Festival & Lights & TheMega Laxmiby Arjuna > RED EARTH > Himanshu Verma

Festival & Lights & TheMega Laxmiby Arjuna > RED EARTH > Himanshu Verma

(ART) A U T H E N T I C @ Gadfly Gallery

Meet the artist this Friday night, 12 October from 6 till 8 at the opening of
A U T H E N T I C

Stunning new paintings in oils, 18ct gold dust, silver leaf and Damion's signature hand-pressed pigments from WA wildflowers by West Australian painter DAMION BLUNDELL

In AUTHENTIC, Perth Artist DAMION BLUNDELL discovers his 'authentic self.' Being surrounded by the grandeur of the New Zealand landscape of his childhood, Perth artist Damion Blundell’s work has become , as he says, ‘more noticed’. “Returning to New Zealand really made me look harder” says the 32 year old , whose romantic, floral imagery has won him many art collectors in WA since he first started exhibiting six years ago. Three months of incessant painting and travelling in NZ has produced a new body of work which he describes as “more grounded”. Blundell has shrugged off the flippancy and the quirky, anecdotal references that characterised his Perth-based works. These new, large canvases are sophisticated world-views, slathered with sheets of precious gold leaf and richly-glazed oils; darkly reflective and surprisingly seductive. The wildness of the flower forms which have largely contributed to his local success has not been lost. Instead, it’s been consolidated and reduced to its essentials, to become compositional, rather than the subject itself. These changes can only occur after “lots of looking, lots of noticing”. Blundell now approaches his work with a sensitivity which was before, intuitive, and is now known and understood – something he can consciously call upon as an artist to create what he wants, not merely what he sees. Blundell’s palette has always harked back, albeit unconsciously, to the New Zealand light – to his birthplace. “Only since returning as an adult – as a painter –have I realised what my real influences have been” , he says. “that southerly light is more dusky, more powedery around the edges than the sharp, brittle light we experience here”. These last few months ‘back home’ have reaffirmed Blundell’s innate view of himself as an artist. Quoting the great British Classical landscape artist William Turner he says “the greatest thing an artist can do is return to the landscape”, and in so doing Blundell has experienced a kind of personal epiphany. “I know I’ve got the goods for it “, says this extraordinary young man whose life has already encompassed more experiences and ordeals than many fit into a lifetime. Authentic is an exhibition of beautiful, grand, modern masters which Blundell’s fans will recognise as an artist of great talent coming of age

Ad Singh @ The Lakme Fashion Week

They used my pictures for publicity without my knowledge giving credit to neeta lulla for it - AD Singh

Designer A D Singh sues organisers of Lakme Fashion Week for using
one of his last year’s designs in this year’s publicity material without
informing him or giving him credit for it

Well if this all was for publcity I dont think anyone got much of nor did Neeta Lulla, nor AD Singh neither Gitanjali
We dont really know in what deal was set and what actually was the story behind all 3 sides.

For sure this is the one which Ad Singh tells us. "they used my pictures for publicity without my knoweledge giving credit to neeta lulla for it"

For sure there has been much of such instances where we have had such moments where one of the other wanted to come in the limelight and bring in some cracker to bust in the publicity gmmick.

Mid Day report
Instead of the celebrities, it was a bunch of cops that had heads turning at the Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW) yesterday. They were brought there by fashion designer A D Singh to arrest Sanjeev Sharma of the Gitanjali Group. Singh has alleged that one of his bridal wear designs from last year, has been used in this year’s LFW hoardings and posters, without his permission and designer Neeta Lulla has been credited for his design. “Sanjeev was keen to sponsor my show and promised participation of A-list stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. I sent him my design photographs and asked him to settle the deal with my business manager. That never happened. And the next thing I see is my design plastered on billboards.” Singh claims when he called Sharma for an explanation, he said, “Dekhenge, kya karta hai!” Singh arrived at the LFW venue — NCPA, Nariman Point - late afternoon, and was asked to wait in a room on the third floor to avoid media attention. “They hoped to cool me down with a cup of coffee. I told them ‘I don’t want coffee, I want Sanjeev’.” Singh was told Sharma was not around, which is when he had to leave with the police. An onlooker said he overheard a police officer reprimanding Singh for wasting his time. Lulla said she hasn’t taken credit for the design and has asked Sharma to settle the issue with Singh. A representative of the Gitanjali Group refused to comment, saying, “Ask Singh to take up the case legally. We will react then.”

