Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Work of art: NIFT students pay tribute to women techies

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Around 20 students painted two walls at Whitefield Railway Station; they chose to paint a mural of Ada Lovelace, since this area is the IT hub of the city.

While one wall was dedicated to both Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, the other displayed just the first IT programmer  Nagaraja Gadekal
While one wall was dedicated to both Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, the other displayed just the first IT programmer  Nagaraja Gadekal

Bengaluru :

Around mid-April, Susan Thomas, campus director at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), received an unexpected call from an engineer from an IT firm in the city. The engineer had just come back from a six-day trip to Tamil Nadu and returned to find something amiss at Whitefield Railway Station. The usual apricot-toned walls now displayed paintings of two figures, some gears and mechanical parts and some flowers. A closer look at the wall told her the figures were Ada Lovelace, the first IT programmer, and Charles Babbage, the father of computers. While one wall is dedicated to both, the other displays just Lovelace.

“The engineer was so happy to see women in the IT space get recognition and was thrilled to see Lovelace and women programmers being acknowledged in a public space like this,” says Thomas. This, in turn, thrilled Thomas and her team of 25 students who had worked on the murals earlier last month.

The idea, she says, came from the strong mural culture at the institute’s campus, where many artworks created by students adorn its walls. But this time, the institute wanted to use their students’ talent to beautify a public space and dispel the notion that government buildings are always dull and monochrome. “But we didn’t want to produce art just for art’s sake. We wanted to present a larger political context and message,” explains Thomas.

Finding a muse

After a consultation with railway officials, the institute was given a choice between KR Puram, Banaswadi and Whitefield stations. Once the IT hub was decided upon, Thomas and her students knew technology would be the central theme of their mural. “While brainstorming, students came up with names of Sundar, Zuckerberg and Gates. But no one mentioned any woman’s name.  I asked them about Ada Lovelace and none had heard about her. That’s when I elaborated the story of how Babbage and Lovelace collaborated, but history was unkind to not give any credit to her,” said Thomas. While the paints and scaffolding were provided by the railway ministry, the rest of the mural was done pro-bono by the institute.

The idea was approved by April 6 and over the next week, 25 students worked in shifts to bring the idea to life on their 20-something feet high canvas. Though fun, the work wasn’t entirely easy all the time, says Rayna Arora, a second-year student who worked on the murals. Being approached by inebriated men was always a threat and since the team involved many girls, either a police officer or the railway caretaker were always around. “It was too hot in the afternoon so we would work from 4pm onwards and some nights, this went on till 3am. Scaling up an idea on a wall has its own challenges, you think you’re painting an eye but when you step back, it might just look different. And it’s never easy to get straight lines when you project an idea onto a wall,” says Arora.

The work was finally unveiled mid-April and though ecstatic that their work is on display in public, the students do harbour one concern: People dirtying the wall again.  An official from the Railway Ministry CE spoke to, however, said that since the walls had been beautified, this would deter people from littering or spitting around the premises.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Simran Ahuja / Express News Service / May 06th, 2019

Kannada theatre personality Master Hirannaiah passes away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
Master Hirannaiah | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement/
Master Hirannaiah | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement/

He was well known for his caustic barbs on the political class dipped in humour on stage from late 1960s

Noted Kannada theatre personality Master Hirannaiah died in the city on May 2 morning. He was 85 years old and was suffering from a liver complication. Hospitalised at BGS Global Hospital, he succumbed to his death on May 2 morning, sources said.

Narasimha Murthy hailing from Mysuru was the son of another theatre thespian K. Hirannaiah, who started K. Hirannaiah Mitra Mandali. Making his debut on the stage as a child, he went by the stage name Master Hirannaiah, a name that stuck till the end.

He took over the troupe K. Hirannaiah Mitra Mandali after his father’s death and ran it till date. His son Babu Hirannaiah now runs the troupe.

