CALL it my love for the city that birthed and bred me, I am city-centric. Bombay, now Mumbai, with its innate fortitude, has taught me equanimity. It is perhaps gleaning her innate character that has seen me through the good times and the challenges. The potpourri of people, cultures and its stoic monuments are in my DNA and honed over the last six decades. I am proud to belong, and she is part of me.
Above the Rules of Court
I WAS struck by the grace with which Novak Djokovic yielded the last shot at Wimbledon against the winner Jannik Sinner in the semis. There is nothing as certain as uncertainty, as is evident at the Gentlemen’s finals. Jannik struck with precision. The Mind was the key element. The finals were the best of what a game should be. While you saw the erosion of the will in a daunting make-or-break, it was a submission to let the better man win. The Spider-Man slide by the Italian across the length and breadth of the court was breathtaking. It redeemed his loss at Paris and let Italy have its first-ever champion at W.
To me, the graceful demeanour while being under overwhelming pressure is the takeaway. The kinship off court was heartwarming. Why do I remember the brat of the court, JP McConroe and his infamous tantrums? 2025 was about the spirit of great champions! Another serve of gentlemanliness, please.
Bon Anniversaire
IT is past midnight IST and I am reminiscing about the foundation of the constitution of the Republic of France on their national day in the fundamental spirit of “Liberté, égalité, fraternité.” It ushers in the celebration of the man who ingrained in me this spirit by example. His gender agnostic upbringing of us siblings and serenity were a given. It is what we need to make the world a better place. Merci and more power to a society that empowers this belief.
Three Chemburites & more ART
THE euphoria of ANT lingered. Back to JNAF for a curation amid Glazed History and Badri Narayan’s creations. Reena Saini Kallat and I catch up on our love for our common ground, Chembur.
Akara Contemporary’s “Riddles of the World” reveals Pooja Shah’s keen eye to capture the people around her vividly. It is as if you walk into each of the private scenes she recreates. Amazing.
“Rain Dogs” at 47A is a photographic tribute by Rohit Chawla. Post-pandemic, he stayed by the beach at Ashwen, Goa, during the monsoon. To his amazement, the images of the stray dogs, on his morning walks, were a telling tale. The realisation that the stricken dogs filled his emotional void while seeming at peace with their situation. An exhibition was born. Deeply moving images.
On till the 3rd of August.
PrintAdda Studio, an incredible community of printmakers, has brought in an exceptional exhibition since its inception. “Prints from our Adda” features works by 143 artists who’ve been part of the shared adda, conversations, and creative explorations. At The Glass Room, Nine Fish Art Gallery, this Dotline studio curation is by Azra Bhagat, Manjit Gogoi and Somnath Sarkar with the curatorial advice of Anant Nikam.
On till the 23rd of July.
I AM in perpetual awe of how the urban miracle of Bombay, now Mumbai, holds humanity and its fibre together; it is a devotion I need to share. Top of my list to gift is the book “Bombay Then and Mumbai Now,” a piece of my city, illustrated and authored by urban historian, Australian Dr Jim (James) Cosmas Masselos (Bombay Then) and Naresh Fernandes (Mumbai Now) editor, Scroll.in
Chronicler of Eras
AT a significant turning point of the creation of Maharashtra as a separate entity from Gujarat, Masselos came to Bombay in 1961. As a student sponsored by the GOI under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship, he attained his PhD at the Heras Institute of Indian History and Culture, Xavier’s College, Bombay in 1964.
He returned to Australia, besotted by Mumbai. Jim took up lecturing at the University of Sydney, continuing his association post-retirement. He brought his deep immersion into a dynamic narrative of epoch milestones, functioning and people whilst collating his experiences. He tied the breath of the city’s past with the present while reflecting on social phenomena and behaviour through his archival knowledge.
Cityscaping Change
AT 85, Masselos passed away in Australia on June 24, 2025. Over six decades, he published five edited collections and over 50 research articles. He leaves behind a rich legacy to unravel the enigma that is Bombay and draw context for generations to come. To renew our love for what we might take for granted and for time in context. The bridge from Mumbai to Down Under has a firm foundation laid by him.
The panel to honour the life of Jim drew a persona that enriched the lives of all he interacted with. As the speakers spoke, you picked up pieces of the city that had passed on.
Dr Manjiri Kamat mentioned “Tendulkar’s” which is no more. Chirondeep Chaudhuri spoke about his Time series, the clock towers that he documented and how Jim was able to identify the relevant perfect reference, say for a cover or research. What was interesting was the referencing technique he used: checking out newspapers 25 years apart to draw the shift or change in the scenario of the cities, over time. The tributes were insightful and riveting.
Max City sure has so much going on that it is impossible to extricate oneself and make it on time for the movie screenings at the Regal Cinema. Gates closed there, but gates open at Strangers with a confluence of conversations, which is what this city is: a melting pot.
Mumbai Belly
THE cherry on the icing was a stop at Rustom’s for sweet curd. And after you have gallivanted enough, you indulge yourself in the new series of “Somebody Feed Phil” right here in Mumbai. He sure knows how to hit the sweet spot, make you guffaw. Phil has got our pulse right, FOOD! From Pinky’s Panki at Soam to nostalgia with the remarkable late Floyd of Bombay Canteen to joining the dabbawalas suitably attired, this one is a treat for a Bombaywali!