Latest news with #RaviVarma
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Letters to The Editor — August 6, 2025
A tariff deluge It is disturbing to read about the tensions between the United States and India on the issue of Russian oil and trade. The U.S. should understand one point — America's enemy is not India's enemy. Despite this, if the U.S. still forces India to forego the use of Russian oil, India can oblige. But in reciprocation, the U.S. should offset the discounted amount that Russia gives to India for its oil. This is not the first time that the U.S. is arm-twisting India. A few years ago, India was nagged the same way to drop the use of Iran's oil in total. For an energy-guzzling country such as India, with a population of 1.4 billion people, its interests should be the centre when adopting policies. India must balance its interests, financially and politically. R. Bharathi Ravi Varma, Palani, Tamil Nadu In Parliament Parliament must see discussion, dissent, debate and fully informed decision, but what we see now is the negation of what it is meant for. The government of the day has the prime responsibility to be accommodative and not let things deteriorate. Ayyasseri Raveendranath, Aranmula, Kerala
New Indian Express
26-07-2025
- Sport
- New Indian Express
'Shoot the Rain' kicks off 18th Edition: 28 teams battle it out under Kerala's monsoon skies
There's something electric about football in the rain. Especially in Kerala, where both are intertwined with the land's socio-cultural fabric. When the skies open up and the fields turn slick, the game takes on a wild, elemental rhythm. And for nearly two decades, the unique 'Shoot the Rain' football fest has been celebrating this heady combo. Now in its 18th edition, the two-day tournament — organised by the Tourism Professionals Club (TPC) and backed by the tourism department — was kicked off by District Collector N S K Umesh on Friday at the Maharaja's College Stadium. What began over two decades ago as a friendly kickabout among tourism professionals has grown into a vibrant sporting spectacle, where 28 teams clash in intense 30-minute matches under drizzles and downpours. 'The Sevens Football format ensures fast-paced, thrilling action. Shoot the Rain, however, is more than just a tournament. It's a festive, community-powered celebration,' says TPC media coordinator Ravi Varma. 'The event had just six teams initially. Now, we see over 3,000 guests. We have built a platform that connects people, encourages play, and embraces nature. Shoot the Rain has become an annual fixture in the state's tourism calendar.'
Observer
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
Muscat to host grand tribute to Raja Ravi Varma
Muscat is set to witness a spectacular audio-visual production titled 'Kadha Parayum Chithrangal' - The Pictures That Speak (A Unique Story of Colours and Canvases) — a creative homage to world-renowned Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma. The programme will be staged on three specially arranged platforms on August 22 and 23. The Malayalam version will premiere on August 22, followed by the Hindi rendition, 'Bolthi Tasveerem', with multilingual subtitles, on August 23. Rehearsals are in full swing for this unique theatrical celebration. The programme brings to life the story and works of Raja Ravi Varma, who was born in the Kilimanoor Palace near Thiruvananthapuram in the 19th century. Famed for blending Western techniques with Indian themes, Ravi Varma revolutionised Indian art with his lifelike oil paintings of mythological and royal figures. In this innovative format, characters from his iconic paintings take the stage, drawing viewers into the emotional and cultural depth of his artworks. The production offers a rich narrative journey through the painter's tumultuous life, using light, sound and dramatic visuals to convey the timeless beauty and struggles behind his masterpieces. The programme is produced by Bhavalaya, conceptualised by Dr J Retnakumar, and presented by Global Events. Directed by acclaimed stage artiste, director and choreographer Sunil Kumar Krishnan Nair, the show incorporates 71 carefully curated scenes. These include well-known works like Galaxy of Musicians, Hamsa Damayanti and Shakuntala, with musical interludes composed by Ronnie Raphael and background scores by Rama Varma Thampuran, a descendant of the Kilimanoor royal lineage. As part of the tribute, a painting competition inspired by Ravi Varma's works will be held in early August for both citizens and residents of Oman. Over 120 performers and 100 backstage crew members from Muscat will bring this epic to life, joined by Indian film star Moksha. Speaking to the Observer, director Sunil Kumar Krishnan Nair shared, 'Through this audio-visual journey, we aim to introduce Raja Ravi Varma's genius to a new generation, ensuring that his legacy lives on not just as paintings, but as living, breathing stories.'
