Verve Weekend Guide

ART

Experimenter 10th Anniversary Showcase, Kolkata 

Well-known for envisioning new alliances, exploring deep relationships and mulling over alternative possibilities, artists Ayesha Sultana, Bani Abidi and Sohrab Hura will open a group show titled Searching for Stars Amongst the Crescents at Experimenter – Ballygunge Place. With ‘stars’ and ‘crescents’ symbolising two different ideologies, the show attempts to give the audience a peek into the possibility of life in the future. Experimenter – Hindusthan Road, on the other hand, will present a solo show by way of Naeem Mohaiemen’s two-part photo project. Titled দুই | Dui, one can peruse the archives of photographs taken by the film director’s father in the ’50s and examine his engagement with the political and cultural history of Bangladesh.

Searching for Stars amongst the Crescents⁣ ⁣is on display at Experimenter – Ballygunge Place (45, Ballygunge Place, Ballygunge), Kolkata from Aug 23 to Oct 25, 2019⁣⁣ and দুই | Dui ⁣⁣is on display at Experimenter – Hindustan Road ⁣⁣(2/1, Hindustan Road), Kolkata ⁣⁣from August 23 to November 5, 2019⁣⁣

Discussion: Oddly Enough Nº3: On Climate Change, Mumbai

Design is an intrinsic part of our daily lives but most of the time, we don’t realise how modern design helps us function to our best potential. Oddly Enough is a bi-monthly gathering to celebrate design in our everyday lives but in its third edition, it will expound on how design can respond to climate change. As a species, we are well aware that the world around us is changing, and a climate crisis is rapidly unfolding. The temperature and the waters are both rising, and all signs point to a grim future. But instead of despair, perhaps design can lend its hand for a more fruitful outcome. Oddly Enough Nº3, in association with G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture, seeks to study design-driven possibilities for a more hopeful future.

Oddly Enough Nº3: On Climate Change will take place at 7 pm on August 23, 2019 at G5A, Mahalaxmi in Mumbai.

FOOD

The Bohri Kitchen x Masala Kraft, Mumbai

Those who frequently dine at Masala Kraft might be accustomed to their traditional North Indian fare but the chefs have decided to shake things up a little and introduce their patrons to newer cuisines.  After a successful Rampuri Food Promo earlier in the year, Masala Kraft now brings Bohri cuisine to the table. The talented home chefs of The Bohri Kitchen have worked closely with the restaurant’s master chefs to create a unique gastronomical experience at the Taj for guests in Mumbai. Available for both lunch and dinner, the restaurant provides both a la carte options for light eaters and the Grand Thaal Experience for those who want to dine like royalty.

The Bohri Kitchen X Masala Kraft collaboration will be on offer at The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel (Apollo Bandar, Colaba), Mumbai from August 25 to 31.

Star Bartender Devender Kumar X Remo’s and Thirsty City 127

The 13-year Prohibition between 1920 and 1933 birthed some truly creative cocktails which were inspired by the allure of outlaw liquor. Harking back to that ingenuous era, Thirsty City 127 and Remo’s are joining forces to collaborate with world-renowned bartender Devender Kumar, who stirs up a storm with his cocktails at Hong Kong’s 8 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana. The popular mixologist will be visiting Mumbai for a special two-day event in Mumbai on 23rd and 24th August 2019 where he will treat you to modern crafted cocktails at Thirsty City 127 and then take you back in time to enjoy prohibition cocktails at Remo’s.

The Bartakeover by Devender Kumar will take place at Thirsty City 127 and Remo’s (both at Todi Mills, Lower Parel), Mumbai on 23rd and 24th August respectively. 

MUSIC & THEATRE

Bandish 2019, Mumbai

The 10th edition of the three-day festival, which celebrates the central idea upon which a performance is sculpted, will showcase some of the most treasured works of great composers, presented by eminent artistes. This edition, artistes will perform lauded works of Hindustani and Carnatic music composers and the festival will conclude with a presentation based on the immortal songs of film music directors like S. D. Burman, Roshan and Madan Mohan. A truly unmissable aural presentation, this one.

Bandish 2019 will take place at Tata Theatre (National Centre for the Performing Arts, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point), Mumbai on August 25 at 6.30pm.

Old World Theatre Festival 2019, Delhi

Now in its 18th edition, the Old World Theatre Festival at the India Habitat Centre has assembled a stunning array of productions that entertain, stimulate, provoke and educate in equal measure. Watch out for a brave new tribe of theatre practitioners, who, driven by the power of their creative passion, are reimagining ingrained structures. If you’re a theatre buff, you can also sign up for one of the workshops where you can learn the ropes of the trade.

Old World Theatre Festival  is on at India Habitat Centre (Lodhi Road Near Airforce Bal Bharati School), New Delhi until August 25.

OUTDOORS

Pedal For The Planet 2019, Bengaluru

India’s largest cycling event returns to Bengaluru with races and fun rides to make you break a sweat this weekend. Besides 25km and 40km race categories, the event offers shorter rides of 1 km, 8 km, and 15 km. Don’t own a cycle? Head to the accompanying Sunday Soul Sante flea market, which will feature 100 stalls of eco-friendly and sustainable products, a food and beverage zone, live music, and an ethical fashion show.

Pedal for the Planet will take place at Embassy Springs (MSEC Road, Devanahalli), Bangalore on August 25.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

The Mystic and the Lyric: Four Women Poets from Kashmir by Neerja Mattoo

Zubaan Books’ new volume compiles the work of four women poets from Kashmir – Lal Ded, Habba Khatoon, Rupa Bhawani and Arnimal. Neerja Mattoo intersperses the beautifully translated verses with fascinating introductions to the poets’ lives, as well as Kashmiri history. Spanning across different periods of history in Kashmir, the book is especially relevant at a time when we are in need of listening to Kashmiri voices more than ever.