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Tech

Google starts rental movie service for India

You can buy and rent movies, TV shows from Google’s Play Store. But the Hindi film collection isn’t too exciting.
by Manik Kakra

Here’s some good news for you Android users out there. Google has started its movie rental service on the Play Store. Users in India can now buy and rent movies and TV shows from Google’s Play Store.

To start off, you have to download the Google Play Movies and TV app on your Android device. Then, search for the required movie, and hit buy or rent.

Use it: If you rent a movie, you can watch it within a month, and for the next 48 hours once you start watching it. If you download a movie or a TV show, you can enjoy it on five devices, but rented movies can only be watched on a single device.

Pay for it: If you are not aware of the payment system, this is how it works: a user has to add his credit or debit card information on Google Wallet, in order to buy apps, games, e-books, movies, and more from the Google Play Store.

What we didn’t like: The movie collection right now isn’t too extensive. Hindi movie lovers won’t have a very good time browsing through the new catalogue. Movies start Rs 50 onwards, and go up to Rs 590, available in SD and HD options. Some of the Hindi titles available as of now are Ta Ra Rum Pum, Ek Tha Tiger, etc., but a lot of good films are missing. Meanwhile, the English collection looks much better, with The Hobbit, 21 Jump Street, Seven Pounds, and so on included.

A few days ago, Google started selling the Nexus 7 (16 GB WiFi) on its Play Store for Indian users, priced at Rs 15,999. A few weeks back, Google introduced e-books for Indian users. Back in December, Apple opened its iTunes store for India. Looking at these developments, it is sure that Google and Apple are becoming serious about the Indian market, especially on the content side. Though we have services like hungama.com and saavn.com for music and movies, brands like Google and Apple can really work the magic to bring better content to India, quality and quantity-wise.

I hope Google and Apple start bringing their devices quicker to Indian shores. We have a lot of users here, waiting for the devices and content, while their US and Europe friends enjoy it way before. Here’s hoping this start doesn’t disappoint, and companies have many more goodies in store for its users.

(Picture courtesy gogi.in)

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Watch

Strictly a Monday evening affair

Tonight, Vikalp@Prithvi showcases two powerful documentary films about women who challenge the norm, and women trapped in a barbaric tradition.
by Medha Kulkarni

On every last Monday of the month, Vikalp@Prithvi organises free film screenings at Prithvi House. Vikalp@Prithvi is a collaboration between Prithvi theatre and Vikalp, which conceptualised and started ‘Films for Freedom’ six years ago in 2007 and has since screened several award-winning documentaries and brilliant short films.

What’s more, these films are made accessible to the general public for free.

The initiative is run by documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan and Chandni Parekh, psychologist and creator of online initiatives Chandni.org and Fund-A-Cause.

An assault on freedom of expression is an assault on democracy – this idea gave birth to Vikalp. What started off as a small festival has now morphed into a full-fledged movement. Vikalp insists that it is not an institution or a copyrighted idea, but is simply an inspiration, one that strives to ensure that voices of dissent will not be quashed or silenced.

Thus, the screenings that take place in various cities across the country are not necessarily in the name of Vilkap, although they do embrace its ideology. In Mumbai, there are specifically three venues that are said to be associated with this idea, namely the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Deonar; Alliance Francaise in Marine Lines, and of course, Prithvi Theatre in Juhu.

“All our shows are packed,” says Chandni. “Right from students, NGO professionals and filmmakers to bankers…the crowd is diverse and the post-screening discussions are enriching.”

Chandni says that the most memorable moment for Vikalp@Prithvi was in 2010, when they showed Deepa Bhatia’s film on farmer suicides, Nero’s Guests. “Many audience members voluntarily contributed to the donation box that we passed around to most of them at the end of the screening. We donated the entire amount of Rs 9,500 to Deepa to support the farmers in Maharashtra, whom she and journalist P Sainath have been helping,” Chandni says.

If you’re planning to catch a film today, you could consider these two powerful films at Vikalp@Prithvi:

Izzatnagari Ki Asabhya Betiyaan (The Immoral Daughters in the Land of Honour):

A documentary film about women who take on the powerful (and deeply misogunistic) khap panchayat is a powerful film that addresses the issues of ‘honour’ crimes, injustice and social boycotts. Directed by Nakul Singh Sawhney, the 93-minute long film chronicles the lives and stories of five young Jat women who rallied against the Khap Panchayts in their quest for freedom, justice and equality. The stories of these women are juxtaposed  with those of the Khaps. This poignant film exposes the double standards and violence that are conveniently kept out of sight and yet happen even today in a so-called modern India. The trailer of the film is here:

 

A Pinch of Skin:

This film talks about the hushed-up but rampant evil about the practice of female genital mutilation. The award-winning film exposes the brutal betrayal of innocent young girls, perprutated by a society that appears modern and yet retains the mindset of a cruel medieval one. In the guise of keeping a check on female sexuality, young pre-adolescent girls who have no control over what is being to them are the victims who have live with the burden of this life-long trauma. The narrative explores the voice of dissent (which sees this as politics of a sexual kind) intercut with those that insist that this heinous practice should be kept alive invoking the name of tradition. It is directed by film maker Priya Goswami who will be present for a Q & A session after the screening.

