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DELHI
Art
Here and There
From 28 Mar
This is the exhibition part of the British Council’s ongoing HAT Project, which is a series of 23 international exchange residencies for contemporary crafts between England, South Asia and Australia. The exhibition maps the progress of the project thus far, showcasing work created before, during and after the nine residencies that have taken place between India and England. ‘Here and There’ focuses on the impact of displacement on an artist’s work and includes ceramics, paper, lighting and furniture design, kalamkari, warli and weaving. The gallery is set up like a cross between a studio and a train station. Objects, sketches, materials, tools, words and films are all presented as a series of installations. The exhibition opens as part of a week-long conference at Sanskriti Pratishthan. The Queen’s Gallery, British Council, 17 Kasturba Gandhi Marg (2371-0111). 10am-6pm.
Film
Baran (Rain)
25 Mar
It is winter in Tehran. Seventeen-year-old Lateef works in a building construction site, serving tea and preparing food for the workers. Some workers are refugees from war-torn Afghanistan—cheap, illegal labour. One of these is young Rahmat who, Lateef is shocked to discover, is actually a girl. A surprise check on the site forces Rahmat to flee. Lovelorn Lateef traces her to her village and learns Rahmat’s name is really Baran. He gathers all he has—including his identity card—to help Baran. The only way out for her and her family is to go back to Afghanistan. Grey Zone Film Club, The Attic, 36 Regal Building, Connaught Place (2374-6050). [Metro] Rajiv Chowk. 6.30pm. One-day membership: Rs55.
Music
Daara J @ Francophonie Mela
24 Mar
Daara J (pronounced Dara Jee)—Senegalese hip-hop trio, Faada Freddy, Aladji Man, and N’Dango D—bring the weeklong Francophonie festival to a close. The group’s lyrical content deals with a wide range of social issues—from slavery to corruption, migration, the environment, spirituality and women’s rights. Alliance Française de Delhi, 72 Lodhi Estate (4350-0200). 6.30pm.
DadA Music
24 Mar
A night of electronica in the serene setting of the Lodi Garden Restaurant. Organized by India’s first electronica label, DadA music’s downbeat psychedelia is a fusion of classic and electronic music. Lodi Garden Restaurant, Lodhi Gardens, near gate number 1 (2465-5054). 9pm.
Amjad Ali Khan
29 Mar
The best-loved face of the sarod around the globe plays an evening concert organized by the Sanatan Sangeet Sanskriti. Khan, awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2001, belongs to the sixth generation of the Senia Bangash gharana. Fountain Lawns, 40 Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate (2461-9431). 6pm.
Theatre
Kaifi Aur Main
23 Mar
A tribute to the late poet Kaifi Azmi, this performance draws on the book, Kaifi Aur Main, by Azmi’s wife, Shaukat Kaifi. Azmi’s daughter, Shabana, and son-in-law, Javed Akhtar, enact events from the poet’s life. Urdu poetry aficionados will get to hear some of Kaifi Azmi’s lilting verse set to a score by Kuldip Singh. Kamani Auditorium, 1 Copernicus Marg (2338-8084). 7pm. Call Ashok Bahl, Programme Director, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (2337-8079) for details.
MUMBAI
ART
Blues
23-31 Mar
The first thing that strikes you when you enter Blues is that all of Ngangam Bidyut Singha’s paintings are red. A few are a pinkish red; others are blood red; none is blue. For once, Singha’s work is not laden with any messages. He has kept it simple and stark. Watercolour lends an air of fragility to the paintings. Against the red, Singha has drawn silhouettes in thick, black lines. Unexpectedly softening this harsh contrast is one small element painted in white. In spite of the violent contrast between red and black, many of the paintings have a Zen calm, perhaps thanks to Singha’s minimalism. Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Century Bhavan, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli (2432-0316). Mon-Sat 10.30am-8pm. Sun-4-8pm.
Film
Little Miss Sunshine
Releasing 23 Mar
Each of the Hoovers is defined by a personality flaw: Self-help expert Richard can’t sell his nine-point formula for success; his wife Sheryl is perennially anxious; her teenaged son Dwayne has taken a vow of silence until he gets admitted into the Air Force Academy; her gay brother Frank has recently survived a suicide attempt; her father-in-law loves a heroin rush; her eight-year-old daughter Olive wants to be a beauty queen. When Olive makes it to the finals of the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, the family piles into an ancient Volkswagen to travel to the contest’s location. Major cinemas.
An Inconvenient Truth
26 Mar
Whatever former US vice-president Al Gore’s broader motives for making this film nowand embarking on a high-profile world tour, you can’t fault his sincerity, rigour and energy as he pleads, with recourse to blinding graphs and damning photo evidence, that we all need to sit up and realize that global warming is neither a wacky theory nor a political manifesto, but stone-cold reality. It’s a message, of course, that has most resonance in the United States, but this unashamed, campaigning documentary also has strong appeal beyond America and succeeds on three main counts: It is utterly convincing, it’s emotionally powerful and it makes Gore look more charming than he ever did as a presidential candidate. Prithvi Theatre, First Floor, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu, Vile Parle (W). 7pm.
Music
Darb Al-Harir
23 Mar
Indian composer and arranger Nishith Mehta, Algerian vocalist Meryem Koufi and Spanish-French artistic director and producer Manuel Aguilar come together to perform a concert that will see a confluence of their respective musical cultures. Based around Sufi poetry from the 7th century, Darb Al-Harir’s music is a mix of Arabic vocals, flamenco and Indian folk and classical sounds. The trio will be accompanied by singer and santar player Lakha Versi, sitar and jal tarang player Vijay Sant, flute, santoor and shehnai player D.K. Chauhan and percussionists Sanjay Shejwalkar and Manikantan. Tata Theatre, NCPA, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point (2283-3838). 7pm. Tickets Rs200, Rs120, Rs80.
Shakira
25 Mar
To date, Shakira has sold 30 million records. That makes her the most successful Colombian singer of all time. Her signature song, Hips Don’t Lie, has hit number one in nearly 50 countries and was the best-selling single of 2006 worldwide. Find out if the Latina lovely’s hips are as veracious as she claims when she performs in the city this fortnight. Tickets available at all Planet M outlets and at the venue. Log on to www.ticketpro.in to book tickets online. MMRDA Grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (E). 5pm. Tickets Rs3,650, Rs2,650.
Theatre
The President is Coming
24 Mar
A few minutes into The President is Coming, it becomes clear that playwright Anuvab Pal has spent a great many hours studying sitcoms. From overblown characters and mild slapstick to zippy dialogue, the play has all the ingredients of American television. On stage, they all come together as an entertaining piece of work. The premise is a whimsical send-up of our obsession with America. Eight people gather at the American Centre and gear up for a fight. The prize: a handshake with the US President. Tata Theatre, NCPA, NCPA Marg, near Hilton Towers, Nariman Point (2283-3838). 7pm. Tickets Rs100, Rs240.
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