Morning ragas, Romeo & Juliet and cartoon exhibition to make your weekend

Some recommendations to enliven your weekend

DELHI

Music

Morning ragas: The India Habitat Centre is organising a morning recital this Sunday at the open air Amphitheatre, with sitar maestro Ustad Nishat Khan and tabla maestro Ram Kumar Mishra performing various swaras and Indian ragas. 

Where: Amphitheatre, IHC, Lodhi Road
When: February 15, 10.30 am

A confluence of spirit and culture: World Sacred Spirit Festival (WSSF) organised by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust in Nagaur and Jodhpur is presenting an impressive line-up of musical talent from across the world in a royal setting of Ahichhatragarh, Nagaur and Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur. WSSF will feature the Indian fusion group Midival Punditz, the Iranian, Nour Ensemble, and other notable performances from the Druk Yul Trio from The Kingdom of Bhutan, Li Daiguo, Pipa, Cello and Beatbox from China, a collaboration of Mukhtiyar Ali from India and Mathias Duplessy of France, among various other exciting acts.
Where: Various venues at Jodhpur
When: February 9 to 16
Info: www.WorldSacredSpiritFestival.org.

Art

The amorphousness of space: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) is presenting ‘Working Space: Around Memory and Perception’, an exhibition showcasing works of fifteen artists such as Anish Kapoor, Dilip Chobisa, Jeram Patel, Manisha Parekh, Madan Mahatta, Nalini Malani, from different generations of South Asia, exploring artistic practices that have engaged with architectural elements, built environments or physical space in general. The exhibition, curated by Roobina Karode, is about artists giving the amorphousness of space physical dimensions through shape, colour, form and structure to accentuate its experience and meaning.
When: Till February 28
Where: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA): 145, South Court Mall, Saket, New Delhi

Theatre

A weekend of theatre: Tadpole Repertory in association with the Old World Culture brings you a collection of short stories which includes short sketches such as comic, dramatic, musical and nonsensical aspects of life. These short tales focus on the day-to-day encounters that an individual faces such as their daily metro vows, experiences at local shops and public parks, happening places of the city and more. Here’s a chance to witness your daily routine with a hint of comedy.
Where: India Habitat centre, Lodhi Road
When: February 15, 7 pm onwards
Info: Entry by donor passes, priced at Rs 100 to Rs 350

MUMBAI

Film

Old love, new bottle: A cineplay or filmed version of Broadway’s Romeo and Juliet will be screened at PVR cinemas. The production stars Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad. Said to be staged on Broadway for the first time in 36 years, director David Leveaux locates his star-crossed lovers in a contemporary setting. The production aims to appeal “both to the regular theatre-goer and those coming to witness Shakespeare for the very first time.”
Where: Various PVR locations. Visit www.pvrcinemas.com for details.
When: February 14, 4 pm

The tales of Hoffman: As part of its Metropolitan Opera, New York screenings, NCPA will show a filmed version of Les Contes d’Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach. The three-hour long the operatic masterpiece will feature the magnetic tenor Vittorio Grigolo assuming the title character of Hoffman, the tortured poet and unwitting adventurer. Soprano Hibla Gerzmava will face the challenge of singing all three heroines – each of whom is an idealised embodiment of some aspect of Hoffmann’s desire. While Yves Abel conducts, Thomas Hampson will play the shadowy Four Villains. The work, which is said to reflect Offenbach’s desire to move from operettas to grand opera, involves elements of fantasy, emotion and the supernatural mixed with satire and the grotesque.
Where: NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
When: February 18-19, 6 pm

France’s Gone with the Wind: Marcel Carné's Les Enfants du Paradis (1945) first released in the days following France’s World War II victory. Sometimes called the French Gone with the Wind, it is considered a lesser-known work of art cinema from that period. It tells the story of Parisian courtesan Garance and four men who are in love with her, including an aristocrat, a thief, an actor and a mime. The film will be screened by Alliance Francaise in partnership with Prithvi Theatre and Institut Francais.
Where: Prithvi Theatre, Juhu
When: February 18, 7 pm

