Contemporary dance choreographer Ashley Lobo’s ‘Amaara’ will be staged on Saturday a Cross Maidan.
The seventeenth edition of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF), the city’s longest-running neighbourhood cultural festival, will begin this weekend. This time, the festival will run longer than the usual nine days, as it is also concurrent with the Make In India festival, which will be held from Friday, February 13 to Thursday, February 18. The theme for 2016 is Crossing the Threshold. As always there will be plenty of art installations and shopping stalls to check out plus over 100 cultural events. Here are our picks of the shows, talks, tours and workshops worth attending during the opening weekend.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6
CHILDREN’S EVENTS
Book Swap for Kids
Children between four and 15 can exchange their own books with each other.
When: From 10.30am to 6pm.
Where: Front garden of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
Stories in the Park
A game in which kids between eight and 15 will be made to read stories written on posters and answer a quiz.
When: At 11am.
Where: Front garden of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
Saving the Very Last Dodo
Venita Coelho, author of Dead as a Dodo, will read from her book about a wildlife trafficker’s attempts to capture the last surviving dodos.
When: At 11.30am.
Where: Kitab Khana.
Soldiers of Soil
Eco-friendly crafts will be taught to children between four and 15.
When: At 1pm.
Where: Front garden of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
Seedha Sadha Serpy/Nagmodi Nagoba
Writers Rajiv Tambe and Rujuta Ghate will narrate a story in Hindi and Marathi about a snake that wants to move in a straight line.
When: At 3pm.
Where: Kitab Khana.
Animation 101
Norwegian-Canadian animator Torill Kove, who won the Academy Award in 2007 for her short film The Danish Poet, will talk about creating animation stories.
When: At 5pm.
Where: Kitab Khana.
The ‘Damru’ Music and Rhyme Workshop
Singer and playwright Isheeta Ganguly will conduct a fusion music workshop for children of all ages.
When: At 5pm.
Where: Front garden of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
DANCE
Lezim by Yashraj Kala Manch
A performance of the energetic Maharashtrian folk dance.
When: At 5.10pm.
Where: Cross Maidan.
Sangeetha Rajan and Urban Temple
A Odissi performance by Sangeetha Rajan, who runs the performing arts company Urban Temple.
When: At 5.55pm.
Where: Cross Maidan.
Amaara by Ashley Lobo’s Navdhara
A contemporary dance recital choreographer by Ashley Lobo, who is a judge on the reality TV talent show India’s Dancing Superstar on Star Plus.
When: At 8.50pm.
Where: Cross Maidan.
FOOD
Food Styling and Photography
Gather tips on how to make your home-cooked meals and restaurant plates Instagram-worthy in a food styling workshop by home cook and food stylist Amrita Rana, who is famous for her bacon jam.
When: At 1pm.
Where: Wisk.
Olive Oil Workshop with Ranveer Brar
TV chef Ranveer Brar will demonstrate how to prepare Indian food with olive oil. The workshop will feature recipes from his TV show The Great Indian Rasoi.
When: At 1pm.
Where: Westside.
Modern Pan Asian Cuisine: Pa Pa Ya
Sahil Singh, the chef at Lower Parel’s Pa Pa Ya, will conduct a cooking demonstration of items on the modern pan-Asian restaurant’s menu.
When: At 4pm.
Where: Westside.
HERITAGE TOURS
Fort Banking District
Conservation architects Kruti Garg and Sanaeya Vandrewala will talk about how the city became the financial capital of the country on this guided walk through the banking district in Fort. The tour will end with a visit to the Central Bank and its museum.
When: At 1.45pm.
Where: The meeting point is the HSBC building, M. G. Road, opposite Flora Fountain, Fort at 1.30pm.
Heritage Bus Tour
This hour-long tour in an open-top double-decker bus through South Mumbai’s heritage areas will give participants a chance to see city monuments such as the Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Hotel, High Court, University of Mumbai and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus from an elevated viewing point. One pass per person can be collected from the help desk, located near Max Mueller Bhavan on K. Dubash Marg, between 2pm and 2.15pm for the 4.30pm ride and between 2.30pm and 2.45pm for the 5.45pm ride.
When: At 4.30pm and 5.45pm.
Where: The assembly point is Gate No.4 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya at 4pm for the 4.30pm ride and 5.15pm for the 5.45pm ride.
LITERATURE
Family Ties
Raghu Karnad, journalist and author of Farthest Afield: A Story of India’s Second World War, and writer Mridula Koshy, whose second novel Bicycle Dreaming was released last week, will discuss drawing on family histories while working on their respective books.
When: At 5pm.
Where: David Sassoon Library Garden.