Mumbai Mirror report
The latest from the currently on Lakme Fashion Week is that designer A D Singh has sent a legal notice to the organisers for using one of his bridal wear designs from last year in this year’s publicity materials including posters, print ads, billboards, etc. The costume worn by model Sayali Bhagat in all the publicity material was designed by A D Singh. The organisers went ahead and used his design without taking the designer’s permission or even informing him about it. Also, they haven’t given any credit to Singh in the publicity material. An angry Singh says, “This is completely unethical on the part of the organisers to use my design without my permission. I don’t understand why they have used a picture of Sayali wearing a costume from my last year’s bridal collection to promote this year’s fashion week.” Also, all the publicity material says that the opening show is by Neeta Lulla, making it seem that the costume has been designed by Neeta and not A D Singh.Singh adds, “I called up the organisers and they accepted their mistake and they said that they will get back to me. But, no one has done so yet. I spoke to Rohit Sabiki, who is one of the organisers, and he said that he had some personal problem. He asked someone from their end to speak to me and the gentleman promised that he will call me back in an hour and do the needful. But he didn’t call me and they haven’t been taking my calls. When I call the landline numbers, they do not come on the line.”

Commenting on his next step, Singh says, “I met up with my lawyers and have sued them. They will get the legal documents and I have also sent notices to everyone connected to the event including the sponsors as they too are responsible for putting up the hoardings. I will see to it that they never do this to any designer ever again.”And what does Neeta Lulla have to say about this issue? She says, “I haven’t even seen that advertisement. I think it’s a hoarding near Kirti College. I heard about it today, when someone at the Lakme Fashion Week venue asked me about it. I didn’t even know about it - I have no idea about the dress the model is wearing. I haven’t designed that dress, nor am I even claiming to have designed it. So please tell Mr A D Singh that! I haven’t even chosen the jewellery in the hoarding. I don’t know why my name was even there - it could perhaps be to announce the inaugural show of LFW. I have nothing to do with that advertisement as it has been put up by the main sponsor.”

Ths information was used ,as provided to us by AD Singh himself,with photographs, web links to news coverage.

Mahindra IAAC Film Festival

November 7-11, 2007

The festival begins November 7th, with the Opening Night Screening of Saawariya at the Loews Times Square. Directed by the acclaimed Sanjay Leela Bhansali based on Dostoevsky’s “White Nights" Saawariya tells the story of a chance encounter that quickly leads to much more. The screening is followed by a spectacular Gala Dinner at Madame Tussauds.The excitement continues over the next four days, with a diverse range of features, docs and post-screening discussions with actors and filmmakers.

Some of the highlights include: Valley of Flowers, Missed Call, Via Darjeeling, Grahanam, and AIDS JaaGo. For the first time, the festival-goers can watch our lineup at two convenient locations – Loews 19th and Broadway in New York City and the Newport Center Mall in Jersey City.

The festival comes to a magnificent end with the Closing Night Screening of The Last Lear on November 11th at Asia Society. The evening features Indian film legend Amitabh Bachchan as a veteran Shakespearean actor tackling his most difficult role yet. An awards ceremony recognizing outstanding filmmakers and actors closes out the festival.

Workshop on “Lighting Design and Choreographing Light"

National Institute of Design is pleased to announce a Workshop on “Lighting Design and Choreographing Light”, to be held from 17 – 19 October, 2007 at NID campus, Ahmedabad.

