove into Settlement Number 63 in Chtaura, a town wedged between Beirut and Damascus, all he could see was a sea of white tents glistening in the sun. Under the plastic tarps lived thousands of displaced Syrians who had fled to the Bekaa Valley, the largest affected area and temporary home to over 3,00,000 Syrian refugees, when a brutal civil war broke out in 2011. Lugging the nylon webbings, carbiners and other slacklining equipment, Farooqui and 14 other volunteers, stationed themselves at the nearby parking lot waiting for the refugee children.

This was to be their playground for the next two weeks. Life on the line Slacklining is the art of balancing along a narrow, flexible piece of portable fabric which is usually anchored between two points, mostly trees. "Apart from being a fun fitness activity, it has an incredible ability to connect people, start conversations and change lives," says 27- year old Farooqui. It's the reason he booked a flight to Beirut and signed up for the Crossing Lines Project, an initiative launched in 2013 by Sonya Iverson, a scientist from San Francisco, who uses slacklining to change the way we see and talk about refugees. "I had met Sonya several times at different events. The last time we interacted was at the Move Copengagen festival in Denmark, when she mentioned her plan to introduce slacklining to Syrian refugees and organise a highline festival in Lebanon. It was just the kind of inspiration I was looking for," says the Neral resident who made a career out of slacklining when he founded Slacklife Inc. — a sport and recreation company — in 2014. A level playing field At the Chtaura parking lot, the lines are hooked to the cars in the absence of trees. It's one of the things the sport has taught him — to make the best use of whatever is available at hand. "In Mumbai, I've slacklined in building compounds, garden and promenades. In fact, I was even been arrested for slacklining at Marine Drive," he laughs. Once the line was set up at the camp, Farooqui says the excitement among kids was palpable.

"Children everywhere are the same. You don't have to be concerned about the language or the way you look. I didn't speak Arabic but we managed to communicate fairly well through non-verbal cues in those two weeks. With hand gestures, I would tell them to slow down or stop or move ahead," he says. It was through two local volunteer-based NGOs Salaam and Sonbola that provides education and recreational facilities to those living in the camps in the Bekaa Valley, that the team got access to the children. Forging a personal rapport with each child — there were nearly 400 of them — was difficult for the volunteers who hailed from Iran, America and the UK.

"On the face of it, you couldn't tell that the children had gone through so much trauma. There were some who were more reserved and took time to open up," he says. Periodically, the team would sit down and discuss the day's progress. "If one of students perhaps struggled through the slacklining experience and we noticed it, we discussed it and psycho-analysed it till we came up with a solution to make sure that we didn't leave with someone feeling demoralised," he says. In the two weeks, Farooqui picked up a couple of Arabic words from them, and in turn taught them English. What was most interesting, though was how the sport changed the dynamics among the children themselves. "When you are standing on the rope, wobbling and holding the hand of the person standing on ground, you are opening up to them. So the bullies in the group ended up bonding with the rest. Everybody was on the level playing field," he says.

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Over a phone call from Kolkata, Vikram Rajan*, an audio engineer and guitarist formerly based out of Mumbai, wants us to listen to a track that he has composed. It's available on Soundcloud and, as we stream it, we more or less agree that its flavour of electronica-jazz could accompany a languorous Sunday evening. "For a long time, I had been unable to come up with something good. And, then, I composed this around March while I was microdosing and sometimes, megadosing on acid," says Rajan.

The 33-year-old is referring to a way-of-life that's effectively snapping the ties between drug abuse and the creative arts. This is a lifestyle experiment that some of the brightest techies in Silicon Valley are engaging in, and has got psychiatrists and anti-drug crusaders distraught. "From a 100 mics paper, I take about 20 mics, twice a week, giving the doses a 2-3 days gap. The effects of acid last for about six hours for me," says Rajan, who started experimenting with drugs as a teenager.

After a litany of prescriptions failed to control her mood swings and depression, Ayelet Waldman found relief in LSD. The former federal public defender authored A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life, in 2016. She wrote: "(It) made room in my mind not necessarily for joy, but for insight. It allowed me a little space to consider how to act in accordance with my values, not just react to external stimuli. This, not the razzle-dazzle of pleasure, was its gift." Pic/Getty Images

In need of a quick glossary before we proceed? Acid is officially called Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), a psychedelic drug banned in India, the possession of which can lead to imprisonment from one to 20 years under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. LSD is often illegally sold in the form of stamps, with the hallucinogen embedded on blotter paper. Mics is micrograms, that's one-millionth of a gram. A microdose is when you have about one-tenth of a recreational 'party' dose, which starts at about 200 mics.

"With microdosing, you are not tripping — this is not a trip. The euphoria isn't there. It's not about feeling good, it's about calmness," continues Rajan. Microdosing first hit headlines after Steve Jobs' passed away in 2011, when a number of inspiring tales on how LSD became the new go-to substance for enhanced performance by tech employees hit the net. Espresso became passé. 'Flow states' were the new yoga. While Jobs did more than just microdose (he was known to have gone all the way), Silicon Valley techies are reportedly doing acid in quantities such that their effects are 'sub-perceptual', where you won't "see stuff" but you harness its "positive" effects.

A dropper with CBD cannabis oil, used for medicinal purposes. Initial research in the area has shown that patients can reap the benefits without its full-blown 'high' effects

Paul Austin, founder of The Third Wave, where you will find a manifesto on microdosing, defines it as, "the act of integrating sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics, such as LSD or Psilocybin Mushrooms, into your weekly routine for higher levels of creativity, more energy, increased focus, and improved relational skills." The Third Wave, according to Austin, follows the first two waves, in which psychedelics were used indigenously for thousands of years, and then, in the 60s and 70s, when they were a part of American counterculture. Austin writes that The Third Wave is upon us, "brought about by recent developments in cannabis legalisation and psychedelic research — and it will change the way mainstream culture perceives psychedelic use."

Classically acid, now weed
For Rajan, however, it wasn't sub-perceptual Silicon Valley that got him to ration his 100 mics stamps, each of which costs about R2,000. It was simply a matter of demand and supply. Mumbai had better stuff than Kolkata, and more availability. Microdosing has classically been associated with LSD, but now has been extended to cannabis as well. Austin's website has guided instructions for microdosing on nine drugs, including cannabis and ayahuasca. Mumbai-based communications officer Varna Kumar*, 25, smokes a mandatory post-work joint every night in order to cope with anxiety and panic attacks. "I feel I have worked enough through the day, without much time to understand what I am going through. At night, when I am by myself, I smoke a small joint to achieve REM sleep," she says. The joint, a mix of two strains, sativa and indica, help her body relax. It makes her anxiety seem defeatable, is how she describes it. Her counsellor, who also smokes up, has not advocated this as a coping mechanism. "It's different from when I am smoking up recreationally during the weekend or when I am away on a vacation. I will do three to four joints when I have nothing to take care of," she says.

Rajan doesn't buy it. He offers an example that may be best contemplated upon or contested by those who have done both LSD and cannabis. "With weed, you are either stoned, or you are not. You will need to smoke up as soon as the high wears off. When you get stoned, your mind becomes passive. But, microdosing on LSD allows you to be calm enough to multitask, allowing a lot of information to be funnelled into your brain easily. You are alert, you are awake," he says, adding, "What is LSD all about? When you start tripping, you see a shift in perspective." You need not agree with Rajan, as he himself says, "We are all chemical reactions", with each of us reacting differently to drugs.

Covert, not convenient
Microdosing will often be compared to that hard-earned and well-deserved one drink after work hours. It's nothing like that, microdosers will tell you, and so will psychiatrists and rehab therapists. For one, microdosing has none of the ease of getting a drink at your favourite pub. You will be persecuted in your search for your creative spell or a calmer mind. Next, it's not even like getting a drug prescription that your GP advises you to have for the course of a fortnight. Kumar and Rajan know it all too well. Microdosing means self-experimentation, knowing when you are crossing the threshold into recreational high dosages. Cannabis, for instance, is best microdosed through edibles, like space brownies, which are available legally in some parts of the world. It's probably the reason why microdosing is yet to take on Silicon Valley proportions in India. "Here, we don't often get to know what strain of cannabis we are using, or where it is sourced from," says Kumar. Saying "this stuff is craazzyy" is, therefore, not enough if you want to microdose. "If you are living with family, it's hard to make edibles. All this means that the convenience factor associated with a drink is not the same with this covert process," she adds.

The idea of the junkie, with matted hair and piercings, is a stereotype that microdosing is replacing. It's no longer cool to be a junkie, especially in the vegan-conscious, gluten-free, aerial yoga health lifestyle that we are seeing around us. Microdosing may be the most metrosexual among the various kinds of drug use, and it carries the allure of high-performance and alleviation of mental health issues, with published studies to back these up. But doctors and psychiatrists are warning us about the glamourisation of microdosing, even as research to mainstream it for mental health is going on. Psychiatrist Dr Samir Parikh says, "Microdosing encourages the thought process that you need a drug for enhanced performance or better creativity or to calm your nerves. This will mean that students microdose before exams, athletes before a run, couples before a wedding, and the next thing you know, because someone has to attend a birthday bash. There is no end to important situations in life. We are making people believe that a student could have scored an additional five marks in an exam had she just microdosed. Can you imagine the perils of this philosophy?" he says. He backs this up with the number of risks associated with prolonged drug abuse, such as a permanent change in brain circuitry, cerebrovascular diseases, and panic attacks.

Then there are those who will argue that moderation as 'one-drink-a-day' is more addictive than the weekend drunken revelry. Is addiction, even in microdoses, still addiction, where the brain searches for rewards compulsively? Kumar disagrees. "Microdosing is the difference between dependence and addiction. For example, I am dependent on a cab to take me to the station. Can I get through my day without it? Can I walk to the station? Yes, I can. That's what microdosing is. I can get through my day without a joint, but a joint just makes it a little easier," she says.Psychiatrist Dr Yusuf Merchant, who runs a rehabilitation centre at Kalyan, says microdoses pose the risk of turning into overdoses. "With any drug, the body learns to metabolise it faster. Which means, that the quantity for a microdose will keep increasing and your hold on reality will keep getting more tangential."

Rajan himself admits to a 'bad trip'. LSD users will tell you that recreational doses are best done in settings that you feel comfortable in, to enjoy, or cope, with the hallucinations. With microdosing, you are headed into your office or your studio to function better. Rajan had once taken more than a microdose, leading him to have a panic attack, the kind where he couldn't even see his hands. The golden rule, he says, is that if you don't go on a full trip, you will never know what a microdose is.

That ailing pain
The push for microdosing is coming from a quarter where its future seems to be most secured — pain management. Mumbai-based homemaker Susheela Kamath*, 48, was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer a couple of years ago, and having undergone nearly a year's worth of chemotherapy and radiation, the accompanying pain and nausea, were all too real. Her daughter provided her with high-grade hash oil. The dealer provided her with a tiny spoon, the kind that you are handed inflight to stir your coffee with. "I had to initially understand, through a lot of trial and error, by gauging my mother's mood, on what a microdose for her would be. Hash oil is very potent," says the daughter.

A little drop of it on her toast every day, helped Kamath cope with pain. "From the third day to the tenth day after chemotherapy, my mother would have about three to four spoons a day, and, on other days, just half a spoon," says the daughter. Coping with the pain meant she could do more during her day, and also have an appetite. Now, months after she has wound up chemotherapy and radiation, she has bid adieu to the prescription drugs that came along with it, and the hash oil as well, without yearning for that high. Unfortunately, unlike medical grade marijuana that is available in some countries, and still not permitted in India, the daughter did not know if the oil had cannabidiol (CBD), which gives marijuana its medical properties, or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which gives you the "high".

Dr Kailash Kothari, interventional spine and pain management specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, says that there is not enough evidence to either prove or disprove that microdosing on cannabis can help with pain management, the way opioids, such as morphine, act on the nervous system. "Do cannabinoids work like tranquilisers or do they have long-term effect? There is not enough research as of now," he says, adding, "Getting dependent on these takes a lot of time and not something that can happen in about 15 days of use." In the meanwhile, you can enjoy a night of quiet or a better track on Soundcloud by rationing your stash. But, is it short-term solace or long-term abuse?

*All names have been changed on request to protect identity

Accepting the futility of genres, of boxing songs into different compartments like stacked products in supermarket shelves, seems to be at the forefront of Rafiq Bhatia's musical endeavour. The 30-year-old American of Indian descent is the guitarist for a New York-based indie outfit called Son Lux. But it's his recent solo album, Breaking English, which makes the listener really question the need for musical boundaries, of sticking labels to a composition as if it's packaged meat.

The title track of the album, for instance, is not jazz, is not electronica, is not lounge, but all of these generic classifications rolled into one lush sound with a coherent narrative, where Bhatia's melancholic guitar plays the role of the protagonist. Each sonic detail in the track is well-defined, to the point where even though fellow Son Lux member Ian Chang's drum beats seem dissonant, they fit like a glove into the overall musical fabric. Bhatia describes this sensibility when he tells us over the phone from Berlin, where he's on tour, "Ryan (Lott, the vocalist for Son Lux) would say that instead of building a house, designing a room and then placing a chair in it, why don't we start with the chair first, and then design the room around it before building the house. There is a theory in poetry called organicism, where the poet lets each individual verse define the form that the poem will take. That is kind of similar to what I'm trying to do with my music."

He further explains his musical process when he narrates a story about one of his influences, Sam Rivers, the late American jazz great. "I've read that he would attend the concerts of all his peers, and purposely study their music to understand what they were trying to do. But this wasn't to replicate what they were playing. Instead, it was to consciously avoid it. Similarly, John Coltrane took the music of his predecessors and retooled the entire musical vocabulary keeping a similar underlying foundation, but with new pathways built on top of it," he says, giving us an indication of how he doesn't hesitate to flush rule books down the toilet.

Hybridity, in fact, lies at the core of Bhatia's creative evolution. The basis for this, he says, might well be his mixed identity. Born in North Carolina, he has never really fit in to any particular community. For, even though his parents are of Gujarati origin, they grew up in Tanzania, before moving to London and then finally to the US. So, while his brown skin stood out among the white kids in his school, he didn't feel completely at home among the Indian community either. "Everybody thinks that I am something else. So, my music is a result of a need to express my identity. It's a form of therapy at some level, because it's also a way of accepting who I am," he says.

