PICTURE SPEAK

CENTRESTAGE: Ji Jaisi Aapki Marzi directed by Nadira Babbar

Having crossed its fifth year, the festival is the reason Kolkata's theatre scene has finally found a platform to showcase the city's love for dramatics. When it started in 2000, the Odeon theatre fest was a smallish corporate attempt, spread over two weekends, to get the city interested in new productions and groups, which, otherwise, wouldn't have found a platform.

But the last five years have seen steady growth and improvement in Odeon's stature.

Last year, it was a 10-day-long festival incorporating dance, theatre, poetry, and "intimate theatre". This year will see it go one up on that, as the festival promises to incorporate rural and folk theatre forms such as chhau, gambhira, and natoker gaan.

Odeon assumes greater significance because it encourages original script-writing and provides a platform to struggling groups. Every year, it holds a competition among hundreds of regional theatre groups to select the two best plays, the one criterion for participation being that the play shouldn't have been staged before.

This year, a Kolkata group, Blank Verse, is presenting a play called Furut, while Balaka, a group from Asansol, has been selected to produce Maruyatra. Like every year, the fest kicks off with a seminar-"What does theatre mean to the youth of today?"-with the likes of Gautam Bose and Sohag Sen in attendance. This year will see Mumbai theatre personality Rajat Kapoor come down with his play C For Clown. So from June 23 to July 2 head for the venues: Rabindra Sadan, Birla Sabhaghar and the Nandan Complex.

-By Swagata Sen

PICTURE SPEAK

Rashid Khan

And in Delhi, Swar Rang celebrates the birth anniversary of Pandit Omkarnath Thakur on June 24, where Madhup Mudgal will sing the famous Mian-ki-Malhar bandish Karim Naam Tero, followed by a kathak performance by Shovana Narayan. Venue: India International Centre. Come, soak in the rain melodies.

-By S. Sahaya Ranjit

MUMBAI: Maarkers presents four young artists at Bodhi Art, Kala Ghoda (June 16 to July 22 ). The show, curated by Bose Krishnamachari, features political video art by Tejal Shah, Riyas Komu's portraits of garage children from different parts of India, Anup Matthew Thomas's works exploring the divergence in Christianity through photographs and Sumedh Rajendra's quirky sculptures made from white tiles and rusted iron. The curator says the show presents "four cutting-edge artists, all of whom are historically aware."

-By Jahnavi Maheshwari

PICTURE SPEAK

A still from Phir Hera Pheri

PHIR HERA PHERI
Director: Neeraj Vora
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and Suniel Shetty
What is the safest way to ensure laughs in a Bollywood movie? Hire Rawal and Rajpal Yadav? Check. Have Kumar and Shetty play off against each other as dumb and dumber? Yes, again. Add Johnny Lever just to be sure. Yes, yes. Trouble is, it's been done too often in the past. Newbie director Vora, who wrote Hera Pheri, keeps a firm grip on the events and, as in all comedies, under-utilises the female actors (one of whom, Bipasha Basu, responds by not bothering to dub her own voice). Kumar is somewhat repetitive as the street-sharp smoothie who always gets it in the neck (though he does have a nice line in colourful shirts). Rawal plays Baburao Apte as he did earlier-with a straight face. Shetty is always so silly even when he's serious that laughs are guaranteed. One has to be grateful in these times that there are not too many potty and condom jokes, and the movie's end, appropriately set in a circus, is so absurd, with suitcases full of counterfeit money and real drugs, that it forcibly elicits laughter. One plea: no third version, please.

-By Kaveree Bamzai

PICTURE SPEAK

Manjiri Asnare Kelkar

MUMBAI Rarely do you have morning concerts these days where you get to listen to morning ragas like Todi. Do not miss Manjiri Asnare Kelkar sing in the Jaipur style and Brijnarayan play the same on the sarod. June 25 at the Karnataka Sangha Hall, Matunga at 10 a.m.

DELHI If you want to interact with fabrics-and that too vegetable-dyed ones-be part of the Indigo Dyeing Workshop conducted by Ismail Khatrri. The art of natural dyes is fascinating, with ingredients like tea leaves, turmeric and flower petals, to name a few. This workshop is conducted by Lima Das. Textiles like Bagru, Kalamkari and Bagh prints will also be displayed. Add some colour to your lifestyle. Dates: June 25-30. Venue: The Attic, Regal Building, Connaught Place.

MUSIC REVIEW
Just Cause
PICTURE SPEAK Javed Akhtar at the launch of the album HAATH SE HAATH MILAA Music Today CD: Rs 175 This is an album put together by the BBC World Service Trust as part of an aids awareness campaign. The title song, Haath se haath milaa, has been composed by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy to lyrics written by Javed Akhtar. The song has been sung by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal and the video choreography is by Shiamak Davar. The video features all the top stars of the film and television industry, including John Abraham, Fardeen Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Naseeruddin Shah, Lara Dutta, Smriti Irani, Saakshi Tanwar, Pooja Bedi and Nikki Aneja. It has been directed by Anu Malhotra, creative head of the series, who says, "We wanted to have as many youth icons as possible in this star-studded music video, and make it an inspiration for youth around the nation." The title song is peppy and full of verve. Other songs, like Tere ishq mein by Rekha Bharadwaj, Palkein jhukao na by Adnan Sami; Maha ganapitham by Bombay Jayashree, have been compiled from various albums. Go for it. All profits will be donated to HIV charities. -By S. Sahaya Ranjit

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