Best Foot Forward
The Mumbai Police Women’s Pipe Band rehearses at Shivaji Park ahead of Maharashtra Day.
Tale of two legends
Asha Bhosle. File pic/Rane Ashish; Ustad Allarakha Khan. Pic Courtesy/Wikimedia Commons
It was an evening of music and rhythm, as former students and music aficionados joined artistes to honour the late Ustad Allarakha Khan on his 107th birth anniversary on April 29 at a Dadar venue. For sitarist Purbayan Chatterjee, it was an annual tradition that he could not miss.
“The celebration of Ustadji’s birth anniversary is a yearly feature, and hosted by the family, and his students. I have been privileged to have been part of quite a few performances before. So, when Taufiq bhai [Qureshi] called me, I readily said ‘yes’,” Chatterjee shared.
Purbayan Chatterjee
Understandably, there was a particular emphasis on the art of percussion, with Taufiq Qureshi and son, Shikhar Qureshi on the djembe, Fazal Qureshi on the tabla, alongside names such as Sridhar Parthasarathy (mridangam), Navin Sharma (dholak) and Dilshad Khan (sarangi). Chatterjee was joined by Pandit Yogesh Shamsi (tabla).
Each performer took to the stage to present an individual creation in tribute to Ustadji, but it was the finale that stole the show.
“Everyone came together to perform songs composed by Ustad Allarakha Khan, and sung by the recently departed Asha Bhosle, for the screen.
“People forget that Ustadji was once a well-known composer for films. One of the songs was Sawan ka mausam hai sawara, from the 1955 film, Khandan. In that way, it was a tribute to both legends,” Chatterjee told this diarist.
Eye on the goal
A girl dribbles during a practice match. Pics Courtesy/Homegrown Grasshoppers; (right) Mazher Ramzanali
A touch of Spanish flair arrives in Mumbai as a grassroots football camp brings coaches from La Liga club Real Betis to the Karnataka Sports Association Ground in Churchgate, from May 1 to 3. “We have nearly 55 sign-ups, and it’s likely to reach 60 before we close,” said Mazher Ramzanali, founder of Homegrown Grasshoppers Sports Academy. Focused largely on ages 8-14 years, the programme aims to build confidence and creativity.
Final chapter
The book display at the space in Vile Parle. Pics Courtesy/Tanmayee Thakur
As Book Garden in Vile Parle East readies to down its shutters on May 31, founder Tanmayee Thakur reflects on a space that became more than a bookstore — a “third space” for readers. Rising rents and a shift to online sales made the model unsustainable, even as reading habits improved. “You end up paying a lot of rent, but if most sales are online, it doesn’t make sense,” Thakur says, urging readers: “Go to bookstores more often… not two weeks from now.”
Tanmayee Thakur
Counting on Mumbaikars
One of the machans at the park. Pic Courtesy/SGNP on Instagram
Naturalists will join a once-in-a-full-moon experience today at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park’s North and South divisions. Perched on elevated machans, observers will leverage the full moon to sight and count species, hoping to spot macaques, deer, and bird species. The Machan Census 2026 at SGNP will be one of the many simultaneous efforts across nature reserves and sanctuaries across India. Our in-house wildlife nut who had joined a previous census told us that you need to be in luck to spot the animals, who step out to drink from strategically placed artificial waterholes. Given the city’s mercury levels this year, we’re hoping the nocturnal observers have a field day.