He adds that this therapy started early. When he was about eight or nine, the older desi kids in Bhatia's neighbourhood would pick him up in a car and stop at a parking lot, listening to the hip-hop albums that became one of his earliest influences. Was he drawn to them because of the political overtones that such songs often embody? "Not really," he answers, adding, "I was only in the third grade at the time, and I couldn't even understand the words. So it was the musicality that I fell for. But the deeper question is, why were a bunch of brown kids sitting in a car in a parking lot and empathising with hip-hop music? What is it that was drawing them to the words? So you see, it's difficult to disentangle the politics from the music."

It follows thus that an intertwining of politics and music sometimes features in his own compositions. For example, Hoods Up, a complex instrumental piece, drew its inspiration from Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was cruelly shot down because of a case of mistaken identity. The guitarist says, "I feel some amount of compulsion to express my [political] ideas. But sometimes, it's easy to get carried away with being overtly political because there is so much to be angry about, and often the responsibility falls on artistes to emphasise it. So I would say that politics is a general part of what inspires my music, because there are so many other facets of my personality that also make their way in."

Essentially, then, what Bhatia wants to keep doing is create genre-defying tracks where attention to detail is of paramount importance. "When you take the details and all the generalities of music for granted, that's when your songs start sounding more like other people's music. That doesn't mean you can't make great tracks. It's just that the less you consider those things, the less is the chance that you will make music that departs from convention. The flip side is that when you think actively about each decision, and each one comes from a place of individuality, it becomes hard to find a coherent logic that ties all those things together. And that ends up being the riddle that I am constantly trying to solve with my music."

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Stretching from the imposing skyrises of Colaba and Malabar Hill to the fishermen's colonies in Worli, the prestigious VVIP Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency is the richest in the country making it a high-stakes affair for the two main contestants - Shiv Sena sitting MP Arvind G. Sawant and rival Milind M. Deora of the Congress.

Despite being wealthy, the constituency is barely 'generous' in exercising its franchise - it was way back in 1967, when George Fernandes won on a single point agenda of providing sufficient water supply to all, that 67.42 per cent electorate voted.

Again in 1991, the voting percentage plummeted to an abysmal 38.65, giving credence to the belief that people in high-rises remain indifferent to the political process. But in 2014 the percentage went up to a modest 52.48.

The population of Mumbai South is approximately 20 lakh and the voter strength is 14,85,846 including 15 per cent of some of the country's richest, a large 70 per cent dollop of middle-class and a sprinkling of 15 per cent eking out an existence in slums in what is one of the few fully urbanized constituencies of India.

Unconcerned by the turnout figures, Shiv Sena's Sawant exudes is optimistic of winning again.

"I am the voice of the masses and the classes. I have been present whenever and wherever I was needed in the past five years," Sawant told IANS.

On his rival Deora, he shot back: "Where was he for the past four years and nine months? This is what commoners and business community ask me. It is my work for all sections and my contacts with the masses that will decide the election."

Though incommunicado despite repeated attempts by IANS, the former Union Minister Deora has remained unflustered by the opposition barbs.

After all, in a political-corporate coup of sorts, last fortnight, he secured the open support of key players from India Inc, sending panic waves in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Sena combine.

Ranked as one of the most cosmopolitan constituencies, Mumbai South is beset with many problems that have remained unresolved over the years.

"There are hundreds of old buildings, ancient sewage lines, house gullies, traffic congestion and slum pockets in Darukhana, BPT, Colaba and Worli which are of great concern," Waris Pathan, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's sole Mumbai MLA, told IANS.

Though there is the ambitious Coastal Road project coming up, Patyan says "a lot will depend on its implementation, or it will be disastrous for the entire city".

Besides, there is the gnawing problem of security in the region which has witnessed two of the worst terror strikes in the country - the 1993 serial bomb blasts and the 2008 terror strikes.

Not surprising, since this constituency is home to the country's most affluent business districts which contribute hugely to the national exchequer, some of the poshest residential complexes, Indian and foreign banks, and national and international firms are headquartered here.

There are also offices of global corporates, airlines, embassies, luxury hotels, swanky restaurants and pubs, global tourist attractions, open shopping plazas, malls and multiplexes, reputed schools, colleges, an array of heritage buildings, the official residences of Maharashtra Governor, Chief Minister, the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and other judges, the Legislature and the Mantralaya.

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Bringing out the BEST

BEST Stories Collective is an Instagram account co-founded by photographers Aslam Saiyad and Gopal MS. It documents nuggets of everyday life and history around the BEST buses in the city. In light of the general elections, Saiyad along with photographer Fahim Sayed have started a campaign on the page where they lay out placards encouraging people to vote to save BEST, the Aarey forest or even the Mumbai coastline.

Talking about how the idea was conceptualised, Saiyad told this diarist, "All the politicians are talking about national or global issues but nobody is talking about the issues of Mumbai, like the future of the Aarey colony, BEST or the Kolis. I wanted to grab the attention of the people, especially in the last days of the elections. Even after voting is over, we will continue to highlight these problems maybe in a different visual format."

From a son to his father

As you read these words with your morning cup of chai, a 100 musicians from the classical, folk and jazz traditions would already be performing at the NCPA as part of a day-long tribute to Ustad Allarakha on his birth centenary, beginning at 6.30 am until 10 at night. But before the live performance came a tribute from the legendary tabla player's son and noted percussionist Taufiq Qureshi, which was released recently.

An archival picture of Ustad Allarakha

The seven-minute long video, Alla ne Rakha, has been composed by Qureshi with lyrics by Rachna Dixit. And in the spirit of today's performance, the video features several well-known names including Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Shankar Mahadevan, Ajay Gogavale, Salim Merchant and Neeti Mohan.

When Sabya endorsed Sabya

Things came full circle when renowned fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee recently embraced a page named after him. An export of an international account called Diet Prada, Diet Sabya was started in 2018 and weeds out copies and plagiarists from the industry, and may we add, rather humorously.

So when Mukherjee said, "Well done, whoever you are," giving a thumbs up to the faceless folks behind DS, when he spoke to an entertainment website, it reiterated the caption that accompanied the video shared by DS, "That's all."

Austrian moves

After creating a full-length contemporary ballet piece with the Ballet Chemnitz in Germany in 2017, and a collaboration with Polish dance company Zawirowania Dance Theatre last year, Ashley Lobo has now become the first Indian to be invited to choreograph a piece for The Landestheater Linz, the state theatre for Linz in Austria.

Titled Yama, the performance is a full-length 55-minute contemporary ballet piece. "This is a huge opportunity and reassurance for me. Dance for me is about emotion and personal expression, and I look forward to extending that to the Austrians," the choreographer told this diarist.

Danes to the rescue

Even as news comes in of pilots of the grounded Jet Airways being humiliated by a senior official of Spicejet during a recruitment drive, when he called the act a "charity", another heartwarming development assured us that all's not lost in this cut-throat competitive world. The Indian operations of a Denmark-based apparel giant recently posted on social media a campaign titled Join the Family.

Pic/PTI

"Customer centricity is at the core of both retail and aviation industries. With several employees of Jet Airways having been affected due to the recent shut down of the airlines, we... are willing to extend opportunities to them, if you know anyone who would consider an industry change." If you, too, would like to spread the word, career.india@bestseller.com is where CVs can be emailed.

A look called love

Madhuri Dixit Nene looks fondly at husband Sriram during a day out at the movies. Pic/Satej Shinde

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The Juhu police have arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly flashing and making vulgar gestures at women and college students while riding his bike between Juhu and Khar. According to the police, he has been identified as Nitin Bharadwaj, a resident of Malad.

Requesting anonymity, a police officer said, "Bharadwaj used to target women and students near malls, gyms and other public areas along the Santacruz-Juhu-Khar stretch. To avoid being seen in CCTV footages, he would wear helmets all the time."

Speaking to mid-day, Pandharinath Wavhal, senior PI of Juhu police station said, "We have been receiving several complaints about the same type of offence. A team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Paramjit Singh Dahiya, and after working on the case for 90 days, we finally caught hold of the accused."
Police sources said that Bharadwaj was an estate agent and he runs a family jewellery business. Till now, a total of seven cases have been registered against him, of which the Juhu police have five.

A police officer said, "A team of 15 police personnel headed by two senior officers was formed. In the course of the investigation, police checked more than 300 vehicles and 100 CCTV cameras. It was getting all the more difficult for them as the accused used to change his number plates whenever he travelled between Malad and Juhu."

Meanwhile, the cops were working on the details of the accused provided by the victims, and this, apart from human intelligence, helped them nab the culprit. Speaking to mid-day, Dahiya said, "The accused has been arrested under relevant sections of the IPC and POCSO Act. We are checking whether he has any criminal records in other police stations. After being produced in court, he was sent to police custody till April 30."

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I have been trapped in a bad marriage for years now. My husband doesn't respect me, we fight constantly, and nothing we have done to fix this has worked. I know we will never be happy together, because he won't change, and I am tired of trying to make him happy. I would like to end this nightmare, but I can't tell my family about this because they won't support me. They believe I should be with him no matter what and that I should try and make it work. My husband has given up on this a long time ago and probably has relationships with other women that I know nothing about. I don't care if he does either because we have been living separate lives for years now. My family will refuse to accept the fact that we have tried for years and failed. Without their support, it will be impossible for me to get a divorce and move on. What should I do?
Families can be tricky when we are raised to believe that they will always stand by us, because they sometimes don't. We believe what we are conditioned to believe, and your family may not know how to deal with this. I suggest you stop relying on them for support and consider other options. You owe it to yourself to be happy, with or without their support, and that is all you should focus on for now. It may be hard for you to think about moving on without their help, but there are other societal systems in place that can offer you some kind of support. Speak to friends, reach out to groups that can counsel you on options, think about what kind of help you will need to get a divorce and move out, and you may be surprised to find assistance in the most unexpected quarters. No one deserves to live in a constant state of unhappiness, so speak to professionals and worry about how your family will react later.

The inbox is now open to take your most carnal and amorous queries. Send your questions on email to lovedoc@mid-day.com

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The 'No Mobile Phones' diktat issued by the Election Commission for voters at polling centres had a rather ambiguous implementation. While some carried it along inside the polling booth, others were asked to keep it out. With directions about phones not being allowed in the 100 meters vicinity of polling stations, the Election Commission had not made any provisions for safekeeping of phones.

Also Read: Election 2019: Mumbai scrapes through in voting report card

The rule ended up confusing voters across the city. Many were unaware of the 'no phone' policy and were left waiting outside the polling centres. The EC had issued such orders after some voters were found clicking pictures while voting during the last elections.

Salman Khan, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Kangana, Bachchans step out for voting

While most polling stations had police officials preventing voters from carrying their phones inside, there was no security checking of the bags that some voters carried, "thus making it difficult to ascertain if they were carrying a phone or not," said officials. Some centres also saw the police asking voters to hand over their phones to people standing behind them in the queue.

Dhanraji Yadav, who was at the Manohar Joshi Mahavidyalaya in Dharavi along with her family, said that police officials at the gate asked them if they were carrying any phones. "I waited with all the phones while my family voted. But while I was waiting there, the same police officials allowed other people to carry them by switching them off," Yadav said. An official said that the directives had come from the Election Commission of India. "We couldn't be responsible for everyone's phones and asked them to not bring them."

Also Read: Elections 2019: Regular voters find their name missing at polling booths

100m
Distance around polling booth where phones were not allowed

Election 2019: Prominent personalities, other Mumbaikars come out to caste vote!

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I began my Monday by first casting my vote and returned with both my index fingers inked at Municipal School No 1, Pratiksha Nagar.

I reached the polling station at 7.15 am and joined the queue there, but due to some technical snag, it took half an hour for the proceedings to start. Four voters who cast their votes before me were inked on their right-hand index finger and the official there wanted to do the same with me too.

Election 2019: Prominent personalities, other Mumbaikars come out to caste vote!

I informed him that the correct way was to mark the left index finger. He insisted on marking my right hand though and when I requested meeting his senior official to confirm, his colleagues told him that it was indeed the left-hand index finger that must be marked. When he realised his mistake, he wanted to ink my left index finger to rectify his error.

I tried to reason with him saying it was okay now that he had marked my right hand, but he wouldn't budge. While he was ultimately satisfied at having done his job, I had to roam around with two fingers inked.

Salman Khan, SRK, Ranveer Singh, Kangana, Bachchans step out for voting

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Finger-inking good

Anushka Sharma offers voters at a polling station in Versova a frame worthy of the album when she poses with them on Monday after casting her vote. Pic/Satej Shinde

Not a happy ending

Ask any music-loving person who grew up in the 1990s, and they will tell you that AR Rahman's tracks were like anthems to the generation. As much as we love every chord the man has composed, there have been some visible cracks of late. But when we heard that the music director has composed the Marvel Anthem in Hindi for Avengers Endgame, we couldn't believe it.

For, Roke Na Rukenge Ab To Yaara faced a lot of flak after its release, and now that even more people are listening to it, many are calling it "cringe-worthy". A city-based musician even wrote, "My favourite part of Avengers: Endgame was not listening to Rahman's track at the end credits." Seems like Rahman will have to work on his game to please fans, many of who are tagging the song as the "only disappointment" in the movie.

A sweet goodbye

"I've known Pablo for 11 years; he's my best friend who was supposed to come help me out for two months but I was able to convince him to stay for three years," pastry chef Pooja Dhingra revealed to this diarist, albeit with a heavy heart while sharing with us that her close aide and business partner, chef Pablo Naranjo Agular, is all set to bid adieu to the city, and their labour of love, Le 15.

Le15 Cafe won the Best New Cafe at The Guide Restaurant Awards 2019 by Mid-day

"I'm going to miss having him around terribly, more as a friend and my moral support than anything else," Dhingra shared. Their camaraderie is apparent in Agular's thoughts, too, when he confesses that Dhingra was like a little sister and an incredible support system. "India has taught me so much not only as a person but also as a chef! For the first time in many years I can say I'm happy. However, I've been living away for 13 years and it's time to go home. Before I do that, I'm going to travel around Asia to learn and discover as much as I can," the Colombian chef told this diarist.

A whiff of Kashmir in Oz

The previous edition of MasterChef Australia saw history being made when an Indian-origin chef was crowned the king of the kitchen. Now, Kashmir-born Sandeep Pandit hopes to win the 11th edition. The IT project manager took one step closer to making this a reality when his name was announced as one of the 10 participants.

