Tags:
Journalism of Courage
True devotion
What sprouts within will bloom without.quot; This common proverb among the folk people of Kerala came to mind as I watched a truly dazzling selection of slides depicting Theyyam, a performance ritual which allows the performer to become8217; one of Malabar8217;s indigenous deities. Flamboyant costumes, painted faces, be it at a ritual or a fashion show, more often than not, foster curiosity, even voyeurism. We are attracted to something different, far removed from our realm of ordinary experience. We skim the surface and in the worst possible scenario, film-makers, photographers, even writers, may cash in on exotic folk rituals for foreign consumption. Many showcase under the pretext of preservation.
Dance delight
Other hotels are getting involved with the arts in the oddest of ways. I picked up my tickets for the Grand Moscow Classical Ballet of N Kasatkina and V Vasivou near the ice-cream parlour of the Hotel Natraj! Perhaps the the ICCR wanted the free tickets to reach a wider audience. The Homi Bhabha Auditorium was packed, and the group8217;s repertoire included popular excerpts from the Nutcracker Suite and Don Quixote. Except for the first piece 8212; Tchaikovsky8217;s Swan Lake 8212; all the excerpts were rather short, though the magnificent leaps and movements went down well with the audience. With many of the dancers trained at the Bolshoi School, needless to say the performances were flawless. Natalia Burak8217;s feather-like drops reminded one of the grace the human body is capable of and the mastery the Russians have always had in ballet.
Hotel art
Seldom does a new play premier at a hotel, so it was with a bit of curiosity that I spoke to Kamal Khera, resident manager of The President. Art, a play written by Yasmina Reza and directed by Mahabanoo-Mody Kotwal, will open as part of the ongoing Supper Theatre series, and if one goes by Khera8217;s commitment to theatre, there is much to be cheerful about. It8217;s no secret that few plays break even in the theatre circuit; if supper theatre finds a regular slot in hotels, producers can take on more plays.
In our country, where the arts are not subsidised, such avenues become exceedingly important. The only danger, of course, is the kind of plays that get staged: comedies are naturally bound to be popular but if, as Khera puts it, quot;they want to be associated with good theatrequot;, why not take a few risks?Art originally premiered in London and had a successful run in Paris.
According to Mody-Kotwal, who purchased the rights from the French-Iranian playwright, Mumbai will be the third city to see the play, which is also expected to open on Broadway. Perhaps M F Husain8217;s sketch, done especially for the show, will be its lucky mascot.
The last word
Said Ms Vulture to Ms Culture:
If you say all art is great,
then why don8217;t people appreciate?
Have their souls dried up
or are heads reeling in a fuzz?
