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Online photo contest: ‘Ordinary women, extraordinary work’

US Consulate brings an online photo competition on the occasion of Women’s Day. You can submit entries till March 31.

In honour of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month in March, the US Consulate General Mumbai is hosting its third annual online photo contest on the theme ‘Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Work.’

The contest will run from March 1 to March 31, 2013 and is open to Indian nationals residing in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Goa. The photographs you submit must belong to you and must not be sourced from anywhere. If you win, your entry will be posted on the Consulate’s website and social media sites. “This is our third year of the contest celebrating women and their valuable place in Indian society. This time we are highlighting ordinary women who overcome the odds to do incredible and inspirational work,” Cultural Affairs Officer Angela L Gemza said.

Photos should be emailed to MumbaiPublicAffairs@state.gov. Additionally, this year the Consulate has introduced a Twitpic category in which contestants can post their pictures on Twitter to @USAndMumbai using the hashtag #OWEWphoto.

All photos will be judged by noted digital artist Rahul Gajjar, press photographer Mukesh Parpiani and a panel of American officers from the US Consulate General, Mumbai. For complete contest rules visit: http://tinyurl.com/OWEWphoto

The prizes include a two-night stay in Goa, plus gift vouchers and other goodies like gym memberships and fitness DVDs.

(Picture courtesy telegraph.co.uk)

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Film

Scripting right with the stalwarts

Nihit Bhave attended a screenwriters’ conference held in Mumbai, which had the biggies in Indian cinema share their writing secrets.

If you’re a writer, you know the ‘blank document’ syndrome, otherwise known as the blinking-cursor-is-judging-you syndrome. It is the awkward pause between opening a document and writing its first word (I would have said ‘pregnant’ pause, but a writer never feels more impotent than at that stage, so I shall refrain from adding salt to the wound). It was certainly a big relief to know that this impairment hasn’t spared the best of the best.

“As a writer, my biggest challenge is a blank document,” said Juhi Chaturvedi, who wrote the film Vicky Donor.

Thankfully, the recently concluded event, ‘The 3rd Indian Screenwriters Conference – Untold Stories: Screenwriting And Truths Of Our Times’ was able to throw up many remedial suggestions for such syndromes, and also went on to shed light on some of the most pressing issues today’s young writers are facing.

Unfortunately, due to my own ignorance and complacency, I missed the first day and apparently a brilliant key-note speech. But going by Day 2 and Day 3, I can safely say that Act I must have been totally worth it.

Day 2 was primarily about the upcoming talent and the hurdles they face taking their stories from paper to producer, and from producer to the parda of cinema. The first session of the day, ‘The charge of the new ‘write’ brigage’ included panelists like Juhi Chaturvedi (Vicky Donor), Sanjay K Patil (National Award winning Marathi film Jogwa), Reema Kagti (Talaash, ZNMD, Honeymoon Travels, etc), Habib Faisal (Ishaqzaade, Band Baaja Baaraat, Do Dooni Char) and Akshat Verma (Delhi Belly) and was moderated by Pubali Chaudhari (Rock On!!, Kai Po Che). The insights from this session were unparalleled. From a coy Habib Faisal to an outspoken Akshat Verma, and from a commercially successful Reema Kagti to a relatively underrated Sanjay Patil, the writers put forth their points about creativity, content, contemporary challenges and personal hurdles for writers.

“I’ve never set out to write earth-shattering cinema. In fact, I’ve never done anything original. I’ve done clichés with my own twists and gotten away with it!”, Habib Faisal  (in pic on left) said.

Speaking about the very unusual storyline for Honeymoon Travels, the film’s writer and director Reema Kagti said, “When I was writing Honeymoon Travels…it was the story of a pitch-perfect couple who then turns out to be a superhero couple, but since no Indian producer would let me make a feature film on it, I added six other short stories and juxtaposed this one with those!”

Other memorable quotes during this session came from Sanjay Patil, who spoke of his Marathi film Jogwa thus: My film Jogwa was lying with me for 12 years because throughout the film, both the heroine and the hero were in sarees.” Juhi added, “Nothing scares producers like a writer who can’t categorise his own work. I did not know whether Vicky Donor was a rom-com or a social message film, so I said ‘drama’ and that threw people off.”

The second session, and the most entertaining one at that, was ‘Is the old order cracking?’, where moderator Govind Nihalani (Ardha Satya, Dev, Thakshak) quizzed panelists Urmi Juvekar (Oye Lucky…, Shanghai), Sanjay Patil, Bejoy Nambiar (David, Shaitaan), Rakeysh Mehra (Rang De Basanti, Delhi 6) and Abbas Tyrewala (Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na, Maqbool, Main Hoon Na) about the age-old three-act structure of screenwriting, linear and non-linear narratives and challenges writers face with them.

Abbas Tyrewala (in pic on right) was a revelation in this session. His explanation of a ‘structure’ for writing films was incredibly clear. “Imagine this. A smoker feels the need to smoke because he ‘imagines’ that his mind and body are lacking something. After a cigarette, a sort of ‘high’ replenishes this missing element and the person reaches the same level of normalcy (that a non-smoker is always at!) Similarly, when a viewer walks into a theatre, they’re at a level of normalcy. Your story has to create a trough and a consecutive crest – a conflict and a resolution – but with the effect of a (cinematic) high that will ensure that the viewer exits the theatre at the same normalcy level, but with an enhanced experience.”

