As long as the choosing beggars continue to present themselves, it's up to the rest of the world to serve them up reality checks, free of charge. This particular impatient choosing beggar experienced a nice wakeup moment, after pestering an artist to rush a free drawing, after they already received one free drawing. The artist absolutely delivered. 

Glass containers in which Arora has collected soil from different parts of Aarey. PICS/ABIGAIL D’Souza 

A conversation with artist Vikram Arora throws up a vital piece of insight into the issue of deforestation at Aarey Colony. Arora, along with four artists from Hong Kong and a Serbian national based in Mumbai, is spending a few days living with locals in the city’s jeopardised green cover, and he tells us, “The tribals here have a family that doesn’t include only the people they live with. It includes the trees they planted, the animals and birds that depend on those trees, the leopards around them and so on. So everything is inter-dependent, and the fallout [of deforestation] is ecological in nature, because the birds don’t have those trees any more. And the leopards will confront humans because their habitat has been taken away.”

This is the issue that forms the backbone of a project called Forest Tales: Mysteries Hidden in Concrete. It involves the six people creating individual works of art based on their experience of living in the heart of Aarey Colony, immersing themselves in the local culture by tilling the soil that nurtures the food that their hosts cook for them.

Chim Chi Ho tilling soil

Arora tells us that one of his projects, for instance, requires him to collect 33 types of soil from different parts of Aarey, symbolic of the 33 hectares of land in the area that is lost to the demands of construction work for the disputed Metro project. “I will put these bits of soil into 33 different containers on which I will draw Warli art, a traditional tribal style. The idea is to archive the memory of the soil in case that land is also taken away in the future. I will present the different glass containers as an installation to show how, if we proceed without long-term planning, we will end up building a fragile future for ourselves,” he says.

The other project he has embarked on is called Cut Me a Slice of That. For it, he will bake a pie inspired by savelya, a local sweet dish made with coconut and jaggery, which his host taught him to make. He will then serve that pie cut into different pieces when the various works of art are showcased to the public at an event later this week. “It’s meant to reflect the sentiment of how the land grab is taking place, piece by piece. For example, every time there is an emergency in the city, the NSG commandos are given a space in Aarey. A veterinary college is also given space here if they want it. Now the Metro wants its chunk too for the car shed. So, they keep taking this land away piece by piece, through rampant deforestation,” he explains.

(From left) Michael Leung, Vikram Arora, Gum Cheng, Yip Kai Chun and Chim Chi Ho, the artists living in Aarey. Katarina Rasic is not in the photo

Arora adds, however, that not everyone in the local community is against displacement. A few padas (settlement clusters), he says, are happy because they think they will get a house in a tower, though they eventually might never get to reach this carrot being dangled before them. “They are driven by economic sensibilities, thinking they will be moving into high society when, and if, they get those houses. But the whole idea is not only about them shifting base. Instead, it’s about the trees that are being cut to facilitate that process,” he says, pointing out how unless this urbanisation challenge is managed in a sensitive manner, ecological concerns are bound to be sacrificed at the altar of rampant concretisation.

Vikram Arora

ON May 20 AT Keltipada, Adivasi Pada, Unit no 18, Aarey Milk Colony, Goregaon East.
LOG ON TO artoxygen.org

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Yes, you would have possibly spotted him somewhere. Probably in a movie. Most thi­nk that actor Ash Chand­l­er, who is performing wi­th his outfit Redux this weekend, has taken up mu­sic recently. The tr­uth is he fi­rst came to India (fr­om the US, where he grew up) in 1999 to release a Hindi pop album, and actually started out as stand-up comedian. 

While he paid attention to his acting career, it was when he had an accident four years ago that he felt revived — as did the musician in him. And he formed Ash Chandler Redux with Angelo Colaco (drums), Keith Donald (bass), Rahul Wadhwani (keys), Ulric Sequeira (guitar), Anand Vaity (saxophone, clarinet) and Heather Andrews (vocals).

The gig will include their re­ndition of jazz standards and tango cl­a­ssics in Spanish. "I want to write songs about lo­ve, and the nature of hum­a­ns. My original work hasn't be­en political. But I do be­lieve in spreading the me­ssage that everyone has to start accepting th­e­mselves and not seek va­lidation. It's crucial for pe­ace. Every drop of bl­o­od will result in 10 mo­re drops," he concludes.

