Sanjay Patil

Sanjay Patil, 35, had made a living out of luck by selling lottery tickets for nearly a decade. But fate dealt him a cruel hand on Friday night, when his brothers found him lying a pool of blood at his lottery centre in Kalamboli.

Sanjay lived with five brothers at Road Pali Village, and had started his online lottery centre at a shop on rent at Mahavir Plaza in 2009. In November 2017, he bought the shop and continued to run his lottery business there. On March 9, he left a missed call on his brother Pradip's number around 11.15 pm. "It was our regular practice; he would give me a missed call, and I'd call him back. That night, he had called later than usual," said Pradip Patil, adding, "He told me he was coming home in 10 minutes. When I questioned him about the delay, he said there was a puncture in his motorcycle's tyre, and he was going to Palmvihar to patch it up."

The family got worried when Sanjay hadn't returned by 12.15 am. Two of his brothers ventured out in search of Sanjay. "My brother and I first checked the auto garage at Palmvihar, but the mechanic told us that Sanjay hadn't arrived there. So, we went to the lottery centre," said Pradip. "When we reached the lottery centre, we found the shutter had been lowered partly, and the light was switched off. We switched on the light and found our brother in a pool of blood," he recalled.

They took Sanjay to MGM Hospital for post-mortem. The Kalamboli police registered an FIR against unidentified persons. The family has no idea who might have attacked Sanjay.

"The deceased had severe injury to the head. There were blood stains on the walls of the lottery centre, which indicate there was retaliation by the deceased," said Kondiram Popere, senior PI at Kalamboli police station. "We have registered a case under IPC Section 302 (murder). There are CCTV cameras around the lottery centre, and we are going through the footage."

Also Read: Car Crashes Into Divider As Driver Dozes Off Near Navi Mumbai

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The Navi Mumbai police restarted the search operation with experts' help early this month. Pic/Hanif Patel

The search for murdered policewoman Ashwini Bidre's mortal remains has reached the final stage. Of the nine locations that came up during the search, two, showing strong signals of presence of a metal object, have been zeroed on.

Having a radius of five metres, both locations are covered with mud that's nearly two metres deep. The police will now take a call on how to remove the objects from these locations, as they will need specialised machinery for it. After an initial investigation, the police had procured a gradiometer, an equipment to locate metal objects underwater, from Israel. "During the two-day search operation, experts found nine spots with the help of the equipment; strong signals emanated at two of the spots," said an officer.

These two locations are expected to have objects at a depth of 25 to 40 metres below the water surface. "The depth varies according to tide. Our search also revealed that the objects are covered with one-metre thick mud, which is hard and can't be removed manually," said the officer. These spots also have deep wells, said a source, adding, "Sending divers in these wells can be dangerous to their lives. Hence, we are considering bringing in machines capable of drilling deep underwater."

Bidre's husband Raju Gore told mid-day, "We are looking forward to the next step from the police, which involves removing the objects and lifting them to the surface."

Navy and private firm divers search for Bidre's remains in Bhayander Khadi. Pic/Hanif Patel

Day 1 of the search for assistant inspector Ashwini Bidre's mortal remains with the help of the hi-tech magnetometer was unsuccessful. Navy divers with the help of their private counterparts carried out a five-hour long search with the machine, but found only a gunny bag, which, the police said, was filled with sand. The search operation will continue on Wednesday.

"Search operation began around 12 noon; five Navy divers and two private ones scoured specific locations in Vasai Creek with the magnetometer, but didn't find anything significant," said a police source.

After searching for five hours, experts then carried out a scanning of the creek for a couple of hours. They zeroed in on nine possible locations, of which two had given out strong signals of having metal underwater. "Day 1 hasn't given anything significant. Search will be continued on Wednesday," said DCP (crime) Tushar Doshi.

The Navi Mumbai Crime Branch is probing the murder of Bidre, allegedly killed by inspector Abhay Kurundkar on April 11, 2016. According to co-accused Mahesh Phalnikar, the main accused had dismembered her body and put the parts in a metal trunk, dumping it in Vasai Creek. Investigators are searching for that trunk.

Also Read: Ashwini Bidre Murder Case: Trunk Filled With Body Parts To Be Traced With Iranian Magnetometer

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Vashi APMC wholesale market. File pic

The Maharashtra government will provide international standard facilities for the Mumbai Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in Vashi, one of the biggest agricultural wholesale markets in Asia. State Marketing Minister Subhash Deshmukh made the announcement during a meeting held here today with officials and traders, an official release said. The meeting was organised to know the problems faced by traders in Mumbai APMC.

During the meeting, the minister directed that international standard facilities be provided at this APMC. "The process of declaring the Mumbai APMC as a
national market area has commenced," the minister was quoted as saying in the release. During the meeting, traders in the vegetable and fruit sections told the minister that there was insufficient space in the APMC to carry out the business.

Deshmukh asked them to maintain regular dialogue with the administration and the market committee. He assured that the decision to reconstructing and
redevelop the APMC premises will be taken soon and asked the administrator to appoint an architect for the task.

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Pune city famous for its climate, pensions city which got transform to an IT hub has finally got its reward. Pune has always been counted in the list of the cleanest cities of India. On Monday it was really a proud moment for the Punekars because the Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri has launched 'The Ease of Living' report on Monday around 3:50 pm.

Out of 4,000 cities and towns in India, where about 300 cities have a population over 1,00,000 and seven cities have a population of more than 3 million, only 3 cities of Maharashtra – Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai – are the most livable places in the country which means from Maharashtra four cities were into top ten. Pune has been ranked first in the Ease of Living Index with Navi Mumbai coming in second, Greater Mumbai ranked at three and Delhi languishing at 65. 

The report evaluated 111 cities on a 100-point scale across 78 indicators under four primary parameters which was divided- Institutional, Social, Economic and Physical. Although, cities like Howrah, New Town Kolkata, and Durgapur did not take Part in it. While Delhi is really ranked low that is 65th rank. And, Rampur in UP is ranked the lowest. To the utmost surprise, Chhattisgarh has made it to the top 10 in the list and Indore which gives a tough competition to Pune is ranked 8th.

The 'Ease of Living' index is an initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to assess the most livable cities all over India and rank them on a 100 point scale. Apart from presenting the overall national ranking of 111 cities, the report will present the ranking of the cities across pillars, category, and geographical zone and population classifications. The city of Pune is expected to maintain this rank. And, helps to set a benchmark. It is expected to give a tough competition to all the other cities out there. Known for its cultural capital of Maharashtra state as well as the Oxford of east.

Chennai has been ranked 14 and New Delhi languishes at 65 while Kolkata refused to participate in the survey. While the citizens have been claiming that the city is reeling under lack of open space, ironically Mumbai has been ranked number one among 111 cities in the category of public open spaces. The state's richest civic body, BMC had to collate the data from several institutions, and submit to the central government. While the transportation and security were sent across by the state government, the majority of the data was compiled by the civic body that defined how livable the city is.

Vijay Singhal, additional municipal commissioner, said, "We have topped the list of megacities, which had over 4 million population. There were seven mega cities in this. And wherever we have lacked we will try and improve on those aspects and accordingly try and score better next time."

The rankings of the cities all over Maharashtra are as follows:
Pune is 1st, Navi Mumbai is 2nd, Greater Mumbai is 3rd, Thane is 16th, Virar is 20th, Nasik 21st, Solapur 22nd, Nagpur 31st, Kalyan 50th, Chinchwad 69th, Aurangabad 97th.

With inputs from PTI

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Debuting in today's times is the best thing to happen for any aspiring actor. The opportunities at the disposal are far greater and richer than they were back in the days. Heroes could not be villains, villains could not be comedians, and comedians could only dream of becoming heroes. Today, an actor can pull off everything and display his versatility. Tahir Raj Bhasin is one of them!

In 2014, he made his debut with Pradeep Sarkar's Mardaani, a riveting crime thriller about human trafficking. There was an urgent breathlessness about the way the narrative unfolded and something compelling about the performances. Rani Mukerji can always be relied upon to deliver a rocking act, what caught the audiences was the character of Bhasin. He was a college student and completely unapologetic about his heinous crimes. He was cool, calm, and yet very chilling. Also, if we may add, very charming!

Bhasin's wasn't the kind of villain that we have grown up watching. He could be anyone from the crowd, carefully shielding his hideous reality from everyone. And in one scene, he even weeps at the loss of a loved one. His approach towards his character was commendable and so was his effortlessness in creating what is one of the most impressive antagonists in recent times.

A few years later, in 2019 to be precise, we were rooting for the same guy we despised in Mardaani. He was Derek this time, in Nitesh Tiwari's Chhichhore, a loser who chances upon a golden opportunity to win! His entry shot is possibly the most heroic moment in the film, juxtaposed by his entry as an aging, balding man who visits a close friend. Derek is driven by hope and despair, and Bhasin never made this character unreal or unlikable. He was one of us, and we wanted to be like him!

Bhasin has a solid screen persona that it's impossible not to root for him or at least enjoy what he's doing on the screen. His next is Kabir Khan's 83, where he plays the role of the legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. It's an ensemble but we are sure even this time, he'll deliver a knock-out performance!

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Having done actioners like "Force", the "Commando" franchise and "Junglee", actor Vidyut Jammwal, who is known for his high-octane stunts on screen, says his next "Khuda Hafiz" is a hardcore romantic film.

"'Khuda Hafiz' is a romantic movie. It's a true story of a man who is madly in love with his wife, and gets married in 2009 during the recession. They go abroad and get a job. (The story is about) how this girl gets picked up and how the guy gets her back. It's a hardcore, true romantic movie with a little action," Vidyut told IANS.

The shooting of the film has taken place in Uzbekistan, Mumbai and Lucknow.

Directed by Faruk Kabir, the romantic-action-thriller co-stars Shivaleeka Oberoi, who recently made her debut in "Yeh Saali Aashiqui", opposite late Amrish Puri's grandson Vardhan Puri.

The film is produced by Kumar Mangat Pathak and Abhishek Pathak and co-produced by Sanjeev Joshi, Aditya Chowksey and Murlidhar Chhatwani. It will be distributed pan-India by Anand Pandit Motion Pictures and Panorama Films.

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Over two decades ago, Suniel Shetty mouthed this dialogue in "Border", and the line has become synonymous with on-screen patriotism: "Yeh dharti meri maa hai, aur koi meri maa ke samne nazar uthake deke aisa main hone nahi dunga." On Wednesday, the actor used the ine to commemmorate the 50th Earth Day.

Sharing a still from the movie, Suniel wrote: "ye dharti meri maa hai. #earthday."

 

 

 

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Kyunki...ye dharti meri maa hai!! 🌎👏🏽🙏🏽 #earthday

A post shared by Suniel Shetty (@suniel.shetty) onApr 22, 2020 at 3:55am PDT

Reacting to the post, a user commented: "This dialogue gives us goosebumps."

Directed by JP Dutta, the 1997 patriotic blockbuster is set during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. The multistarrer is toplined by Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna and Jackie Shroff among others.

Suniel will be next seen in the crime drama "Mumbai Saga", which is directed by Sanja Gupta.

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Hum Aapke Hain Koun actor Mohnish Bahl celebrates his 28th wedding anniversary with wifey dearest Aarti Bahl. The actor posted the sweetest anniversary wish for Aarti, wherein he shared a photo of them from their wedding day.

