All they imagine as light
Students of Kamla Mehta School for Blind in Dadar show off their kandils ahead of Diwali celebrations
UnHomeliness, chaos,grotesque
An artwork at the show. Pic Courtesy/@sajidwajidshaikh
Navi Mumbai-based artist Sajid Wajid Shaikh (below) has been selected for the Mirabello Family Residency exhibition programme this month at the La Napoule Art Foundation, a non-profit organisation in Mandelieu-La Napoule, France. As the only Indian among nine international artists, Shaikh’s works will be on display till October 31.
“The inspiration is grotesque, violence, the instability, and the evolving conflicts that continue to affect minorities worldwide,” he said. “I wanted people to look at my art and think of it as a cryptic documentation of my emotions and inner thoughts.” Presented in collaboration with Method India and curated by Sahil Arora, it explores ‘Unhomeliness,’ a concept by Dr Homi Bhabha, circling around chaos, bulldozer justice, and belonging.
A decade of creativity
(From left) A piano performance; Naseeruddin Shah at a reading at the venue. Pics Courtesy/G5A
As cultural hub G5A turns 10 on November 3, the anniversary weekend opens with Fragments of a Fugitive Poem, an immersive durational installation blending video, sound, poetry, and movement by Poorna Swami and Amshu Chukki. Celebrations continue with Together for Peace, a series of dramatic readings featuring artists lending their voices for peace. The preview night includes comedy by Punit Pania, Masoom Rajwani, and Ali Babi, followed by performances by Pelva Naik, ALIF, and Super Scary Awesome.
Anuradha Parikh
Port Kitchen & Bar will host Dinner with Mother on the Terrace, celebrating drag, chosen family, and the house mother Suruj Rajkhowa, aka Glorious Lana (a mentor of the drag/queer community). Workshops by Simran Moorjani, Pranav Gajjar, Sahir Mehta, among others complete the weekend. “G5A was created because this acts as a platform for critical dialogue through upcoming programmes, which will deepen connections between artists, audiences and the larger community. We look forward to more in the coming decade,” said founder and artistic director, Anuradha Parikh.
Having a Bahl
Mohnish Bahl with daughter Krishaa. Pic Courtesy/Musicians’ Mall
You might know him as Salman Khan’s elder brother from Hum Aapke Hain Kaun?, or actor Pranutan Bahl’s dad, but actor Mohnish Bahl is more than that. On his last visit to the Charni Road-outlet of the Musicians Mall, the actor picked up an acoustic guitar, and joined daughter Krishaa in a rendition of The Eagles’ Hotel California. “He is a good guitarist, and his daughter is quite skilled too. We help him tune his equipment, so it was a delight to have him jam so casually,” shared owner Raunaq Bhargava.
Remembering Mehli Mehta
A young Mehli Mehta and Composer Mstislav Rostropovich with (right) Mehta. Pics Courtesy/MMMF
Chances are that barring the city’s Western Classical music fraternity, an important date like Mehli Mehta’s 23rd death anniversary (October 19), might go unnoticed in the city’s calendar of great luminaries. This diarist finds its timely then, to recall moments from a memorable evening in late September, when supporters of the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation (MMMF) had assembled at a Ballard Estate gallery to celebrate the icon, and also witness the release of Encore — a book to commemorate 30 years of MMMF.
Of the many wonderful recollections that Mehroo Jeejeebhoy, its founder, shared with the attentive audience, one episode stood out. She mentioned how Mehli Mehta’s son, Zubin Mehta felt that there was no platform in the city in his father’s memory, despite being the pioneer of Western Classical music in the country, having founded the Bombay Symphony Orchestra and the Bombay String Quartet, among numerous other accolades and path-breaking contributions.
This paved the way for the birth of MMMF. Jeejebhoy reminisced how Mehta senior had played chamber music with many Jewish émigrés who arrived in Bombay at the time, including Walter Kauffman (He was the director of music at All India Radio). The musician had composed the Akashvani tune for AIR; Mehli Mehta played the violin for that popular timeless melody.
Salute, maestro Mehli!
