Bangalore
Film
Item Number
2 May
Screening: Item Number will show at GallerySKE.
7pm. GallerySKE, 2, Berlie Street, Langford Town (65951972). For details, visit
www.galleryske.com
Shamiana Short Films—Horror Special
27 April
These screenings, hosted by Shamiana—The Short Film Club, are free, open to the public and include English subtitles where required.
An Evening With My Comatose Mother
American film-maker Jonathan Martin’s 2011 film is about Dorothy, who’s forced to spend Halloween night with a decomposing, comatose hag and the events that follow when the latter wakes up. 33 minutes.
Divination
American film-maker J.T. Seaton tells the story of a fake psychic who has been performing bogus séances for years. One night she receives a visitor, a young woman, and discovers that she has to pay a price for conning and robbing the loved ones of a departed soul. 12 minutes.
Chambers
Norwegian film-maker Aleksander Nordaas’ film is a portrayal of how reality is experienced for those in coma, and how the system works in this seemingly macabre and hostile place. 10 minutes.
Love Hurts
Dutch film-maker Shariff Nasr’s film revolves around a heartbroken Wendy in a public toilet; her tears unintentionally awaken a darker force, and it appears that she is not alone any more. 6 minutes.
Mazaak Mat Karo
Film-maker Ravi Iyer’s film will have you in splits for the most part, before a shuddering finish. Funny situations can sometimes lead to scary scenes. 7 minutes.
7.30pm onwards. Alliance Française de Bangalore, 108, Vasanth Nagar, Thimmaiah Road (41231345). For details, call 40808181, or call Cyrus at 9821235370.
Art
My City
Till 30 May
A group show by six artists—B. Devaraj, Manjunath Hassan, Praveen Kumar, Shivanand B., Urmila V.G. and Venugopal V.G.—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 Khasnis in a note.
11am-8pm. Sublime Art Gallery, UB City, Sky Bridge, Eighth floor, Vittal Mallya Road (8861003866/9663828485).
Four Projects
Till 11 May
The exhibition brings together the recent works of Abhishek Hazra, Abir Karmakar, Orijit Sen and Sunoj D., which display varying and distinct methods of video, performance, illustration and installation. Sen’s collection, A Place in Punjab, talks about the culture of the place and the “border identity” that defines its image and translates into the character of its people, while Hazra’s artworks, Inside the Crystal Goblet the Simians Struggle to Write Their Own Principia, focus on the origins of Bengali scientific terminology in the early 19th century and take a critical look at the politics of translation. Karmakar makes “bed” the subject of his art, interrogating the binaries of male/female, private/public, right/wrong, real/fiction.
11am-7pm. (Tuesdays closed and Sundays by appointment). GallerySKE (65951972). For details, visit
www.galleryske.com
Dance
World Dance Day
29 April
Around 100 dancers will share the stage to celebrate World Dance Day. All performances, free and open to the public, will be curated by Ashish Mohan Khokar. On show will be Delhi-based Payal Ramchandani’s Kuchipudi recital. The Rhythm of Manipuri Dance ensemble, led by their artistic director Angabala Irengbam, will perform excerpts from the ras-leela tradition. Madhulita Mohapatra and her students will perform an Odissi recital, pallavi, or pure-dance items. A performance by Bharatanatyam dancer Anuradha Vikranth and Kuchipudi dancer Shama Krishna will reflect their research on merging the two dance forms.
A Century of Indian Dance: 1901-2000
The late Mohan Khokar, a dancer, photographer and historian, amassed possibly the single largest collection of material on the history and heritage of Indian dance— books, posters, photographs, artefacts and music. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations, along with the current custodian of the collection, Khokar’s son—the dance historian and critic Ashish Mohan Khokar— will present a selection of materials from this vast collection for the first time in Bangalore.
10am-10pm. Alliance Française de Bangalore (41231340).
Around town
Organic Cooking
30 April-4 May
This workshop, hosted by the Institute of Experiential Learning, will focus on organic foods, and techniques of cooking healthy and presentable food. The programme, designed around hands-on cooking sessions and field visits to an organic farm, will culminate in a choreographed reality cooking show created by the participants, which will be uploaded on YouTube.