Master Hirannaiah was well known for his caustic barbs on the political class dipped in humour on stage from late 1960s. His mega hit play “Lanchavatara” had a free form where Master Hirannaiah included a commentary on the day’s politics making the play new with every staging.

The troupe has staged Lanchavatara from 1959 and has crossed over 11,000 shows. The play had the political class of the state come down on it heavily many times in its six decade run.

Hirannaiah was also known for his other plays – Makmal Topi, Anaachara, Bhrashtachara and Devadasi.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Bengaluru – May 02nd, 2019

Bengaluru-based cafe gives flight to big dreams of little people

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Records, All

Life has just gotten better for 23-year-old M Rajashekar Reddy, who has finally landed himself a job in the city, after searching for five long years.

The Hobbit, Koramangala, has hired seven dwarves  / Pushkar V
The Hobbit, Koramangala, has hired seven dwarves  / Pushkar V

Bengaluru :

Life has just gotten better for 23-year-old M Rajashekar Reddy, who has finally landed himself a job in the city, after searching for five long years. He had been visiting Bengaluru from Anantapur since 2014 but every employer he approached rejected him due to his height and hearing impairment. “Back home, I used to do farming and earned only a meagre `6,000 a month. My new job now has given me hope for a better future,” said the 3’9’’ footed  man, who lives with dwarfism, a genetic condition that results in shortness in height.

Reddy isn’t the only one feeling relieved these days. Like him, six others with dwarfism have been hired by The Hobbit, a recently-opened cafe in Koramangala. Karthik Raj, the co-owner of the café, said giving back to society was always part of the plan during the cafe’s conceptualisation. “Growing up, I had a neighbour who was a dwarf and I saw how people would tease him by calling him names such as ‘chottu’. Often, people with this condition find it difficult to get a job,” explained Raj.

Agreed Prakash M, a badminton, shot put and discus plater, who will be joining the cafe in a week’s time. Despite being a sportsperson, Prakash struggled for years due to no adequate support from the government to compete in sporting tournaments. He had been applying for a job for a year but even a recent win of `75,000 in the Special Olympics held at Abu Dhabi last month wasn’t enough to lessen his worry since most of the money would be used in paying off his loans. Now, with a job at the cafe in hand, the 4’4’’ footed-man is ‘more than willing to work’ and is looking forward to settling down with a steady source of income.

Chamundeshwari, a 3’7” footed 28-year-old, who works as a cashier at the cafe added that the inclusive work environment motivates him  greatly to learn new things.It took Raj a year to find his seven employees, for six of whom, this will be their first job. He also added that they intend to start an organisation just for people living with the condition.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Preeja Prasad / Express News Service / May 02nd, 2019

HS Doreswamy gets Ramnath Goenka Award

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

The first edition of the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award in the state was held in the city on Monday.

Bengaluru :

The first edition of the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award in the state was held in the city on Monday.

Among the many awardees, 101-year-old, HS Doreswamy who was a freedom fighter and renowned journalist, was facilitated with the Lifetime Achievement award.

Samyukta Karnataka was awarded with the best Newspaper Award.

In the category of investigative journalism, GM Kumar, Managing Director of BTV got the award.

The awards are given in a bid to mark the works of journalists, in both print as well as broadcast journalism. Prashanth Goenka, Grandson of Ramnath Goenka said, “These awards are presented to the ones who have worked fair and believe in free journalism. This event is also to bring back Ramnath Goenka in our thoughts.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / April 23rd, 2019

Retired forest officer promotes green earth through paintings

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, World Opinion

A team lead by Rao visited the village Pangti to do their job and such was the success of the 2013 campaign that not a single bird was killed.

Bengaluru :

As the principal chief conservator of forests and head of forest force, Lokeswara Rao was the man who spearheaded various environmental campaigns that spread awareness about afforestation, birds and the ill-effects of plastic pollution. While stationed in Nagaland, the officer was asked to create awareness about the migratory Russian falcons that were being hunted by villagers. A team lead by Rao visited the village Pangti to do their job and such was the success of the 2013 campaign that not a single bird was killed.

