Citygritty 8212; Pune

The force is with youAll of us feel for our soldiers waging a lonely and hard battle in the north-west. But only some of us do anything a...

The force is with you
All of us feel for our soldiers waging a lonely and hard battle in the north-west. But only some of us do anything about it. Amongst them is Kaustubh Dhavale, musician and event manager, who felt that Punekars must acknowledge the sacrifice of our brave soldiers. To this effect, his outfit, Fine Arts Production, has organised a music show, Brothers in Arms 8211; Pune for Kargil, at the Ganesh Kala Krida Mandir, Nehru Stadium, at 7 p.m. on June 19. The proceeds of this show will go to the Army Wives8217; Welfare Association.

This programme will feature bands like Ezee Meat, Agni, Strangers, Mystic Frost, singer Mandar Agashe and a dance performance by Infinity. Actor Nana Patekar will also be there, no, not as the chief guest but as the host. Says Dhavale, 8220;All of us feel strongly about this. Not just the groups but even the light and sound equipment came for free.8221; For a good cause with the right sentiment, money, obviously, does not count.

Seeing beyond
Sight was no bar for this able orchestra from the Jagriti School for the Blind. It was a novel experience for the spectators at the Nehru Memorial Hall recently as a unique orchestra comprising visually-impaired performers presented a musical concert.

The 12-piece band was started in 1977 and has given 1,000 live performances. This time, the occasion for the production was more momentous 8211; it was a fund-raiser for a new school and hostel building for girls at Alandi.

The singers and musicians were either totally blind or partially sighted, but despite the handicap, they presented a melodious feast of Hindi film songs, Marathi songs, folk tunes, ghazals and instrumental music.

Ramesh Gulani, president emeritus, captivated the audience with his rendition of Mere Desh Ki Dharti on the flute. Another highlight of the evening was the powerful performance delivered by Subhash Waghmare. He sang qawwalis and compositions of Narendra Chanchal. Kumar B.K. sounded like Kishore Kumar and Rajendra Kumar was the soul of Mukesh. The excellent drumming of Shantaram Nikam also received appreciative applause from the audience.

They also got to hear the voice of Asha Bhonsle as Manasi, a totally blind singer, rendered popular ditties accompanied by the orchestra. The keyboard performance of Deepak Upadhaya was also a treat. Moreover, the master of ceremonies, also completely visually impaired, Narayan Chinchwade, gave a sterling solo performance interspersed with shayari.

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For this bunch of music maestros, lack of sight was certainly no limitation at all as they scaled musical heights.

The Deccan platter
It8217;s thanks to the efforts of women like Zeenat Poonawala that Pune retains its small-town flavour. Every now and then, she organises these quaint exhibitions that are like a nostalgic trip down memory lane. This time, her backyard will exhibit the taste of Hyderabad. An Adaab-e-Hyderabadi festival showcasing cuisine, fabric, jewellery from the region will be held on June 19. The pleasure of a bagaare baigan or a haleem can be savoured on this day. So pack your taste buds and head for this small little place that has so much to offer.

Flair for the dramatic
For Bengalis who think that the play8217;s the thing, here is a chance to prove their prowess. Dishari, a cultural organisation, is all set to hold its annual Bengali drama festival from August 13 to 15 at the Tilak Smarak Mandir. This time, it has decided to broaden its reach and has invited other amateur Bengali groups from different parts of the state to participate.

According to a press note circulated, the participation of groups from outside Pune is to strengthen fraternity and further cultural activities. Those interested can get in touch with Sujata Chakraborty, general secretary, Dishari, at H-5/2626, Maharashtra Housing Board Colony, Yerawada, Pune 8211; 411 006 by June 30.