ON March 3, 7 pm
AT NCPA,Tata Theatre, Nariman Point 
LOG ON TO bookmyshow.com
Cost Rs 300 onwards

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Photographer and graphic designer Anusha Yadav started the Indian Memory Project, an online, visual, narrative-based archive in 2010, to trace the history of the subcontinent via photographs and letters. Pic/Ashish Raje

EarLier this week, artist and oral historian Aanchal Malhotra, 28, travelled nearly 240 km to Chandigarh from Delhi, to meet a nonagenarian, who had lived through the Partition of 1947. As she speaks about it now, there's a lump in her throat. "I couldn't sleep that entire night," Malhotra confesses. "Even 70 years on, the woman is so afraid to talk about it. It had everything, from gun fire, to fleeing from her home in Pakistan, to her brother and mother being taken as prisoners, and to giving birth in a forest on her way to India. When she first delivered the baby, her immediate response was to throw it away. You can imagine what trauma she was experiencing." What surprised Malhotra most was when the 90-year-old asked her what she would do with her story. "I said that I wanted to publish it. The woman's immediate response was, 'who will read this?'. They really think that nobody cares. But, this is the story that has shaped the future of contemporary India."

The jewellery Aanchal Malhotra is wearing, was made in the North-West Frontier Province and was given to her great-grandmother, Lajvanti Gulyani, by her in-laws on her wedding to Hari Chand Gulyani in the year 1919. But it could have been in the Gulyani family before that as well. Since she became a widow quite young and was a single mother at the time of Partition, it was carried by her to India in 1947 because she thought she would be able to sell it and earn money to put her children through school. She then gave it to Malhotra’s grandmother, who has now given it to her. Pic/Nishad Alam

Malhotra is the author of Remnants of Separation (HarperCollins India), a book that revisited the Partition through objects carried across the border, and the co-founder — along with Navdha Malhotra — of The Museum of Material Memory, a digital repository of material culture of the Indian subcontinent, tracing family histories and ethnography through heirlooms and objects of antiquity. Since the launch of the archive last year, the founders have put together over 35 heartwarming object stories. Closer home, photographer and graphic designer Anusha Yadav's Indian Memory Project — an online, visual, narrative-based archive, founded in 2010, which traces the history of the subcontinent via photographs and letters — has helped us see history in another light. There is also Paris-based perfumer Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan, whose recently-published book, Pukka Indian: 100 objects that Define India (Roli Books), documents the most coveted symbols and designs representing our culture, by tracing its origin and significance in our lives. All three projects while different in essence and form, have one common intent — to record untold stories from our history and preserve them for posterity. But, as Malhotra's subject asked her, why should anyone be curious?

The chakla and belan originated in 7,500 – 6,000 BCE in Punjab. At the time, this region was cultivating wheat and barley extensively. Rather than using the flatness of the chakla and the pressure of the belan to what we might expect to be used around the country to make flatbread, whatever the ingredient might be, it is only in this region of north India that the chakla and belan were used simply because wheat and barley lend themselves to kneading. What must have been perceived as a high-technology kitchen tool then, the chakla and belan soon spread to other parts of the country. Text courtesy/Pukka India by Jahnvi Lakhota Nanda, Roli books; Pic/Shivani Gupta

Celebrating the mundane
Nandan, an alumnus of the School of Art and Design at Tsukuba University, Japan, admits that her project stemmed out of her curiosity to find out about the designs that define us an Indian. "Design is a mirror of our attitudes and habits. Through the course of writing this book on Indian design, I found that uniquely Indian gestures like churning, combing and calculating were reflected in it," she writes in the book. From the dabba, agarbatti, and kulhad, to Babuline gripe water, most of the objects Nandan chose for the book, have "either been made or originated in India, or have an element that is very Indian, or are being used in a very Indian context".

