Rowing for a cleaner Mumbai

Kasim Ali, a Bandra local known for his voluntary sanitation services, fishes for plastic waste in Bandra Talao

Around the country in 15 days

Nishmanya Bahadur makes a pitstop during his 15 day journey through 13 states

If you notice a bright yellow SUV zooming past you this week, it’s probably Mumbai-based automotive journalist and YouTuber Nishmanya Bahadur AKA NB Drives joining the dots for his newest passion project. Bahadur set on a mission last week to traverse the Golden Quadrilateral, a 6,000 km-long highway network envisioned by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. At the time of speaking with this diarist, Bahadur had already crossed the halfway mark and driven around 3,500 km in the eight days since he started from Nariman Point on February 12. “Automobiles need good roads. Road infrastructure is the backbone of commerce and tourism. I want to show the world that India has arrived at an international stage,” he shared about the vision behind the project. 
“With every day of driving, my confidence to tackle this project grows immensely. The support from sporting stalwarts like Olympians Ravi Kumar and Dutee Chand here has fuelled the fire to achieve my goals,” Bahadur shared over a chat from Bhubaneshwar.

Against the tide and just in time

Koli during the swim

Navi Mumbai based international open water swimmer Prabhat Koli is back to making waves in the community. The 24-year-old recently swam a 15 km stretch from Kulaba Fort to Revdanda Fort in Alibaug, an infamously rough patch known to take a toll on swimmers, in a record five hours. “The first half of the stretch is fairly easy. The patch ends in a tricky channel that poses a threat to swimmers.

The swimmer poses at the finish line

The tides don’t always support you and it can be a struggle to make it to the end,” Koli informed this diarist, adding that while his 15 years of experience as a professional open water swimmer helped him wade through the tides, it’s his Koli heritage that played a definitive role in taking up the challenge. “My ancestors have been fishermen; we have a special connection with the rough seas. I saw my father head to the seas to fish growing up. In a way it’s my attempt to stay in touch with my cultural roots,” Koli told this diarist.

Designs for Mumbai and India

Brinda Somaya

Despite its obvious challenges, Mumbai has possibly the strongest community of urban design and planning minds. This evening, at the 14th Professor LB Kenny Endowment Lecture, organised by the Asiatic Society of Mumbai and held at the historic venue, one of its gatekeepers, conservationist and architect, Brinda Somaya will dip into her vast repository to share about her journey in the profession, while living and working in India over the last four decades. “Mumbai, where I have lived and worked for most of my life, has naturally shaped my thoughts, ideas and design sensibilities. I believe that the architect is the conscience of the built and unbuilt environment and thus, has a great responsibility to society,” Somaya told this diarist, adding, “Unfortunately, we architects are still peripheral to our city in many ways, but I want to show that we can still make a difference by ‘doing our bit’.” The UNESCO award-winning architect is hopeful that the audience will enjoy the journey with her as she offers a peek into her projects across India.

Licensed to rap

Vedant Chorge from a moment from the music video of Aarey Sun

City-based law student and rapper Vedant Chorge has taken law in his own hands to pen down Aarey Sun, a poignant rap song about the plight of the original residents of the Aarey Forest amid the ongoing clashes with the Mumbai Metro authorities. “Being a part of the legal fraternity, I have been following the legal proceedings around the deforestation at Aarey closely since 2019. It opened my eyes to the grave lawlessness of the situation,” the 23-year-old final year law student shared, adding that his mastery over the skill of writing rhymes and performing them motivated him to use the art form to spread awareness about the ongoing struggle. “I am not against technological progress or infrastructural developments. But the numbers tell a different story. Cutting down of trees continues after the official Supreme Court verdict. The current number stands at 2,700. It needs to stop somewhere,” he sighed.

Paired up for rebellion

Marking a significant feat in the Indian sneaker market, home-grown platform, The Comet Universe’s recent limited-edition collaboration with Mumbai’s artist Santanu Hazarika declared that it sold out all 300 pairs within minutes of the launch. “It made my belief in our sub/counter culture and the power of community stronger,” shared Hazarika. While this is one of the fastest sold-out home-grown collaborations in the country, Hazarika explains how these were more than just some cool kicks. “They embodied the dynamic convergence of underground art, pop culture, and rebellion and expression. Taking inspiration from punk, heavy metal and anti-establishment sentiments, the shoes featured vivid colours and elements like thorns, a shooting star with an eye and collar tabs that spelt out silent and scream to symbolise voices that echo in silence,” he said.

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