10am-1pm. Experience Lab, Institute of Experiential Learning, 139, Second floor, Gurumurthy Bhavan, Infantry Road (65470383). Children aged 10 and above can participate. Registration fee, Rs 3,335. For registration and details, call Aswin at 9538003825, email at info@inexel.org, or visit inexel.org
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Mumbai
Around town
Tree Appreciation course
28-29 April
Spend time with other nature lovers during this three-day course conducted by the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies, University of Mumbai. Participants will learn about the impact trees have on society, culture and the environment. The course will be held at Mumbai university and will include field trips to the Fort university campus on Saturday and to Borivali National Park on Sunday. Register in advance or enrol with professor C.S. Lattoo of the Fort campus on the day of the course.
2-5pm (Saturday)/8am-noon (Sunday). Register at the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies, University of Mumbai, Health Centre Building, Vidyanagari, Kalina, Santacruz— East (65952761/26530266). Fee, Rs 3,000. The deadline for registration at the centre is 5pm on 27 April. For details, visit
www.extramural.org
Theatre
Arms And the Man
28 April
A popular English comedy by George Bernard Shaw, Arms And the Man is a satire on heroism and war, highlighting the conflict between idealism and practicality through a series of comic situations. Presented by the Motley theatre group, the cast includes actors Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Faezeh Jalali, Randeep Hooda and Shivani Tanksale. 2 hours.
8pm. Swatantryaveer Savarkar Rashtriya Smarak Auditorium, 252, Veer Savarkar Marg, Shivaji Park, Dadar—West (24465877). Tickets, Rs 200, Rs 300 and Rs 500. For details, call Sandesh on 9768108252.
On stage: Boy With a Suitcase
29 April
The play unfolds through the narrative of the young protagonist Naz as he makes his way to the proverbial land of “milk and honey” to find his sister and a “better life”. This humorous tale follows 12-year-old Naz on an adventurous, and sometimes perilous, journey to London. The play by British playwright Mike Kenny has been directed by Andrea Gronemeyer, with an Indo-German cast and crew creating a seamless blend of two cultures.
1 hour, 25 minutes.
4pm/7pm. Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Vile Parle (26149546). Tickets, Rs 200.
Film
Good Hair
30 April
A screening by Vikalp. The entertaining documentary is fronted by American comedian Chris Rock and focuses on the lifelong quest of countless black women across America to straighten out their curls and acquire straight, “white” hair. 1 hour, 36 minutes.
7pm. Prithvi House, Prithvi Theatre (26149546).
Dance
Ahsas
28-29 April
Watch contemporary dance performances by Aakash Odedra and members of Sumeet Nagdev Dance Arts and the Bhoomika Creative Dance Centre. The evening will begin with Odedra, who will perform ‘In The Shadow of Man’, choreographed by Akram Khan. Sumeet Nagdev will present two productions: ‘Resonate’, inspired by Buddhism and its teachings, and ‘Sufi Parwane’, a tribute to Sufi poets. Bharat Sharma and dancers from Bhoomika will celebrate the music of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in ‘Nusrat Song’. And US-based performer David Poznanter will try to wow audiences with acrobatic and circus skills in ‘Tete En Bas’ and ‘From the Window’.
7pm. St Andrew’s Auditorium, St Andrew’s College, St Dominic Road, Bandra—West (26410926). Admission on first-come, first-served basis. For details, visit
www.sumeetnagdevdancearts.in
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Delhi
Around town
India Goes 3D
27 April
“India Goes 3D” is an Indo-German multimedia conference, a three-city festival (Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore). The conference will feature cutting-edge electronica artistes from three German cities—Coma from Cologne, Ada from Hamburg and Daniel Haaksman from Berlin—a conference on music production and distribution, and the live 3D shows by Delhi’s own audio-visual collective, BLOT.
10.30pm-1.30am. blueFROG, 4-A, Seven Style Mile, Kalka Dass Marg, Mehrauli, near Qutub Minar (30800300). Entry, Rs 600.
Music
Jaume Vilaseca Quartet
27 April
The Jaume Vilaseca Quartet (JVQ) dips into many world music traditions, including Latin jazz, African and Arabian. The jazz band from Barcelona, led by 44-year-old pianist Vilaseca, also features saxophonist Víctor de Diego, bassist Dick Them and drummer Ramón Díaz. JVQ’s last album, Mumbai, was recorded live at blueFROG in 2009. Sitarist Ravi Chary accompanied them on one of the tracks, and will again feature with the group in this concert.
9pm. Instituto Cervantes, 48, Hanuman Road, Connaught Place (43681900).
