The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
A free class with Shankar Mahadevan
So, you’ve been keeping off that secret wish to hone your skills as a Hindustani vocalist? Now might be a good time to give it a shot. NCPA and Shankar Mahadevan’s Academy have announced their Hindustani Vocal Music Course for beginners.
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Shankar Mahadevan
Sign up for any course, before January 5 and stand the chance to win a free class with Mahadevan. Students will be taught prayers, folk songs and a Bandish in Bhupali. For more details, log on to www.ncpa.shankarmahadevanacademy.com
Campus to canvas
Pic/Bipin Kokate
Actor Sachin Khedekar (right) and Marathi film director Mahesh Limaye hit rewind mode during a Sir JJ School of Art reunion with their friends at a painting exhibition at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Fort, yesterday.
At Kipling’s birthplace
The Sir JJ School of Art is celebrating the words and world of Nobel Laureate Rudyard Kipling, on his 150th Birth anniversary today, on the ground that he was born in 1865.
An image of Kipling against the Sir JJ School of Art
Located inside the institute’s sprawling, wooded campus, the evening will feature readings — poetry and prose by the celebrated author, as well as readings by some of the city’s leading poets and writers.
The session begins at 6 pm and according to the invite, ‘chai and biskoot’ will be a part of proceedings. Entry is free, so ensure you get in early.
Don’t miss this one, if you’d like to hear about the man who made Mowgli and India’s jungles a part of world literature.
Meet the hottest veggies in town
Did you know that Aamir Khan decided to go vegan after wife Kiran Rao showed him a video on healthy eating?
Anushka Sharma and Aamir Khan at a game launch during the promotions for PK earlier this year. File pic
Well, the move has earned him a new title now. Khan, and his PK co-star Anushka Sharma were recently named PETA India’s Hottest Vegetarian Celebrities for 2015 based on a voting exercise on their portal.
Incidentally, the duo raced ahead of competitors, Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Kangana Ranaut, Shahid Kapoor, R Madhavan and Dhanush to bag the crowns.
Amish and Chetan top the charts
If the trends report of Amazon for the 2015 are to be believed, author Amish Tripathi ruled the list as the bestseller with his book, Scion of Ikshvaku, which emerged as the highest selling book of 2015.
Next on the list are The Manorama Yearbook 2015 and Chetan Bhagat’s Half Girlfriend. Also, exam preparation books are among the fastest growing categories, the site claims.
The report reveals that peeps in Delhi-NCR read the most in 2015. Bengaluru and Mumbai came in second and third place, respectively.
Save the baby face
Since artist Chintan Upadhyay’s arrest in his wife Hema Upadhyay and her lawyer Harish Bhambani’s murder case, his baby face installation at Nariman Point has become famous. Yesterday, while passing by the site at the traffic island near Air India building, this diarist noticed that it was attracting picture posers.
Chintan Upadhyay’s art installation at Nariman Point has become a favourite photo opportunity spot. Pic/Maleeva Rebello
College student Parvati Kutty, who was clicking pictures against it, with her friends, said, “This art work has been in the papers a lot. I live in Vikhroli and happened to spot it while walking past. When we went close, the gardener stopped us from taking a photo beside it.”
Delhi-based banker Tarun Gandhi also decided to drop by to see the installation. He said, “Since I was in the area, I thought I should see it. It’s interesting. I happened to see it on TV and learnt that it was by Chintan. I had not heard of the artist before the murder.”
The gardener, who maintains the plants at the traffic island, said, “I have been told to stop people from going near the installation. There is some controversy surrounding the artist who made it; no one can deface it. Many people have been coming to see it and click pictures. I know that the artist has been arrested for murder.”