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November 2015The IIC Experience: A Festival of the Arts

During the 13th and 14th centuries, Delhi became an important centre of Sufism on the world stage. After the Mongol invasions of Central Asia, a large number of Sufis, poets and scholars settled in and around Delhi. Since then, the term ‘Baees Khwaja ki Chaukhat’, threshold of Twenty Sufi Masters, has been attributed to Delhi, signifying its spiritual heritage.

The present form of Qawwali, is attributed to Hazrat Amir Khusrau, the beloved poet-disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya. He innovated new melodies, fusing Indian, Turkish and Persian music traditions, in order to create novelty in the sama, musical assemblies, of his spiritual mentor. The Chishti Sufis remained committed to using music as a means of inducing states of spiritual ecstasy.

On the inaugural evening of the IIC experience, Qawwalis by Ustad Chand Afzal celebrated Delhi’s rich Sufi legacy. The evening set outdoors amidst the cool evening breeze drew a packed house. The troupe began by a soulful rendition, Baees Khwajaon ki mehfil saji hai, Dilli dulhan bani hai…

which incorporated the names of the Sufis who are usually included in the popular list of twenty-two Khwajas identified with Delhi. I enjoyed this Qawwali the most, as there was an element of innovation while including the names, something I had not heard earlier. This rendition in classical style added to the magic of the evening.

The second Qawwali was Hazrat Amir Khusrau’s Chaap tilak sab cheen li mose naina mila ke….. Probably the most popular of Qawwali numbers, it always gets an appreciative applause from the audience. The third Qawwali Yeh jo halka halka suroor hai, has been immortalised by the late Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and is genuinely difficult for any Qawwali group to match. The fourth Qawwali Dam a Dam Mast Qalandar, is another all-time favourite. The fifth and the last Qawwali, Rang, is always the last rendition in any Sufiana mehfil, for it includes the names of some Sufis, particularly that of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, to invoke their blessings.

Ustad Chand Afzal belongs to the Dilli Gharana, and has trained under its current head, Ustad Iqbal Khan. It was the first time I heard Ustad Chand Afzal, and do look forward to hearing him again. I also hope IIC offers us more such mystical evenings.

SADIA DEHLVI

Qawwali

Qawwali

Mystical EveningsQAWWALI: Baees Khwaja ki Chaukhat: Celebrating the Sufi Heritage of Delhi Ustad Chand Afzal and his group 30 October.

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text on a black background. Also highly entertaining was his detailing of the list of food cooked for royal banquets (the recipe books were part of the exhibition as well). Amongst the manuscripts are delightful discoveries such as the very rare Katharayi, which initially aroused Chakravarthy’s interest in the collection, in which the same sloka narrates an incident from the Ramayana, Mahabharata as well as the Bhagavatha;

and the Shabdartha Chintamani, in which reading the stanza from left to right, we read the Ramayana and from right to left, we read the story of Krishna!The Library contains more than 69,000 printed books; 49,000 manuscripts (25,000 in palm leaves) and the rest in paper; 1200 Modi documents (relating to legal and administrative documents). These have been classified according to language – Tamil, Sanskrit, European languages and Telugu.The photographs in the exhibition (shot by Satyajit and Vikram Sathyanathan) were a selection of these rare documents. There were Nayak paintings from the 16th century – a vivid and brightly coloured Hanuman with gold appliqué, paintings in the Mysore style

as well as rare manuscripts from the Nayak period depicting costumes, designs and jewellery. There were Thanjavur style paintings done on glass as well as illustrations of Serfoji II’s visit to Varanasi in 1820. What stood out in all these images is the brightness of colours, still vibrant after all these years. The exhibition also showcases the Chitra Ramayana Bala Kanda, three painted sheets of three kandas from the Ramayana, which are amongst the finest miniature paintings in the Library.The exhibition and lecture were but a glimpse into the rich collection and heritage at the Sarasvati Mahal, one which has surely enthused many of its viewers to go and see the collection for themselves.

