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Delhi
Theatre
Ramkali
16 August
Directed by Arvind Gaur, this play stars Mallika Sarabhai, Viren Basoya, Shilpi Marwahai, Revanta Sarabhai, Anahita Sarabhai and Raj Sharma. Bertolt Brecht, who died in 1956, is still a front-line revolutionary icon because of the way his stylized theatre worked as an instrument to critique and incite, rather than simply to entertain.
With ‘Ramkali’, Gaur revives his production of one of the German playwright’s classic scripts, ‘The Good Person of Szechwan’, and moves the action over the Great Wall and into the Walled City.
7pm. Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, 4, Safdar Hashmi Marg (23714307). Tickets, Rs50-200, available at the venue. For details, call 9540656537/9911013630.
Music
Hindustani Vocal
17 August
A recital by Partha Pratim Das from Kolkata, who is a disciple of Pandit A.T. Kanan and Pandit Prasun Banerjee. The singer will be accompanied by Subhash Kanti Das (tabla) and Damodar Lal Ghosh (harmonium).
6.30pm. Auditorium, India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate (24619431).
Zinc and October
19 August
Formerly known as The Apostles, Zinc is a local band and has been together for three years. The band comprises Soumya Jha (vocals), Gautam Menon (drums), Akshay Kaushik (lead guitar), Nitin Saxena (rhythm guitar) and Nawal Alvin Minj (bass). Their influences range from jazz to progressive rock and art rock. The other band for the evening, October, is also a local act and it is influenced by the likes of Alice In Chains, The Doors, Pearl Jam, Jimi Hendrix, Pantera, Porcupine Tree, The Mars Volta, and Dave Matthews Band.
9pm. Hard Rock Café, M-110 Multiplex Building, First floor, DLF Place, District Centre, Saket (47158888). Cover charges, Rs250 .
Art
The WhyNot Place
Till 31 August
This exhibition is the culmination of The WhyNot Place residency programme that was held in July and included a select group of emerging and mid-career artists from different media and sensibilities.
10am-7pm. Arts.i gallery, 7, Atmaram Mansion, Level One, Scindia House, Kasturba Gandhi Marg (43727000).
Devotion-Transformation
Till 30 September
This is a group exhibition of works by artists such as Asit Kumar Patnaik, Chandra Bhattacharjee, Dharmendra Rathod, Dimpy Menon, Gagan Vij, Jayasri Burman and Sanatan Dinda. The show attempts to explore the theme of “devotion" in a contemporary context—one that surpasses the boundaries of godly devotion. This exhibition celebrates gallery Art Positive’s fifth anniversary.
10am-6pm, Sundays closed. Art Positive, F-213/B, Old MB Road, Lado Sarai (9818268788).
The Pao Collective
Till 22 August
This exhibition brings together the work of artists and illustrators from India’s first collective of comic book artists, the Pao Collective. On the edge of art and literature, this compilation of large-scale “pages" of illustrations challenges the perception of comic books as being juvenile and fantastical narrative. It looks at the novel in the true sense, as an extended sequence conveying a narrative, and examines the underlying structure and mechanics of developing a graphic novel, exposing it as a unique art form. The Pao Collective comprises Amitabh Kumar, Orijit Sen, Parismita Singh, Sarnath Banerjee and Vishwajyoti Ghosh.
11am-midnight. Mocha ArtHouse, DLF Place, Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant Kunj (9873687062)
Photography
Resiliencia (Resilience)
16 August-6 October
This exhibition of photographs features the work of 10 young artists who participated in the 2009 edition of PHE Discoveries in Latin America. From a total of 342 photographers resident in the region, a jury named by PHotoEspaña made a selection of 40 projects to participate in the review of portfolios that took place at the Spanish Cultural Centres in Mexico City and Lima. This edition represents a heterodox look at contemporary photographic approaches, in which all kinds of styles and subjects have found a place.
11.30am-7.30pm, Mondays closed. Instituto Cervantes de Neuva Delhi, 48, Hanuman Road (48681900).
