Oz you like it

Australia's diverse culture will be on show at Oz Fest, and Mumbaiites will get a chance to witness this spread as one of the cities that will witness this four-month long spectacle by the Australian government, which will showcase nearly 100 events across 18 Indian cities.

The huge list of events range from an international comedy festival and band performances to film screenings, a puppet theatre experience and a cricket tour. The festival opens tomorrow with a performance at Delhi's Purana Qila by Australian Aboriginal singer/ songwriter Gurrumul Yunupingu and didgeridoo virtuoso Mark Atkins, and Anoushka Shankar.

Deep Blue Orchestra

Apart from Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, the festival travels to Coimbatore, Bhubaneshwar, Jaipur and Ahmedabad. "We wanted to look beyond Tier 1 cities to reach out to a larger section of society," says Lachlan Strahan, Australian Deputy High Commissioner.

Planning this fest took two years. "We hope that Indians will understand more about Australia and our nation's story - our diversity, our creativity, our strong economy, and the links between us," says Peter Varghese, Australian High Commissioner to India. "Most Indians do not know Australia well enough. This will fill the missing information deficit in a contemporary fashion," he believes.

Look for these...
>> Film shows of Australian Bollywood star, Fearless Nadia
>>u00a0Australian comic act Save Your Legs about Australian cricketers in India
>>u00a0The Aussie BBQ, featuring Australian bands
>>u00a0Act by the Deep Blue Orchestra
>>u00a0Now + When, 3D exhibition
>>u00a0Masterchef Australia's Gary Mehigan and George Calombarisu00a0

Log on to: www.ozfestindia.com