A recent photographic exhibition at the IIC titled ‘India’s Best Kept Secret: Sarasvati Mahal Library, Thanjavur’ curated by Pradeep Chakravarthy was an eye opening glimpse into this little known collection of rare manuscripts. It was under the rule of Serfoji II (1798-1833), who was an avid bibliophile, that the bulk of this collection of manuscripts was created and amassed. Along with the exhibition, Pradeep Chakravarthy gave an insightful illustrated lecture (‘Treasures of the Sarasvati

Mahal’), filled with anecdotes not only about how he came about the collection, but stories about each and every genre contained within the Library. Starting with the Kuruvanji – an ancient genre in Tamil Nadu that went on to become a popular form of entertainment from the 17th to 20th century – as well as a brief history of the rulers from that time, he detailed the other kinds of books in the collection, including those on Astronomy and Astrology (Shakuna Shastra); books on dance, drama and music comprising the largest collection in the Library; Rajamriganam, or books on medicine; illustrations of plants and birds and the Purush Sukta, a sacred hymn depicting the creation of the cosmos – a rare printed book with white

Unseen Treasures from the Sarasvati Mahal LibraryEXHIBITION and TALK: India’s Best Kept Secret: Sarasvati Mahal Library, TanjoreCurator: Pradeep ChakravarthyInauguration by Dr. Kapila VatsyayanCollaboration: Sarasvati Mahal Library, Thanjavur 30 October-4 NovemberTreasures of Sarasvati Mahal Library Illustrated lecture by Pradeep Chakravarthy 31 October.

NANDITA JAISHANKAR

Sarasvati Mahal Exhibition

Sarasvati Mahal Exhibition

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The Young German Photographers’ show was one of the most striking photography shows in the city overflowing with images from the Delhi Photo Festival. Despite different subjects chosen, I felt that the photographers united in an immediate intensity and honesty of approach. The group comprised five graduates of the Ostkreuz School of photography and the

youngest, Yana Wernicke drew me in to her images with a Vermeer-like lighting and mysterious portraits of women who reminded me of the Amish settlers in Pennsylvania. They looked like they were not quite in synchrony with today but had unflinchingly strong roots in myth and tradition. As it turned out, these were Sorb settlers in Germany creating a dialogue on national identity. Enmeshed with these portraits were Katarzyna Mazur’s powerful images of women from a fighting club, which had a seductive duality to them, deftly

juxtaposing physical strength and desire, questioning the notion of the feminine. Tobick Geecke’s arresting series on street kids astonished me by close-range shots where he depicts the violence and betrayal these kids experienced due to self-neglect and by directing the violence against themselves. Aras Gotkens’ images had a distance from their subject: they were clearly in urban settings but had an underlying tone connecting them not so much with the space but our deep innermost feelings. They led me organically to the dream-like works by Katharina Allenburg which attempted to represent memories and were diffused in soft focus, like a film we had seen which ran in our heads subconsciously but could not be captured as a still.

This arts festival also had a high-spirited lively show of children’s sculptures, fabricated in fibreglass by Christine Margotin who decided to depict the most carefree phase in our lives. Placing these life-size sculptures at the Gandhi King Plaza was spot on, ingeniously converting the space into an entrancing playground. We saw laughing girls with flying ponytails, skipping ropes and playing hopscotch or eating ice cream, as if enjoying an afternoon in the park with their friends, as we walked around them relaxed and comfortable.

Margotin is a French chemical engineer living in Delhi and she has been working as a sculptor on themes like childhood, waterside, Indian roads and spirituality. Her sculptures are realistic but their forte lies in their spontaneity and lack of restraint. The moulding of one such sculpture called ‘ the little street acrobat’ is unusually fluid, making the material seem softer, more like rubber than fibreglass and there is no paint or colour on it to distract the eye from its flowing contours.

There were mostly happy action-based sculptures, children splashing in puddles or blowing soap bubbles but some reminded you of the more stressful aspects of childhood. My favourite was that of a boy throwing a tantrum with his little head bent all the way back, arms stretched tight and mouth wide open in a churlish holler, reminding us that we can all, given half the chance be quite uncharitable and have a blow-out in a fit of not so childish pique!