Hans India
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Reimagining art without borders
Gitanjali Maini has long been a force in India's art world — not just as the founder of Gallery G, but also as the Managing Trustee of the Raja Ravi Varma Heritage Foundation. Now, with her travelling exhibition initiative 'On the Go', she's rewriting how art is accessed, experienced, and embraced across the country. The inspiration, she shares, came from an observation. 'We started noticing that many people who genuinely love art often miss major art fairs — either due to geography or timing,' she says. 'That sparked the idea: what if we brought serious exhibitions to them?' With 'On the Go,' she is making art mobile — and meaningful. 'The hope is that this motivates them to engage more deeply with the larger art world.' Curating each edition isn't about pitting tradition against the contemporary, she insists, but about drawing threads between them. 'We curate through connection — not contrast,' she says. 'A Ravi Varma might sit beside a contemporary abstraction, and both speak to storytelling in their own way. We don't draw hard lines between eras — we seek emotional and visual resonance.' That approach finds a natural home in Hyderabad, the latest stop for the initiative. 'It's a city where a Ganapati Hegde can sit next to a Gaitonde, who can be alongside an MF Husain — without dissonance,' Maini explains. 'The city embraces both legacy and bold expression with equal warmth. We felt its collectors and viewers would truly appreciate the dialogue between the old and the new.' Balancing such a legacy is something Maini knows intimately. As the steward of Raja Ravi Varma's artistic heritage, she is conscious of honouring his cultural significance without letting it fossilize. 'There's rightly a deep reverence for Ravi Varma — not just because he painted gods and goddesses, but because of his discipline, dedication, and sharp contemporaneity,' she notes. 'At the Foundation, we're not only preserving the visual archive but also celebrating the values behind it — rigour, vision, and cultural intuition — qualities we also nurture in younger artists.' This commitment to layered storytelling continues in the Hyderabad showcase, which ranges from Tanjore paintings to silver-filigree furniture. 'Even in heritage furniture, there's craftsmanship, symbolism, and layered history waiting to be rediscovered,' she explains. 'That's why we brought in a historian like Manu S. Pillai — to trace the stories behind these pieces and reframe them for a modern audience.' Their collaboration led to a special session titled 'Art as History,' where Pillai explores artworks not just as visual pleasures but as living, historical narratives. 'Manu's perspective beautifully merges culture, power, and history — which aligns with how we view art objects: as living testimonies,' Maini adds. Over the years, she has seen a distinct evolution in Indian audiences. 'Earlier, art was largely transactional or aesthetic,' she observes. 'Today, we see buyers wanting to understand provenance, technique, conservation, and value appreciation. The audience is sharper, younger, and often more emotionally invested — and that's deeply encouraging.' Through Gallery G and the Sandeep & Gitanjali Maini Foundation, she has also mentored scores of emerging artists — and what she seeks in them is not just skill, but intention. 'Clarity of vision, not just technique, is what draws me,' she says. 'I'm drawn to artists who know what they're trying to say and why — those who are rooted, yet not afraid to experiment. Grit, discipline, and a willingness to grow beyond ego matter just as much as brushwork.' Maini's work has also connected her to an international circuit of curators, collectors, and museums — a space she believes Indian artists must actively engage with. 'International visibility is no longer optional — it's essential,' she asserts. 'Indian artists are not just participants; they are redefining narratives globally. But that visibility must be strategic and sensitive — not performative. It's about context, not just geography.' What's next for 'On the Go'? Maini reveals that Coimbatore and Raipur are the next Indian cities in the lineup — and London is on the horizon. 'Each city brings its own rhythm and context,' she says, 'and we're excited to adapt accordingly.' As a woman navigating the intersections of heritage, commerce, and leadership, Maini admits the journey has had its unique challenges. 'Of course. You're often navigating rooms that weren't built for you,' she reflects. 'But instead of pushing back, I've focused on building my own — where integrity, collaboration, and clarity of purpose define leadership. That's what sustains me — not just as a woman, but as a professional.' With 'On the Go,' Gitanjali Maini is not just moving art across cities — she's shifting the conversation itself. One that's as inclusive as it is incisive, and as rooted in legacy as it is eager to write the future.
Indian Express
25-06-2025
- Indian Express
ATS arrest in May: Engineer held for ‘passing on sensitive documents to Pak operatives' seeks bail
A 27-year-old engineer, arrested in May by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for allegedly passing on sensitive documents related to the Indian Naval dockyard to a Pakistani Intelligence Operatives (PIOs) through social media, has sought bail stating that his prolonged detention will prejudice his personal and professional life. The engineer, Ravi Varma, who was working with a private defence technology company, was arrested by the ATS on May 28, which alleged that he had shared sensitive and confidential information through WhatsApp between November 2024 and March 2025. 'It is respectfully submitted that the investigation in the present case appears to be substantially complete. The primary evidence including the applicant (Varma)'s mobile phone, containing the alleged WhatsApp chats, audio files, images and documents, has been seized, thoroughly examined and extracted by the investigating agency… The continued incarceration of the applicant is no longer necessitated for any further custodial interrogation or recovery of evidence,' the bail plea filed by Varma states. It adds that he has extended full cooperation with the investigators through the interrogation and there is no likelihood of him absconding or fleeing or tampering with the evidence, given that key electronic evidence is already secured. 'That the allegations, while serious, are subject to proof beyond reasonable doubt during the trial. The applicant maintains his innocence and reserves the right to present his defence at the appropriate stage… that the applicant is a young professional employed as a junior service engineer, and his prolonged detention would severely prejudice his personal and professional life without serving any larger investigative purpose,' the plea filed through lawyer Rajhans Girase said. The lawyer said that the case will be heard next on July 1. The ATS after arresting Varma had claimed that the PIOs had posed as women to lure him and they communicated for months, following which he sent documents of restricted areas in the Indian Navy dockyard that he had access to through the company where he was working.
