Some Alone Time
A seagull combs the coast along the Marine Drive promenade during low tide
A soft stage for the hard life
Danish Husain (right) narrates the Tilism-e-Hoshruba during a Qissebaazi performance. Pic Courtesy/Danish Husain
Theatremaker Danish Husain is hoping to give something back to the stage that gave him so much. Starting on October 4, Husain will team up with Harkat Studios to host Backstage with Danish Husain, a series of monthly interactive sessions to allow young actors a space of their own. “Life is hard for artistes who do not have access to networks, or information about how to, or whom to reach out to in this city. This is an effort to offer them a soft, safe space to tell their life stories,” he shared. With the theatremaker helping to channelise their storytelling abilities, actors will also be able to reach out for help, network, and mentorship through these sessions. Readers can check out @backstagewithdh for more details.
About wheels and vision
A powerful message given through a mobile medium
The past Sunday morning as a bleary-eyed city was waking up post Ganesh Visarjan, the Shantilal Shanghvi Eye Institute (SSEI), in association with Smart Commute Foundation, Cycle Chala, City Bacha and BYCS, held a ‘Miles for Sight’ Cyclothon early morning, taking off from the Five Gardens, Open Gym at the Dadar Parsi Colony neighbourhood in Dadar East, and ending at Shantilal Shanghvi Eye Institute in Wadala East, where cyclists were felicitated with medals and certificates. The Cyclothon witnessed robust participation with doctors, staff and cycling enthusiasts joining the cause. The biggest cheers went to visually impaired cyclists who rode on tandem bicycles. They symbolised resilience and the life-changing impact of eye donation.
It was all about raising awareness for the critical need for eye donation and vision restoration, while also marking SSEI’s second anniversary and National Eye Donation Fortnight which started on August 25, and concluded earlier this month. We say “Hear, hear” to Dr Somasheila Murthy, medical director, SSEI who said, “The ‘Miles for Sight Cyclothon was a movement to spread awareness about eye donation. The inspiring participation of visually impaired cyclists is a reminder of the transformative power of vision restoration.” That’s a message in not a bottle as the adage goes, but a bicycle.
Gabbar ko kya pasand hain?
Shikhar Dhawan with his new pet. Pic courtesy/@shikhardofficial
Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, who hasn’t worn India colours in a while; December 10, 2022 to be exact, has got a new dog. He asked his fellow Instagrammers what should be name the Labrador. Some responses were downright rude… names of politicians, ex-teammates, opponents etc. Others came up with names like Gabbar (Dhawan’s nickname), Sambha, DRS, Pie, Snow, and Cindy. One user — Vipendra Kumar — provided Dhawan a list of names: Max, Luna, Rocky, Bella, Shadow, Milo, Daisy, Thor, Coco, and Simba. Wonder which one Dhawan will opt for. A nice medium to use to decide your pet’s name, Shikhar.
Shotgun Willie’s tribute to pal Merle Haggard
Willie Nelson (right) and Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson during the Willie Nelson and Friends: Outlaws & Angels show at Los Angeles, California, in 2004. PIC/Getty Images
Country music lovers — and even if you are mainly into modern country sounds — it’s time to lick your lips. Willie Nelson, 92, is set to release his 78th solo album (RollingStone magazine has kept track). This one is special from Shotgun Willie (his most popular nickname). It’s a tribute to his departed friend and collaborator Merle Haggard, who died in 2026, aged 79. Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle, will be out on November 7, and Spotify will have Nelson belting out Haggard hits like Okie from Muskogee, Mama Tried and Silver Wings. If you among those music lovers who are saying, “Can’t wait for this one,” you have company.
Poetry jam is back
Nostalgia might be part of the experience when the Poetry Circle 2.0 returns. The community was formed in 1986 by the late Nitin Mukadam, Akil Contractor, and Menka Shivdasani (inset), and featured many poets, from late Nissim Ezekiel, to Arundhathi Subramaniam and Ranjit Hoskote, will return in a new form on September 13 to the People’s Free Reading Room and Library in Marine Lines. Co-founder Shivdasani shared, “For some years now, it had been on my mind to revive the Poetry Circle, particularly after Nitin Mukadam, one of the original founders, passed away. It was Nitin who first approached me with the concept, and I wanted it to be a tribute to him. So, everything came together in unexpected ways.” Fellow member Jerry Pinto added, “My hope is that a new generation will discover the power of the hive mind when it turns its gentle eyes upon a poem newborn, as Arundhathi Subramaniam has put it somewhere.”
