Larger than life
A huge crane at a construction site in Bandra foregrounds and looms over a hoarding.
Kids get lit
(From left) Children participate in various activities at Peek A Book 2024. Pics Courtesy/Zahra Amiruddin and peek a book
The only children’s literature festival in Mumbai, Peek A Book, begins its 2025 edition today (October 11) at Finland International School, Mahalaxmi. Festival founder Lubaina Bandukwala told this diarist, “This edition will include over 25 sessions, such as author and illustrator interactions, which children love, and storytelling sessions. Animator Suresh Eriyat, chef Thomas Zacharias (chef TZac), and acclaimed children’s authors, Asha Nehemiah, Lavanya Karthik, and Devashish Makhija, among others, will all be part of the event.” For more information and festival tickets, log on to urbanaut.app.
Lubaina Bandukwala
From actor to children’s writer
Pages from the story. Illustrations Courtesy/Shubhangi Chetan
Mumbai-based actor Geetanjali Kulkarni, who starred in the Gullak (2019) series, has published her first fiction story, Jana Gana Mana, in the Kulfi Magazine by the Discovering Zero Foundation in Pune. “It’s about a young girl and the struggles she faces adapting to a new language after shifting from a big city in Maharashtra, to a smaller town in Karnataka,” Kulkarni told this diarist. “I’ve worked in children’s programmes for many years. I’ve always been fascinated by children’s literature. It is amusing, colourful, and evokes a curiosity not often seen in adult-oriented stories.”
Geetanjali Kulkarni
That’s the spirit!
A view of the venue where the event will be held. Pic Courtesy/ @thecocktailroombymilagro
Our spooky senses are tingling leading up to Halloween in the city. This diarist learnt about afterparty plans brewing at Worli-based outlet, The Cocktail Room by Milagro, where Dia de los muertos (Day of the dead) will be celebrated on November 1. “As a Spanish-Mexican restaurant, the day is close to our hearts. We’ll honour the day with music, traditional rituals, and revelry,” a team member told us. We know a few party animals who’d die to be invited.
Community living in Govandi
(Left, right, below) Participants work on textiles, art, and game design for the event. Pics Courtesy/Govandi arts festival
Govandi is gearing up for the second edition of the Govandi Art Festival, from December 10 to 14, at Natwar Parekh Colony, near Shivaji Nagar Police Station. The event features a series of artworks and events displaying the diverse talents and spirit of the community’s youth. This diarist caught up with Natasha Sharma, co-founder and curator of the festival, who shared, “Our debut edition was in 2023, and had a major impact on audiences. Since the last six months, various artists have been working on 10 different artistic mediums, such as arts, textiles, photography, murals, tapestry, theatre and short films, all showcasing the identities, issues, and cultural relevance of the people of Govandi, which is often unseen in public discourses.”
Maya in the Big Apple
Anand Gandhi at Comic Con in Los Angeles. Pics Courtesy/Zain Memon
It`s New York, New York for Anand Gandhi and co., this month. The filmmaker and writer stopped over at the ongoing New York Comic Con at the Javits Center to talk about the latest creation from his stable, Maya.
“We will be building the conversation around it leading up to November,” shared Zain Memon, co-founder, Memesys Culture Lab. The multi-platform novel creates a new mythology, inspired by South Asian folklore, for the 21st Century reader, Memon shared.
Zain Memon
Gandhi will be joined by Emmy Award-winning CNN journalist Omar Jimenez on stage in New York. “The e-book will come out in November, followed by the hardcover edition in 2026,” the Mumbai-based Memon shared. With a narrative voice over by Hugo Weaving, the online edition will certainly appeal to comic fans. “He immortalised Mr Smith in The Matrix trilogy, as well as playing Elrond in The Lord Of The Rings. So, when the opportunity arose, it was the perfect combination,” he shared. With a film already in the works, and a tabletop game soon to be launched, the lore is catching on.