So, it comes as no surprise that the now retired forest officer has joined an international body that works towards nature conservation as its director for a campaign called ‘Protect Our Species’. As part of Earth Day Network USA, Rao will be in-charge of the aforementioned campaign and spreading awareness about protecting the environment and its species along with another country head Karuna Singh. The team is working on a ‘Clean Ganga’ and a ‘Clean Juhu Beach’ project, apart from various programmes on plastic pollution.

Rao’s efforts to conserve nature and spread awareness about the need to do so doesn’t end there. This upcoming Earth Day (April 22), he will also exhibit 35 new paintings which will showcase depictions of Buddha in relation to nature through abstract and semi-abstract means. The connection between the two is inseparable, says Rao, who adds, “Nature is present in the four main events of the Buddha’s life: Birth, enlightenment, first sermon and death. Moreover, he always appreciated nature and encouraged others to do the same.” Rao started painting over a decade ago.

 BuddhaBF18apr2019
His favourite, however, are Buddha and nature. According to the latest Living Planet (2018) Index (an indicator of the state of global biological diversity), the population abundance of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish has decreased by more than half (60 per cent) in less than 50 years, from 1970 – 2014. The report attributes it to habitat loss, pollution, climate change, over-exploitation and the spread of invasive species and diseases.

Rao believes art has the ability to interact with and educate the viewer about such issues. “Art can open our eyes to the beauty of the nature. It can simply be a pretty picture that appreciates nature for what it is… Or it can be a challenging piece expressing our complex human connection to nature,”
he says.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Express News Service / April 16th, 2019

When walls become your canvas

Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Works of art Depiction of kitchens and cooking are a favourite / SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Works of art Depiction of kitchens and cooking are a favourite / SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Restaurants in Mangaluru and Bengaluru are using muralsto brighten up their interiors

Think wall and for some it just means a building structure, but, for artists, they see them as a huge canvas on which they can depict their art on. While some walls are used for graffiti, some are used for murals. And, it is not uncommon for many eating joints to incorporate this work of art in their building design.

Many eateries in Mangaluru have large walls dedicated to murals. Looking at them popping up across Mangaluru, shows that murals are trending here.

“Murals are colourful and popular. I have painted over a 1,000 murals all over the State in varied establishments, homes, hotels, eateries, commercial places and educational institutions too. They can also be based on a theme. The ones that get most appreciated are those that depict anything to do with a traditional Indian Kitchen. I have created many themes for different Udupi hotels in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Pune, Kadaba (Andhra Pradesh) and Nepal. People normally pause, admire the work and even take a selfie with it before moving on,” observes VG Hegde, an artist and entrepreneur from Bengaluru.

The mural, adorning a wall at Sri Krishna Vilas in Urva Stores in Mangaluru, shows a typical kitchen in a hotel run by a Brahmin family. “This particular mural gives us a glimpse of an ancient Indian kitchen. It also takes us on a nostalgic trip, to the era when firewood was used for cooking.” says Vaishak Bhat, a techie from US on a visit to Mangaluru.

“Not just hotels in Mangaluru, but those in Bengaluru too have added murals to their structures. Many opt for thematic murals based on Udupi Krishna or vegetarian food. The best part is they dedicate a prominent place in their hotels for this work of art,” shares Lakshmish Shanbhag, an architect.

It is not just vegetarian eateries but even fast food joints have murals in their dining areas, says John Chandran, a mural specialist from Mangaluru. He has created a mural of cricketers for a non-veg outlet and a mural of a mother cooking for her family for St Aloysius Museum (Aloysium).

Vikram Shetty, an upcoming artist is passionate about murals,. In fact, his works can be seen in many eateries across the city.

“I have partnered with Ramakrishna Mission as an art consultant for their cleanliness campaign too,” beams the young man.

“There are many art forms that go into making a mural — graffiti art, caricature and doodles,” he explains.

