IIC WINTER FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & DANCE

Sitar Recital
By Saptarshi Hazra from Kolkata, disciple of Pt. Netai Basu, Pt. Buddhadev Dasgupta and Pratyush Banerjee.
Accompanist: Pt. Ashis Sengupta

At 18.30
Hindustani Vocal Recital
By Priyanka Mitra from Kolkata, disciple of Pt. Ajoy Chakraborty, Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar & Guru Anjan Majumdar
 

Ahaetuki – The Grace of a Master
 

An evening dedicated to the revered Kathak Maestro, Guru Munna Shukla. Ahaetuki, a Sanskrit term meaning “that which is without cause,” is a tribute to the Guru–Shishya parampara. Through the film The Kettle and the Cup and the Kathak Baithak that follows, the evening celebrates not merely an art form, but the devotion, discipline, and humility at its heart. Through the film The Kettle and the Cup and the Kathak Baithak that follows, it is a celebration not merely an art form, but the spirit of devotion, discipline, and humility that lies at its heart.

At 18:00
Screening of The Kettle and the Cup 
(40 mins;2025; Hindi)
Director & Producer: Ruchi Saini
The documentary is created in the loving memory of the revered Kathak Maestro, Guru Late Munna Shukla Ji of the Kalka-Bindadin Gharana. The film honours the sacred bond between Guru & Shishya, offering a rare glimpse into the Maukhik Vidya. 
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At 18:45
Kathak Baithak
The Baithak will feature Aranya – The Forest Within, a Kathak offering by Ruchi Saini and her students. Aranya journeys into the quiet, breathing spaces where nature and Kathak meet.

Dhrupad Vocal Recital
by Pelva Naik

Dhrupad, the oldest Indian Classical Music genre, was a preserve of male musicians, until Asghari Bai stormed the bastion. Pelva Naik gave a brilliant performance at the prestigious Darbar festival in London.  She has been privileged to learn Dagarvani from Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar at his Gurukul in Bombay, in the traditional guru shishya parampara. Pelva has performed at major festivals in India and in France, Italy, Spain.

Kirtaniye – The Invisible Divine 
A Festival of Women's Voices in Gurbani Sangeet 

“Kudrat de Sab Bande”
The fifth edition of Kirtaniye celebrates the oneness of all creation as envisioned by Guru Nanak Dev Ji- a reflection on nature, equality, and divine harmony in times of ecological imbalance.

Featuring performances by girls from Baru Sahib School, Himachal Pradesh; Gurleen Kaur (Uttarakhand); Avanti Patel (Mumbai); and Nivedita Singh (Patiala)

(Collaboration: Enable India Foundation)
 

Cancelled

Aadhey Adhure
 

Directed by Rajesh D Bali
Actors: Amit Kumar, Pragya Singh Rawat, Farah Anwar, Preeti Gupta and Dhanveer
Aadhe Adhure is a play by Mohan Rakesh about the psychological and emotional breakdown of an urban middle-class family in 1960s India. The story focuses on the dissatisfied housewife, Savitri, her unemployed husband, Mahendranath, and their three children, as they deal with family conflict, unfulfilled desires, and economic hardship. 
(Collaboration: Drashta India Theatre Group)

Unearthing Muarajambi Temples
(93 mins; 2023; Bahasa Indonesia with English subtitles)

A documentary film by Nia Dinata

Unearthing Muarajambi Temples is a 2023 documentary that explores the historical and cultural significance of the Muarajambi Temple complex in Jambi, Indonesia, a Buddhist learning centre of the early medieval period. The film uses the history of the temples as a lens to tell stories across different eras, highlighting their connection to the ancient Srivijaya and Malay kingdoms and their current efforts to gain UNESCO World Heritage status. It brings to light how Atiśa Dīpaṃkara spent over a decade here, studying Mahayana and Tantrayana, which he later taught in Tibet.

The screening forms part of the ‘Guru Conference and Exhibition: Life and Legacy of Atiśa Dīpaṃkara Śrījñāna' at IIC, 21st to 30th November 2025

(Organised by IIC- International Research Division)

The Values of our Constitution

Speaker: Shri Justice Madan Lokur, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India

Followed by an interactive session with students from schools of Delhi NCR.
Discussants: Dr Smita Patil, Associate Professor, Department of Gender and Development Studies, IGNOU;  Dr Surajkumar Thube, Visiting Professor, Department of Political Science, Ashoka University; Prof. Aakash Singh Rathore, International Fellow, ETHOS, Rome and author of Becoming Babasaheb: The Life and Times of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar ( Online)

Moderator: Suhas Borker, Convener, Working Group on Alternative Strategies

Organised as part of Taking Gandhi to Children series that brings children closer to the enduring legacy of Gandhi’s non-violent struggle for equity, pluralism and sustainable development by hosting year round interactive sessions with students from schools of Delhi NCR

(Collaboration: Working Group on Alternative Strategies)

Public Service Broadcasting Day - 2025

(Jan Prasaran Divas)

Public Service Broadcasting Day on 12 November commemorates the day Gandhiji made his first and only live broadcast on All India Radio. On this day in 1947 Gandhiji addressed more than 2 lakh refugees at the Kurukshetra Camp from Broadcasting House, New Delhi. Gandhiji held no public office or position in Government and it was truly a public service broadcast. Since 2000, this day has become an occasion to spread awareness about the concepts and values of Public Service Broadcasting in the country.

Commemoration at the Gandhi - King Memorial Plaza: 10:30 – 11:00

Followed by Discussion at C.D Deshmukh Auditorium: 11:00 – 12:15

Usha Mehta's tryst with freedom on radio: during the Quit India Movement Usha Mehta was arrested on 12 November 1942 and the Underground Radio Transmitter confiscated in Bombay. Ms Basudha Banerji, former Documentary Producer, All India Radio and Shri S.N. Sahu, former Press Secretary to President K. R. Narayanan, relive the moment.

Discussion on Public Service Broadcasting: Broadcasting as a public resource

Lead Presentation: Shri Suhas Borker, Mediaperson and Convener, Jan Prasar

(Collaboration: Jan Prasar)

The scene of the burning of Kamadeva by Siva, with verses from Kalidasa’s Kumarasambhavam

Presented by Margi Madhu, son and disciple of Guru Moozhikkulam Kochukuttan Chakyar, who was the torch bearer of the Ammannoor style of acting with artists of Nepathya – Centre for Excellence in Kutiyattam

Kutiyattam is one of India’s oldest living theatrical traditions. In 2003, it was proclaimed Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO

Featuring Snezhana Zagorodnyaya (bassoon) and Zakhar Atamanenko (piano), two gifted scholarship recipients and laureates of major international competitions. Both have performed with leading orchestras across Russia and the CIS, and participated in renowned programmes such as Sirius, Artek, and Moscow Meets Friends.

(Collaboration: Russian Cultural Centre, Embassy of the Russian Federation in India)