Mohnish Bahl captioned the photo, "No words to express my gratitude for 'always being by my side' You made me understand the meaning of Ardhangini. Love you Janmon Janmon infinite."

 

 

 

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@aarti.bahl No words to express my gratitude for 'always being by my side' ... You made me understand the meaning of Ardhangini. Love you Janmon Janmon infinite ♥️♥️♥️

A post shared by Mohnish Bahl (@mohnish_bahl) onApr 23, 2020 at 12:22pm PDT

How lovely do Mohnish and Aarti look on their wedding day? All decked up in traditional finery, Aarti Bahl looks exquisite, while Mohnish Bahl looks quite dapper, don't you think?

Aarti Bahl, Ekta Sohini before marriage, also shared a memory from their wedding day. She wrote, "You are my superhero. You are my everything. I LOVE YOU. Thank you for being YOU. Happy anniversary."

 

 

 

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A post shared by Aarti Bahl (@aarti.bahl) onApr 23, 2020 at 12:38pm PDT

Mohnish and Aarti Bahl's daughter, Pranutan, too, took to social media to wish her parents happy anniversary. She shared a picture of them with their arms around each other.

 

 

 

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sticking by each other’s side. always. happy anniversary 💕

A post shared by Pranutan Bahl (@pranutan) onApr 23, 2020 at 9:41pm PDT

Here's wishing Mohnish and Aarti Bahl the very best on their wedding anniversary!

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One of the most stunning actresses of the 90s, Divya Bharti married filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala in 1992. The couple got secretly married at Nadiadwala's Versova apartment. Divya Bharti converted to Islam and reportedly also changed her name to Sanah Nadiadwala. Unfortunately, on April 5, 1993, Divya fell off the balcony of the fifth storey apartment.

Sajid Nadiadwala then tied the knot with Warda Khan in 2000 and the couple has two kids together, Sufyan and Subhan. And even after 20 years of marriage, Warda Khan Nadiadwala still gets trolled and compared with Divya Bharti.

In a candid chat with Bollywood Hungama, Warda opened up about the same saying, "I know people keep throwing these questions sometimes. Sometimes they think I am being trolled. Divya is still very much a part of our lives. Her family, her dad, her brother Kunal, they are like our family, they are a part of each celebration."

She added, "So when you guys try to troll me, please know that I am not getting trolled. On her anniversaries and birthdays, we speak to each other. When my children watch her movies, they call her 'Badi Mummy'. So, guys, she is still a very, very beautiful part of our lives."

Wards also spoke about how husband Sajid is still extremely close to Divya Bharti's father and brother. "Sajid is so close, Sajid is like a son to dad, after mumma (Divya's mother) passed. You can't even imagine how close dad and Sajid are. And Kunal and Sajid too. They talk just like brothers would. And I have not tried to replace her ever. I have made my own place. She is a part of my life. Sometimes people say, 'Divya Bharti bahot acchi thi'. Of course, bahot acchi thi yaar. We love her."

Divya Bharti kickstarted her career down south in 1990 with the Telugu film Bobbili Raja. She soon took the Hindi film industry by storm with her performances in Shola Aur Shabnam, Deewana and Balwan.

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A day after Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor explained the controversies regarding her having tested corona positive last month; the Lucknow Police pasted a notice at her house, asking her to record her statement.

Kanika Kapoor has been charged under IPC Section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and Section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC.

Deepak Kumar Singh, ACP, Krishna Nagar said that the singer will have to come to the police station and give her a written statement. Further action will be taken after this.

On Sunday, Kanika took to Instagram to express her gratitude to the health workers who treated her. She also wrote that several stories were doing the rounds and she was fully aware and knew that some information has been misrepresented.

According to Kanika, she arrived in Mumbai on March 10 from the UK. During this time, she was scanned at the international airport. Until that time no advisory had been issued that required her to quarantine herself.

She had come to Lucknow to meet her family on March 11, when there was no scanning system for domestic flights. On March 14 and 15, Kanika went to lunch and dinner with her friends.

She pointed out that all the people she had interacted with in the UK, Mumbai, and Lucknow are healthy and their reports have also come up negative.

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Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti's Tiger Baby Films has one of the most intriguing pages on social media. The page has the most evocative artistic narrations, orated to viewers by eminent personalities from the industry.

They recently brought into play their new series on social media called 'Off the record' where the most prominent actors of the Indian film industry describe one of their most exemplary scenes from one of their movies.

This time around, it was Anushka Sharma on the mike as the actress spoke about her introduction scene as Farah in Dil Dhadakne Do and everything that makes the scene unique and special while giving some unknown sneak peeks into how the shooting went down.

Earlier, Farhan Akhtar and Ranveer Singh have also shared similar stories from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Dhadakne Do respectively. Tiger Baby films shared the post on social media with the caption, "Off The Record with Anushka Sharma | Dil Dhadakne Do."

"We make films for the silver screen but the little stories that make the big picture don't always come through.
Here's introducing our 'Off The Record' series where cast and crew from the Tiger Baby clan let us in on what went into creating some of their best scenes, what their psychology was in that moment and why this particular scene will always remain unforgettable to them. #nowrolling #storybehindthescene #offtherecordwithtigerbaby." (sic)

Off The Record with Anushka Sharma
Film: Dil Dhadakne Do
Scene: Farah's introduction scene", have a look right here:

 

 

 

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We make films for the silver screen but the little stories that make the big picture don't always come through. Here's introducing our 'Off The Record' series where cast and crew from the Tiger Baby clan let us in on what went into creating some of their best scenes, what their psychology was in that moment and why this particular scene will always remain unforgettable to them. #nowrolling #storybehindthescene #offtherecordwithtigerbaby Off The Record with Anushka Sharma Film: Dil Dhadakne Do Scene : Farah's introduction scene

A post shared by Tiger Baby (@tigerbabyfilms) onApr 26, 2020 at 11:26pm PDT

The film was mounted on a huge scale but also highlighted the importance of staying together and how a family comes first. And Anushka, as always, delivered a layered and nuanced performance. 

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Are you experiencing depression, mood instability, and loneliness? Blame the disruption in your body's internal clock, researchers say.

Our 24-hour biological body clock governs the fundamental physiological and behavioural functions including from body temperature to eating habits in almost all organisms. Disruptions in that biological clock may arise from increased activity during rest periods and/or inactivity during the day. Disturbances to the body's internal clock or the circadian rhythms are also associated with lower happiness and health satisfaction, and worse cognitive function, according to a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

"Our findings indicate an association between altered daily circadian rhythms and mood disorders and well-being," said study author Laura Lyall, from the University of Glasgow.

"The study reinforces the idea that mood disorders are associated with disturbed circadian rhythms, and we provide evidence that altered rest-activity rhythms are also linked to worse subjective well-being and cognitive ability," Lyall added.

The study included data from 91,105 participants aged between 37-73. The researchers objectively measured the rest and activity rhythm patterns which is known as relative amplitude.

The results showed that lower relative amplitude was linked with greater odds of reporting lifetime history of major depression or bipolar disorder.

It was also associated with greater mood instability, higher neuroticism scores, more subjective loneliness, lower happiness and health satisfaction, and slower reaction time.

However, the researcher said that the findings showed observational associations rather than cause and effect, and "cannot tell us whether mood disorders and reduced well-being cause disturbed rest-activity patterns, or whether disturbed circadian rhythmicity makes people vulnerable to mood disorders and poorer well-being," Lyall said.

She also noted that rest-activity rhythms differ between younger and older adults which may cause difference in the daily clock and mental health link based on their age.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

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Representational Image

In a freak mishap, one coach of a Central Railway harbour line train dashed the dead-end and derailed at Goregaon yard on Saturday night. No passenger or staff was injured in the incident and there were no repercussions on any services.

Sources said the incident occurred around 7.45pm on Friday when the train, belonging to Sanpada crashed, was being parked. Four wheels went off the rails and it took around four hours to put the train back on track. A spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying that an internal departmental inquiry will be conducted.

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A 24-year-old man's parents hatched a plan to kill him after they were physically abused by him on more than one occasion. On Saturday, Waliv Police arrested the parents, sister and her husband of the deceased person. Upon enquiry, the accused told the police that the deceased person would physically and verbally harass them often.

As per the police investigations, the deceased, Rohit Chaudhary, who was a driver, was found lying dead in a pit in Bhoiwada, Bhyander. Initially, the identity of the man was unknown. His mother later filed a missing complaint. After probing the matter, the police found injury marks on the face and neck of the individual and later managed to identify him. The police then registered a murder case.

After checking mobile records, it was revealed to the cops that the last call to the deceased was made by his sister. Upon suspicion, cops then questioned the family and found out that Rohit would beat and abuse them.

During questioning, the family confessed to the crime. They stated that they recently visited their native place in Uttar Pradesh and hired two men to kill Rohit for an amount of Rs 2 and a half lakh. An advance amount of Rs 1 lakh was transferred in the bank of the contract killers.

The police have arrested the father Lalchand, mother Sunita, sister Shruti and her husband Anup. Police are currently on the hunt for the contract killers in Uttar Pradesh.

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October may not have arrived in the city, but the heat that marks the month preceding the faux winter most certainly has. Admittedly, the temperature at Peru Baug is at least a couple of degrees lesser than elsewhere in the city at 3 pm. Still, it's an arduous task to sit down 20 young children, most with little interest in being here, and teaching them the basics of arithmetic and Devnagri script (reading and writing) for two hours a day, six days a week.

Yet, for 43-year-old Jyoti Dode it's more of a mission. Even with the odds stacked against her. After all, for a teacher in a campus that produces some of the world's, best minds - with state-of -the-art teaching and research facilities - the only tools at her disposal are a few paper cutouts where a 'Ka' in Devnagri helps the student identify that it denotes a Kangaroo (an animal that s/he would be very unlikely to know or possibly identify). But, for Dode, who often has to drag the kids to the small space outside her home - the village is in shambles - an education may help them stand up against the institution bent on robbing them of their land.

"We have lived here since the British period and, because we are not educated enough, we had no idea when the government handed the land over to IIT Bombay," she says, adding, "We hope that our children can change that."

Maali Rano Urade with the day's catch of dandavat fish which she cooks with bamboo shoot picked from the forest Pics/Arita Sarkar

Against the might of IIT
The IIT campus in Powai is spread over an area of 550 acres. On the northern fringe, closer to Vihar lake and near the National Institute of Industrial Engineering lies Peru Baug, which 260 adivasi families - some of whom are from the Warli tribe and some of whom are Malhar Kolis - call home. The families claim that they have lived here for at least four generations, while IIT was established here only in 1958.

For decades the two have had a symbiotic relationship. The adivasi men would have odd jobs on the campus, their children have access to the on-campus Kendriya Vidyalaya (which they don't attend regularly enough) and the tribals continue to live as before.

Prakash Bhoir, Adivasi from Kelti Pada, Aarey Colony

A few years ago, however, trouble started brewing. In 2012, the adivasis staged a "morcha" after conversations with the institute regarding installation of two water connections didn't yield results, says Dode, the representative of the village committee. Having grown up in Saki Naka and married into Peru Baug, Dode having studied till Std IX, is one of the few residents here to have received even primary education. She adds, that the water connection came in 2015.

Earlier this month, there were reports that the IIT management has now asked the adivasis to move out of the campus entirely, and the MMRDA has been tasked with acquiring accommodation for them at Qureshi Nagar in Kurla.