According to senior art teacher Ganesh Somayaji, “Murals have now become an integral part of our lives.

“It is a welcome change and also a sign that artists today have another horizon to explore.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus / by M Raghuram / April 16th, 2019

Vive la France and the music of the Bangalore Men

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, World Opinion

A home-grown all male choir is set to perform choral music that has rarely been played in the city.

Olsson first performed French choral music about 25 years back at the Gothenburg Cathedral in Sweden.
Olsson first performed French choral music about 25 years back at the Gothenburg Cathedral in Sweden.

When the music is written by French composers, sung by an Indian choir group which is led by a Swedish baritone and conductor – it’s a complete package. Especially when Jonas Olsson, founder of the said choir, Bangalore Men, says none of them speak French. Yes, the verses are in French and this unique celebration of French choral music titled Vive la France’, is a testimony of what passion for music can lead to; as well as Google translator.

Olsson is a Bengaluru-based Western classical trained singer who has been juggling his day time job at Volvo with teaching music at the Bangalore School of Music. He started the all-male voices ensemble to focus on Western classical music across a time period ranging from medieval to contemporary times. Olsson first performed French choral music about 25 years back at the Gothenburg Cathedral in Sweden. “French choral music is not so well-known in the choir music scene,” he explains. “It is a bit melancholy and the pieces that I have selected are fairly modern, dating back to the late 1800s and the mid 1900s.”

The fact that the audience in the city are more aware of composers like Mozart and Beethoven prompted Olsson to showcase the music composed by Gabriel Faure, Maurice Durufle and Francis Poulenc, a selection which will set the music from late 1800s to 1949. “Their music is too beautiful to be left alone,” he notes. The pieces will range from quietly meditative to joyous and triumphant, as the note accompanying the invitation promises.

The 18-member choir took about a couple of months to practise the pieces but that’s only because, Olsson stresses, they have been consistently practising singing every week for the past three years. “That makes it easier to pick up new pieces.” The Bangalore Men has previously performed Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s 9th symphony, Simply Schubert on Franz Schubert as well as A Cappela Through the Ages focussing on renaissance and early Baroque music.

Their choir singers are from diverse fields; doctors, engineers, architects and IT professionals hailing from across the country and religions. “Music is unifying,” Olsson truly believes in this as he has, over the years, introduced the city audiences to unique repertoires including British composer Gustav Holst’s Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda. “Music lovers from all over the world are on the same page. They feel the rhythm and pulse of good music.” But they have the responsibility to educate themselves in all styles of music as well as take their heritage forward. Olsson talks of his exposure to Carnatic music through two of his students and hopes to have some sort of collaboration with them. “It will show that as far as our music goes, we are not that far away from each other.”

As far as Olsson’s personal taste goes or his go-to music, he sees himself relaxing with classical music. “But I enjoy all music,” he says. His passion for music was instilled young, growing up in Sweden which, according to him, has a diverse musical scene with easy access to music conservatories.  He talks of an astonishing number of people taking to choral music in Sweden. About 1 million people go for choral music rehearsals every week. “It is that popular,” he laughs. Elsewhere, it is the enduring quality and richness of classical music that has kept the genre alive. “The pieces we will be performing are about a few centuries old,” he says. “They have survived so far and will continue to do so.” It is his aim to bring music that’s from the classical genre yet outliers so that the audiences are challenged as well. If even one person from the audience goes back and looks up choir music, it will gladden him. “Experience of the moment is one thing,” Olsson says, “but sparking their curiosity about the music played is a huge accomplishment.”

Since Vive la France will be performed in a church, Olsson believes that the enjoyment will be two-fold. One doesn’t need to know French to enjoy the music and nor does one have to be of any particular religion to enjoy the beauty of the church. “The French choral music will make an everlasting impression as it did on me when I first performed it.”