This picture is of Purvi Sanghvi’s grandfather Dwarkadas Jivanlal Sanghvi (extreme right in a black coat) and his brother Vallabhdas Jivanlal Sanghvi with their business partners at a Pen Exhibition in Bombay around 1951. The family ran Wilson Pens that quickly rose to huge fame and became a preferred choice of pens across the country. All government offices, law court, used the Wilson pens. The Wilson Pen Family made the orange, thick-nibbed pen that wrote the most fundamental document that defines the state of India: The Constitution of India written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Pic, Text Courtesy/Indian Memory Project/Contributed by Purvi Sanghvi, Mumbai

It's while working on the book that Nandan realised how "our own homes are a repository of history". Here, she relays an incident when Shivani Gupta, the photographer for Pukka Indian, had been anxious about finding a mandira — a butter churner — that Nandan had mentioned in the book. "She went home, and realised that she had five of them in her kitchen. She didn't even know she was sitting on so much wealth." Nandan adds, "We don't tend to celebrate the mundane. What we celebrate are things that have obvious value, like jewellery, the beautification of the body or the exotic."

Paris-based perfumer Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan's recent book, Pukka Indian, documents the most coveted symbols and designs representing Indian culture, by tracing its origin and significance in the lives of its users. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Object as a catalyst
Malhotra's interest in people's histories began while working on Remnants of Separation, which was an extension of her Master of Fine Arts thesis project for Concordia University, Canada. Malhotra's research began after she came across a gaz (a measuring device) and ghara (a pot), which belonged to her nana's family, and had crossed the border. "Sometimes the Partition is too traumatic to speak about. When I started my research, I didn't know where to begin or what I could ask, without sounding frivolous. The object became a catalyst to enter into that conversation. So, rather than me saying 'Oh! You lived through the Partition, that must be awful,' I was now asking relevant questions, like 'why did you choose to take this gold bangle with you?'. The object then, didn't become something that recessed into the background, but something around which the entire background was arranged."

That's when she and Navdha decided to start The Museum of Material Memory. The duo encourages everyone to contribute, provided the object is from or before the 1970s. The archive comprises everything from a 5-inch-long, mottled sewing needle to a chaddar with traditional baagh and phulkari embroidery and a former Class II Income-Tax officer's diary filled up with the repeated words 'Sri Rama Jayam', meaning Jai Sri Ram. Each post is accompanied with the story behind the object. "Material ethnography is so vastly explored in the West, especially when it comes to events of trauma and crisis. What we are recording here, will never be found in any textbook. We need active memoralisation, not just of traumatic events, but of our tradition and culture, which is primarily oral."

Not just for nostalgia's sake
The indianmemoryproject.com, says Yadav, started off as a book idea, where she wanted to collect old, wedding photographs. "I wanted to document the idea of weddings in different cultures, and explore the entire phenomena behind the crew that makes it possible," she says. "While the book didn't happen, the pictures stayed with me." That's how, her archive, a first-of-its-kind in India, took off. "If you are fascinated with history, you will know that India really is a melting pot. Every civilisation has passed through it. And so we have all kinds of DNA in us. And considering photography was discovered two centuries ago, we did have a lot of content to discuss," says Yadav.

She admits that it wasn't as easy to get people to share their photographs or talk about their stories. "But, there needs to be integrity, transparency and you need to earn the trust of your subject. When you have these value systems in place, people are more open. I always thought of the archive as an institution." Funding for the project has been tough, says the archivist. "When I began, I was very clear that I didn't want to become a trust. Unfortunately, that's the channel through which most of the money comes from. But, there's a server and maintenance cost and the site constantly needs to be upgraded. Now, I have started putting in requests for honorariums. The only way I will get money is through a private funder, who is fascinated with the idea, and wants to back it as well. Sometimes, when a good sum comes from my own work as a photographer, part of the profits go to it. At the end of the day, it is an unofficial record of history, and I'm doing my best to sustain it."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Artworks by Mehmet Guleryuz

"I am a representative, a child, a product, of the 1968 generation. I am a witness and a participant, a reactionary and an activist who was shaped by and responded to the changing social and political climate of my times. I have always seen every aspect of that which surrounds us as political, and I have always felt duty-bound to respond to these things as an artist," says Mehmet Güleryüz about the impact of the political climate of Turkey on his creative process. Evident through the fervent strokes seen in his artworks, the 80-year-old artist, one of the biggest names to emerge from the contemporary art scene of the country, has indeed responded to the many changes that have simmered around him over his 55-year career. The artist speaks about his creative journey as an actor, teacher and an artist, with the opening of his first show in the city, On The Road.

