It’s a mind of magic, The bell that rings inside your mind, It’s like challenging the doors of time. Freddie Mercury applies, and how, to the soul of India that simply won’t go away despite everything. Keep your pact with it at the India International Centre on Monday evening at 7 pm on the Fountain Lawns, when Ma Kali’s own rock band performs devotional music.
They’re the Andul Kirti Samiti, all 14 members of a band that’s lasted a 130 years (God is the glue!) and their thing is kirtan (American spirituals come closest as a genre) which has always been People’s Music. As Delhi might enjoy discovering, there’s life way beyond Anuradha Paudwal and T-Series filmi piety, so get out there and rock with Ma Kali (and Krishna).
Paro-Chandramukhi go to Gurgaon
Again, there’s life beyond Aishwarya going Eeeshhh! in Sarat Chandra’s Devdas and Yatrik, Delhi’s oldest theatre group (founded in 1964) tries to show how at Epicentre, Sector 44, Apparel House, Gurgaon, on September 6 and 7 (7.30 pm). Tickets at Rs 500, 350 and 250; please call 01242715000, 9810605806 or do online bookings at www.bookmyshow.com
This version of Devdas lasts two hours, adapted by Saurav Tiwari and directed by Prakash Bhatia. Wear loose, comfortable clothes and be sure you don’t leave home without a supply of mints, Mars bars and water bottles. You’ll love all that schadenfreude just like a century of Indians before you and take heart, it’s not like an Eugene O’Neill play that goes on forever so that the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to People has to batter down the doors to let you out.
Dancing queens
The pupils of Guru Kanaka Srinivasan’s institute, Nrithyaranjani, will present an evening of Bharata Natyam Shivam Sundaram..Hari Maduram (a nice blend of Shaiva and Vaishnava themes) at the Epicentre, Gurgaon, this very evening at 7.30 pm. And a formidable trio of artistes will dance at the Stein Auditorium at the India Habitat Centre on Sunday evening at 7 pm: Kavita Dwibedi (Odissi), Jayaprabha Menon (Mohini Attam) and the powerful Margi Sathi of Trivandrum (Nangiaar Koothu, the laydiss’ version of Kudiyattam).
Dancing queens
The pupils of Guru Kanaka Srinivasan’s institute, Nrithyaranjani, will present an evening of Bharata Natyam Shivam Sundaram..Hari Maduram (a nice blend of Shaiva and Vaishnava themes) at the Epicentre, Gurgaon, this very evening at 7.30 pm. And a formidable trio of artistes will dance at the Stein Auditorium at the India Habitat Centre on Sunday evening at 7 pm: Kavita Dwibedi (Odissi), Jayaprabha Menon (Mohini Attam) and the powerful Margi Sathi of Trivandrum (Nangiaar Koothu, the laydiss’ version of Kudiyattam).
Sami Sisters
The Wednesday Charity Club is a group of Delhi ladies who have helped students at the Kannada School, the Delhi Tamil Education Association and many government schools, without regional or communal bias. They are very proud of the children who have then gone on to excellent professional colleges.
They also run vocational centres in St.Mary’s School, Safdarjung Enclave and at Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai. Nearly a 1,000 poor girls have learnt income-generating skills like cutting, tailoring and beauty arts. The club is now putting up a benefit concert to celebrate their silver jubilee and nice news for Delhi, they're presenting an evening of popular songs by the delightful Sami Sisters (Usha Uthup, Indira Srinivasan and Maya Sami) on Sunday, September 7, at 6.30 pm, Kamani Auditorium. Mrs Margaret Alva, General Secretary of the AICC will preside. Entry free. Enjoy!