The workshop will try to improve the aesthetic and market appeal – the experience - of any interface through which a business interacts with the customers - set up, product, ad, brand, etc., real or virtual, an event, retail or otherwise, by enhancing the ambience and the overall experience using multi-sensory stimulants like lighting, sound, smells and other sensory stimulants to affect. The idea is to create experiences that surprise, emotionalise, sensualise, romanticize, intimatise, humanize, mystify…-in short delight and to help businesses develop products, spaces, services that are never before types, thus bringing them the blue ocean competitive advantage. The workshop will be taken by the experienced faculty/ ies and other distinguished design professionals.

All in all, this workshop will establish a design link between experience and consumers besides the use of design as a strategic tool for staying ahead in a fiercely competitive market scenario.

This tailor made programme is aimed at Retail Businesses, Light Engineers, Marketing Professionals, Architects, Interior Designers, Exhibitors, Landscape Designers, Facade Designers, Set /Stage /Entertainment Designers, Advertising, Retailers, Visual Merchandisers, Choreographers, Event Managers, Event Visualisers, Art Directors, Service Providers, Professionals connected with hotels, restaurants and amusement parks. We are sure that these programmes would be a source of immense value addition.

Enclosed please find the details along with the registration form. Please contact us for any further inquiries to industryprogrammes@nid.edu. We shall be obliged if you put this up on your notice board and also circulate among the ones interested.

ARADHANA - Monsoon Cultural Festival - classical dance

ARADHANA - Unique blend of choreographic compositionsin Odissi and Bharatnatyam classical dance styles byeminent dancers Madhumita Raut,Santnu Chakraborty &their disciples.

ARADHANA is a repertoire specially choreographed forthe Monsoon Cultural Festival organised in the capitalby the Govt. of West Bengal.The compositions based ondifferent ragas are dedicated to Durga and Shiva.Special dance pieces have been created with afusion of Odissi and Bharatnatyam dance styles.

The dancers,Madhumita Raut( Odissi) and SantnuChakraborty(Bharatnatyam) are very popular amongst theDelhi audience and are well known for their innovativeand highly artistic dance compositions.They will be accompanied by their senior disciples.

JALEBEE CARTEL LIVE @ Laidback Waters

JALEBEE CARTEL LIVE @ Laidback Waters

August 09th 2007 – (Delhi) The definition of a band generally invokes the stereotypical image of a couple of people blaring out redundant rhythms and the ubiquitous love ballad. But sometimes all that’s needed is a few good men to spin a traditional concept into something refreshingly new. It’s the incessant bass, screaming arpeggios and piercing percussions that truly define the Cartel. Their sound is all about paying homage to their first love, music, and particularly about an explosive electronic experience. Perhaps IDM or just “electronica” could define the resulting product---but then, it isn’t about neat packaging. It’s about pushing the envelope and fusing influences to create a distinctive brand of urban Indian dance music.

Laidback Waters,New Delhi is going to be slammed one last time by the Cartel.

Members

Ashvin Mani Sharma
After graduating from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, Ashvin Mani Sharma started Djing at private parties in Mumbai and from there moved on to a nightclub in Russia. He was the resident DJ for six months at the Tequila Sunrise, the most popular club in Almaty, Kazakhstan.On returning from Russia he moved to Delhi and started DJ ing at private parties and then started doing Club theme parties with International Trance DJs like Psycho Micro, Dark Soho and many more. In August 2000 he released a Trance Album with French rock artist J.P. Dangmann under the name of "Vimana" titled "From The Darkness Into The Light". The Album was sold on the Internet and was the first trance album released by an Indian and in India. He continued to make a name for himself as one of the best trance dj’s in the country and started producing music for ad spots and jingles. Some of the campaigns like the Motorola and "India Shining" campaign were widely appreciated. He also has produced music for countless fashion shows for top designers like Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahiliani, Ritu Kumar and nearly every one else you can think of. Moving on to the next stage of Film and Television, he has successfully made the transition. Already having done the complete background score of BBC World’s "Haath Se Haath Milaa" and Lakme Fashion House for FBC media he is steadily carving a niche for himself. As far as Bollywood goes he has already taken his first step with a song on the "Let’s Enjoy" soundtrack in collaboration with Rabbi.