Two Diverse ExhibitionsEXHIBITIONS: Portraits of Childhood by Christine Margotin Inauguration by Dr. Kapila VatsyayanCollaboration: SeherYoung German PhotographersCurated from the Ostkreuz School of Photography, Berlin Collaboration: Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan 31 October-4 November

SABA HASAN

Young German Photographers

Young German Photographers

Portraits of Childhood

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Here is a show, more a tribute to the printmaking community’s self-affirmation than the placing in context of one of its most eminent practitioners. To the extent that curator Dolly Narang’s wish that printmaking - Art’s stepchild - step up and demand to be loved and counted, the show succeeds. It also ensures with a video loop and a display of stages of etching; we never think of printmaking without the backbreaking work with metals and health-consuming chemicals that is traditionally involved.

From a reproduction of Anupam Sud’s 1962 linocuts through her well-known You, Apparition to her signature works that are odes to sensuous, energetic bodies in Dialogue, Draupadi’s vow, Aqua Pura, and Voyage II, Sud ’s presence is towering and individualised and unique. From the community, there are big and bigger names including the late Surinder Chadha of Group 8 of which Sud was the youngest, Rajan Fulari, Dattatreya Apte and Kavita Nayar, Vijay Bagodi, Krishan Ahuja and Ajit Seal. The show closes with the fanfare of the greats: the utter beauty of P. D. Dhumal; Sanat Kar’s nimble touch; the complex surfaces of Jagmohan Chopra, Sud’s teacher and moving force of Group 8, S o m n a t h Hore’s lyrical Mithuna and Lalu Prasad Shaw. In all, the work of over 25 printmakers was drawn

from Delhi, Baroda and Santiniketan, while Anand Moy Banerji acknowledged the absence of ace printmaker Jyoti Bhatt, and Sud’s students Shukla Sawant and Subba Rao.

With the overpowering presence of bodies, female and male, it would be simplistic to call Sud a feminist artist. She looks at the human condition in the round witnessing the dark realities of society, the power of hierarchy; frank lust, but also companionship, and master craftsman and portraitist that she is, captures it all. Sud made it a point to describe on the day of the opening , one of her celebrated Dialogue series where two women clothed as it were merely in their bodies, sit in an interior space, ‘ there was this woman who was going through a very difficult time and she used to just come and sit in my studio, silently and felt she received a lot by just doing that.’ She cheerfully offers ‘Maybe I am a freak’, making the difference between sensuousness and sexuality. Quoting a critic who

asked her if her human figures were nude or naked she said that for her these were bodies. Could one add ‘our way of being in the world’?Between the shock of her first ‘life study’ and the Slade School of Fine Art, Sud formed a lifelong commitment to the Renaissance rediscovery of the beauty of the body which instead of being relegated to preparatory work for other forms is highlighted and located in ‘an instinctive modernism’ as Gayatri Sinha calls it.

If Sud creates the dramatic Draupadi’s Vow taut body and a mass of hair, in The First Call a man stands with his palms against the glass panes of a narrow vertical window that separates us from him, indistinct carvings above his head - we wonder whether are we in a room or is he ? In the strokes over his right is a hint of wings, is he a messenger? Or a prophet? Is he calling to us or is he being called? This is the paradox and the strength of Anupam Sud.

Paradox and StrengthEXHIBITION: Print making and Anupam SudCurated by Dolly Narang and Ananda Moy BanerjiInauguration by Air Marshal Naresh Verma 31 October to 8 November

PUNAM ZUTSHI

Anupam Sud Exhibition

Anupam Sud Exhibition

Anupam Sud Exhibition

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Gurucharan’s pleasingly dulcet voice was always reminiscent of his grandmother’s flute, but his maturing as an artist is deeply satisfying. His articulate introductions and mellifluous

music conveyed Thanjavur’s musical history and a Carnatic concert’s structural complexity well. Thanjavur court musician Pacchimiriam Adiyappaiyer’s pioneering Bhairavi ata tala varnam Viriboni is a popular opener and Gurucharan rendered the complex varnam proficiently. Annai –Ayya’s Ni Kinta Parakaa in Mayamalavagaula, one of the earliest kritis composed, gave glimpses of his manodharma in the neraval line kanna tandri talli. We learnt that neravals, improvisational lines within set pieces, dated from shortly before the Thanjavur kings, and that the next piece, Syama Sastri’s Devi Brova

in Chintamani, was composed and sung triumphantly by that vaggeyakara in a musical duel with Bobbili Keshavayya. The medium tempo rendition was not as majestic as K.V. Naranaswamy’s and M.S.Subbulakshmi’s slow ones, and a few pathantara differences were evident, though Gurucharan otherwise reminds this reviewer a lot of Naranaswamy for his melodiousness, classicism, restraint and balance, with a little added shariram thrown in.

