Indian Writing

Art in the service of Desh. What a wonderful theme for the Prithvi Theatre Festival this year. And what better way to celebrate the Prithviraj Kapoor centenary. I also love the fact that the venues are spread out between Prithvi in Juhu, Land’s End at Bandra, Yashwant Natya Mandir in Matunga and the magical Horniman Circle Garden downtown.

Last night A~ and I saw Raj-Rakt, a wonderful play by Habib Tanvir’s Naya Theatre at the Yashwant Natya Mandir in Matunga. Based on a novel and play by Rabindranath Tagore, set in Tripura, performed in Chhattisgarhi, Hindi and Bengali, for a Mumbai audience… amazing. Maybe I’ll write more about the play if I get the time. Yet it’s not my favourite among Naya Theatre’s plays - which have included such superb productions as the now-classic Charandas Chor, Gaon Ka Naam Sasuraal Mor Naam Damaad, and Kamdev Ka Apna Basant Ritu Ka Sapna.

Shabana Azmi after accepting the Gandhi International Peace Award:

For non-violence to succeed, it has to rise from its death, not once but again and again. Never before has it been so true than the present time…

…at Project Why, where little Nanhe is learning to walk.

But for Babli, it’s three steps forward and two and a half back…

(via email from Anou)

Nidhi Kaila’s organisation Esha (esha_brailleATyahoo.com), which works with visually-impaired children, has come up with innovative little schemes - like Braille - embossing visiting cards on order for a rupee a card, or audio-recording a book of one’s choice for one’s drive to work. It’s not just about helping the children to earn some money. It’s also about making sure that one does that extra bit to show some sensitivity for the visually-impaired.

More here. And here.

(via email from a friend who would like to remain unnamed)