Delhi
Music
Avial
23 May
The alternative Malayalam rock band Avial will perform at blueFROG
10-11.30pm. blueFROG. Entry, Rs 300.
Techno Takeover—Ash Roy, Ashwin Mani, Kohra, BLOT, and DJ Vipul
18 May
The event, Techno Takeover, features several of India’s best electronic dance music (EDM) artistes: Ashvin Mani Sharma; Arjun Vagale and Ash Roy from the band Jalebee Cartel; Madhav Shorey aka Kohra, who produces distortive, glitch techno; B.L.O.T. with audiovisual electronic; and the new deejay on the block, DJ Vipul.
10.30pm-1.30am. blueFROG, 4-A, Seven Style Mile, Kalka Dass Marg, Mehrauli (30800300). Entry, Rs 600.
The Sitar of the Dilli Gharana
19 May
Sitarist Suhel Saeed Khan, son and disciple of sitar maestro Ustad Saeed Zafar Khan of the Delhi gharana, will perform.
6.30pm. The Attic, 36, Regal Building, Connaught Place (23746050).
Around town
Katha Workshops
18 May-30 June
The non-profit organization Katha is organizing a series of readings and workshops for children this summer.
Stories Unlimited!, 18-19 May
Storytelling sessions for children aged 5-12.
4-6pm. Registration fee, Rs 500.
Wood Works! with Art and Paint, 21-26 May
This workshop, divided into two groups for children aged between 8-12 and 12-15, will be instructed by Kajal and Rahul of Kathashala, a Noida-based storytelling organization working through community schools, mobile vans, etc. The children will learn how to use carpentry tools to create artefacts and then paint them at the end.
10am-noon. Registration fee, Rs 3,500.
Paper Quilling Workshop with Oaks Art, 28-31 May
Paper quilling at Katha
4-6pm. Registration fee, Rs 2,000. The last date for registration is 24 May.
Katha, A3, Sarvodaya Enclave, Sri Aurobindo Marg (26868193/26521752/26524350). For details, email katha@katha.org.
A walk
20 May
This “food walk” will be conducted by arts curator Himanshu Verma of Red Earth, a New Delhi-based independent arts organization that works with Indian contemporary visual art, and take visitors through the meandering alleys of Chandni Chowk, to better understand Delhi’s sherbets and kulfis.
4-8pm. Meeting point at Fatehpuri Mosque main gate. Registration fee, Rs 1,500 per person, inclusive of food. For registration and details, contact Himanshu Verma at 41764504 or email himanshu@redearthindia.com.
Art
Crossings
Till 31 May
The show, curated by Roobina Karode, presents the works of 37 artists. The artists include Bhupen Khakhar, V.S. Gaitonde, S.H. Raza, Tyeb Mehta, Rameshwar Broota, Ram Kumar, Nasreen Mohammedi, Subodh Gupta, Anish Kapoor, Atul Dodiya, Zarina Hashmi, Subodh Gupta, Ranbir Kaleka, Rina Banerjee, Akbar Padamsee and Rina Banerjee. The title of the exhibition, Crossings, is inspired by Kaleka’s four-screen video projections on four painted canvases, symbolically highlighting the transitions from painting to new media.
10.30am-6.30pm (Mondays closed). Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, 145, DLF South Court Mall, Saket (49160000).
Top Pick
Komedy-e-Eshtebahat, a Dari version of the classic Comedy of Errors, will be staged at Azad Bhavan
Komedy-e-Eshtebahat
22 May
The play is the Afghan adaptation of the Shakespeare classic ‘Comedy of Errors’—a set of twins are separated in a sandstorm as babies, find themselves in Kabul as adults and start discovering the truth. This adaptation by the Afghan group Rah-e-Sabz takes the audience through the bustling back streets of modern-day Kabul. It has been directed by Corinne Jaber, a veteran actor and director, who also happened to be in the seminal Peter Brook’s ‘The Mahabharata’ (as Shikhandi’s feminine embodiment, Amba). This play is in Dari and has English subtitles. 2 hours.
7pm. Azad Bhavan Auditorium, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Azad Bhavan, IP Estate (23379310).
Mumbai
Music
Bandstand Revival Project
19 May
The first of three finale gigs organized by the Bandstand Revival Project will feature performances by flautist Rajeev Raja’s band, five-piece prog-rock band Paradigm Shift, Asha Bhosle’s grandson Chintu Bhosle and the band of the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.