Arjun Vagale
For Arjun Vagale, DJing has never been about just mixing a few choice tunes: it’s about understanding the needs of people and taking them to that special place through sound. Through his unique track selection and skilful mixing ability, he has constantly raised the bar as a DJ. With his phat baselines, piercing arps and use of the groundbreaking Ableton Live software with various controllers, he has set new standards within the electronic music circuit in India. At the age of 16, he founded DJ FAC 3, a trio that played for many parties in Bangalore while India was evolving to the global house sound. As a result, he earned his first residency at Zebra Crossing in Bangalore. In 1998 he moved to New Delhi and became resident at the legendary club Someplace Else at The Park. The following year, he won the DMC World DJ Championship, Delhi, and was offered residency at Float, the best club in town at that time. In 2000, he visited Calcutta, where he eventually took up residency at one of the city’s oldest clubs, Anticlock, which had a large and faithful following. He headlined many events there, playing alongside Asian Underground hero State of Bengal. Later that year he joined Golden Park Hotel’s London Pub, which he helped establish and promote. This club asserted itself as a popular venue to promote underground house. After doing a yearlong program at SAE, Singapore, he returned to Delhi in 2002 and was offered residency at the Fashion Bistro at 1 MG Road and later at Djinns, Hyatt Regency. Following this was a two-year residency at one of the biggest venues in Delhi, Q’ba, which received much acclaim for its ambience and unique music policy. From playing with legends like Judge Jules and Brandon Block to Blue Amazon and DJ Quicksilver, Arjun is on the forefront of the electronic music movement in India. He is one of the only DJs from India to have been featured on Proton Radio, Pulse Radio, Frisky Radio, Ministry of Sound Radio and BBC Radio. He uses the platform provided by mega events such as the Bacardi Blast/Smirnoff Experience and signature underground nights to push the progressive scene onto a larger audience.

Ash Roy
Picture a four year old clad in the Superman blue and red with a toy guitar around his neck singing for his folks. Ash decided to dream BIG at that early age! His musical journey began at the age of seven, learning the tabla and singing for the school choir before graduating to the next level – a deck spinner coupled with his weapons of choice, the tablas and the microphone! Ash has an explosive DJing past that spans over a decade. After he started DJing in Anticlock (Calcutta), he moved to Mumbai where he formed a fusion electronic act – “Deep Pranaya” which earned some rave reviews. With DJing still being his first love, Ash moved back to Calcutta to rev up the records at Anticlock. He quickly moved up the rungs to win the 1999 DMC World DJ Regional Finals. This proved to be the turning point in his career as this led him residency at the gulf’s biggest club, The Diamond Club Dubai, where he played along with some of the world’s biggest names – Boy George, Brandon Block, Greame Park, Enzo (Bedrock) among others. Ash moved to Delhi in 2004 and collaborated with Arjun and Ashvin to form LOOP. Together they released “Chalte Chalte – Haveli Mix”. He continuously worked with Arjun and Ashvin on different projects and together they conceived the Jalebee Cartel, an offshoot of the existing Jalebee Productions. With the Cartel, Ash sets the stage ablaze with his unique vocal style, tablas and other percussions apart from spinning the decks. His style of music is a variety ranging from funky to progressive house. He currently works with Red FM 93.5 heading the production department.