He provided fascinating glimpses of the Thanjavur kings’ musical prowess, with Shahaji Maharaja’s rare Madhyamavati

padam being next. His intervening remarks partly vindicated Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar’s concert format, now being criticised by some, and amid questioning of the relevance of sahitya in compositions, Gurucharan interestingly chose to translate the meaning of some pieces. Dikshitar’s Abhayamba in Kalyani was introduced with references to Goddess Abhayambika of Mayiladudurai, highlighting the role of sacred geography in Dikshitar’s kritis, which are descriptive rather than being plaints or supplications. Interestingly, this is one of his vibhakti kritis, pieces composed in Sanskrit’s seven declensional cases. The rendition showcased Gurucharan’s vocal stamina and flowing alapanai style. Balaji’s mridangam taniavartanam too was a good one. Vedanayagam Sastriyar’s lilting Bethlehem Kuravanji, which followed, was a lovely illustration

of Carnatic music’s religious and cultural diversity, with its Christian composer as well as King Serfoji learning Western music from the missionary Christian Frederick Schwarz. The Maratha rulers also brought the abhang to the South, which in turn led to the rise of bhajana sabhas; Tukaram’s varkari abhang Baare Panduranga in Maand was thus appropriately followed by Thyagaraja’s bhajana Pahi Kalyanarama. Drawing from Pradeep Chakravarty’s Sarasvati Mahal manuscript research, he then sang a rare tevaram in Ahiri. Santatam Pahimam, inspired by Dikshitar’s listening to British bands playing God Save the King, and the Gatanakutuhalam English Note Swaram after it were pleasant continuations of the compositional diversity. The latter saw Gurucharan execute a nice little bhriga. Thanjavur Chinnayya’s thillana brought in references to the Thanjavur Quartet’s influence on Bharatanatyam. The Vellai Pillaiyar piece after this was another rare offering, as was the unusual Surati Mangalam Vijayaraghava Swami Menmelum Vahi, segueing into Bharatiyar’s Vazhiya Sentamil and closing with his Vande Mataram. Altogether a rich experience in the IIC Experience.

A Taste of ThanjavurPERFORMANCE: From Thanjavur, with MusicCarnatic Vocal presented by Sikkil C. Gurucharan, grandson of Sikkil Kunjumani, disciple of Shri S. Gnanaskandan Accompanists: V Sanjeev on violin; and Mannarkoil J. Balaji on Mridangam November 1

MAHADEVAN RAMASWAMY

Karnataka Vocal

Karnataka Vocal

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Kathakali, in the past, was always staged within the precincts of the Kerala Temples. The performance which began at night continued until dawn the next day. A huge lamp lit the ground which was the performing stage with darkness as its backdrop. The actors with golden headgear and elaborate make up and costumes appeared like supernatural beings through the darkness, performed in the space illuminated by the lamp and disappeared once again into the darkness.

A similar ambience was provided by the IIC with a beautiful floral decoration of a Kathakali mask at the entrance to the

Fountain Lawn with an open-air stage clothed in complete black and a well-lit brass lamp that illuminated the dark night, a perfect ambience for a Kathakali presentation.

Kathakali, the unique classical dance-drama of Kerala evolved from Krishnattam and Ramanattam, and had been greatly influenced by other art forms of Kerala like the Koodiyattam, Mudiyettu (2nd cent C.E.) and Kalari Payettu (the martial art of Kerala). The present form of Kathakali emerged from Ramanattam (17th C.E.) which included plays from Ramayana composed by the Raja of Kottarakara. Following this pioneering contribution, the Raja of Kottayam wrote four plays based on episodes from the Mahabharata.

