12 August,2020 06:04 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Satej Shinde
A man dons a mask as he walks past a wall filled with graffiti at Four Bungalows, Andheri, on Tuesday. Pic/Satej Shinde
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Renowned contemporary playwright Mahesh Dattani is all set to stage the Sahitya Akademi award-winning play Final Solutions, that had been commissioned by the late Alyque Padamsee, on Independence Day. Set in the small town of Amargaon, struck by communal clashes, it narrates the story of a Hindu family that shelters two members of the Muslim community.
Dattani shared about the experience, "I wrote the play in 1990 when the idea of Ram Janmabhoomi was introduced in the Indian Parliament. My research drew me to the nature of prejudice and the selection of memory - how personal resentments get transferred onto another community, and we all need a bad person to blame things on. The play is a plea for tolerance, of revisiting memory and creating a different story of compassion and understanding." About the move to the digital format, he adds, "There were some valid reservations about how it takes away the vitality of a live stage performance. But it [the digital medium] adds the visual power of cinema. I believe this is a great document of the theatre of our times."
Call it being cut from the same cloth, or in this case, moulded from the same clay. Veer Patole, all of six years, seems to have picked up some nifty tricks from his painter dad, Gautam, and sculptor mum, Rupali.
Veer has been observing his mother at the potters' wheel in their Panvel home, and seeing her conduct classes online where she demonstrates how to make eco-friendly Ganesh idols. Intrigued and inspired, he attempted to make his own. "He seems to possess an artistic streak," admitted his delighted and proud mum. If a six year-old can put slogans like going green and eco-friendly into practice, what's stopping us?
Back in July, we had reported on this page about a driven 17-year-old, Ananya Dalmia, who had curated the Misaal Concert for COVID-19 relief. The young warrior's Virtual National Talent Hunt raised '1.3 crore to help further efforts by NGO Magic Bus for marginalised communities. Dalmia told this diarist, "I believe in Paulo Coelho's words that when you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
We worked passionately for more than a month. Yet, its success surpassed all our expectations, with participants from India and abroad. The most rewarding bit is helping those in need." Praising Dalmia's efforts, Jayant Rastogi, Global CEO, Magic Bus, was ecstatic, "The success of the event proves how talented youth can be agents of positive change. We will continue to work on relief and recovery, stay connected with kids to avoid school dropouts, and help families augment their income."
Last week, as the city's malls reopened, all kinds of innovative art ideas were on display across some venues to add some cheer in these times. At a Lower Parel mall, a sand art installation caught the eye. The 3-D sculpture pays tribute to warriors like the medical fraternity and the police.
This hand-sculpted installation is by Narayan Sahu, who took five days to complete it. Across town, inside a Kurla mall, Garden of Hope a 20 foot-high structure on a flower bed made of reflective mylar, greets shoppers. The bed is covered with over 15,000 origami flowers. Its creator, Aaquib Wani, told this diarist, "The idea was to create meaningful art, in keeping with the current situation, to transport the visitor into another world where they can be one with the installation."
Pune's International Creative Club (ICC) is currently holding an online storytelling contest, My Story Katta. All you have to do is sign up, write a story, record a video of you narrating it and submit the entry via WhatsApp.
The contest is open to all, and the judges include actor Sachin Khedekar (in pic). "Considering the lockdown, people have few outlets to express their creativity. We wanted all generations to participate," Minal Sureshbabu of ICC told this diarist.
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