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Makar sakranti / pongal feast
You know it is makar sakranti when every street corner in Mumbai is bursting with kites.
Known as makar sakranti in Maharashtra and pongal in Tamil Nadu, it is a time to celebrate the end of winter with flying kites and feasting!
It is also a time to get rid of the old and welcome the new. (more…)
Avehi Abacus at Mumbai Marathon
Yesterday all over Mumbai folks woke up with extra aches and pains but satisfied smiles despite feeling stiff all over!
Sunday was the 12th annual Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM). One of the largest marathons in Asia and India’s largest non-profit fundraiser platform.
Clearly I’m not currently marathon material at the moment, however my partner volunteered to support the Avehi Abacus Project by participating in the 6 km “Dream Walk”. (more…)
How bad theatre results in a great eve
We’ve seen some terrific theatre over the last few months… but it can’t always be a complete hit or ‘wow’ reaction!
No surprise, a recent new production that SHOULD be good was actually a dud.
The audience was so collectively stunned that when the lights dimmed at the end of the performance, there was a resounding silence. Followed by an uncomfortably polite smattering of lacklustre applause.
No… I will not give further details or trash the folks involved – they were clearly sincere in their efforts. It just did NOT work. (more…)
Sanctuary Asia Awards – Inspiring and humbling affair…
Drive anywhere in Mumbai these days, you will see large billboards with DSP Blackrock featuring incredible images of tigers and the company’s support for the Sanctuary Wildlife Awards.
Sanctuary Photography Special Mention – Aditya Singh’s In Safe Jaws
It is easy to be cynical in this world yet I must say Sanctuary Asia magazine and its annual award ceremony was an incredibly inspiring, moving and deeply humbling affair.
We were fortunate to meet Bittu Sahgal at a friend’s wedding – a remarkable human being whose genuine passion for preserving nature’s creatures and habitat is infectious!
Beautifully hosted by the enchanting Dia Mirza, the entire ceremony saluted the stories of so many people making a difference.
A few highlights: (more…)
Google melting borders – ‘Reunion’ one year later
Last year, my father in Canada sent me a link to a google ad called ‘REUNION‘
“Have you and every other acquaintance seen the Google ad that has millions of viewers?”
Aside from immediately recognizing a friend – Auritra Ghosh – it was impossible to ignore the emotional pull of this little ad story.
Reunion is about the fictional reunion between two elderly men from India and Pakistan. They were separated as children during partition with no contact after. Their grandchildren use various google services to help bring them back together.
Seeing this again today was a good anecdote to remind that while politics, religion and atrocities may divide, people still connect on a very human level irrespective of such things.
Today this ad has over 12 million viewers. While fictional, it taps into a deep sentiment that binds Indian and Pakistani people despite all that have divided.
I dare you to not get a little emotional!
Google’s Reunion
For more details, check out:
- Wiki’s Reunion (advertisement)
- For comments, check out #GoogleReunion
- Miss Malini’s “Have you watched the google search reunion“
Related posts:
Bandra’s Equal Streets
Sunday morning I woke to a cool breeze and inclination to go for a stroll.
Now normally this means risking life n limb, dodging all kind of vehicles on the road and trying not to trip on sidewalk hazards.
However that was all before Mumbai joined the ‘Equal Streets‘ movement.
Each Sunday from 7am until 11am, one side of two main roads in Bandra are closed to motorised traffic for community activities. (more…)
Theatre III – Celebrate Bandra + Jazz
While I was off gallivanting around Europe, my partner was busy with myriad of activities… including organising the theatre section of Celebrate Bandra.
While there is a whole host of fabulous music, dance, theatre and more to see and do, I’m naturally completely biased and planned my flight in time to return to see his performance in “Bombay JAZZ”. (more…)
Theatre II – Prithvi Festival + Naseeruddin Shah’s Einstein
Prithvi is a theatrical oasis in the midst of the mad hustle and bustle, chaos and cacophony that makes up every day life in Mumbai.
For those not familiar, for over 35 years it has been home to the performing arts of Bombay. The theatre is intimate with the audience surrounding three sides of the stage and a seating capacity of only 300.
Inside the complex is a delightful outdoor cafe where cutting chai is sipped alongside cappuccinos, where folks hang out before or after a performance chatting, reading, relaxing and soaking in the ambiance. Wander further and browse around the small bookstore bursting with books on theatre and related topics. (more…)
Theatre I – Intro
One of the hazards benefits of living with a stage actor is I get to see a LOT of theatre… sometimes in our living room!
In the last month since I returned from Indonesia, we’ve enjoyed two theatre festivals, I nearly missed one play from Canada but managed to join a ‘pop up venue’ version and my partner is curating a third theatre festival – part of a larger set of festivities that make up ‘Celebrate Bandra’.
And as my partner’s rehearses for his play ‘JAZZ‘, I couldn’t help but think, how lucky is it to enjoy LIVE theatre? (more…)
Everyday Asia 