PICTURE SPEAK

The power of simplicity and subtlety

The lunatic fringe which made shooting so difficult for Deepa Mehta that she had to abandon filming Water in 2000 and move it to Sri Lanka under another name, should be made to watch the final product. It is a little labour of love. There is no fire-breathing against any religion, no edifice is likely to be rattled and certainly no fairly-aware Indian is told of something he or she didn't know. But out of such subtlety there arises tremendous emotional resonance and some startlingly understated performances. Chuhiya, played by Sri Lankan actor Sarala; Biswas, playing Shakuntala, the stern but secretly loving backbone of the ashram; Manorama, as Madhumati, the corrupt old widow who trades the beautiful young widow, Kalyani (Lisa Ray), every night to a rich old zamindar across the river. And Abraham looking remarkably at ease reciting Kalidas, as Ray's star-crossed admirer.

What were the protesters afraid of? The power of love, even though it is doomed? The pain of widowhood, a reality so many women in India still live with? Or was it the simplicity of the message: the rituals that we often accept unquestioningly have, as Kulbhushan Kharbanda's Hindu priest puts it, a core economic reality behind them. Now if only the ghats that are shot so beautifully by Giles Nuttgens but clearly do not belong to the Ganga, were actually in Varanasi, how much more powerful the film would have been.

-By Kaveree Bamzai

PICTURE SPEAK

Art works for a cause

-By S. Kalidas

PICTURE SPEAK

Sarukkai's winning pose

- By Ashok Vajpeyi. Venue: Raj Sadan, Ayodhya.

PICTURE SPEAK

The way the world rocks

Canadian singer Bryan Adams will perform as part of the Third Time Lucky tour by DNA Networks, in Mumbai (Bandra-Kurla Complex) on February 4 and in Bangalore on February 5. The One Tree Music Festival, a three-day long event to be held at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai, will present performances by classic rock act Uriah Heep on February 10 and will close with The Blues Brothers on February 12.

What all these festivals have in common other than the international performers is the organisers' agony over infrastructure problems, red-tapism and sponsorships. The show nevertheless goes on.

-By Vanita Singh

PICTURE SPEAK

Voicing the problems

BANGALORE/CHENNAI/KOLKATA Initiated in Latin America in 2002, the TRI Continental Film Festival showcases films highlighting social and political issues. This year 16 documentaries and four feature films from Latin America, Africa and Asia will be screened and travel from Delhi to Mumbai, Bangalore (from January 29 to 31 at Alliance Francaise), Chennai (from February 1 to 2 at the Film Chamber Theatre) and Kolkata (from February 3 to 5 at Nandan). While Samina Mishra's The House on Gulmohar Avenue analyses what it means to be a Muslim living in India, Weapons of Mass Deception by former journalist Danny Schechter talks about another "war" fought in Iraq-that by armies of journalists. Passes will be available at the respective venues.

-By Vanita Singh

Nishwas
Music Today; Rs 250

Mandolin U. Rajesh grew up as a pure Carnatic musician. His fascination for world music grew later. In 2004, he recorded music with Pete Lockett, the well-known multi-instrumentalist. Canadian guitarist John Gwasky, Bikram Ghosh, Keith Peters, Uma Shankar and Anil Srinivasan added their inputs later. Mandolin U. Rajesh and Friends present eight numbers, unique in presentation and sound. Nishwas, a collection of three compositions, has been compiled by three maestros-Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Ustad Ashish Khan. The first piece "Explore" by Sharma portrays the explorations of the soul. Khan's "Evolve" reflects a mature approach to adventure in life. Chaurasia's "Dissolve" is a reflection on the last stage of human evolution. The accompanists are: late Shafaat Khan, Swapan Chowdhri, Anindo Chatterjee and Vikku Vinayakram. Tune in.

-By S. Sahaya Ranjit

PICTURE SPEAK

Malkit Singh

Q: What is the secret that makes Malkit Singh tick whereas other bhangra musicians have not survived?
A: It is my style. It is traditional in approach and meaningful in content. Nachna Aaj Nachna is my 21st album. I want to keep Punjabi folk music alive.

Q: Do you feel there has been a dilution of Punjabi folk music?
A: Yes. In the West, everyone is turning to Indian culture and folk music for experimentation, while sadly, in India we look to the West for inspiration. We have to preserve our identity.

Q: Why did you settle in the United Kingdom?
A: I went to UK for a performance and found my life partner there. It's not that I don't love India. My mother and other relatives are in Punjab.

Q: Do you sing religious songs also?
A: Yes. I sing shabad. However, I am a Punjabi pop singer and my audience expects
me to sing only that.

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