Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Mr Mugger wants to do chest bumps with meVisitors observe a fullygrown mugger crocodile through the underwater viewing gallery of Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo in BycullaKolhapuri chappal goes the meme wayOmkar Patilrsquos illustrated spin on the recent Prada show Pic CourtesyOmi_Crayon on InstagramMaharashtrarsquos Kolhapuri chappals continue to be the talking point after they were showcased at a recent fashion show by Prada in Italy While the Internet is flooded with memes and jokes about the chappals Mumbai artist Omkar Patil known by his Instagram handle omi_crayon made a quirky animation by turning the models into Kolhapuri characters matching the chappals ldquoHailing from Kolhapur I never imagined the chappals my grandfather and his generation wore daily would one day be seen on a fashion ramp I feel this couldrsquove been such a cool collaboration with local artisans But instead the brand copied designsrdquo he sighedBuilding blocks of historyA few of the LEGO creations inspired by the exhibition at the museum right children and adults use LEGO bricks to design their own take on the furnitures Pics CourtesyDr BDL Museum Mrunal ShahMuseum exhibitions might not sound particularly exciting to kids but Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum turned this idea on its head at last weekendrsquos workshop Hosted in collaboration with Sunday Bricks the museum invited children and adults to participate in a LEGO workshop conceptualised around the ongoing exhibition Eckart Muthesius and Manik Bagh ldquoThe idea was to help children engage and understand the exhibition and use it as an inspiration for their creationsrdquo shared Mrunal Shah chief play promoterMrunal ShahHe added that the exercise was not so much a workshop as a fun experiment to help children explore their own imagination From the statuesque lamps to spacious beds and bedrooms children picked from their favourites to recreate on the LEGO blocks ldquoWe gave the participants a basic guide or theme centred on the exhibition but there were no rules as such Many children were drawn to the red recliner while another tried to recreate the spacious bedrooms with large bedsrdquo Shah revealedThe Booker jury is in sessionNilanjana Roy Pic courtesyLuc De GolberyAuthor Nilanjana S Roy has joined the fivemember jury of the International Booker Prize for 2026 With translated works from Indian regional languages making a mark in recent years Roy shared that translation is a part of literature Citing her own example as a reader proficient in Hindi English and Bengali she remarked ldquoI learned early that every language has its own richness and power shadows and taboos freedoms and pleasures Younger readers are bolder reading far more in translation than previous generations If more readers discovered how wide the world really is via the International Booker or by reading across multiple languages rather than a select few they might have no room in their heads for narrow wallsrdquoLetrsquos walk over to Abbey RoadStudents participate in a workshop at the London branch of the music school Pic CourtesyAbbey Road InstituteA touch of Strawberry Fields is set to arrive in Khar Londonrsquos Abbey Road Institute will open its first campus in Asia in the neighbourhood come September Hosted in the spaces of Bay Owl Studios the institute will offer handsontraining mentorship from industry professionals and practical knowledge in musicDirector Varun Parikh shared ldquoStudents will train in professionalgrade classrooms production suites and studios mastering the techniques behind iconic recordings and refining their own creative voice Through a fivedayaweek complete with lectures practicals workshops and sevendaysaweek workstation access wersquoll ensure students acquire the skills and confidence to step into todayrsquos music film and advertising industries from day onerdquo