DELHI The Gunidas Sangeet Sammelan is a music festival that people look forward to in the New Year. The festival is a tribute to the legendary guru, Pandit Jagannathbua Purohit, who trained many maestros like C.R. Vyas, Jitendra Abhisheki, Yashwantbua Joshi and Manik Varma. Not only did he train maestros, but he also composed bandishes under the pen name of Gunidas. The real test of creating ragas is when they are sung by other singers apart from the disciples of the composer. Way back in 1977, Pandit Vyas formed the Maharashtra Lalit Kala Nidhi to propagate music and encourage upcoming artistes and this sammelan was one of the offshoots. "What is unique about this festival is that we present pure classical music, dance and have not been 'seduced' by the lure of fusion music," says Satish Vyas, santoor maestro and secretary of the Nidhi. On January 27, Odissi dancer Sonal Mansingh presents a dance recital followed by flute maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. The wrestler from Allahabad, Chaurasia, has come a long way and has popularised the bamboo reed. The next day is an evening of vocal music with recitals by Suhas Vyas, son of Pandit C.R. Vyas. Suhas has truly inherited his father's legacy. The amalgamation of three gharanas, namely Agra, Gwalior and Kirana, is very evident in his gayaki. His recital will be followed by Veena Sahsara-budhe. Sahsara-budhe's singing has a strong base of the Gwalior gharana with influences of Kirana and Jaipur gharanas as well. The deep emotive aspect of her voice is bound to move listeners. At Kamani Auditorium.
-By S. Sahaya Ranjit
FESTIVAL
An Eternal Celebration
PICTURE SPEAK
A Raj-era depiction of the ghats of Banaras
DELHI Varanasi-the abode of Shiva as Viswanath, the lord of the universe-finds focus at Delhi's India International Centre (IIC) on the occasion of its annual day. Titled "Celebrating Kashi-The Eternal City", the four day event presents insights into the various aspects of this ancient city of many splendours through photographs, music, film and discourse. On view from January 19 till January 22 at the IIC Annexe will be an exhibition of photographs, sculptures, terracotta objects, paintings, textiles, jewellery from the temple city. Over the next three days, there will be a series of seminars devoted to the many aspects of Varanasi where noted experts will make their presentations. In the evenings (6 p.m. to 8 p.m.) at the IIC auditorium there shall be performances: January 20 will have Vedic Chanting, Juhi Sinha's films on Kashi will be screened on January 21 and classical music for which Varanasi is famous, will be peformed by Manju Sundaram, a disciple of Girija Devi, on January 22. Definitely a moveable feast.
-By S. Kalidas
PAINTING
Mixed Palette
PICTURE SPEAK
A work by Babu Xavier
MUMBAI: Legacy Art Gallery brings to Mumbai a group show by Jehangir Jani, Manu Parekh, Babu Xavier, Chintan Upadhyay and Arun K. The 16 paintings on display are recent works by the artists on a variety of subjects. From portraits to images inspired by the Kamasutra will be on display. Deep hues and human forms dominate the works in the collection. Arun K's works by his definite brushstrokes evoke the sensuality of the female form while Parekh's paintings in bright hues exude a volatile energy. The works will be on display till January 31.
Mani Ratnam's reticence about Guru being a biopic of Dhirubhai Ambani is understandable but so is the viewer's befuddlement when suddenly almost at the end of an absorbing series of jousts wherein Gurukant Desai takes on an uppity textile magnate, a crusty newspaper owner and a corrupt government, he morphs into a wannabe Mahatma Gandhi, delivering a state of the nation address about how he did for the Indian shareholder what the Father of the Nation did for the Indian citizen. Till then everything in this finely nuanced drama is riveting-be it Gurubhai's zest for life, love or lolly, or the supporting characters' enormous impact. Bach-chan's diction is precise, his body language perfect. His understanding of the character never slips, except at the end. Rai looks every inch the spirited helpmate while Chakraborty is in fine fettle as the eccentric Ramnath Goenka (down to the screaming at editors and love-hate relationship with Ambani). From his days at Burmah Shell (here in Turkey, not Aden) to his years in the safari suit, Bachchan's polyester prince is a revelation. This is almost the movie that Iruvar, another flawed Mani biopic, could have been, but it is equally watchable. As a spot-the-real-equivalent game as well as a work of art, heig-htened by Rajeev Menon's lyrical cinematography and Samir Chanda's magic sets.
-By Kaveree Bamzai
RECOMMENDATIONS
Hues of Madras
PICTURE SPEAK
Drawing by Adimoolam
CHENNAI: Five artists who pioneered the Madras Art Movement in the early 1960s will present their works to commemorate the first anniversary of Hues Art Gallery. The movement took shape in the precincts of the Government College of Fine Arts. It was led by K.C.S. Paniker who "triggered an evolution of creative thinking," says A.P. Santhanaraj. Among the exhibits is K.V. Haridasan's semi-abstract male and female forms in Moha Yantra and Women and the Wounded Deer by Santhanaraj. K.M. Adimoolam's free flow of lines reinforces the linear base of the movement. "We were fortunate to have masters as guides in the college," he says. Other artists are Alphonso Arul Doss and Anthony Doss whose canvas A Girl with Kinnaram is one of the highlights of the show. January 20-February 15.
-By S.S. Jeevan
PICTURE SPEAK
Work by M.F. Husain
KOLKATA: Aakriti Art Gallery presents On Their Own, an exhibition dedicated entirely to abstract paintings. It is a tribute to the late artist Badhan Das, who also tried to revive folk art among the Santhal tribes. Das did abstract works and is known for his serene, contemplative paintings.The show also features names such as Raza, Ram Kumar, Mona Rai, Sunil De and Amitava Dhar, along with younger artists like Samindranath Majumdar and Partha Shaw. Most of the works on display are new. On from January 20 till 31st.
-By Swagata Sen
MUSIC REVIEW
Very 'Organic'
PICTURE SPEAK
Music Today Cassette Rs 75
AHIR: "To me, Indian raga music can almost be called a non-verbal and timeless message directly from the old masters and Gandharvas," says Prem Joshua, the composer of the album. The album is an exploration of incredible India in a musical form, wherein Prem Joshua provides listeners with a veritable treat with his balanced blend of classical and modern instruments. Joshua has effectively woven together the sounds of the sitar, violin, tabla and vocals. The first track, Namaskar, welcomes us to the divine courtyard of our dreams. The second, Ramana, talks about the recording day of the track at the Ramana Maharishi Music Studio in Bangalore. The title track, Ahir, captures the serenity of the mornings in India. The last track of the album, The Subject Tonight is Love, expresses the emotion of love. How does Joshua define his music? "My music is a very natural meeting of East and West. I had been professionally playing Jazz and Rock until I came upon Indian raga music. My real love is mixing all these influences to develop something new and very organic," he says.
