This weekend, meet editor of Marvel comics, head out for a night Symphony Orchestra

Some reccommendations to enliven your weekend

DELHI

Art

Art in every corner: Mumbai's Art Space Gallery presents Cityscapes, an exhibition of artist Tina Chandroji's realist paintings. The show includes 19 oil-on-canvas paintings. Her works capture everyday icons such as garlands made of marigold, rose and jasmine, baskets full of petals and bouquets holding delicate stems arranged inside a flower shop, that also reflect the religiosity of the Indian population. Her portrayal of Indian-ness also surfaces in the form of a bakery, music shop, vegetables and fruits shop, wine shop and even an office space.
Where: Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi
When: September 12 to 19, 2014, 10 am to 8 pm

Divine intervention: With Diwali around the corner, Charuvi Design Labs showcases an installation of 26,500 bells strung together in the shape of the Hindu deity Hanuman. The installation is inspired by the deity's magnificence through his many avatars and carry a message of harmony with oneself and the world. The installation is put together in a way that the all bells start ringing when one touches the feet of the figure. These ringing bells are considered auspicious and are believed to ward off evil in Hindu mythology. An animated film on Hanuman, in 3D, will play alongside the display.
Where: Central foyer, Select Citywalk, Saket, New Delhi
When: September 13 to October 5

Festival

A melange of art forms: Friends of Art is out with its second edition of the Contemporary Arts Week, a 10-day dance, music and theatre festival. The aim of the festival is to present a platform for young Indian contemporary artists and to make art accessible for people. Taking forward the work of Friends of Art, it seeks to spread awareness for contemporary arts in India and to encourage cross disciplinary collaborations in the arts. The festival will open with music and dance performances from The Danceworx, Parikrama, Adi and Suhail and more. Through the 10 days, it will feature events like poetry readings, puppetry shows, stand-up comedy and short-film screenings.
Where: Across venues, New Delhi
When: September 12 to 21
Info: For complete schedule and ticket prices, visit www.foa.co.in

Theatre

A revolution begins at home: Asmita Theatre presents Chukaayenge? Nahi!, a Hindi adaptation of Dario Fo's Can't Pay? Won't Pay!, a satire about a consumer uprising against rising prices. It centres on a spontaneous demonstration by housewives against rising prices at the local supermarket. This adaptation of Fo's popular Italian play is directed by Arvind Gaur and written in Hindi by Amitabh Srivastava.
Where: Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, Mandi House, New Delhi
When: September 13, 2014, 7 pm onwards
Info: Tickets available at the venue before the show

Music

A musical night under the stars: Friends of Music, Delhi's very own music club, and Teamwork Arts presents another evening of exciting live music at the Lodi. Spearheading this event will be the urban folk collective Avi and the Uprising, the progressive blues and rock'n'roll outfit The Grand Old Dog and the Aditi Veena Trio.
Where: Lodi the Garden Restaurant, Lodhi Road, New Delhi
When: September 19, 7.30 pm onwards
Info: Tickets for Rs 350 available at www.bookmyshow.com

MUMBAI

Art

Labour pains: Work in Progress is an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Tulika Ladsariya. For several years, the Chicago-based artist has been exploring aspects of the lives of construction workers and other labourers on the street. Her paintings are a commentary on the irony that the people who make the buildings, never get to use them. They depict slum-dwelling construction workers perched on bamboo-encased skyscrapers, men carting heavy burdens on flimsy carts, illiterate booksellers and homeless brick workers. Her sculptures include real construction materials like bricks, lumber and plaster from her surroundings.
Where: Jamaat Art Gallery, Colaba, Mumbai
When: Till October 8

The constant din: Noise Life, the first solo showing of Desire Machine Collective (DMC) in India, includes video, sound and images. Based in Guwahati, DMC comprises Mriganka Madhukallya and Sonal Jain. While making the works, the artists used schizoanalysis, which privileges empirical sensation and intensity over meaning. Noise Life is a tautology referring to the idea that life is noise. “The work is a sensory auto-ethnography marked by ghastly alertness of the senses to a violent world outside, memories marred by insecurities, confusions and anxieties,” says an introduction to the exhibition.
Where: Project 88, Colaba, Mumbai
When: Till October 18