What: Vive la France
When: Apr 7th, 6 pm
Where: Saint Andrew’s Church, Cubbon Road

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Entertainment> Music / by Jayanthi Madhukar, Deccan Chronicle / April 05th, 2019

Why this Bengaluru teenager looks at the glass half full

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Records, All

A few years ago Gulhati suddenly started noticing news articles on droughts and water-related issues across the country.

Garvita Gulhati
Garvita Gulhati

Bengaluru :

Garvita Gulhati isn’t a typical college-going student. For one, she doesn’t have social media accounts, and second, she doesn’t binge watch TV shows. Instead, the 19-year-old student from PES University is on a mission to conserve water, for which she has been going from restaurant to restaurant requesting managers to fill only half a glass of water unless otherwise requested for by the customer. Her initiative #GlassHalfFull, which she started at the age of 15, has borne fruit with 200 restaurants adopting the campaign and now, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), which represents over 1,00,000 restaurants, has extended its support.

A few years ago Gulhati suddenly started noticing news articles on droughts and water-related issues across the country. What particularly struck her was an article on 14 million litres of water being wasted every year, simply because customers at restaurants leave behind half-empty glasses. “I started researching on how we waste water without realising it and decided to teach people water management,” she says. She visited several restaurants to pitch the idea of filling only half a glass, which would save 50 per cent of water that was being wasted earlier.

When she started her online petition, it wasn’t easy to convince people who would advice Gulhati to concentrate on her studies. “Many schoolmates would say I was doing this to earn fame as they did not realise the importance of carrying out the drive. It was only my environmental studies teacher who motivated me to take the movement forward,” says the BTech student.

The biggest accolade has been launching an organisation, Why Waste? and receive recognition from several quarters. Gulhati was the only Indian among 60 changemakers between 18 and 23 years to receive the title of ‘Global Changemaker’. “Working towards saving water is worth being off social media and watching fewer TV shows. Neither do I party like most of those my age would,” she says.

Raising awareness

About the partnership, Rahul Singh, president, NRAI, said, “Ninety seven million people in India do not have access to clean drinking water. As a part of the #GlassHalfFull initiative, NRAI will encourage restaurants to adopt sustainable alternatives for reducing consumption of water. We will not only sensitise the restaurant staff but customers as well to reduce wastage of water.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Akhila Damadoran / Express News Service / April 08th, 2019

Noted Carnatic singer Vidwan L Ramasesh passes away at 72

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Ramasesh a ‘Karnataka Kalashree’ had lent his voice to most of the performances of reputed dancers.

L Ramasesh
L Ramasesh

Mysuru :

Noted singer of ‘ Jai Ho’ fame Vijay Prakash’s father Vidwan L Ramasesh passed away here on Sunday. He was 72.

According to Vidwan K Ramamurthy Rao, a family friend of Ramasesh, he was ailing from sometime and was admitted at Kamakshi Hospital here, where he breathed his last.

His mortal remains have been kept at his house near Mata Amrutanandamayi College, AIISH layout in Bogadi.

Ramasesh was a Carnatic classical singer who had lent his voice to most of the performances of reputed dancers. He was also a recipient of ‘Karnataka Kalashree’ award.

The last rites are expected to be performed at MCC crematorium near foothills of Chamundi in the city on Tuesday, once Vijayprakash returns from the United States.

Ramasesh is survived by his wife Lopamudra, two sons Vijayprakash and Phaneendra Kumar.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / April 07th, 2019

Bangalore has easily become India’s No. 2 theatre hub

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Uncategorized
Singer-actor M.D. Pallavi in C Sharp C Blunt. / Photo: Special arrangement
Singer-actor M.D. Pallavi in C Sharp C Blunt. / Photo: Special arrangement

With growing talent and audiences, Bangalore has easily become the country’s No. 2 theatre hub, second only to Bombay

My first tryst with theatre from Bangalore was when a young man called Pawan Kumar performed a solo piece called The Final Rehearsal at Thespo and won a bunch of awards. This was in 2002. Today, over 16 years later, Pawan Kumar is a celebrated Kannada film-maker and has just directed some episodes for a Netflix show. He did revive the play a couple of years ago; I believe it had a good run at Ranga Shankara in Bangalore.