How has theatre affected your style of art?
My talent and gift for painting in parallel to that of my love of the fine arts as a whole forced me to take a leap into my simultaneous passion of theatre. You could say that I learned painting in the theatre. The problems that I had in reaction to the classic way in which the arts were taught forced me to make a choice to leave the field of fine arts studies and pursue an education/career in the performing arts. As a result of studying acting studio methodologies and our "emotion works", it also offered the scope where even though one was bound within the guidelines of the script, there was the opportunity to rediscover a new aspect. This gave me the invaluable opportunity to return to painting with my own methodology and vision, to understand what it was that I needed to do in painting. My very nature was open to improvisation, and to a sort of action painting that was in harmony with this sort of an expression and what I could call the foundation stone of my art.

How would you like to reiterate the importance of drawing to upcoming artists?
The act of drawing is open to everyone. It doesn't differentiate nor does it reject or exclude anyone. Everyone can, essentially, draw. The person who is responsible for that line, who can understand that when s/he draws, s/he only gains the identity of a painter after his or her decision to become a master of it.

Could you tell us about the paintings in this exhibition?
Although this is a selection from a different period of time covering over 40 years, it does not cover all processes. It contains only partial information of a very long journey. But at its core, it is always predominantly weighted in the human condition.

Has your journey to India inspired you in any way so far?
For anyone who cannot directly or intimately connect with it, India could be considered tera-incognita. It could be said to contain the unknown, but that which must definitively be discovered and experienced and learned from. Just imagine what this means for an artist, for someone like me. This is an experience which I am relishing and enjoying very much.

Till: April 24
At: Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda
From: April 26 to May 30
At: Jamaat, Colaba
Call: 22820718

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

The eight-year-old's name floats about in your head like a fly - not so long ago, buzzing around insouciantly - fallen into a cup of tea gone stale and cold. A child, who would have perhaps stared at you with demurred confusion were you to read the chargesheet for her abduction, rape, and murder to her. "Myean beyni! Emuk matlab kya chu may wann te (My sister! Tell me what does that mean)," she would have asked in Kashmiri. The case sparked widespread national outrage, and social media was taken by storm. However, amid much of the hammering that has taken place after the Kathua rape, a relatively quieter means of dissent surfaced in the form of art on Instagram. Meet its makers.

Orijit Sen,
A veteran artist based in Delhi
"I had been hearing things but I was busy with deadlines so I wasn't aware of all the details until I took a break. When I read about the case and the chargesheet, it made me sick, but then I saw her photograph and it left a deep impact. It haunted me. I added the horse because I read that she had been abducted when she was out herding horses.

It was like her guardian spirit. The wildflowers in her hand signify flowers she may have collected and the meadows around, because I read that playing in the meadows was her favourite thing to do. The shadows on her face are to obscure her identity and in all, I was just trying to capture the vulnerability and innocence of a child her age. I think to me, the image portrays a child of the meadow, returned," he explains.

Abhilash Menon,
visual artist and illustrator from Mumbai
"When the agony gets too much, the voice inside me takes over. The hands of a criminal are always eager to touch flesh, with insane brutality. Such criminals don't shy away from wearing the mask of cast, creed, colour, religion or politics - as depicted by the five fingers in the image - but when the masks come off, they are all the same.

The five fingers here are in the shape of the male genitalia, establishing the mindset of such criminals - decadent and unbeknownst to human values and pain. Irrespective of their background, they should be delivered the harshest common punishment, so that others abhor an act such as this. Punish these delinquents and bring peace to the soul of that little girl."

Sourabh Basu,
Student and Kolkata-based graphic designer
"My illustration focuses on the multiple thoughts running through her head in the moments before her death. She might have cried, struggled in pain, the pitch of her voice might have been unbearable. She might have cried out for her mother, hence the text 'Ma'.

But it also depicts that she was in a temple, a goddesse's shrine, which to most of us is also an abode of the mother. In those last minutes, she must have been filled with hatred toward the world and its cruelty."

Satish Acharya,
Well-known Kundapur-based cartoonist
"I couldn't believe that people could be so cruel to an eight-year-old. Her thoughts started haunting me. I was saddened to see that some people were shamelessly defending the rapists. I did a series of three cartoons. The first one was about how the little girl is receiving so much love from us, but what she deserves more is justice.