Music

Celebrating classical: As part of a Western classical music season, NCPA is hosting the 17th season of the Symphony Orchestra of India as well as a number of chamber music programmes. Featuring in the programme is a complete cycle of Beethoven's violin sonatas by Russian violinist Alina Ibragimova and French pianist Cédric Tiberghien, which they had performed to great acclaim at Wigmore Hall, London, in the 2009-10 season. In a talk, Zane Dalal, resident conductor of Symphony Orchestra of India, will examine the motifs, accomplishments, and historical legacy of Beethoven’s masterwork Erotica, which he will conduct with the orchestra on September 19. The talk is free and open to all. Check www.ncpamumbai.com for more details.
Where: NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
When: September 12 and 16
Tickets: Rs 500 to Rs 750

Theatre

Royal secrets: The Buckingham Secret, written and directed by Meherzad Patel, is an English play by Silly Point Productions. The comedy plays on the premise that the Buckingham Palace, home to the British Royal Family, has kept a secret for over a century. Only the family butler is privy to this and it is his job to keep this information from leaking out. While portraying a regal image for the public, all members including the Queen, Phillip, Charles, Diana, Camilla and the children have another identity which is at risk of being revealed to the whole world. The cast includes Sabira Merchant, Danesh Irani, Nauheed Cyrusi, Azmin Mistry, Sajeel Parakh & others.
Where: Tata Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
When: September 13 & 14, 7 pm
Tickets: Rs 360 to Rs 2,000

Play of memory: A production of The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams' evocation of loneliness and lost love, will be performed in the city. The play tells the story of Amanda, who after she is abandoned by her husband, delves into memories of her earlier life when she was wooed by 'gentleman callers'. Her son, Tom, a poet with a job in the docks, wishes for adventure and escape from home, while Laura, her shy crippled daughter, has her glass menagerie and her memories. In this 'memory play', Williams explores the clashes between desire and obdurate reality as well as loss and hope. Directed by Rajit Kapur, the play stars Shernaz Patel, Jim Sarbh, Amrita Puri, Arunoday Singh, Ursula Pereira.
Where: Prithvi Theatre, Juhu, Mumbai
When: September 12, 5.30 pm & 9 pm
Tickets: Rs 400

Film

Raiders and traders: A film on the first major exhibition on Vikings at the British Museum for over 30 years, will be screened in the city. Introduced by director Neil MacGregor and presented by the broadcasting historians Michael Wood and Bettany Hughes, the exhibition was brought to life by curator Gareth Williams and experts on Viking ships and swords, burial and beliefs, language and legacy. The exhibition featured new archaeological discoveries and artefacts from the British Museum’s own collection. The findings place warfare and warrior identity at the centre of what it meant to be a Viking; cultural contact was often violent, and the transportation of looted goods and slaves reflects the role of Vikings as both raiders and traders.
Where: Godrej Dance Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, Mumbai
When: September 14, 15 and 22
Tickets: Rs 500

Love and Jealousy: My Tender and Affectionate Beast, directed by Emil Loteanu, is adapted from Anton Chekhov’s only full-length novel, The Shooting Party. The classic murder mystery deals with secret love and jealousy. A young woman dies during a shooting party at the country estate of a debauched count. Virtually everyone is a suspect, because the victim was at the centre of messy relationships with her elderly husband, the lecherous count and even the magistrate who is called in to investigate.
Where: Russian Centre for Science and Culture, Pedder Road, Mumbai
When: September 12, 6 pm

BANGALORE

Festival

Archie meets Tinkle meets Amar Chitra Katha: Get the first peek of Tinkle Wobble-Heads, listen to a Marvel Comics editor and meet one of the artists and writers who bring Riverdale to life. All this and more at this year’s edition of Bangalore Comic Con, so put on your capes and masks and head out.
Where: White Orchid, Manyata Tech Park, Hebbal
When: September 12 to 14
Info: Tickets available at www.bookmyshow.com, schedule available at www.comicconbangalore.com

Dance and Music

Rhythm is a dancer: Hofesh Shechter Company, considered one of the best contemporary dance companies in the UK, will be coming to Bangalore for the India premier of its production, Political Mother. Formerly a drummer in a rock band, Schechter’s productions are as much about the high-energy, live musical scores as the intensity of his choreography.
Where: Chowdiah Memorial Hall, 2nd Main Road, Malleshwaram, Bangalore
When: September 17, 7.30 pm
Info: Tickets available on www.bookmyshow.com

Calling all metal heads: For all the metal heads out there, this might well be the event of the year. The 2014 edition of Bangalore Open Air, India’ only dedicated heavy metal festival, will feature German thrash band Destruction, Greek metal band Non Servium and many more.
Where: Counter Culture, Whitefield, Bangalore
When: September 13, 4 pm onwards