Madhav Shorey
Madhav realized his connection with music much earlier than most others and is the youngest member of the Jalebee Cartel. It didn’t take much for him to realize that music was his true calling, and so without wasting time he moved on to music professionally. While still in his single digits he was exploring different kinds of music, from electronica to heavy metal and by the age of 13 he was already dj'ing at local parties and Jam Sessions, and playing the drums and the synths for his school band. He is referred to as a future hero. He's one of the few Dj's to have played a wide array of electronic dance music ranging from drum'n'bass and trip hop in his earlier days to house / breaks and now progressive and trance. He has performed as a drummer for various bands between 2001 to 2004 and also gave a guest performance at the 2004 "War of The Dj's" Delhi Chapter, while still underage to qualify for participation. Currently, he is working towards promoting his sound, as both, a freelance Dj and a music producer. As part of Jalebee Productions, he has been producing various styles of music, ranging from tracks for TV sitcoms and jingles for advertisements, to remixes and original sounds for the LIFW (India Fashion Week) shows of some of India’s most renowned designers. He also completed a Krishna Consciousness album for the Iskon temple religious movement and does various commercial productions. He now plays the electronic drums and tribal percussions (Djembe / Nagada's etc.) contributing to the constantly evolving sound of the Cartel and also contributes with his independant dj'ing skills.

G Arjun
Though he comes from a family of renowned classical and ghazal singers, Arjun grew up on a rich dose of thrash metal, grunge and the local Pune rock scene. Influenced heavily by the likes of Cliff Burton and Geezer Butler, being the bassist of his own rock band was always a dream! The dream became reality when Arjun was gifted his first bass guitar while pursuing a career in electronic engineering. Within hours of getting the guitar he jammed with a few buddies and together they composed their first of many originals. After graduating he juggled between work and a thrash metal outfit he formed - HASH. They played extensively in western India with a brilliant performance at IIT Bombay being the highlight. The band's first single "Close Your Eyes" became a rage in the Pune rock circles. To pursue a career in music and audio technology Arjun quit his job and moved to Chennai in 2004. While in Chennai, Arjun conceptualized "The Electric Sunshine Project (ESP)" – a progressive heavy metal concept. During his stint in Chennai, Arjun was a session's bassist and recorded with many artists and composers, including highly acclaimed carnatic classical singers, Swati & Revathi. In early 2005 Arjun collaborated with Ash Roy to produce a few high quality tracks. That's when the electronic music bug bit him. By late 2005, Arjun became a part of the Jalebee Cartel handling Guitar/Bass/Vocals. He works with RED FM 93.5 (Delhi), managing music and handling audio production, and continues to work on the Electric Sunshine Project.

The Monsoon Festival 2 - Monsoon Fashion

Monsoon Fashion, a special exhibition on fashion and couture inspired by the Indian Monsoon, featuring some of the country's leading and young designers and artists.

The show will open on the 10th August, 2007 at the Queen’s Gallery, British Council, New Delhi at 6:30 pm as a Curtain Raiser to The Monsoon Festival 2. The festival is conceived, curated and presented by Red Earth; in association with Youthreach, Max Mueller Bhavan, British Council, First City, Baci, and Cards4U.

Monsoon Fashion - Curated by Himanshu Verma & Mayank Mansingh Kaul

Featuring : 500 B.C by Anandita Shah, Anju Modi, Hemant J. Khendilwal, Malini Ramani, Mayank Mansingh Kaul, Mukesh, Sagarika Sundaram, Shaila Nambiar, Shruti Phagre Mahajan,Sidharth Tytler, Small Shop (Jason & Anshu), Tarun Tahiliani, Varun Bahl & Weaver’s Studio

Fashion - much like art – can be a potent way of responding to and engaging in the landscapes around. While traditionally, Indian textiles and clothing traditions were heavily informed with the motives of nature - often celebrating seasons; bursts of wild expression in more recent Indian fashion represent that need for the individual to imagine without inhibitions, making possible the impossible. This exhibition, part of a larger festival which brings together diverse art mediums enables fashion in contextualising itself as a valid medium in the Visual Art stream - something that is only beginning to happen in India recently.

Festival Profile
Monsoon holds a special place in the Indian heart, offering a range of sensual, visual and aesthetic experiences. The Monsoon Festival presents varied interpretations and narratives of the monsoon from classical to contemporary, in a of variety of art forms: visual art, design, fashion, music, films, theatre, dance, poetry and more. For details see www.redearthindia.com

We look forward to seeing you for the opening of the show, for which we are sending you an e-invite. We do hope that you will be able to join us in whackiest Monsoon avatar, with greens, blues, grays and purples…!

