Mumbai Koli Project Exhibition: Where the City Meets the Sea (Multi-disciplinary exhibition)
Saturday and Sunday; 4.30pm
G5A, G-5/A, Laxmi Mills, Mahalaxmi
At the heart of this exhibition is the city’s Kolis and how their livelihoods and food have changed amid the climate crisis. The showcase brings together photographs, stories, and recipes of the fishing community in an intimate space, which encourages visitors to engage with the artists, the community and one another, and brings you up close to the impacts of the warming sea on Mumbai. The project is curated by The Locavore, a food initiative that champions local and seasonal food, archives culinary knowledge, and builds awareness around where our food comes from.
₹359. Register on thelocavore.in
Lenscape Kerala (Photo exhibition)
Friday-Sunday; 11am-7pm
Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda
See the works of 10 photographers who spent five days capturing Kerala’s diverse landscapes. The images cover rituals, labour, wildlife and the side of Kerala that isn’t often in tourist brochures. There are 100 frames in all, including a striking red series by former HT Mumbai photographer Natasha Hemrajani.
Entry is free
Dastangoi Collective’s Dastan-e-billi (A poetry and story performance)
Saturday; 3pm
Prithvi Theatre, Juhu
Cat lovers unite at this Urdu poetry and storytelling afternoon. The Dastangoi Collective presents a new work, Dastan-e-Billi or the tale of the cat, which explores the historical and literary significance of felines. Written by Poonam Girdhani, the script draws from late art historian BN Goswamy’s work, The Book of the Cat, which refers to the Jataka tales, Hindu Puranic stories, Islamic Hadith, and Persian folklore. The performance also incorporates verses from classical Urdu poets like Mir Taqi Mir and Ghalib to illustrate the cat’s role in South Asian culture.
₹500 on prithvitheatre.org
Mahindra Blues festival (Music performance)
Saturday and Sunday
Mehboob Studios, Bandra
This is your chance to listen to some of the best blues melodies from around the world. This year’s line-up includes performances by Grammy-nominated American vocalist Shemekia Copeland, British blues virtuoso Matt Schofield and rock guitarist Eric Gales from the US. The festival also features performances by The Cinelli Brothers, known for their blend of 1960s soul and blues, and some young and upcoming artists.
₹4,000 onwards. More information on mahindrablues.com
Ānanda-Rasam and Ram Lalla (Odissi and Kathak)
Saturday; 5pm
The National Centre of Performing Arts, Nariman Point
On day two of NCPA’s Spectrum dance festival, witness two mesmerising performances of Odissi and Kathak. Rasika Mohapatra presents Ānanda Rasa, the expression of pure essence of spiritual joy expressed through movement and rhythm, steeped in the Odissi dance tradition. And dancer Shama Bhate’s dance company Nadroop will narrate episodes from Ram’s life – Seeta Swayamwar, Kevat Prasang, Jatayu moksha, Lanka Dahan, Laxman Vadh, and the final victory, through Kathak.
The Namdeo Dhasal Poetry Crawl
Sunday; 9am
Kamathipura. Starting point will be shared upon registration
Who says poets can’t bring about a revolution? Namdeo Dhasal (1949–2014) did. A Marathi poet, author, and Dalit activist, Dhasal is known to revolutionise Dalit literature with his intense portrayal of life in Mumbai’s slums. He founded the Dalit Panther movement in 1972, a militant organisation combating caste-based discrimination. The Bombay Poetry Crawl, along with Dastango Akshay Shimpi, honours him at this walk, reading his verses across the lanes of Kamathipura where Dalit Panther was founded. The proceeds of the walk will go to the OG poet’s family.
₹600, register on @thebombaypoetrycrawl on Instagram
India Literary Tour (Literature festival)
Sunday; Noon onwards
Pioneer Hall, Pioneer House, near Mount Mary Church, Bandra West
The Ink and Quill Collective, an independent Indian writing community, in partnership with the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea), presents the inaugural edition of this travelling literary festival. The run-up includes a spoken fest segment, a discussion on classic and contemporary by writers Sung-il Kim and Gaurav Mohanty and writing about Mumbai by Jane Borges and Jeet Thayil.
Free. Register on inkandquillcollective.com