Weekly Planner: Four events that offer much food for thought

The finest plays on stage

The 20th edition of the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards and Festival is showing top ten selected productions from across India. While the event opened with Chandaa Bedni, a provocative play in Hindi and Bundelkhandi dialect about the dynamics of power and purity, the productions to be staged in the coming days focus on equally pertinent topics such as oppression and authoritarianism, protest and rebellion, identity and gender. Some of the upcoming plays include Dashanana Swapnasiddhi, Be Loved, Mattiah 22.39 and Portal Waiting. Besides presenting awards in 14 categories, this year META is conferring the Lifetime Achievement Award to academic, writer-translator and theatre critic Shanta Gokhale. Upcoming plays can be viewed at venues such as Shri Ram Centre and Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi.

Focus on geometry and minimalism

Sakshi Gallery is presenting a recent body of work by Delhi-based artist Chetnaa in the show, sabr. Curated by Srinivas Aditya Mopidevi, the exhibition focuses on the artist’s experiments with form, scale and materiality. According to the exhibition note, Chetnaa started emphasising structure and form in her work during a crucial phase of personal turmoil. “The geometrical grid, for instance, offered her a sense of clarity and a renewed relationship with time,” it states. The exhibition features large-scale drawings, sculptures, textile works, and the artist's signature grids. On view at Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, till 5 April, 11 am to 6 pm (closed on Sunday and Monday).

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A deeply personal showcase

Method Kala Ghoda is presenting an exhibition, ‘You’re Growing on Me’, by Shivangi Kalra. The show features oil paintings that look at the interwoven web of memory, architecture and social dynamics. The artist reconstructs the interior worlds of Delhi of a bygone era when people residing within grand homes would mask their silent struggles behind lavish gatherings. She questions the hierarchies and unspoken tensions underlying these domestic spaces. On view at Method Kala Ghoda, Mumbai, till 30 March (closed on Monday and Tuesday).

A meaningful exhibition

The Dhurthi Collective, a movement dedicated to sustainable consumption, is presenting an impactful exhibition in Bengaluru. It is bringing together changemakers, innovators and conscious consumers for a unique showcase of brands, which are aligned with 17 Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations. The event will take place on 16 March at the Bangalore International Centre, Domlur, 11 am to 7 pm.

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