KGAF Makes Virtual Horse Sense! Kala Ghoda gallops head and shoulders ahead of the pandemic, goes virtual! Adds e-stalls this year – bringing artisans online!

THE EQUESTRIAN statue of the Black Horse stands tall yet again. Even the novel Coronavirus could not keep the mother of all art festivals down!

Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, one of the premiere iconic arts and crafts festivals of Asia, will now take on a digital avatar from February 6-14 this year, commencing as always on the first Saturday of February, and closing on the second Sunday of February, refusing to let the cacophony of the pandemic drown the annual cultural awakening which will include 70 programs!

For the first time ever, the festival is also set to take its stalls (a huge attraction at the festival every year), online. The Marketplace will open on 6th February, but will go till the end of the month- 28t February. A showcase of an eclectic collection of handicrafts and other products, the Marketplace can be accessed at www.kgaf2021.com

Says Brinda Miller, Honorary Chairperson of the Kala Ghoda Association, “Kala Ghoda Arts Festivals has kept its date with Mumbai for the past 21 years. This 22nd year again, we are celebrating art and culture through a different medium that has spurred us on to ‘unlock’ the entire festival and make it virtual, including the much sought after KGAF stalls. Our partners, artistes and collaborators, who have worked with us through the years, have stepped forward this year too, to make this festival a ‘virtual reality’. What is encouraging is that we have well-wishers from around the world who are excited to be part of our festival this year. This has been an opportunity for us to reinvent the wheel!”

Organised by the Kala Ghoda Association (KGA), a non-profit organisation, the festival to be hosted on Insider (www.kgaf2021.com) will reach out to embrace global audiences with discussions, workshops and demonstrations about dance and music, visual arts, theatre, cinema, literature, book launches, tributes to famous personalities -- in short, the festival presents plenty of events which reflect the rich history of art in Mumbai.

Emphasizing on having something for each and every  attendee, the festival showcases numerous programs in films and filmmaking, arts and crafts, prose and poetry, culture, music, dance, storytelling, culinary arts, martial arts and theatre among others.

The 2021 schedule brings forth nine days of programmes and contests, under categories such as Workshops, Panel discussions and Talks, for children and adults alike. Themed under KGAFunlocked and Funlocked, the general and children’s programmes, respectively, promise a week of edutainment for our patrons.

The Kala Ghoda Spotlight features entertaining performances and talks by Leslee Lewis, TM Krishna, Usha Uthup, Ankur Tewari, Rahul Mehrotra, among many biggies, brought by various collaborators including Teamwork, Mahindra Kabira Festival, Team Rewind, Kommune, MAMI and Sula Wines among others, with the highlighting session with #AamhiKon?, a concept that promotes lyrical Marathi Hip Hop and showcases MCs , poets and writers from Maharashtra.

Unlocking Heritage  takes us through the city and its renowned architectural precincts; in association with Art Deco Mumbai Trust and Khaki Tours thought Heritage Walks.

Key Conversations promises engaging conversations with luminaries including Ruth Padel, Devdutt Patnaik, Ranjit Hoskote, Prem Chandavarkar, Swiss-Romanian novelist Dana Grigrocea, TM Krishna, Perumal Murugan, Pankaj Udhas with Kavita Krishnamoorthy, Tahira Kashyap, Neena Gupta and Vikas Khanna, Padma Shri Shubha Mudgal, Shilpa Rao, Dia Mirza with Licypriya Kangujam, and Talat Aziz with Pratibha Singh Baghel, Vikas Khanna and Neena Gupta.

UpSkill features workshops by the Arzan (scissorhands) Khambatta, musicians Gino Banks, Rakesh Chaurasia, Ojas Adhiya, Purbayan Chatterjee, Team M N M Talkies on podcasting, Unlocking Anxiety with Sonali Gupta.

In a similar vein, Shake a Leg features workshops with renowned international dancers such as Bea Dabrabant (for Tai Chi), Laura Kenyon (Flamenco), Tommaso Petrolo (contemporary), Naima Yazbek (Brazilian Samba) and Natya Kalari by Dr. Sreejith TR of Dancity India. Other Indian names include Ashley Lobo.

