<h2>The world is their playground</h2>
A girl attempts to catch her friend in a game of kho-kho at Shivaji Park in Dadar
<h2>Lavani&rsquo;s big night in Dadar</h2>
<img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2024/sep/Lavani-a_e.jpg" alt="A moment from the performance. Pic Courtesy/Pradeep Dhivar" width="1280" height="720" /> A moment from the performance. Pic Courtesy/Pradeep Dhivar
On Wednesday, audiences at the Shivaji Mandir auditorium in Dadar were treated to the Maharashtrian folk art of lavani. The show, Lavanyotsav-Sanman Lokakalecha was part of the final performance by students graduating from the Pawan Tatkare Academy of Dance and the Kandivali-based Feel The Dance Studio. &ldquo;The academy was established in March to share the diversity of lavani as a folk art, rather than the reputation it has now,&rdquo; shared co-founder Tatkare. With performers such as Akanksha Kadam and Dipali Vichare in the audience, the students performed lavani forms such as Baithaki Lavani, Shringarik Lavani and Sawaal-Jawaab. &ldquo;We hope to put up more such performances and change the way the art is perceived,&rdquo; Tatkare said.
<h2>When romancing Lucknow</h2>
Quiet luxury is Anjul Bhandari&rsquo;s subtle flex &mdash; her namesake brand is synonymous with chikankari and kamdani (metal embroidery using strips of metal without adda) ensembles crafted by hands so skilled that their origin and artisans become a selling point. On Wednesday night, Lucknow arrived in Mumbai as Bhandari unveiled her bridal line, Naaz, and whisked us away on a virtual tour to explore the city&rsquo;s craft, couture and culinary heritage. Conversations flowed as smoothly as Lucknow&rsquo;s gentle, lilting accent.
<img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2024/sep/Anjul-Bhandari-a_e.jpg" alt="Anjul Bhandari (right) An ensemble from Bhandari&rsquo;s Surkhlal collection" width="1280" height="720" /> Anjul Bhandari (right) An ensemble from Bhandari&rsquo;s Surkhlal collection
Arush Bhandari, the couturier&rsquo;s son, emceed a lively chat peppered with Game of Thrones references &mdash; introducing Parikh as the &ldquo;mother of dragons&rdquo; and Baldota as the &ldquo;Khaleesi of the art world&rdquo;. Both proudly embraced the compliments with a smile. &ldquo;There is the assumption that chikankari is done in pastels, but she proved this wrong with the Surkhlal (2022) collection, a novel take on chikankari and kamdani with delicate Swarovski beads,&rdquo; Parikh shared, spotlighting the growing trend of brides choosing chikankari for their big day.
<img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2024/sep/Maroof-Umar_e.jpg" alt="Maroof Umar with Lavina Baldota" width="1280" height="720" /> Maroof Umar with Lavina Baldota
Baldota discussed her collaboration with Bhandari on Sutr Santati (Continuation of a Yarn): Then, Now, Next, a travelling exhibition celebrating 75 years of Independent India. &ldquo;When her textile pieces in muslin arrived at the Melbourne Museum, the staff was puzzled about which side was up, front and back &mdash; the work was so fine, it left them in awe of Indian handcrafts.&rdquo; Maroof Umar, a heritage storyteller from Lucknow, wrapped up the talk with his shayari and stories of the nawabon ka shahar.
Experiential design artist Aaquib Wani gave the venue a Lucknow vibe. The Gateway Room at the Taj resembled an early summer white garden, with patterned screens featuring chikan embroidery serving as the backdrop for six examples of &ldquo;quiet luxury&rdquo; &mdash; including the Ektar saree, Chandmati garara, Kamdani Eid saree and co-ord set, and the Surkhlal lehenga &mdash; all celebrating the needlework traditions of Awadh.
<h2>Langue et culture</h2>
<img src="http://origin.mid-day.com/images/2024/sep/Demo-lecture_e.jpg" alt="A demo lecture being held for open house students at an earlier session" width="1280" height="720" /> A demo lecture being held for open house students at an earlier session
Alliance Fran&ccedil;aise de Bombay will be hosting the Be a Student for a Day programme today for aspiring francophones to get a peek into French culture and language. &ldquo;The goal is to expose students to French culture,&rdquo; Laetitia Lompech (inset), the academic director told this diarist. Students will be given an overview of the course, a demo lecture, information about the DELF and DALF exams, an introductory lecture on French culture, followed by a French movie screening and Q&amp;A. Campus France, an initiative by the Ministry of External Affairs, will guide students on educational opportunities in France and offer counselling. &ldquo;Understanding the language and culture go hand in hand they instill a sense of connection and comfort,&rdquo; concluded Lompech.

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

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