The next two panels are about how nothing has changed since the brutal Delhi gang rape. In spite of a revised law named after the victim, rapes continue to be used as a tool to scare and hurt women, to settle political scores, to impose age-old gender biases and caste hierarchy. What was also worrying was how divided the country was unlike in the case of Nirbhaya which was protested in one voice."

Saira Khan,
Toronto-based Health Studies and Psychology student
"This artwork is not only dedicated to the eight-year-old, but to every child who has been a victim of rape and physical and psychological harm. The news of the Kathua rape reminded me of Zainab, a six-year-old Pakistani girl who was raped and murdered in January.

The illustration is that of a faceless and nameless girl and the hashtag #Justicefor, has been left incomplete to depict that in a society where rape and violence against women is ingrained, one name can soon be replaced with another. The shards represent brutality and crimes against women and children. The use of red paint is to depict the urgency of the message," she explains.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Palash Kothari. Pic Courtesy/Fahama Sawant

It's a hot, toasty afternoon in Mumbai. We can see bits of the pumpkin-coloured sky through the window blinds. The phone rings once, twice. On the other end is 21-year-old Palash Kothari aka Sparkle and Fade. "I really don't know what to expect," Kothari admits, speaking about his upcoming gig with Bengaluru-based producer-drummer duo Nikhil Narendra and Shreyas Dipali.

The Fringe is a new gig series to be launched in the city, which will feature artistes who create hybrid music. "Hybrid is very open. It can be analogue or digital, classical or jazz, acoustic or electronic, basically the coming together of conventional and non-conventional methods," explains Sainath Bhagwat, programmer at Mixtape, a Mumbai-based artist and event management company.

Nikhil Narendra + Shreyas Dipali. Pic courtesy/Mayuresh Vartak

"In the current scenario, there's a bulk of electronic and live music being made, which cannot be performed/consumed in a traditional club space. The idea for this night was born out of a collective desire to create a platform to showcase these artists in the right environment," Sainath adds.

Unsure of what to call Kothari's music, we dawdle between electronic and bedroom producer (a term used for musicians making and producing experimental music in their bedrooms) hoping to understand the use of Hindustani classical samples in his older EPs. "I am not sure what to call my music either. I began playing the synth when I was three and then, I trained in Hindustani classical. That was my first step into music, so the influence comes from wanting to put a little bit of me as a child into the music I make now," he elaborates.

"I was listening to pop and EDM in high school. Swedish House Mafia's concert in India inspired me to finally put my music out. Then I got bored, because it wasn't satisfying. So, I started making music that I felt right about. I mellowed down a little as a person and I guess that comes through in the sound, which is more solitary now," he says.

For Kothari, while the influences are aplenty, not mimicking takes conscious effort. "I am working on something now. So, I am going to stop listening to other music because it's difficult not to emulate them. I don't see any point in making music that already exists. In effect, this will probably also be my last gig before my new stuff is out," he signs off.

ON: May 10, 9 pm onwards
AT: The Quarter, Royal Opera House, Girgaum.
LOG ON: TO insider.in
CALL: 8329110638
COST: Rs 499

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Bollywood stars may have rallied behind daily-wage workers during the lockdown, but Pravin Rana, a vertically-challenged artiste, admits he had little hope of them coming to his aid. After all, for far too long, his community has been relegated to the fringes of the industry. However, he was in for a surprise — earlier this week, Salman Khan extended financial support to members of the All India Special Artistes Association (AISAA), a wing of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).

"Nobody cares much for us, but Salman bhai stood by us during these trying times. We were surprised when we learnt that Rs 3,000 had been deposited into our accounts on Tuesday. No other actor has come forward to help us," says Rana, who worked alongside the superstar in Bharat (2019). "During the shoot too, he asked us to reach out to him when in need," he adds.

Shameem Ahmed, a member of AISAA who also featured as one of the circus artistes in Bharat, adds that Khan has promised help in the coming months. "We don't get work on a daily basis. We are grateful to FWICE and Salman Khan for helping us with ration and financial help amid the lockdown. We have been told he will make a deposit next month, too."