Prabhu, a resident of Peru Baug shows off his catch for the day. Most of the tribe's men are employed on the IIT campus and earn around Rs 8,000 a day. In the evening, they catch fish, which sustains their livelihood. Pics/Arita Sarkar

Dode puts the IIT move down to the 2012 protests. It was only after that, she says, that IIT officials started talks about moving them out. "Initially, they asked us to leave our village and offered accommodation in Kanjur Marg. Some of us agreed since it would still be close to the campus. The men in our village could still keep their housekeeping jobs and the women could still come to fish in the lake. But then they changed their mind and said that we would have to go to Kurla instead, which is too far for us," she says.

And even while they live on campus, some residents say, having IIT for a neighbour isn't easy. Maali Rano Urade, 70, says, "Earlier we could grow a lot of vegetables, which was enough for us to eat and then sell in the market. But, over the years, IIT officials have forced us to reduce the amount of vegetables we grow. They have made our lives difficult." Not just that, she adds that they are not allowed to repair houses or cover their huts with plastic sheets during the monsoon months. She alleges that IIT officials and guards visit their village every day to ensure that they haven't made any extensions.

The world ends at IIT
Kanjur Marg would have been a compromise, but Kurla is almost like another country to the residents of Peru Baug, some of whom have barely stepped outside of the boundaries that define the IIT campus.

Laadki Barap, 70, is one of them. In the last 10 years, she says, her life has been confined to her home and the Vihar lake, where she fishes. "My life involves going to the lake to fish and tending to chores at home. I haven't gone out of the village in a very long time and I have no idea what the area outside looks like. If they send us to Kurla, many of us won't be able to figure our way around the city," she adds.

But, life inside Per Baug is both busy and self-sustained. Urade's day for instance begins at the crack of dawn. By 7 am when we met her, she was already seated on the shore of the lake throwing her fish line into the water. Her catch usually comprises small fish called 'dandavat'. On a lucky day, she will catch rohu, or even black pomfret. When she has enough for a meal for herself and her family, which is usually by afternoon, she returns home to cook it with tender bamboo shoots picked from the forest area around the lake.

The women from Peru Baug seen with amla that they collected from trees in the forest. The tribals grow some of the vegetables they eat in small patches of land near their homes. Wild vegetables are grown only during the monsoon months.

The homes here don't have gas cylinders. They cook their food on wood which is found neatly stacked in sheds outside their huts. "Since the wood gets wet during the rains, we collect enough wood to last the three months of monsoon. Once the rain stops, we go out to look for more wood," Urade adds.

The tribals grow some of the vegetables they eat in small patches of land near their homes. Wild vegetables which are not available in the market are grown only during the monsoon months. "For the rest of the year we collect the tender shoots of bamboo plant, flowers of the Kurdu plant or leaves of Takla plant and make a vegetable out of it. This way we can save money," says 28-year-old Depenti Urade, who we meet while she is tending to the vegetable patch near her house. She adds that during the monsoon months, they are able to sell the vegetables they grow when they have more than they can consume. The women sell bananas, amla and colocasia leaves used to make aaloo vadi, a popular Maharashtrian dish, in the market to make some extra money.

"For the rest of the year we collect the tender shoots of bamboo plant, flowers of the Kurdu plant or leaves of Takla plant and make a vegetable out of it. This way we can save money," says 28-year-old Depenti Urade

The village's men are not around. They spend the day at work as housekeeping staff at the student hostels on campus and then go fishing in the evening. Some of the women work there too, even though the pay isn't great. "We work in the canteen where we cook, serve and clean dishes. We work eight-hour shifts and the contractor pays us around Rs 8,000 every month. But since we don't have to purchase food, we can manage for now," says 45-year-old Sevanti Urade, Depenti's mother-in-law, who hails from another adivasi pada in Aarey colony.

Tribals, not slumdwellers
The community here feels it's the lack of education that's doing them in. They say they had allowed the Slum Rehabilitation Authority officials to conduct a survey in their village only because they were promised an alternate accommodation nearby. "We were here long before IIT even existed. But the government is kicking us out of our land just because we aren't educated enough to understand our rights. If we can't grow our vegetables and catch fish, how will we survive in a tiny flat in Kurla?" asks Dode, adding that they even suggested that they be moved to another part of the IIT campus, instead of being ousted out of premises altogether. But, that was not considered.

Firewood used by villagers to cook food

The residents accompanied by members of Shramik Mukti Sangathna, an NGO advocating rights of tribal communities had approached Rajendra Gavit, an MP of BJP from the Palghar Lok Sabha constituency last month. During a visit conducted two weeks ago, Gavit had reassured them that he would take up the issue with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and IIT administration last week. Despite several calls and messages, Gavit could not be reached for a comment.

Tribals from other parts of the city advise the Peru Baug residents not to budge from their current space, especially under SRA laws. Prakash Bhoir, a resident of Kelti Pada in Aarey Colony feels that that government's solution of shifting adivasis to SRA flats is short-sighted. "Why should the SRA rehabilitate us? We're not slum residents who have a village to go back to. We belong here and this is the only home we know. We have been paying taxes for the land we grow our crops on and we have papers to prove it. Then why should we just accept a small flat?" he asks. He argues that it's not the SRA, rather the tribal department that ought to conduct surveys on their land. "People don't want to move out because it's not just about the house. It's about land, our animals and the trees that we have taken care of for several generations," he adds.

Prakash Bhoir, a resident of Kelti Pada in Aarey Colony

Those who have been advocating tribal rights feel the government has long tried to silence the voice of the tribal community across the country and they are yet to come across a case where tribals were rehabilitated in an appropriate manner. Adivasis everywhere, they say, are deliberately being harassed by various government agencies by not allowing them to set up electricity connections or not granting permission to construct toilets.

Graphic/Uday Mohite

Cassandra Nazareth, a social worker, who has been working with adivasis living in 12 padas in Aarey Colony says the government was disconnecting them from the earth they worship by shifting them to SRA flats. "How will they grow their vegetables in a 225 sq ft tenement? What the government needs to do is engage with the adivasis and come up with a solution from within the community," she adds.
- with inputs from Pallavi Smart

The fight for land
IIT Bombay officials stated that the adivasis are being moved to make way for the Research Park that is currently under construction. Based on their website, the research centre aims to bring IIT Bombay and the industry together and promote research and development collaborations. When asked about the tribals being displaced from their land, KP Unnithan, the superintendent engineer of IIT Bombay administration had only one response for all questions. "The land belongs to IIT Bombay," he says repeatedly.

The adivasis however don't have tribal certificates and thus, are unable to prove that they have lived on the land for the past several decades. It was only a few years ago, with the help of Shramik Muki Sangathna and political involvement that they were able to get their Aadhaar cards and election IDs.

What the authorities say
'The accommodation will be in Kurla, but the SRA is yet to handover the tenements to us. We are currently unaware of the number of adivasis who will be resettled'
Dilip Kavatkar, joint project director of MMRDA.

Once tribal homes, now slums
Nitin Kubal, who has been a field officer with TISS in the M-East Ward Project for the past three years stated that the survey conducted by Pune-based Tribal Research Institute in 2003, which was published two years later is the only comprehensive data available on the number of tribal settlements in Mumbai. "Based on the survey, there were 222 adivasi padas in Mumbai of which 159 converted into slums and only 63 are still isolated padas, which are located largely in western suburbs. No other recent surveys have been conducted," he said.

Also Read - Section 377: IIT-Bombay Students Celebrate Supreme Court's Judgement

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Former media baron Peter Mukerjea, an accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was admitted to the state-run J J Hospital in Mumbai after he complained of chest pain, officials said on Sunday. Mukerjea, who was lodged at the Arthur Road Jail in Central Mumbai, had been complaining of chest pain for the last few days, a police official said.

On Saturday evening, he again suffered from severe pain in the chest following which the prison medical staff checked him and rushed him to the J J Hospital, he said. "Mukerjea was admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening for chest pain. The patient's condition is stable and he is undergoing treatment," J J Hospital's medical superintendent Dr. Sanjay Surase said.

The CBI told a special court here earlier this month that Mukerjea is the "silent killer" of Sheena Bora, the daughter of his wife and former media executive Indrani Mukerjea from a previous relationship.

The April 2012 murder of Sheena Bora (24) came to light in August 2015 when Indrani Mukerjea's driver Shyamvar Rai spilled the beans after being arrested in another case. Indrani Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, Rai and Peter Mukerjea were subsequently arrested in the case. Rai later became an approver and was pardoned. The CBI has claimed a financial dispute led to the killing of Sheena Bora.

Dr Sanjay Surase, Medical Superintendent of JJ Hospital: Peter Mukerjea has been admitted to JJ Hospital after he complained of chest pain.
An accused in Sheena Bora murder case, Mukerjea is currently lodged in Arthur Road jail. (file pic) #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/qpSdygSOLb

— ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2019

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Every city has spaces that have, over the years, become more than just restaurants. They're like little museums of unwritten history, archiving the city's journey through old chinaware, faded signboards and staff that has probably been around for as long as the establishment. Spaces that leave regulars despondent when they shutter, almost as if they have lost one of their own.

Mumbai has its distinct culinary heritage, represented in part by corner-side cafés run by the Irani Zoroastrians and Muslims who made this city their home in the early 1900s. At this year's The Guide Restaurant Awards 2019 presented by mid-day, we celebrate the culinary contribution of this community by honouring 10 surviving cafés. Unique to Mumbai, these Irani cafés have fought inflation, the fast food invasion and a future generation that would rather pick a professional degree over manning a family establishment at low profits. Back in Iran, the Zoroastrians and Muslims, celebrate the onset of spring with the festival of Navroze (new day) on March 21. In Mumbai, it's a day typified by feasting around family.

Six of the 10 winners of this coveted award, discuss what Navroze means to them and the signature dishes to try at their cafes.

Byculla Restaurant and Bakery

Don't forget to try: Mutton pattice
"Since Navroze is a holiday, we keep the shop closed and enjoy ourselves at home. After offering prayers, we relish a feast of kheema and falooda," says Darius Ferzandi, owner. "At night, we have a glass of beer or a peg of whisky and then, off to sleep," he jokes. The best dish here is the mutton pattice (Rs 18).

At: Alexandra Terrace, Byculla Station, Byculla East.
Time: 8 am to 11 pm
Call: 23727375

Cafe Dela Paix

Gustad Dinshaw

Don't forget to try: Egg akuri
Gustad Dinshaw, owner of the 80-year-old café in Girgaum, tells us, "Navroze is the augment of spring and we worship fire, so it's mostly about getting together and offering prayers. We lay out the sofrah table each year and look forward to the rituals." The top selling dish at this café is the humble egg akuri (Rs 30).

At: 7, Shanker Seth Road, Avantikabai Gokhale Street, Opera House, Girgaum.
Time: 10 am to 10 pm
Call: 23824384

Cafe Colony

Don't forget to try: Mutton biryani
For Mirza Mohammed Nazariyan, owner Aga Nazariyan's son, Navroze is all about celebrating togetherness. "The festival is synonymous with happiness and a time for our family to come together," Mirza tells us, adding that while the mutton biryani (Rs 280) is a crowd pleaser, it's his personal favourite, too.

