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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Report: Bazm-e-Virasat
Every city has its unique culture, that has evolved over generations, and a collective memory with lasting images. In an attempt to retrieve this repository in a fast-changing world, Allahabad, now Prayagraj, had its first edition of Bazm-e-Virasat late last year. Organised by Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ram Chari and Zafar Bakht, the event aimed to celebrate the city's history and rekindle memories. The inaugural session had Hariprasad Chaurasia, who was born in the city, talk about his life, his artistic journey and much more with academic Smita Agarwal. The flute maestro said that his instrument was a gift of God, and expressed his continuing wonder at the fact that something made of bamboo and with no strings could create such heavenly sound. The session that followed was on Lantarani, a term that can be translated as 'boasting' but has several shades to it, and which Allahabad natives believe is part of the essence of this city. Media expert and cultural historian from Allahabad University, Dhananjay Chopra took to the stage and narrated several tales even as he reminisced about life in the city. Advocate Asif Usmani too narrated stories of Allahabadis and their escapades. Abhay Awasthi, an expert in the local argot, said that it was only here that bhaang could be called 'Shankara-mycin', a divine mixture of the holy and the medicinal. Journalist Qamar Agha stated that the city's clever adoption of lantarani is a remnant of the feudal past when things were exaggerated to such an extent that it became absurd, all with the full encouragement of whoever was listening. Underlining the syncretic culture of the city, he ended the session with a couplet: 'Mai ab mehfil se uthna chahta hu, Par dil hai ki baitha ja raha hai' (Now I want to leave this gathering, but my heart keeps forcing me to stay). The post-lunch session had Sundeep Sharma performing his stand-up routine followed by live music from the Anirudh Verma Collective. The evening programme featured Purane Chawal, an adaptation of Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boy, performed by Kumud Mishra and Shubhrajyoti Barat. The second day began with Hindustani classical singer Shubha Mudgal mesmerising everyone with her rendition of Vijay Dev Narayan's ghazal written during the Emergency and a Kabir bhajan. The next session had Syed Mohd Irfan, producer and host of Guftagoo, the interview-based show that began on Rajya Sabha TV, talking to actor-director Nandita Das, lyricist Kausar Munir, filmmaker Sudhir Mishra and film writer Sutapa Sikdar. While Das stated that economics heavily influences different forms of art, Sikdar spoke about the responsibilities of directors, producers and the audience too. Mishra highlighted how audiences now go to a theatre only to watch grand productions and lamented that filmmakers had forgotten their roots and were creating substandard movies. Munir said cinema now has to engage, entertain and educate the masses. Another session had author diplomat Vikas Swaroop talk to Rajesh Williams about the role that Allahabad has played in his life. During the next session entitled Allahabad in Literature, academic Basant Tripathi read from Allahabad, a story by Batrohi. Susmita Sahi Srivastava talked of how the city occupied a prominent place in her father Vijaydev Narayan Sahi's heart and in his writing. Author and academic Baran Farooqui talked of several literary personalities from the city and encouraged people to read Akbar Allahabadi, whose shayaris she recited. Writer and translator Sara Rai also spoke of her love for the city and read from her work. Neelum Saran Gour thanked everyone for inviting her to this 'bawaal' before reading from her book Allahabad Aria. The proceedings ended with a mushaira featuring well known poets like Waseem Barelvi, Sampat Saral, Azhar Iqbal and others entertaining the audience for hours. The last day began with poet and academic Smita Agarwal singing a ghazal by Firaq Gorakhpuri followed by a discussion celebrating the life of the poet. Urdu scholar Ahmad Mahfooz spoke about the uniqueness of Firaq's work, how he expressed his innermost feelings through imagery and recalled his famous comment: 'You need not be Hindu to write in Hindi and need not be Muslim to write in Urdu.' Author and historian Herambh Chaturvedi spoke of how Firaq distinguished loneliness from being alone before reciting his poem on America, which is still relevant today. This was followed by a musical tribute to Indian rocker Amit Saigal. The post-lunch session on the intricacies of filmmaking and acting that featured director and co-founder of Bazm-e-Virasat, Tigamanshu Dhulia, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanjay Mishra and Ali Fazal, attracted a large crowd. Siddiqui spoke about his time at the National School of Drama and about why it is important for an actor to be honest with himself. Mishra spoke about actors connecting with their memories to infuse scenes with emotion while Ali Fazal spoke about the artist's responsibility towards society. The event ended on a high with the audience dancing enthusiastically during a programme celebrating RD Burman's music. Clearly, Allahabad-Prayagraj continues to be an embodiment of Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb. Chittajit Mitra (he/him) is a queer writer, translator and editor from Allahabad. He is co-founder of RAQS, an organization working on gender, sexuality and mental health.
