Pro (professional) and non (non-professional). These are the two types of people who exist in cultural field. Education is a-given. No point even talking about it (Hindi Medium or not. All Indians must see this unique film on our education system. Late Irfan Khan and Samar have acted so well in this film, which is […]Read More
The term ashtakam is derived from the Sanskrit word aṣṭā, meaning ‘eight’. In context of poetic compositions, ashtakam refers to a particular form of poetry, written in eight stanzas. The conventions associated with the ashtakam have evolved over its literary history of more than 2500 years. Adi Shankaracharya was an 8th-century Indian Vedic scholar and […]Read More
The trend of elaborate dance shows has been ruling for a while now. Hundreds of dancers on stage, in colour-coordinated vibrant cloths, with extravagant props, accessories and styling. Well, putting all this together is a Hercules task and there is one maverick who does it all with ease. I am talking about the very creative […]Read More
Hyderabad celebrated the Pride Month with utmost Pride- with a festival called Dragvati – a Queer Dance Festival which had dancers and other artists, all dressed in drag from the LGBTQIA+ community descend on stage and celebrate their identity through Dragvanti. I spoke with Patruni Chidananda Sastry, founder of Dragvanti about the unique festival that […]Read More
Today in cultural field, or even in ancillary industries like hotel/ food/ fashion/ weddings the word curator or curated by is often used. The dictionary meaning says: the selection and care of objects to be shown in a museum or to form part of a collection of art, an exhibition, etc or the curation of […]Read More
Most of us love to dance or have a secret desire to dance like Hrithik Roshan or Madhuri Dixit, but have you ever given a thought that ‘Who is a dancer?’ In its simplest form, dancer is someone who moves their body to the rhythm of music, sounds or just a pulse inside them. This […]Read More
Performing traditions are constantly evolving, says Mohiniattam exponent Mandakini Trivedi
Dance costume or the traditional attire for each dance is extremely essential, it make the dance more authentic. Each part of the dance costume has its own significance as well as importance and it even has a reason behind why it is worn by a dancer. Mohiniattam dance costume always intrigued me. So I met […]Read More
So, ABC…kithhe gayi si? This was a ditty we heard as children growing up in Punj land (that’s most of Delhi and above! till Kashmir. As a language and culture, it dominates). A for Arangetram too. That’s very Madrasi or South Indian. Having had this for mother’s tongue literally (Tamil), we were also exposed to […]Read More
There are some art festivals in India that are iconic and every artist looks forward to being a part of it either as a participant or as an audience. The Delhi International Art Festival (DIAF) is one for sure that everyone awaits eagerly. For the last few years due to Covid the festival did not […]Read More
Mumbai-based dancers and teachers – the supremely talented Elvis Mascarenhas and his gorgeous dance partner Namrata Wittke – recently won the Kizomba Dance Olympiad. The event was held in Paris where Kizomba and Semba dancers from all over the world took part and the dancing duo Elvis and Namrata made Indian flag fly high by […]Read More