At: Road 1, Shrikanth Lodge, near Tilak Bridge, Hindu Colony, Dadar East.
Time: 6 am to 10.30 pm
Call: 24142321

Cafe Excelsior

Mutton cutlet gravy

Don't forget to try: Mutton cutlet
"A different animal or bird is associated with every new year. This year, it's white pig," explains Ardeshir Maskoori, owner of one of the most popular Irani cafés in the city, which completed a century last month. "It's very difficult for me to pick one favourite dish, but if I had to, I would suggest the mutton cutlet [Rs 300 dry; Rs 320 with gravy]," he says.

Ardeshir Maskoori

At: 23, AK Nayak Marg, opposite New Excelsior Cinema, Fort.
Time: 8 am to 11 pm
Call: 22074543

Ideal Corner

Don't forget to try: Salli boti
At this Fort eatery, Navroze beckons a special menu featuring all-time favourites like pulao dal, salli boti (Rs 180), and mutton dhansak (Rs 230). When asked what the festival means to the family, partner Parvez Patel says, "To drink and make merry."

At: 12 F/G, Hornby View, Gunbow Street, Fort.
Time: 12 pm to 10 pm
Call: 22621930

Koolar & Co

The sofrah at Irani's home last year

Don't forget to try: Irani delight
At Koolar & Co's owner Amir Koolar Irani's home, sofrah, the laying of the table with a mirror, fruits, nuts, alcohol and other goodies on Navroze, is a big affair. "My favourite festival here is Diwali, but Navroze takes us back to our roots," Irani shares, adding, "You must come and try the Irani delight [Rs 120]. It's a unique dish made with egg and honey."

Amir Koolar Irani

At: 541, Noor Mahal, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Adenwada Road, Matunga East.
Time: 7 am to 11 pm
Call: 24125062

Caramel custard

Winning Irani cafes

*Kyani & Co: AT JSS Road, Marine Lines. Call: 61229437
*Cosmopolitan: AT 133, Raja Rammohan Roy Road. Call: 23826737
*Sassanian Boulangerie: AT Dhobi Talao, Marine Lines. Call: 22006198
*Cafe Military: AT Tamarind Lane, Fort. Call: 22654181

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The kitchen is her playground. She glides around the sprawling set-up inside Magazine Street Kitchen with ease born out of familiarity, and stripped off all paraphernalia — aprons, gloves or a cap — elegant in her flow-ysnakeskin-print dress.

Ravinder Bhogal's foray into cooking began in a manner she calls "unorthodox." "I trained as a journalist. First and foremost, I think of myself as a writer, and cooking was a deep passion. That, combined with destiny brought me here," the popular Indian-origin British chef, award-winning restaurateur and author tells us ahead of a special dinner she will be serving at the Byculla venue tonight. But her love for food stems from a deeper place.

It began rather unpleasantly with a revolting five-year-old Bhogal being dragged into the kitchen by her mother, "a petite and beautiful woman who was stern and not the kind of person who taught you lovingly." At the time, Bhogal, who was a tomboy, would have rather climbed trees or ridden her tricycle, but was instead handed a rolling pin and asked to make round rotis. "I found it very boring," she says, adding that her view eventually changed when her grandfather bought her a little aluminium stove.

"It had such a lasting impact on how and why I cook. I would serve him burnt chapatis and terrible things that he ate with such love, praising me and often, putting cents in my hands to go and buy toffees. He would say to my mother, 'She's so good. Why can't you cook like her?' It was then that I realised that the currency of love can be exchanged for food," she recalls, elaborating on her tendency of approaching food with a motherly instinct that is driven by the need to nourish, not perform. Thereafter, the chef has donned many hats, from being called the new-age Fanny Cradock by acclaimed chef Gordon Ramsay, hosting a television show, supper clubs and pop-ups, to starting her own restaurant Jikoni in Marylebone in 2016, which opened to rave reviews. The accolades keep coming.

Bhogal takes a whiff of a Moroccan spice

But Bhogal's truest virtue lies not only in journeying through an unpredictable road, speckled with hurdles, scepticism and serendipity in equal measure, but in her ability to cook food that defies the confines of cuisines and territories. The result is a spread that pays homage to many heritages — East African (she lived in Kenya till the age of seven before moving to London), North Indian (since she hails from Punjab) and British. Growing up as an immigrant in a country like Britain meant that Bhogal lived in migrant-dominant neighbourhoods. She would often shop in Chinese markets or Polish shops.

"You are exposed to this wealth of ingredients, influences and culinary traditions that you somehow adopt and mix together. That's what immigrant food is: it's about people who have the ache and longing for what they've left behind, but also the wonder for their new landscape. It is when you reconcile these two things that you actually create a completely new cuisine," she elaborates, as she calls for some za'atar, delicately rolling beetroot and goat cheese croquetas inside a container full of the Middle Eastern herb. The fried ball explodes into a flavoursome and gooey goodness on our palate, leaving us pining for more.

Carrots, cashew nut pesto, goats curd, savoury granola

This synergy of culinary traditions shines through in the potato and paneer pierogi. A Polish ravioli comprising a hearty filling of paneer, drizzled with a hot yoghurt sauce and a piquant pul biber (an export from the Turkish spice shelf) butter and hazelnuts. The plated carrots, too, adhere to the sensibilities of no one cuisine in particular, and is instead a heartfelt celebration of the simple vegetable's many avatars — baby, yellow and purple — sitting on a bed of cashew nut pesto, with a singing freshness from the basil and carrot heads, a hint of acidity from the goat's curd and crunch from savoury granola.

Potato and paneer pierogi

Bhogal's food is worthy of the accolades because it's ingenious and not accidentally; it conveys a purposefulness and a conscientious effort towards defying these boundaries. As she says, "You often think of immigrants as the other, but as soon as you're sitting with a bowl of hummus and a puff of pita bread, that changes. If you can understand someone's food, you can understand their culture and that's where the beauty of food lies. It translates very easily into people's lives and turns strangers into friends."

Beetroot and goat cheese croquetas

AT Magazine Street Kitchen, Gupta Mills Estate, Byculla East.
ON April 27, 8 pm onwards
CALL 23726708
COST Rs 4,000

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It was the dead of night, but when Suraj Gavai, 28, heard his dog growling and whining outside the house, he couldn't resist checking on his pet. But when he opened the door, he found an entirely different animal staring at him — a leopard. The big cat sprang at Suraj and gouged his eye.

Suraj was rushed to hospital, where his condition is stable. Experts are calling the incident an 'accidental attack', as the leopard likely pounced out of fright. A camera trap was put up in the area and patrolling was boosted following the incident.

Suraj was found in a pool of blood by his mother, Baby. Pics/Datta Kumbhar

The incident took place at 2 am on Sunday, when the Gavai family was fast asleep in their room at Mulund's Rahul Nagar slum pocket. The area falls under the Tulsi Range of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), which is home to several leopards.

The spot outside the house where the dog was chained

Blood everywhere
Suraj woke up when he heard his Rottweiler yapping desperately outside the house, where it had been chained. Second after he opened the door to check on the dog, the leopard swiped at his face at him. His parents woke up to see him in pain and blood. They instantly raised the alarm and called Suraj's elder brother Jayesh, who lives nearby. "My wife and I quickly rushed there to see the doorsteps covered with blood. Suraj was in pain. We rushed him to the local hospital. While we are praying for his quick recovery, we are also frightened since the incident," said Jayesh.

Suraj was moved to KEM hospital due to the serious nature of his injuries. Having undergone a surgery on his right eye at the Parel hospital late on Sunday morning, he is currently under observation. The dog suffered a minor injury too, and was taken to a local vet hospital, where his condition is said to be stable.

Hospital report
"The patient was evaluated by ophthalmology, general surgery and plastic surgery departments. He has contused lacerated wounds (CLW) over the right lower eyelid and scalp. The plastic surgeon sutured the CLW in the plastic operation theatre; the wound was sutured too. In the wake of the patient feeling giddy after taking scalp sutures, we have admitted him. His condition is currently stable," said Dr Avinash Supe, dean, KEM hospital.

High leopard activity
Wildlife and human-leopard conflict experts told mid-day that a combination of factors contributed to Sunday's incident. Krishna Tiwari, founder of the Forest and Wildlife Conservation Society (FWCS), said that the area, with its proximity to SGNP, is prone to leopard activity.

"The area is often unkempt and leopards in search for food are frequent visitors. Upon hearing the dog bark, the man should not have opened the door to begin with," Tiwari added.

Nikit Surve, a leopard researcher from Mumbai said, "The leopard and the man caught each other by surprise. In distress and panic, the leopard attacked the man."

Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden with the Forest Department, said, "Just last week, locals had reported a leopard sighting in the area. Citizens need to be vigilant and abide by the dos and don'ts listed by the authorities.

He added that following Sunday's incident, camera traps were installed in the area to track leopard movements. Patrolling is also going to be increased. Despite repeated attempts to contact Jitendra Ramgaonkar, deputy conservator of forest, he remained unavailable for comment.

Also Read: Mumbai: Forest department trains people from Thane society to deal with leopards

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Rajesh Hudiyar, a resident of Mahul, was forced to stay at home because of the BEST strike in the city today. The youngster's board exams are hardly two months away but as he could not afford to take an autorickshaw or a taxi, he had to skip going to school.

Not just him, but many other residents of Mahul, most of whom are Tansa pipeline project affected people, are skipping work and school because since buses are not operational.

Meanwhile, the BEST strike in Mumbai has entered its ninth day today.

While Hudiyar says that he is missing important classes, he simply can't afford to spend Rs 100 on an autorickshaw ride.

Vikas Logade, who is a student of a Wadala college, says that he missed a project submission already which he fears will cost him marks in the final assessment but he can't spend Rs 150 on a taxi every day.

Firdaus Sheikh is a Std. 10 student whose preliminary examinations are underway and two of her siblings are skipping school as well.

Mangal Thakur is sending only her elder son, a Std 10 student, to school while her younger son has to sit at home.

She told Mumbai Mirror, “Unscrupulous autorickshaw drivers have jacked up fares. We can’t afford to send both our children to school in such a scenario."

Vivek Gambre who works in a factory in Andheri east says that he has missed seven days of work which has cost him Rs 9000, which is about 25% of his income.

Amita Pawar, a tester in a factory in Sakinaka, says that her daily wage comes to Rs 250 but an autorickshaw will cost her Rs 200 alone. “Then there’s the additional hassle of getting a vehicle in the first place.”

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A highly decomposed body of a 42-year-old woman was found dumped on a roadside near the Mumbai-Agra highway here in Maharashtra, police said Sunday.

A group of devotees proceeding on foot to Shirdi temple town spotted the body, bearing injury marks on head, at a forest in Asangaon area of Sahapur taluka on Friday, an official at Sahapur police station said. An Aadhaar card found stuck in her clothes revealed her identity as Vandana Khermode, hailing from Solapur district in Maharashtra, he said.

The police subsequently sent the body for postmortem to J J Hospital in neighbouring Mumbai. Based on the autopsy report, a case was registered by the police on Saturday under IPC section 302 (murder) against unidentified persons, he said. The body was later handed over to the woman's relatives, he said, adding that a probe was on to ascertain why and where she was killed.

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The Thane Forest Department (Territorial) on Saturday night detained one more person in connection with the poaching case of a sambar deer and leopard, carcasses of which were found last week, trapped in wire snares set at the Film City.

Over the weekend, the five accused were taken to locations they had revealed during interrogation and some important evidence including bones of wild animals were recovered by the department. It was during this exercise that the name of the person came up.

