Off-stage jugalbandi
Off-stage jugalbandi
Tabla maestro Taufiq Qureshi, singer Roop Kumar Rathod and maverick drummer Sivamani at the launch of Rajeev Mahavir’s album Sound of Sufi, featuring Javed Ali and Aruni Bagga
Encore
Back to back
W endy Doniger’s controversial book, On Hinduism, that was withdrawn by Aleph, has quietly come back to the shelves across the country. According to reports, Aleph has decided to reprint the title, and the author has been informed of the same. While this calls for some celebration, the fault lines in the publishing house that appeared in the wake of the incident, are not disappearing in a hurry. Co-publisher Ravi Singh, who had quit the company over what is widely believed to be his disapproval of the management’s decision, is not coming back to the fold for sure. Singh in fact, has been meeting venture capitalists, to raise funds for his independent publishing outfit. Given his credentials, it is only a matter of time before he makes the big announcement. Watch this space for more.
Here today, gone tomorrow
A s part of his public art initiative project, Harsh Goenka had commissioned video artist and sculptor Valay Shende to set up his rendition of a dabbawala at Crawford Market that was to be unveiled on Friday by the Mumbai Police Commissioner, Rakesh Maria. But Shende, who toiled over six months to create the 13-foot installation in stainless steel, is now a disappointed man. On Wednesday night, he received a call from curator Anupa Mehta that he’d have to bring the installation down. According to Mohan Adtani, additional Municipal commissioner, the BMC didn’t receive any application seeking permission for the sculpture. “To install any statue or sculpture at a public property, permission from the district collector is required. If it is in the city limit, they have to seek permission from the civic body,” said Adtani. Even Devidas Kshirsagar, assistant commissioner of A-ward said, “I found out about the sculpture today and visited the place in the evening. By then the sculpture had been removed.”
Tailpiece
T here is a reason why Shikha Sharma, as head of one of the largest private sector banks, continues to enjoy the confidence of her team. In London earlier this month, for a meeting with the board of directors, Sharma took members of her team out for a treat at Atul Kochhar’s Michelin star restaurant in London. Over a sumptuous dinner, Sharma impressed her junior colleagues and peers with her wit and ability to inspire. We hear, fuelled by the the fine food and finer conversation, the employees breezed through the board meeting the next day.
Tabla maestro Taufiq Qureshi, singer Roop Kumar Rathod and maverick drummer Sivamani at the launch of Rajeev Mahavir’s album Sound of Sufi, featuring Javed Ali and Aruni Bagga
Encore
One of the projects that Pandit Ravi Shankar was working on before he passed away in 2012, was a grand opera, named after his wife Sukanya, and based on a chapter in the Mahabharata. The musical theatre, mounted on an epic scale, brings together the music, dance and theatrical traditions of India and West in one great sweep. The diarist has learnt that the maestro’s dream is now on its way to being realised, with his daughter, sitarist Anoushka shankar and author musician Amit Chaudhuri, collaborating with The Royal Opera House, the Arts Council England, Curve Theatre and Norwich Arts Centre in the UK. There is a bit of Bombay in the grand project too. City born, Amar Muchhala, who has been learning from the masters of Western Classical in Europe and performing extensively as a tenor, has been cast as one of the pivotal singers in the musical. Muchhala has been lauded as the first Indian in the history of the Chamber opera, to have mastered “komm, O holde Dame” one of the most difficult Tenor aria, on stage. The first set of compositions for ‘Sukanya’ are in place and those in the UK will be able to catch the highlights at the Royal Opera House soon. One hopes the opera will travel to India as well, for the master’s fans and followers to enjoy what was his swan song.
Back to back
W endy Doniger’s controversial book, On Hinduism, that was withdrawn by Aleph, has quietly come back to the shelves across the country. According to reports, Aleph has decided to reprint the title, and the author has been informed of the same. While this calls for some celebration, the fault lines in the publishing house that appeared in the wake of the incident, are not disappearing in a hurry. Co-publisher Ravi Singh, who had quit the company over what is widely believed to be his disapproval of the management’s decision, is not coming back to the fold for sure. Singh in fact, has been meeting venture capitalists, to raise funds for his independent publishing outfit. Given his credentials, it is only a matter of time before he makes the big announcement. Watch this space for more.
Here today, gone tomorrow
A s part of his public art initiative project, Harsh Goenka had commissioned video artist and sculptor Valay Shende to set up his rendition of a dabbawala at Crawford Market that was to be unveiled on Friday by the Mumbai Police Commissioner, Rakesh Maria. But Shende, who toiled over six months to create the 13-foot installation in stainless steel, is now a disappointed man. On Wednesday night, he received a call from curator Anupa Mehta that he’d have to bring the installation down. According to Mohan Adtani, additional Municipal commissioner, the BMC didn’t receive any application seeking permission for the sculpture. “To install any statue or sculpture at a public property, permission from the district collector is required. If it is in the city limit, they have to seek permission from the civic body,” said Adtani. Even Devidas Kshirsagar, assistant commissioner of A-ward said, “I found out about the sculpture today and visited the place in the evening. By then the sculpture had been removed.”
Tailpiece
T here is a reason why Shikha Sharma, as head of one of the largest private sector banks, continues to enjoy the confidence of her team. In London earlier this month, for a meeting with the board of directors, Sharma took members of her team out for a treat at Atul Kochhar’s Michelin star restaurant in London. Over a sumptuous dinner, Sharma impressed her junior colleagues and peers with her wit and ability to inspire. We hear, fuelled by the the fine food and finer conversation, the employees breezed through the board meeting the next day.
