A King’s Gambit

An exhibition of original period costumes created for the 1977 film by Satyajit Ray, Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players). Based on research and original sketches by Ray himself, and Shama Zaidi; created by local dressmakers. Apart from costumes, the display also includes footwear, turbans, costume jewelry, stills and working stills, copies of letters and pages from Ray’s kheror khata (script book).

From the collection of Suresh Jindal, producer of Shatranj Ke Khilari

Research and text: Indrani Majumdar, translator of Ray

Inauguration of the exhibition by Dr. Ashis Nandy, Trustee, IIC on Saturday, 23^rd October 2021 at 10 am

Chess, Costumes and a Crown

Shatranj Ke Khilari based on Premchand’s 1924 short-story, is only one of two films made by Satyajit Ray in the Hindi language. From the opening sequence, Ray adroitly locates the period setting of the film with a shot of the woven silk sleeves and ornate rings of the chess players. As the camera zooms out to bring the two players, Nawabs Mir Roshan Ali and Mirza Sajjad Ali, into focus, what strikes you first is the grandeur of it all — the rich backdrop, lavish decor, stylish artefacts and the magnificent costumes worn by the indolent royals. This sartorial splendour comes even more alive on screen as each of the 30 characters is introduced. Every individual, including in the crowd scenes, whether the nobility, dancers, retinues or visitors, are defined by their distinct attire. The costumes reflect the detailed and fastidious research that went into the production of Shatranj Ke Khilari. According to Satyajit Ray, ‘I did a lot of cultural and historical research before making this film. I was helped by the publication of the English translation of a famous book in Urdu…entitled Lucknow, the last phase of an Eastern Culture. It is an encyclopedia of the life and times of Wajid Ali Shah’.

The costumes were studied in museums, paintings, engravings and old photographs. Salar Jung Museum, Falaknuma Palace of the Nizams of Hyderabad and City Palace Museum of Jaipur were primary sources for the film’s research. Archival images available at the erstwhile Bourne & Shepherd photographic studio in Calcutta were another significant resource. The Victoria Memorial offered up an oil painting of Wajid Ali Shah, which acted as the primary reference for the king’s physical appearance. The India Office Library and Imperial War Museum in London added other essential layers to the research.

The material for the outfits spanned a variety of velvet, brocade, silk and even wool as the setting was winter. They were procured from Hyderabad, Lucknow and Calcutta.  It was a deliberate decision to opt for muted hues – gold, copper, bronze, pastel shades of green, blue and peach.  According to Ray the Kathak scene in particular was inspired from an engraving of that period.  Bansi Chandragupta, the art director from Bombay, scoured his city for authentic props and finally found them in Calcutta. Quite a few heirlooms were generously loaned by Wajid Ali Shah's great-great grandson, Anjam Qudr, a resident of Metia Burj in Calcutta.

After an elaborate consultation with the National War Museum in London, Andrew Mollo, a British expert on military uniforms, did the sketches for the military costumes, which were arranged sequentially according to scouts, cavalry, horse artillery, general and staff, infantry, heavy artillery and baggage. Red and gold, blue and silver, red and yellow and white uniforms were produced for the Bengal cavalry. In this context Shama Zaidi who was closely associated with the film categorically mentioned that ‘As this was a pre-mutiny sequence, army uniforms before the mutiny were not standardised.’

Ray's biographer Marie Seton writes, ‘For the sake of accuracy, the ADC uniforms were ordered in London. When they arrived they were found to be summer uniforms but the order was for winter! Even the helmet was incorrect. It was Shama Zaidi who improvised a means of making them look nearly right’.

On display are a wide range of achkans, angrakhas, jamas, pyjamas, shararas, ornate cholis, turbans, pagris, silver ornaments, and footwear from Suresh Jindal's personal collection. Also on view are letters exchanged by Ray and Jindal; sketches prepared for the dresses along with their fabric swatches; as well as sketches of the jewellery by Manju Saraogi who fabricated the costumes for the film. Two volumes of kheror khata (clothbound notebook) digitised by the National Digital Library of India are also exhibited. Finally and significantly, the exhibition showcases the crown worn by the king of Awadh.