Fusion: Musical duo Sulk Station.
2 May
Sulk Station, a breathy electronic duo composed of Bangaloreans Tanvi Rao and Rahul Giri, broke on to India’s indie electronic music scene two years ago. Their first album, Till I Appear, launches this fortnight. It’s full of Rao’s ethereal vocals and Giri’s moody synth enhancements. They define their music as “mellowdramatic pop”, a sound influenced by electronic/downtempo genres and Indian classical music. The duo will also be performing live for the first time in Delhi, followed by a performance by Teddy Boy Kill.
9pm. Out of the Box, 9-A, Hauz Khas Village.
Dance
World Dance Day—No Boundaries
29 April
This year, almost 10 groups will take to the stage to interpret the theme of “No Boundaries”. The range of artistes is just as broad as this subject: While Saroja Vaidyanathan, Madhavi Mudgal and Shovana Narayan represent the classical canon, the contemporary group includes Astad Deboo, the performing arts unit Sadhya’s Tushar Kalia, and Atul Jindal and Karan Kumar of the Big Dance Centre. There’s even a performance by Dadi Pudumjee’s Ishara Puppet Theatre.
7pm. Abhimanch, National School of Drama, Bahawalpur House, 1, Bhagwan Das Road (23382821). For invites, call 26693030/9810273629.
Art
Kalighat Painting
Till 29 April
Kalighat painting evolved in 19th century Kolkata as a quick method of painting on mill-made paper using brushstrokes with ink from lampblack. It still crops up in galleries in its modern avatar. This exhibition brings together paintings from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata, and works by four contemporary Patuas, to trace the changing grammar and themes of the style.
10am-5pm (Mondays closed). National Gallery of Modern Art, Jaipur House, India Gate (23386111). Entry, Rs 10 for Indians and Rs 150 for foreigners.
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Kolkata
Art
Radiance
Till 6 May
The Birla Academy of Art and Culture is presenting a show of paintings and installations by Kalpana Shah, the owner of Tao Art Gallery in Mumbai. Shah does not make preparatory sketches. She believes that the act of painting should be spontaneous, free of preconceived notions. Shah has also created some striking installations that recontextualize steel. In this exhibition, the artworks have the characteristic brushstrokes and sedate soft tones offset by deep shadowy hues of gold and bronze.
3-8pm (closed on Monday and Labour Day on 1 May). Birla Academy of Art and Culture, 108, Southern Avenue (24666802/2843). For details, visit
www.birlaart.com
Impressions: By Reba Mandal.
1-5 May
Artist Reba Mandal captures her impressions of nature, with many paintings showcasing animal figures. She mainly works in acrylic on canvas, as well as pen and ink on paper. This exhibition will contain 18 of her acrylic works. She has participated in group shows in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mumbai and was awarded the Mega Kala Bhushan Award by the Kala Sarthi Art Foundation, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in 2010. The artworks will be on sale, at approximately Rs 25,000 onwards.
2-7pm. Chemould Art Gallery, Park Street. For details, call the artist at 9752511628/9907745923.
Faiza Huma—recent works
Till 2 May
The Seagull Foundation for the Arts is presenting a show of recent works by Bhopal-based Faiza Huma, who has participated in exhibitions in India and abroad. Her recent works mostly play with the concept of space on empty, blank canvases in shades of black and white. On the event’s Facebook page, the artist introduces the exhibition as being “Soaked in tranquility. An inward stillness. Like the pond that has never been disturbed by a stone. Or human drowning. Reflective. Like the silver of the mirror”. 11am-8pm. Seagull Foundation, 36-C, S P Mukherjee Road (24556942/43).
Theatre
Ghosts of Shakespeare
29-30 April
The Arshinagar Project, in association with groups like Best of Kolkata Campus, Bibhaban, Modern Academy of Continuing Education, OGlam agency, Proscenium’s Art Centre and the Oxford Book Store, will present Ghosts of Shakespeare—a festival that calls forth the many ghosts of William Shakespeare, from the vantage of Indian performance idioms and aesthetics, as well as contemporary subjectivities and lived experiences. Two plays will be staged: Fools And Princes and Insert the Hamletclone Here.
11am (29 April), Proscenium’s Art Centre, 2, Ripon Street; 3pm (30 April), Modern Academy of Continuing Education, 78, Syed Amir Ali Avenue. For details, email thearshinagarproject @gmail.com, or call 9831731422.
