Two Poets and a River

(75 minutes; 2021; Wakhi,Tajik and Dari with English subtitles)
Director: Richard K. Wolf

Recipient of the ICTM Prize for Best Documentary Film or Video at the International Council for Traditional Music, Portugal (2022) and an Official Selection at the RAI Film Festival, Bristol, UK (2023).

Set along the Oxus River, which separates Tajikistan and Afghanistan, the film explores themes of love, loss and belonging through the lives and musical poetry of two renowned Wakhi poet-musicians, Qurbonsho and Daulatsho. Against the backdrop of a border shaped by history, the film reflects on shared cultural heritage, memory and identity through music.

Followed by a post screening discussion with film-maker, Prof. Richard K. Wolf, G. Gordon Watts Professor of Music and Professor of South Asian Studies, Harvard University. The session will be moderated by Shubha Chaudhuri, Associate Director General (Academic), Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology, AIIS, Gurugram.

(Collaboration: American Institute of Indian Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology)

25TH BCF ANNUAL LECTURE

Compassion in Action: Journey of Courage and Commitment

Speakers: Dr Prakash Amte & Dr Mandakini Amte, Co-Founders and pioneers of Lok Biradari Prakalp (LBP), Padma Shri 2002, Ramon Magsaysay Award 2008

Chair: Ravneet Pawha, Deakin University

Moderator: Dr. Mathew Varghese, St. Stephen’s Hospital

Vote of Thanks: N.S. Katoch, BCF Treasurer
 

The discussion will explore the extraordinary journey of Dr Prakash Amte and Dr Mandakini Amte, reflecting on over five decades of service to the tribal communities of Hemalkasa, Gadchiroli. Focusing on their pioneering work in healthcare, education, wildlife conservation and humanitarian service.

(Collaboration: Business and Community Foundation)
 

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP

On Angels’ Wings: Beyond the Bombing of Air India 182, My Journey of Resilience and Courage
By Sanjay Lazar (Author, 2026)

Chair: Amb K P Fabian, former Ambassador of India to Qatar

Speakers :Amb K P Fabian; Former Ambassador of India to Italy, Qatar and Finland (Chief Guest); 
Ms Kanika Sharma; Author – Hachette Books (Moderator) ; Shri Sanjay Chandra, Author &amp, Founder-Kala ; Dr Siddharth Sen, Founder -Wiseowl House; Ms Jasbir Basu, CA & Author ; Shri Sanjay Lazar
Author of the book
 

Partners of the Heart

(57 minutes; 2003; English)

Director:  Bill Duke and Andrea Kalin

Introductory Remarks: Dr A Sampath Kumar, Emeritus professor, AIIMS, New Delhi

Against the backdrop of a racially segregated America, the documentary explores the inspiring partnership between visionary surgeon Alfred Blalock and exceptional African American medical researcher Vivien Thomas, whose pioneering innovations forever changed the course of cardiac surgery.
 

Fascinating Light and Colour Phenomena in Nature
As part of International Day of Light (IDL) Workshop 2026

Keynote Address: Photonics as a Key Enabling Technology: A Two-Way Link Between Basic Research and Innovation by Prof. John M. Dudley, Professor at the Université Marie et Louis Pasteur, France; International Day of Light 2026 Steering Committee Chair

Welcome Address: K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Address:  Dr. Tabassum Jamal, IDL Workshop Chair

Organised as part of the International Day of Light (IDL) 2026, the workshop is an introduction to the fascinating science of light and colour through everyday natural phenomena. Aligned with the UNESCO theme "Light for a Sustainable Future," it seeks to promote scientific awareness while highlighting the role of light in sustainable development.

The inaugural session will be followed by a technical session featuring presentations by experts in the field

For more details, please click here 

 (Collaboration: Zaheer Science Foundation, New Delhi and Shanti Foundation International)

Integration-the game changer in reversing chronic diseases

Speaker: Dr Vijay Mohan Kohli,MS MCh FIACS, Senior Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute, Saket New Delhi.

Chair: Prof. Yogendra Kumar Gupta, pharmacologist, President of AIIMS Kalyani, West Bengal, and Chairman of the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM). 
The principles, modalities and benefits of Integrative Medicine will be presented and examination on how an integrated approach to healthcare can play a transformative role in the prevention, management and reversal of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and arthritis.
 

Cleaning Transport – Tackling Vehicular Emissions and the Future of Mobility
Uniting Science, Health, Policy & People

Moderator: Sarika Panda, Co-founder, Raahgiri Foundation and Director, Nagarro

Discussants: Dr. Virinder Sharma, Member (Technical), CAQM;Mahua Acharya, Founder & CEO, International Energy Transition Platform Transport Department; Amit Bhatt, India Managing Director, International Council on Clean Transportation; Balaji Raparthi, Senior Program Manager, Electric Mobility, Energiva Ventures
 

Transitioning to clean urban mobility yields profound benefits—ranging from improved air quality and reduced greenhouse gas emissions to quieter and more livable cities. This session will explore how to accelerate the shift toward zero-emission transport by scaling up electric vehicle ecosystems, modernizing public transit networks, and enforcing stringent emission regulations.

This is the fourth discussion in the series of dialogues under the umbrella of ‘Uniting Science, Health, Policy & People’

(Collaboration: Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and Raahgiri Foundation)
 

Archival Echoes of a Folk Lute in the Indian Himalaya

Speaker: Dr. Katherine Freeze Wolf, Independent scholar, with PhD in Musicology and Ethnomusicology, Brown University

Moderator: Shubha Chaudhuri, Associate Director General (Academic), Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology, American Institute of Indian Studies

The speaker will share their experience studying the Western Tibetan folk lute gowo (called ko-phongs in Ladakhi) in Ladakh, and the repatriation of musical recordings made between the 1930s and 1970s. The talk will explore the significance of these recordings in understanding the instrument's diverse performance styles, song ecologies and heritage narratives.

(Collaboration: American Institute of Indian Studies, Center for Art and Archaeology)

 

Nar-Hari: 6 Verses from Shri Guru Granth Sahib & Panchvani

An Inclusive Sankirtan where Music, Mysticism & Spirituality Meet Science

Performers: Ayush Jha, vocalist and/or on Harmonium; Kanha Trehan, vocalist & with khartaal; Rajat Kanungo, vocalist and/or on harmonium; Sanvi Katoch, vocalist and/or on harmonium; Dr Sangeeta, vocalist and/or on harmonium; Satvik on Tabla; Amar on Guitar; Pragshu on Cajun; Anya Katoch, chorus singer

Guest of Honour & Patron: Prof. Charanjit Singh Shah, Chairman & Founder, Creative Group LLP

Performance inspired by the teachings of the 15th-century Bhakti saint Ravidas, whose compositions are enshrined in both the Shri Guru Granth Sahib and Panchvani. Blending devotional music, participatory Sankirtan and narration, the programme explores the dialogue between spirituality and contemporary scientific thought, offering a reflective experience that celebrates joy, inclusivity and inner transformation.