Laugh Out Loud, as the title suggests, brings forth the best in the business of comedy including Atul Khatri, Aditi Mittal, Sorabh Pant, Vir Das, Rohan Joshi, Sonali Thakker and Kashyap Swaroop.

Kitchen Secrets focusses on culinary specialists’ demos and features Saransh Goila, Zeba Kohli, Pooja Dhingra, Tara Deshpande and Michelin Star Chef Fabio Mazzolini from Italy.

KGAF Specials this year also include a section titled Artists’ Studio that will take audiences into the workspace of artists including Arzan Khambatta, Paresh Maity, Ajay De, Madhvi Subrahmanian, Brinda Miller, Sameer Kulavoor, Sunil Padwal, Dhruvi Acharya, Seema Kohli and Rekha Rodwittiya.

Kashish International Film Festival will also be showcasing cinematic works, both Indian as well as International, and will also be hosting a panel of trans artists in the cinema world!

Funlocked, the children’s section, includes an exciting workshop by Harun Robert, storytime with Kahaani Online, Anand Neelakantan and Shabnam Minwalla, celebrated authors both. Meera Warrier's The Treasure Chest with Maya brings alive the story of the Kala Ghoda for kids, and the talented team at Amar Chitra Katha shares the story behind some of their iconic characters!

This year, KGAF’s partners include KOMMUNE, Kashish, MAMI, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Bangalore International Centre, Nehru Science Centre and Amar Chitra Katha, as also cultural embassies including the  Institute of Italian Culture, Consulate General of Switzerland, the Italian Cultural Centre (Mumbai), the Brazilian Consulate and the Consulate General of Sweden.

The proceeds from KGAF are used for restoration projects in the Kala Ghoda precinct. In the past few years, the Kala Ghoda Association has funded restoration of iconic structures such as the Elphinstone College building, the Institute of Science, the Khyber Restaurant wall mural, the Cama Hall exteriors, garden of the David Sassoon library, the Bomonjee Hormusjee Wadia Clock Tower (located at Perin Nariman street), the Seth Gangalal Nandlal V Mulji Pyav located at the entrance of the Horniman Circle Garden and the Ruttonsee Muljee Jetha water fountain, among many others. The Chhatrapati Shivaji Vaastu Sangrahalaya (The Prince of Wales Museum) ,Elphinstone College,Rhythm House and the Asiatic Library have also been recipients of the Association’s funds and support.

KGAF 2021 will be hosted on Insider. Schedules will be on www.kgaf2021.com

Registrations open on Jan 29.

Can water kill Coronavirus?

It can de-grease a kitchen. It can clean windows. It kills athlete’s foot. And now, this elixir is brought to India to replace the toxic chemicals used to kill COVID. Electrolysed Oxidising Water, the patented technology brought to India by the country’s pioneering water technology platform, Amazing Ambrosia Pvt. Ltd. under the name Amazing Hygieia and HygieiaDent, is hailed as ‘El Liquido Milagroso,’ or the miraculous liquid, a substance that scientists aver is powerful enough to kill any lethal virus without harming people or the environment.

Used as a sanitizer for decades in Japan and Russia, Electrolysed Oxidising Water is safe, inexpensive, cuts costs and cuts employee injuries from chemicals. It is prepared by employees on-site and is ten times more effective at killing bacteria than bleach and is available in a convenient powder form in a 3.2 gram sachet that gives up to 10 litres of disinfectant.

Says veteran water technologist Dr. BK Sharma, “Amazing Hygieia is green, saves money and is the right thing to do. In Japan, people spray it on sushi to kill bacteria and replace chlorine with EO water in swimming pools. Doctors treat bedsores with EO water. In Russia, EO water is used to kill microbes in oil wells, while Europeans use it to treat burn victims and have developed treatments for chronic wounds with EO water. It is only a matter of time before our patented technology becomes mainstream in India.”

