DELHI
Art
Eye of the Needle
From 9 October
Tanmoy Samanta’s paintings appear, at first glance, to celebrate mundane, somewhat archaic things. He paints an old-fashioned sewing machine, for example, or a large iron key, a wooden kitchen table and cleaver, and sail boats. Apart from motifs associated with the sea, the colours he uses are mainly soft washes of blue, green and aquamarine. Underneath all this prettiness, however, lurks something rather more ominous. When you take a second look at the old-fashioned key, for example, you’ll find that the tip is made up of white jagged bone.
11am-7pm, Mon-Sat. Gallery Espace, 16, Community Centre, New Friends Colony (26922947).
The Soul Has its Reason
9-14 October
Faceless forms: Yasmin Sawhney, a visually-impaired artist and poet, is holding her fourth solo exhibition.
The fourth solo exhibition by visually-impaired artist and poet Yasmin Sawhney presents a varied repertoire. The highlight of this exhibition is faceless, fully covered women, who express a range of emotions through their gestures and stances. Also on display is
The Eye in Many Forms. In this exhibition, Sawhney experiments with serigraphs, given her training and experience in screen-printing techniques.
11am-7.30pm, daily. Arpana Caur Gallery, Academy of Fine Arts and Literature, 4/6, Siri Fort Institutional Area, Khel Gaon Marg (26496289).
Film
Claire’s Knee (Le Genou de Claire)
13 October
The fifth and most accessible of Eric Rohmer’s six “moral tales”, Claire’s Knee is the story of a diplomat (Jean-Claude Brialy) battling temptation while on holiday. The film was received rapturously as a cinematic equivalent to Jane Austen at the time of its original release.
11am. India International Centre auditorium, 40, Lodhi Estate, Max Mueller Marg (24619431).
Dance
Kathak
14 October
Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj and his disciples present Chalo Mann Ganga Jamuna Tir, a composition that interweaves poetry with dance to highlight the essentially secular nature of the Doab region in north India. Recitation and narration by Saeed Naqvi. This recital is part of the annual India International Centre festival.
6.30pm. Fountain Lawns, India International Centre, 40, Lodhi Estate, Max Mueller Marg (24619431).
Music
Dharma Bums
9 October
Taking its name from the Jack Kerouac novel, The Dharma Bums, this band, fronted by Philip Hemley, aka Phil Void, has been around for more than three decades. It has 108 members, past and present, worldwide. Dubbing their music “psychedelic raga reggae rock”, these old-time hippies perform songs on the Tibetan liberation movement and Tibetan Buddhism.
8pm. The Living Room Café, 31, Hauz Khas Village (46080533). Free, though you will have to buy a drink or some food.
MUMBAI
Around town
All-night concert
10 October
Spic Macay stages an all-night concert, featuring some of the country’s most well-known musicians, vocalists Satyasheel Deshpande and M. Venkatesh Kumar, flautist Ronu Majumdar and surbahar player Pushparaj Koshti.