The Autobiography of a Goddess
Mumbai poet Priya Sarukkai Chabria and Indian-American poet Ravi Shankar will discuss the work of eighth-century Tamil poet Andal.
When: At 5.30pm.
Where: Artists’ Centre.
Homeland Tales
The authors of the book A Long Dream of Home Siddhartha Gigoo and Varad Sharma, both whom are from Kashmir, will discuss their troubled home state.
When: At 6.15pm.
Where: David Sassoon Library Garden.
Launch of Kala Ghoda – The Arts District
The book, edited by conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, will be launched.
When: At 6.30pm.
Where: Cross Maidan.
THEATRE
What’s Up?
In this Gujarati solo show, directed by Manoj Shah and performed by Chirag Vora, a man organising a family wedding is forced to make last-minute changes just as he’s dashing to Chicago.
When: At 6.30pm.
Where: M. C. Ghia Hall.
One on One 2
In this sequel to theatre group Rage’s 2010 set of mini plays One on One, seven directors, ten writers and six actors will present eight short pieces on topics ranging from the music industry and marriage to war and Bollywood.
When: At 7pm.
Where: National Gallery of Modern Art.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7
ART WORKSHOP
Kala Ghoda Musings by Sameer Kulavoor
The graphic designer, who recently published Kala Ghoda Musings, an illustrated tribute to the neighbourhood, will conduct a sketching workshop.
When: At 5.30pm.
Where: Artisans’ Centre.
CHILDREN’S EVENTS
Book Swap for Kids
Kids between four and 15 can exchange their own books with each other.
When: From 10.30am to 6pm.
Where: Front garden of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
Tiger Boy!
Children’s writer Anushka Ravishankar and wildlife activist and founder of Sanctuary Magazine Bittu Sahgal will conduct a Save the Tiger poster making competition.
When: At 10.30am.
Where: Kitab Khana.
Workshop with Arzan Khambatta and Sunil Padwal
The veteran artists will teach kids to make sculptures with used objects.
When: At 11am.
Where: Front garden of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
Storytime with Deepa Kiran
Professional storyteller Deepa Kiran will introduce kids of all ages to folk tales.
When: At 1pm.
When: Front garden of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
Fire Your Mind With Science
Srijan Pal Singh, who co-wrote Reignited with former Indian president A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, will talk about the importance of science in education.
When: At 5pm.
Where: Kitab Khana.
FOOD
The Organic Local Food Movement
Restaurateurs Pankil Shah of The Pantry and Woodside Inn, Farhad Bomanjee of Kala Ghoda Cafe and Yohaan Dattoobhai of Kaboom, will discuss the use of locally grown produce in their kitchens. The talk will be moderated by Kumud Dadlani, a member of the Indian chapter of the Slow Food movement.
When: At noon.
Where: Somaiya Centre for Lifelong Learning.
The New Face of Bombay Food Producers
Yohaan Dattoobhai will be in conversation with Sanmitra Pandharpur of Offerings Farms & Natural Foods; Adrienne Thadani, the founder of Fresh and Local, a company that sets up rooftop gardens; and Prateeksh Mehra, who runs The Spotted Cow Fromagerie.
When: At 1.30pm.
Where: Somaiya Centre for Lifelong Learning.
Bhonu For Two: SodaBottleOpenerWala
Learn how to cook a Parsi bhonu from Darius Madon, head chef at SodaBottleOpenerWala, the Parsi restaurant in BKC.
When: At 4pm.
Where: Westside.
Flavours of Kala Ghoda Book Launch
To celebrate five years since food events were introduced as a section at the KGAF, the festival organising committee will launch a book called Flavours of Kala Ghoda. Compiled by Nicole Mody, the book is a collection of recipes procured from restaurants in Fort and by chefs who have given food demonstrations over five years.
When: At 6pm.
Where: Cross Maidan.
Flavours of Kala Ghoda
Journalist and food writer Vir Sanghvi, restaurateur Rahul Akerkar, food blogger Nicole Mody and food writer Antoine Lewis will talk about “mapping culinary journeys”.
When: At 7.15pm.
Where: David Sassoon Library.
HERITAGE TOURS
The Esplanade
Learn about how Cross Maidan, Oval Maidan, Azad Maidan and Cooperage once formed a vast green open space known as the Esplanade at this guided walk by conservation architects Kruti Garg and Sanaeya Vandrewala.
When: At 11.15am.
Where: The meeting point is the entrance to Oval Maidan, opposite Mumbai University, Fort at 10.45am.
Heritage Bus Tour
This hour-long tour in an open-top double-decker bus through South Mumbai’s heritage areas will give participants a chance to see city monuments such as the Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Hotel, High Court, University of Mumbai and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus from an elevated viewing point. One pass per person can be collected from the help desk, located near Max Mueller Bhavan on K. Dubash Marg, between 2pm and 2.15pm for the 4.30pm ride and between 2.30pm and 2.45pm for the 5.45pm ride.