For the first time ever, A King’s Gambit exhibition showcases the original costumes from Shatranj Ke Khilari and offers a glimpse into the magical world of Wajid Ali Shah.

- Indrani Majumdar

PHYSICAL / WEBCAST  PROGRAMME

 Kabir and Meera presented by Mir Mukhtiyar Ali and group from Bikaner

Mir Mukhtiyar Ali and his group are traditional Rajasthani folk singers

Chief Guest: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Mir Mukhtiyar Ali

Mir Mukhtiyar Ali, a folk singer from Pugal village, Rajasthan, hails from the semi-nomadic community of Mirasis who are the traditional carriers of the oral tradition of Sufiana Qalam in India. Mukhtiyar blends the Rajasthani folk idiom with refined classicism to sing the poetry of Kabir, Meera, and Sufi poets such as Bulleh Shah. He crosses boundaries of genres and cultures with ease. Other than his engagement with the traditions of Sufiana Qalam, he draws his music from a wide range of inspirations across Rajasthan and Punjab in India, and Pakistan. He sings Kafi, Qawwali, Ghazals, Bhajans and Kabir Vani. He has also lent his voice to a few films, including Tashan (2008), Bombay Summer (2008), Kathai (2010) and Delhi in a Day (2011). He was awarded the GiMA Award for Best Music Debut for the year 2015 for the song ‘Fanny Re’ in the film Finding Fanny. It was through the Kabir Project that Mukhtiyar was spotted by world music circuits and he made his international debut in July 2007. Since then, he has performed in Belgium, Sweden, China, Canada, Germany and France.

Mukhtiyar Ali’s voice has the rare combinations of the masculine and the feminine, a merging of the earthy directness of folk music, and the complex octaves of the classical traditions.

Indian Cinema: Today and Tomorrow: Infrastructure, Aesthetics, Audiences (Winter 2020-Spring 2021)

Guest Editors: S.V. Srinivas, Ratheesh Radhakrishnan, Subhajit Chatterjee

Edited by Omita Goyal, Chief Editor IIC

To be released by Dr. Karan Singh

What was the cinema? What is it becoming today and what will be the future of the form and institution that was once cinema, in the wake of disruptive technologies and emergent socio-political conditions?’  This thematic issue brings together a number of essays by researchers from a variety of disciplinary and critical perspectives to reflect on these questions. They assess the impact of new trends and technologies, spaces and modes of consumption, aesthetic paradigms, piracy, etc., on this 20th-century institution that has played such a crucial role in defining the ‘modern’.

With contributions by S. V. Srinivas, Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Darshana Sreedhar Mini, Gurmmeet Singh, Ipsita Barat, Ishita Tiwary, Jenson Joseph, M. Madhava Prasad, Madhuja Mukherjee, Mohamed Shafeeq Karinkurayil, Moinak Biswas, Navaneetha Mokkil, Pujita Guha, Puneet Krishna, Raghav Nanduri, Rashmi Sawhney, Ratheesh Radhakrishnan,  Samhita Sunya, Spandan Bhattacharya, Subhajit Chatterjee, Sudipto Basu, Tejaswini Ganti, Trinankur Banerjee and Uma Maheswari Bhrugubanda.

Cover Art

Film set studio photographed with fish eye lens

Photo by Brands&People on Unsplash

https://unsplash.com/s/photos/movie-set

PHYSICAL / WEBCAST  PROGRAMME

By Vignesh Ishwar from Chennai, disciple of Palakkad Shri T.S. Anantharama Bhagawathar and presently under Shri T.M. Krishna

Accompanied by R.K. Sriramkumar on the violin; K. Arunprakash on mridangam; and N. Guruprasad on ghatam

Chief Guest: Prof. Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Trustee, IIC

Vignesh Ishwar

Vignesh Ishwar began learning music at the age of three under the guidance of Palakkad T.S. Anantharama Bhagawathar for over 15 years, and later trained under Shri T.M. Krishna in 2008.