Film
Europe in Love
Till 28 April
Goethe-Institut is presenting the 17th edition of the European Union Film Festival. On 27 April, the British drama ‘The Deep Blue Sea’ will be screened, followed by the Slovak film ‘Apricot Island’. On 28 April, the Austrian film ‘Black Brown White’, and Slovenian film ‘Personal Baggage’ will be screened.
4pm/6pm. Nandan II, 1, 1/1, AJC Bose Road (near Exide), Maidan. Passes available at the venue. For details, call 09830703658. See the full schedule at http://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/india/documents/more_info/eu_cultural_events/2012/screening_card_kolkata.pdf
By Indranil Bhoumik
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Chennai
Around town
Splendid Ikats
28 April-15 May
Vijayalakshmi Krishna presents handwoven Ikat saris and exclusive block-printed and hand-painted renditions in Kalamkari, with embroidered and appliqué blouses and Ikat accessories, including drawstring pouches and purses. The price range will be Rs 1,500-4,500.
10am-7.30pm. Aavaranaa, Asoka Street, Alwarpet (24988292).
Sushi and Teppanyaki Festival
Till 29 April
Master chef Juancho Miday has designed a special menu comprising a selection of contemporary Japanese sushi and teppanyaki dishes. Savour an assortment of flavours, including Kaiwari salad, Tamago Savoury, Boston Maki and Kabayaki.
Noon–3pm/7-11pm. Hip Asia, Vivanta by Taj—Connemara, Binny Road (66000000). À la carte meal for two,Rs 1,250 onwards, plus taxes.
Music
Dheem Dharikida Dheem Dharikida—Isaiyai Iruppom
28 April
Dheem Dharikida Dheem Dharikida, directed by Paul Jacob, will witness an evening of high energy music with a joint orchestra of folk, classical and contemporary musicians performing live. Artistes Blaaze, Chinna Ponnu, Paul Jacob, Raju Baul and Donan Murray will present songs in Tamil, English and Bengali. 2 hours.
7pm. Music Academy, Cathedral Road. Tickets, Rs 100, Rs 150, Rs 250, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, available on
www.indianstage.in
Strumming: Vedanth Bharadwaj.
Suno Bhai
27 April
Be it music therapy for autistic children, devotional music or psychedelic rock, Vedanth Bharadwaj can play it all on the guitar. Bharadwaj, who will be playing songs from his latest contemporary folk album ‘Suno Bhai’, is a singer, guitarist and composer trained in both Hindustani and Carnatic classical music.
6.30-7.30pm. Apparao Galleries, Wallace Gardens, Nungambakkam (2833 2226).
By Nandini Reddy
•••••
Hyderabad
Music
Hariharan Ghazal Nite
28 April
Singer Hariharan will render ghazals as well as Carnatic and Hindustani classical songs at a concert organized by the Sangam Academy. Hariharan and singer-composer Leslie Lewis created waves with their fusion album Colonial Cousins in 1996. Hariharan was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004. Ghazal singer Vittal Rao will be felicitated with a lifetime achievement award on the occasion.
7pm. Telugu Lalitha Kala Thoranam, Public Gardens, Chapel Road, Red Hills, Nampally (66300000). Tickets, Rs 250, Rs 500, Rs 1,000, Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000, available on in.bookmyshow.com
Art
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner And Other Works
Till 7 May
Ramakanth’s solo exhibition, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner And Other Works, opened to rave reviews. In 2007, he exhibited his works on invitation at the City Hall, Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. His paintings are mainly oil on canvas, acrylics and mixed media. Proceeds from painting sales will go to Anandapriya, a group that supports talented artistes in classical dance, music and contemporary arts, and publishes world literature for young adults.
11am-7pm. Muse Art Gallery, Hyderabad Marriott and Convention Centre, Tank Bund Road (27522999, 27522203). For details, call 9396444424.
Film
The Economics of Happiness
28 April
The documentary by the Institute for Social and Economic Change (Isec) features voices from six continents calling for systemic economic change. The plot shows a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions—governments and big businesses promoting globalization and corporate consolidation; and people resisting policies, demanding a re-regulation of trade and finance.
5.30pm. Alliance Française de Hyderabad, Plot No. 9, Marredpally, Secunderabad (27700734/27700735).
By Yogendra Kalavalapalli
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