Entrepreneurs Sidharth Sharma and Rahul C. Mehta add: “When we founded Amazing Ambrosia guided by doyens Dr. BK Sharma and Mahendra N Patel, we wanted to identify India’s water and sanitation problems and solve them by adapting world-class technologies and innovating and manufacturing them locally. We brought in Amazing Hygieia and HygieiaDent for that purpose. The unforeseen pandemic struck then and the need for a new, innovative way to sanitize frequently touched surfaces and aerial disinfection of high footfall places with lowest toxicity and least bio burden became priority.”

Opines Mahendra N Patel: “The timing of the launch of our product was such that it was nothing short of miracle water. Globally, this technology has effectively demonstrated excellent cleaning ability in public places such as malls, metro stations, gyms, restaurants, movie theatres, airports and above that also in dairy, poultry and produce industries, making it ideal for general use in retail food establishments. Replacing conventional cleaners in mop buckets, sprayers, foggers and toxic cleaning chemicals with this electrolyzed oxidising water is a simple solution. In addition, Amazing Hygieia has no odour, nor does it produce foam, making it ideal for use in food production.”

Amazing Hygieia/ HygieiaDent is the only stable EO water available in pH of 5.5 to 6.5 with zero chlorine gasification. Electrolyzed oxidising water is approved and certified by the Ministry of Health, Japan as a food contact product as well as the only product safe for aerial disinfection permitted by INMAS DRDO, USA FDA, US CDC and US EPA. Both Amazing Hygieia and HygieiaDent are winners of the Economic Times Industry Leader Awards for Pathbreaking Technology resulting in Exemplary Contribution To Society.

SS Rajamouli, Karan Johar launch Santosh Sivan's Mumbaikar poster

New Year marks newer beginnings for our film industry with ace directors SS Rajamouli and Karan Johar releasing the poster of Mumbaikar, an action thriller with the heart and emotions of Mumbai. 

Said Karan Johar, “I am very very pleasured and honoured to share with you, two gentlemen whose work I have admired and applauded in cinema. One is Santosh Sivan, the  prolific cinematographer and director whose work is tremendous, and the world has acknowledged it and continues to.  The other is the brilliant artiste, the genius artiste Vijay Sethupathi Sir.  His work has been again world-acclaimed, applauded and for everyone to see how it has been. There two formidable gentleman are coming together to make a film, and I have the grand pleasure of actually sharing the first look. It has a formidable ensemble and I cannot wait for you to actually have a look. There is much more coming up…"

After Slumdog Millionaire and Gullyboy, Mumbaikar seeks to look at the metroscape of the Mumbai through the lives of interwoven characters who form its rich albeit at times bright and other times dark lifescape. This when explored through the directoral sensibilities of the lens of ace director cinematographer Santosh Sivan is sure to bring to light, myriad hues of Mumbai.

Says Santosh Sivan, "Every city has its own spirit and so does Mumbai that is synonymous with the spirit of resilience. Mumbai is a magnet. It draws aspirants from all over India, both in terms of region and religion. It is the city of dreams, the city of hope, the city of magic to many. A stranger can change your life here. And in the midst of the concrete jungle there is a heartbeat that heals! Mumbai may be a metrop, but Mumbaikar is an emotion! Hence the title. In terms of cast, we have an intriguing and interesting mix of national talents. And that adds to the magic."

Mumbaikar, directed by Santosh Sivan and presented by Riya Shibu, stars an eclectic blend of actors from across the country like Vikrant Massey, Vijay Sethupathi, Tanya Maniktala, Sanjay Mishra, Ranvir Shorey, Sachin Khedekar, Hridhu Haroon among others

Perfect Mrs India' 2020 Season 3 finale sees a bevy of intelligent women vie for the skies!

The simplicity, the social distancing and the small gathering could not hold back the glitz and glamour of 'Perfect Mrs India' 2020 Season 3 finale saw the chosen 12 Top finalists  from all over India prove their mettle to try and win the crown.

Dr Khooshi Gurubhai Thakkar and Gurubhai Thakkar, the driving forces behind the empowering women's pageant  along with Dr Geet Thakkar avered, "There are no barriers of Height, Weight or Age in this pageant.  Indian women give up their dreams and turn four walls into a home. This pageant looks beyond everything and aims to empower them, to help them grow wings!"