Theatre
One Night Only
14 August
Directed by Nikhil Mehta, Crazy Spotlight Productions presents a comedy inspired by Ken Ludwig’s play Lend Me a Tenor. The stage is set—literally—for a renowned theatre actor called Rajinder Singh to perform his acclaimed Raavan ki Aatmakatha. However, with 3 minutes to curtain, it’s discovered that the leading man is missing.
2.30pm and 7pm. ML Bhartia Auditorium, Alliance Française de Delhi, 72, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate (43500200). Tickets, Rs200-300. Call 9810268527 for details.
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Mumbai
Art
NUL to Now
17-22 August
Four years ago, Priyanka Choudhary began experimenting with twigs, branches and thorns when she became dissatisfied with paints on her canvases. Choudhary’s fascination with what she describes as “raw organic materials" is palpable in her debut solo. The artist pierces her canvases with twigs, applies white plaster on the surface and uses red clay on the reverse to create works that she says lie “somewhere between painting and sculpture". The sharp branches, the gashes that look like wounds and the red of the clay seeping through underscore the theme of pain in Choudhary’s art.
11am-7pm. Warehouse on 3rd Pasta, 6/7, 3rd Pasta Lane, Colaba (22023056).
Around town
Censorship Debate
14 August
Kaizaad Kotwal, who teaches theatre, film and media studies at the Ohio State University, US, will moderate a discussion at the National Centre for the Performing Arts titled “The Censorship Calamity: India Shining and the Future of Free Expression". Kotwal and the other panellists, including film-maker Govind Nihalani and sociologist Nandini Sardesai (who is a member of the Central Board of Film Certification), hope the discussion will raise awareness about how censorship, both official and increasingly by mobs, threatens freedom of expression.
10.30am-1.30pm. Godrej Dance Academy Theatre, NCPA, Sir Dorabji Tata Road, Nariman Point (66223737).
Art
Rivers of Blood
18 August-10 September
When Paula Sengupta was growing up in Kolkata, she often thought about Bangladesh. The 43-year-old writer, academic and printmaker had been raised with her parents’ memories of life across the border before Partition. The stories haunted her so intensely that in 2008 Sengupta decided to take a month-long trip to India’s eastern neighbour, along with her mother, to trace their roots. In Rivers of Blood, Sengupta presents a series of autobiographical installations and artworks that use memory and history to present a view of the lives of refugees.
11am-7pm, Sundays closed. Chemould Prescott Road, Queens Mansion, Third floor, Ghanshyam Talwatkar Marg, Fort (22000212).
Theatre
Ismat Apa ke Naam II
15 August
In Ismat Apa ke Naam II, Naseeruddin Shah sticks to the director’s chair, while Manoj Pahwa, his wife Seema, and Lovleen Misra are the narrators. The stories have all the elements that made their predecessor so popular. They walk the fine line between comedy and tragedy. 1 hour 40 minutes.
6pm, 9pm. Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Vile Parle-West (26149546). Tickets, Rs250, available at the box office from 1-9pm.
Music
Reaktiv Sound
14 August
Mumbai boy Russel Mendonca has had four new releases on Juno.com (an online electronica music store) and he’s been playing at a handful of clubs in Singapore. On Saurday, Mendonca takes over the stage at Zenzi to show us what he’s made of. Warm-up set by Bombay Elektrik’s DJ Pramz and One Sunday’s Reiji Ravindran.
10.30pm. Zenzi Mills, New Mahalaxmi Silk Mills, Mathuradas Mills Compound, opposite Kamala Mills, Tulsi Pipe Road, Lower Parel (43455455).
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Bangalore
Theatre
Swayamvar 2010
18-19 August
Five people in thrall to fast and impatient lifestyles struggle to find meaning in their relationships. Chitra despises her husband Shekhar. An office colleague begins to catch her eye and she imagines he is the one she was actually looking for when she stumbled on Shekhar. Meanwhile, Shekhar’s closest friend Sandeep is contemplating marriage to Sonam, a singer, but as they watch Shekhar and Chitra’s marriage crumble, the two can’t decide if they are making the right decision. 1 hour 40 minutes.
7.30 pm. Ranga Shankara. Tickets, Rs100.
