Mumbai: witnessed something truly remarkable as Khyaal’s 50Above50 mega event wrapped up its two-day celebration at NESCO, Goregaon, on Sunday.

The festival started on November 15, turning the venue into a vibrant cultural hub, proving that age is no barrier to enthusiasm, creativity, or joy. The festival welcomed over 5,500 seniors and their families, many of whom had traveled from various parts of India to participate in the celebration.

Rohini Hattangadi, national award and BAFTA award-winning actress, who is the brand ambassador of Khyaal 50Above50, inaugurated the festival along with other personalities like Rakesh Bedi, Yasmin Sait, Mangesh Gawade, and Mansur Dalal. Their presence set the perfect tone for a weekend filled with inspiration and entertainment.

The audience was thrilled by the performances by celebrities. The day’s lineup featured a diverse range of artistic expressions, including soulful classical music by Krishna Bongane; rhythmic brilliance from tabla maestro Ustad Taufiq Qureshi; and an energetic performance by the RD Warriors Dance Group. Additionally, world whistling champions, Nikhil Rane and Girija Marathe, who have a musical legacy, added to the event’s charm. When stand-up comedian Atul Khatri took the stage, the hall was filled with laughter.

The event was not just about performances, but also about how to lead a meaningful and secure life after 50. There were sessions that focused on every important aspect of ageing. The event included financial planning, health, legacy creation, and life purpose. Experts from organisations like Ready to Retire, Tulips Hygiene, Axis Max Life Insurance, HDFC Mutual Fund, and Aasaan delivered insightful talks.

The interactive zones brought a sense of nostalgia and fun. Seniors enthusiastically participated in caricature art, pottery, mehendi, tattoos, bangle-making, and indoor sports. The VR experience zone introduced many to new-age technology, while the Golden Tambola, complete with gold prizes, kept spirits high on both days. A curated brand exposition showcased products tailored for senior living, further enhancing the experiential feel of the event. Seniors enthusiastically participated in indoor sports, mehendi, art and more such events. The sessions added depth to the festival, making it not only enjoyable but also enriching.

Atul Khatri’s performance at the event was one of the biggest highlights. With his signature style and effortless storytelling, he had the entire audience laughing, from seniors to younger family members. What made his act truly special were his jokes about everyday life, society, aging, and his own life experiences. His performance helped us realise that our problems and challenges seem small when viewed from a different perspective, suggesting that this might be the best way to face life’s challenges.

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to severe commute disruption on Monday as a widespread CNG supply shortage left several fuel pumps across the city non-operational or functioning with limited output. The unexpected outage resulted in a sharp drop in the availability of autos, kaali-peeli taxis and app-based cabs, pushing commuters into long waits, inflated fares and overcrowded public-transport alternatives like trains and metros during peak office and school hours.

The shortage triggered a wave of commuter frustration online, with users posting videos, screenshots and complaints related to refusal of rides and steep fare demands. One user wrote, “No CNG double rates. Why don’t you declare public loot official? Daily fight, new challenge, struggle.”

Another commuter shared, “Autos in Mumbai charging 2x-3x the normal rate because of CNG shortage… as an office goer, you don’t have any option but to agree.” Parents too expressed helplessness, stating that limited transport availability had disrupted school drop-offs, labelling it “a manic Monday.”

A commuter informed Media that cab drivers have been charging Rs 500 from Andheri East to BKC this morning. The issue extended throughout all parts of MMR including Navi Mumbai, Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar. Ria Sharma, a commuter from Mira-Bhayandar said, “The CNG supply disruption has hit commuter movement sharply. There were no rickshaws in Mira Road to even reach the station. Many office-goers like me experienced long delays waiting for autos.”

The impact was visible as early as dawn, with hundreds of auto-rickshaws, taxis and aggregator vehicles lining up outside petrol pumps in multiple pockets of Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai. Social media was flooded with visuals and eyewitness accounts showing kilometre-long queues snaking around petrol pumps, with adjoining roads clogged due to parked transport vehicles waiting for their turn to refuel. Many drivers claimed they had been waiting through the night or for several hours without clarity on when full supply would resume.

According to reports, the disruption was caused by damage to a gas pipeline inside the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF) plant premises, reportedly affecting GAIL’s main supply line and resulting in reduced gas flow to Mahanagar Gas Limited’s (MGL) City Gate Station at Wadala. The reduced pressure forced multiple CNG stations to temporarily halt or ration supply, impacting the city’s public-transport backbone that predominantly relies on CNG.

Mahanagar Gas Limited later confirmed that domestic piped natural gas (PNG) had been prioritised to ensure uninterrupted household supply, and stated that efforts were underway to gradually restore normal CNG distribution across its network.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray along with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray on November 17 paid tribute to Balasaheb Thackeray on his death anniversary at Dadar’s Shivaji Park. The Thackeray cousins were joined by Rashmi Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray along with other party leaders at the memorial at Shiv Tirth and paid their humble respects. Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray died of cardiac arrest in the 2012 at the age of 86.

Balasaheb, often called the Hindu Hridaysamrat (Emperor of Hindu Hearts), passed away on this day in 2012, never held a constitutional post, yet commanded the city’s pulse through the sheer power of his oratory.

Earlier in the day, his son, Uddhav, also took to his social media handle on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “Sir, How much you have done for us! It is because of you that even today the backbone of ours stands tall. As long as the power named ‘Hindu Hrudaysamrat’ is with us, we have no fear of anything!”

Eknath Shinde, who was part of the united Shiv Sena, split from the party in 2022 and formed his own party with the same name following the principle of Balasaheb Thackery. Taking to his social media, the Maharashtra Deputy CM also paid tributes to Thackeray and said that his thoughts and memories ‘will forever remain in our hearts.’

Paying his tributes, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar said that Balasaheb unleashed a barrage of words on his opponents with his sharp Thackeray arrows and open-handed generosity.

“His satirical cartoons wounded many. Yet, throughout his life, he selflessly maintained friendships beyond politics without introducing any bitterness into them. Humble tribute on his remembrance day to the Shiv Sena chief, the late Balasaheb Thackeray, whose immense contributions to the state’s socio-political sphere make Maharashtra’s history incomplete without mention of him!,” he added.