BN Tiwari, president, FWICE, informs that about 90 vertically challenged actors come under the purview of the association. "Almost 45 of them have received Salman's donation, the rest will get it in a few days," he says.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Despite the sealed borders keeping him from returning home to India, Sonu Nigam has been neck-deep in work, supporting causes for daily-wagers, and raising awareness for relief funds for the country. It's been a month since Nigam, who is currently holed up in Dubai, began the cumbersome task of breathing life into a passion-project, the brainchild of his industry associate Srinivas. Along with Indian Singers Rights Association CEO Sanjay Tandon, the duo reached out to 100 artistes from across India for the creation of the 14-language track, One nation one voice, which is set to be unveiled by Lata Mangeshkar.

"We had been struggling to find a Sindhi [singer], and that's when we reached out to Ghanshyam Vaswani. Though disconnected from mainstream [music], he has been a ghazal singer for decades. My mother was proficient in Sindhi. So Ghanshyamji and I collaborated for those portions. Similarly, Papon [worked on] the Assamese [verses], Bhajan Soporiji and Kailash Kher did the Kashmiri track, Mame Khan crafted Rajasthani [verses] and Krishna [Beura], the Odia portions," Nigam tells mid-day of the song that also includes lines in Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, and Tamil.

The coalescing of an assortment of home-bound artistes for a single track becomes simpler when employing a digitally transferable background score that they can individually lay their vocals on. But Nigam was creating an acapella piece, which didn't have instruments to play second fiddle in supporting his endeavour.

"We sent two songs to all the singers. One [included] the base track that had been created by [a select few], and included sounds, layers and harmonies. No instruments were used to create this, and it was upon this piece that the singers [recorded their vocals]. We also gave them a reference piece of how we wanted the song to sound, but offered an empty space [for them to experiment]." Those singers who do not have a home-studio had to let the acapella piece play in the background as they recorded their vocals over it, he informs.

There's a peculiar cheer in his voice when he talks of Asha Bhosle's involvement in this number. "With her being by our side, this project has become invaluable. At 86, she has opened this song like a boss. You find yourself wondering how someone at that age can sing so beautifully. I was reduced to tears on hearing her 30-second performance."

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Star couple Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan's daughter Aaradhya Bachchan paid an artistic tribute to all the frontline workers who are combating COVID-19. Both Aishwarya and Abhishek took to Instagram to share a picture of the doodle by their little in-house artist.

The doodle featured two hands joined with 'Thank You' and 'Dhanyawaad' written on them while sketches of frontline workers like healthcare workers, teachers, media professionals, police officials, army personnel, and sanitisation workers are seen surrounding the thanking hands. The lower portion of the sketch featured Aaradhya standing and holding the hands of her parents who are both seen standing on her either side.

The 8-year-old also sketched the necessary precautionary measures against COVID-19 like the use of hand sanitiser, mask, and soap in her tribute to frontline workers. The sketch ended with the message of 'stay home, stay safe.'

And it's lovely! Check it out:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

✨❤ï¸ÂðŸŒŸðŸ‡®ðŸ‡³ðŸŒðŸŒ¸ðŸ¥°my darling Aaradhya’s Gratitude and Love ❤ï¸Ââœ¨ðŸ™

A post shared by AishwaryaRaiBachchan (@aishwaryaraibachchan_arb) onMay 3, 2020 at 11:39am PDT

The entire Bachchan family along with megastar Amitabh Bachchan and his actor wife Jaya Bachchan are currently staying at home like many other Bollywood celebrities.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Neha Kakkar has been on a roll ever since she began her career in Bollywood. Right from Cocktail that came out in 2012, people knew she had it in her to establish her foothold in the industry that's otherwise driven by unpredictability. It has been eight years and she only continues to climb higher.

It's only because of the sheer hard work that she seems to have created a history of sorts recently. Do you she has become the second-most viewed female artist on YouTube, leaving Selena Gomez and Becky G way behind? The singer took to her Instagram account to announce and share this great news with all her fans.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Can't be more thankful!!!! ♥️🙌🏼🥺 Jai Mata Di 🙏🏼 Aapki Nehu 🥰 #NehaKakkar . @youtube @youtubeindia

A post shared by Neha Kakkar (@nehakakkar) onMay 6, 2020 at 8:40pm PDT

One of the other strong reasons for her massive popularity is her stint as the Indian Idol judge, another very well-known and massively successful singing reality show. She also knows how to keep her fans and followers entertained with her unique Instagram posts. Let's see what's next in store for this singer!