Dance
The Fifth India International Salsa Congress
Till 15 August
The annual event features artists such as Liz Lira, Marcy Zamora and Ricardo Tellez from the US, Joseph Enin from Hong Kong, and Richard Tholoor and Minoti Ramachandran from Bangalore. The event has performances, workshops, a salsa boot camp for beginners and the qualifiers and finals of the All India Salsa Amateur Championship.
To confirm timings of performances and workshops, contact the Lourd Vijay Dance Studio on 9845239123.
The Lalit Ashok, Kumara Krupa, High Grounds (30527777). For details, log on to www.indiainternationalsalsacongress.com
Around town
The Dream Home Project
Till 14 August
Mumbai-based artist Baptist Coelho is presenting the Bangalore leg of this project, which involves
locals describing their vision of an ideal home through handwritten notes. Coelho’s aim was to identify recurrent themes that emerge in the concept of a “perfect dwelling space". One such theme reflects on aspects related to increased urbanization, and its effect on everyday life.
10.30am-7.30pm. 1Shanthi Road, Shanthi Nagar (9880227706).
Antiquarian Books, Maps and Photographs
Till 16 August
Hosted by the auction house Bid and Hammer, this exhibition will present a collection of photographs, maps and books, before they are auctioned on 17 August.
10am-6.30pm. Bid and Hammer Auctioneers, 226, 39-C Cross, 8th Main, 5th Block, Jayanagar. For details, call 32029681 or log on to www.bidandhammer.com
Theatre
Khatijabai of Karmali Terrace
14-15 August
Director Quasar Thakore Padamsee saw in Singaporean playwright Stella Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill (1983) the story of his Khoja paternal grandmother. Kon’s Emily is a Singaporean Nonya—Chinese by ancestry, but having adopted many elements of Malay culture. The cultural life of Khojas today is a comfortable mix of Islam and Hinduism. This parallel history of cultural fusion helps Padamsee make the leap across the Indian Ocean and recontextualize the play in the Mumbai of the 1950s.
7.30pm (also 3.30pm on Sunday). Ranga Shankara, 36/2, 8th Cross, 2nd Phase, JP Nagar (26592777). Tickets, Rs150.
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Kolkata
Theatre
53rd anniversary of Sundaram
14, 15, 18 August
Sundaram, a renowned theatre group of Kolkata, is celebrating its 53rd anniversary with its own productions, written and directed by Manoj Mitra. On 14 August, the group will perform ‘Ja Nei Bharatey’ (3pm) and ‘Galpo Hekimsaheb’ (6.30pm). On 15 August, they will present ‘Sajano Bagaan’ (3pm) and ‘Ja Nei Bharatey’ (6.30pm).
On 18 August, there is a debate on ‘Samasamoyik Prasanga Chhara Bhalo Natak Sambhav Noy’ (Meaningful Theatre is Impossible without Contemporary References).
Academy of Fine Arts, 2, Cathedral Road and Bangla Academy, 1/1, AJC Bose Road. Tickets, Rs30, Rs40, Rs50 and Rs60 per show. For details, call 9831167822.
Art
Solo exhibition of wash-style painting
Till 15 August
An exhibition of wash paintings by city-based artist Tanushree Ghosh, a gold medallist from the Government College of Art and Craft, Kolkata. The dying form of wash painting has seen illustrious artists such as Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose and Jamini Roy. Ghosh’s works typically
depict mythological and religious scenes with vibrant colours and graceful figures.
Promenade Lounge, Taj Bengal, 34B, Belvedere Road (22233939).
Shrapnel
Till 25 August
As an artist, Veer Munshi felt compelled to document the political unrest and violence in Kashmir, his native place. If Kalhan’s Rajatarangini noted the history of kings and nobles of ancient Kashmir, Munshi’s Shrapnel deals with the visual history of people, particularly Hindu Pandits and their ordeal in contemporary Kashmir.
3-8pm (closed on Mondays and public holidays). Gallery Birla Academy of Art and Culture, Third floor, 108-109, Southern Avenue (24666802/2843).
Verve: An array of colours
Till 10 September
The Genesis Art Gallery presents an exhibition of 30 paintings by artists such as Anita Tanwar, Dhananjay Mukherjee, K. Salve and Sukanta Das. Das uses mixed media and Tanwar, oil on canvas, while Mukherjee and Salve use acrylic on canvas.