5.30-8pm. Veer Baji Prabhu Deshpande and Sant Dyaneshwar Udyan, Dadar Chowpatty, behind Mayor’s Bungalow, HP Petrol Pump Lane, Dadar.
Around town
Beat the heat: Ice-skating classes.
22 May-31 July
Swimming pools are old hat. Why paddle around in tepid chlorinated water when you can strap on the wheels at an ice-skating rink? Ice-skating coach Rishi Sarode will be conducting daily classes at Atria Mall’s Orama ice rink. Children aged two-and-a- half years and above can participate.
10am-9pm. Orama Ice, Atria Mall, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli. Fee for half-hour sessions, Rs 300 before 5pm and Rs 350 after 5pm (Mondays-Fridays) and Rs 350 before 3pm and Rs 425 after 3pm (Saturdays-Sundays), or Rs 5,000 for 10 sessions. For registration, call Rishi Sarode on 982036786, 9869123076.
Film
Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
24 May
The festival will run from 24-27 May at Alliance Française and from 23-27 May at Cinemax Versova. Day 1 at Alliance Française will see Voices for Change, a package of short films from the Philippines and Sri Lanka (41 minutes), being screened at 10am. At 1.30pm, the 26-minute documentary Nerve, which probes attitudes towards sexual behaviour through interviews, will be shown. This will be followed by The Sisters (1 hour, 10 minutes) that profiles The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a self-described “order of gay male nuns”.
At 3.15pm, there will be a screening of Gopal Menon’s documentary, Let the Butterflies Fly, about Shilpa, a hijra (eunuch) who suffers police harassment (1 hour, 14 minutes). At 5pm, the 30-minute film Little, about a boy who leaves for a better life in Manila, will be screened. This will be followed by Shape of the Shapeless, a 30-minute film about the fluidity of gender.
Alliance Française de Bombay, 40, Theosophy Hall, New Marine Lines Road. For details, email kashish.miqff@gmail.com
Art
Apposite | Opposite
Till 26 May
Pakistani artist Rashid Rana’s disorienting photomosaics are a provocative commentary on life in the East and West. In this exhibition, the artist is preoccupied with formal concerns about abstraction and figuration, as demonstrated in the series of photo sculptures that occupy most of this gallery.
11am-7pm (Sunday and Monday closed). Chatterjee & Lal, Kamal Mansion, 01/18, First floor, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba (22023787).
Dance drama: By Kerala Kalamandalam.
Dance
Kathakali
20 May
It’s not every day that members from the renowned performing arts institute Kerala Kalamandalam tour Mumbai. Seize the opportunity to watch the experienced dancers and musicians present the popular dance drama ‘Nalacharitham’. The performance is part of the fine art cultural centre’s Nrithyotsavam festival. Written by Unnayi Warrier, it is known for its blend of ‘rasa abhinaya’ (emotional acting), ‘nritta’ (dance) and lyrical poetry. The story follows the highs and lows in the lives of king Nala and his wife Damayanthi, whose relationship faces its biggest challenge in the shape of the evil spirit Kali.
6pm. Sivaswamy Auditorium, The Fine Arts Society, Fine Arts Chowk, near Chembur Flyover, Ramakrishna Chemburkar Marg, Chembur (25222988).
Bangalore
Music
Carnatic Concert Appreciation—How to Be an Educated Rasika
18 May
Carnatic vocalist Vidya Subramanian will walk the audience through a typical concert, including tips on raga identification, tala or rhythmic aspects, and explanations of how artistes approach manodharma or improvisation. She will be accompanied by Meera Rajkumar on violin and Rajkumar Ananthanarayanan on mridangam.
6.30pm. Bangalore International Centre, Teri Complex, 4th Main, 2nd Cross, Domlur 2nd Stage (25359680). For details, call 9886599675.
Purvankara Indigo and Blues Festival
18-19 May
In its third edition, this two-day festival of blues and jazz will focus on blues rock. The festival will feature international bluesmen Bobby Whitlock and Van Wilks, Chronic Blues Circus, Blackstratblues, The Saturday Night Blues Band, Adil and Vasundhara.
