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Film and social media in Mumbai

Two events – one on films and the other on social media – will keep you entertained this Friday evening.
by Medha Kulkarni

Guru Dutt in PyaasaPyaasa, reloaded

In its 100 years of existence, the Indian film industry has produced some fabulous gems in terms of cinema. Today, make your way to NCPA, Mumbai to relive one of Indian cinema’s most iconic films, Pyaasa.

The NCPA Flashback Series, in collaboration with the NFAI, commemorates 100 years of Indian cinema. Every month, Indian cinema’s glorious past will be revisited through a selection of rare classics.

Guru Dutt’s classic melodrama was the first in a series to address the state of the nation and the displaced romantic artist. Vijay is an unsuccessful poet whose work is sold by his brothers as waste paper. Unable to bear the reigning philistinism, he chooses to live on the streets where a young prostitute, Gulab, falls in love with him and his poetry, while Vijay’s former girlfriend Meena marries an arrogant publisher for comfort and security.

When a dead beggar to whom Vijay gave his coat is mistaken for Vijay, Gulab has his poetry published in a book which becomes a bestseller. Everyone who had rejected Vijay now gathers to pay tribute to the dead poet. Vijay disrupts the celebration with a passionate song denouncing hypocrisy and calling for the violent destruction of a corrupt world.

Pyaasa

 

(B&W/Hindi/153mins/1957)

Directed and produced by Guru Dutt

Dialogues by Abrar Alvi

Cast: Guru Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Mala Sinha, Johnny Walker and others

Head to the Little Theatre, NCPA, today at 6.30 pm. Admission on a first-come-first served basis. NCPA members will get preferential seating till 6.20 pm.

 

indiaculturelabOf social media and fashion

Social Media has been one of the biggest revolutions of this century. It has impacted every field and changed the rules. This Friday, September 27, The Fashion Funda panel discussion at the Godrej India Culture Labs seeks to explore this phenomena.

The discussion ‘Is social media the new front row?’ boasts of panelists such a Nonita Kalra (former Editor-in-Chief of Elle Magazine), Malini Agarwal (founder and Blogger-in-Chief of MissMalini), Pearl Shah (celebrity stylist and former Fashion Director of Marie Claire), Karishma Rajani (writer and blogger at the personal style blog Purple Peeptoes) and Parmesh Shahani (head of the Godrej India Culture Lab).

One of the highlights of the event is that the audience gets the chance to take a walk through  special ‘Fashionstallations’ made by Teach For India students – a look into the world of fashion as seen through a child’s eyes.

With a promise of ‘chic kababs‘ post the panel discussion, the event promises to be an engaging and interesting one.

Entry is free but seating is limited so make sure you reach the venue in time so as to not miss it. Get more information on the website www.indiaculturelab.org.

(Pictures courtesy urduwallahs.wordpress.com, 1linereview.blogspot.com, indiaculturelab.org)

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The sound of music…in Mumbai

Lower Parel’s got a world-class contemporary music school at Sun Mill Compound recently. Mumbai musicians, get your groove on now!
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It’s a bright red building with a purple signage, in the heart of the bustling market area on Lower Parel (west). The cacophony of the various chaiwallahs and various sandwich stalls and paanwallahs sets the mood for the area, a space where offices jostle for space with Hanuman temples, and where everybody moves quickly through tiny lanes, since there’s not much place to dawdle.

So the True School of Music (TSM) comes as a bit of a shock in these dreary surroundings, and not just because of its violently red exterior. On the inside, the 15,000 square feet of space is sunny (the central courtyard being lit by natural light through skylights), plush and completely world class. TSM was formally inaugurated last week on September 5, Teachers Day, by its founders, renowned music composer Ashutosh Phatak and sound engineer Nitin Chandy.

Ashutosh Phatak, Founder, TSMThe duo decided to start the first-of-its-kind music facility “to educate everybody in music.” Ashutosh (in pic on left) explains, “We want to provide music education of the highest calibre, and at a fraction of the cost that one would incur if one took admission to a music school abroad. We’ve already got over 30 students enrolled and we’re raring to go. We want to discover, educate and empower people in music with the skills necessary in their music careers.”

What’s so special?

For starters, TSM is set up in association with the Manhattan School of Music, the Academy of Contemporary Music (UK) and the Trinity College of Music, London. Besides, the school has “employed some of the world’s best professional tutors and claims that all graduates will be given professional placements.

“We got the facility done in three months, and there are two schools within it – the Foundation School and the Professional School,” Ashutosh explains. “The Professional School will feature five Western instruments (keyboards, bass, guitar, drums and vocals) as well as music production, composition, DJ and live sound engineering. Whereas, the Foundation School will have the same five Western instruments plus the five Indian instruments of tabla, sitar, flute, harmonium and vocals,” he adds.