2-7pm. Genesis Art Gallery, 8B, Middleton Street (22293886).
Film
Farewell to 16mm
16-20 August
This series is a tribute to the 16mm, which was used by eminent film-makers. The films that will be screened include Die Blechtrommel (Tin Drum) by Volker Schlondorff, Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre, the wrath of God) and Jeder fur sich und Gott gegen alle (Every Man for himself and God against All) by Werner Herzog, Die Brucke (The Bridge) by Bernhard Wicki and Himmel ohne Sterne (Sky without Stars) by Helmut Käutner.
6.30pm onwards. Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, 8, Ballygunge Circular Road (24866398).
Music
An Evening of Classical Music
19 August
The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture presents a classical music concert featuring harmonium solo by Suvendu Banerjee, with Subhankar Banerjee on tabla. Vocalists Prakash and Deepak Mishra of the Banaras gharana will perform Raga Marwah, accompanied by Amit Chatterjee on tabla and Hiranmoy Mitra on harmonium. Children below 8 are not allowed.
6pm. The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Gol Park (24641303).
By Indranil Bhoumik
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Chennai
Art
Present in the Past
Till 22 August
In lieu of Madras Week, the Forum Art Gallery, in association with Taj Mount Road, is presenting an exhibition of paintings curated by artist Shalini Biswajit. The participants include K. Muralidharan, G. Gurunathan, R. Sundararaju, A.V. Ilango, C. Douglas, R.M. Palaniappan, Biswajit Balasubramanian, B.O. Shailesh, Monika Ghurde and Karthik Ilango—all of whom have “Madras" as the central theme in their paintings.
9am-7.30pm. Taj Mount Road, Club House Road (66313131).
Art
Celeb Sketches
Till 18 August
An exhibition of paintings by Rekha, a city-based artist who is showcasing her work for the first time. She has worked mainly on pencil portraits of celebrities and mythological characters.
10am-6pm, Tuesday closed. Seminar Hall, DakshinaChitra, Muttukadu, East Coast Road (24918943/24462435).
Transitory Imagery, Ephemeral Spirit
Till 20 August
Artist Sanjay Kumar’s latest works are based on themes such as love, separation,
union and suffering. His works involve complex hybrid imagery. The colours are dark and mysterious, yet intense and vibrant.
11am-7pm. Vinnyasa Premier Art Galery, 21/11, 1st Main Road, CIT Colony, Mylapore (24982515).
Around town
Flavours of India
Till 15 August
Paprika Café presents a dinner buffet to celebrate Independence Day. Enjoy a mix of delicacies from all over the country at this food carnival.
7-10.30pm. Courtyard by Marriott, 564, Teynampet, Anna Salai (66764000). Prices, Rs999 (plus tax) per head.
Six Sigma Green Belt
14-15, 21-22 and 28-29 August
Train in Six Sigma, a business management strategy used to improve the quality of process outputs by identifying and removing the causes of defect. These weekend workshops will train you to be a Green Belt.
9.30am-5pm. MSME Development Institute, 65/1, GST Road, Guindy (9443347805). Fees, Rs20,000 per head, inclusive of course material.
Tiranga
14 August
Give your children a real feel of Independence Day at this special festival. From video clips, stories and dance to games and craft activities, your three- to nine-year-olds will get a dose of all things quintessentially “India".
5pm. Vanilla Children Place, 89, Bishop Garden, Greenways Road, RA Puram (42104104). Fees, Rs320 per child.
Kebab and Curry Food Festival
Till 15 August
Indulge in a variety of kebabs from across the country at Spice Jar. The spread also includes a vegetarian or non-vegetarian soup, a salad bar and a host of main course dishes and desserts.
12.30-3.30pm (lunch) and 7.30-11pm (dinner). Hotel Residency, 49, GN Chetty Road, T Nagar (28253434). Prices, around Rs1,000 for two.
Film
Indian Contemporary Art
14 August
This documentary film on artist Amrita Sher-Gil also delves into the contemporary art scene in India, raising questions about the art industry and current artworks.
6.30pm. Artsphere Contemporary, 7, 3rd Street, Wallace Garden, Khader Nawaz Khan Road (28332226).
By Karuna Amarnath
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