Also enclosed pictured from the Monsoon Light, Monsoon Paintings etc.

ROYAL CHALLENGE JETS DOWN PAUL OAKENFOLD

Paul Oakenfold was one of the first DJs to bring club music to UK, after hearing it in Ibiza in the '80s. It is commonly acknowledged that no one is better than Paul at driving bass lines. His classics include Gatecrasher, Ibiza, Havana, and Shanghai. We caught up with him during the Delhi leg of his India tour, co-sponsored by Royal Challenge, a flagship brand from the United Spirits' portfolio.

To contemporize the brand, and appeal to a younger audience, RC is associating itself with international music artistes and events. The latest is the Oakenfold show. "Royal Challenge is a leader brand and has remained a favorite with consumers over decades. It has always been associated with premier events and this association is in sync with the same", says Alok Gupta, Executive VP-Marketing, United Spirits.

How did you kickstart your career?

When I started deejaying, there was no money in this profession, and we did it for the love of playing music. My career started at 16, playing jazz and soul in Covent Garden with Trevor Fung. By the early 'eighties, I shifted base to New York. At that time, hip-hop was the freshest street sound around. In 1985, I spent the summer in Ibiza, and it transformed my life. Dancing to the oddest mix of music I had ever heard, my urge to import this experience - and the Balearic sound - back to England became too great to resist. Prior to my Ibiza trip, I had been spearheading a jazz and soul night at The Project in Streatham. On my return, I convinced the owner to let me host an after-hours 'Ibiza reunion' party. The night was a success and there has been no looking back since!

On the production front, I established my record label, Perfecto. Today it boasts artists as diverse as Arthur Baker, Harry 'Choo Choo' Romero, and Timo Maas on its rota, and has gone places by refusing to pander to only one style of dance music. Alongside building the Perfecto brand, I released remix CDs, amongst them my New York set for Global Underground - still the series' biggest seller to date.

On the club front, I undertook a two-year residence at Liverpool's Cream. Leaving home was a difficult decision for me, but I risked my UK and European profile, not to mention turning down the certainty of serious cash, to shift base to the US. 2001 has seen me score the John Travolta-starrer Swordfish, remix the theme to Tim Burton's Planet Of The Apes, DJ on Moby's Arena:One U.S. tour, and make a triumphal return to my home shores.
Do you tour often?

I'm touring every other month. I have a singular approach than what by and large goes on. I'm interested in playing all over America, so I've been in Pittsburgh on a Monday night and San Diego on a Tuesday and Dallas on a Wednesday. I'll go to those places and play smaller venues. It's nice to be invited over to India and play in Delhi and Mumbai.

You went to the US when the country was waking up to the underground culture. Have you seen a difference since then?

Yes, and it's strange. I wandered into Virgin Megastore sometime back, and I couldn't believe the amount of dance compilations compared to when I started. It's remarkable. And clearly trance seems to be the flavor of the season. There are so many trance albums now. I think my CDs are different, because it's not the same old bunch of new tunes.

Do you worry about trance, as a genre, burning out?

Yes! But I've always moved on anyhow. I'm not playing that definitive trance sound that you heard on Tranceport. That sound is over for me. That was a classic sound that exploded in the UK at that time. It then became pop. I'm playing darker music now. Not so many riffs although popular trance now is big riff-y sounds. Mine is more progressive, more underground, and darker.

How's your label doing?

Its doing great! We've got some good signings, some good records.
A number of American DJs rue they can't get a break in the UK. Why is this so and what could they do about it?
To a certain extent I think these guys are right. The old-school DJs have been embraced...people like Danny Tenaglia, David Morales, Frankie Knuckles. Its up to the promoters in the UK, really. My advice to the deejays is to get in the studio and concentrate on tunes. Because if those tunes are being played in England then promoters will bring them over. There are some great American DJs who don't get a break although they deserve it. The dance scene is about sharing, and the pie is big enough for everyone.