There are classrooms, practice rooms, jam rooms, a recording studio and a world-class auditorium on the premises, for a well-rounded musical experience. “TSM will give employers like clubs, filmmakers, ad agencies and production houses the luxury to choose from a wider range of talent in music,” Ashutosh says.

If you want to know more about the courses TSM offers, log on to www.trueschool.in. You can also take a tour of the facilities till September 12, 2013. TSM is located at Sun Mill Compound, near Lower Parel station (West), close to the Hanuman temple. Classes begin from September 23, 2013.

(Pictures courtesy TSM)

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Hula hoop, we say!

This cost-effective and fun way to exercise comes to the city through a one-hour workshop taking place at Bandra tomorrow. Go for it!
by Medha Kulkarni

Do these sound familiar?

“I will go for a jog every day.”
“ I will do yoga on my own at home.”
“I will YouTube fitness videos and follow them at home.”

Urban India is quite firmly caught in the throes of the fitness mantra and that’s a positive sign. However,the nature of our lifestyles and work leaves us with very little to really do anything about it. There’s a percentage of people who regularly attend the gym or various other fitness classes, but this percentage is still a minority. The rest of us try to eat as healthy as possible and frequently decide to do some form of fitness activity. But let’s be honest – most of our plans never come to anything.

hula hoop workshopThe main reason for this is lack of motivation.While we are very keen on being fit, it’s very difficult to really follow a fitness routine on your own at home. Maybe this is why hula hooping is fast gaining popularity. If you want to get into shape via a fun exercise activity, go for Leona Rodrigues’s hula hooping workshop at Bandra today.

What is hula hooping?
A hula hoop is a hollow hoop, which comes in various diameters. It has till recently been relegated as a toy and indeed, children have great fun hula hooping. However, the health benefits of hula hooping have quickly catapulted it to the top of fitness routines.

Hula hooping has a variety of health benefits. It’s an excellent workout for your abs and waist, it makes your spine supple and flexible, and burns calories effectively. Just 30 minutes of regular hula hooping every day can produce striking results in barely six weeks. The best part? It’s an inexpensive way of exercise – buying a hoop is one-time investment and it’s a lot of fun.

Once you master the basic technique, you can hula hoop away excess fat in any part of the body!

The workshop

If you are interested in learning to hula hoop, make your way to Bandra tomorrow, where Leona will conduct a one hour session at St. Joseph’s Convent High School Hall, Hill Road. Leona will not only teach you how to hula hoop, but will also answer all your hoop-related doubts. The best part about this workshop? At Rs 500, it will cost less than a movie out.

Hoops will be provided at the workshop and if you’re so inclined, you can even buy one from Leona to practice at home. Leona has been hula hooping for years and has conducted several workshops till date.For more information and registration, call 9867322077.

(Pictures courtesy natalieplaton.com and Hoopgaga )

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Bringing butterflies back to Mumbai

A new initiative by a city-based NGO, OASIS, hopes to attract butterflies – and colour – back to the city.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

In a city starved of green spaces and facing greatly diminished nesting areas for birds, any initiative that strives to welcome our feathered friends into the hustle and bustle of the city must be welcomed with open arms.

A few weeks ago, on June 5, World Environment Day, city-based NGO OASIS started a new initiative for Mumbai city, specifically targeting its public gardens, in an attempt to create ‘butterfly parks’ at various spots in the city. The initiative, called ‘Bring back butterflies’ aims to attract at least some of the 150 species of butterflies seen in Mumbai, to the city’s public gardens and parks.

Dr Puja SukhijaSpeaking to The Metrognome, OASIS’ (Organisation of Aware Saviours In Society) Dr Puja Sukhija (in pic on left), whose idea this initiative was, said, “In 2011, we had conducted a project on roughly mapping the flora and fauna of Mumbai. Under this, students took a survey of the birds in certain areas, and while the survey was being conducted, we all realised that we hadn’t spotted any butterflies.”

Cut to 2013. Dr Sukhija envisaged a plan to convert the city’s public gardens into butterfly parks, with the help of school children from the nearest schools. “The idea is to plant saplings of such nectar-rich plants as lantanas, that attract the Grass Jewel Butterfly and the Blue Mormon. The Grass Jewel is among the tiniest butterflies in the world, while the Blue Mormon is most commonly found in India and Sri Lanka,” she explained. “We submitted our plan to the Environment Department, State of Maharashtra, and they were very happy with the idea. We have been sanctioned Rs 3,00,000 by them to plant saplings in as many BMC gardens and public parks as possible. We already have upwards of 15 gardens and we are largely focussed on BMC schools’ participation.”