The Bangalore University graduate will be plating up a traditional feast from Kashmir, and hopes to charm Georgie Calombaris with his hot and spicy signature dish. The 37-year-old's social media profile mentions him as a complete foodie.

He has a food blog where he tells stories associated with the dishes like his mother's rogan josh, besides sharing their recipes. He picked up cooking after they moved to Australia and his parents worked hard to make ends meet. Well, here's hoping he introduces the world to the lesser-known delights of Kashmiri cuisine.

Live in concert

The voting day holiday for Mumbaikars packed in a treat yesterday with a day-long concert at the NCPA, celebrating Ustad Allarakha's birth centenary. While the free entry ensured it was open to all, the Nariman Point venue isn't logistically accessible to everyone. But that didn't bar music lovers from across the city, and for that matter anywhere in the world, from soaking in the tunes played in memory of the legendary tabla player. For, the venue ensured that the concert was streamed live on its Facebook page.

And as word spread, listeners kept joining in through the course of the day, as a stellar line-up of artistes — which had been kept under wraps — including Asha Bhosle, Prabha Atre, Rakesh Chaurasia and Niladri Kumar as well as folk drummers and a brass band from Jaipur performed. Now that's what we call an inclusive event.

Tete-a-tete with Gulzar

Poet, lyricist, and dire­c­tor Gulzar, known for classic movies like Aandhi, Angoor and Ijaazat, wi­ll be in conversation with three authors who have written bo­o­ks based on these films, at a ta­lk by Harper Collins India in Worli later this week. Author Sa­ba M Bashir who has done a cl­ose textual analysis of the film Aa­ndhi, will examine the details of its cast, dialogues and songs, while author Sathya Saran, who has traced Gulzar's adaptation of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, will talk about the filming and plot.

Author Mira Hashmi, who will be joining on camera from Pakistan, has written about how Gulzar's skill as a storyteller is exemplified by his complex characters. "The movie is a perfect showcase of Gulzar's impish wit, his way with words and how he can look at the world from a unique angle. I loved the humour in the dialogues and the way the songs are set; they are so tongue-in-cheek," Saran told this diarist.

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Mumbai: Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has said Indians were, in the past, enslaved by an 'Italian government', in a veiled jibe at the Congress party. The 32-year-old, while speaking to reporters after casting her vote at a polling station in Khar area in Mumbai on Monday, said, "This (polling day) is a very important day for us, it comes only once in five years. I feel India is gaining independence today in real sense. Earlier, Indians were slaves of British, Mughal and Italian governments. Please exercise your Swaraj (independence) and vote."

The 'Italian government' remark is an apparent reference to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who was born and raised in Italy. Gandhi was the president of the Congress party for nearly two decades before handing over responsibilities to her son Rahul Gandhi in December 2017. Kangana went on to say that the situation that prevailed in the country was the worst during Congress' government at the Centre.

"The political leaders used to chill in London and the country used to suffer from an array of issues like poverty, pollution, rapes etc. The situation in our country was worst when Congress was in power. Now that our time has come, we should vote in large numbers," she added.

Polling was held on Monday for 72 seats across nine states including five seats in Bihar, one in Jammu and Kashmir, three in Jharkhand, six each in Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, 13 each in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, eight in West Bengal and 17 in Maharashtra. An overall voter turnout of 64.05 per cent was registered in the fourth phase of polling. Seven-phase elections will end on May 19, and results will be declared on May 23.

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Haitham with Shah Rukh Khan on the sets of Dil Hai Hindustani where the two sang SRK’s chartbuster Jabra Fan

When we meet Haitham Mohammed Rafi inside the dimly-lit sets of a popular music reality show, he stands out from those sitting beside him. The white of his traditional dishdasha and the colourful turban — called the massar — make him look like an anomaly. The 23-year-old appears to be closely observing his fellow singer — a girl half his age — who is on stage and singing the famous DDLJ-towel song, 'Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye,' when we raise our hand and call for his attention. There is instant recognition.

"Wallah!" he yells out in Arabic. "How come, you here?" he goes on, in his Middle-Eastern accent.

It has been three years since we first met Haitham. The last time it was in his hometown Muscat, the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman. "I will sing in Bollywood, someday, Inshallah!" he had then rapped, much to the amusement of this correspondent. At the time, we had wished him luck, without mocking his expectations or pointing out the risks.

Last week, when a video of filmmaker Karan Johar sitting in stunned silence after Haitham’s performance of Naina Thag Lenge, went viral on Arab social media, this writer was glad she had kept mum then.

Haitham, an Omani national, has just made it in the final 11 of the first season of music reality show Dil Hai Hindustani. Being an Arab, has only worked in his favour. For the judges, Johar, Badshah, Shalmali Kholgade and Shekhar Ravjiani (of Vishal-Shekhar fame), the first question on their mind was, “Can an Arab sing in Hindi?”

"Okay, maybe!" "But, that good!"

"I have Mohammed Rafi’s blessings," Haitham jokes. Not like, we hadn’t been meaning to ask him the story behind his namesake. Haitham al Balushi takes his middle name, Mohammed Rafi, from his father, who was surprisingly christened by the veteran Hindi singer himself. "Though Omani, my grandfather was a huge fan of Mohammed Rafi," he recounts. “When my father was born, Rafi saab was performing in Bahrain. My grandfather, who was working there, went for the show and managed to have a quick chat with him backstage," he says, adding, “He told Rafi saab, I want you to name my newborn.” The rest, as the Balushi family recalls, is history.

Until seven months ago, Haitham worked as a personal banker with a leading national bank in Muscat. “It was so boring. I hated going to work...it was suffocating," he says. Unable to take it anymore, Haitham put in his papers, and ferociously started looking for opportunities to sing. "I wanted to pursue my passion," he says. We ask him what that is? And, pat comes the reply, "I want to become the first Arab playback singer and composer in Bollywood." Haitham has been harbouring that dream since he was 11.

In Oman, Haitham says, there is no concept of vocal training. "If you're a good singer, you're a good singer." His only source of Bollywood music was audiocassettes and CDs as a child, and later YouTube. "So, when I told my Omani friends that I wanted to become a singer, they laughed. They said, 'You can’t make it big in India…it is so tough'."

On an Indian friend’s advise, he started listening to a lot of ghazals. "I was told that it would help me get my nuances and accent right," he says. His favourite ghazal singers are Jagjit Singh and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. But, that's how Haitham’s Bollywood dreams first took flight.

In 2012, he became the first Omani to win Muscat Idol, which sees participants mostly from the Indian Diaspora. From there on, due to dearth of a great body of work, Haitham started composing music for Omani TV shows. “But, I realised that I wasn’t enjoying Arabic music. Each time, I sang in Hindi, I was happier,” he says. Of the 500 songs he has composed, 450 were in Hindi. “My mum knew I wasn’t meant for Oman. So, she kept pushing me to try my luck at Indian reality shows,” he says. He tried thrice and failed. The fourth time, he decided to think practically and opted for 'The Voice Ahla Sawt', the Arabic version of the international music show. “Even there, I could not fit in,” he says. This December, after five years of working towards his dream, he got the call. And, that too, from India.

Here, he is still just another contender at the show. But, back home, things have changed for Haitham. After a video of his performance went viral, Omanis in Muscat, who he claims love Hindi cinema, have gone into an overdrive. “I’ve already signed 13 shows in Muscat and Dubai,” he says. “My friends are buying the Indian digital channels, just to watch my show.”

"I think it's a proud moment for my country," Haitham says. Just as we end, he gets his cellphone out, and shows us a photograph of his, clicked with Shah Rukh Khan, where the two are facing each other, striking the latter's signature pose. “India has already opened its arms to me," he gushes.

Baby Olive ridley turtles all set to embrace the sea in Velas.

Turtles - female Olive ridley turtles in particular - have a phenomenal memory. In their lifespan of about 50 years, where they swim for thousands of miles in the underwater world, they never forget one route. The females return to the same beach where they hatched to give birth to new life. The creatures are also communal in nature - they arrive at their native beach in thousands to lay eggs. The phenomenon, which makes for a stunning sight, is called Arribada.

Inhabitants of warm waters, the species has two haunts on the Indian coastline: Rushikulaya in Odisha and Velas in Ratnagiri. Over the years, Olive ridley turtles have borne the brunt of human activities and are now recognised as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. Conservation measures have been underway to ensure the eggs hatch in a conducive environment and the hatchlings safely take their first steps to the sea. If Arribada has piqued your interest, a two-day eco-tour organised by Mumbai Travellers will take you to the Velas beach where you can watch the phenomenon unfold before your eyes.

"The baby turtles trek to the sea in early mornings and evenings, so we take travellers straight to the beach as soon as we arrive in Velas," shares Karishma Joshi, eco-tours division head of the travel group. The trip includes a visit to the Bankot Fort and Harihareshwar. "In the evening, travellers will be taken to conservationist Mohan Upadhye's home, where they will watch a documentary on the turtles. This will be followed by a skit presented by local children on turtle conservation," shares Joshi.

Google unveiled a special Doodle on the occasion of Nowruz. The doodle showed the letters Google logo redesigned as flowers with butterflies and bees flying around them.

Nowruz, which is also known as the Iranian New Year and the Persian New Year occurs on 21 March or the previous or following day, depending on where it is observed.

The festival is celebrated worldwide by the Iranian peoples, in Western Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea Basin and the Balkans.

Nowruz marks the first day of the first month (Farvardin) in the Iranian calendar. It has been celebrated for over 3,000 years.

The moment the sun crosses the celestial equator and equalizes night and day is calculated exactly every year, and families gather together to observe the rituals.

Nowruz is a secular holiday for most celebrants that is enjoyed by people of several different faiths, but remains a holy day for Zoroastrians.

RD Burman composed for more than 300 films in a career spanning 30 years

This weekend, a group of music enthusiasts is going to deconstruct the thin line between imitation and inspiration at a talk on Hindi film music. The works of RD Burman, Shankar-Jaikishan and OP Nayyar will be discussed at the event.

Shankar-Jaikishan ruled from 1949 to 1986

“Many tried to imitate a sound that worked well with listeners in that period. In fact, film producers would encourage music directors to do so. The music of Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Kalyanji-Anandji was close to the sound created by Shankar-Jaikishan and Burman,” says Ramesh KV, one of the speakers. “If you listen to the orchestration of a song, you will think it belongs to Burman, but it actually is by someone else,” he adds.

The full panel includes R Balaji, Shankar Iyer, Archisman Mozumder and Subramanian Iyer.

On: April 15, 7.30 pm
At: Pitaara – The Art Box, Yashwant Nagar, Goregaon (W).
Call: 9820393001
Entry: Rs 250

Sanjay Sharma with his daughters Aayushi (left) and Shriya, both of whom enjoy skating. Pic/Satej Shinde

"When you get divorced, the people you used to hang out with disappear. Suddenly, you have no friends, and neither does your child," begins Hemant Amrute, 43, who has been raising his 12-year-old son as a single parent since 2010. Similarly, Goregaon resident Sanjay Sharma has had full custody of his daughters since 2013, when his older child was not yet five, and the younger two-and-a-half years old.

Hemant Amrute with his son Aryan before a parasailing trip in Goa last December

Taking on the role of both parents hasn't been easy for either of these single dads, but that hasn't stopped them from providing their little ones with an upbringing that isn't lacking.

Striking a work-life balance
Recently, actor Tusshar Kapoor and director Karan Johar made news when they became single fathers to children born via surrogacy. But while these men, who come from privileged backgrounds, presumably have help, this is not the case with most single dads who have to juggle work and kids.

A normal day in the life of the Sharma family is hectic. "Luckily for me, I run my own business, so I do all my work when the kids are at school. My job is to pick them up and later in the evening, drop them off for skating or swimming lessons. My older daughter has also been learning Kathak for two years, while my younger one takes singing lessons," shares 35-year-old Sharma, adding that his mother helps him out on the home front.

Amrute, meanwhile, is also a busy entrepreneur, but now feels confident enough to leave his son home by himself whenever required, as he's a little older. His challenge, however, lies in the kitchen. "I never learned to cook," laughs the Thane resident, adding, "We've had a string of cooks come and go, because both of us invariably end up not liking the food."

Not to mention that being a single parent still has stigma attached to it, which is multiplied when the single parent in question is the father. "In the beginning, people would say, 'Yeh nahin kar paayega (he won't be able to do it)'. Now, they've seen it for themselves," says Sharma. Echoing the sentiment, Amrute adds that once a couple gets divorced, people tend to look down on them, and your social circle shrinks to prevent the awkwardness.

Creating a lasting bond
Sharma's daughters and Amrute's son love being outdoors. Sharma takes his kids to the beach, park, as well as for kiddie events across the city. "We love going on holidays, too, even if they're to nearby places like Mahabaleshwar or Daman."

Amrute and his son Aryan spend weekends at their farmhouse in Yeoor Hills, and head to the cinema or the mall on other days. "We also spent Christmas in Goa last year, which was a lot of fun. A few years ago, I took him with me on a work trip to the US, and we visited a lot of places when I had some downtime," he shares.

Both men recently discovered and joined iSingleParent, a Facebook community that organises meet-ups and holidays for single mums and dads and their kids.

Amrute says that when not at school, his son would end up spending time playing with a smartphone. "We live in a standalone house, so there aren't any kids around for him to play with. But he loves technology, and scored full marks in Robotics. He also enjoys beatboxing and recently started trying out parkour. And now, thanks to the group, he looks forward to bonding with the other kids who come for the meet-ups," he says.

Uncharted has dropped its latest installment and it is significant simply because there is no Nathan Drake, the protagonist of the previous Uncharted games. Instead, this time, you get to play with Chloe Frazer backed with Nadine Ross, who are in India searching for the Tusk of Ganesh. We don't know if Naughty Dog planned this, but a game featuring a Ganesh related artifact releasing just around the time of Ganpati Utsav is pretty good timing.

The game unfolds in the mountains of India during a civil war, with everything you would expect, in an Uncharted game — lots of fast paced gun play, spectacular ancient ruins, overgrown jungles and easy to solve puzzles. It is a formula that has worked well for the series in the past and why would you mess with something that works.

You may find both Chloe and Nadine familiar if you have played Uncharted before, they have appeared in the previous games. Chloe as a sidekick in two games and Nadine as the antagonist of the last Uncharted. To get the artifact that leads to the Tusk of Ganesh, Chloe infiltrates the war-torn city dressed in a kurta, she looks very Indian in the outfit. This is very different from any other Uncharted game because it deals with claustrophobic, garbage-filled city streets instead majestic jungles the game is used to. It's a nice change but a short one, once you manage to find the relic it is straight off to the jungle for you.

