Bombay meri jaan: What you should be doing in the city

Editor’s note: This is part two of a very detailed guide to Bombay’s crowded arts & culture scene. There are few people more passionate about the city than Arunima—who has spent 12 years exploring all its delightful nooks and crannies. Here’s what you really ought to be checking out on your next trip to the Maximum City—from art workshops, comedy gigs and indie fleas to LGBTQIA+ friendly events, street art to film clubs. Part one has more on music venues, theatre, architecture and art galleries.

Written by: Arunima Joshua, Advisory Editor  

Over to Arunima…

I've lived in the frenetic financial capital for the past 12 years. It's a city of salt, sweat and tears. But also of entertainment, events and enrichment. It’s easy to get lost in its bustle—or never stray from the usual haunts. In this part, I explore art workshops, comedy clubs, pop-up fleas and more.

So you want to get your hands dirty with some clay and paint…

Mitti space (map): A shared studio space in Khar West, Kosha Shah offers beginner’s as well as advanced pottery classes. The beginner’s classes are usually 10 sessions of 2 hours each—where they teach four techniques of pottery, including the Potter’s Wheel. You get to keep your ceramic ware of course. The cost for the entire course is Rs 14,000.

Clay Explore (map): For low-commitment options, Yashashri Shildhankar leads these pottery classes at Prabhadevi. Throwing on the wheel, pinching, coiling and other techniques are taught in one session where you’re allowed to build two things. The cost is Rs 2,200 for one workshop of almost three hours. They also offer a 10-session course as well, which you can check out over at their website.

Fridge magnet Workshop (map): Okay, this is every craft enthusiast’s dream class. Hosted by Shobha’s Art Studio at Bandra West, they provide you with all the materials to mould and make quirky pieces to decorate your refrigerator. You can make up to two or three pieces in these classes and they include fruits, aeroplanes, devices, pets, desserts and picnic pieces. Tickets are available on BookMyShow for Rs 1,000. 

Techno and Paint (map): This is a new IP and workshop hosted by artist Sakshi Lunkad. Techno DJs like Jas spin high-tempoed music as you’re equipped with a canvas and paints for a lit night of creative arts and expression. The idea is simple. Let the music inspire your art as the neon-lit venue turns into a dancefloor with your canvas ready to paint! You get a partial FnB cover with the entry of Rs 1,750 and a chance to attend the upcoming night-time gig at the venue. And, of course—to take home your unique self created art. 

So you want to laugh out loud…

Comedy Ladder: Run by comic Jeeya Sethi, this is the Indian offshoot of the UK based comedy promoters. They host stand-up shows across the city—from venues like Integral Space in Lower Parel to Ambrosia Theatre Group in Versova. Some of their staple gig series are the hilarious ‘Sex Drugs Comedy’ show and ‘Marriage Material’. Follow them on Instagram to stay updated on their latest shows. Watch out for bigwig comics like Abish Mathew and Sumukhi Suresh. Tickets are very economical and range between Rs 199 to Rs 300.

Hooted1ce: is a cultural community that hosts open mic and poetry events apart from stand-up comedy. They frequently collaborate with venues in Andheri West such as Matchbox Co-Work and Cat Cafe Studios. If you live a world away from South Bombay, this is the space for you. They have events almost every day—and you can check out their social media for more. They host up-and-coming comics as well as established artists like Abhishek Upamnayu and Urooj Ashfaq. 

Blue Material: This is an inclusive space for Ambedkarite comics and those from marginalised communities. Their “all Dalit lineup stand up comedy show” tours all over the country. Comics such as Manaal Patil and Ankur Tangade regularly have shows here. The usual 90-minute show includes three to four artists with a humorous take on the intersection of caste and the realities of oppression. In Mumbai, the gig usually happens at The Habitat, Khar. Tickets start at Rs 119. 

Other noteworthy live comedy hubs are Khar Comedy Club (map) and The Habitat at Khar (map), ChuckleFox Comedy Club, Powai (map) and the J-Spot, Juhu (map) and Bandra (map). These have a regular bill of mainstream comics as well as up-and-comers. 

So you want to get your karaoke groove on…

The Den (map): This vibrant Bandra bar hosts a karaoke night every Tuesday. Walk in for an evening of citizens turning rockstars, pop divas and rappers. Do note that you need to come in early to get your turn at the mic cause the waiting list is loooong.

Roadhouse Bluez (map): This Andheri venue is a laid back bar for a group outing to scream-sing along karaoke classics. They serve great finger food and those beer pitchers give you the right amount of liquid courage to belt out those tunes. The karaoke nights are hosted Wednesday to Sunday. 

Soul Fry (map): This Bandra restaurant is a Goan and Konkani food haven. The best bit: veteran staff members take turns crooning to Elvis classics and retro ditties with their heavenly voices and enviable baritones. Karaoke nights here are every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

So you wanna hit up a festival…

The maximum city boasts of maximum cultural, music and film festivals such as Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (arts & culture), Li’l Flea (indie brands), Spoken fest (poetry), Lollapalooza (music), MAMI Film Festival, DGTL (electronic music) and cocktail celebrations like Gin Explorer’s Club and India Cocktail Week. A simple Google search will suffice to educate you on any of the above.

However, let me mention a couple of my favourite music festivals that are not that mainstream with some insider information:

Control Alt Delete: A multi-genre, multi-stage festival—it follows the crowdfunded model of ‘Pay what you want’ and you can enter the music festival for whatever sum you deem appropriate. Highest pre-festival contributors are honoured on a wall of fame and over at their site, while you can choose to stay anonymous as well. 