‘Duryodhana Vadham’ composed by Vyasakara Aryan Narayanan Moosad, is one of the most popular Kathakali plays enjoyed equally by the initiated as well as the lay audience. The reason for this extraordinary popularity are the several dramatic situations encompassing all types of characters, Paccha (Pandavas, Krishna), Kathi (Duryodhana), Thadi (Dussasana), Minnukku (Draupadi, Brahmin) and the emotive sentiments that went with each character and situation.

The Kathakali presentation of the episode was a glimpse into the whole story of the Mahabharata, which began with the game of dice between the Pandavas and the Karuravas, the former losing their

kingdom and becoming slaves; the humiliation of Draupadi; the exile of the Pandavas for thirteen years; Draupadi’s lament to Krishna; Krishna seeking the return of the kingdom to the Pandavas, and finally the slaying of Dussasana by Raudra Bhima .The episode which generally takes a minimum of three to four hours, shortened to the given time slot of ninety minutes, was a challenging task for Guru Balakrishnan who edited the scenes with great sensitivity. The veteran actors, in spite of the given constraints of time, enacted with great aplomb. The vocal and percussion accompaniment provided adequate support in heightening the dramatic performance of each actor. On the whole, the evening was a fulfilling experience which left all fully satisfied.

Kathakali AlivePERFORMANCE: Duryodhana VadhamPresented by Guru Sadanam Balakrishnan and artists from the International Centre for Kathakali, New Delhi Collaboration: Sangeet Natak Akademi 1 November

DEEPTI OMCHERRY BHALLA

Kathakali

Kathakali

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Written by Cervantes, Don Quixote is a Spanish novel published in 1605 which is considered one of the four greatest novels ever written. The protagonist in the novel is Don Quixote who reads fictional works about chivalry most of the time. Completely divorced from the real world, Don Quixote assumes the role of a knight-errant to fight against forces responsible for injustice in the world. Losing his rationality, he sets out in the wide world with a sword and a horse, combating those he thought to be the oppressors. Don Quixote and His Epoch: Waiting For Quixote is an effort to capture his adventures that made him the butt of ridicule. The two-member skilled cast offered the audience delightful moments, irresistibly drawing its attention to the action on the stage.

Adapted and directed by Sukesh Arora, the play opens on a bare stage with minimal properties. We watch a performer on the stage with a bare chest. He appears to be charged with a strong motive to change the world. Another performer playing the role of a simple ‘family man’ joins him. A mock ceremony is performed and the first performer is declared knight-errant who offers the simple ‘family man’ governorship of an island. They both march to change the world and punish the wicked. As Don Quixote is under a delusion, real objects appear before him as dreaded enemies of the people and he starts fighting with them. Once when Sancho Panza, his companion, offers him meat to eat and after eating the meat, he is told by Sancho that the meat he ate was that of a horse, he becomes furious and says that horses

are his family members. Once, he helps to liberate convicts from custody and in return gets mercilessly beaten by them. Invariably, in every encounter he is beaten, humiliated and insulted. Sancho also meets the same fate.

Indeed, to adapt Don Quixote to the theatre for the modern audience is a most creative challenge. Over four centuries, the novel continues to fascinate readers. During the fight of the revolutionary bourgeoisie against feudalism and aristocracy, they used the character of Don Quixote as an object of ridicule, illustrating that the days of chivalry were over. The character also stresses the historical lesson that the world cannot be changed by naïve idealism and romanticism-this is the message for the modern audience. Arora’s production does not explore the political and philosophical layers of a celebrated classic.

Piyush Kumar as Sancho Panza and Gandharv Dewan as Don Quixote gave creditable performances, bringing naivety and romantic idealism to the fore.

Remembering Don QuixoteTHEATRE: Don Quixote and His Epoch: Waiting for QuixotePresented by Yellowcat TheatreDirector: Sukesh AroraCollaboration: Cervantes Institute, New Delhi 2 November

DIWAN SINGH BAJELI

Don Quixote

Don Quixote

Don Quixote

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Jazz has been a part of the IIC Experience for almost each year of the Festival’s existence, and 2015 was no exception. This time, we were treated to the music of the Chrystal Farrell Ensemble from Goa, with Chrystal herself leading the vocals; Sancho Menezes on keyboard; Joe Ferrao (bass guitar); Joaquim D’Souza (saxophone); and Bosco D’Souza (percussion). Veteran musicians all; and, as the programme promised, it was an eclectic repertoire that they performed, with ‘a few jazz standards, new age swing and post-modern jazz grooves, with a dash of funk-laden originals.’