The Lost Legacy is a lot like Uncharted 4, it plays almost similar, some of the guards look familiar and even some of the ruins. The game is comfortable with what it is and there aren't any new surprises that push the gameplay forward. What it excels at is the ride and that is an action-packed ride that would put Indiana Jones to shame. What you can do is enhance the experience with their new photo mode, it makes everything a little more fun. The photo mode lets you change the expression of Chloe's face temporarily. This, of course, can be used to take hilarious screengrabs.

The game looks amazing on the PS4 Pro, the jungles and the ruins are grand to say the least, enough to make you want to go a nearby forest in search of ancient picturesque monuments. It's a nice use of local mythology to create a brilliant fantasy world.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is great for newbies. Since it doesn't require you to have previous knowledge of the characters or any hard to play sections, it is pretty much a no-brainer for any gamer.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
Rating: 4/5
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Platform: PS4
Price: Rs 2,499

BMC Spares No One

Atul Kasbekar helps Vidya Balan navigate her way on a dug up street near Kala Ghoda, as she arrives to launch a saree collection inspired by her latest film. pic/suresh karkera

On stage for the first time
It was their on-screen chemistry that led to a happily-ever-after life off screen. But actors Varun Badola and Rajeshwari Sachdev, who have worked together on several projects, hadn't shared space on stage until Ila Arun roped them for Shabd Leela, a dramatised reading of iconic Hindi writer, poet and playwright Dr Dharamvir Bharati's works. Directed by KK Raina, and adapted by Arun, the play will premiere at a festival to be held next week. "We are reading from Bharati ji's Kanupriya, Andha Yug as well as letters he had written to his wife. Such is the language of the letters that he has set major couple's goals for us!" Sachdev told this diarist. What is it like to be on the stage with Varun? "Such creative pursuits add a new, exciting dimension to the relationship," she says.

What's your Hindi word of the year?
After more than a decade of their much-anticipated English Word of the Year, the Oxford Dictionaries are launching their first ever Hindi Word of the Year. The initiative is calling on Hindi speakers from across the country to help choose a word or expression that has attracted interest over the last 12 months and reflects the mood, or preoccupations of the year, The word needn't be a new one. A panel of language experts including Namita Gokhale, Kritika Agrawal, Saurabh Dwivedi, Malika Ghosh, and Poonam Nigam Sahay will choose the winner from public suggestions, and announce it in January. Given that 'fake news' (Collins Word of the Year 2017) and 'post truth' have been the favourites recently, we wonder if 'jumla' has a chance.

An artist's homecoming
In the early 1960s, Gujarat-born artist Natvar Bhavsar moved to the US for further studies and ended up making New York his home, developing a distinct abstract style of painting, influenced by the colour-field artists of that time. In the last five decades, the feted artist's works have been widely collected by international art connoisseurs and museums, including Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Next week, the octogenarian will host his first retrospective in India, aptly titled Homecoming, presented by DAG Modern. It features smoky, layered compositions created by Bhavsar by sifting powdered pigments on canvas and allowing air currents, his breath and body movements to determine where they fall.

Natvar Bhavsar with his works. Pic courtesy/Janet Brosious Bhavsar

Eat this colour
An Italian research scholar in India has, quite literally, given us food for thought. Chiara Colombi (in pic) is in Thane at present, carrying out a project on chromotherapy called Eat Your Colour. It involves her organising seven lunches, each based on a different colour, over one week. Once the lunch is done, all the participants will use the leftovers from their plates as well as the kitchen to create a shape that embodies what they felt about the colour of the day. "I will then put the collective creation in a lunchbox and then display it in a public space," Colombi says, adding, "The idea is to explore how colours can be used in a therapeutic way through the process of creation."

Clinton junior, the author
Now, here's one family that's keeping publishers happy all year through. Close on the heels of mum and former Democratic presidential candidate Hilary's tell-all about her loss to eventual winner, Donald Trump in What Happened, daughter Chelsea Clinton's title, She Persisted Around The World is already creating a buzz in literary circles. The book, packed with delightful illustrations by Alexandra Bolger, and expected in March 2018, is the companion to her earlier New York Times bestseller, She Persisted. Publishers Penguin took to social media to make the announcement.

The follow-up, like the first title, will salute little activists, feminists and kid influencers who dared to dream big. Armed with Bolger's art, and featuring icons like JK Rowling and Malala Yousafzai, we can expect this one to top the bestselling list too.

Why Cheat India
U/A: Drama Satire
Director: Soumik Sen
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Shreya Dhanwanthary
Rating:

The 'curse of the second half' in Hindi pictures is simply so severe, especially when it comes to films with well-known faces, that even as I find myself really enjoying a movie, there's a radar at the back of the brain constantly cautioning one to only hope that the post-interval portions even live up to the first half — by half. If so, then as an audience, you're pretty much through.

Is this movie an exception in that regard? Well, it eventually starts descending to such levels of random, thoughtless spinning of the yarn that by the end of it you're not even too sure it's the same film that you had started with in the first place. And hell yeah, it begins really well, what with highlighting the academic strains of being a teenaged 'padhaku' kid, Sattu (the boy's so brilliantly cast), in a lower-middle class family in Lucknow, coaxed into cracking a coveted engineering entrance exam (they don't call it IIT for some reason). For, how else does the father who's invested all his money into his child's supposed dream see his pension scheme through?

The film shines much-needed light on a common Indian teenaged nightmare, as sincerely presented in stand-up comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath's rather under-rated Amazon Prime series, Laakhon Mein Ek (2018). While sticking to searing realism — getting its time-setting, the year 1998 right, down to baggy trousers, and Force 10 type sneakers — the filmmakers manage to give the hero, Emraan Hashmi, a filmy sort of entry, smartly slipping in a soothing ballad, as well. Well done!

Hashmi plays a one-man racketeer who sneaks in smart kids, with counterfeit hall tickets, to max entrance tests on behalf of rich children, sitting at home, paying their way to top colleges as a result. You sort of know where the film might be going with this. And, maybe, that's the problem. Proxy contestants at overcrowded competitive exams for key educational institutions, where even well-prepared students wait for Godot to get in, is a huge multi-crore, organised industry, involving a system wholly corrupted, from top to bottom. Technology would have plugged some of the holes already; one's unaware to what extent.

If you haven't heard as much about this underworld, one should legitimately blame the news media for it — particularly in the case of the 2013 Vyapam (Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board) Scam, for instance, where close to 40 people, most of them whistleblowers, have mysteriously died, while the investigations are still on (or not quite) —but largely under-reported in the mainstream press.

And I thought this is what the film could be about — unearthing an earth-shaking scandal that should ideally knock you off your head. But, no, this is a film that attempts to combine strong commentary on the education/examination system, with a high-paced, heist thriller, with belaboured twists and turns, while trying to balance all of it with the urban slickness and high-life that Hashmi's inevitably romantically inclined, unscrupulous characters aspire for, and achieve, in his typical capers.

Watch Why Cheat India Trailer

So whatever fault you may find in the film possibly exists in the story/script to start with. And perhaps the reason is Hashmi himself, for he can't help but get on the big screen with strong baggage of the sort of flicks that have made him the star he is. The audience is obviously to blame for it, and the fact that Hashmi remains still an under-rated actor, because he is hardly commercially lauded for parts where he wholly goes off the beaten path — Dibakar Banerjee's Shanghai (2012), I'm told, tanked; Danis Tanovic's Tigers (2018) went straight to OTT (Zee 5), both being his career's best works.

And so he goes back to being himself: the trademarked flawed hero, who eventually justifies his wily actions as a natural outcome of a multiple-choice, rote-learning system that gives very few kids a choice beyond acing it to get ahead. How a scamster like his character is the solution still, and not the issue, is beyond me. Have to say though, what the audience will empathise with is the fact that far too few fine courses/colleges exist for far too many desi children: a progressively massive problem staring us in the face and an even uglier future. This affects everyone. To be fair, the government is just as clueless on how to deal with it as this totally confusing 'pop-con' pic.

Also read: Emraan Hashmi: Change of Cheat India title is illogical, ridiculous

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U/A: Drama romance
Dir: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra
Ratings: 

Ritesh Batra's The Lunchbox, achieved international success six years ago, and despite two international projects (one with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda) along the way, Batra comes home again, to his comfort zone. He has on offer here, a rather chaste story of kinship, bordering on romance between two acutely lonely souls. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

While the construct here is similar to The Lunchbox, it doesn't garner a matched significance because of the inherent familiarity in the set-up. This time around he takes on an unlikely pairing of opposites — Sanya Malhotra as Miloni, a CA foundation-course topper from a typically repressed middle class gujarati home, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Rafiq, an impoverished photographer, overburdened with familial responsibilities.

Romance for Batra is not about heavy emotion and carnality. It is a process of revealing your innermost fears without putting them into words for someone you can share them with. Both Rafiq and Miloni experience loneliness in varying degrees, and for diverse reasons. Rafiq is impoverished, shares his one-room tenement in a slum colony with fellow photography peddlers.

Check out the trailer here:

In comparison, Miloni is well-heeled; on her way to being considered successful in life. They come from different social strata, and if they spent time thinking about it, they would never have entertained the fanciful notion of getting together. It's a random connection at best, which is made further intriguing by the lie it gets embroiled in. Repressed emotions find an outlet for Miloni in this covertly rebellious action. For Rafiq, they become an aspirational pursuit bordering on hope.

Batra focuses his viewfinder on the warmth that develops between the two characters. It is quite clear that they are drawn to each other based on their individual needs. The timely play of Bollywood songs heightens the possibility of romance for a bit. Peter Raeburn's sweetly compelling score lends nuance to some of the quietly definite moments in the film.

The narrative is an assemblage of beautiful events shot with breath-taking lucidity — by cinematographers Tim Gillis and Ben Kutchins. Mumbai beckons hauntingly as the two central characters make this seemingly fleeting tryst last a lot longer than what seems possible in real life. Photograph is the emblematic representation of that connection we seek in these disconnected times. It speaks to us, but not as much in words as in the moments that warm our hearts.

Also Read: Ritesh Batra's Photograph gets a thumbs up from critic

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Hellboy
U/A: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Neil Marshall
Cast: David Harbour, Ian McShane, Milla Jovovich, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim
Rating: 

This latest adaptation of the Mike Mignola comic book is a reboot and not a sequel. Most of the sequences and plot points take for granted that- the viewer is familiar with the story. This film has a rather peculiar blend of history, myth, supernatural and occult playing peekaboo in a narrative that opens up in the past and flashes forward to the post-modern present with rather too much haste. We see a time when everything is acceptable including the paranormal, the other-worldly, different dimensions and the freak. We see Hellboy with horns, crimson skin, and thorny attitude passed out in a Mexican bar or observing a wrestling match and he doesn't raise any eyebrows. And just as we get familiar with the characters and interested in the theme we are subjected to a flashback and that's the pattern we are exposed to throughout this rather jerky, coarse re-imagining of the Hellboy universe. The real problem here is that there's just too much back story and not much of going forward.

Hellboy of course looks more or less the same. The overall look is replicated from the original – this one though looks more worn and unkempt. Hellboy (David Harbour) works with his adoptive father Professor Broom (Ian McShane) at the B.P.R.D, an organization devoted to investigating and generally exterminating paranormal threats. The gruff Superhero heads to England when called upon by the Osiris club to help nullify the Blood Queen's(Milla Jovovich) demonic plot to resurrect herself and bring ruin upon the world.

Check out the trailer here:

The narrative jumps from one plot point to another without acquiring much coherence. We get it that the Blood Queen is part of the main conflict here but by the time she gets into her stride the narrative gets all rushed up and the ensuing melee doesn't have much engagement. Andrew Cosby's screenplay writes in some inner conflict for Hellboy but it doesn't translate all that well on screen. Even the other main characters don't have smooth enough arcs. Neil Marshall is no Guillermo Del Toro and his vision for the action here is also not consistent enough- even though there are a few flashes of brilliance. David Harbour's performance, lacks the confident stamp of authority that Ron Perlman's did. Some of the CGI effects are good but there are moments when they look conspicuous and patched on. Too many characters, too many plot threads and just as many merges between the unimaginable, plagues this tale of a superhero winding his way through tales of legends and destiny - ending it with cataclysmic bedlam that works out to be a rather chaotic gory mess!

Also Read: Milla Jovovich said yes to Hellboy for this reason

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With most areas in the city marked as COVID-19 hotspots and no transport available, residents feel that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) circular allowing pre-monsoon repair work and waterproofing in buildings before the onset of monsoon, is nothing but an eyewash. They are of the opinion that if the lockdown continues beyond May 3, it will be practically difficult to complete work before the rains, as no shops selling cement, sand, brick and waterproofing chemicals will be open.

Speaking to mid-day, Somasunderan Nair, director, Intercons Tectonic (Pvt) Ltd, a Vashi-based firm doing engineering and civil construction work, said, "It is just impossible for the labourers to go to different locations with no transportation available. They can't travel between construction sites located in different areas of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai."

Rekhi Sai Daffodils has been undergoing repairs since January

'All going to waste'
"Also, I had stored raw materials (cement and sand) worth a few lakhs of rupees at different buildings undergoing repairs, but all of it got stalled due to the lockdown," added Nair. He further said, "At one of our Kharghar site, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) staff had asked the site supervisor to wind up all repair work, and at that time, a ready-mix cement mortar consignment was being offloaded from a Gujarat registered truck. Since the municipal staff warned of '15,000 fine per staff, the workers had no option but to leave the site. Nearly 700 bags of ready-mix cement mortar were offloaded, but I fear that all of it will go to waste. They have been lying unused for over one month and if the lockdown continues, we might have to dispose of the raw materials."

While the BMC has come out with a circular allowing work to be carried out, the NMMC and PCMC are yet to provide any clarity on such repair works.

Exposed beams of Rekhi Sai Daffodils in Kharghar

A Ghatkopar West resident, whose building is under repairs, said, "We have stored some materials in our building premises and have allowed some workers to stay on the compound. Even the contractor is ready to buy construction materials like bricks, cement etc from the local market, but for that we need to know where such outlets are open."