When: At 4.30pm and 5.45pm.
Where: The assembly point is Gate No.4 of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya at 4pm for the 4.30pm ride and 5.15pm for the 5.45pm ride.
LITERATURE
The Cat and the Comma by Niloufer Venkatraman
The editor-in-chief of National Geographic Traveller India will conduct a workshop on travel writing.
When: At 11am.
Where: Artists’ Centre.
Legends, Myths, Histories
Journalist Shoaib Daniyal and Shahid Amin, historian and author of Conquest and Community: The Afterlife of Warrior Saint Ghazi Miyan, will discuss Amin’s work on the eleventh-century warrior saint.
When: At 5.30pm.
Where: Artists’ Centre.
Becoming Indian
Ranjit Hoskote, art curator and the curator of the Literature section of the festival, and Jonathan Gil Harris, author of The First Firangis, will discuss how early immigrants to India adapted to local customs.
When: At 6.45pm.
Where: Artists’ Centre.
Nucleus of Creativity – Kala Ghoda – The Arts District
Architect Rahul Mehrotra; Devieka Bhojwani, whose mother Usha Khanna used to run Samovar Café at Jehangir Art Gallery; artist and KGAF head curator Brinda Miller; and conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, who edited the book Kala Ghoda – The Arts District, will discuss the significance of Kala Ghoda in the city’s cultural scene.
When: At 8.45pm.
Where: David Sassoon Library Garden.
MUSIC
Symphony Orchestra of India’s Children Section
Children trained by the Symphony Orchestra of India will perform a Western classical music recital under the baton of SOI music director Marat Bisengaliev.
When: At 5pm.
Where: Cross Maidan.
Amjad Ali Khan with Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan
The country’s most prominent sarod player will perform with his sons, who’ve followed in their famous father’s footsteps.
When: At 6.15pm.
Where: Cross Maidan.
Samparan
This Indian classical-fusion band, made up of tabla player Ojas Adhiya, keyboardist Vishal Dhumal, violinist Manas Kumar, flautist Ninad Mulaokar, saxophonist I. D. Rao and percussionist Gautam Sharma, plays the kind of easy listening music that’s a hit with audiences at cultural festivals.
When: At 7.50pm.
Where: Cross Maidan.
Sandhya Sanjana
The Mumbai-born singer, who now lives in London and Amsterdam, makes tunes that bring together Indian classical, jazz and rock sounds.
When: At 9.10pm.
Where: Cross Maidan.
THEATRE
Ambu and Rajalakshmi
Written by Ramu Ramanathan and directed by Gurleen Judge, Ambu and Rajalakshmi is an English play about the reunion of two cousins on the occasion of a death in the family.
When: At 5pm.
Where: M. C. Ghia Hall.
Black With Equal
In director Vickram Kapadia’s hit comedy, a building society meeting rapidly descends into a communal slanging match exposing the deep-seated prejudices held by supposedly secular people.
When: At 7.30pm.
Where: Horniman Circle Garden.
The Race Course and Other Stories
A suite of dramatic readings of short stories on Mumbai directed by Anil Chandiramani and written by Anthony Soni, Vikram Phukan, Mallika Krishnamurthy and Sunil Sharma.
When: At 8pm.
Where: M. C. Ghia Hall.
VENUES
Artisans’ Centre
Artisans’ Centre, V.B. Gandhi Marg, near Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda. Tel: 022 2267 3040.
Artists’ Centre
Ador House, K. Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda. Tel: 022 2284 5939.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
Mahatma Gandhi Road, Kala Ghoda. Tel: 022 2284 4484.
Cross Maidan
New Marine Lines, Churchgate.
David Sassoon Library Garden
David Sassoon Library, M. G. Road, Kala Ghoda. Tel: 022 2284 3703.
Kitab Khana
Somaiya Bhavan, Ground Floor, Flora Fountain, Fort. Tel: 022 6170 2276.
M. C. Ghia Hall
Bhogilal Hargovindas Building, Second Floor, K. Dubash Marg, Kala Ghoda. Tel: 022 2284 4350.
National Gallery of Modern Art
M. G. Road, Kala Ghoda. Tel: 022 2288 1969.
Somaiya Centre for Lifelong Learning
Somaiya Bhavan, near Davar’s College, Flora Fountain, Fort. Tel: 022 6170 2270.
Westside
Army Navy Building, M. G. Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort. Tel: 022 6636 0497.
Wisk
Jatia Chambers, Second Floor, V. B. Gandhi Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort. Tel: 022 3021 3333.