According to sources, the accused were taken to various spots in the Film City where they had allegedly killed the animals. A Forest Department official said, "A few names came up during interrogation based on which one person was picked up."

"The accused also took us to the locations where they had set some snares and we have recovered bones and antlers from one such location," said a source from the Forest Department on the condition of anonymity.

The accused also confessed to having killed a barking deer at one spot, photos of which were found in one of their phones. A person was also named for allegedly selling sambar and spotted deer meat.

"We are exploring the meat trade bit and will get more names as interrogation progresses. One of the accused was wearing a gold chain with a pendant that had a nail resembling that of a big cat. We have seized it and will send it for forensic examination," the source added.

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Thane: An adult leopard was spotted by security personnel at the basement of Korum Mall in Thane early on Wednesday morning at around 5.30 am. The leopard's movement was caught on the CCTV camera installed towards the exit gate of the parking area. Forest department officials finally managed to tranquilise the big cat and rescued it from the densely populated human area.

The guards alerted the forest department and Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) officials. A veterinary doctor has also reached the spot. However, the leopard could not be traced even after a thorough search in the morning, as per reports. Finally, the forest officials succeeded in tranquilising the leopard around 12 pm

The leopard which was later spotted at the basement of a hotel near Cadbury junction in Thane was tranquilised by forest officials.

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The Thane sessions court, on Wednesday, convicted a murderer and sentenced him to life imprisonment for killing a 16-year-old girl who had refused to marry him.

The complainant's lawyer Sushma Mishra said, "Her father and our team are very happy with the conviction. The convict, Zahir Sayyed, has also got an additional 10 years for trying to kill the girl's father."

On November 3, 2014, Zahir, a Nashik resident, barged into the house of the minor, after her parents rejected his proposal of marriage, and stabbed her. When her father tried to stop him, he attacked him with the same knife.

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Thane: With the arrest of a 22-year-old man, Thane district police on Saturday claimed to have solved a murder case within hours. Senior police inspector Kalyan Karpe said that Krishna Gautam (25) was found dead on the premises of a factory where he worked on the morning of March 21.

Gautam worked as a machine operator at this factory, located on Bhiwandi-Vasai highway, Karpe said. There were wounds on the victim's head and the police surmised that he was probably attacked when he was asleep.

The investigators identified a co-worker, Ramukumar Singh, as a prime suspect and arrested him on the same day, the inspector said. A probe revealed that Gautam opposed an illicit relationship between Singh and a woman, and the two often quarrelled over the issue.

On the intervening night of March 20 and 21, Singh allegedly attacked Gautam. Bhoiwada police in Bhiwandi have registered a case of murder and conducting a further probe.

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The image of a daffodil in a botany textbook can instantly transport you to 1802 — when William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy walked on the shore of Ullswater in the Lake District and spotted the flowers waving in the wind. Two years later, he wrote I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud — one of the most widely-read poems in the English language.

The beauty of poetry lies in this intersectionality; a poem sometimes translates into a tangible memory. And when poems are performed, this memory grows stronger, thus reducing the time it takes to relate to text, because action and emotion matter. But the divide between performance poetry and the written word is evident. The former isn't taken as seriously and the latter seems too overwhelming.That's why a new publishing initiative has promised to tackle that.

Nirav Mehta and Ishmeet Nagpal

Dentist-turned-social activist Ishmeet Nagpal, 30, and tech analyst Nirav Mehta, 28, who also co-founded the popular city-based book club Broke Bibliophiles - Bombay Chapter, conceptualised the idea of Nirvana Publishers this year to give space to diverse voices in poetry. "The bigger publication houses have started publishing fewer books on poetry and short stories. We feel it's absolutely necessary for these voices to be heard and read in the mainstream media. Every novel begins with a short story," Mehta tells us, and Nagpal concurs. "Most young artists find the publication process daunting. We want to curate and handhold such poets and storytellers to bring forward as many perspectives as possible."

A Broke Bibliophiles meetup at Powai Lake

They also aim to blur the divide between various formats of poetry, and the first step in doing so is through a soft launch this weekend at a Bandra venue where city spoken-word poets — many of whom are part of the book club — including Aekta Khubchandani, Amina Arif, Damini Kane, Manisha Lakhe and mid-day journalist Aastha Atray-Banan will perform pieces themed around empathy.

A meet-up involves book discussions and sometimes even features authors

"There is a revolution underway in the spoken word arena, but it is limited to pockets in the metro cities. To increase the reach, it would be great to have some of these voices in a publication that people sitting anywhere in the world can experience," they say, adding that they will initially start with accepting submissions in English and delve into more languages and translations after learning what their audience appreciates.

Their initiative as of now remains self-funded as the two juggle day jobs. But Mehta says that they are open to funding, as and when an angel investor turns up.

Aekta Khubchandani and Amina Arif

Although Nirvana hasn't put out an open call for submissions, as they will formally begin in April, people are free to send pitches. At the end of the day, the goal is to stay approachable. "There are so many rigid rules that dictate what constitutes page literature and what is classified as spoken word or performance-oriented writing. Of course, what may be a great performance piece might not translate just as beautifully on page and vice-versa, but what if it can?" they question. And we wonder if Wordsworth would do a good job.

ON March 3, 6 pm to 9 pm
AT The Pioneer Hall, next to Corona Garden, St John Baptist Road, Mount Mary Steps, Bandra West.
CALL 7021454630
Email nirvana.publishers@gmail.com
FREE

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A leopard entered a society in Marol, Andheri. He was caught after almost two hours.

There was a big crowd at Vijay Nagar near Marol Marushi. People were waiting with sticks in their hands.

CCTV footage of the leopard

In the CCTV footage, the wild animal was seen running around the premises of Woodland Apartment near Police camp.

The SGNP leopard rescue team and Thane team reached the spot immediately while Dr Shailesh Pethe, Deputy Conservator of Forest Dr Jitendra Ramgaonkar, Range Forest Officer Santosh Kank were preparing the strategy.

Also read: Decomposed body of leopard found at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

The forest officers were able to nab the leopard after two hours. He was taken away in a van. The Powai team, MIDC police and fire brigade were also involved in the rescue operation.

In February this year, a leopard was spotted in the basement of Korum Mall in Thane.

Also read: Mumbai: Leopard numbers increase in Sanjay Gandhi National Park

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It's time for some pocket-friendly shopping. Summer has already hit the bay, and people are busy working out to get the beach body right. But, is your body summer ready? If not, it is the right time to hit the gym and get rid of those extra kilos right away!

Malaika Arora was clicked at her gym in Bandra, Mumbai, and the actresses were sporting some easy-breezy gym gears for their workout session. Here's how you can get Malaika Arora's gym look at the affordable price. 

Malaika Arora's shades of grey:

Grey t-shirt: You can buy Fleximaa Women's Cotton Round Neck T-Shirt Plain t-shirt at the discounted price of Rs 249 only. Shop here.

Grey shorts: Get your yoga shorts and keep the workout going with a comfortable pair of gym gears. One shorts might just not be enough for you to keep the pace going. Get two pair of yoga pants at a discounted price of Rs 299 only. Shop here. 

Sports shoes: You can buy Staylo sports shoes to run, walk, training yourself for yoga marathon for women. Get your pair of similar shoes at the discounted price of Rs 419 only. Shop here.

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If you appreciate great sound — which is rich, heavy and laidback yet energetic — an event that will be held at Bandra's Corona Garden will give you reason to look forward to the weekend. Celebrating World Record Day today, a music conglomerate has organised a vinyl record sale with mo­re than 2,000 titles on discount, including albums by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Linkin Park.

Listeners will be able to enjoy a series of acoustic sessions by city-based musicians Nikhil D'Souza, Mali (Maalavika), Tejas, Aarifah and Ramya Pothuri. The day-long affair will end with a special showcase by Kadak Apple Records, where each singer will perform an original composition, accompanied by the rest of the musicians. There will also be an indoor electronic stage that revolves around the 45" vinyl record culture, where DJs Zokhuma (Arman Menzies), ENG (Kunal Lodhia) and Pinnacle will be playing records.

"The simplicity of playing a vinyl record and enjoying the rich, warm sound makes the experience personal and extraordinary. It's the only physical format of music that has seen a rise in demand. The maximum sales take place in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru via online stores," says Jay Mehta, digital head business, Sony Music, organisers of the event.

Aarifah

For 26-year-old Mumbai multi-instrumentalist Aarifah, the introduction to vinyl records happened recently, not unusual for millennials. "A bandmate introduced me to vinyls at a record shop in Mahim. I got to learn the mechanics first hand, which was pretty cool," the Dadar resident tells us. She will be performing her unreleased acoustic originals, which are lyrically-heavy and melancholic. These are also songs she plans to record and release later this year. The musician will be performing her single, Resilient. "This one is about heartache and being resilient through that. The focus is to keep my lyrics as honest as possible," she says, adding that listeners can look forward to a mellow vibe with lots of harmonies as the quartet (Tejas, Mali, Aarifah and Ramya) conclude the concert together.

ON Today 13, 2 pm onwards
AT Corona Garden, St John Baptist Road, Bandra West.
LOG ON TO (to RSVP) insider.in
FREE

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Popular photo and video sharing app, Instagram, rolled out an interesting "call-to-action buttons" for businesses on Wednesday. With the help of this feature, Instagram users can now book tickets, order food, make appointments and reservations from the app itself. 

With "Instagram Direct" and by adding these buttons to their profile, businesses would help customers connect with the third-party partners from the platform.

"Starting today, businesses will have a better way to manage their messages. Users will be able to see important new customer messages in the main 'Direct' inbox, instead of in the pending folder," the company said in a blog post.

"Users will also be able to star and filter conversations to come back to messages they would want to follow up on. Additionally, in the coming weeks we'll begin testing quick replies so that you can easily respond to common questions," the company said.

According to Instagram, over 200 million users visit a business profile every day and over 150 million people have conversations with businesses through Instagram's "Direct" every month. The Facebook-owned app plans to expand this list to cover partners across all countries aiming to help businesses have more opportunities to connect and communicate with their customers.

(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)

Baidu Facemoji Keyboard. Pic courtesy/YouTube

Chinese tech company Baidu, populary known as China's Google, on Monday said that its third party app "Facemoji Keyboard," has reached over 30 million downloads since its launch.

The keyboard, that is slowly gaining popularity in India, comes with emojis, GIFs, stickers and emoticons, and supports over 100 languages, out of which 22 are Indian dialects, Baidu said in a statement.

The "customisable" keyboard features voice-recognition for easy speech-to-text functionalities and themes designed for special occasions.

With "Facemoji Keyboard," Baidu expects to achieve a three times growth by the end of this year.

"Facemoji Keyboard" was first launched in Japan under the name "Simeji" in 2008.

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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

A law firm has filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple alleging that MacBook and MacBook Pro's "butterfly" keyboard design is "prone to fail".

According to a report in Forbes, Apple was hit with the lawsuit over the design and functionality of its "butterfly" keyboard system after a string of complaints that alleged defects in the keyboard's design.

Law firm Girard Gibbs filed the lawsuit on behalf of two MacBook Pro owners after nearly 25,000 people signed a petition requesting Apple to address the problem.

The owners of these devices have complained that the "butterfly" mechanism under each key causes keys to stick and fail.

The lawsuit also takes issue with Apple's repair process for faulty keyboards, saying it doesn't permanently fix problems during the repair process.

Apple first introduced its "butterfly" keyboard with the 12-inch MacBook three years ago.

