Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Thought bubbles for Mumbai

A hawker walks along a road in Nariman Point, selling wand sticks that create large bubbles

Sando-sad memories

Diners at Pinto Sando. Pics courtesy/Pinto Sando

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Russell Pinto (right), owner of Pinto Sando, announced the temporary shutdown of the famous sandwich joint in Orlem. “It’ll be rough, mainly due to exorbitant rent prices, and the holiday season.

Nonetheless, we might go online, or compromise the dining a bit. We may also set up a few small tables if people wish to sit outdoors and enjoy [our fare]. For now, we’re open till November 14, and we urge people to drop by and savour their time here,” Pinto assured us.

Green shoots in November

The media roundtable in progress. Pic courtesy/Jesuit Alumni Association

Ahead of the Jesuit Alumni Association (JAAI) West Zone Congress, to be held from November 14 to 16, members gathered for a media roundtable at the St Xavier’s College (Autonomous) last week. “The association is a body of alumni. They tackle themes of education, schools, social welfare to help create good citizens,” said Sandra Vaz, course head, journalism and media convergence. Focusing on the theme of ecology, the meet will develop an Eco Club 2.0, to explore practical applications of their learnings. Baba Prasad Lanka, vice president, JAAI, said, “The idea is to help students create lifelong sustainable habits based on science.”

Mumbai, mills, and memories

Spaces in Flux, by Manjit Gogoi (right) Memory Room, by Bela Mardia. Pics courtesy/Dot Line Space Art Foundation

The New Great Eastern Mills of Mumbai are beautifully represented in the exhibition, Remember Me Until The Winter, at the Nine Fish Art Gallery, Byculla, till November 17. Curator Gourmoni Das (below) told this diarist, “The installations and artworks centre on themes of memory, identity, temporality, and transformation, and how histories are preserved, distorted, or forgotten. Several works engage with the legacy of mill workers who once animated these spaces, situating their stories within the broader narrative of Mumbai’s transformation.”

Find the one in your League

A view at the launch party. Pics courtesy/Anukool Kumar

The League has entered India with some ambitious dreams. In a cluttered market of dating apps, the League aims to stand out with its intentions. Anukool Kumar (right), senior director, India & Middle East, Match Group tells us, “The League is designed for ambitious people who know what they want, in life, in love, and in a partner. It’s a lifestyle ecosystem, where members connect with others who move at the same pace, share the same values, and prioritise compatibility over convenience.”

This diarist was present at the official launch party of the app in India, which was held at Worli’s Snowball Studios. When asked about the room with all four walls as mirrors, Kumar told us, “It’s supposed to be a reflection room. Like our app, the decor too reflects our values.” Singles around the city can get excited for a new way to meet their match — one that’s in their league!

Infinite game of chess

Cosmic Moves. Pic courtesy/Anupa Mehta Contemporary Art Gallery

Chennai-based artist, Arvind Sundar (right), is opening his exhibition, Chasing Infinity, at the Anupa Mehta Contemporary Art Gallery in Colaba. The work is inspired by Viswanathan Anand, blending the game of chess with the infinite cosmos. “The game of chess is deeply intertwined with Mathematics as the amount of times and moves on the board are infinite,” Sundar told this diarist. He further said, “The Shannon number ((10^{120}) is a conservative estimate of the number of possible chess games. It was calculated by Claude Shannon in 1950, and serves as a lower bound for the game’s complexity, demonstrating the impracticality of solving chess through brute force. This massive number is often cited to highlight the immense combinatorial complexity of chess, as it is greater than the number of atoms in the observable universe.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *