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As you walk along the first floor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, photographs take you on a journey through Bombay of the 1920s and 1930s. But take a detour into one of the adjoining rooms, and you’re transported further up north with the newly revamped Himalayan Art Gallery.
Displaying artworks from Tibet, Leh, Ladakh and Nepal – few other museums in the country have such a vast, detailed repository of objects from this region. Over the past year, the gallery has been refurbished by the museum’s conservation team and was opened to the public last weekend. “The previous gallery lacked context,” notes senior curator Vandana Prapanna and the current exhibits are the result of fresh research that has come to light in recent years. There’s now a definite focus on introducing a region that is largely inaccessible to most with the most sizeable part of the collection gifted by Sir Ratan Tata, his brother Sir DJ Tata, and Karl and Meherbai Khandalavala.
When you enter, you are confronted by a looming six-foot-tall clay sculpture of the Maitreya Buddha, created by renowned Ladakhi artist Chhmet Rigzin. “According to Buddhist philosophy, the Maitreya Buddha is a bodhisattva who will appear in the future, similar to the Hindu concept of the Kalki avatar of Vishnu. We chose this particular image since it is a symbol of hope,” Prapanna tell us. A number of intricate metal sculptures from Tibet and Nepal are on display as well, including the museum’s prized 16th Century gilt bronze sculpture of King Songtsen Gampo, credited with introducing Buddhism to Tibet, which bears resemblance to his life-size clay figure at Potala palace in Lhasa. An imposing bust of Bhairava – an avatar of Shiva associated with destruction and worshipped widely in Nepal – also caught our eye.
As we approach the display of unusual musical instruments from the region, including a kangling or thighbone trumpet made from a human femur (yes, you read that right), we hear the gentle tinkle of instruments in the background. A monitor above displays a video of monks playing some of these instruments. These audio-visual elements, which are present across the gallery, are the result of extensive documentation by the conservation team and breathe life into the exhibits. Though the museum has been introducing A/V elements over the past few years in an effort to keep up with the times, this is one of the few spaces in which they have been used so extensively. Each display is accompanied by detailed panels that offer the casual visitor valuable insight – “Months of research have had to be brutally edited due to space constraints,” wryly notes Prapanna.
In the centre of the gallery are Thangka works (paintings on cotton or silk appliqué) that have been painstakingly restored along with a painting of the Potola Palace, made by museologist Dr V Bedekar. A selection of frescoes, line drawings and photographs of life in Tibet by Li Gotami née Rati Petit, who visited the country between 1947 and 1949, are certainly worth lingering over. “The fact that Tibet is closed off to most of the world now makes this documentation all the more valuable,” points out Prapanna.
Where: 159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort.
Timings: 10.30 am to 6 pm, throughout the week
Contact: 022 22844484
Sanchita Banerjee and Soumya Bose, two senior students of Guru Sujata Mohapatra, will present an evening of duet Odissi choreographies. Both are young and dynamic Odissi artistes who have performed widely at major dance festivals across the country and abroad. Banerjee is also a graded artiste of Doordarshan and a recipient of the junior fellowship from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Entry: Free
Admission on a first-come-first served basis. NCPA members will get preferential seating till 6.50 pm
Lets Sing Jazz is a vocal intensive workshop for beginners and intermediate singers that will teach you what it takes to be a professional jazz vocalist. It will focus on a variety of important vocal techniques and be conducted by Samantha Edwards, a certified somatic vocal coach and one of India’s leading jazz singers. Participants will also get to share the stage with Edwards during the workshop.
Registration Fees: Rs 300
To register, call 022 66223821/66223824 or email zbhadha@ncpamumbai.com or akhambatta@ncpamumbai.com
As you walk along the first floor of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India, photographs take you on a journey through Bombay of the 1920s and 1930s. But take a detour into one of the adjoining rooms, and you’re transported further up north with the newly revamped Himalayan Art Gallery.
Displaying artworks from Tibet, Leh, Ladakh and Nepal – few other museums in the country have such a vast, detailed repository of objects from this region. Over the past year, the gallery has been refurbished by the museum’s conservation team and was opened to the public last weekend. “The previous gallery lacked context,” notes senior curator Vandana Prapanna and the current exhibits are the result of fresh research that has come to light in recent years. There’s now a definite focus on introducing a region that is largely inaccessible to most with the most sizeable part of the collection gifted by Sir Ratan Tata, his brother Sir DJ Tata, and Karl and Meherbai Khandalavala.
When you enter, you are confronted by a looming six-foot-tall clay sculpture of the Maitreya Buddha, created by renowned Ladakhi artist Chhmet Rigzin. “According to Buddhist philosophy, the Maitreya Buddha is a bodhisattva who will appear in the future, similar to the Hindu concept of the Kalki avatar of Vishnu. We chose this particular image since it is a symbol of hope,” Prapanna tell us. A number of intricate metal sculptures from Tibet and Nepal are on display as well, including the museum’s prized 16th Century gilt bronze sculpture of King Songtsen Gampo, credited with introducing Buddhism to Tibet, which bears resemblance to his life-size clay figure at Potala palace in Lhasa. An imposing bust of Bhairava – an avatar of Shiva associated with destruction and worshipped widely in Nepal – also caught our eye.
As we approach the display of unusual musical instruments from the region, including a kangling or thighbone trumpet made from a human femur (yes, you read that right), we hear the gentle tinkle of instruments in the background. A monitor above displays a video of monks playing some of these instruments. These audio-visual elements, which are present across the gallery, are the result of extensive documentation by the conservation team and breathe life into the exhibits. Though the museum has been introducing A/V elements over the past few years in an effort to keep up with the times, this is one of the few spaces in which they have been used so extensively. Each display is accompanied by detailed panels that offer the casual visitor valuable insight – “Months of research have had to be brutally edited due to space constraints,” wryly notes Prapanna.
In the centre of the gallery are Thangka works (paintings on cotton or silk appliqué) that have been painstakingly restored along with a painting of the Potola Palace, made by museologist Dr V Bedekar. A selection of frescoes, line drawings and photographs of life in Tibet by Li Gotami née Rati Petit, who visited the country between 1947 and 1949, are certainly worth lingering over. “The fact that Tibet is closed off to most of the world now makes this documentation all the more valuable,” points out Prapanna.
Where: 159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort.
Timings: 10.30 am to 6 pm, throughout the week
Contact: 022 22844484
Writer: Hassan Abdulrazzak
Artist: Chaitnya Sharma, Kashin Shetty, Siddharth Kumar, Adhaar Khurana
Akvarious Productions presents The Fringe Festival featuring a theatre play Love, Bomb and Apples. The Story revolves around three men who are from different parts of the world, experience a moment of revelation. The first one who is from Palestine shares his experience that there is more to English girls than pure sex appeal. While the second one who is a Pakistan terror tries to find out what went wrong with his first novel. The last one a British youth suspects all is not what it seems with his object of desire.
Entry: Rs 300
Tickets available: www.bookmyshow.com
Artist: Mark Parakh
Based on a story by Satyajit Ray, the play is about a confused pianist Asmanjas who tells his life story and his views on how the world treats him. He talks about the trauma of being misunderstood by his family and how he is separated from his parents. Asmanjas plays a beautiful music to enhance his story, talks about his dreams, joys, sorrows, and the love of his life and finally he reveals the most wonderful person in his life, his dog. Grab a seat to watch this amazing life story which will bring tear in your eyes and smile on your face.
Entry: Rs 250
Tickets available: www.bookmyshow.com
Artist: Jameel Gulrays, Madhavi Ganpule, Rajesh Jha, Sumanto Bhattacharya
This Friday, Tagore and Manto in a medley of languages will feature the writings of India’s legendary writers Rabindranath Tagore and Saadat Hasan Manto. The event will have Tagore’s Kabuliwala in original Bengali and adapted Hindi version and Manto#39;s Taraqqi Pasand in original Urdu and adapted Marathi version. The main idea for hosting the show is to make the audiences experience the beauty of different Indian languages.
Entry: Rs 250
Tickets available: www.bookmyshow.com
Director: Lalit Prabhakar
Writer: Yugandhar Deshpande
Artist: Arti Wadabgonkar, Vikas Patil, Jayesh Joshi
The most common thing that happens in the city is Chaos, the play is based on the same. The story is about a couple Kishore and Sanjeevani who are from a small town. On a Sunday they were sitting ideal in their small rented house, when they realised how to be become modern in life. The story revolves around this thought which leads to fear, tensions, insecurity, lust, regret, ego, anger and finally chaos!
Entry: Rs 200
Tickets available: www.bookmyshow.com
This May, get a chance to visit Abhas, an innovative exhibition created by Siddhant Shah who works as an art and disability access consultant. The event will have selected artworks of Rabindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Benode Behari Mukherjee and other great artists from the exhibition The Art of Santiniketan .The main idea behind this exhibition is to make the artwork accessible to blind people and to show the viewers how blind can connect with art. The visually disabled can touch and feel the artwork with the help of specially designed tactile aids and reproductions. Dont miss a chance to visit the exhibition as you will get to know more about modern art.
Rahul Mehra, from the Gateway Brewing Company, will be curating and showcasing special cocktails inspired by the people who have influenced him in his life. Some of the cocktails on the menu for the night include, The Sakshi (gin, soda, tonic, sage leaves and lemon rind); The Navin (campari, bourbon/dark rum, dry vermouth) and The Riday (vodka, lime juice, sugar syrup and egg).
Finland-based Yotto#39;s ability to cross genres and labels is what sets him apart as an artist, and his versatility and refusal to be defined is what makes him one of the most appealing new artists in dance music. This year he garnered praise for two huge remixes – a rework of RÜFÜS Like An Animal and a remix of Coldplay#39;s hit Adventure of a Lifetime. Most recently, his two releases – Aviate and Crosswalk have garnered support from Above Beyond, Pete Tong, Phil Taggart, Sasha, Laurent Garnier, Tiesto and Mark Knight.
Entry: Rs. 400; Rs. 600 (post 10.30 pm)
Dr Sangita Nerurkar pays tribute to the legendary artiste and queen of ghazals, Begum Akhtar who left behind a legacy of thumris, ghazals and dadra that continue to captivate a nation full of admirers, almost four decades after her death. She will showcase the life and works of Begum Akhtar while exploring the diverse nuances of her gayaki and will feature both popular and unexplored works. Dr Nerurkar has trained in Indian classical music under Pandit Gangadharbua Pimpalkhare and eminent Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Vijay Koparkar. Her collaborations include performances with prominent artists such Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar and Arun Date.
Tickets: Rs 650
Tickets available at Bookmyshow.com
The first edition of FWD, a monthly live electronic night presented by Mixtape, will feature Dark Circle Factory – a Mumbai based drum bass/breakbeat/funk/hip-hop trio who have been recently making waves in the electronic scene. Also joining the lineup is Mumbai drummer Aditya Ashok’s drum bass outfit, OX7GEN, and Pune-based Carius who has consecutively been voted runner-up in the Best Dubstep/Drum Bass DJ category at the MyFav DJ Awards in 2014, 2015 and 2016
Entry: Free
French DJ Citizen Kain produces a sharp techno sound, invariably wavy and contemporary, with sets marked by high energy. He will be supported by Arsh, a Mumbai-based DJ and producer known for creating fresh beats.
Voted India#39;s best Hip-Hop DJ at the inaugural Vh1 MyFav Awards, DJ Sa has played a key role in promoting hip-hop and trap music in India and performs regularly at clubs around the country. He has opened for the likes of Akon, Charmillionaire, Kardinal Ofishall, Sean Kingston, SnoopDogg and Major Lazer. He will be supported by Philadelphia-based hip-hop artist Illa Straight, and rising, award-wining homegrown rapper Divine.
Entry: Rs 600; Rs 1,500 (full cover)
Note: Entry is free for ladies post 9.30 pm
The art of storytelling, much like aged wine, gets better with time. And proving that saying true, is the new show One on One 2 that puts together eight of the city’s best storytellers. Just like the prequel One on One this one too is a compilation of monologues that try to touch upon current topics that will resonate with an array of viewers.
This easy to associate with play opens with Anu Menon’s act called I’m Every Woman. This is a day in the life of protagonist Annie, who is a mother of two struggling to juggle multiple tasks. Every woman will relate to the instances and references that Annie narrates. As for the men, you will finally hear what women think in their head about binge watching Breaking Bad. From one woman to another – Sikha Talsania (you might remember her as Laxmi from Wake Up Sid) puts on a Manish Malhotra lehenga for her wedding. This dulhaniya is finally getting married to her beau of seven years only to question her decision on the D-day. Wonder what happens next!
The big-ticket cast member – Neil Bhoopalam stars in and as DJ Elvis – manages to get you thinking about how seriously things should be taken are and how important it is to be just happy. On the other hand, Anuvab Pal’s Reality Bytes presented by Zafar Karachiwala, will take you through the life of a real estate broker whose one wrong decision leaves him bankrupt.
The highlight performances for us was Nobody by Rajit Kapur, where he finds himself at the funeral of his physiotherapist who lost his life trying to save his friend during the Nepal Earthquake. What follows is a series of bureaucratic procedures that the grieving family has to face. Also notably poignant is Majnu – the story of a soldier – enacted by Hussain Dalal, which will be a delight for every literature lover. The urdu wordplay by Dalal will make you want to applaud after almost every well-delivered dialogue. Gopal Datt as TC Rasbihari brings alive a character written by Ashok Mishra and is contrary to the image we conceive of a ticket collector.
After an emotional rollercoaster, the closing act leaves viewers on a high with Sumeet Vyas (Sunil) talking about the situation of a first-time producer with his monologue – Khoon Paisa... Action. The beauty of this compilation lies in the simplicity with which the stories are portrayed. A wife, a mother, a real estate broker or even a soldier – we all know these people, but we certainly don’t know what they think or say to themselves when they are alone. The seamless acts are masked with music from the late 80s and early 90s, and you will often find yourself humming along to the familiar tunes.
When: May 15th, 7 pm to 9 pm
Where: NCPA
Tickets: Rs 200 to Rs 1,000
Tickets available: www.bookmyshow.com
Director: Tejas
Writer: Anvay
Artist: Bharat, Akanksha, Mayuri, Ankit and Pragya
Everyone loves Krishna. He has been notorious all through his childhood. Ansh Productions present Krishna Kidding, a play that portray Krishna as a kid in an all new light with the help of different entertaining art forms fused to define the essence of theatre for children and adults.
Artist: Dilshad Edibam Khurana, Sayali Phatak, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Tahira Nath, Shikha Talsania, Lucky Vakharia
Akvarious Productions presents The Fringe Festival featuring a theatre drama Bayan. In Turkish, Bayan means women and in the Indian subcontinent it means a statement or an expression. So the play basically is about ladies trying to express themselves on stage. They try to portray their life and what all they have gone through all along. This is going to be an estrogen filled evening.
Entry: Rs 250
Tickets available: www.bookmyshow.com
Director: Kartik M. Sharma
Writer: Kartik M. Sharma, Vinta Kotian
Artist: Amol Jadhav, Hanisha Kedia, Kaustubh Kumar
It#39;s Contemporary is a nudging sneak peak into the lives of two roommates Eesh and Daksh. These two boys have different views and opinion on everything, but still they share a strong bond. What follows next in the story is how their views come to a same point because of the new character Harf. The play spreads out in such a way that each one is individually a play in itself. In short, this hinglish drama is a mix of emotion, sarcasm, and humour.
Entry: Rs 250
Tickets available: www.bookmyshow.com
Globally, groups such as Hash House Harriers (HHH) have been motivating members to get rid of a weekend hangover by encouraging them to head out for a sprint with an end reward. Each of their runs is led by a hash (member) who designs the route for that day and participants are later rewarded at a local pub where all of them can socialise over a pint. You might think of this as members who are a part of drinking club with a running problem, but hey, there’s something to it! In fact, even Doolally recently introduced a promo where people who run for 5 kms to their pub would get a free pint.
It’s not just the carrot and stick method that seems to motivate people, even dance is said to be a great cardio option and one that drives people more than the thought of half hour on a treadmill. So watering holes across Mumbai, in association with fitness groups, have put together the concept of sunrise parties that are getting lots of attention. For instance, in April, Wonderise hosted a party at Asilo with high intensity EDM music churned out by renowned DJ Roanne Acey followed by EDM synced Zumba workouts by Sucheta Pal and other dance-led workouts courtesy BreakBeat.
THE START OF A NEW TREND
Dawn Trekkers hosted by online fitness portal GymTrekkers and the previously mentioned Wonderise are essentially wellness movements that are trying to motivate you to start working out in unique ways. “The idea of Wonderise is to re-imagine nightlife, bringing things back to basics with community dancing and wellness replacing alcohol with healthy natural foods and juices at the end of the party” says co-founder Rakhee Mehta.
The company host’s morning parties at some of the hottest pubs in the neighbourhood, where you would otherwise stay back till the wee hours of the weekend. During these hour long sessions, usually held once a month, well known instructors put together a beginner level workout using various forms such as Zumba, Power Yoga, Pilates and Kickboxing. Keeping the tempo upbeat thanks to EDM sets and live music by in-house DJs, the end of the workout includes healthy binges on juices, snacks and a nutriotionally sound breakfast.
"Who said a workout has to be boring and monotonous? At our workshops, one can lose 800-1000 calories or more without even realising it.”, says Sucheta Pal who is the Zumba Education Specialist for India. Pal has been conducting the Zumba In A Club since last year. While it isn’t mandatory, it’s recommended that you start gearing up your body a few days in advance, before attending any of these fitness parties, by going for brisk walks.
Get schedules and registration details by clicking on Wonderise or Sucheta Pal
WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL
Sambhav Jain, co-founder GymTrekker thinks that “Dawntrekkers acts like a push for people who otherwise are not used to working out. They also help develop a perspective towards fitness routine, as the parties are held at bars where people are comfortable with the ambience. The difference is it’s a fitness party where you can enjoy sans alcohol.”
If you are not an early riser, Sambhav’s team also host one off sundowners during dry days with the most recent one being held at Copa on May Day with experts from JGS Fitness Centre performing Masala Bhangra and Bollyout. This was followed by a Bokwa session conducted by Shweta Desai – a trained Zumba and aerobics instructor.
Not only are such events a much needed break from the boring closed gym environment, these gatherings also act as a social event where you can get motivated by like-minded people and socialise with new faces at the end of the session. Nihar Kotak, a PR executive attended one such session and told us, “A morning walk or a jog by the seaface is a regular thing that isn#39;t motivating enough for me. On the other hand, a concept like this drives you to wake up early for an experience that includes interesting workouts, healthy morning meals and live percussionist – all while you meet new people.”
Leading gyms and fitness centres such as Gold’s Gym, F2 Fitness and Talwalkars Powerhouse Fitness regularly host Dawn Parties in association with Gymtrekker where their expert trainers conduct sessions regularly as per their expertise.
Wonderise is hosting a Dawn Party at Aer, Worli on May 15th, while Gymtrekker are working on their next event to be hosted in June and an expansion plan that includes their first DawnTrekker in Bangalore.