The Wire
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
A Decade of Living Dangerously: The Wire Marks its 10th Year with Pressing Unmute in Naya India
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Media A Decade of Living Dangerously: The Wire Marks its 10th Year with Pressing Unmute in Naya India The Wire Staff 34 minutes ago Directors Dibakar Banerjee, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Alankrita Shrivastava, actor Shahana Goswami and documentary film-maker Vani Subramanian will be in discussion with The Wire's Deputy Editor Jahnavi Sen. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Donate now Directors Dibakar Banerjee, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Alankrita Shrivastava, actor Shahana Goswami and documentary film-maker Vani Subramanian will be in discussion with The Wire's Deputy Editor Jahnavi Sen On Monday, May 12, 2025, at New Delhi's Jawahar Bhawan at 5 pm. New Delhi: The Wire turned ten today (Sunday, May 11, 2025). It was a decade ago that we began our journey as a digital platform, committed to serving up good information, news, analysis and opinions. Its three founding editors, Sidharth Bhatia, Siddharth Varadarajan and M.K. Venu, were leading names in big media before taking the plunge and testing the waters in the digital sphere. What has evolved now is a platform in English, Hindi, Urdu and Telugu along with a YouTube channel drawing millions to it. We derive our strength from many things. Our sprightly team that is our workforce and brings The Wire to you, 24X7, at present and also those who have worked for us in the past. But The Wire is also the larger ecosystem of fellow-independent media and others who work in the creative space, both fact and fiction. People with whom we share values in the ultimate objective towards interpreting monumental changes in India and the world. On Monday (May 12, 2025), at New Delhi's Jawahar Bhawan at 5 pm we are marking the first of many discussions we hope to hold in the year, centred around the challenges of speaking the truth through film. Directors Dibakar Banerjee, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Alankrita Shrivastava, actor Shahana Goswami and documentary film-maker Vani Subramanian will be in discussion with The Wire's Deputy Editor Jahnavi Sen. Those in Delhi, do come, the closest metro station is Central Secretariat. It is about A Decade of Living Dangerously: Pressing Unmute in Naya India. We look forward to catching you there. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News The Pattern of the Government's Press Censorship The Wire's Series on Indian Fisherwomen Wins 2024 ACJ Award for Social Impact Journalism Statement by The Wire on the Government's Blocking and Unblocking of its Website Backstory | In These Post-Pahalgam Times of Multiple Partitions, Will Media Do the Right Thing? Madhu Limaye's Pivotal Role in Modern India Must Be Remembered India-Pakistan Stand-Off: Main Updates of May 10 How Contract Labour and Caste Inequality Undermine India's Sanitation Drive Nostalgic About a Hyderabad Between Nizam and NTR The Many Meanings of Vietnam View in Desktop Mode About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Black, White and Gray Love Kills review: A plot told with conviction, backed by solid performances
There are flashes of familiarity in Black, White and Gray—Love Kills in the broad thematic connections it is attempting at, between young lovers on the run, and the obstacles that come in their way. Patriarchy, parental opposition, class differences, power structures, are all present in this crime drama, reminding you of several others that have come before. But it stands out in the way it takes us along the ride, joining and erasing the dots, while creating vivid portraits of its characters and societal mores. I watched the six episodes of about 40-45 minutes each in a single gulp, because it got me invested in the people it was tracking, and wanted to know what happens next. Yes, there are contrivances — the structure of a documentary filmmaker speaking to 'real' people, with a parallel track being played out by those standing in for them, is the biggest of them all — and a few slack, improbable patches, but they are not deal breakers. Often a mockumentary style calls attention to itself, and stands in between conviction and disbelief. Here, the seguing between the 'real characters' and the actors playing them is pretty seamless, as the boy (Mayur More) and the girl (Palak Jaiswal) run from danger, whose degree shifts with locations (Nagpur, Hyderabad, Uttarakhand, Nepal) and people: a Malayali cab driver (Hakkim Shahjahan), an ex-cop (Tigmanshu Dhulia) having trouble with his sight, an on-duty cop (Kamlesh Sawant), a bounty hunter (Deven Bhojani) and a few others. A couple of strands don't work as well as the others, especially the ones with a reporter, standing in for a famous real-life man of courage, switching sides, and a haranguing TV anchor, also a stand-in: as ever, the moment a web series tries to get in an authentic portrayal of a newsroom, it comes both comic-book and stagey. Some dialogues are so on-the-nose that you stop in your tracks. But when it comes to the thing between the 'boy' and 'girl' who go smartly unnamed, it is on the money. Strong mutual attraction doesn't see class, or caste (not specified, again, but clearly hinted at), and both More and Jaiswal are excellent. So is the 'real boy': Sanjay Kumar Sahu's subtle shifts in expression, caught by an adept camera, tell us more than his lines. And Tigmanshu Dhulia's flavourful turn reminds us, over again, that he should do more acting work. This is an example of a well-cast ensemble working together: having stars front a story almost always causes dis-balance. A plot told with conviction and backed by solid performances, is all you need.