'Apply for online permissions'
When contacted, a senior official from BMC's Development Plan department said, "We have issued the circular which clearly states the directives. As per the directions of the state government, certain activities are being allowed during lockdown. However, the said guidelines were stayed by the government vide GR dated April 21, 2020 for Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune Metropolitan Region. However, to save some existing structures/buildings and prevent flood like situations during monsoon, certain construction activities within MCGM limits may be allowed in non-containment zones."

Navre Premises Cooperative society in Sion West

When asked that if the entire city is under lockdown, then how will the circular be implemented, the official said, "It is a fact that most of the areas in Mumbai are containment zones and no work will be allowed there. If the situation is under control after May 3, then as and when the lockdown is lifted, work can be started. Meanwhile, the contractors/societies concerned should apply for online permissions."

And if monsoon sets in by then, the official said, "The contractors can cover the open terraces with tarpaulin sheets and permission can be given for repairs post monsoon."

Expert speak
When contacted, senior lawyer, Vinod Sampat, said, "As far as the BMC is concerned, everyone is interested in protecting their own skin. There is no coordination between government departments. A simple solution can be easily worked out by designating one responsible official for the job. He would ensure that the residents' requirements are easily met and the construction materials are made available to those whose buildings are getting repaired. Secondly, there is no accountability among government officials and they are unpredictable. As far as possible, repair work should not be undertaken immediately. A better way would be to put tarpaulin sheets on the buildings and postpone repair work to the post-monsoon time."

He further said, "Moreover, it is very difficult to get skilled labourers now as most of them want to return home. And lastly, if any of the contractors or their workers test positive for COVID-19, the society managing committee members may be held responsible for not taking proper precaution."

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No net gains

The poor are left to protect themselves in tents on a skywalk in Powai on Monday. Pic/Sameer Markande

Paisa vasool with Pant

At a time when uncertainty hits most industries around the world, writer Meghna Pant's first-ever podcast on Audible hopes to bring some clarity on money matters. Titled Show Me The Money, the podcast is a personal finance audio show that addresses the basics of saving, investing and spending with experts and top investment houses such as SBI, HDFC, and DSP. The recording began last December and about the importance of the show now, Pant told this diarist, "The deepest learning from this pandemic is that life is unpredictable and we need to be prepared for anything. And the only things that can help us tide over tough times, downturns and job losses, are our savings and investments. What are smart financial decisions? How can women, millennials, artists, freelancers and influencers become richer? What's worth spending on and what's not? The idea is to give people money advice that actually works, while they're sitting at home in their PJs. All for free!"

Party all night

This diarist watched DJ Ivan offer his friends a treat when they were starved of their fix of weekend dancing recently. A bunch of them were on a video call when one person directed them to a mammoth set that the city-based musician was playing live on Instagram, where he started spinning old-school electronic tunes around midnight and went on for seven hours straight. The friends logged in to the music from home, showing how the definition of partying in Mumbai has changed during the lockdown. "This is for those who are missing the club right now," the gracious DJ said.

Some signs of the times

Although we're all finding ways to comprehend the current scenario we're living in, an emoji that accurately represents what we're going through can always help. So, the New York-based creative agency &Walsh has launched hundreds of emojis that can be downloaded for free — because they were "frustrated by the limitations of the current emoji set." Too scared to text your crush? Just send them the "Be My Quarantine?" emoji. Tired of people reminding you to wash your hands? Show them the graphic depiction of bubbles emerging from your hands instead. And if you can't deal with anything or anyone at the moment, simply send the banner that says, "Hello I Am Going Insane". We understand.

Why you should swing into this auction

After the pandemic struck artist Raju Sutar took up the brush up in a bid to help with relief work. It started off with 30 paintings that he posted on social media, appealing to followers to pay R500 or more for each. "I asked them to pay the money to either the Maharashtra Chief Minister's (CM) Relief Fund or any other COVID-19 fund. The paintings were sold out in 20 hours and some people paid more than R3,000 for them," he told us. This is what led him to kick-start an auction on Instagram. The circular paintings, each 3.5-inch in diameter, are inspired by the popular card game Ganjifa. "I've posted four paintings so far. Each day, one painting goes under the hammer and I take bids till 10 pm in the comments section. The winner is declared after that and they need to send the money to the CM's Fund. I'll send the artworks to the winners by post once the lockdown ends," he said, adding that R23,000 has been raised so far.

A mindful debut

Singer, actor and speaker on mindfulness, Raageshwari Loomba Swaroop is set to make her literary debut next month as her book Building a Happy Family (Penguin India) will be launched digitally by Oxford Bookstore. The title comes with a foreword from Dr Shashi Tharoor and the author focusses on the impact books, music, art and positive reinforcement has on the lives of children. "I always believed that parenting is about bringing up the parent and not the child. I wrote the book so we adults can re-visit our childhood through our children's unique eyes," Loomba Swaroop told this diarist. In doing this, she also stated that we will magically realise that these "little masters" are our greatest teachers in mindfulness. About the motivation to delve into mindfulness per se, the London-based author added, "I starting collecting notes on it soon after my recovery from facial paralysis. It's been 20 years since then. But when I started the journey of being a mother, in my mind first, I knew I wanted to be a non-judgemental and easygoing mother. Mindfulness made me realise that for it to happen I would first have to start by being non-judgemental and easy going with myself and everyone around me."

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While the world is grappling with the impact of the horrific COVID-19, and the entire nation is under the lockdown, there are people who are finding it difficult to make both ends meet. Mumbai’s Dabbawalas, who ensure that a delicious, warm ,home cooked meal reach in time every single day at work, today are battling to have a meal in their own plates. Radio City, India’s leading radio network, has launched a fund raiser initiative, Dabbewale ka Dabba Bharo, and have been urging Mumbaikars to come forward and contribute towards the initiative.

Radio City in Mumbai, kick started this initiative on 22nd April, where all the RJ's across their shows have been sharing the current state of Dabbewale's, with around more than 5 thousand of them are finding it difficult to feed their families since the lockdown was announced. Radio City has been urging Mumbai city to come forward and contribute towards the initiative. There has been an overwhelming response from the citizens and uptill now, approx. 62 thousand rupees has already been collected

To garner a wider reach and raise more funds, Radio City has created a video (https://youtu.be/e1XCjt8FSBI) that has been promoted across Radio City’s social media handles. Radio City has always been at the forefront to help the city and its citizens through various initiatives like these and spread a wave of positivity.

If you wish to contribute Please click on the link: www.ketto.org/radiocity

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India post – a subsidiary of the Ministry of Communications – stepped in to help the residents of Madh Island, after a report in mid-day highlighted their plight regarding cash. They had been plagued by dysfunctional ATMs since the national lockdown was announced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But very few transactions were successful, since most residents didn't have their active mobile numbers linked to their Aadhaar cards — which is a must for availing the service.

After reading mid-day's April 26 report, India Post sent a team of three postmen to the area on Monday, to provide door-to-door cash withdrawal services — at no extra charge — via their mobile phones. Using their government-authorised mobile phones, these postmen helped residents withdraw money from their bank accounts and handed the cash to them—provided their bank accounts and active mobile phone numbers were linked to their Aadhaar accounts. Although a handful of residents were able to carry out successful transactions, a majority of residents could not avail the service since either their active phone numbers were not linked to their Aadhaar cards or their bank accounts.

One postman = 1 micro ATM
Speaking to mid-day, Saranya U, senior superintendent of Post Office of Mumbai North Division (under whose jurisdiction Madh Island falls), said that each of the postmen deployed for this service is equipped with government-approved mobile phones that are pre-loaded with the India Post Payment Bank (IPPB), as well as a biometric scan device that can be connected to the mobile phone. "For us, each postman acts like a micro ATM. Using their mobile phones, each of them could enable people to withdraw up to R50,000 from their bank accounts," she said. This limit was extended from R10,000 to R50,000 in the light of the COVID-19 situation.

She explained that a person had to simply run their biometric fingerprint scan through the device connected to the postman's mobile phone (Aadhaar requires thumbprints to cross-confirm). "If a bank account has been linked to the Aadhaar account, then money can be withdrawn from that account. The person's current active mobile number is also required since an OTP will be sent to it. Another step also includes authenticity confirmation from UIDAI," she said.

If all these criteria are fulfilled, people can withdraw money from the comfort of their homes. "However, we were able to distribute only R11,000 in total because most people either don't have their Aadhaar or active mobile numbers linked to their bank accounts. We carried out a total of 25 transactions, but only 4 of them were successful," said Saranya, adding that India Post's door-to-door cash withdrawal service is more popular in rural areas.

'It was easy'
India Post also reached out to Manisha Suryavanshi, a resident who is disabled with polio in a leg, and was mentioned in the mid-day report. "I was surprised to see them. They ran me through the entire process… and I got the amount instantly in my hands. I also received a debit message on my mobile phone…it was easy and we were not charged for the service," she said.

4
No. of successful transactions

25
No. of total transactions attempted

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With more than a month since the lockdown began, a few students from outstation are still stuck in Mumbai University's (MU) hostels. A majority of them managed to head home, but there still are about 20-23 students in the Churchgate and Kalina hostels.

Though their mess provides them with meals, the students still pay for food and need other daily essential items. None of them have any money left and no assurance from home as many come from farmers' families who are already facing a loss due to lockdown.

So these students have requested the varsity to provide them financial aid. "Money is very important when you are staying away from home. Every day each student ends up paying a little over R120 for all three meals at the mess. The university has issued orders that the mess should not charge us, but we know that if we don't pay, the canteen service provider won't be able to buy items," a student at the Churchgate hostel said.

Another student from the Kalina hostel said, "The university has asked the food contractor to not charge but that is not practically possible until they have been provided with groceries etc. If the varsity provides us financial aid, we will be able to ensure our other needs such as soaps, toothpaste etc. are met."

Rohit Dhale from Chatrabharati, who has written a letter to the varsity over the issue, said, "Most of these students are from families which are not financially stable. The students are few and if the varsity decides to help them it won't be a huge amount." MU registrar Ajay Deshmukh said, "We have already ensured that the mess continues to function so that these students do not have a problem with food. We have asked the mess contractor to not make charges mandatory during such difficult times. We have received the letter and it will be discussed with the Vice-Chancellor to decide what can be done."

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Not allowed

Wall art in Jogeshwari East coincidentally depicts everything that's out of bounds including transport and dabbawalla tiffins. Pic/Rane Ashish

Your dance debut

It's World Dance Day today and a streaming platform has come forward to celebrate it and not just through dance films. Besides streaming classics like La La Land, Step Up and Dirty Dancing, they are urging users to replicate moves from the films and take away a bunch of prizes as part of Groove from Home.

A still from La La Land

"Dance and singing reality shows have always been a part of our culture and viewing habits so we feel this fits in seamlessly. In these unprecedented times we want to create opportunities where people can take their minds off gloomy news and lose themselves in a world of great stories," Rohit Jain, MD of the streaming platform, told this diarist. Log on to Lionsgate Play on Instagram to post your moves.

Keeping the spirits up

Deboo in choreography with Manipuri martial artistes. Pic/Farrokh Chothia

Dancer-choreographer Astad Deboo is doing his bit by keeping the spirits up this World Dance Day. Though he admits it hasn't been a productive time in terms of creating new work, he wants to ensure he can use his privilege to reach out to those less fortunate. "This image says to me let's rise above this [the Coronavirus] and not be bogged down at this time," Deboo told this diarist.

"While everyone is celebrating the day with video clips and events online, I have been keeping my body in shape through exercise and have been inundated with queries for fundraising for my foundation," he added.

Let's take it online

F&B venture Social in partnership with music firm Submerge is taking its annual festival The Exchange online with panelists who will be talking about the entertainment industry during the pandemic, the path ahead and online streaming. Scheduled over today and tomorrow, the panels include Monica Dogra, Ankytrixx, Tuhin Mehta and DJ Kan-i will feature on Facebook Live discussions.

"The festival has come to us at a crucial time, when everyone in the world has questions about their life and the future in general, with no answers or plans. I will talk about practical solutions to help monetise and sustain work," Ankytrixx, DJ and electronic music producer, told this diarist.

Putting the onus back on us

Singer Baba Sehgal has been actively producing tracks through the lockdown, often themed on the virus and preventive measures. This time, he has teamed up with Seattle-based singer Sonia Keshwani in a melodic anthem that puts the onus back on human beings.

Titled We are sorry, it drives home the point about environmental damage. "Though I have a rap segment in between, I have veered off my regular style for a melodic song this time. As for the theme, I think it's time we said sorry for all the damage that we have caused. Everything that is happening is a result of that," Sehgal told this diarist.

For artistes, from artistes

Sameera Iyengar

The COVID-19 crisis has hit performing arts hard and disrupted many livelihoods. To take matters into their own hands, artistes Shubha Mudgal, Aneesh Pradhan, Sameera Iyengar, Rahul Vora and Mona Irani along with Arundhati Ghosh, executive director, India Foundation for the Arts, organised a campaign called Assistance for Disaster Affected Artistes (ADAA). The aim was to support 100 artistes with a financial package over the next six months.

Quasar Thakore-Padamsee

Donations from 282 individuals and organisations (including those by city theatre artistes like Akarsh Khurana and Quasar Thakore-Padamsee) have resulted in them exceeding the set target. "Our funds now allow 132 artistes and their families across 10 states in India to be supported. We are currently in the process of finalising the artiste beneficiaries with the help of our partners. We will begin disbursement of funds through our distribution partner Indian Writer's Forum in early May — each beneficiary will receive a financial package of R30,000 each, over six months," Sameera Iyengar told this diarist, on behalf of the team.

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Sound of silence

With air and noise pollution levels down, the Common Man at a Sion signal has nothing but the virus to fear. Pic/Ashish Raje

Time to speak up

The lockdown has once again put several women's issues like domestic abuse, personal freedom and financial security in focus. To open up conversations around the same in the context of the lockdown, Penguin Random House India has started a weekly Facebook live series called #SpeakUp, hosted by journalist Pragya Tiwari. It will have speakers like Kavita Krishnan, Puja Mehra, Samra Zafar and Shiromi Pinto. Highlighting the fact that one of the greatest inequalities in India is along the lines of gender, Tiwari said, "The series will bring to the fore voices of women and issues the world is confronted with through their lens."

