Launch of the book by Alyque Padamsee, co-authored with Vandana Saxena Poria (Viking: 2022)

Introduction & Moderator: Raell Padamsee who will speak about her father and about the book

A conversation with Ms Paro Anand, well-known author of children’s literature; Shri Feisal Alkazi, educationist, theatre director and activist; and Ms Vandana Saxena Poria OBE, Co-Author & Chief Alarmist, The Human Alarm Clock & Co.

The late Alyque Padamsee was India’s iconic advertising and theatre guru. Even after his death, he continues to live on and be controversial. The co-author Vandana Saxena Poria collaborated with Alyque Padamsee for three years prior to his death to put the book together from 175 hours of conversation with him. 

Yoga for Health & Global Harmony
(27 min; English)
A film by Benoy K. Behl

Benoy K. Behl will introduce the film before the screening

The filmmaker and photographer, Benoy K. Behl travelled across 10 countries and across 4 continents to shoot this film. Yoga is a the challenging study of consciousness itself, understanding one’s body, understanding one’s emotions, understanding one’s mind and beyond that, understanding one’s true self. This film is about the true meaning of yoga and how it can transform the world

Curated by Sunit Tandon and Samaresh Chatterji

Verdi: La Traviata | (132 min; 2005; dvd; English subtitles)

With Anna Netrebko (Violetta Valery); Rolando Villazón (Alfredo Germont); Thomas Hampson (Giorgio Germont)
Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus
Mozarteum Orchestra (Stage Music)
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Carlo Rizzi

A stellar opera event of 2005, the Salzburg Festival’s production of Verdi’s classic in a dramatic modern staging by Willy Decker. This is the thrilling production that prompted riotous ovations at its first presentation. The opera tells the story of the tragic love between the courtesan Violetta and the romantic Alfredo Germont. Played out against the hypocrisy of upper-class fashionable society, Alfredo and Violetta's love threatens to shame his family.

Introduced by Samaresh Chatterji

PIANO EXTRAVAGANZA
(100 min; 2004; dvd; English subtitles)

With Leif Ove Andsnes, Nicolas Angelich, Martha Argerich, Emmanuel Ax, Claude Frank, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, James Levine, Mikhail Pletnev, Staffan Scheja.
Birthday Festival Orchestra

Every year, the idyllic village of Verbier in the Swiss Alps plays host to the international music elite. To celebrate the Verbier Festival & Academy’s tenth birthday in 2003, 23 fabulous soloists came together to honour this special spirit of Verbier with this exciting once-in-a-lifetime extravaganza of star pianists and as many as 8 pianos. Featuring music by Mozart, Smetana, Bach, Rossini, Wagner, Arthur Benjamin, Gottschalk, Rimsky-Korsakov and others.

Introduced by Sunit Tandon

Hindustani Flute Recital

By Rohit Prasanna from Delhi, disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar Prasanna
Accompanied by Saptak Sharma on the tabla

At 19:00
 

Hindustani Vocal Recital
By Shashwati Mandal from Gwalior Gharana, disciple of Smt Kamal Umdekar Mandal, Pt Balasaheb Poochhwale

Accompanists:
Pt Vinod Lele on Tabla
Dr Mausam on Harmonium

The Artist will present  “Khayal and Tappa”

Sattriya Dance

By Anwesa Mahanta from Guwahati, disciple of Guru Bayanacharya Ghanakanta Bora

AT 19:00
 

Mohiniattam Recital

By Lavanya Nambissan from Delhi, disciple of Guru Shri Madhukumar, Smt Kalamandalam Swapna Nair and Dr. Deepti Omchery Bhalla
 

Curated by Sunit Tandon and Samaresh Chatterji

Adolphe Adam: Giselle
(108 min; 1983; dvd; English subtitles)

With Galina Mezentseva (Giselle); Konstantin Zaklinsky (Albrecht); Gennadi Selyutsky (Hilarion); Tatyana Terekhova (Myrtha)
The Kirov Ballet
Orchestra of the Leningrad Theatre of Opera and Ballet
Conductor: Viktor Fedotov

The Kirov Ballet offers its unmatched interpretation of one of the finest of Parisian Romantic ballets, in which undying love triumphs over betrayal and death…

Introduced by Samaresh Chatterji
 

Curated by Sunit Tandon and Samaresh Chatterji

A MASTER AT WORK

Carlos Kleiber Conducts Mozart and Brahms
(72 min; 1992; dvd; English)

Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Carlos Kleiber

Carlos Kleiber was perhaps the most highly regarded conductor of the late 20th century but has left the musical world with a frustratingly small number of recordings. Hence this video recording of a concert given in 1991 in the famed Golden Hall of the Musikverein in Vienna is all the more to be treasured, capturing his minimal but poetic gestures, his utter command of the score and his hypnotic hold over the orchestra. Featuring Mozart’s Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 425 “Linz” and Brahms’ lyrical Symphony No. 2 in D major.

Introduced by Sunit Tandon
 

FILMS OF THE SPIRIT
Curated by Rajiv Mehrotra

Exemplar 
(55 min; 2021; English)
Produced by The Bahá’i World Centre, Haifa

Screening will be followed by a discussion with Dr. A.K. Merchant, National Trustee/Secretary, Lotus Temple and Bahá’i Community of India

Exemplar follows the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Head of the Bahá’i Faith from 1892-1921, later canonized as the last of three ‘central figures’ of the religion. A sense of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s unique function as a shelter, a shield, a stronghold for all humanity is captured in vignettes of some of the souls whose lives were transformed through an association with Him. The film reflects a few of the universal principles embodied, both in word and deed, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá – principles that animate a global movement of individuals, communities and institutions.

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

 

IIC Diamond Jubilee Discussions on Science
 
Science of the Pandemic
Opening Remarks: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director IIC
 
Lead speakers: Prof. P. Balaram, biochemist and former Director, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru will speak on Unravelling the Science of the Pandemic; and Dr. Krishna Ella, Founder and Chairman, Bharat Biotech on From the Virus to the Vaccine
 
Followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Renu Swarup, former Secretary to the Government of India, Dept. of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology
 
Panelists: Dr. Pramod Garg, Executive Director, Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, Faridabad who will speak on Understanding our Immune System; Dr. Sanjay Singh, Chief Executive Officer and Director, Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd. on New Technology Platforms; Dr. Sudhanshu Vrati, immunologist, microbiologist and Director, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad who will speak on The evolving mutations; and Dr. Madhu Dikshit, cardiovascular biologist, pharmacologist and former Director, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow who will speak on Natural product based treatment
 
With the onset of the Pandemic in early 2020, the world focused its attention on scientists and researchers for finding science based solutions to fight this war. A tiny RNA virus brought the world to a grinding halt and impacted the health, economy and livelihood of mankind. India’s Science and Technology based response has been phenomenal and has given the country an elated level of confidence to face future challenges. SARS-CoV-2 is not the last virus we are fighting a war against, with the evolving virus and its numerous mutations there will be a continued focus on science based solutions to address the challenges of human health. The discussion will focus on some of these key issues and also the learnings which the pandemic has given us for handling other health priorities and any future pandemics