An undergraduate in Electrical Engineering and a graduate in Sound and Music Technology from the Music Group Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Vignesh took up Carnatic music full time in Chennai and later continued to learn and practice in Mumbai. He also sings playback and has worked in the ‘Kollywood’ entertainment industry. His work has been repeatedly recognised in Tamil-language movies, as a result of which he has worked predominantly in the Tamil film industry.

With his sonorous voice, charming stage presence, effortless brigas and perfect diction, he leaves his audience awestruck. Vignesh has been defined in the media as an ‘artist to be watched’.

PHYSICAL / WEBCAST  PROGRAMME

By Vidushi Shalmalee Joshi, Jaipur-Atrauli Gharana, daughter and disciple of Smt Madhuri Kulkarni, Pt. Chintubuwa Mhaiskar and of late Pt. Ratnakar Pai

Accompanied by Tejovrush Sunil Joshi on tabla; and Vinay Mishra on harmonium

Chief Guest: Shri Shyam Saran, Life Trustee, IIC

Shalmalee Joshi

Indian classical music has an enigmatic charm, with an immense power to draw a person one step closer to the ultimate divine power. It’s not just an art to entertain the audience and listeners, but a sacred and intelligent way to connect to the divine, meditation of self! Music for me has the potential to unite the mind and the soul, which is much needed in today’s turbulent society. It does not recognize boundaries and is therefore unifying in nature. 

These are the profound sentiments of Vidushi Smt. Shalmalee Joshi, an eminent Hindustani classical vocalist, scholar, teacher and professional music composer. She has received training in the Jaipur, Gwalior, and Kirana gharanas. She hails from a family with a long music tradition. She received her early grooming with her mother Mrs. Madhuri Kulkarni, and in the Gwalior and Kirana traditions with 
Pt. Chintubuwa Mhaiskar of Sangli. She then polished her performing presence and emerged as a convincing exponent of Jaipur-Atrauli Khayal vocalism with fifteen years of training under legendary Guru Late Pt. Ratnakar Pai, one of the most respected custodians of the Gharana’s repertoire and stylistic legacy.

Besides Khayal vocalism, Smt. Shalmalee Joshi is also admired for her command over semi-classical genres such as Thumri, Tappa, Dadra, Hori, Chaiti, Kajari, Bhajan, Sufi, Marathi Natya Sangeet, Kannada Bhajans, and Rajasthani folk music, which she learnt from Marwar Ratna Pt. Govindaji Kalla. Her music bridges may a chasm – from the mundane to the spiritual, from gross to sublime, and from entertainment to upliftment. She has a deep understanding of raag swaroop and is adept at correctly elaborating the complex jod-ragas and anvat (rare) ragas of the Jaipur–Atrauli tradition.

She has received several scholarships, awards and honours, and has performed across India and overseas.
 

Play based on a story by Yuki Ellias
Script: Sneh Sapru

Conceived, Directed and Performed by Yuki Ellias 
A Dur Se Brothers Production

A quirky and modern reinterpretation of the story of Lord Ganapati

Chief Guest: Smt Rami Chhabra

Elephant in the Room
Master Tusk is a young boy, who has been given a new head ‐ an elephant's head. Confused and bewildered, he finds himself lost in the forest. Danger lurks at every turn. He encounters a motley couple - Makadi (spider) and Moork (poacher), a clumsy duo in search of a big‐ticket ransom. They kidnap Master Tusk, but their scheme goes awry when a prophecy is revealed and changes everything. Amidst a cursed love affair, an encounter with an eccentric old elephant and a hunt for a missing head, Master Tusk sets off on an adventure that changes his life. But will he be able to carry his head on his shoulders? Inspired by the world of Indian mythology, Elephant in the Room plays homage to the beloved God, Lord Ganapati, in this quirky and poignant reinterpretation of his story.

