The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Ashish Raje
Balancing Act
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A duck tries to pick at the flowers around a diya set afloat on the occasion of Tripura Purnima at Banganga tank in Walkeshwar
Booking the spots
Suchitra Vijayan and Ghazala Wahab
If you are looking at the latest titles to stock up on, check out the shortlist for the Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay NIF Book Prize that was announced yesterday. The shortlist this year includes five diverse titles from Midnight’s Borders: A People’s History of Modern India by Suchitra Vijayan, Whole Numbers and Half Truths: What Data Can and Cannot Tell Us About Modern India by Rukmini S and Born a Muslim: Some Truths about Islam in India by Ghazala Wahab to The Chipko Movement: A People’s History by Shekhar Pathak translated by Manisha Chaudhry and Accidental Feminism: Gender Parity and Selective Mobility Among India’s Professional Elite by Swethaa S Ballakrishnen. Jury chairperson, professor Niraja Gopal Jayal, remarked,“One of our jury members has described it as the best kind of book club! It’s a difficult but ultimately rewarding process, and we’re very pleased with the final list.”
A musical kick-off in Qatar
Ravi Chary (right) during the soundcheck on stage in Qatar
There’s still a couple of weeks before the football fever officially kicks off in Qatar for the World Cup. But Mumbai’s very own Ravi Chary joined a select musical bunch that has already had a taste of the hospitality awaiting Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the tournament that begins on November 20. The musician joined pianist-composer Siddharth Kashyap’s fusion band as they performed for the opening of the Lusail Iconic stadium (in pic) that will host the final this year. “Composer and pianist Siddharth Kashyap has the Perfect Amalgamation band, which I am also part of. This was a rare fusion performance on the stage that was composed by Kashyap,” said Chary. The sitarist was not alone; as he was accompanied by a Mumbai-heavy contingent that also included Darshan Doshi, Shankar Mahadevan and Sunidhi Chauhan who performed on November 4, alongside Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. While the stadium was yet to open to full capacity, Chary told this diarist that the views were spectacular. With over 40,000 people in attendance, the musician admitted it was quite an exhilarating experience. “It was a spectacular show because the stadium has a capacity of 60,000 people,” he revealed. But the best part of the experience, Chary added, was the camaraderie between the musicians. Apparently, the contingent was more interested in music than football. “It is inevitable when you put musicians together. We spent a lot of time talking to each other about music, performing on such a big stage and about concerts,” Chary recalled. “It was a great moment for Indian music. All the musicians had great chemistry,” he added.
Reward for a difference
Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih (right) Anju Basumatary
The annual SPARROW-R Thyagarajan literary award by the Sound and Pictures Archive for Research on Women (SPARROW) will be presented to Tamil poets VN Surya and Ponmugali and the Khasi poet, Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih and the Bodo poet, Anju Basumatary. Praising the choice of the jury, founder-trustee and writer, CS Lakshmi complimented each poet for their distinct style and quality. For veterans Nongkynrih and Basumatary, she observed, “Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih is one of the finest poets in the Khasi language. His poems contain a range of literary and cultural references specific to his region and language. Anju Basumatary’s first book of poems in 1982 was also a first in Bodo language by a woman writer. She has since written many books of poems presenting life from very different perspectives.”
Travelling the world for comedy
Aditi Mittal. Pic Courtesy/Instagram
It’s travel time for comic Aditi Mittal, as she joined fellow funny women Tumi Morake and Liza Treyger on the stage at the New York Comedy Festival yesterday. The trio recently spent time travelling through Finland recording The World According to Comedians. The show, staged at the ongoing New York City Comedy Festival, is based on their experiences travelling across Finland — the happiest nation on Earth — in June. The show seeks to find the recipe for happiness. “The two weeks were a whirlwind when we visited the country and got to talk to people,” Mittal told us from NYC. Thrilled at the chance to perform in New York, she said, “I told everyone, and even reminded my mom that maybe, my career choice wasn’t such a terrible idea.” The comedian revealed that she is most excited about meeting other comedians at the festival. She said, “It is an incredible learning experience to talk to people and see how comedy and comedians behave around the world.”
American Authors to rock at Mood-I
American Authors at a performance. Pic Courtesy/Instagram
Mood Indigo has kept up with the trend on the music circuit by announcing American Authors as their international act this year. The festival, to be held from December 27 to 30, will see the band make an India debut. Shyam Manchhani, concerts head, Mood-I, said the decision to bring in the New York City band was in keeping with the tradition of acts like Porcupine Tree, Simple Plan and Haken at the fest. “The purpose is to enable the audience to experience hits like Best days of my life and Believer,” he said.
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