The contestants came from varied fields. From housewives to professionals to COVID warriors, the field was open.

Soumita Nandy won the awarded Perfect Woman Of The Show, while there was a tie between Pooja Nishar and Jayanti Gupta for the Second Runner Up, Reema Bahl was the First Runner Up and the coveted title was bagged by Saraswathy Iyer who was crowned 'Perfect Mrs India 2020’. The jury consisted among others,  Philanthropist Dr. Aneel Kashi Murarka, Writer-Director and Social Activist Anusha Srinivasan Iyer, Journalist Jyothi Venkatesh, Shruti Jain.

The event also saw the Perfect Achievers Awards where the winners chosen by audience choice  included Ranvir Shorey, Sharad Kelkar, Sahil Salathia, Deepshikha Deshmukh,  Sanjay Gangnani, Helly Shah, Madhurima Tuli, Chahatt Khanna, Amol Parashar, Child Artist Dishita Sehgal,  Sujoy Mukherjee, Ojas Rajani, Alankrita Sahai, Shivani Tomar, Kanika Mann, Charul Malik, Riya Deepsi, Donal Bisht, Kaveri Priyam, Ahsaas Channa, Jay Soni, Simran Ahuja and Krishna Bharadwaj among many others.

All in all a perfect evening twinkling with achievers indeed.

My Guru, My Father by Amjad Ali Khan

Ustad Haafiz  Ali Khan was born in a house responsible for giving the Sarod its present shape and structure.  The traditional style of music which today has become somewhat rare is called Dhrupad, where the use of embellishments does not exist. The usage was more of long glides both for vocalists and instrumentalists. He added to it the melodic possibilities of instrumental music in its complete dhrupad form. A rabab oriented Sarod style, more staccato,  more  right  hand  than  left,  more mechanical than melodic was converted  by  Ustad  Haafiz  Ali Khan to a brilliant amalgam of feeling and cleanliness,  heard only in the Rudra-Been and the Sursingaar of the descendants of Mian Tansen. Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan could make his sarod sing. This he did by a very advanced technique of the left hand fingernails and a thorough understanding of the Raga pattern filtered through feeling and Aesthetic   awareness.   He could flower with tonal accuracy even when the string pitch went down by a quarter note or more. He  was  himself  a  great  dhrupad  singer  and  discovered  a brilliantly coordinated  and  synchronized  stroke  sustainability in his sarod.   With this he could translate his vocal dhrupad lines in the otherwise metallic instrument of his ancestors, to a stream of aesthetic melody patterns.

Haafiz Ali Khan lived for Music. For my father, though, there was no question of a life outside music. Life itself was Music and Music was Life. And so I came to inherit from him the legacy of five generations of musicians as naturally as a bird taking to the air. His exquisite music was not just an artistic performance but a form of prayer. He was initiated in the tradition of the Senia Gharana by direct descendants of the line of Swami Haridas, Mian Tansen and leant at the feet of Ustad Wazir khan of Rampur. Ustad Wazir Khan broke the convention of teaching only family members and accepted him as his disciple.  Now a direct disciple of the Tansen School, Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb started flowering under the Ustad’s undiluted teaching.  More knowledge enriched the already exposed brilliance of Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb and his strict adherence to vocal dhrupads made the veterans of his time look at him with admiration.   His performance together with his tonal richness and accuracy from instrumental music a status equivalent to vocal music; The melody rich Sarod got an unthinkable status.

Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan was honoured with the title of Aftab-e-Sarod by the All Bengal Music Conference in Calcutta, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and also received a fellowship of the Akademi. The Universities of Vishva Bharti and Khairagharh conferred doctorates on him. The Government of India conferred the award of Padma Bhushan in 1960. The true Godfather of Instrumental music of his times!  Far ahead of his time, Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan realized the coming of the industrial age, its rapidity and its lack of leisure and want of time.   He believed that rag music in its purity, can only be preserved by precision. Stretching the raga too long will lead to irrelevant phrases, raga dilution and deviation.    Rabindra Nath Tagore also believed in this. Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan was the last musician who stuck to his dhrupad roots. He created the correct raga environment by playing dhrupad lines verbatim and then elaborated and expanded them.   He will also be remembered as the last of the Senia dhrupad greats. Apart from his formidable command over traditional sarod compositions, dhrupad and thumri, he was particularly appreciated in the Viceregal firmament of colonial India for his unique, stylized renditions of "God Save The King" on his sarod.

The Sarod Ghar-Museum of Musical Heritage in Gwalior, is a unique institution devoted to promoting Indian classical music, heritage and culture. Under the aegis of Haafiz Ali Khan Memorial Trust, through this 'window' to the past, music lovers can gain a better understanding of the evolution and history of Indian Classical Music and can get a deeper perspective and insight into the context of the art as it exists today. The aim of setting up this institution is to create awareness and respect for classical music, musicians and the variety of instruments of India. The road on which the museum stands has been named Haafiz Ali Khan Marg by the Govt. of Madhya Pradesh. The first instruments exhibited were the instruments belonging to his forefathers. Madhya Pradesh has had a whole history of great musical legends down memory lane . The great vocalist Ustad Amir Khan Saheb, Ustad Jahangir Khan Saheb, Ustad Abdul Haleem Jaffar Khan Saheb, Bharat Ratna  Lata Mageshkar-ji are among the prominent aristes who belonged to the city  of Indore. The city of Dewas gave birth to another two prominent personalities. Ustad Rajab Ali Khan and Pandit Kumar Gandharva. The legendary Hindi film playback Singer Kishore Kumar-ji and his brother the famous  Ashok Kumar-ji  also belonged to Khandawa .

A road in the name Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb was inaugurated by the Honourable Chief Minister, Smt. Sheila Dikshit few years ago at PWD Road. This is the 2nd entry road to Nizamuddin Railway Station. This is the only road named after an artist after Tansen and Thyagaraja in the capital city in 2011.  The Kolkata Municipal Corporation also renamed New Park Street as Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Sarani by chief minister Mamata Banerjee in 2013.

Having spanned over 90 years, my fathers was a life that connected the high points of the colonial era to the turbulence of our own times. Born sometimes in the 1880s at Gwalior where his father Nanneh Khan was court musician, Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb took great pride in the fact that it was his great grandfather, Ghulam Bandegi Khan Bangash, who turned his native Afghan rabab into what we know today as the sarod. Yet his thirst for knowledge took him to Pandits Chukha and Ganeshi Lai of Vrindaban, who were stern practitioners of the Dhrupad and then he went on to Rampur, where he became a disciple of the great Ustad Wazir Khan, the descendant of Tansen. My father left his impression not only in that provincial court but, more importantly, also in Calcutta, then the Imperial Capital. It was here that he received the love and adulation that was to endow him with the legendary status. Raichand Boral, who later rose to fame as the music Director of the New Theatres and the discoverer of K.L. Saigal, was more intimate and colorful in his reminiscences always told me that the first time my father came to his house in 1918, the Great war had just ended and a complacence was beginning to set in the music world of Bengal. ‘With his coming, we were suddenly confronted with a genius who almost rudely banished smugness, lethargy and tidy housekeeping.’ He discovered the link between dhrupad and thumri long before it was commented upon by others. To be able to see Haafiz Ali Khan in proper perspective in the words of Dr Narayana Menon was that Haafiz Ali Khan was the poet. Abba Saheb, as I called him, was a born extrovert, held his head high, brooked no nonsense from any quarter and walked the earth like a renaissance prince.

On the occasion of Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb's 48th death anniversary, I pray to my father and guru, like every day. May his soul rest in peace! As I have written in my memoir about Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan (1877- December 28, 1972) that for me, the seven notes of music were him. He was the epitome of music. He was my inspiration, my reason of perspiration and he was my idea of representation.