6pm. Eden Garden, Princess Academy Gate, Palace Grounds (65960362). Tickets, Rs 750, Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,500, available on
www.bookmyshow.com
Art
My City
Till 30 May
This group show by six artists—B. Devaraj, Manjunath Hassan, Praveen Kumar, Shivanand B.,
Urmila V.G. and Venugopal V.G.—has been curated by Giridhar Khasnis. The artists offer different perspectives, “subtly hinting at the city’s delights and mysteries, symbols and emblems, shades and nuances, burdens and trappings, relationships and contradictions”, says a note from Khasnis.
11am-8pm. The Sublime Galleria, UB City, Sky Bridge, Eighth floor, Vittal Mallya Road (8861003866).
Around town
Folk it India!
19 May
A concert of traditional folk and contemporary forms that will showcase not only lavani, bhangra and dandiya, but music and dance from states such as Assam, West Bengal and Manipur. It will feature accomplished singers like Sangeetha Srikishen, Seema Raikar, Supratik Ghosh and Sharan Gurjar.
7.30pm. Alliance Française de Bangalore, Thimmaiah Road, 108, Vasanth Nagar (41231340). Tickets, Rs 250, available on
www.indianstage.in. For details and tickets, call 9845252320.
Theatre
Marooned: The play Robinson And Crusoe is about two soldiers.
20 May
This play takes off from the situation two soldiers, Robinson and Crusoe, find themselves in when they are stranded on an island, and goes on to ask penetrating questions about the nature of man. The soldiers begin with a tussle for survival, vigilant and constantly suspicious, but have to learn to coexist. The play has been directed by Gracias Devaraj and written by Nina D’Introna and Giacomo Ravicchio. 1 hour, 20 minutes.
3.30/7.30pm. Ranga Shankara, 36/2, 8th Cross, 2nd Phase, JP Nagar (26592777). Tickets, Rs 200, available on
www.indianstage.in
and
in.bookmyshow.com
Top Pick
Film
The Living Archive
23 May
The Experimenta Film Society is hosting Stefanie Schulte Strathaus, curator from Arsenal, the institute for film and video art in Berlin, to screen films from a project titled “The Living Archive”—archival work as a contemporary artistic and curatorial practice. This was part of the Forum Expanded section at the Berlinale this year. The selection that will be screened includes the 9-minute short Cuban film ‘Por Primera Vez’ by Octavio Cortázar (1967), among others.
6.30pm. Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, 716, CMH Road, Indiranagar 1st Stage (25205308).
Chennai
Solo show: By Ramesh Gorjala.
Paintings by Ramesh Gorjala
Till 20 May
Ramesh Gorjala’s paintings focus on Indian heritage and culture, through a sensitive and detailed mythological portrayal of gods and goddesses. Gorjala, whose works are also on sale, has won several awards,including the state award from the Crafts Council of Andhra Pradesh. The price range of the works is Rs 40,000 to Rs 3.5 lakh.
11am-7pm. Ayya Art Galleries, 33, Woods Road, Mount Road (42158062).
Music
Geetham Sangeetham
20 May
S.P. Sailaja, who has lent her voice to Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada films, will sing some of her popular songs and share the stage with S.P.B. Charan, son of the noted singer S.P. Balasubramaniam. The two singers will be accompanied by a live orchestra.
6.30pm. Kamaraj Arangam, Sundar Road, Teynampet. Tickets, Rs 200, Rs 300, Rs 500, Rs 750, Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500, available on
in.bookmyshow.com
and
www.indianstage.in
Around town
Symphony of Cutworks
Till 31 May
Amaara presents a collection of salwar-kameez in cotton and chiffon with cutwork. It’s priced upwards of Rs 2,700.
10.30am-7.30pm. Amaara, 27/14, CV Raman Road, Alwarpet (45000020).
Top Pick
Around town
Hennessy Artistry
19 May
This Hennessy Artistry India Club series event will bring together varied genres of electronic dance music. The artistes include Arjun Vagale, Shiva Moon, Vijay Chawla, Bhavishyavani Crew and Megablast featuring Ras Tweed, all performing together for the very first time in the city. Megablast will team up with Austrian Kruder and Dorfmeister, known for downtempo-dub remixes of pop music. The platform will bring together the two elements that define contemporary after-hours: music and trendy blends for drinks.
5.30-11.30pm. Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay, Mamallapuram (27443636). Tickets, Rs 1,000, available at the venue.
By Nandini Reddy
Hyderabad
Art
Interpretations: By Sunil Lohar.