Mumbai: For better or verse

Writers and poets across the world have been responding to the current state of affairs in myriad ways. Like his colleagues, Murzban F Shroff, author of Breathless in Bombay, too, decided to look at the way his city is changing, which he encapsulated in a poem. "It is on the Coronavirus, and also reflects my love for the city and captures its now desolate state," Shroff said, sharing his poem with us.

Living Life Capsized
I walk out into my capsized city
emptied of traffic, emptied of life, and I see
dogs lounging belly-up and cats tread fearlessly
and I see layers of bird-poo on the top of cars
whose owners might have once fought over parking spots

I walk out into my capsized city and I see
a family of four within their 11ft x 14ft shanty
I see the bleakness on their faces, the torpor in their limbs
I see this because their door is open and there is no window
and there is a kerosene stove aflame on which something is cooking
and that is the only sign of life, really,
in that prison of unforeseen circumstances

I walk out into my capsized city, a lone explorer of sorts
and I see the reproachful half-faces of street-cleaners
as they plunge their gloved hands into large eco-friendly litterbins
and drag out empty boxes of chocolates, cereals, cookies, porridge…
Someone has eaten, and eaten well!

I walk out into my abandoned city and I feel abandoned myself
The doctor's clinic is locked, the stores are shuttered
The temple bells are silent, the deity glowers in the dark
there is no one left to do the invocation, no one left
to clank the bells, then make some request

I walk out into my abandoned city and I have never felt safer
The earthmovers have fallen silent
The half-built structures sit like shell-shocked sentinels
The plots on which they stand have come to resemble graveyards
despite what the brochures say, what they once promised

I circle my capsized city, warily, softly, respectfully
just to remind myself of all that existed here
all that once traded in the name of good fortune
and is now in hiding, now in exile
a museum of squandered opportunities.

Look who's got wings to fly

Kunal Kamra is talking about flying again, on Twitter. But this time, when all airlines in the country are grounded to contain the spread of the Coronavirus, Kamra's flight ban has come to an end. "From what I understand, the flying ban that was imposed on January 28 should have ended on April 28," he told this diarist. He continues to find humour in the situation, as he has before, and added, "My three-month airline ban has been lifted; now waiting for the airlines to fly."

All for India

In order to keep the country entertained during these trying times and raise money for the PM CARES fund, YouTube will host a day-long digital event in association with over 100 creators, musicians, actors and comedians, who will live-stream performances from their homes today. Singer Benny Dayal, who will be part of the show, said, "It will be a special concert as it brings together hundreds of artistes to rally behind those who are making sure that we are safe. The phrase 'one nation' speaks a lot. It's a toned-down version of the concerts that we are used to, but it's fun."

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With the lockdown prompting students and parents in uncertainty, schools in Mumbai have been acting on requests received from parents on rolling back fees and refunding miscellaneous fares.

According to a report in The Times of India, city schools have been rolling back fees for bus and canteen as children are attending classes online and not availing the services.

Parents have been requesting for financial relief from the school as they have been facing pressure in terms of their jobs and businesses due to the lockdown imposed by the government due to the Coronavirus outbreak. A parent was quoted by the newspaper as saying that the requests for carrying forward a portion of tuition fees and/or additional variable costs to the next term were also made, to which schools replied that they are looking for ways to address the concerns in the best possible way.

The Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Bandra Kurla Complex issued a notice to students and parents that states, "During this time, as we offer virtual classes, your child is not availing the school transport service and the canteen snack facility. Taking this into account, the school has decided to refund the charges paid toward these services for the current quarter of 2020."

Addressing the concerns by parents, the management of the Children’s Academy Group of Schools said that they have decided to roll back on the fee hike. The school’s trustee Rohan Bhatt was quoted by the newspaper saying that "We understand that the parents also might be going through a difficult period financially and, hence, have decided to roll back the fee hike for at least six months," adding that they are also allowing parents to pay the fees at their own pace. However, the trustee also mentioned that if the situation persists, the school may face trouble in paying the salaries of teachers and staff.

On the other hand, some parents said that they are willing to pay the schools until they can afford to and as long as children are getting their education from online classes. Lauding the efforts by the teachers, a parent was quoted by the newspaper as saying, "The efforts the teachers and school are putting into teaching the kids is phenomenal. My child is learning everything from football to keyboard through online classes. So as long as we can, we would be willing to support the school."

Meanwhile, on the circular issued by the Maharashtra state education board, asking schools to be considerate while demanding fees for the ongoing and the next academic year, state education minister Varsha Gaikwad said on Friday that the parents can lodge a complain to the district education officers if schools are forcing them to pay during the lockdown period.

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Bombay High Court on Thursday issued notice's to Maharashtra government and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on a petition seeking a CBI probe, a fast track court trial and compensation in the Palghar mob lynching incident. A single-judge bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan issued the notices and sought a reply from the respondents on the petition within a period of two weeks.

Plea demanding CBI/SIT probe, trial in fast track court and compensation in Palghar incident: Bombay High Court has admitted the plea for hearing, has issued notices to Maharashtra state and CBI and has asked them to respond on the notices within 2 weeks. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/EmJ5xKRYXV

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2020

The petition, filed by Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava, sought directions to transfer the investigation in the incident from CID-Crime to the Central Bureau of Investigation or alternatively constitute a special investigation team (SIT) monitored by the court to prove the incident.

The petition also sought directions to conduct the trial in the case by a fast track court in an expeditious and time-bound manner, and a compensation of Rs 1 crore to the family of the driver who was killed in the incident. The plea said that there are serious allegations of commission and omission on the part of the local police personnel themselves in the brutal crime and added that it is in the interest of justice to get the investigation of the case done by any independent agency.

"Directions in the nature of Mandamus to the State of Maharashtra to initiate stringent disciplinary action as well as penal action under Indian Penal Code (IPC) by way of registration of FIR, against the concerned policemen, whose acts and omissions led to the aforesaid brutal lynching," the plea said. "The brutal lynching of the old aged spiritual leaders has sent a wrong message to the society at large and thus it is in the interest of justice to direct for speedy and expeditious trial of the instant case," it said.

Two sadhus and their driver, who were travelling from Kandivali in Mumbai to Gujarat, were beaten to death on April 16, allegedly by villagers in Gadchinchle of Palghar, as they suspected them of being thieves.

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Lying in hope

A child rests on a hammock at a camp that migrant workers looking to return to Tamil Nadu have set up, in Mahim on Thursday. Pic/Suresh Karkare

Guess who came to dinner

Rishi Kapoor at the Kapadia household when he went for dinner

The world lost not just a distinguished actor, but also a passionate foodie when Rishi Kapoor passed away yesterday. His family also alluded to that side of his in the public statement they put out after his death. But Kapoor didn't just like to eat. He even helped out youngsters trying to gain a foothold in the F&B industry, as was the case with Munaf Kapadia of The Bohri Kitchen. He shared that he'd once delivered food to the Kapoor household in Bandra and been introduced to the family in October 2017. The late actor had paid Kapadia a visit at his home in Colaba once after that, and left a genuine impact on what was then a small business, a family enterprise with a few people, which would take on one-off catering assignments.

"He had a meal with my parents and was very respectful towards them, when it was especially a big deal for them since he was their childhood star. I discussed artificial intelligence with him. It was that kind of an experience, you know? He was the first person who evaporated the Bollywood barrier for me and created a window that led to many opportunities over the years, from investments to more people from films," Kapadia told this diarist about a person who had as big a heart as he had an appetite. 

Not giving a damn

Irrfan Khan (left) and Papa CJ at the interview

Tom Hanks once famously said in an interview that he always thought he was the coolest guy in the room, until Irrfan Khan walked in. But apart from this unflappable demeanour, what made Khan an endearing human being is how he had no airs about himself. Comedian Papa CJ discovered this when he once conducted a lengthy interview with the actor in 2016. "The most beautiful thing I learnt from that interview is that as human beings, our journey is inward. He was so honest and open, and offered such an insight into his mind — from his parents to childhood and right up to death," he told this diarist. Ironically, the last question in that interview — which had been conducted before Khan was diagnosed with a rare cancer — had been about how he would like to be remembered after his death. His answer? "I don't think about it, and I don't give a damn."  

Diners feel at home during lockdown

A recent survey has revealed that people are apprehensive about ordering for food from outside after a pizza delivery boy tested positive for COVID-19. They would much rather cook for themselves at home. Neta App, a technology platform that aims to foster political accountability, said that 91 per cent of those sampled across Indian cities said they preferred to eat in than ask for home delivery. In Mumbai, this figure was 81 per cent. Not just that, 22 per cent of the total respondents also said that they would object if they saw their neighbours getting food delivered. As the app's founder Pratham Mittal said, "Food delivery has suddenly changed from being a personal decision to a community decision." 

Free to stream

Made in 2006, Q2P is a documentary that shows how toilets in India are a symbol of caste, class and — most importantly — gender inequality. It was recently chosen as the free film of the month by the Royal Anthropological Institute in the UK. "A toilet is like a little piece of that dream called development. It is a metaphor for the idea of a global city," director and mid-day columnist Paromita Vohra said, adding that there was hardly any information available on the subject when she made the film.

Let's start sharing at the table

One of the bigger sectors that has been hit hard due to the lockdown is the restaurant industry, which is why the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) is asking customers to lend a helping hand. It's started an initiative called Rise4Restaurants to give employees and members some succour, and NRAI president Anurag Katriar told us, "The idea is simple. See, we are struggling to pay salaries because there is no income and we don't know when this will end.

So we are telling our guests to buy a `1,000 voucher for `750, out of which you pay `250 right now and the rest later on. Why `250? Because 25 per cent of our sales is towards manpower and this money will go towards helping them out." Log on to r4r.nrai.org for more details.

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Ahead of the crucial Legislative Council election in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday paid a courtesy visit to Raj Bhavan here on the occasion of Maharashtra Day and met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Their meeting lasted for around 20 minutes. The move comes at a time when the Election Commission of India (ECI) is scheduled to hold a meeting over elections to the Legislative Council in Maharashtra. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9.30 am today. Every year, Governor and Chief Minister meet on Maharashtra Day in a traditional parade at Shivaji Park but this year the celebrations are curtailed due to COVID-19. So, the Chief Minister went to Raj Bhavan to call on the Governor, a CMO official said.

Earlier, Governor Koshyari had requested the ECI for the election to nine seats of the Legislative Council in the state. The Governor has made the request in a letter to the Election Commission, to fill the 9 seats in the legislative council, that has been lying vacant from April 24, "with a view to ending the current uncertainty in the state." He has stated that the Central government has announced many relaxation measures regarding the enforcement of lockdown in the country. As such the elections to the council seats can be held with certain guidelines, said Koshyari.

"Since Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray is not a member of either house of the State Legislature, he needs to get elected to the Council before May 27," he added. Earlier, Election Commission had withheld the election process for these 9 seats in view of the COVID-19 situation in the country. This came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his nomination to the State Legislative Council. According to sources, Thackeray sought Prime Minister Modi's help, saying if it doesn't happen, he will have to resign.

Prior to that, the Maharashtra Cabinet had on April 28 once again had asked Governor Koshyari to nominate Chief Minister Thackeray to the State Legislative Council.

Before that on April 9, the state cabinet had recommended Thackeray's name for one of the two vacant MLC seats that were to be nominated by Koshyari to the Legislative Council to avoid a constitutional crisis.

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Such a long journey

Migratory birds including flamingos make the waters near Airoli Creek their home, when they arrive from colder regions in search of food. 

Relief comes from art

(Left) Untitled by Thota Vaikuntam; (right) Kurta series by Dharamanarayan Dasgupta

It was yesterday that Saffronart closed bidding and announced the collections for its unique COVID-19 Relief Fundraiser Auction. The collection was an encouraging R66 lakhs that will be donated to NGOs Goonj, Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action, and Stree Mukti Sanghatan that have been distributing essential items to affected communities. The auction released 52 artworks including paintings by artists Krishen Khanna and Thota Vaikuntam; and installations by Tayeba Begum Lipi, Dharmanarayan Dasgupta and many more.

Dinesh Vazirani, CEO, Saffronart revealed that he was humbled by the response to the auction and said, "We sincerely thank the art community for the generosity in both donating and bidding on works to support organisations doing important work on ground. After we receive the funds from the winning bidders, we will be disbursing them between the three organisations based on need and reach. We are in discussions with them regarding this".

Bonding over stories

Who better to lift your lockdown blues than the country's favourite children's author? Starting yesterday, an initiative by Prasar Bharati is bringing a collection of veteran storyteller and author Ruskin Bond's stories to All India Radio (AIR). What's more, they will be read out by the author himself. Available on all of AIR's radio and digital platforms, this is set to be a treat for listeners who enjoy stories from hilly Himalayan towns in his simplistic style. From the bustling markets to the devious old maharanis, the majestic trees and vibrant birds and yes to the occasional popping up of a ghosts — you'll find it all there.

Mapping Values

The response of countries to the pandemic has given us a glimpse of the values system they stand for. The importance of values as a means of understanding the rationale behind decisions taken by men and women, and by countries at large, is what researcher Dr Mandeep Rai's new book The Values Compass addresses. The title, which is available in e-book format, has assumed renewed significance in the current context. From India's faith to Vietnam's resilience, Argentina's passion to Singapore's order, Rai has looked at 101 countries to identify a single key value in each that is represented in its history, geography, and culture."Getting pregnant was a catalyst moment [to write the book]. Only this baby [the book] took a lot longer than nine months. So the experience of writing for me was like pumping blood into a beating heart. And now, the Coronavirus is reminding us that, if we want to understand a country, its values provide the most revealing lens," she said.

Remembering the worker

Komita Dhanda of Jana Natya Manch and MD Pallavi in a session

On May 1, World Labour Day, Leftword Publishers and Delhi-based bookstore May Day hosted an online celebration of workers' rights with performances from all over the world. Starting 1.30 pm and going on all the way till midnight, the line-up featured names like poet Aamir Aziz, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, comedy outfit Aisi Taisi Democracy, theatre group Jana Natya Manch and singer MD Pallavi among others. "The objective was to celebrate workers from all over the world. Right now, it is all the more obvious that they are running the world while we stay shut in our homes," Pallavi told this diarist after her session. 

A break from the laughter

Comedian Sorabh Pant, who has been hosting live sessions on social media every day of the lockdown to keep the spirits of those watching, high, took a different route in his video yesterday. He wasn't making the usual jokes and decided to pay tribute to actors Irrfan Khan and Rishi Kapoor in his own way. He talked about the legacies the two have left behind and a Twitter exchange he had with Khan over a joke. "I was prompted to talk about it from an audience member and it led me to the realisation that Irrfan was actually my favourite actor in the whole world. It became a tribute and also reminded me that I don't always have to attempt to be comedic about it. Though, I think, neither Khan nor Kapoor would have minded if I cracked a few jokes," he told this diarist.