The initiative largely hinges on identifying the best gardens after contacting the BMC, then looking for schools in the vicinity and getting Sapling plantation drive at Kharstudents on board. “We first speak with the students in school, then we take them to the garden and show them the site,” Dr Sukhija says. The planting of saplings is done on pre-determined days, and monitoring of the outcomes is done regularly.

The funds generated by the Government are used for such activities as digging, paying labour, maintenance and purchasing saplings. “We also need funds to conduct educational talks in schools and create awareness. So far, the response has been great – children are extremely receptive to the idea. We are now looking at having college students enroll in the initiative, so that we can scale up the project to include data collection, monitoring and general maintenance,” Dr Sukhija says.

Would you like to be a part of the ‘Bring butterflies back’ project? Contact OASIS on 9820403344 or write to them at info@oasisngo.org.

 (Pictures courtesy commons.wikimedia.org, OASIS) 

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Baulish delights

A total fun weekend awaits Mumbai’s music lovers, as the Bauls of Bengal perform at various spots in the city.
by Medha Kulkarni

This weekend promises to be an absolute treat for music lovers across the city. From July 13 to 15, different locations across the city will play host to an introduction to the Bauls of Bengal with Lakshman Das Baul.

The word ‘Baul’ has its etymological origin in the Sanskrit words ‘Vatula’ (madcap), or ‘Vyakula’ (restless) and used for someone who is ‘possessed’ or ‘crazy’. The Bauls originally were a nonconformist people who rejected societal norms to form a sect where music was their religion. Baul is the name that is given to the genre of folk music developed by this sect.

baulsLakshman Das Baul is a disciple and the adopted son of renowned Baul master and composer Shri Shudhir Goshai of famous Joydev-Tamaltala Ashram in Birbhum District. He is a young performer well known for his magnificent energetic performances. He accompanies himself with Anandalahari and Dotara while he sings. He has performed in many parts of India. After the demise of Shri Shudhir Goshai, he has looked after the Joydev-Tamaltala Ashram, where he lives with his wife and son and the Mother (the companion of Shri Shudhir Goshai). He has been collaborating with the renowned master Parvathy Baul.

The music of the Bauls is not only a stunning art form, but is also an oral documentation of history as the Bauls are storytellers at heart. The nomadic people travel the country singing and performing and enthralling and entertaining, but it is an art that is unfortunately increasingly under the threat of extinction. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience this art and also to support it and ensure it’s survival.A rich repertoire of knowledge, this art promises to mesmerize it’s audience.

Here is the itinerary for this event :

July 13 7 pm to 8.30 pm, Vivekananda Auditorium, Ramakrishna Mission, and Khar West.

July 14 11 am to 12.30 pm, New Acropolis Centre, A-0 Connaught Mansions, opposite Colaba Post Office, Colaba AND 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm, Sangeet Mahabharti,10th Road, Opposite Amitabh Bachchan’s Bungalow, Juhu.

July 15 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm, Comet Media Foundation, 301 Meher House, 15 Cawasji Patel Street, Fort.

(Pictures courtesy ushaharding.blogspot.com, epaper.timesofindia.com)

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Music and love for the soul

Catch this lovely 2009 French film this evening, on love, music, fidelity and work-life balance at the Prithvi Theatre, Juhu.
by Medha Kulkarni

While the incessant rain makes most normal activities quite difficult, they also magnify the pleasure in others. Watching good cinema is one of them and if you agree, then head to Prithvi Theatre on Wednesday evening to catch the screening of French film Mademoiselle Chambon.

Mademoiselle ChambonThe film is being sceened at the theatre in partnership with Insitut Francais. Mademoiselle Chambon is a 2009 romance-drama film directed by Stephane Briz. The 101-minute long film revolves around the life of Jean, his loving wife and son who live a simple, happy life. Things begin to change when his son’s homeroom teacher Madamoiselle Chambon requests Jean to volunteer as substitute teacher and gradually starts to fall for her delicate and elegant charm. His ordinary life between family and work starts to falter.

The film is carefully constructed and depicts this moving tale of unexpected romance with elegance and subtlety. Stéphane Brizé’s directorial style is marked with patience and delicacy, sensitive to the rhythms of this special relationship full of misconstrued signals and ambiguous feelings. It’s a soft, elegant film and is a perfect way to spend a rainy evening.

Watch the film’s trailer here:

Like all screenings at Prithvi Theatre, entry is free but seating is limited. And since Prithvi Theatre is extremely strict about timings, please make sure you reach at least five minutes before the screening as you might be denied entry if you are late. The screening starts at 7 pm.

 

(Pictures courtesy cachecine.blogspot.com, filmsdefrance.com)

 

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