Apple claims that when a user strikes a key on this keyboard, it goes down and bounces back with a crisp motion -- unlike the traditional scissor mechanism.

This is not the first time Apple has been sued for its products. Earlier this year, it was sued for deliberately making iPhones slower.

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Illustration/Uday Mohite

So, dear reader, I don't know about you, but I'm a little confused about certain big words that fly around these days. I don't mean words like say, 'farrago' or 'webaqoof' or 'rodomontade' or 'snollygoster' that his eminence Shashi Tharoor has made famous. I mean we know that 'webaqoof' means — it's someone who has no clue how social media works.  Most of you, my X-ennial readers, will identify with this malady — What's an X-ennial, you ask?! Nahin nahin, it not a prequel to the X-men series or the next instalment of 'Avengers Infinity Wars' (that's subject for another column).
Anyway, to get back to the subject at hand — big words. Do you know, for example, what 'Debdumbfoolery' or 'Biplabpolarism' mean — it's the art of talking utter nonsense, making outrageous statements with shameless ignorance and confidence on a public platform.

Like, say, I said something really foolish like, "Modern day internet existed during the times of the Mahabharata" or "Narad Muni was like Google" or, something even more preposterous, like "Darwin's theory was scientifically wrong and shouldn't be a part of college curriculum". You get it, dear reader. This is also called 'Satyapalfootinmunh'.

So it's like — "Hey, that Jigesh thinks no end of himself, always giving these biplabtripupistic fundas."

What else? Let's look at some other big words that made me reach for the thesaurus. How about 'Pappupasshogayalitis' — this tongue twister is the art of dynastic entitlement, when the entitled has no clue what he's doing or saying. So let's say two employees are b***hing about a third, "Really pissed off with my job. Can't get a promotion, that Akash is the boss's son, real pappupasshogaya dufus, but, kya karega, baap ka raj na!"
Dear reader, there's 'Rayaduplessis' — any idea what this means? Okay, it means, 'you finally do well at something in a particular position and a South African annoyingly takes your place to fulfill a quota.

Okay, here's another killer — 'Trumpjong-un' — cool, huh? So any guesses? Okay, it has multiple meanings —

1. An ancient Oriental board game
2. When two mentally unstable people meet and each one
cannot believe they've met their match
3. An American Nuclear Bomb made in North Korea
How about this one — Cosbynski. I'll give you a hint — it has to do with 'molestation' — okay, I won't give it away — email me your answers and you get a free Woody Allen movie DVD as a prize.
And finally there's 'Indranirritatausaurus' — so I'll let you decide what this word means.
Choose between —
1. A member of the pre-historic animal family
2. An issue that annoyingly goes on and on well past its interest value date
3. A story with more deceit,
betrayal and murder than all the seasons of Game of Thrones (GoT) put together
This word is also referred to as 'boradom'.
I'm off, dear reader, see you 'Banuvasarahdimanche'. Huh? What does that mean? It's so simple.
It's a word coined by Messrs Modi and Macron.

Rahul da Cunha is an adman, theatre director/playwright, photographer and traveller. Reach him at rahuldacunha62@gmail.com

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Vikhroli resident Dr Suvajeet Duttagupta loves cooking his meals. But, the 31-year-old cinematographer admits that some days are long and tiring and the only option is to order in. Yet, this comes with its share of heartaches. "The worst bit about ordering out is the amount of plastic that they use to package the food. While I make it a point to ask the restaurants not to send any plastic cutlery, there's only so much one can do." But, Duttagupta isn't the only Mumbaikar who wishes ordering in was more environment-friendly. With the plastic ban coming into full effect on June 23, Mumbai establishments have little more than a month to find alternatives. While some places now pack their containers in cloth bags, the containers themselves remain plastic, thus almost negating the good work done. But, there are a few who have switched to eco-friendly alternatives:

The New York Burrito Company

This brand new Mexican quick service restaurant has a takeout menu that includes Mexican bowl, burrito, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, chips with guacamole and more. They use recyclable bagasse trays and kraft bags (made from recycled paper). They also add wooden spoons and forks to their takeout bags. Senil Shah, partner, says,
"As our packaging is eco-friendly and fresh, we don't fear food getting bad. Costs have risen, but we see it as an investment for our future generation's betterment."

Senil Shah, partner, The New York Burrito Company

Where: Chowpatty
Timings: 11 am – 11 pm
Meal for two: Rs 600
Call: 8999347000

29 – Twenty Nine

This pan-Indian restaurant which opened in 2016, is much loved by the patrons for the range of regional dishes (29 states) available under one roof. "We have been experimenting with various packaging material at our Kemps Corner outlet, long before the plastic ban. The packaging material we have found best for our use is made of paper and cornstarch with an eco-friendly dissolvable lamination. This was then applied to all other 29 outlets," says owner Nishek Jain. The initial sourcing of the products came from an exhibition called PackPlus hosted in New Delhi. Certain items, like rabadi with jalebi all come in a kulhad. They pack the curries in an eco-friendly thick-bond-with-lamination pack.

Nishek Jain, owner, 29 - Twenty Nine. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Where: Kemps Corner
Timings: 11 am – 3.30 pm and 7 pm – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: R1,000
Call: 7208022929

O Pedro

This Goan eatery became an instant talk-of-the-town thanks to its mix of flavours soaked in the coastal calm. From healthy options such as corn falafel lettuce wrap to good ol' chorizo chili fry poie, their menu has something for everyone. Before starting their takeaway services, O Pedro's tried and tested their delivery menu so that they knew that the food ordered for delivery would travel well. All these dishes are packed in products made of sugarcane, sorghum and wheat that are sourced locally from Pappco Greenware. "Working without plastic has its own challenges as one is not able to secure or seal in liquids completely, but we seal our boxes with paper tape to reduce chances of spillage," says Yash Bhanage, Partner at O Pedro. He adds, "The quality and the experience of eating the meal is most important for us. Therefore, we are only looking at delivering within a limited radius where we know the food would reach our guests quickly and in the way it was intended to."

30-60
No. of days in which sugarcane bagasse decomposes

Where: Bandra Kurla Complex
Timings: Noon to 1 am
Meal for two: R1,200
Call: 26534700

Mandala

This delivery kitchen offers a wide range of salads, sandwiches and soups. Sticking to their organic living philosophy, they also ensure that their food reaches their patrons in bio-degradable containers made of sugarcane bagasse — the fibrous residue. They source these products from a company that buys the packaging raw material from the UK and then processes it to create biodegradable bowls. The company also provides data on how many carbon credits they save by using their boxes. "We don't add any items on our menu that don't withstand our rigorous testing. This means that we let our food sit out at room temperature for up to an hour to see if it retains its flavour and freshness," says Sarvangi Shah, director of marketing.

Where: Kemps Corner and Prabhadevi
Timings: 11 am-midnight
Meal for two: Rs 700
Call: 8291817376

The Pantry

Tucked in the bylanes of the city's art district, this artsy café is a perfect hideout. The Pantry was established six years ago with principles of using fresh, local produce. This even translates in their packaging where they use food containers made of cornstarch while their straws, sleeves, boxes are all made of paper. Soup containers are made of bagasse. "Liquid foods like soups are the trickiest to pack but as we use bagasse container for the same and they are with an airtight lid which holds liquids safely, it makes it easy to travel," says Sumit Gambhir, the partner at The Pantry. In order to avoid spoilage due to temperature, they ensure that they maintain the delivery timings.

Address: Kala Ghoda, Fort
Timings: 8.30 am – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: Rs 1,400
Call: 22678901

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The romanticising of vinyls is not without reason - the gritty, warm sound, the bout of nostalgia and the act of listening may all be cliches, but they also hold true. And today being World Record Store Day, there is perhaps no better way of spending it than actually being in one. So here are a few that can satiate everyone from the grandpa obsessed with Madhubala to the hipster who wears socks from different pairs. Take your pick.

The Revolver Club
Jude D'Souza (seated in pic), CeO at The Revolver Club, says, "I once got a call about someone wanting to purchase weapons and another one asking how they could join this club." He explains that the name is a play on the revolving aspect of vinyls and also an ode to a Beatles album. D'Souza set up the store with co-founder Shalom Benjamin about three years ago, and it has now become a go-to hub for record junkies.
At: LJ Road, Mahim West.
Call: 9833182255
Cost: Rs 100 to Rs 25,000

Royal Music Collection
Known simply as Abdul Razaak's store to those in the trade, this shop tucked away in Fort has been around since 1982. Featuring an array of languages and genres, the stock is a treasure trove of collectors' records. "Most of my customers are regulars and now that record players are back, I get some new ones too. Much what I have comes from old collections, so it's cheap and exquisite," says Razaak, the owner.
At: Kitab Mahal, Dr DN Road.
Call: 98209 33365
Cost: Rs 250 to Rs 2,000.

Music Circle
Pilak Bhatt, owner of Music Centre, which has been around for five years, says he has been collecting records for the last 40 years. At his store you can find both pre-owned records and new ones. "Because of my passion and love for music, I want this format to stay alive. Analogue sound is natural and warm and records have lovely artwork. Plus, there's ample information about the artistes. The sound of Mp3s isn't great, and people are realising that, which is why this revival has come about," Bhatt says.
At: V Mall, Kandivali east
Call: 9833062221
Cost: Rs 300 to Rs 2,000

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(From left) Muazzam and Rizwan

While most Indian music aficionados consider Rahat Fateh Ali Khan as legendary Pakistani Sufi singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's only successor, his nephews Rizwan and Muazzam are also making a mark across the world. The Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali Group, which comprises the brothers (lead singers), five secondary vocalists, two harmonium players and a tabla player, performed at the recently concluded Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

To take their family's five-century-old legacy forward and shoulder the responsibility of being Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's nephews is no mean feat for the musician duo. "Nusrat saab's music was great. The expectations motivate us to work hard and keep up with his legacy," says Muazzam, as he talks about their greatest learning from their uncle-guru, Khan. "The fact that we can perform in front of a huge audience and impress them with our recitals is because of him. His teachings have helped us master the art of ghazals and qawwalis. Besides being an amazing artist, he was also an amazing teacher and person. Whatever we are today is because of his teachings."

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Though they perform different genres, their specialisation lies in qawwali and ghazals. "We also perform spiritual and contemporary music, and collaborate with musicians from across the world, but qawwalis and ghazals are our first love," says Rizwan.

While Rahat has explored Hindi film music and enjoys a huge fan base in India, the duo is also keen to do more work here. "We enjoyed visiting India a couple of years ago for a multi-city tour. We performed in seven cities, including Mumbai. It was an enriching experience as the audience in every city was warm," says Rizwan, adding that the duo counts Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ranjit Barot, Sivamani and L Subramaniyam among their favourite Indian musicians.

Expressing their wish to venture into Hindi film music, Muazzam says that they would love to collaborate with Indian composers. "Since Bollywood welcomes budding artistes warmly and gives them opportunities, we want to explore Hindi film music soon. In fact, Pritam da reached out to us and expressed an interest in getting us on board for his films. We are looking forward to working with him," he says.

Meanwhile, they are currently exploring the indie music space in India and working on an independent track with an Indian artist — they won't tell us who. "We are also in talks with a few music labels in India," says Muazzam.