Theatre

Symphony and requiem: The Verdi: Requiem – a large-scale liturgical work – will be performed in India for the first time, led by Yuri Simonov and featuring an internationally-renowned quartet of soloists as well as over 100 members of the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus. This is as part of ongoing season of the Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) which includes performers such as heldentenor artist Simon O' Neill and conductors Simonov and Piotr Borkowski.
Where: NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
When: February 17, 7 pm

Art

Society and sexuality: Curated by Abhay Maskara, Celebrations is an exhibition of the works of T Venkanna. Through seven large-format paintings and 14 watercolours, the artist attempts to question the conventional ways in which sexuality is viewed. For this purpose, he borrows motifs from past artists like Hockney, Rousseau, Mondrian and specific forms of traditional art. “The political and social contexts underlying these works were quite different when they were made. I represent these imageries according to my idea, in the process critically evaluating the norms and terms that exist within contemporary society,” he notes.
Where: Gallery Maskara, Colaba, Mumbai
When: Until March 7

Music

Under the coconut trees: The first edition of Nariyal Pani, a day-long music festival, will unfold along the shores of Alibaug. The genres to be featured include jazz, soul, funk and hip hop and the artists slated to perform include Jass B’stards and Kefaya Madfingers ft Rodney Branigan. Archery, star-gazing and bangle-making are among the other activities planned.
Where: Mora Pada, Rewas Road, Alibaug
When: Feb 21, 12 noon onwards

BENGALURU

Art

Art in exile: Galleryske presents “Prolonged Hours of Disguised Situations”, a solo exhibition of mixed media drawings and paintings by Zakkir Hussain. An artist who generally makes art out of different mediums such as shopping bags and brown paper, Hussain’s latest exhibition draws on the contemporary experience of exile, the body as a site of power and control, and the growing disconnect between humanity and nature. The painful experience of migration and displacement, of not feeling at home within one’s body, social space or city, figures prominently in his works.
Where: Galleryske, Berlie Street, Bengaluru
When: Till February 25

Sketches of history: Indian Cartoon Gallery is displaying the finest works of Satish Acharya, one of India’s foremost cartoonists. Acharya, a self taught cartoonist from Karnataka, has worked for several leading newspapers and magazines. His cartoon on the Charlie Hebdo attack was considered to be one of the most powerful representations of the event and published widely across the globe.
Where: Indian Cartoon Gallery, MG Road, Bengaluru
When: Till February 14

Theatre

A Valentine’s Day tradition: Alliance Francaise is showcasing Eve Ensler’s play, “The Vagina Monologues”. The play is one of the cornerstones of feminist theatre. Originally written in 1996, the play continues to be relevant even today because of its unique approach to feminine individuality. “The Vagina Monologues” is made up of a varying number of monologues read by a varying number of women (initially, Ensler performed every monologue herself, with subsequent performances featuring three actresses, and more recent versions featuring a different actress for every role). Each of the monologues deals with an aspect of the feminine experience, touching on matters such as sex, love, rape and menstruation.
Where: Alliance Francaise, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru
When: February 14 and 15, 7:30 pm

Dance

Dance of blackness: As a part of Attakalari India Biennial -- south Asia’s biggest dance festival -- Ranga Shankara will play host to “Black Out”, a performance choreographed by Swiss choreographer Philippe Saire. “Black Out” is an elegy to our darker side and an appeal for self-contemplation. With materiality at the centre of the performance, dancers leave traces of their movement on a floor strewn with black granules. The proximity of an audience to this shape-shifting piece does not allow a moment of change, however small, to go unnoticed, making one ask: is this intimacy or is this voyeurism?
Where: Ranga Shankara, JP Nagar, Bengaluru
When: February 14, 6 pm