Mumbai Diary: Friday Dossier

Cross cultureA woman and a child cross a street in the foreground of a mural depicting Maharashtrarsquos cultural traditions at Dahisar EastAamir Khanrsquot say no to artBollywood actor Aamir Khan reminisced about his 2007 hit Taare Zameen Par at a surprise visit to the Nehru Centre Art Gallery in Worli on Tuesday Walking into the ongoing watercolour exhibition Emergence reminded Khan of Act Four of the film where he paints a striking watercolour portrait ldquoKhan was not part of the guest list for the inaugural dayAamir Khan gets a walkthrough of the exhibition from Vikrant Shitole left Khan addresses visitors at the gallery PICS COURTESYPARAG BORSEWhen he walked in we werenrsquot sure what to expect Through our interactions it was clear that Khan knew an artistrsquos mind too well He praised the artists for the unshakable focus that goes behind every canvas The actor looked back fondly upon working with veteran painter Samir Mondal who had painted multiple canvases for Taare Zameen Parrdquo said pastel artist Parag Borse who shared the stage with KhanThe Centre is currently exhibiting the group show of 28 artists from renowned watercolour artist Vikrant Shitolersquos ChitraSutra Art Academy Khanrsquos exwife Reena Dutta we learnt is an alumna of the academy The actor wasnrsquot there for a fleeting guest appearance Borse revealed to us ldquoHe spent his time understanding each of the works Hersquos an excellent listener as well When I spoke about the growing participation of women in fine arts he listened intentlyrdquo Borse added Herersquos to hoping more superstars from tinsel town follow suit and turn patrons of the fine artsAll in the detailsWatercolour miniaturesCan art still be appreciated if done on an inchlong piece of paper Itrsquos possible In a Grain of Sand featuring miniature paintings on paper by artists Maiumlteacute Delteil right above and Sakti Burman right below on display at Art Musings in Colaba is proof of thatMaite Delteil and Sakti Burman Pic courtesyArt MusingsldquoEarlier last year I saw Sakti da and Maiumlteacute painting on small canvases in their studio in Greater Kailash New Delhi It was beautiful What sets them apart is that the canvas ranges from 1x1 to 7x7 inches not a typical fullscape painting The works are watercoloured and there are about 50 compositions having four to eight works each paying exquisite attention to detailrdquo said Sangeeta Raghavan director of Art MusingsTraining the naturalistsA participant learns about wildlife habitat PIC COURTESYBNHSThe Bombay Natural History Society BNHS will launch the 5th edition of its leadership training workshops for aspiring naturalists on December 6 The programme is designed for those who want to move beyond casual interest and fully immerse themselves in biodiversity and nature study The BNHS conducts these workshops twice a year mdash first in June and July and the second in December The upcoming sessions will mark its fifth edition ldquoThe sessions cater to people seeking structured detailed learning in a field where there isnrsquot a lot of information availablerdquo said naturalist Shardul Bajikar He reminds us that being a naturalist means embracing the outdoors in its raw form ldquoNature study isnrsquot merely about biodiversity but also stones mountainous terrain the sea and a culmination of these elements And as a trainee you cannot have a luxurious setting mdash you must be ready to work in dirty surroundings notsoideal weather and around mosquitoes to be a true naturalistrdquo Those keen to join to join can contact 9821120494More open hours for our parksThe August Kranti Maidan is one of the many public parks and gardens that remain shut from 1 pm to 3 pm FILE PICKIRTI SURVE PARADEIt is no wonder that Mumbaikars crave the feeling of grass beneath their feet In its October 2 edition midday carried a report on residents protesting the twohour daily closure of the August Kranti Park Maidan This problem is not limited to one park it seems ldquoIn a city such as Mumbai you cannot keep open spaces shutrdquo shares Anca Abraham right founder Love Your ParksA signatory campaign by her initiative along with Bombay Greenway and Nagar seeks to right this error Not only are the timings irregular Abraham shared that many parks are made inaccessible through rules ldquoThe campaign is an effort to raise awareness We hope to reach out to the BMC in the coming week for a discussion We are asking that all parks be open from 5 am to 11 pm Plus discuss other issuesrdquo she concluded Mumbaikars looking to sign up can head to LYPMumbai for details