Celebrating Poetry

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was not only a highly respected national leader but was also a well-known Hindi poet. His book of poems, “Atal Bihari Vajpayee ki Nazme” was translated into Urdu by the renowned Urdu poet, Shri Krishna Mohan. The book of translations was presented by Shri Krishna Mohan to Shri Vajpayee on his birthday. Shri Krishna Mohan is credited with 27 books on Urdu poetry and 4 books in Hindi; he was a recipient of the prestigious All India Hindi Urdu Sangam Award and was a member of the Urdu Academy, Delhi 

Smt Meera Bhatia and Shri Sunit Tandon will recite Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s and Shri Krishna Mohan’s poems in Hindi Introduction by Shri Satish Jacob

V.P.Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India

Illustrated lecture by Narayani Basu, historian and foreign policy analyst and author of the recently published book of the same title
 V.P. Menon was unarguably the architect of the modern Indian state and yet startlingly little is known about this bureaucrat, patriot and visionary. Narayani Basu, speaks about V.P., his story, life and her own personal journey chronicling his life as his great-granddaughter. Illustrated with rare archival photographs from family albums, the talk explores not just the man behind the public figure, but also the author's discovery of her great-grandfather as one of India's top civil servants at a crucial historical crossroads. 

Screening of NHK documentary films on Japan’s history, literature, art, culture and heritage. Organised with the support of NHK World and Embassy of Japan, New Delhi 

Satoyama Living: Country Customs Sustaining the Ancient Capital |(28 min; 2018; English and with subtitles)

In the mountains north of central Kyoto, the “Satoyama" style of living in harmony with nature, and the customs that influenced life in the ancient capital survive to this day. An old inn in the town of Hanase continues to serve the local specialty Tsumikusa, a cuisine of seasonal food foraged from the wild. Miyama is famous for its thatching tradition, and the local artisans use skills passed down for generations to re-thatch Kyoto's many temples and shrines. 

Fragrant Clouds: A Tryst with Words
Discussion based on the books Fragrant Words (New Delhi: Bloomsbury Prime, 2019) and Clouds End and Beyond (New Delhi: Wisdom Tree, 2016) by Rajni Sekhri Sibal
 
Discussants: Amb. Kanwal Sibal, former Foreign Secretary, Govt. of India; Ms Richa Mishra, Sr. Asst. Editor and Bureau Chief, The Hindu-Businessline; and Ms Rajni Sekhri Sibal, poet, writer and Civil Servant

 Moderator: Ms Mandira Ghosh, poet and author
 Chair: Shri K. Jayakumar, former Chief Secretary, Govt. of Kerala
 
(Collaboration: The Poetry Society, India)

The Baghdadi Jews in India: Maintaining Communities, Negotiating Identities and Creating Super-Diversity
Edited by Shalva Weil (New Delhi: Routledge Taylor & Francis, 2020)
 
Discussants: Dr. Jael Silliman, Curator of Jewish Calcutta, author and artist; Dr. Sara Manasseh, ethnomusicologist and Founding Director, Rivers of Babylon musical ensemble; and Dr. Shalva Weil, Senior Researcher, Seymour Fox School of Education, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and editor of the book
 Moderator: Ms Rony Yedidia Clein, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Israel
 
(Collaboration: Embassy of Israel)

Great Expectations | (UK)18 min; 1946; b/w; English)
Director: David Lean

With John Mills, Valerie Hobson, Tony Wager

Recipient of the Oscar Awards for Best Cinematography, Black-and-white; & Best Art Direction – Set Decoration, Black-and-white, Academy Awards, USA 1948; and NBR Award, Top Ten Films, National Board of Review, USA 1947David Lean’s adaptation of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations is one of the best literary adaptations ever made. Edged with humour and a surprising dollop of horror, his story of Pip, a blacksmith's apprentice who comes into a mysterious inheritance, works beautifully even after all these years. As he would do with Oliver Twist two years later, Lean judiciously uses the bits of the book that he liked and ditches the rest. The result is Dickens' tome, condensed into cinematic moments that deserve their place in movie history.