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When speaking of Indian mythology, the focus is on the stories, symbols and rituals of major religions such as Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism. We ignore the mythologies of the various tribal communities of India, who have lived in the subcontinent long before the arrival of Aryan migrants. Their stories are fascinating.
The Santals found in Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand speak of how humans emerged from the egg of a goose and a gander, created by the gods, which included the High God, Thakur-Dev, the smaller spirits known as Bongas. In the beginning, they say the whole world was water, until the earthworms collected earth and placed it on the back of a turtle. Did this story inspire the Hindu idea of the earth on a turtle upheld by elephants?

The Korkus, scattered across the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, tell the story of a deer pursued by their ancestors that disappeared in a mountain cave. While waiting outside the cave, they were met by an ascetic, who gave them some rice to eat. The ascetic then introduced himself as Shiva and asked them to permanently settle down as farmers, not hunters. Another story recounts how Ravana strayed into the scenic but unpopulated forests. When he prayed to Shiva to populate those forests with people, Shiva directed his messenger, the crow, Kageshwar, to collect red soil from the hilly region. Shiva made two statues from the soil, of a man and a woman. However, before Shiva could infuse them with life, an angry Indra got his horses to destroy the statues. This, in turn, angered Shiva, who made two dogs out of the red soil, infused them with life and drove Indra's horses away. Shiva then remade the two human statues and infused life into them. Known as Moola and Moolis, they are the ancestors of the Korku tribe. The Korku worship Shiva, Ravana and the dog. And the driving away of Indra does allude to some rejection of 'civilised' Aryans, though Shiva himself is a Vedic god.

The Baigas are a tribe dispersed across Madhya Pradesh. They say that in the beginning, there was only water all around and no land. Then, Brahma made land in the midst of the water. Immediately, two people emerged from the land—one a brahman and the other a sadhu Naga Baiga. Brahma gave the brahmin some paper to start studying and writing. He gave the Baiga a tangiya, or a sickle. He also gave the Baiga some kodo and kutki grains and ordered him to start farming. From that day on, the Baigas have been farming, while brahmins focussed on getting educated.

Because there are over 500 tribes in India, and each one has a unique mythology, their mythology is often ignored when studying wider trends and patterns. They are often seen as being simpler, etiological (explaining causes), sometimes proto-history, but rarely having deep psychological insight. This could be the prejudice of the researcher or simply the nature of tribes, where the focus is less on introspection and more on ritual rhythms of life. It is easy to see the influence of Hindu lore on tribal mythologies, but the reverse flow is also true.

Stories of boars raising earth from the bottom of the sea found in Vedas could very well have tribal origins.

The author writes and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. Reach him at devdutt.pattanaik@mid-day.com

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Irrfan moves to bandra

Mumbai artist Ranjit Dahiya, founder of the Bollywood Art Project, instructs a worker as he puts final touches on a mural of actor Irrfan Khan at Chapel Road on Friday evening. Khan passed away on Wednesday, after fighting Cancer for two years. Dahiya, who is also behind the murals of Amitabh Bachchan and Anarkali in Bandra, started work on the mural on the day Khan died. He lives near Chapel Road and was hence, able to work on the wall, regardless of the lockdown. He founded The Bollywood Art Project to transform the walls of the city with graffiti art influenced by the design tradition of hand-painted Bollywood posters, as an ode to Indian Cinema. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Combating Corona

Retired Cdr. Rajeshwari Kori, the first Indian woman to have sailed on board a warship, is currently fighting a war against the Coronavirus. Kori, who is now the deputy controller of civil defence in Raigad district of Maharashtra, is making provisions for medical equipment and grains for hospitals.

"We have started this initiative under the guidance of Raigad collector Nidhi Chowdhary. Apart from using government resources, we are receiving funds from donors, NGOs and friends. The whole experience has been satisfying so far.

There are 15 tehsils under Raigad, of which we consolidate a list of demands and try to help them on priority basis. This is just to tell the hospital staff
that they are not in this alone, we are with them," Kori told this diarist.

Chrissie, that enduring darling of world tennis

Chris Evert lifts the 1981 Wimbledon singles trophy in London. Pic/Getty Images

Women tennis players have contributed greatly in popularising the game and the racquet sport has had some enduring darlings over the years.

High on that list is Chris Evert, who through her smart comments on Twitter provides every reason to believe that she is not an "in my time, we did things this way" kind of former player.

If not for the lockdown, Chris Evert would have been preparing to enjoy another commentary stint at Wimbledon. And while she stays home in America, we thought of providing an example of her popularity even in other countries during her playing days. Martina Navratilova, her fiercest rival on court, was being visited in North Dallas by her Czech grandmother in 1981.

Since Chris and Martina were the closest of friends, it was inevitable that Andela Subertova, 84, met Chris. The old lady was over the moon to meet the then 1974 and 1976 Wimbledon champion, which caused Martina to exclaim: "She [Subertova] says she's going to brag when she gets home that she met Chris."

Chris claimed her last Wimbledon crown in 1981 after demolishing Czech Hana Mandlikova, who had overcome Martina in the semis. Considering Subertova's affection for Chris, the grand old lady wouldn't have been too down.

Moms prepare their kids to leave the nest

Anju Kish

The mothers of children studying in Standard 12 at Jamnabai Narsee International School have come together for a thoughtful initiative. The plan was hatched in a WhatsApp group, where the moms decided to equip their children with skills they will need when they step out to pursue higher education. They have been conducting skill-sharing webinars on Zoom and these sessions are facilitated by various moms, who are experts in their own fields. They have conducted four such sessions so far.

Sheila Navlakha

One of them was about communication skills and how to make the most of one's college experience by communicating with ease. It was conducted by Sheila Navlakha, a mom who is also the founder of SNS Trainers. The last one focused on sexual literacy. It was facilitated by Anju Kish, a mom who founded Untaboo, and Apurupa Vatsalya, the director of programs and advoacy at Kish's company. "The session revolved around the top five things every 18-year-old should know when it comes to sex, such as sexual and social consent, resisting the pressure to have sexual intercourse for the first time, safe sex practices, sexual behaviours such as sexting and the possible repercussions of these behaviours, and gender sensitivity," explained Kish. She plans to facilitate a session for the parents in the coming week, talking to them about how they can support their children in exhibiting healthy sexual behaviour.

Midnight musings with Raman Iyer

One is never too old for bedtime stories, especially if it's accompanied by soulful music. It's why we are loving Raman Iyer's daily midnight Instagram Live audio podcast on his handle @ramaniyer. Iyer, who is the co-founder of Mumbai-based folk fusion band Kabir Cafe, can be heard narrating ancient folk tales, and stories from Indian history and mythology, all while playing the mandolin, where he switches from Hindustani to Carnatic, and Western Classical.

"My idea of getaways is to disappear into libraries. I make notes and don't always agree with what's written in books. So, I decided to share whatever little I've gathered, along with my reflections, in an intimate setting at a quiet hour. It's kind of like a terrace/campsite feeling, where this old uncle tells stories and takes a break to strum an instrument," he shares, adding, "Also, it's fun to bring back the charm of the radio, on Instagram, a highly visual space."

Hair I come

Bollywood's well-known hair and make-up artiste, Florian Hurel, has put in long hours at work. But, participating in a 24-hour livestream hair event will be a first. On May 5, 36 different hair and beauty care professionals from 19 countries will come under one digital roof.

The initiative titled @Hairdressers United will see experts curate new styles, showcase tutorials and analyse the evolution of the hair industry. "I think hair will be a great medium of expression. People will want to speak through their hair, tell stories and make the world a better place," said Hurel.

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Coronavirus has brought everyone down to their knees, especially those who are suffering with ailments such as diabetes.

COVID-19 had mad eits way in the BEST department but the discharge of three conducters proved to be a silver lining, especially for the one who had diabetes.

The conductor was discharged from the hospital on Saturday morning, according to a report in The Times of India.

The conductor was admitted to the hospital on April 18 and even though his condition was deteriorating, he battled against all odds and recovered withing 2 weeks.

BEST cheif medical officer, Dr Anil Kumar Singhal said, "We are happy about our Corona survivor who was discharged with a negative report and sound health, and expect more recoveries in coming days."

Six more BEST staff detected positive for Coronavirus on Saturday, taking the total number from 29 to 35.

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Time slides by

A security guard uses the slide as a couch to relax on Sunday at Five Gardens, Dadar East Pic/Ashish Raje

A day in the life of Irrfan Khan

Irrfan with Heggode at the ashram

Everyone is aware of what a classy actor Irrfan Khan was, but not many people know about another side of his — the fact that he championed the cause of activism in his lifetime. Playwright and social activist Prasanna Heggode recently shared photos taken on a day that the actor and his wife spent at Badarwal Gandhi Ashram in Karnataka. The pictures show Khan examining women who are weaving cotton, and he later also interacted with other activists to understand grassroot reality when it comes to agriculture and handloom. Heggode also shared how the place had no bathrooms, and Khan ate food cooked on a wood fire. "Irrfan showed keen interest in every minute detail that goes into activism," he said.

Joining forces

The biggest concert in the country thus far took place online yesterday, with big-ticket names including Zakir Hussain, AR Rahman and Sunidhi Chauhan, and international stars such as Mick Jagger, Sophie Turner and Nick Jonas. All the proceeds from the gig will be donated to the NGO, Give India. Musician Ankur Tewari, who was also part of the line-up, told this diarist, "I have performed for online concerts for charity earlier, and since I sensed from the comments that we receive that people are experiencing heightened anxiety, I tried to pick songs that highlighted the positive side to life, instead of showing the glass as half empty"

Pumped up

At a time when zero contact is the need of the hour, Gamdevi's AVL (Advanced Video Lab) Retail has developed a foot-pedal hand sanitiser. This allows the product to be dispensed via pressing your foot against a pedal at the bottom. The store also offers walking sticks with adjustable height that also doubles as a foldable chair as well as laptop storing and charging karts. "As a fabrication business, we have to create products that people are in urgent need of at this moment. We developed it a month and a half ago, and have been supplying to hospitals, societies and other institutions. Delivery is available all over Mumbai and for other cities, courier charges are applicable," founder Kamal Dharamsey told this diarist. The product retails at '2,500 (plus 18 per cent GST) and can be ordered by calling 9819893075.

Dance to a different beat

Theatre practitioner Quasar Thakore-Padamsee is up to something different in the lockdown. He took to his social media recently to share a crowd-funding request for a dance production that he is involved in. Odissi dancers who have had some experience with contemporary dance, Bhavna Pani, Charvi Budhdeo, Namaha Mazoomdar, Nupura Bhaskar and Gia Singh Arora, have come together for a performance themed on silence in dialogue, that was to open in June. "It was a project I was brought on board for as an outsider to help put it together. It's however an exciting time to be producing something during these times. The influence makes its way into the work. Also, we are actually rehearsing over Zoom and that's interesting," Thakore-Padamsee told this diarist. To support the project, log on to ketto.org.

A classical idea

Thane-based Suranjan Trust is an organisation that promotes Hindustani classical music, and the platform is organising a digital competition for the genre. It's called Passion 2020, and Chinmay Lele from the trust said, "The auditions will conducted be in three batches, with May 17 being the last date for registrations. We will send a Google Drive link to the applicants, who will then have to upload a video of them performing, with the shortlisted people performing on Facebook Live by May-end."

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Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani is undoubtedly one of the coolest politicians. From sharing throwbacks pictures to family pictures and much more, Smriti always manages to tickle the funny bone and keep her followers entertained.

Although being locked at home like others due to the coronavirus epidemic, Smriti Irani recently took to Instagram new trend, the gibberish challenge. For many who don't know, the gibberish challenge on the gram is a much-in-fad filter where users have to guess the word or a phrase.

A screengarb of Smriti's first gibberish challenge

Upon taking the challenge, a random phrase or a word appears on the screen with a set time limit. Once the timer is over, the right answer pops up on the screen. The 44-year-old minister took part in the gibberish challenge twice and guess what? Smriti absolutely nailed it. Smriti also shared videos of the same as her Instagram stories.

A screengrab of Smriti's second gibberish challenge which lefet her shocked and surprised

While Smriti nailed the first one right, in the second gibberish challenge which came with a twist had its own set of challenges. Though she guessed the right answer 'Hugh Jackman', the answer for some reason appeared as 'Ryan Reynolds', which left the minister quite upset and her expressions said it all.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Weaving new possibilities 🙏#supportweavers #makeinindia #handcraftedinindia

A post shared by Smriti Irani (@smritiiraniofficial) onMay 2, 2020 at 12:11am PDT

Before taking part in the gibberish challenge, Smriti shared two pictures where she was seen donning handcrafted face masks made by weavers. Urging people to supports weavers and products made in India, Smriti captioned the picture: Weaving new possibilities!

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Monday was a confusing mess with the BMC not issuing clear orders on the reopening of shops and liquor stores. Many ward officers did not allow any shops to open until orders came from the municipal commissioner and clarification on what shops can remain open on one street.

Wine shops in Dahisar were not allowed to reopen. "We haven't received any circular, guidelines from the headquarters. Until that happens, we can't allow non-essential or wine shops to open," said Sandhya Nandedkar, assistant commissioner of R North ward. In Dadar-Worli area, wine shops were closed. "There isn't any order from the BMC. The shops can't open without proper permissions," said Prakash Patankar, ex-corporator from Dadar.

A crowd outside a wine shop in Walkeshwar on Monday. Pic/Bipin Kokate

"The state's order said that not more than five shops can open on one road. How can we select the shops? Shop-owners who want to resume business should apply to us," said a senior BMC officer. But the BMC has not issued a circular regarding such applications. Even BMC officers were confused over action on wine shops, some of which were open throughout the day, without the corporation's order.

Shopkeepers exasperated
A Worli shop-owner said, "Whose orders are to be followed? There is a lot of confusion, we are already in a mess and what the government is doing is harassment."

"The new MHA notification is a good start to get the economy moving. Mumbai has rules apart from the state notification — of only opening five non-essential stores per lane. There is a requirement to get further clearances from local authorities," said Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India.