Also Read: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Backs Out Of Recording Fearing Pakistan Backlash

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Caroline (Laura Mishra) pours out her fears about her rocky marriage to the governess Ms Chacko (Pooja Nair)

All the world's a stage, but that doesn't make all of us actors, as we discovered after three long hours of watching an adaptation of Agatha Christie's Go Back For Murder by the theatre group, Making Noise. The play follows the protagonist Chloe Miranda (played by director Laura Mishra), on her journey to prove her mother innocent of her father's murder.

The catch is, the murder happened 15 years ago, and her mother is no longer around to defend herself, having passed away in prison. So, Chloe joins hands with her lawyer Filip Calisto (male lead essayed by Navin Talreja) to piece together who really killed her father. They track down friends and family members who were present on the day of the murder. Everyone returns to the scene of a crime in Goa to recreate the events leading up to the murder.

True to form, the tight plot devised by the queen of crime writing keeps the audience guessing until the very end when the killer is finally revealed in the denouement.

Unfortunately, there is another murder that needs to be addressed — that of the play itself. The warning signs appeared from the very beginning: Actors stumbling over their words, even forgetting their lines at times; lacklustre delivery was a problem throughout the play. Direction was, dare we say, missing. Actors killed a ridiculous amount of time milling about on stage, unable to hold still even during conversations with other characters. As a result, even though the advertised run time was two hours and 15 minutes (including the interval), the audience was trapped for an extra 45 minutes. The delay did not go unnoticed by the director, who apologised for having taken up so much time.

It would not be an exaggeration to call the performance a snoozefest; many in the audience had nodded off within the first half hour, while others gave up and left the auditorium midway.

Actor-director Laura delivered one of the few believable performances but failed to draw out the same from her cast. There were other peculiar directorial calls, such as one of the characters holding the same cigarette to his mouth for over two hours. In all the scenes with multiple characters, several actors had visibly zoned out on stage while the lead actors droned on. A theatre aficionado who accompanied us said it was like a "school play", hardly the kind of fare one would expect to see at St Andrew's Auditorium.
When: May 27, 7.30 pm
Where: St Andrews Auditorium
Entry: Rs 200-Rs 1,000
Contact: 26410926

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Beards are to men what make-up is to women, and a quick Internet search of actors in a pre- and post-beard phase will confirm this. Such has been the impact and acceptance of facial hair that they have gradually crossed the barriers of hipsterdom to find their way to boardrooms. But are corporate firms with a strict formal dress code open to men with beards?

"We have a strict dress code, where a shabby demeanour is unacceptable. We even keep daily checks; employees cannot walk into the office in jeans or sports shoes, especially when they have client interactions. But full beards are not a concern. We have employees with full beards and twirled moustaches," says Sudhir Dhar, CHRO – director HR, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.

Dr Sujaya Banerjee

Rohan Vaswani, CHRO, Nexus Malls, a fully owned subsidiary of investment firm Blackstone Group, shares a similar thought. The company follows a formal dress code from Monday to Thursday and smart casuals on Friday. "You can't walk into the office with your shirt not tucked in or in bright blue trousers. But beards, if they are well-kept, are fine," shares Vaswani.

Dress to impress
"The first impression is created by the physical appearance of a person; it's later that you have an interaction and people get influenced by your personality. So, if you seem shabby, you create a perception even before you talk," says Dhar.

He adds that as long as one is confident of carrying it off and not look out of place, a beard is acceptable.

Rohan Vaswani

"We conduct training on executive presence — how to look, behave and dress like a leader. These aspects are now becoming increasingly important as often, you find that people are competent but they don't make it beyond a point because they don't look like the part or someone who can represent the organisation before multiple stakeholders. It's not about good looks but about appearance. A haircut and a well-groomed beard are a part of this understanding. You can't have a two-day stubble where you look like you have just woken up and come to work. We actually check if there's a valid reason behind an unkempt stubble: Is the employee unwell? Or is he battling a low?" says Dr Sujaya Banerjee, CEO and founder of Capstone People Consulting.

Do you shave before an interview?
Most HR personnel we spoke to felt there's no middle ground; you either opt for the clean-shaven look or wear a groomed full beard. "It's better to shave off a two-day stubble and not go in between. It can be interpreted as a sign of laziness," warns Dhar.

"I am more interested in knowing if a person has the right competence and capability for the job. The older generation, however, associates beards with carelessness and mistrust. Traditionally, even in films, the bearded guy will always be the villain or from the underworld. If a full beard is groomed, it's fine. Long hair is not allowed. You are not an artist or performer, you are corporate. Hence, certain norms remain. We allow personal freedom as long as you stay well-groomed," adds Banerjee.

Make a bearded impact
"Some people look smarter with a beard," says Dhar. Vaswani feels that real estate companies are often promoter-driven, and the vision of the promoter and the top management often reflects on the staff where people would go the extra mile to keep with the image. "Those with gaunt features can look fuller with a beard. It also saves you the trouble of having to shave every day. A good beard can actually help you appear stronger. Also, today, people look for organisations where individuality is encouraged, where you can bring your authentic self to work. It's motivating to be in an organisation where you can express who you are, as long as it doesn't hamper business. So, if the beard is within acceptable parameters, all's well," says Banerjee.

Grooming tips
Keep it clean
Wash your beard three times a week to prevent the build-up of dead skin cells.
Keep it moisturised Oil your beard daily to keep it soft and moisturised.
Shape it up
Trim your beard when you see stray hair or as desired to maintain the shape. Repeat this once every two weeks when you want to maintain a consistent length.
Kaushal Pratab, founder, Shepherd For Men 

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According to provisional polling estimate release on Monday evening, the city scored about 54 percent, three percent more than its 2014 feet. The figures are expected to be revised after the final data crunching on Tuesday. In 2014, Mumbai had registered a turnout of 51.6 percent, which was an improvement from a low of 41.4 percent in the 2009 General elections.

Of the city's six segments of varied demography, South Mumbai couldn't match up with its previous mark while Mumbai North Central, Mumbai North, Mumbai North West, Mumbai North East, and Mumbai South Central performed better. Mumbai North, where actor Urmila Matondkar (Congress) fought against BJP's sitting MP Gopal Shetty, recorded the highest turnout (59.32 percent) in the city with a major spike of 6.25 percent.

Also Read: Elections 2019: No guidance at booths, claim furious citizens

A fierce contest in North Central Mumbai between MP Poonam Mahajan (BJP) and former MP Priya Dutt (Congress) saw a jump of 4.17 percent. Mumbai Congress president Milind Deora and Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant's South Mumbai polled at a percentage similar to that of 2014. However, former Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam, who was worried about the possibility of a higher turnout, shouldn't be much upset as his North West fight with Sena's sitting MP Gajanan Kirtikar raised the bar by a 4.14 percent.

BJP's eleventh-hour candidate from North East, Manoj Kotak, who replaced sitting MP Kirit Somaiyya, claimed a 4.61 percent increase in polling that would possibly benefit Kotak against NCP's sole candidate in the city and ex-MP Sanjay Dina Patil.

Mumbai South Central which had former MP Eknath Gaikwad pitted against incumbent Rahul Shewale crossed the 2014 figure by 2.26 percent. The average voter turnout in the city's six Lok Sabha elections was 41.40 percent (2009), 47.30 percent (2004), 45 percent (1999), 50.40 percent (1998), 45.10 percent (1996) and 41.60 percent (1991). 

Also Read: Elections 2019: Polling booth moved, names missing, faulty EVMs

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

State does better

After the fourth phase of polling, the state's polling average was 60.68 percent, said Chief Electoral Officer Ashwani Kumar. According to CEO, today's average polling in the 17 constituencies, including Mumbai's six, was 57 percent — much less than that recorded in the first (63.46 percent), second (62.88 percent) and third phase (62.36 percent). Gadchiroli (71.98 percent) registered the highest voter turnout in the state while Kalyan that went to polls on Monday had the lowest turnout of 44.27 percent, said Kumar.

Monday marked the last phase of polling in Maharashtra which has 48 Lok Sabha constituencies, second highest after Uttar Pradesh. The outcome of the state will have a bearing on the formation of the government at the Centre, as both the BJP-Sena and Congress-NCP are banking heavily for the electoral gains here. In 2014, the BJP-Sena and their other allies had won a record 42 seats in the state while the Congress was reduced to a mere two seats and NCP managed just four.

Also Read: Elections 2019 in Mumbai: Physically challenged, elderly, get little help at polling stations

60.68
State's voting percentage across four phases

48
Total no. of constituencies across Maharashtra

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

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The art display at the debut edition of the festival

This weekend, if you step into the heritage precinct of the Great Eastern Mills compound in Byculla, you’ll get to feast your eyes on oil and watercolour paintings by 50 artists from across India. The showcase is part of the second edition of Art 35, a three-day carnival that celebrates affordable art. “Though we had a basic festival last year, I have taken it to a bigger scale this year by curating carpet displays, fashion apparel, jewellery and food stalls; paper and origami workshops for children and music performances too,” shares Charu Tewari, CEO of Ficus Fine Living, that’s presenting the festival.

Mooralala Marwada

The performance line-up includes an afternoon of Sufi renditions by Mooralala Marwada, a well-known folk singer from the Janana village in Kutch district of Gujarat. The artiste, who sings in the Kaafi form of music, will regale the audience with poetry of Kabir, Mirabai and Ravidas. Other must-catch acts include a Dastangoi storytelling session with Ankit Chadha and a stand-up comedy show titled Oye... Stand Up by Ankita Shrivastav and Mohit Sharma. The latter will also perform a solo act of Toba Tek Singh. The play based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s famous short story set in the aftermath of Partition will see the actor don 19 characters in 60 minutes.

Mohit Sharma in an earlier performance of Toba Tek Singh

The fest also offers a range of workshops — from one on digital photography by Himanshuu Chandrakant Sheth to tarot card reading by Ruchi Shah, finger painting, fabric painting, mural painting, collage making as well as cupcake decoration with fondants and frostings. Each workshop is curated for specific age groups, including two-year-olds.

What’s a carnival without yum food? Dig into chaat, sandwiches, baos and organic fare from the stalls set up at the fest. These include gourmet lunchboxes for `500 whipped up by Savor, a subscription service launched by the folks behind The Secret Supper Project along with probiotic European fermented milk drink, Kefir, by Moina Oberoi, who runs the city’s first Kefir delivery service. You can also binge on Mutton Kheema Samosas, biryani and other sumptuous fare from a pop-up by The Bohri Kitchen.

If you’re looking for retail therapy, check out faux and semi precious jewellery, fashion apparel by Neelu Oberoi as well as exotic carpets and hides from The Merge Projekt in Bandra.

Bombay Chamber Orchestra concert

Did you know that world renowned classical composers like Mozart, Beethovan and modern day legends like George Gershwin and Nat King Cole were Freemasons?

Well, they were. Freemasonry is not the shadowy organisation it is made out to be in popular fiction. Freemasons are actually the world's oldest and largest non-religious, non-political and charitable organisation. It also has the honour of being the world’s largest fraternal society.

The first Grand Lodge in England is said to have been formed on June 24, 1717. This means that 2017 is the 300th or Tercentenary Anniversary.

The Freemasons are celebrating the completion of three hundred years of their formation, with a series of events in Mumbai, spread over the two days of January 27 and 28.

Many non-Freemasons, know very little of Freemasonry, and even if they do, consider it a secret society. Even lesser is known about the fact that Western Classical music has been deeply influenced by Freemasonry and many leading composers were Freemasons themselves.