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Indian cinema lost two icons, one week ago. On April 29, actor Irrfan Khan passed away after his prolonged battle with neuroendocrine tumour. Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor breathed his last on April 30 after two years of battle with leukemia. Tributes have been pouring in for the two actors who have made immense contribution to the cinema.

In the memory of two stars, Colors TV will be paying tribute to them with an event called Dard-e-Dil: A Tribute to the Legends. The virtual event will witness artists’ from films and TV who will celebrate the achievements of the actors and send in their pre-recorded videos. This will also be followed by some musical performances.

The line-up includes Maniesh Paul serving as the host of the event, comedian Bharti Singh, singers Sukhwinder Singh, Aditya Narayan, Abu Malik, and TV actors and former Bigg Boss contestants Hina Khan and Devoleena Bhattacharjee. Arjun Bijlani will be crooning ‘Om Shanti Om’ from Karz whereas Aditya Narayan is set to perform ‘Suit Suit Karda’ from Hindi Medium. Hina Khan has already recorded ‘Teri Umeed Tera Intezaar’ from Deewana.

The event is set to be aired this weekend!

ALSO READ: Irrfan Khan could have been part of Anand Gandhi’s pandemic movie Emergence

Veteran director, story artist and writer of many Pixar films -- Rob Gibbs passed away at the age of 55. A company spokesperson confirmed the news, the cause of death was not immediately known, cited The Hollywood Reporter. The artist, who has spent more than 20 years with the company, has contributed immensely to the animation industry. Gibbs' contribution to many well-known and successful Pixar films, included 'Toy Story 2', 'Finding Nemo', 'Monsters, Inc., and more.

His credits also included the short film 'Tokyo Mater' in 2008, and the series 'Mater's Tall Tales' and 'Tales From Radiator Springs' from the 2012 Cars franchise - 'Brave'. The California resident also contributed to 'Monsters University', and also the upcoming 'Monsters at Work' series for Disney+ and 'Incredibles 2.'He is survived by his daughter Mary, who was the voice of Boo in several 'Monsters, Inc.' projects.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

The novel Coronavirus has been wrecking havoc in the world with scores of people infected and many lives claimed. Amid a time when countries are imposing lockdown on their citizens, restricting their movements, a digital artist posted a cryptic message of hope with a picture that has gone viral.

Phil Shaw, a digital printmaker posted a picture of a stack of books on a shelf, placed in a way that the titles when read together, forms a message about the pandemic and social distancing. He uses bestsellers such as Stephen King’s It, Adam Thorpe’s Still, Ginger Simpson’s Hope Springs Eternal and Mark Billingham’s In The Dark among others.

The UK-born artist posted the picture on his Instagram page last week, captioned, “Shelf isolation 2 - the story so far...” that has received 2,854 likes so far. The cryptic message in the books kept in the first shelf reads, “"The English patient had caught it on the beach. I should have stayed at home she said. Now she was in quarantine in the dark house of splendid isolation.

The books placed in the second shelf reads, “"Still hope springs eternal with a little bit of luck and personal hygiene. The corona book of horror stories must end soon. Always remember clean hands save lives and when in doubt don't go out!"

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Phil Shaw (@philshaw775) onApr 10, 2020 at 1:20am PDT

Since it was posted online, it has been received comments of praise from netizens across the globe. One user said, “this is FANTASTIC!” Another user said, “Wow... Did you have all these books already? Perhaps I should try reorganising my bookshelves.” A user said, “I love how the last book on the top shelf promises the hopeful turn that plays out on the bottom. Bravo!

This is not the first time Shaw has posted such a picture. Here’s another picture of a book artwork where he conveys a message about social distancing.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Phil Shaw (@philshaw775) onMar 31, 2020 at 6:45am PDT

What do you think of this post?

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Company: Placenet Consultants Private Limited
Qualification: Other
Experience: 1 to 11
location: Chennai
Ref: 24817256
Summary: Urgent opening for Voice Over Artist --Chennai(Ashok Nagar)--English

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth met differently-abled artist Pranav at his Pose Garden house in Chennai.

