Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Dossier

Water colourA fisherman traverses Thane Creek on TuesdayWedding cards hero no moreEven as we are taken in by the glitz and glamour of Mumbai we forget that its social fabric is made up of many stories that are less recounted but equally integral to the formation of the city One such example is that of Felix Dias He was a person who migrated to Mumbai from Goa and set up David and Company a decadesold printing business in Dhobi Talao that served clients as diverse as the Catholic and Parsi communities mdash for whom he printed navjote first holy communion and memorial cards mdash and students of St Xavierrsquos College for whom he printed brochures for the Malhar festival Dias passed away on June 6 after prolonged illness ldquoHe was not a doctor lawyer or a great artist But he formed a niche business that fulfilled a need for the timesrdquo shared Dr Fleur DrsquoSouza former HOD history and viceprincipal St Xavierrsquos College The city lost an integral weave in its social fabric with his passingAn arty friendFrom left Jehangir Nicholson Laxman Shreshtha and VS Gaitonde in the 1980sVS Gaitonde SH Raza and MF Hussain are names that fetch crores at art auctions these days But there was a time back in the day when even these masters needed a legup Jehangir Nicholson the inspiration behind Jehangir Nicholson Art Foundation JNAF was one man who gave them that requisite encouragement by not just buying their artworks but also building a personal bond with them JNAFrsquos Instagram handle shared some throwback photos of Nicholson and painters from the Progressive Artistsrsquo Group yesterday taking us on a trip down memory lane JNAF director Puja Vaish shared ldquoItrsquos important to remember the beginnings of modern Indian artrdquo Indeed it isGetting jabbed with musicWe could all do with some music in our lives at this time as is evident at Jamnabai Narsee School in Juhu They have started a vaccination drive on campus aided by Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital with the latter organising a threemember live band playing souful Hindi songs for people who have got their jab and are waiting in the observation area ldquoI think itrsquos a great initiative and thoughtful on the hospitalrsquos part to provide this soothing experience It just adds a smile on the face of the people who come for vaccinationrdquo said Sujay Jairaj a trustee of the school More vaccination centres should take a leaf out of this book we feelBe a doll and helpWhether they work in an urban setting or a rural one puppeteers are one category of performing artistes who have been hit hard by the pandemic Garima Arya of Unimad Puppeteers Trust a global network that supports these artistes shared how their physical shows have come to a complete standstill Thatrsquos why she added they have come up with a fundraiser to help artistes affected by the pandemic ldquoThey donrsquot know where to go or what to dordquo she told this diarist Call 8587878962 to pitch inShowing what reel empathy isRaahgir ndash The Wayfarers is a film that is centred on two impoverished people But it doesnrsquot glorify poverty Instead it highlights how empathy is a crucial aspect of the human condition The film has Tillotoma Shome as the female lead while Goutam Ghose has directed it We learnt that the film has now picked up the Best Actor and Best Director awards at the UK Asian Film Festival Ghose told us that Shome in pic plays the role of a tribal girl whose husband is paralysed She thus goes to the city looking for work as a daily wage worker but meets a man played by Adil Hussain on the way He has an artistic bent of mind but is as povertystricken as her They form a bond during their journey to the city in which they encounter a man with a cycle van who is ferrying two elderly people to the hospital But his vehicle is stuck So what do the two protagonists do Do they help him out and delay their job prospects Or do they turn a blind eye and carry on ldquoThat is the contradiction they facerdquo Ghose shared with this diarist Watch the film to find out whether humanity prevails in the end