Do you ever worry about burnout?

Not really! I try to achieve a balance. If I start to feel that I'm losing interest then I wouldn't do it! I've not reached my peak yet. In fact, I'm enjoying it more now than ever!

WILLIAM DALRYMPLE'S City of Djinn's

Dreamtheatre presents WILLIAM DALRYMPLE'S City of Djinn's ,Organized by Act One Art Group. Director ; Rudradeep Chakraborti Producer: Rahul Dasinnur Pulkeshi Artwork; Arjun Sahdev

Editorial Compiled and Curated by Gaurav Kapoor

Dalrymple interests include Asia, India, the Middle East, Mughal rule as well as the world of Islam and early eastern Christianity. All of his six books have won prizes. His first three books were travel books based on his travels in the Middle East, India and Central Asia. Dalrymple has also published a book of essays about South Asia, and two books about the interaction between the British and the Mughals between the eighteenth and mid nineteenth century. He is a regular contributor to many Newspaper’s etc Married to the artist Olivia Fraser and has three children. He is a fellow of many literary societies, and he has been involved in the making of three television series and a prize-winning radio history. Likes tospend most of the year in Delhi, India, but moves back to London and Edinburgh during the summer.

Dalrymple's second book City of Djinns followed in 1994. The book was the result of a six-year stay in Delhi. Dalrymple examined the traumatic events of the Partition of India, the 1984 riots after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the world of the first British inhabitants of the city who "went native", the Mughals, the Tughluks, and ending with ancient Hindu origins of the city as described in The Mahabharata. The book followed his established style of historical digressions, tied in with contemporary events and a multitude of anecdotes:

William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns, was staged in the capital. Extremely ambitious in structure and craft, the play is a big budget for a theatrical adaptation in this country. Re-correcting the sights and sounds of 'dilli', ' a landscape of domes, a press of people, a choke of fumes, a whiff of spices".William’s love affair with Delhi started in 1989 and the result was City of Djinns , a travelogue. Now, 13 years after his travails gave us a glimpse of this city's forgotten past, a theatre adaptation of the book recreated the magical realism of the city that captivated the Scottish author almost 20 years ago. Ironically, it will have

Tom Alter, who's association with Delhi goes as far back as 1955. "When we were growing up," in a smaller town,"Delhi was the city of sins for us. He reminiscences cycling from Daryaganj to East Patel Nagar to meet various loves, watching test matches for five days at what is now the Feroze Shah Kotla, going to the Cellar nightclub, the first and only one at that time, and being awe-struck by the big city where you could buy a pair of jeans for Rs 50! "Delhi was nirvana," he says, for boy from a small-town in the 1950s and '60s. The city has changed several times since then. As has its portrait from the time when City of Djinns first made its appearance on the shelves in 1994 and took history out of the classrooms. But for all those who want to look back, a theatrical production may be just the thing.

The veteran artist (thespian and a television actor.) who never met Dalrymple until the play, said that he had read the City of Djinns twice and what makes the book special is its ability to catch Delhi when it was beginning to change in 1999. "The Delhi he writes about has changed. If a foreigner carries electronic goods, they are no longer stamped at the airport and the hassles while getting a telephone connection are prehistoric." However, he adds that the Puris who were the victims of partition and riots are still there. "The character of Mrs Puri, a Punjabi lady who has seen partition has touched me."

Tom, slips into the character of the author: "It suits itself very well, to theatre because he writes in a dramatic way. His characters are all very dramatic, there is no normal character in this book, the book is extremely theatrical and therefore we have been able to put it into a theatrical form," said Actor Tom Alter (considered to be fairly affable, at least by temperamental artistes' standards, is easily riled. "No," he says, "I have never been stereotyped." )

As you seek a conversation with the man of many muses, he obliges you with a rather humble remark, "I hope you won’t ask me if I am an Indian. I trust you know that I am one."

