Nationalism and Popular Cinema: Emotive Commitments, Transformations, Critiques and Alternative Imaginings

Illustrated lecture by Prof. Ira Bhaskar, film scholar and former Professor of Cinema Studies, School of Arts & Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Chair: Shri Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, writer and journalist

Poetry – Singing a Nation 

Readings from selected poems composed during the nationalist movement by leading Indian poets – Rabindranath Tagore; Kazi Nazrul Islam; C. Subramania Bharati; Vallathol Narayana Menon; Sarojini Naidu; Jaishankar Prasad; Iqbal; Maithilisharan Gupta; Ramdhari Singh Dinkar and others

Conceptualised by Shri Ashok Vajpeyi

Readings in the original languages by Sujatha Ramanan (Tamil); Ruma Ghosh (Bengali); Dr. Sudha Gopalakrishnan (Malayalam); Sunit Tandon (English); Priyanka Sharma, Anushakti & Mrityunjay Tripathi (Hindi); and Pradeep Tarkash (Urdu)

Moderator: Apoorvanand

 Tanashah

A solo dance drama based on the prison diaries of Bhagat Singh
Concept, choreography and performance: Navtej Singh Johar

Live Sound Design: Anirban Ghosh
Vocals: Madan Gopal Singh and Venkateshwaran Kuppuswamy
Lighting Design: Anuj Chopra

Didida (60 min)

Contemporary dance presented by artists of MUT Dance Company, Korea

With Namyoung Lee, dancer, choreographer and director; Haein Lee, choreographer and dancer; and Siul Choi, choreographer and dancer

The dance explores mythological texts that contain archetypes and common memories of the collective unconscious of Koreans. It is a work that analyses and deconstructs the movement patterns of the mythical human being who stands on the ground and connects the heavens and earth, and who contains the vitality of the earth, and rearranges or deconstructs them in a contemporary sense.

Dhrupad Recital

By Ustad F. Wasifuddin Dagar

Accompanists: Pt. Mohan Shyam Sharma (pakhawaj); Santosh & Aravindan Srinivas (tanpuras)

 Songs of Resistance, Songs of Hope

Presented by Sumangala Damodaran, singer and composer who has archived and documented the musical tradition of the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA)

Accompanists: Pritam Ghosal (sarod & composer); Ahsan Ali (sarangi); and Mark Aranha (guitar)

Chief Guest: Dr. Bina Agarwal, Professor of Development Economics and Environment, Global Development Institute, the University of Manchester

Sufiana Qawwali

Presented by Ustad Chand Afzal Qadri, renowned artist

With Khalil Ahmed; Latafat Ali; Sazim; Asif; Rabbani Ahmed; Sheraz Ali; Jamal Husain; and Hasan Raza

Inauguration of the Festival

By Shri Shyam Saran, President, IIC 

Followed by
 

Sampoorna – ‘I travel from Temple to Stage’
Conceptualised, choreographed and designed by Sharmila Biswas

Presented by Sharmila Biswas and artists of Odissi Vision and Movement Centre, Kolkata - Rohini Banerjee; Krishnendu Saha; Koushik Das; Dipjoy Sarkar; Biswajit Mondal; Kunal Pradhan; Raaginni Hindocha; and Shangsaptaka Dey

The choreography traces the evolution of Odissi dance from the traditional practitioners, its revival as part of India’s nationalist movement, to become one of the finest  classical dance forms today

Scenes from Santiniketan & Benodbehari’s Handscrolls 

The earliest and longest handscroll ever painted by Benodebehari Mukherjee, depicting the 1920s landscape of Santiniketan. The exhibition also includes reproductions of other handscrolls and existing fragments from the collection of Kala Bhavana, Santiniketan and one from the collection of Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Curated by Prof. R. Siva Kumar

Inauguration by Smt Ira Chaudhuri, eminent artist on 19th October 2024 at 11:30 am

As part of the exhibition, there will be a talk on 20 October at 6:30 pm in the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex 

Landscape and the Artist’s Self: Benodebehari and the Santiniketan Countryside

Illustrated lecture by Prof. R. Siva Kumar, well-known art historian and curator

Chair: Dr. Brinda Bose

(Collaboration: Gallery Rasa)
 

Khadi: The Fabric of Freedom, The Language of Fashion

The exhibition traces Khadi’s transformative journey across time from a tool of resistance to becoming a symbol of conscious living and modern fashion. An immersive experience, weaving together the historical, cultural, and contemporary narratives of Khadi. On display are digitized copies of rare archival photographs; khadi timelines; loom installation; different types of charkhas along with spinning demonstrations; and contemporary designs and the work of Centre of Excellence for Khadi

Conceptualised and curated by Centre of Excellence for Khadi, NIFT, Delhi; set-up by Ministry of MSME at NIFT, Ministry of Textile;  with Sunaina Suneja, textile revivalist, deeply engaged with khadi and the charkha 

Inauguration by Shri Manoj Kumar, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission and Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC on 18 October at 5 pm 

(Collaboration: Centre of Excellence for Khadi)