Let’s get into the fun part. The founders of the festival pay close attention to unexplored talent and new sounds—and you’re bound to catch an act that will most likely change your life. From hip-hop, acoustic songwriters to thumping electronic acts and  big bands—the craft curation has some of the best gender balance. There is also a heavy focus on discovery. Hosted at Roaring Farm, Malad in the month of February—it brings a non-pretentious vibe where you can simply enjoy the music unlike other hipster festivals.

Mahindra Blues Festival: The best part about this jazz and blues two-day extravaganza is that it happens at an indoor venue. No sweltering Mumbai sun gets in the way here. Hosted at Mehboob Studios, Bandra—the festival began 12 years ago and has seen the likes of Buddy Guy, Walter Trout, Shemekia Copeland and Shillong’s Soulmate take the stage. They have a regular collaboration with Buddy Guy called the ‘All-Star Jam’ where all members of the lineup come together on stage for a giant jamming sesh to close the festival. Tickets for this esoteric and electrifying festival that happens in mid-February every year begin at Rs 3,999. 

So you want to shop at indie flea markets…

Deluxe Thali: This homegrown marketplace travels around the country. During its Mumbai pitstop which can be at any indoor or outdoor venue—you can catch lingerie, clean beauty brands, vegan cookies, crystals, doodle and tattoo artists—all of which are indie and local. They’re focused on edgy, cute creators and they will help you stay above the trendy curve.

Optikal Asylum: This is a vibrant community and pop-up catering to the visual arts. You’ll find jewellery artists, print and zine makers and canvas artists at this pan-India IP. They regularly host their Mumbai leg of the one-day festival at Khar Social or antiSOCIAL, Lower Parel every other month. You can grab some cute stickers or even fab fits from the multiple clothing brands that showcase their works. A gathering of visual and audio artists alike—you get to take in the aesthetic art as DJ-producers take to the decks to spin tunes and set the scene for a hipster experience. Entry is free—follow their Instagram page to be updated on their next Mumbai instalment.

So where are the LGBTQIA+ friendly spaces?

Kitty Su (map): A leading queer friendly club, this club situated at the Lalit Hotel, Andheri is renowned for its LGBTQIA+ led parties and drag nights. It’s a great place to visit on festivals like Halloween and Christmas, and also on regular Thursdays and Saturdays. The queer nights at Kitty Su are frequent and the vibrant events are open to all and truly a place where you can be yourself. It’s not a celebration of gay pride without some fierce fashion and manic music—so prep yourself for a wild night out at this club.

Satrangi Mela: This is an all day queer festival that features performances, pop-ups, open mics and art stations. The event hosted at SOCIAL outlets is curated by LGBT organisations and IPs such as the Gaysi Family, the Gay Gaze Bombay—a well-known queer collective—and ‘House of Luna’, an infamous drag night. Trans and non-binary artists take centre stage at the flea market here and are open to allies as well. The mela takes place once every three months. Entry is free—it doesn’t get more inclusive than that!

So you want to check out some street art…

The streets of Bandra, Mahim and Dharavi are the best spots to see some of that funky, topical art. You can see lovely Bollywood murals in the winding gullies of Chapel Road, Bandra (map) to the Mahim Art District (map) with its urban art project portraying school kids. The Reclamation area in Bandra also has a striking homage to the fisherman of the city on one Diamond Arch building (map). The Dharavi area (map) has murals by Italian and German artists on public toilets of the local slums.  

If you take a trip to the southern tip of the city at Sassoon Docks (map)—do check out St+Art festival’s mammoth murals dedicated to the Koli fishing community. It includes installations and photographs as well. You can make a day of it touring the docks as you head back to Colaba or Kala Ghoda for more art, shopping and food. 

So you want to catch a film screening…

Shamiana - The Short Film Club: This cinema club touts itself as Asia’s largest short film club. They collaborate with different venues to showcase international feature films as well as go-to favourites such as Notting Hill, Home Alone or Mamma Mia! An avid community for short films, of course—they screen the finest shorts from around the world (UK, Spain, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Canada, Italy)—as well as niche Indian shorts. Tickets range from Rs 250 for just screenings to Rs 500 for their collaborative film festivals.

Cinema House at G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture (map): Yup, I’m mentioning this venue for the third time. I can’t help it—they do a great job of cultural curation. At their Black Box Theatre, the foundation hosts a weekend of cinema every month and screens non-fiction documentaries and storytelling fiction productions. They have also hosted climate, queer solidarity and social justice-themed film festivals. Tickets for each screening are priced at Rs 250. 

Alliance Francaise: The French language institute hosts a French cinema club every first Saturday of the month at their Santacruz branch (map) and every Monday at their Churchgate centre (map). Some of the screenings are followed by a discussion with a professor. Do note that access to screenings is open only to members or students of the institute. You can apply for membership here.

Harkat Studios (map): This boutique arts studio serves as a performance venue, film lab and exhibition space. At the Andheri studio you can catch screenings and panel discussions of documentaries, shorts and indie films. They regularly host film festivals and also have competitions for aspiring filmmakers. Fun fact: Their studio is the one behind the typography and title credits for very cool films such as ‘Laapataa Ladies’, ‘Gulmohar’ and ‘Trial by Fire’.

Chhat Chitra Talkies: This is a new indie film club hosted at a cosy Bandra terrace. They bring the newest films from the independent Indian film fraternity including docus and feature films. You could even catch a Q&A session with the director of the movie. You can expect snacks and deep cinephile discussions. The Bandra West location is secret though. Touché.