Latest news with #TheCreativeArtsAcademy
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Kolkata to celebrate gender-fluidity and identity through dance, drama, and more
Kolkata is all set to host a genre-fluid performance at The Creative Arts Academy . Created and performed by theatremaker Ahon Gooptu, Item is a blend of dance, drama, and drag that explores themes of identity, queerness, and belonging through a Bollywood-inspired lens. At the heart of the show is Zizou, who discovers parts of himself across shifting landscapes—from homes and nightclubs to the silver screens of Bollywood. Through his fierce and fabulous drag persona, Zenia Fauxbia Darling, he finds connection in memories, movement, and music. Drawing inspiration from Madhuri Dixit and Saroj Khan, the show is both a celebration of cultural memory and a journey toward selfhood. Rooted in Ahon's academic research on performing minoritarian identities, Item brings theory to the stage in bold, expressive ways. Following the performance, the audience will also be engaged in a community conversation to reflect, ask questions, and take part in meaningful dialogue around gender, race, sexuality, and performance.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Women at the crossroads: Desire and duty in The Chai Queens
The Chai Queens , a play, recently presented at The Creative Arts Academy, intricately weaves a narrative of love, yearning, camaraderie, desire, envy, and the profound, often unspoken sacrifices women make for family, culture, and their own survival. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Like a slowly brewed cup of chai, some affections steep in unspoken moments, poured in secret, and savoured in quiet. Against the vibrant backdrop of an extravagant Indian wedding 's music and rituals, childhood best friends Babli and Tejal reconnect after fifteen years. Babli, now a wife and mother, navigates the ingrained patterns of tradition, constrained by expectations she has never challenged. Tejal, a spirit driven by wanderlust, returns home to discover that some distances stubbornly persist. Yet, amidst the shimmering silks and the soft glow of oil lamps, an unspoken truth begins to surface. A lingering touch. A glance heavy with the weight of years. The phantom of an unnamed love now presses against the present reality. As the three-day and three-night wedding festivities unfold, Babli and Tejal find solace in stolen moments over chai. Their hands brush across shared cups, warmth seeps into chilled fingers, and words dissolve into the rising steam. Past, present, and future collide. Desire clashes with obligation, and longing grapples with loss. In a world that offered them no space, can they forge their own? Or will they, once more, choose to walk away, leaving behind not only each other but also the essential part of themselves that only the other truly understood? Directed by Ramanjit Kaur and featuring Taranjit Kaur and Archana Patel in leading roles, "The Chai Queens" drew from Taranjit Kaur's original storyline and incorporated excerpts from Vikrant Dhote's script "So Far," along with contributions from Taranjit Kaur, Archana Patel, and Ramanjit Kaur. The play's evocative music is designed by Pt. Tanmoy Bose, with Ruhani Singh serving as Production Director.