Ranga Shankara was our gateway into Bangalore. We went there first in 2009, and in the decade since, we have been going there quite regularly. Some people suspect that I keep begging for dates so I can eat akki roti at Anju’s Café, a favourite haunt. But the venue, brainchild of Arundhati Nag, is delightful.

I had always imagined Arundhati Nag as an intimidating figure. A doyenne of the theatre. For whom Girish Karnad, another intimidating figure in my mind, wrote Broken Images (Bikhre Bimb). Then I met her, and she was warm, wonderful and supportive. And she recently acted in Bombay, in Q Theatre’s Mother Courage and Her Children. Another legendary, Arundhati (Raja), set up a venue called Jagriti in Whitefield in Bangalore, and attempted longer show runs, like in the West. We were among the first to do 21 shows on the trot there. An unforgettable experience. The Humming Tree is another cool experimental venue, but Ranga Shankara and Jagriti remain favourites.

Joining the list

At Jagriti, I formed a friendship with Vivek Madan, another mythical figure from Bangalore theatre. We had crossed paths, but we hadn’t really spent any time together (basically, we had never gone drinking) and that was soon remedied. Vivek, who had acted in the cult play Butter and Mashed Banana, joined the growing list of Bangalore exports to Bombay. He acted in The Hound of the Baskervilles, and was a revelation. Last month he returned with another play; when Quasar’s Thakore Padamsee directed him in a solo act called Every Brilliant Thing, which blew me away.

Vivek works closely with Abhishek Majumdar, regarded among the finest writer-directors today. Also from Bangalore, Abhishek’s productions have created waves across the country and, of late, internationally. Plays like The Djinns of Eidgah, Gasha, and Kaumudi are on all theatre aficionados’ lists.

Brave and brimming

Sandeep Shikhar, a frequent Majumdar collaborator and also from Bangalore, came to Bombay a few months ago and directed a play he wrote, Open Cast, for a local theatre group. He is a writer brimming over with ideas and a brave director.

The list of migrating/ visiting talent from Karnataka’s capital is quite endless. Anuja Ghosalkar, who worked with the India Foundation for the Arts, keeps visiting with plays produced by Drama Queen, her theatre group. Her form of documentary theatre is unique and riveting. M.D. Pallavi, singer and actor, knocked the socks off audiences across the country with her solo act C Sharp C Blunt. Gulshan Devaiah, now a popular film actor, began his acting career in Bangalore theatre. In fact, he featured in Butter and Mashed Banana. Nimi Ravindran and her company Sandbox Collective do very interesting work, including some popular plays for children. And this is just to name a few.

Besides all the influx from Bangalore (I’m suddenly wondering if I should have said Bengaluru all along, but I’m also saying Bombay, so I’ll just stay old school), the city, in my opinion, is a theatre hub second only to Bombay. I believe Delhi used to be a formidable competitor to Bombay, but Bangalore has left it far behind. At one point, of the 100-odd shows we had of a play, close to 40 were in Bangalore, maybe a touch higher than the number of shows we did in Bombay, where we are based. That to me spoke volumes about the growing theatre market and audiences over there. Also, a couple of my personal favourite productions hail from Bangalore, or have a strong connect. Kaumudi, written and directed by Abhishek Majumdar, which I mentioned earlier, is among the finest plays I have seen. How to Skin a Giraffe, a co-production between Perch from Chennai and Rafiki from Bangalore was brilliant. Both plays are hard to explain, and have to be watched, perhaps even repeatedly, to enjoy their brilliance. So let me wind up with some youth parlance. Bangalore FTW.

The theatre producer and director is often broke. To cope, he writes and directs films and web series and occasionally acts, albeit reluctantly.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Theatre / by Akarsh Khurana / April 06th, 2019