Screening Details: Head to Prithvi House, opposite Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, at 7 pm today, March 25. Entry is free, on a first-come-first-seated basis.

(Picture courtesy Chandni Parekh. Image is a file pic showing a post-screening discussion.)

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Watch

A great idea takes Root

The Root Reel, an initiative to bring good documentary films and discourses on them to the public, turns one today.
by Medha Kulkarni

It started off as a simple idea born out of sheer love for good documentary films and after 12 months, incredible documentaries, critical engagements, passionate debates and discussions, The Root Reel celebrates its first anniversary today.

Part of The Root, which was conceived as a platform to facilitate discourses and expression on social and environmental issues through workshops, music, film (whether animation, documentary or short film), and other cultural avenues, The Root Reel deals specifically with films. In the course of the last year, The Root has set up various forums that saw the exchange of ideas and thoughts and encouraged a critical engagement with the issue at hand.

The Root Reel has been organising documentary film screenings once a week at the Alliance Francaise Auditorium, either in collaboration with another organisation or by themselves. This weekend’s film screening is extra special as it marks a milestone in the life of The Root Reel and has been organised in conjunction with the Indian Documentary Foundation (IDF). The film being showcased is Whores’ Glory and it is being shown on a first-come-first-seated basis.

Prior to this, The Root Reel has showcased such films as Megacities, Between The Lines, NEXT: A Primer On Urban Painting and Blood In The Mobile.

Those of you that can get out of work by 6 pm today, head to the Alliance Francaise Auditorium, Theosophy Hall, near Nirmala Niketan, Churchgate, to watch this film and stay back for a bit and participate in the discussion thereafter. The film is directed by Michael Glawogger and is 90 minutes long. Entry is free.

About Whores’ Glory:

Whores’ Glory is a cinematic triptych on prostitution: three locations, three languages, three religions. Paradise, the world and the hereafter merge in prostitution to create an image of the relationship between men and women. In Thailand, women wait for men behind glass panes, staring at reflections of themselves. In Bangladesh, men go to a ghetto of love to satisfy their unfulfilled desires on trapped girls. And in Mexico, women pray to a female death so as not to see and feel their own reality. Where the most intimate becomes a commodity, the product is expensive and fiercely contested.

Look for more details on The Root and their events here.

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Event

Like a thousand words on Mumbai

A review of the FOCUS Festival that has its eyes on Mumbai without being confined to one theme or genre.
by Medha Kulkarni

Last Sunday, I decided to spend my day checking out the FOCUS Festival that’s currently on in the city. Armed with a basic understanding of what the festival was about, I checked the schedule for Sunday and headed off to town, not really knowing what to expect. However, from the minute I stepped into the Gallerie Max Mueller (my first stop) I knew that this was going to be one amazing fest!

A Fantastic Legacy: Early Bombay Photography, from 1840 to 1900 is an exhibition curated by Susan Hapgood. It’s a visual treat for anyone who loves this city. The grainy black and white images hark back to a time when Mumbai was Bombay, and provide a stunning juxtaposition to the city as it is now. Each and every single photograph is an original.

My next stop was the other pivotal focus for the festival titled A Photograph is Not an Opinion – Contemporary Photography by Women, which is on display at the Jehangir Art Gallery. I think it is truly commendable that the organisers of the festival recognised the need for a separate discourse on gender and art, and thus organised such an exhibition. With works ranging across diverse themes by women photographers from around the world, this exhibition lived up to its name. Instead of pronouncing judgement, it offers people a point from where they can build on.

I decided to take a break from viewing the exhibitions and took a sneak peek at Children’s Digital Photography Workshop with Himanshu Seth. I arrived when it was nearing its end and reached in time to see excited children, who were armed with their digicams, busy planning their next photography exhibition. I spoke to some of the parents present there and asked them what they thought about the workshop. “It’s a wonderful idea. Kids these days are surrounded by technology and know much more than their parents. Such events help us channel this interest and knowledge of theirs in a healthy manner” said Anubha Chati, whose son and daughter attended the workshop.

