FILMS OF THE SPIRIT

Curated by Rajiv Mehrotra

 

Samskara (Funeral Rites/Kannada)

(100 min; 1970; dvd; English subtitles)

Director: Pattabhi Rama Reddy

 

With Girish Karnad, Snehlata Reddy, P. Lankesh

 

Recipient of the National Award for Best Feature Film, 18th National Film Awards 1971; Second Best Film Award, Best Supporting Actor, Best Story Writer & Best Cinematographer, Kanataka State Film Awards 1970–71; and Bronze Leopard, Locarno International Film Festival 1972

 

Samskara initiated the parallel cinema movement in Kannada. Initially banned by the Madras Government, the film is a bold and blistering attack on the caste system. It follows a religious dispute in a small village community about whether a rebellious meat, alcohol drinking Brahmin who dies suddenly has the right to a decent Brahmin funeral. The beauty of the film lies in its confrontation of tradition with modernity and rationality. The realization that the good Brahmin has about living a life without judgement, a life outside of caste, honesty and humanity as the only path to moksha

 

(Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of H.H. The Dalai Lama; and National Film Archive of India, Pune)

 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

 

On Leaders and Icons from Jinnah to Modi 

By Kuldip Nayar (New Delhi: Speaking Tiger, 2019)

 

Discussants: Shri H.K. Dua, former Editor-in-Chief, The Hindustan Times and former Member of the Rajya Sabha; Ms Sagari Chhabra, award-winning author, columnist and filmmaker; and Ms Radhika Ramaseshan, senior journalist, Consulting Editor, Business Standard

 

Chair: Shri Soli J. Sorabjee, Life Trustee, IIC

 

 

In Conversation
 

Dr. Ebba Koch, historian and editor of the forthcoming book, The Mughal Empire: From Jahangir to Shah Jahan in conversation with Kavita Singh and Jyotindra Jain 

 

The book is edited by Ebba Koch in collaboration with Ali Anooshahr 

 

(Collaboration: The Marg Foundation)

The IIC Double Bill Dance Concert

 

Kathak Recital

By Rujuta Soman from Pune, disciple of Dr. Guru Rohini Bhate

 

AT 19:00

Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi Duet

By Arupa Lahiry from Delhi, disciple of Smt Chitra Visweswaran with Payal Ramachandran from Delhi, disciple of Guru Jaikishore Mosalikanti

Chameli Devi Jain Award 2018
 

For an Outstanding Woman Journalist

 

Followed by

B.G. Verghese Memorial Lecture

Media and the Present Time

Speaker: Shri M. Hamid Ansari, former Vice-President of India

 

(Organised by The Media Foundation)

FRONTIERS OF HISTORY

 

Amala Shankar: Documenting a Dance Legacy

Speaker: Prof. Urmimala Sarkar Munsi, Associate Professor, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University who teaches Dance Studies and Documentations of Living Traditions. She is a dance/choreographer trained at the Uday Shanakr India Culture Centre, Kolkata and continues her work as a choreographer; and is President of World Dance Alliance Asia Pacific

 

Chair: Rani Ray

 

As a tribute to an extraordinary teacher on her centenary year, this presentation hopes to focus on Smt Amala Shankar’s view of her own art practice, her role as a teacher, and her contribution towards developing a pedagogy out of late dance maestro Uday Shankar’s dance making process

 

Linhas Soltas – Drawings on Paper

By Cecilia Costa from Portugal

 

Preview on Thursday, 7 March 2019 at 18:30

 

Linhas soltas or scattered lines is a series of drawings on paper that engages with the line - elastic, ambiguous, labyrinthic and manipulative, to make the work come alive. In all the drawings there is a constant and common threat to reveal the identity of the portrait model

 

(Collaboration: Portuguese Embassy Cultural Centre)

Celebrating Indian Women in Science: An Incredible Journey
 

The exhibition celebrates women who have been part of Indian science from the late 19th century to the present day. The exhibition reflects on the journey of women scientists as a part of the scientific community in India. Focusing on their inspiration, experience and contribution to science through photographs and text to tell the stories of these women scientists to acknowledge women’s scientific achievements

 

Inauguration by Shri N.N. Vohra, President, IIC and Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, DBT on Thursday, 7 March 2019 at 16:00

 

(Collaboration: Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Govt. of India)

 

GANDHI MATTERS

 

Gandhi aur Vibhajan

Speaker: Sudhir Chandra

 

(Collaboration: The Raza Foundation)

 

Sculpt for Delhi II
 

An exhibition of installations and sculptures

Curated by Naresh Kapuria

 

Participating artists Naresh Kapuria, Bipasa Sen Gupta, Anjali Khosa Kaul, Asurvedh, Shovin Bhattacharjee, Suresh Kumar, O.P. Khare, Sangeeta Gupta, Farhat Jamshed, Neeraj Gupta, Shreedhar Mukul Panwar, Kavita Nayyar, Ved Nayyar, Madhab Das, Bhola Kumar

 

Inauguration by Shri Anil Baijal, Lt. Governor of Delhi on Tuesday, 5 March 2019 at 18:00

 

(Collaboration: Delhi Arts Society)