Company: Prosum Technology Services
Experience: 5 to 8
location: India
Ref: 24589839
Summary: Responsibilities • Designs and executes graphics for all on-air programs and promotion • Organizes and maintains the graphic elements library. Maintains digital files and ensures that projects are properly archived. • Working....

Is it acceptable for an artist to have his work produced by others? And what are the implications of the artist as businessman on conceptual art as we know it? As a new generation of artists openly declare themselves marketing men, FT arts editor Jan Dalley discusses the business of art with Jackie Wullschlager, FT visual arts critic, and Peter Aspden, FT arts and culture writer.  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With his brother Jake, the British artist has tackled some of modernity’s grisliest themes. The FT’s arts writer finds out why he’s now trying his hand at music  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The late pop singer, whose work has just gone on show at London’s Royal College of Art, was a far more nuanced figure than his punk image would suggest, argues the FT’s arts writer  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Heiress who made her own success as the ‘Queen of Jeans’

In this episode of Flux I talk with LaTurbo Avedon, an online avatar who has been active as an artist and curator since 2008.

RICHARD EDEN: I can reveal the 32-year-old British actress Tuppence Middleton (pictured) has split up with her long-term boyfriend, the artist Robert Fry.

Saul Myers (pictured) has joked that there's one unusual thing he is most pleased about as part of his new role.

Sydney woman Lauren Winzer, 31, has amassed more than 200,000 Instagram followers online and opened her own business in Alexandria, showcasing her work -all in the space of a few years

The 27-year-old singer was sued by Michael May in a $300 million lawsuit in March 2018 over the rights to the song, which he claimed closely resembles the lyrics to a song he released.

A depressing-looking wall in Glasgow has been transformed by the beanie-wearing artist, who spent a week painting the image of St Enoch holding her young son, St Mungo, Glasgow's patron saint.

Hosted by Victoria Justice, the awards show was broadcasted remotely for the first time in its 32-year history. It featured appearances from Ariana Grande, Kristen Bell, JoJo Siwa and more.

Ed Sheeran has found himself in another court battle in which he is being accused of 'stealing' material for his songs.

Accounts released today show his UK company, Ed Sheeran Ltd, made a gross profit of £23,770,262, equating to £65,124 a day.

Ed Sheeran's extensive collection of body art has been branded 's**t' by his tattoo artist who revealed he has lost clients as a result of his work on the popstar.

With the decade coming to a close in just a few weeks, Spotify has named Drake and Ed Sheeran the music streaming service's Most Streamed Artists of The Decade.

She went from busking in Byron Bay to topping the charts with her catchy tune Dance Monkey in just a matter of months.

Celebrity makeup artist Emma Osborne, from London, who's worked with Chrissy Teigen and Emma Watson, shared her tips on how to give your skin an A-list glow - even during winter.

She made waves after she cancelled her performance at the Grammy Awards last month. But Ariana Grande captivated the crowd at iHeartRadio Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

She's the bona fide country-pop star whose progressive lyrics in the conservative country music scene have seen her take home six Grammy Awards in recent years.

They tied the knot during a barefoot ceremony in Fiji back in April 2014. 

Team Kelly came up a winner after The Voice's top 13 artists were revealed on the show Tuesday, with five of its members advancing into the live playoffs.

Lisa Armstrong is the head make-up designer on Strictly Come Dancing and is responsible for the glamorous looks worn by the stars of the show.

Loved by adventurous beauty gurus, face lace gives girls the opportunity to have amazing make-up without the professional time and expense.

Beauty purists will argue that the bronzed look is only suited to blondes. However, Binky can't live without a little sunkissed shimmer, here she and make-up artist, Daniel Sandler show you how to achieve the golden look.

If you could take just four beauty products to a remote desert island.. what would they be? Top Australian makeup artist Heidi Hamoud shares her tips for the perfect dewy base and killer lashes

Sporting a distinguished moustache, Benedict Cumberbatch transformed into cat-loving actor Louis Wain to film scenes for the biopic in London on Thursday.

Slipknot have saddened fans by cancelling shows in Singapore, Jakarta and Manila as well as their own two-day Knotfest festival in Tokyo, Japan, which was due to start on March 20.

Selena Gomez made history on Monday when she not only got her first number one, but became the first artist to get both a Billboard 100 and Rolling Stone 100 with Lose You to Love Me.