Mumbai Diary: Candlelit sitar evening, Nobel science talks, a Halloween murder supper and more

This Saturday's Mumbai Diary page carries news of several events in the city and beyond. They include a sitar evening, a Nobel Prize-themed series of talks, an unusual Halloween dinner, a visit by a Norwegian dance crew and a nature hub for children that has opened in Gujarat.

The first item is about music. Versova-based musician Megha Raut will perform in the national capital today. A candlelit sitar evening will be held at the historic Safdarjung Tomb. Megha is a student of Purbayan Chatterjee. She will play some of her favourite compositions along with a few of her own. Speaking to this diary, she said, "Funnily enough, despite being from Delhi, I have never been to Safdarjung, but it seems music will take me there. I will play favourites like Chhaap Tilak and Mast Qalandar, and some of my own compositions too, in an improvised set. It feels wonderful to come back to my city and play in front of my own people."

The second item is about science. On the next three Sundays, researchers will take science ideas inspired by the Nobel Prize out of the lab and to the general public. There will be interactive conversations, trivia and question-and-answer sessions. The initiative, called "Nobel Discoveries: Simplified, The 2026 Edition", is by Curious Catalyst. It has been put together by Priyanka Kamthe and Sujay Jadhav.

The aim is to bring Nobel-winning discoveries to the general public and to inspire young people to think of research as a career. Researchers from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai will take part in the series. Suchit Mendon will lead the medicine session. Lubhanshi Garg and Sujit Das are down for the chemistry session, while Dwaipayan Mukherjee will handle the physics session. Priyanka Kamthe said, "We want the spark of 'curiosity' to be lit in young minds."

The third item is about food. Want to solve a murder mystery over dinner this Halloween? Baithak Experience, a family-run supper club in Chembur, is hosting "A Murder in Mehfil". It is an interactive evening themed on a Punjabi wedding. Guests will take on secret identities, hunt for clues and work together to catch the killer in a murder at Noorpur Haveli.

Mandeep Kaur told this diary, "There will be Halloween decorations, and the food will include Amritsari kulcha, Pindi chhole, Delhi-style golgappa and a homemade secret spritzer called 'Shock Ki Shuruaat'. We create an imaginary Punjabi haveli where a murder takes place and the guests have to solve it together. Everything from the characters and clues to the food and music has been thought through, and the delicious food keeps coming all the while." To book, log on to @baithak.experience, and remember, the killer could be anyone.

The fourth item is about dance. Norwegian dance crew The Quick Style performed a movement piece on Edvard Munch's artworks at Collective Oslo last week. They then danced at the Taj Mahal in Agra and did a quick-step at Nariman Point as well. Their tour has already been a long one. They will begin the Indian leg of their Touchdown World Tour with a performance at Bandra Kurla Complex today. Shows in Pune, Goa and Bengaluru will follow, and the tour will end in Hyderabad.

The last item is about the environment. With the idea that the seeds sown today will decide tomorrow's greenery, Junoon Academy of Kemps Corner has launched "The Junoon Nature Hub" in Dhasa, Gujarat. It aims to help children understand their bond with nature, that is, to learn where food comes from and how to nourish the body while caring for the environment.

Amit Maisuria, coordinator of Junoon Academy in Dhasa, said, "This initiative is meant to connect children with nature through gardening. The academy's children will take part in growing fruit and vegetables inside the school, learn to care for plants and understand how food grows. This will raise their environmental awareness and respect for nature."