Till 26 May
This is a collection of recent watercolours by Sunil M. Lohar. He finished his master’s in fine arts, specializing in painting, from the University of Hyderabad in 2007. Narrations, Connotations And Interpretations is his second solo exhibition, after Labyrinth in 2008. The paintings are on acid-free paper or canvas, using watercolour and acrylic.
11am-7pm. Kalakriti Art Gallery, 468, Road No. 10, Banjara Hills (66564466). For details, email info@kalakriti.in or visit
www.kalakriti.in
Film
The Splendour of Australian Birds
24 May
Watch 80 minutes of bird-life in Australia from the archives of wildlife film-maker Bettina Dalton. The film features some never-seen-before footage of common, exotic, endangered and now-extinct species. Dubbed a comprehensive field guide for Australian bird lovers, the collection also includes footage from renowned Australian naturalist, photographer and film-maker Densey Clyne’s collection.
6pm. Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, 20, Journalist’s Colony, Road No. 3, Banjara Hills (23350443).
Top Pick
Theatre
This
19 May
The play is a witty, sharp, self-deprecating take on four urban 30-somethings who are past their youth and are now negotiating the “rest of their lives”. ‘This’, by the group Dramanon, has been directed by Sharanya Ramprakash. 1 hour, 35 minutes.
7.30pm. Campus auditorium, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Madhapur (23110630). Tickets, Rs 250 and Rs 300, available on Indianstage.in and Bookmyshow.com
By Yogendra Kalavalapalli
Kolkata
Theatre
On stage: Dwitiya Sattwa will be presenting Baagh Nakh.
22 May
The Dwitiya Sattwa theatre group will stage its latest production, Baagh Nakh (Hidden Claws of Tiger), written and directed by Suman Sengupta. The story revolves around Rini, a teenager, and Fuko, a mentally challenged boy, who follows Rini wherever she goes, calling her his wife. One day Fuko dies in a bus accident; this has a great impact on Rini. The play is a commentary on contemporary urban issues.
6.30pm. Madhusudan Mancha, basement, 2, Gariahat Road (South), Dakshinapan Shopping Complex, Dhakuria. Tickets, Rs 30, Rs 40 and Rs 60, available at the venue. For details, call 9433170778/9433501955.
Gnan Briksher Fol
23 May
Theatre group Sayak will present Gnan Briksher Fol, based on Leo Tolstoy’s Fruits of Culture, adapted to early 20th century Bengal and set in the small town of Santipur. The story of this black comedy plays out in the decadent feudal society of babus and flamboyant remnants of the Young Bengal movement. The play is written by Chandan Sen and directed by Meghnad Bhattacharya.
6.30pm. Madhusudan Mancha, Dhakuria. Tickets, Rs 40, Rs 60 and Rs 100, available at the venue. For details, call 9836067788.
Film
Morituri
18 May
Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan will be screening the black and white classic Morituri (1947), directed by Eugen York. The film was titled Freiwild in Austria. The story is about a group of prisoners who escape from a concentration camp. In the woods, they come across a hideout, where other fugitives have also taken refuge. They live in constant fear of being discovered by German patrols. One day, a young German soldier falls into their hands—they eventually let him go because they are unable to prove his individual guilt. Their salvation comes when the German army retreats from this area.
6.30pm. Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, 8, Ballygunge Circular Road (24866398).
Top Pick
Framed: Satyan’s 1972 picture, Priests in Sringeri, Karnataka.
Recorder of Life, Beauty & Truth
Till 28 May
The Seagull Foundation for the Arts and Tasveer art gallery are presenting an exhibition, ‘Recorder of Life, Beauty & Truth’, of photographs by T.S. Satyan. Satyan’s pictures have been published in the now defunct ‘The Illustrated Weekly of India’ besides ‘Time’, ‘Newsweek’, ‘Christian Science Monitor’, ‘Outlook’ and ‘India Today’, among others. Satyan has done special assignments for international agencies like Unicef and published picture books on various themes. These include ‘Exploring Karnataka’, ‘German Vignettes’, ‘Hampi—The Fabled Capital of the Vijayanagar Empire’ and ‘In Love With Life—A Journey Through Life in Photographs’.
2-8 pm (Sundays closed). Seagull Arts and Media Resource Centre, 36 C, SP Mukherjee Road (24556942/43).
By Indranil Bhowmik
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