Freemasons, together with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra have invited leading performers from India and abroad, and have put together a once- in-a-life time musical soiree. The event is scheduled to be held on Saturday, January 28 at 6:00pm, Sophia Bhabha Hall, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai.

ALSO READ: Not such a secret society, after all

Donor passes for the premium segments of Rs 5000 and Rs 1500 have already been sold out. The last few regular seats at Rs 1000 are still available. The funds raised by the event are earmarked towards the cause of dementia.

So you have got to rush and book those passes right now.

For programme details and online donor passes log on to:
http://freemasonryintheeast.dglbombay.org/concert/

Check out a festival that celebrates women's writing across genres, and the long and short forms of writing. Organised by SheThePeople.TV, there will also be workshops on how to get one's work published.

ON: Today, 1 pm; March 18, 11 am onwards.
AT: Goethe-Institut, Kala Ghoda.
REGISTER: shethepeople.tv

Thunderbird. Pic/Illustrated by Tomislav Tomic © Bloomsbury Publishing 2017, taken from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

One for the muggle library

If you're a Potterhead, you'll love the updated version of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Bloomsbury; '599) that comes on shelves 16 years after JK Rowling gave muggles the original edition. An A to Z guide of the magical creatures lurking in the wizarding world, this one includes six new beasts (total of 81 species), new illustrations (neat work by Tomislav Tomic) and a revised foreword by the book's fictional author and magizoologist Newt Scamander. The breezy 144-pager teleported us into the Potter universe as familiar images of Hungarian Horntail and Basilisk flashed before our eyes. We also discovered incredible new beasts, including Thunderbird or Hidebehind. Apart from Scamander's wry humour, evident in the footnotes, we were hooked by the foreword, where he clarifies wild assertions made by Rita Skeeter and hints at being the secret-keeper for Albus Dumbledore. That's some fine foreshadowing, JK.

Gluten-free goodness

We've never shied away from going for the bread basket when it's placed in front of us at a restaurant. But, for those who have embarked on a let's-eat-healthy mission, Kitchen Garden by Suzette has launched the country's first organic, multigrain, gluten free bread, which they say looks and tastes like 'normal' bread. We decided to call for a loaf this week, not knowing what to expect. Organic goodness or just fancy jargon? The bread came as a nicely packaged gigantic loaf. The texture was soft and fluffy. You might not fall in love with it at first go, but with each bite the taste grows on you. Packed with nutrients and fibre, it's got the flavour of buckwheat. We had it with peanut butter and it went well. If you're having a PB & J craving, this could be the healthier version to try.

The dim light of candles engulfs Andheri's Harkat Studios in a warm glow. A 25-member audience settles on the mattresses around an elevated gadda under a spotlight. The mushaira's (poetic symposium) setting is perfect. Before seven Urdu shayars begin the performance, Devroop Sharma of Irshaad poetry collective acquaints the audience with the basics: Say 'mukarrar' for an encore and 'waah waah' as applause.

(Clockwise from top) Artistes Devroop Sharma, Khan Faisal Barkaati and Ashwani perform at the mushaira held last weekend. Pics/Tanvi Phondekar

For the next two hours, the fragrance of Urdu fills the room as the shayars - including 20-year-old Khan Faisal Barkaati, and Ashwani, who recites poetry in a Haryanvi accent - share original nazms on love, heartbreak, politics, education and motherhood. They make it interactive, asking the audience to complete a misra (a couplet line). They also ensure the guests aren't overwhelmed by the language, by explaining the meaning of lesser-known words like ilm (knowledge) and baa-safaa (chaste) before narrating the verses. Some members in the audience repeat the words under their breath to savour their taste. One of them, Sankalp Rawal, tells us after the show that was held last Saturday, "I understood 70 per cent of what was recited but still enjoyed the performance."

Shamir Reuben and Hussain Haidry

For Sharma, that's an achievement. "The idea isn't to spoon-feed but help expand your vocabulary. When you don't understand a word, you look it up and then, enjoy the shayari more. It stays with you even after the performance," says the 29-year-old poet and salsa dance teacher, who launched Irshaad six months ago, to promote regional language poetry.

Mohammed Sadriwala

Urdu takes the centre stage
Recent months have seen a spurt in groups supporting the language. Earlier this year, Studio Tamaasha kicked off Urdu Readings, a series of dramatic readings of Urdu short stories, conceived with the help of academic Aslam Parvez. Its finale will be held on October 28.

The Poetry Club (TPC) introduced Mehfil, where members discuss popular Urdu poets, besides Hindi and English. "We wanted to challenge the notion that Urdu is difficult to understand. We use words from it in everyday conversation without realising it. Like, darwaza," says Ankita Shah, co-founder of TPC, which will host the next session in November at G5A.

Write and learn
Workshops that help you hone Urdu poetry skills are also finding takers. Last month, Karan Talwar, curator at Harkat Studios, collaborated with Sharma to present a ghazal-writing workshop. Led by college professor Abhishek Choudhary, it deconstructed the form to drive home the point that every ghazal uses the same kind of metre. "The idea was to help the participants realise that a ghazal isn't difficult to master, if you know the math of it," says Talwar. On October 27, the duo is also collaborating for Kissagoi, comprising theatrical readings of original Urdu stories by three young poets.

Meanwhile, a Hindi and Urdu spoken word masterclass, titled Lafzon Ki Kaarigari, saw 15 participants aged 18 to 40 in attendance. Held last Sunday, it was curated by YourQuote, a mobile app for writers to share original poetry. The 25-year-old poet Mohammed Sadriwala, who conducted it with fellow poet Rakesh Tiwari, says he was impressed at the turnout. "When I started out in 2014, I saw eight out of 10 poets performing in English at open mics. Today, over 50 per cent use Urdu in their performance. It's more expressive. There's also a certain pride in performing in your own language," he observes. Another masterclass is scheduled for next month.

"Of the 2.5 lakh Indian users of our app, 35 per cent [87,500] prefer writing in Hindi and Urdu. That's also because today, more content consumed online is in regional languages," says the app's co-founder Harsh Snehanshu.

Case in point: 31-year-old Indore-born, Mumbai-based Hussain Haidry's poem, Hindustani Musalmaan, which went viral as soon as Kommune launched it on its platform in February, and at last count had seen 5 lakh views. "People are more receptive and attentive to Urdu. Credit goes to [Delhi-based] organisations such as Rekhta Foundation, which are responsible for reviving and preserving the language," says Haidry, a go-to artiste to add to the line-up at Hindustani poetry performances. He also narrated his poems at The Urdu Exhibit, a launch event for Design Fabric's latest issue featuring artworks themed on the language.

Haidry will perform next on October 12 at a Hindi-Urdu poetry open mic at The Cuckoo Club, curated by Kommune as a prelude to their debut spoken word festival. "We've also prepared a list of new, young poets writing in the language. A pure Urdu poem may be difficult to understand but the younger poets are mixing it with Hindi to make it conversational and audience-friendly. It also has a greater impact when used to make a political and social commentary. While at it, they are keeping Urdu alive," says Shamir Reuben, member of the storytelling collective.

Poetry meets activism
Talwar adds that celebrating Urdu is important in today's political scenario. "Recently, at a curatorial workshop in Delhi, I learnt that India doesn't have an Islamic art gallery. That's strange considering it's an integral part of our culture. At a time when Islamic influences in Indian art and culture are being underplayed, curating Urdu-focused events is our shot at activism, where we try to rediscover the language in a safe space."

After the death of three police personnel due to COVID-19, the Mumbai police are telling constables aged above 55 years and those having existing ailments to immediately proceed on leave. The option for the paid leave was made available on Monday and will last till the lockdown.

Accordingly, the police top brass has directed police stations and traffic divisions to give leave to such constables. If a constable still wishes to come to work, he will be allowed to.

Traffic cops are most vulnerable as their work involves highest people-to-people contact

The three deaths in the Mumbai police workforce occurred within 48 hours. Wanting to save the rest of their colleagues who might be especially vulnerable, senior officers have given clear instructions.

"We have given orders to police stations and traffic divisions to give leave to constables aged beyond 55 years. Those having serious health issues have also been advised to take rest," said Param Bir Singh, commissioner of Mumbai police.

A policeman checks a car at Bhendi Bazar. Pic/Ashish Raje

"On Sunday, we asked for information from the headquarters about constables aged between 50 to 52, 52 to 55 and 55 to 58 years and any ailments they might have," said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity.

Health experts have observed that people aged above 50 and having health issues such as diabetes, asthma and heart conditions are more susceptible to the Coronavirus. "Since the beginning of the lockdown, we had asked our senior inspectors and traffic division in-charges to assign desk duties to constables aged above 50 years, with minimal contact with outsiders," said another officer. "Yet we lost three personnel. Hence, we are enforcing the policy further to avoid more fatalities," added the officer.

Deputy Commissioner of Police and spokesperson for Mumbai police, Pranaya Ashok said, "The message is loud and clear — cops aged above 50 should not be posted in hotspots or in containment zones. In fact, they should serve for tasks that involve minimum social contact. Now we are going a step forward by giving constables aged above 55 years the option to go on leave."

"Enforcing law and order is our priority but saving the lives of our men is also our duty. Therefore, we have given such constables the option to stay home April 27 onwards till the end of the lockdown. Traffic cops have the most contact with people, making them the most vulnerable," said a senior officer from the traffic police.

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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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The HRD Ministry is prepared to conduct the pending board examinations for classes 10 and 12 for 29 crucial subjects at the first possibility, officials said. The ministry has also directed states to start the evaluation process for the exams already conducted and facilitate the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in evaluation of answer sheets. "We are prepared to conduct board exams for class 10 and 12 pending due to lockdown in wake of the COVID-19 situation in the country. The exams will be conducted for 29 subjects crucial for promotion and admissions to undergraduate courses, at the first possibility. The students will be given at least 10-days notice before exams are conducted," a senior ministry official said.

"States have been asked to start the evaluation process for the exams already conducted and have been advised to facilitate evaluation of answer sheets. CBSE will also issue instructions for marking or assessment of non-important subjects not included in the list of 29 subjects," the official said. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' had on Tuesday interacted with education ministers of states. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had suggested that students be marked on basis of internal assessment as it is not feasible to conduct the pending exams now.

Sisodia, who is also the education minister, said students of Delhi will be more effected due to delay in conduct of exams as different states have their own boards, while the national capital only follows CBSE. Education ministers from different states also put forward deliberations being made about their respective state boards.
The Bihar board has already announced results for three streams of class 12 and is in the process of evaluation of class 12 exams. The Uttar Pradesh board is yet to begin the evaluation and will take a call in this regard soon.

¿Recently there has been lot of speculation regarding CBSE board exams. It is reiterated that board's decision to take board exams for 29 subjects of class 10, 12 stands the same as announced earlier,¿ the CBSE clarified in a tweet on Wednesday. According to the HRD ministry officials, as of now there are plans to conduct competitive exams including JEE and NEET in June for admission to engineering and medical colleges.

For other undergraduate admissions, the University Grants Commission (UGC) is working on an alternative calendar for the new academic session which will notify the timeline within a week. A seven-member panel set up to study the issue has recommended that the undergraduate admission process be started in July-August and the new session for freshers be started from September. However, no final decision has been taken in this regard yet.

The CBSE has already announced that it will not be conducting any exams for students in foreign countries. Universities and schools across the country have been closed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

Later, a nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24, which has now been extended till May 3.

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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