In fact, Chrystal’s smoky voice is ideally suited to jazz and she gave us some great moments of scat singing. And – though comparisons are odious – her spirited rendition of Fever had the same seductive vigour of Peggy Lee’s rendition. The jazz standard, Lullaby of Birdland, is so rarely performed that listening to it was sheer pleasure, as was an instrumental interlude which gave especially Joe and Joaquim the chance to do their thing on bass guitar and saxophone respectively. The repertoire was quite heavy on the pop component as well, with renditions

The Haydn Barytontrio of Budapest made a very welcome reappearance during the IIC Experience in a charming al fresco concert held in the Fountain Lawns. All three musicians – Jozsef Spengler on the viola, Andras Kaszanytzky on the cello and the leader and moving spirit behind the ensemble, Balazs Kakuk on the baryton – were in fine form, despite the slight hint of dew in the evening air, which can play havoc with stringed instruments.

The baryton is a musical curiosity. It is essentially a six or seven-stringed bowed string instrument, but with an additional set of resonating strings set beneath the main strings, the unique aspect being

An Eclectic RepertoireJAZZ CONCERT: Presented by the Chrystal Farrell Ensemble from Goa 31 October

Playful not BaroquePERFORMANCE: Concert of Baroque MusicPresented by the Haydn Baryton Trio, Budapest Collaboration: Hungarian Information and Cultural Centre3 November

SUNIT TANDON

of the Sergio Mendes favourite Mas que nada and Beatles evergreens such as Yesterday and Money Can’t Buy Me Love.

But perhaps it was the change to a faster beat that dictated the tempo for the Gershwin classic Summertime, a song sung by every singer of note such as Dorothy Dandridge, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and so on. Alas, what should have been an aria to the sultry languor of the season in the deep South became just another bouncy song where nuance gave way to tempo. A pity, because the qualities of Chrystal’s voice seem to be tailor-made for this very song. But that said, it was an enjoyable concert overall.

that the former can also be plucked by the thumb of the left hand.

That this long-extinct instrument has been revived in the 20th century is almost entirely due to the fact that one great composer, Joseph Haydn, was ordered to write hundreds of works for it by his employer, Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy, an accomplished performer on this esoteric instrument.

The concert opened and closed with works by Haydn. In between, there were short works by musicians from the Esterhazy circle: Anton Neumann, Luigi Tomasini and Andreas Lidl. Arrangements of a movement from a Mozart Divertimento originally written for three basset horns and a scherzo from a String Trio by Beethoven provided some contrast. A curiosity was an arrangement of three short vocal movements written by Prince Nikolaus’ ancestor, Prince Paul I Esterhazy.

The music was light and easy upon the ears, as it was intended to be by the composers. The performances were executed with appropriate period spirit and charm. This was not baroque music, as labelled, but playful music of the classical period, which delighted all who were present.

ASHARANI MATHUR

Jazz Concert

Concert of Baroque Music

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Ateet Ki Parchaiyan a look back on the Mahabharata war by its main players, conceived and put together by Pune’s Kathak artiste Shama Bhate under her school Nad-roop, had each character cast in a different dance style. The impressive crew of well-established dancers, well-chosen, in individual scenes went through powerfully emotive enactments to music, traditionally linked with each form. Simultaneity of time sometimes saw the reflection combined with a shadow-like enactment of the scene , behind a net curtain.