Recipient of three Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards – Lead Actor (Female); Light Design; and Costume Design 

Credits:

Story by Yuki Ellias 
Script by Sneh Sapru
Conceived, Directed & Performed by Yuki Ellias 
Costumes & Set Designed by Sumaiya Merchant
Lights Designed & Operated by Asmit Pathare
Sound Design by Seemingly That (Adriel George & Pruthu Parab)
    Sound Operated by Yael Crishna / Priyanka Babbar 
Executive Producer ‐ Niloufer Sagar
Live Show Photos by C. Ganesan / Rafeeq Ellias / Viraj Singh 

A Dur Se Brothers Production
Originally commissioned by The Prakriti Foundation for The Park New Festival 2016

About Yuki Ellias

Yuki is an actor, teacher, movement director and filmmaker. She studied theatre at the Jaques Lecoq International School for Theatre in Paris, and London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA). Yuki conducts training to various groups and practising actors in the creation of site-­‐specific devised interventions, corporates, and highly specific workshops for theatre professionals. Yuki worked as an actress in Tim Supple’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream touring for three years with the show to the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Italy. She has performed with various theatre companies in Mumbai including The Company Theatre, The Industrial Theatre Company and Q Theatre Productions. As a Movement Director she has worked with UK’s leading opera company, Opera North, on their 2007 production of Mozart’s Magic Flute. Yuki is a founding member of the innovative production company Dur Se Brothers, which has produced the successful shows Charge! and Yatagarasu.

PHYSICAL / WEBCAST  PROGRAMME

Choreographic work in Bharatanatyam presented by Vaibhav Arekar and artists of Sankhya Dance Company from Mumbai

Artists: Sushant Jadhav; Eesha Pinglay; Mrinal Joshi; Radhika Karandikar; Shruti Ranade; Anagha Harkare; Gautam Marathe; and Sachhidanand Narayankar  

Chief Guest: Shri N.N. Vohra, President, IIC

SHIVA….Facets of HIM

Sankhya Dance Company presents Shiva…Facets of HIM

Multiple choreographies woven together, Shiva interprets the male and female entities in the universe within the all-encompassing Shiva.

Shiva is nirguna-niraakara—or formless—but for mortals, he is perceived as saguna-saakaar—one with a form.

He is worshipped as   Ardhanarishvara (the form of Shiva–Parvati) and Hari-Hara (combined in the form of Shiva–Vishnu). HE is the only god who merges his identity into the concept of dual-principle godhead.

Shiva’s consort is the supreme untameable, universal energy, Shakti. Durga, the most splendid manifestation of Devi, has within her the power of all gods.

Nataraj—the cosmic dancer—represents the constant bio-dance of life-creation, sustenance and dissolution.

Presenting SHIVA—The Facets of Him

Vaibhav Arekar

Sankhya Dance Company, one of the leading dance companies from western India, was founded by Shri Vaibhav Arekar in 2009.  Sankhya’s forte is Bharatanatyam, and came as a natural extension of Vaibhav’s artistic vision to have a company of dancers who engage and invest purely in dance performances. He is one of the leading male Bharatanatyam soloists of India, and has trained under virtuoso teachers Smt. Saroja Srinath, Smt. Tangamani Nagarajan, and his mentor Dr. Smt. Kanak Rele. Vaibhav has done his B.F.A. and M.F.A. from Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya, where he also taught for 15 years. He was instrumental in designing the diploma and degree syllabi for Bharatanatyam for SNDT University, Mumbai. 

His collaborative work in the genre of theatre–dance has created some milestone productions. His presentations Shreemant yogi premiered in 2017; Naama mhane—an awakening premiered in 2016; and Trayyanta (solo and group) premiered in August 2014 have received high critical acclaim and are regarded as model thematic works in Bharatanatyam. Vaibhav’s solo works have seen over 25 performances. They include:  Venugaan (2021); Debotar Grash, a work based on Tagore’s poem (2012); and Narmade Har Har, in praise of river Narmada (2009). He has performed as a soloist in India and abroad, and impressions and experiences from dance performances across the world, along with his creative impulse, have influenced Vaibhav’s performance and choreography. An intense, calm and immersive approach is his signature style.

The IIC Experience: A Festival of the Arts

22^nd to 26^th October 2021

Click here for detailed programme

Click here for food festival details