People wait to buy liquor outside a shop in Mulund. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

Municipal chief Praveen Pardeshi was not available for comment.

Early birds get nothing
Wine shops across the city saw people queuing up right from 6 am on Monday, expecting to quickly procure the available stock. Amid confusion over the reopening, police eventually dispersed everyone. Queues were seen in Lalbaug, Parel, Kalachowkie, Matunga, Sion and Mahim.

On Monday morning, Sachin Jadhav, standing outside Circle wine shop in Matunga, said, "I have been without alcohol for 45 days. I am ready to consume it." Another shopper, Rajesh Pandit, said, "The shop has been closed for a month and a half. There is a fear that it will run out of stock very soon. Which is why I got up early in the morning."

People queue up to buy liquor in Vile Parle East. Pic/Rane Ashish

Quiet Bandra
In Bandra, most groceries and pharmacies operated as per usual. A couple of shops selling electronic items kept shutters half open. No stationery or hardware shops were open. An optician on Hill Road was among the few shops open to regular customers. Owner Piyush Chheda said he opened shop even though there isn't much clarity on rules. "Customers have been calling regarding their orders. It is an essential item. I opened the shop at 10:30 am and will close at 2:30 pm," said Chheda.

A garment store, Fascination, was open near Khar Pali Road. Owner Shiv Dang said, "We opened the shop at noon and will be open till 7 pm. We called only half the staffers who live nearby." Dang did not receive any communication from BMC.

H West ward officials said they haven't received orders from the BMC. "We are hoping to get directions from senior officials by the end of the day about which five shops may remain open. We will inform shop-owners accordingly," said an official.

While most wine shops were shut, Silver Coin Wines on Ambedkar Road opened and saw a crowd of at least 100, some of them without a mask.

Chaotic Mulund wine shops
In Mulund, shops opened in the morning but shut down around noon, with only pharmacies allowed to remain open. "We have been open all this while and our business remains unaffected. Though supply is limited to important medicines," said a pharmacist.

A liquor shop at Ambedkar Road, Bandra on Monday morning

Wine shops were the main attraction with complete chaos, long queues, no social distancing. Shops at Mulund check naka, LBS Road, Veena Nagar had long queues and crowds.

Grocers followed the usual specified timings. Milind Gala from Mulund East said, "Though all kinds of shops have been allowed to remain open, supply is limited." The limited timings also saw more crowds.

A few stationery vendors said there had been no orders from local civic officials or police on reopening. "There is too much confusion and we will end up losing our licence. Hence, we decided to remain closed," said Jayeshbhai from Mulund west.

Why open wine shops?
Mulund resident Keshav Madhukar said, "Though the easing of the lockdown is welcome, there seems to be confusion among heads of departments in implementing orders. There is no clarity on how things will work."

Another resident Gaurav Kumar said, "At the check naka in Mulund, there were crowds at liquor shops. Is this supposed to be a lockdown in a red zone?"

Another citizen Risshita Gada said, "Was it so important to open wine shops? How will social distancing be followed?"

Later in the day, BMC's T Ward tweeted clarifying that except for essential commodity shops, no other shops were allowed to open.

Mulund MLA Mihir Kotecha said, "I have put up details of which shops will remain open and which won't. I have also met around 140 housing society secretaries via video conferencing to discuss the way forward. If you need to step out, make a proper plan. List things up and fetch all of it in one go."

Borivli residents saddened
Residents of Borivli were rather disappointed as absolutely no wine shops were open. Among the non-essential shops allowed to open, only two- and four-wheeler mechanics, sweets and farsan shops and small stationary outlets which had photocopy machines were allowed to open. A few hardware and electronic repair shops were open, while groceries and pharmacies functioned as usual.

Residents also queued up outside wine shops early morning. "People started queuing up from 8.30-9 am. The crowd soon left as shops did not open. But people kept checking in throughout the day," said Jitesh Jain, who runs a grocery shop in I C Colony, where two to three wine shops are located nearby. "Looking at what has happened at other wine shops, it is good that the ones here were closed," said a customer, Harish Ganega who was in the queue at Jain's shop.

Other non-essential shop-owners remained confused. Dheeraj Purohit, owner of Purohit sweets and farsan shop outside Borivli station, said, "We opened today and will most likely shut by lunch time. We wanted to see how it works, whether social distancing is possible. There is similar confusion among several shop-owners which is why many are closed."

Mira Road groceries reopen
Grocery shops opened after 13 days in Mira Road and saw long queues. The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) had imposed a complete lockdown from April 20 to May 2. Only milk booths and pharmacies were allowed to remain open for a few hours.

Other than groceries and bakeries, no other shops were allowed to open. Milk booths were open till 11 am and pharmacies till 9 pm.

MBMC allowed grocery and bakery shops to remain open from 9 am to 3 pm. Vegetable vendors are still not allowed on roads or in open spaces and MBMC has permitted only home delivery. "We bought enough groceries last month, but some items like tea powder, groundnuts are finished. How can we ask for home deliveries for such a small order?" said a customer in a queue at Shiv Shakti shop. Another woman said that while groceries were giving home delivery, shops selling various flours, spices and coconuts were closed.

Andheri comes alive
Andheri seemed lively and bustling since morning. Although not all wine shops were open, the ones that were, like Pinky Wines in Oshiwara, had serpentine queues stretching more than 200 metres. People even waited throughout the afternoon when the shop was closed for lunch. General stores had longer queues than usual.

There was a visible increase in the number of vehicles plying between Andheri and Juhu. Lokhandwala Market had numerous cars double parked on the road. Four bungalows too, was packed and bustling till around noon, but slowed down after cops began patrolling.

13
No. of days after which groceries opened in Mira Road

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In graphic company

No one likes wearing a mask and the faces on the wall make the displeasure clear, but it's safety first for this man at Thakur Village, Kandivli, on Monday. Pic/Satej Shinde

Music makes a difference

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada, known not just for her work but also for causes close to her heart, is at it again. On social media, she is offering to sing a personalised song or a birthday wish in return for a donation for a Coronavirus-related charity. "I have a collated list of families who need support," she told this diarist. She has taken as many as 1,277 requests so far for over 500 beneficiary families in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal and Karnataka. "I have been singing on requests and birthday wishes for a long time without monetising it. I thought, why not change it into a donation drive?" she reasoned.

How art matters today

Gayatri and Vikas Oberoi with sons Vihaan (in green tee) and Yuvaan (in red)

Real estate developer Vikas and Gayatri Oberoi's son, Vihaan, 13, is an aspiring artist, studying at the Oberoi International School. His passion led him to pursue acrylic painting and drawing. The self-taught youngster's tools vary from painting knives to cooking pan lids. He particularly enjoys working on multiple canvases making diptychs and triptychs as he loves the disconnection and continuity of such form of paintings. Vihaan shares, "Knowing the situation we are in, and learning about the hardships people are facing under lockdown, I have used my time at home to compile my work for an online exhibition (https://colorwaysbyvihaan.org). I was always keen on holding a show; it's fulfilling to know that it will help people in need." Proceeds will be collected by the Oberoi Foundation and donated to NGO Teach for India's COVID-19 Relief and Learning Fund. "I hope my art brings as much positivity to people, as creating it did for me," adds Vihaan. His parents have always been encouraging: "We are thrilled that he can contribute to a cause when it is most needed. We will continue to guide his creative mind and generosity, and are thankful for the appreciation he has received."

Vihaan painting

Taking the stage for 10 years

City-based theatre production company Tpot has turned 10. Formed in 2010 by actor, writer and director Trishla Patel and her husband Vishal Capoor, they have been sharing interesting tidbits and behind-the-scene moments about some of their iconic productions including Aaj Rang Hai, Char Small, Zinga Zinga Roses and In Search of an Author. Patel told this diarist that she didn't foresee herself hitting this milestone. "I thought I'd do one play. I didn't even have a name for the company; it came about over a drunken night with my husband at a Chinese restaurant. I feel like my writing and plays have grown more mature over time" she added.

Pawse and post

Spending time with the doggo on your daily commute never failed to make your day better. So, while you cannot do that as often now, here's an opportunity to relive those happy moments. The Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD) India has started an Instagram campaign where all you need to do is post a picture with a streetie taken pre-lockdown, tag WSD and five other people and use the hashtags #LockdownSpiritsUp, #wsd and #wsdindia. About the importance of this project, Abodh Aras, CEO of WSD, told this diarist, "During these times of uncertainty, the initiative focusses on how the street dogs and cats bring about positivity and cheer. Just looking at these photos brings a smile to our faces. And it nudges us take care of them too."

Soirée with Shabana Azmi

Last week, Manjul Publishing House started a live event, titled Dastaan-e-Sheron Shayaari on Instagram which ends today. And the weekend saw journalist and poet Atika Farooqui in conversation with Shabana Azmi. Here, viewers got to listen to Azmi's views on life during the lockdown, her accident and growing up in Janki Kutir, Juhu. She spoke about the independent film Waterborne that she was part of 15 years ago, which was to be released on Google's video store only, and mentioned how people expressed their hesitance of the online medium to her. But Azmi had said then, "Yeh humara future hai aur is future ke liye hum ko abhi se preparation karna padega."

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A fire was reported on the sixth floor of Atlas building in Napean Sea Road, on Tuesday morning. While no casualties were reported, two women were rescued from the building, a fire official said.

The fire was reported in the 11-storey residential building at 4:41 am on Tuesday and the fire brigade arrived at the scene at 4:55 am. As the intensity of the fire increased it was reported as a Level 2 fire. It gutted its two bedrooms, electric wiring and installations, wooden beds, bedding, furniture, and clothing, the official said.

The fire was brought under control within four hours, at 8.40 am, with the help of eight fire engines. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, the official added.

(with PTI inputs)

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With the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak prompting governments to impose lockdowns in different parts of the world, officials have been coming up with creative ways to spread awareness and make people stay at home. From cops dressed as Yamraj, the god of death, to some cops wearing helmets with spikes that resemble that of the virus, the internet has seen it all.

Now, a lawyer dressed as the omen of death, ‘Grim Reaper’ has taken it upon himself to make sure people of Florida maintain social distance. Daniel Uhlfelder has been dressing up as the Grim Reaper and taking strolls of the Florida beach, that has been opened to public to ensure people maintain the advised distance from each other, that has also make netizens sit up and take notice of him.

Wearing a black ragged robe, a mask and carrying a long-handled scythe, Uhlfelder has posted photos of himself advising people not only to maintain social distance but also stay at home till the situation improves.

Stay home Florida pic.twitter.com/MV4fyAXvwu

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 1, 2020

Busy day pic.twitter.com/uBmjaHmp2r

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 1, 2020

Uhlfelder also announced on his Twitter account that he will be touring the beaches of Florida from May 1 to spread awareness about importance of social distancing, wearing the garb of the Grim Reaper. He has also sharing his experiences, especially his frequent run-ins with the police, while on tour.

Someone called the cops on my Grim Reaper tour pic.twitter.com/wTP1pPymm2

— Daniel Uhlfelder (@DWUhlfelderLaw) May 4, 2020

His pictures donning the scary garb has garnered more than 13,000 likes on Twitter. The Twitterati has been showering him with praises and support in the comments.

pic.twitter.com/YFkuhCqVZI

— Adrian Steel🕵🏻ðŸÂŒ (@montana_steel) May 3, 2020

My family and I fully support you while we continue staying at home.

— Kenneth Sikora (@KennethSikora) May 1, 2020

pic.twitter.com/5gzfQDYJEP

— Laura Apollo (@lauraapollo) May 1, 2020

What do you think about the posts?

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The Centre and state governments' relief plan for migrants involving transportation home seems to have failed to convince migrants who are continuing to set out with their kids and meagre belongings for their hometowns in the scorching heat. Daily wagers are facing all kinds of hardships ranging from lack of food and footwear, to carrying heavy loads over hundreds of kilometres.

Between Bhiwandi and Vasai was where mid-day met these workers, some of who are taking the assistance of Google Maps for shortest routes, on Tuesday morning.

Migrants spend all night walking and the sweltering days under the shade of trees lining the highways on their way to their hometowns. Pics/Hanif Patel

A group of migrants, who used to work at a brick kiln in Vasai, began their journey in the wee hours of Monday, claiming that they were not approached by any government authority for transport back home, nor are they allowed to get tested for COVID-19.

"All the doctors are scared to touch us. They think we might be COVID-19 positive. Also, we were told that we will have to pay for the train journey to Prayagraj. How can we pay the government if we don't have a single penny in our pocket?" said Rajkumar, who worked in a brick kiln in Gorai pada, Vasai with his family members.

The distance between Mumbai and Prayagraj is 1,387 kilometres.

No work here
"We all were patiently waiting for the lockdown to end on May 3, but it was extended again. People have been saying that Coronavirus cases are increasing rapidly in Mumbai and Vasai-Virar area. I am worried about the well-being of my family. What will we do if we continue to stay in Vasai? There is no work," said Rajkumar, who has been walking on foot with his family members including women and toddlers who are barefoot.

They only have a few packets of biscuits and a water jar and are depending completely on help from Good Samaritans en route.

"We will starve here, and we will starve in our village too. Better that we die in our village," said Rajkumar.

Kids ask for food
"Children ask for food. Also, they can't walk for long distances. We have to carry them and our belongings," said Ashok, who has been leading his family and other migrant workers using Google Maps for the shortest possible route to Prayagraj.

And if the network becomes poor, Ashok said, "I will ask local people to suggest the best route."

A 10-year-old boy from a different family walking to Prayagraj was seen carrying a pressure cooker on his head. Lalman, the boy's relative, said, "The government has not done anything for us. Doctors pe helicopter se phool barasaye jaa rahe hain, aur hum logon ko khana bhi naseeb me nahin hai."

Another family, which was working as construction labourers in Vasai, told mid-day that they had been living in makeshift tents in an open field. "The rainy season is about to come. How and where will we take shelter during monsoon? Our tents will be inundated. So, it is wise to reach our village in Jalna district before the rainy season starts," said Gajanand.

Migrant worker Ramlal twisted his foot while walking. "It has been paining a lot but there is no other option than to walk home. We labourers mean nothing to the government. Otherwise, we too would have been showered with flower petals from a helicopter. We are paying for being poor," said Ramlal, who walks for a few metres and then stops to rest his foot.

1,387
Distance in km between Vasai and Prayagraj in UP

1,387km
Distance between Vasai and Prayagraj

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