MUMBAI They are both self-proclaimed fans of J. Jayalalithaa. A Bangalore-based artist and a British photographer who has grown up in South India come together in an eccentric project exploring the history of photography as a tool of demographic documentation. And the southern siren-turned-chief minister Jayalalithaa inspires the opening visual of artist Pushpamala N. and photographer Clare Arni's exhibition titled "Native Women of South India-Manners and Customs", a collection of photo performance work.

PICTURE SPEAK

Two stereotypical images of south Indian women

The photographs that dot the walls of Gallery Chemould and Artist Centre, Kala Ghoda, hark back to the 19th century "zenana" or all women's studios run by British female photographers, where women in purdah would get themselves photographed. "We wanted to look at around 15 existing archetypes of south Indian women and deconstruct them," says Pushpamala. The artist gives new definition to the term self-expression and in trademark style, appears as the protagonist in every frame, recreating everyday and historical, religious and fictional characters.

Besides the memorable "Cracking the Whip" take-off on Jayalalithaa, check out the 16th century Deccani miniature painting of a sorceress "yogini" and a still titled "Flirting" based on Kannada films in the 1990s-all conveying stereotypical images of south Indian women in the 19th century.

A painstakingly created tableau forms the backdrop for each piece. "We were both interested in working with painted sets so we worked with commercial painters and other producers of visual pop culture. Each set, therefore, looks like a traditional photo studio shot," says Pushpamala. The incredible attention to detail makes each image believable. Pushpamala recalls how the Jayalalithaa image was inspired by a 1998 cover of India Today. Pushpamala and Arni's work is humorous, unconventional and decidedly different. The exhibition will be on till September 17. Sundays closed.

-By Kimi Dangor

DELHI Resembling the remnants of the Moulin Rouge sets, Royale Mirage is freakishly lavish. The ornate mirror frames, two-toned paint effects and the gilded wall scones create a heady drama. The dim lighting lets you do your own thing-snacking on its Franco-Arabic menu and downing some Cosmopolitans and Kamikaze shots. The chichi set can head to the VIP lounge that has a glass dance floor with water jets running beneath. Indulge in the velvet drapes of mini Arabia. At Crowne Plaza Surya (Wednesday to Saturday).

-By Supriya Dravid

DELHI Tired of singing above a chorus of flushing toilets? Then bolt out of the bathroom and get a showbiz lottery ticket. Talent hunts are a goldmine for TV channels. Through pop commerce they get pyts to sing, act or laugh their way to the bank. The search is now on for the next big voice. Channel V's Super Singer and Sony's Indian Idol, a glo-calised version of American Idol, hit the road next week. While Sony sticks to four cities, Channel V aims at 10. Sony has Farah Khan, Sonu Nigam and Anu Malik as judges; Channel V has roped in Adnan Sami. "The winner will be involved in performances and gigs with Sony," says spokesperson Anupama Mandloy. Seems sketchy but a recording contract of Rs 1 crore is up for grabs. "Channel V promises two albums and a Bollywood track," says head Amar Deb. Promising to be a platform for those aiming for greatness, these shows are also mind-numbing fodder for viewers. It will be more interesting to watch the judges judge than singers sing.

-By Supriya Dravid

RAKHT Director: Mahesh Manjrekar Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Suneil Shetty, Bipasha Basu

These are the things to look out for in Rakht: Dino Morea's surprisingly effective performance as an abusive husband (who knew he could act?); an unwittingly comical scene in which Shashikala turns into a spirit and flies out of the window; and Abhishek Bachchan transforming himself into an impressively sexy item man.

The rest of the film veers between occasionally engaging and mostly mind-numbing. The usual horror suspects are there: large lonely houses, mist, blood pouring from taps, sexy women who get killed. But Manjrekar does not blend the ingredients or the story (lifted from Hollywood's The Gift) into anything original.

Horror works best when leavened with doses of normalcy but pretty much everyone in Rakht seems unhinged: the heroine who has visions; her mentally challenged "dost"; the murder victim, a rich girl who pounces on every man she sees. It is hard to feel sorry for any of them. And when you don't care who dies, it's a bore.

-By Anupama Chopra

FASHION The new collection by Surily Goel, a former Manish Malhotra apprentice. At Ensemble and Shlok, Mumbai.

MUSIC Opera arias and choruses with Situ Buehler, Aude Priya Wacziarg and Chul Young Hur. At Sathya Sai International Centre, Delhi, on September 13.

ART About Turn, at F Bar & Lounge, Delhi. Prominent graphic artists comment on the Indian woman.

Dancers from Spanda

DELHI Next week two dancers from different forms present their original work as a tribute to dance patron Rupa Lal who passed away early this year. Bharatnatyam dancer Leela Samson, along with 10 students from her troupe Spanda, presents "Reflections" comprising four pieces-Ardhanarishwar, one of the many manifestations of Lord Shiva, Samahit, the coming together of the opposites, Rasasutra, which explores the navarasas, and Sanshlesh, conversations in reflections. Samson is a product of the Kalakshetra school, which influences her choreography. Samson's work always illuminates and transforms the stage. She makes you stop and think.

Meanwhile, an exponent of the newly evolved dance form Sufi Kathak, Manjari Chaturvedi, presents "Raqs: The Dance of the Soul". She presents Kathak to the accompaniment of musicians from Rajasthan, Awadh and Lucknow singing Sufi music, as well as traditional spiritual qawwali from Awadh and manganiars from Rajasthan. Dance is a relationship with the divine. Discover it at Kamani Auditorium on September 15 and 16.

-By S. Sahaya Ranjit

DELHI Theatre director Tamio Mizokami, not an unknown name in the Indian theatre world, is half Indian and talks in a mix of Japanese and Hindi. He was in Delhi with his twin productions Savdhan Saasji (Beware Mother-in-law), written by Shail Chaturvedi, and Kshudha Rahit (Zero Appetite), adapted from Sasa Toshiyuki's Japanese version. Mizokami, a Hindi professor at Osaka University, Japan, is a post-graduate from Delhi University and did his PhD on an odd subject -"Impact of Punjabi on migrant UP workers in Jalandhar". This seems to have come in handy in his latest play (Savdhan) in which a cute Japanese student plays the role of a typical Punjabi daughter-in-law. Mizokami's plays are being staged-after Delhi, Meerut, Hardwar and Dehradun-in Chandigarh on September 13 and in Mumbai on September 16. Savdhan is based on the evergreen topic of the cruel saas and the weak bahu. Kshudha Rahit talks about basic instincts like hunger and sex. The nuances of the language are often at odds with dialogue delivery and expression but since no one expects the actors to have a Hindi sensibility, they meet with applause. Students also worked on a dance on Dola Re from Devdas, by watching it on video.

-By Sheokesh Mishra