Rakesh Saibabu with his Chhau group was a revelation, making a powerful Duryodhana dancing to special drums and piped music. As Karna, Vaibhav Arekar’s designing of his group and solo Bharatanatyam sequences, reflecting on

Karna’s birth, and the tragic aftermath of being relegated to being the Suta putra were most powerful, accompanied by sensitive music. The subtle abhinaya tones of the Kunti/Gandhari scene played by Vyjayanti Kashi (Kuchipudi) and Gopika Varma (Mohiniattam) was another winner. In the Kathakali medium, Bheeshma’s role by Dr. Kannan provided a striking contrast to the Odissi softness of the agonising Yudhisthira played by Ramli Ibrahim. In the role of Draupadi was Shama’s own disciple Ameena Patankar.

Shama’s overall direction deserves kudos for the well-designed costumes – suggestive without being needlessly ornate, and for integrating so many established artists without ego hassles. To make an uninterrupted flowing narrative sans constant curtain closures, and abrupt transitions through so many forms of music that the choreographer used as symbolic curtains, twinkling Kathak twirls of her disciples traversing one end of the stage to the other in electric flashes of energy after each scene; though the nondescript music for this link, with some kind of declamatory piped sounds, seemed overloud and jarringly strident. And also an hour and forty minutes of non-stop action required editing some scenes-like the second appearance of Kunti and then Gandhari, which did not add anything to the action. So also the déjà vu of the opening Dice scene could be cut. The too long-drawn finale lost impact. Lower decibel levels and editing would make the commentary more unobtrusive.

Mahabharata- A Look Back DANCE DRAMA: Ateetki ParchhaiyanDirector: Dr. Shama Bhate4 November

LEELA VENKATARAMAN

Ateetki Parchhaiyan

Ateetki Parchhaiyan

Ateetki Parchhaiyan

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‘When Comedy is King ‘, a part of the IIC Experience 2015, revived several well-known comedies produced over the last 80 years in different parts of the world. It began with the inimitable Laurel and Hardy in Sons of the Desert as two neighbours trying to outwit their wives and ending up being outwitted themselves. Soul Kitchen, a German film on a more sombre note, centres on Zinos, a disorganised restauranteur and

owner of Soul Kitchen. Initially depressed over the departure of his girlfriend, Nadine, for Shanghai, Zinos decides to hand over the restaurant to his outlawed brother and join her. But he changes his mind, hires a good new chef, acquires culinary skills from him and has a fun time with him and the clients, who, initially opposed to health food, soon start savouring it. The addition of aphrodisiac in the meals by the two chefs add to the hilarity.

The Japanese Adrift in Tokyo is a long walk by two men, one a debt-ridden young student and the other a middle-aged gangster, across the city of Tokyo. Fukuhara, the gangster, has accidentally killed his wife and before giving himself up to the police at the other end of town, has a nostalgic feeling and wants to revisit the places he had frequented with his wife. He asks Fumiya, a student for company and even offers to pay him

handsomely for it. A touching film which normally should not qualify for inclusion in a selection for When Comedy is King. Daydreaming or more appropriately as titled in the original Italian version as Dreaming of Glory (Sogni di gloria) is set in Italy, portraying the parallel lives of two youngsters, one Italian and one Chinese, both in great uncertainty about their future. Their paths converge at the end at a graveyard.Coming back to comic films, Buck Privates, a war film made in 1941, comes off as a light-hearted look at men in uniform. It gave the United States a reason to laugh as it was still coming out of the Depression. French Minister or Quai d’Orsay, a

comedy of political protocol and manners, seen through the eyes of Arthur, a young script writer for the minister’s speeches, reminds one of the British Yes Minister. Go for Zucker is probably the first German-Jewish comedy made in Germany before World War II. Samuel, an Orthodox Jew, unlike his brother Zucker who isn’t in the least religious, and his family arrive at Zucker’s home for a week of mourning. The brothers, diametrically opposed in their views and not even on talking terms for quite a while, end up overcoming their

religious differences, though it does take a relative’s will to make it happen.

The cinematic part of the IIC Experience ends with The Party, a boisterous film where an Indian, Hrundi Bakshi, played by Peter Sellers, is initially depicted as very gauche, unable to mingle with the European guests at a bourgeois Hollywood party. Banned for a while in India for being racist, this film actually provokes contempt not for Bakshi, but for the hosts of the party who view Indians like him with superciliousness. Bakshi is befriended by a French woman Michèle Monet and together they make a strong argument for the liberating joys of disorder. To enhance the effect, the film brings some hippies and a baby elephant right into the very snooty bourgeois party.

