Screening of Documentary Films on Folk Art & Music

Colours of Earth (64 mins; English)
Director: Shefali Bhushan

A unique film about the traditional music of India which takes viewers on a journey across rural India, situating folk music as it is traditionally performed in the villages and small towns of rural India. The film received an overwhelming response at each and every screening including those at the prestigious Smithsonian Center at Washington D.C., the University of Chicago, University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford University, California, among others. The film was an official entry at the Vitas Film and Folklore Festival held at UCLA, where it received the "Best Soundtrack Award".

Pabuji ka Phad (22 mins; English)
Director: Shammi Nanda

Produced by Films Division

Pabuji is believed to be an avtar of Laxman and is worshiped as a warrior saint in Rajasthan. The Bhopa's of the Bhil Community sing his story against the backdrop of a 15 feet long painting called a phad.

Unfolding the Pata Story (50 min; 2014; Bengali with English subtitles)
Director: Supriyo Sen

Produced by PSBT

Film on Rupban and other traditional scroll painters (Patuas) of Odisha and their struggles for a sustainable livelihood.

Lecture –demonstration by Dr. Mannu Yadav, celebrated folk singer from Uttar Pradesh who is a recipient of the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. Dr. Yadav will present a flavour of the various folk music traditions of his region with a special focus on songs of Basant, such as Hori, Jogira and Phaag

The foremost proponent of Birha, a much-loved genre of folk singing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Dr. Yadav sings primarily in Bhojpuri and Awadhi. Apart from the traditional repertoire, Dr. Yadav has also composed a number of original songs that use Birha as a medium to create awareness about contemporary social issues.

(Collaboration: Nayi Dhara Bhakha)
 

A concert presenting Latif Bolat, Turkish singer, composer and scholar of Turkish music and folklore
With Deepak Castelino, accomplished guitarist and banjo artist; and Amjad Khan on the tabla  

Kathak Recital
By Ravi Prakash from Chhattisgarh, disciple of Pt. Rajendra Gangani

At 19:00 
Bharatanatyam Recital
By Sudipta Chakraborty from Delhi, NCR disciple of Guru Jayalakshmi Eshwar

Accompanists: Guru Jayalakshmi Eshwar (nattuvanagam); K. Venkateshwaran (vocals); Manohar Balachandran (mridangam); and Raghavendra Prasath (violin)

 

Presented by Nobuto Yamanaka, leading soloist and national champion of Tsugaru-shamisen

The shamisen is a three-stringed Japanese instrument played by striking the strings with a plectrum, known as bachi. It is sometimes compared to the guitar or banjo. Originally derived from the Chinese sanxian lute, the shamisen was brought to Japan by way of the Ryukyu Kingdom (modern-day Okinawa) many centuries ago. The instrument used for Tsugaru shamisen differs slightly in shape from those used for other shamisen genres, with a thicker neck and strings and a smaller bachi plectrum. However, the most striking difference is actually in how it is played.

(Collaboration: The Japan Foundation)
 

Antarnaad – The Voice Within
(39 min; 2024; Hindi)
Directed by Parthaa Akerkar who will introduce the film

Recipient of the Best Film Award, The Blue Bird Film Festival; Jury Award for Best Film, Mumbai Independent Film Festival; and Dadasaheb Phalke Film Puraskar Award

Screening will be followed by a talk on
Women’s Health 
Speaker: Dr. Manjari Tripathi, Head of the Neurology Dept., All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), In-charge, Centre of Excellence of Epilepsy, Min. of Health & Department of Biotechnology and President, Alzheimer’s Related Disorder Society of India

Film on mental health and how it affects both the patient, the care givers and the family as well. Parthaa Akerkar tackles this sensitive subject with aplomb and ease without victimising the patient and imparting a unique perspective into the plight of the caregiver.

(Collaboration: Alzheimer’s Related Disorder Society of India)
 

Curated by Rajiv Mehrotra

America’s First Guru (USA)
(89 min; 2024; English)
Director: Raja Choudhury

Screening will be followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, Raja Choudhury

This film, which premiered on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) in USA is the compelling story of how Yoga and Indian wisdom first entered the American mainstream in 1893, with the arrival of the Indian Saint Swami Vivekananda at the first Parliament of Religions in Chicago

(Collaboration: Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama)

For an Outstanding Woman Mediaperson of the Year

The Vishwa Nath-Delhi Press Award for Fearless Journalism, and the Kamla Mankekar Award for Journalism on Gender

will also be presented

Followed by

B.G. Verghese Memorial Lecture

Media, Courts and Freedom of Expresssion

To be delivered by Justice S. Muralidhar, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India and former Chief Justice, Orissa High Court and Judge, Panjab and Haryana High Court

(Collaboration: The Media Foundation)

An illustrated lecture by Priyamvada Natarajan

Chair: Dr Shailesh Nayak, Life Trustee, IIC, Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Prof. Natarajan will present and discuss the latest results from the James Webb Space Telescope that have started to radically transform our understanding of the formation of the first stars, galaxies and black holes. Starting with the overall context and the current framework used to comprehend the cosmos, she will present the new ideas and theories that have been put to test by James Webb, including her own work on the new pathway to form the first black holes by direct collapse of gas in the very early Universe.
 

Solo guitar concert by Sidharth Sarangi, classical guitarist, pianist and composer from Odisha

The artist will present compositions by F. Tárrega; I. Albéniz; A. Bárrios; Gary Ryan; P. Steidl; and C. Domeniconi

(Collaboration: Delhi Music Society)