-Amjad Ali Khan

(Pictures: 1. The concert by Haafiz Ali khan and Amjad Ali Khan after Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan received a doctorate from Khairagarh Universityof music in the year 1964. The D Lit from the same university was conferred on Ustad Amjad Ali Khan on Dec 26, 2016,

2. Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan

3. Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb receiving the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship from Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Maulana Abdul Kalam looks on in 1952

Czech Republic Consul General Rashmi Jolly-Gautam Patole's Live Art Fest marks newer beginnings amidst social distancing

Post COVID, Mumbai welcomes Art again, after a 9-month hiatus with Art Adda, a unique event at Jolly Board Towers, I-Think Campus E Wing, Kanjurmarg East, hosted by India's Consul General to Czech Republic Rashmi Jolly and master artist Gautam Patole of Art Desh Foundation, in association with Secular Art Movement. The Art Adda, a one-of-its-kind open air, live Art show, with live canvas paintings, workshops and demonstrations sees the participation of noted artists from different cities of India. Actors Preeti Jhangiani, Pooja Bedi and Angela Krislinzki graced the inaugural ceremony that also witnessed the presence of Rashmi Jolly, Gautam Patole, Dr.Agarwal, Bharat Patel, Anisha Jolly, Rupali Patole among various talented artists. People mingled with each other, shared ideas, interacted with visitors and created great works of Art. There were live demos, workshops, discussions etc while strictly adhering to social distancing norms.  

“These have been trying times for all of us and we do not know when this ordeal will get over. No exhibitions, no galleries and no events... Art Adda will be a welcome break,” says Rashmi Jolly who is also Executive Director and Vice Chairperson of Jolly Board Ltd. and an ardent art lover who has graciously offered a beautifully-landscaped office complex of Jolly Board Ltd. for art activities.  

Adds Gautam Patole, “Artistes like to breathe fresh air. Art Adda signifies that. Creativity cannot be stifled; circumstances cannot rule us. We must overcome the hurdles and move on."

The ambience of Art Adda inspires one to paint... With Art Adda providing canvas, drawing paper, colours, tea/coffee snacks and lunch, all the artists and sculptors bring their brushes and their spirit! 

About 15 artists participated in the inaugural event. Artists from Pune and Hyderabad showcased their skills on canvas. This was perhaps the first time that this kind of live painting work was conducted in the city for the public at large. There will also be workshops, demonstrations, classes et al, in the future. 

Says Gautam Patole, “There are many known artists and art professors who live around the campus. There is an organisation called Secular Movement that is doing commendable work for artists living in this area. Mr Bharat Shelke, working President of Secular Movement was thrilled to know that Jolly Art Adda is offering encouraging facilities to the artists.”

All in all, yours to experience, enjoy and be a part of the art celebrations till 24th December. And come home exhilarated this X-mas eve!

Star-studded Mid-Day Showbiz Icon Awards at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai

The Mid- Day Showbiz Icon Awards saw veterans Dharmendra and Bappi Lahiri bag the awards for their contribution of 60 years and 50 years to the Indian film industry.

While Vivek Oberoi bagged the Iconic Actor Award, Ranvir Shorey won The Most Versatile Actor Award with presence across platforms and media, Shreyas Talpade was awarded for his Contribution to Theatre and Cinema,

Nawazuddin Siddiqui bagged the Best Actor Award for Raat Akeli Hai, Kunal Khemu bagged the Best Actor in Negative Role for Malang, Dino Morea won Iconic Health & Fitness Ambassador 2020, Anupria Goenka won Best Breakthrough Female Performance of 2020  and Nandini Viswanathan of Naarad PR and Image Strategists bagged the Iconic Brand Custodian Award among many others. Director Anil Sharma, Sunny Leone accompanied by actor- musician husband Daniel Weber bagged awards as well. The esteemed glitterati included besides the awardees,  Suneel Darshan, Leslee Lewis, Raju Singh, Rahul Shukla,  Kavya Jones, Writer Director Anusha Srinivasan Iyer, Preeti Soni, Sunny Waghchoure, Sachin Bhau Ahir among many others.

All in all a simple, sophisticated event with minimal guests, yet a star-studded one that made its mark.