Kaleidoscope of ComedyFILM FESTIVAL: When Comedy is King31 October to 4 November

SWATI DASGUPTA

Daydreaming

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As is the tradition, each evening of the IIC Experience closes with a special dinner. The cuisine served, as usual, complemented the performance.

This year the opening night of Baees Khwaja ke Chaukhat - Celebrating the Sufi Heritage of Delhi and the closing show, Ateet ki Parchayen, based on the Mahabharata presented a challenge to all those who plan menus. Luckily, two courageous chefs/food writers-Babso Kanwar and Pushpesh Pant created unique menus that drew upon the specialities of a variety of Sufi shrines from India and abroad for the first programme and for the other, dishes associated with the characters and regions of the Mahabharata. The result, a daring and eclectic mix.

With the Chrystal Farrell’s Jazz Concert, we had a fine selection of dishes from France, prepared by the IIC’s chef, Vijay Thukral. The kitchen, under his supervision, was also in charge of Thanjavur on a Plate - Recipes from Serfoji II’s kitchen. This 19th century manuscript from the Sarasvati Mahal Library belonged to Serfoji II and the cuisine that evolved was a Maratha rendition of Mughlai cuisine with a strong overlay of Tamil spices and flavours.

The IIC Experience, this year, offered the unique opportunity to meet Zubin Mehta, one of the most celebrated conductors in the world. Born in Bombay in 1936, he joined the Music Academy in Vienna in 1954 and studied music under illustrious teachers like Hans Swarowsky. He conducted the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestras and became the Director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra at the age of twenty-five. He has worked with top-class international orchestras and with excellent instrumentalists and opera stars of the past several decades. He was the Music Director of the National Theatre, Munich for eight years and is the Chief Conductor of the Maggio Musicale in Florence and the Music Director of the

An Array of DishesCUISINE: Food Festival 30 October to 4 November

The Experience of Zubin MehtaBOOK DISCUSSION: The Score of My Life by Zubin MehtaGuest of Honour: Shri Soli J. SorabjeeBarkha Dutt in conversation with the maestroCollaboration: IIC and Roli Books 31 October

MANJARI SINHA

PREMOLA GHOSE

Dr. Kiran Bhushi, a specialist on the coastal food of Andhra, prepared dishes from the west coast of India, namely Malabar and Mangalore as a fitting end to the drama of a Kathakali performance.

The performance of Spain’s well-loved classic, Don Quixote, was complemented by Chef Nuria Rodriguez Parra’s Spain on a Plate. A fine array of classic Spanish dishes were prepared by Nuria, the owner of two very successful Spanish restaurants in Delhi. The concert by the Haydn Baryton Trio of Budapest was followed by A Taste of Hungary, prepared by the Ambassador of Hungary’s chef, Jai Kumar. The food festival was extremely popular -- the kitchen although overworked by the demand, can now bask in the afterglow of well-deserved accolades.

Food Festival

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

It was a rare occasion to hear him speak, for a change, when the India International Centre organised his conversation with Barkha Dutt during the IIC Experience in collaboration with Roli Books that had brought out a paperback edition of his biography Zubin Mehta: The Score Of My Life. Mehta spoke about his early years in Bombay and his awareness of what is going around from an early age. He also talked about how important the Kashmir concert was for him because it got him some solace from the nagging feeling that he had done nothing in his own country. When asked whether the conductor is a dictator, he replied ‘in a way, but a benevolent one.’ Mehta also spoke about many relevant issues and most candidly.

There was a long line of his fans for him to sign the book after the conversations concluded and he obliged each and every one.

The issue of the Diary has been assembled and edited by Omita Goyal, Chief Editor; Ritu Singh, Deputy Editor; Rachna Joshi, Senior Asstt. Editor. Published by Ravinder Datta, for the India International Centre, 40, Max Mueller Marg, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi - 110 003, Ph.: 24619431. Designed and printed by Lustra Print Process Pvt. Ltd., A84/2 Naraina Industrial Area, Phase-I New Delhi.

Reg. No. 28936/77