With no other events lined up for that afternoon, I headed to the next exhibition and stopped by at The Guild, which has mounted a group exhibition featuring the works of Baiju Parthan, Gigi Scaria, Mithu Sen and Pooja Iranna. What I loved about this exhibition was that they brought four established and very different artists working in the same medium, but each having their own style, together. Gigi Scaria’s photographs of buildings arranged in a Tetris-reminiscent manner were perhaps the most engaging works on display.

I headed out towards Art Musings in Colaba next, where I viewed another group exhibition. Titled ‘37 Indian still lifes’, which is a collaboration between the gallery and Tasveer, the exhibition is a fabulous photographic documentation of Indian still life and an exploration of the narrative within it. “Sheer variety!” was the reaction of Shraddha Kulkarni, a viewer I met at this exhibition, when I asked her what she liked best about the exhibition. I had the opportunity to speak with a lot of exhibition goers and they all more or less reiterated what Shraddha said. The best thing about FOCUS, as far the masses of the city go, was the ease of accessibility to works and also the wide variety of works exhibited. No single theme or genre dominates the exhibition.

The FOCUS Festival is will be on for over two weeks from now. Look for event details here. 

                                       (Picture courtesy Goethe Institut, Mumbai)

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Do

Two students, the environment and Germany

Bayer Young Environmental Envoy Programme combines study with green sense; chance for Indian students to be ecological representatives in Germany.

Know a student who is environmentally-conscious who likes to travel to far-off places? This upcoming programme is just what he or she needs.

Bayer is providing young environmentalists with an opportunity to win an all-expenses paid week-long field trip to Germany. This is part of the company’s forthcoming Youth Environmental Envoy 2013 programme scheduled to take place in Germany this year, and it invites entries from students with active participation in an ongoing or completed environment project. The entries will be shortlisted based on various criteria such as sustainability, inventiveness and project management.

From the shortlisted entries, two students will be chosen to represent India as Bayer Youth Environmental Envoys 2013 to Germany. The week long study trip will give students the opportunity to gain a firsthand experience of best environmental protection practices by the company, people and government in industrialised countries.

Last year, Gaurav Maheshwari and Swapnil Kokate represented India from November 4 to 9, 2012 in the programme, where they got a first-hand experience of how sustainable environmental practices are pursued jointly by the people, government and industry. The excursion entailed visits to various waste management and recycling sites as well as workshops on nature monitoring and conservation.

The Programme is a global environment education programme organised by Bayer and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to help young people learn about trends and perspectives in the field of environmental protection and sustainability. It is open to all Indian students in the age group 18 to 24 years, holding a valid passport and actively involved in a current or completed environmental project. Further details on the criteria, joining procedures and application forms are available on the India section of www.byee.bayer.com. The last date for submission of entries is July 31, 2013. The application form for the Programme is available online.

(Picture courtesy bikinginaskirt.blogspot.com)

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France says ‘Hello!’

Bonjour India, currently underway, will travel to 16 Indian cities all this month to strengthen ties between the two countries.
by Medha Kulkarni

Have you always loved French culture, and wanted to experience it firsthand? Well, lucky you. As part of the efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties between the France and India, Bonjour India,the Festival of France, is here and will travel to 16 different cities this year.

1985 saw the first Year of India in France, and it was replete with elephants ambling across the Trocadero in Paris to the Eiffel Tower. This year’s Indo-French cultural relationships celebrations comprise of a wide variety of wonderful cultural events. The beauty of this programme is that it has been designed such that it encompasses the entire realm of person-to-person exchange between India and France, whether in art, literature, cinema, fashion, performing arts or sports.

The first edition of Bonjour India was in 2009-2010, and it was so successful that it encouraged the Institut Français en Inde and the French Embassy in India, in association with the Alliance Française India network and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to engineer this one, the second edition which started in January and will go on till April 2013.

Here’s a quick round up of what’s on offer in Mumbai:

March 12-18, Photography, Lost Highway – Part of the FOCUS festival, an exhibition of photographs by Chantal Stoman, at Studio X

March 18, Cinema, An Evening With Short Films, at Prithvi Theatre

March 20, Gastronomy, The Floating Buffet, at Novotel

March 26, Music, Amarallis Ensemble – Pain and Pleasure at the Court of Versailles, at the Experimental Theatre, NCPA.

Look for more details and schedules for other cities here.

(Picture courtesy bonjour-india.in. In the picture is the Amarallis Ensemble)

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