Mumbai Diary: Sunday Dossier

Pati Patni aur wohDid you even go to Marine Drive if you didnrsquot document itGifford the toiler ends lifersquos spellNorman Gifford the former England leftarm spinner who passed away last month after a prolonged illness at 85 had one of the most enduring cricket careers His 15Test career began in 1964 and ended in 1973 Earlier that year Gifford completed a tour of India in which he figured in two of the five Tests under the captaincy of Tony Lewis The best of his spells came in the Chennai Test where he sent back Sunil Gavaskar 20 Salim Durani 38 and Farokh Engineer 31 Durani clubbed him for two memorable sixes in the second innings while India were chasing their 86run targetNorman Gifford bowls for Warwickshire against Essex in a Benson amp Hedges Cup match in 1988 PicGetty ImagesGifford toiled away for Worcestershire and Warwickshire and earned a recall as a 44yearold veteran to captain England for two games in the UAEhosted Rothmans FourNations Cup in 1985 when regular skipper David Gower decided to take a break after a long Test series in India In Game 2 at Sharjah Gifford claimed an impressive 423 although England lost to Pakistan by 43 runs He continued playing firstclass cricket till the English summer of 1988 which meant he was part of the English county championships for 24 years Thatrsquos an awful lot of overs and yearsIndia at the GrammysSakshi SindwaniContent creator Sakshi Sindwani has been invited to attend the Grammys this year making her the only Indian digital creator invited to the event This places Sindwani among a select group of global creators engaging with the Grammys as a cultural moment While she isnrsquot nominated Sakshirsquos presence reflects how Indian creators are increasingly being recognised as popcultural voices on global stages ldquoI have been following the Grammys for a very long time and to be in that space has always been a dream To be the first Indian creator to attend this significant cultural event with a brand like Johnnie Walker is next level This was not just a mere manifestation I have worked tirelessly keeping my head down and challenged norms to bring about a change in the industry I work in The discipline and dedication Irsquove shown to build this career day after day without giving up is why opportunities like these comerdquo says SindwaniA meeting for the booksLukas Cabala is the awardwinning Slovak author of Spomenies si na Trencin Will you remember TrencinThe Kolkata Literary Meet 2026 played host to awardwinning Slovak author of Spomeniescaron si na Treniacuten Will you remember Treniacuten Lukaacutescaron Cabala In a session titled ldquoTime Space and the Restless Narrator Philosophy and the Storytellerrdquo Cabala was in conversation with the writer of Ajita K Sridhar Reflecting on the encounter Cabala shared ldquoI was deeply interested in the work of K Sridhar He previously worked at CERN but he is also a novelist His book strongly appeals to me and I definitely plan to buy it online and read it very soon I am really looking forward to it especially because he struck me as a very kind thoughtful and fascinating personrdquoDraupadirsquos saree is backThe Red Dot Foundation unveils the 4km saree at Royal Opera HouseEvery Indian has grown up hearing the story of Draupadirsquos infinite saree that protected her from public disrobement in a hall full of men she had trusted where not a single one of them came to her aid Millennia after period in which the Mahabharat is said have been set Draupadirsquos saree makes a return mdash this time as a metaphor for the cruelty of marital rape Designer Nivedita Saboo has made the worldrsquos longest saree spanning 4 km embroidered and printed with hundreds of signatures against marital rape The Red Dot Foundation unveiled the saree at the Royal Opera House on January 29 and can now be viewed at Elphinstone College till February 8 ldquoEvery signature on the Infinite Saree is a thread of courage and every fold a testament to a womanrsquos right to choose and refuse to be silencedrdquo says Supreet K Singh cofounder amp CEO Red Dot FoundationTo feel a pauseArtist Arzan Khambatta has recreated the northern lights in an immersive domeScreens can show you the Northern Lights This installation wants you to feel them At Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2026 Black Dog Sodarsquos Savour the Pause philosophy takes physical form through a largescale immersive dome by artist Arzan Khambatta in collaboration with Brinda Miller and the Kala Ghoda Association The installation will be open to the public from February 6 Inspired by the aurora borealis the installation transforms a buzzing cultural hotspot into a pocket of calm For Khambatta the idea was never about recreating the aurora as spectacle ldquoWe wanted to translate the feeling not the imagerdquo he says Anchored in sculptural craftsmanship the dome uses light and projections that move like breath inviting visitors to stop chasing moments and instead inhabit one