For the American, son of Presbyterian missionary parents, who grew up loving the lofty landscape of the Mussoorie hills he was born amidst, 52 years ago, it scarcely seemed exceptional learning the local lingo so remarkably as to perfect a career of it in Hindi films and theatre. As our quintessential Indian splashes the winning smile and confesses his love for Faiz and Ghalib, comfort dawns upon the heart. He has been inspired by a Faiz Ahmed Faiz couplet: "Ek fursat-e-gunaah mili woh bhi chaar din; dekhe hain hamne haunsale parvardigaar ke." ."I am bad at comedy," says the actor.

"I am history," says Segal, all of 95, who consented to a role (after initially rejecting the project because of her decreased mobility) because she discovered the play is based on a book by the same author who has written The Last Mughal. "I hadn't read the book and when Rahul came to me, I said, I don't do plays any longer. Then he discovered that I was reading this beautiful book by the same author.
Segal plays Norah Nicolson, a descendent of General John Nicolson, the "Lion of Punjab", (a British lady who came to India during the pre-partition period and never went back.) who succeeded in recapturing Delhi and quelling the Mutiny because his Indian troops were ready to do and die for him. Ironically, one of Segal's own ancestors from Rampur was a leader of the Revolt. What's indeed very convincing is Zohra's Norah Nickelson.

Produced by Dreamtheatre, the play held from April 13 to 26 at Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts in Delhi taking on a journey into the city's medieval and modern history, seen through the eyes of a foreigner. The play has approximately 50 actors ranging from the stage artists to the real life kebabwallas, snake charmers, Sufi saints and the eunuchs. It's also a musical narrative, where the different musical genres will help recreate a certain era or a place.
Rahul Pulkeshi, creative head, Dreamtheatre, the production company handling the project. Pulkeshi has been a British Council Charles Wallace scholar and has studied theatre in London.

As such his vision for the performing arts goes beyond what he calls "poor man's entertainment". His company is attempting to make an unapologetic business out of theatre - "make it a viable and sustainable source for providing employment and generating revenues". The production necessarily incorporates these values.

"There are Qawwali singers who'll depict Karachi, snake charmers playing their flutes, Punjabi folk songs and even band parties to support the narrative," says Rudra Deep Chakrabarti, director of the play. Interestingly, he read the book two years ago during a train journey and immediately wanted to make a play based on it. And how did Dalrymple react to it? "His first reaction was that its impossible to do a play on a travelogue. But I met him several times with the script and he finally gave me the go-ahead. He has also given me the liberty to use different languages like Urdu and Punjabi," shares Chakrabarti. ( an alumnus of the National School of Drama, has then conceived of his take on the book as a musical narrative. He will be dramatising only what he considers are the most powerful scenes from the book and mounting a series of tableaux to take viewers down the ages. )

The play commemorates the 150 years of the Revolt of 1857 and the 60 years of India's Independence. Ask Alter how the City of Djinns is a celebration of the landmark events and you get a prompt reply, "The fact that the book is written by a Britisher, and in 1857, we fought against them, and in 1947, gained freedom from people like him, but can still appreciate his writing."

From kawaali singers, the kabooter baaz (pigeon fanciers), khalifa, calligraphers, tangewallahs, eunuchs, and all these elements of old Delhi, the peers and all the serious thoughts, which are a part of the book.

Two and a half hours of real time of City of Djinns. Being 60 years of Indian independence and 150 years of the mutiny, historical surface of the capital.
While Live acts are becoming a good career option in indian metros. "Places like Delhi are evolving now and people are discovering the magic of live acts." Rahul Pulkeshi is in the business of finding suitable performances for equally suitable places. He is responsible for bringing in groups like Mystique and Frequency.

Most interesting thing is the venue - Mati Ghar off Raj-path. The facade not just lends itself to tableaux and to a sound and light show, also part of the proceedings, but according to Pulkeshi, has been chosen because here is where Old Delhi meets the New, Lutyen's.

A street bazaar and strains of Sufi music are to liven up the proceedings and add for sure to this nostalgia trip.

WLIFW Delhi 2007

Fashion News 2007