It was interesting to see the linear v/s non-linear narrative debate between these young writers and Javed Akhtar, who nonchalantly took them on from his seat in the audience.

After two more sessions on TV content and the (hypothetical) revolution that’s in store for us on the small screen, the evening was concluded by a ceremony awarding special FWA honors to Gulzar and Salim-Javed. The awards were presented by Hema Malini.

Day 3 forced writers to face their fears and talk about what they hated the most – numbers, contracts, statistics, constitutional acts, royalties, infringements, arbitrations, etc. So after a brief morning session, ‘The empty playroom: why such few children’s films?’, led by Gulzar and Nila Madhab Panda (I Am Kalam) amongst others, we proceeded to the dark side and shed light on the things that also matter.

This day also proved fruitful, as the people at Film Writers’ Association managed to string together lawyers, Producers’ Guild representatives and writers on the same stage to discuss minimum basic contracts for writers, copyright issues and the implication of the amendments to the Copyright Act 1957.

FWA also celebrated the work of the father of Indian TV, late Manohar Shyam Joshi, who created mega TV serials Hum Log and Buniyaad.

Just to be in the same room as Gulzar and Javed Akhtar, Rakeysh Mehra, Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti and listening to them talk about screenwriting, made attending the event worth it. There was surely a lot to learn and understand. Because unlike what we’d like to believe, screenwriting is much more complicated than putting pen to paper, words to a story and a climax to a beginning.

Nihit Bhave is a film journalist based in Mumbai. 

(Pictures courtesy piquenewsmagazine.com, firstpost.com, c2ctara.com))

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Event

Elephanta Festival kicks off over the weekend

The theme for the noted musical fest combines Hindustani classical music with western fusion, and invites amateur painters as well.

This unique music and art festival was shifted from its excellent location two years ago, but it is back where it truly belongs. The Elephanta Festival 2013 kicks off at the Elephanta Caves on Saturday, March 2 and ends the next day. As always, stalwarts in music comprise the lineup of performers at the fest this time around, too.

Organised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), the fest will be officially announced by State Tourism Minister Chhagan Bhujbal tomorrow. This year’s edition of the Elephanta Festival will witness performances in both Hindustani classical and Western fusion music.

Dr Jagdish Patil, Managing Director, MTDC, says, “While the festival will include some of the best performers from across the globe, the theme will retain its objective to promote Indian culture and expose it to the world and the nation. The participation by international artists in Indian art forms will position the festival as a leader in promoting Indian heritage not only in the State, but across the nation and in the international circuit, putting the Elephanta Festival on the international tourism map.”

The fest also invites professional as well as amateur painters irrespective of age and experience to attend the event. Organised in association with the JJ School of Art, the theme of the painting competition is to paint the Elephanta caves and statues at the location on both days from 10 am to 2 pm. “The art materials would have to be carried by the participants, and they have to register at the venue and submit the entry at the location itself,” says Dr Patil. The top three prizes comprise cash amounts of Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively.

For history and heritage enthusiasts, there are  guided tours of the Elephanta caves under the guidance of Dr GB Deglurkar, President, Deccan College, who will share his knowledge on the detailing of the sculptures and caves of Elephanta Island. Also, noted artist Chandrajit Yadav will replicate the cave sculptures in mud during the Festival.

Line up of artistes slated to perform:

March 2, 2013, Day 1:

7:00 pm – 7:30 pm: Shweta Pandit (opening ceremony with Saraswati Vandana)

7:30 pm – 8:15 pm: Sannidhi, confluence of seven Indian Classical Dance Performances by Parvathy Dutta

8:45 pm – 10:00 pm: Vishnamo, Shujaat Khan (Sitar and vocals); V Selvaganesh (Kanjira); Ganesh and Kumaresh (Violin); George Brooks (Saxophone)

March 3, 2013, Day 2:

7:00 pm – 7:45pm: Prabhakar Karekar, Hindustani classical vocals

8:00 pm – 8:45 pm: Manjari Chaturvedi, Sufi Kathak; Awadh Gharana musicians

9:00 pm – 10 pm: Ranjit Barot (Drums); Punya Srinivas (Veena); Elie Afif (Upright and electric bass); Harmeet Manseta (Keyboards); Aditya Benia (Guitar)

(Picture courtesy meriyatrra.com. Image is a file picture)

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Film

‘People can protest, but State cannot pander to them’

This, and other illuminating thoughts from film personalities, at a talk on 100 years of Indian cinema at St Xavier’s.
by Vrushali Lad | vrushali@themetrognome.in

Cinema, especially Indian cinema, is increasingly being derided for being the opium of the masses – something which it is praised for, in equal measure, but in the light of negative portrayals of women in films and the recent Delhi gangrape and murder, what we are choosing to watch is as important as what filmmakers are choosing to show us.

“It’s been only a little more than a century that we have understood our own evolution,” said independent filmmaker Anand Gandhi. “And it’s been just two or three decades that we’ve realised that culture mimics life. So when we talk of a century of Indian cinema, we have to understand that we have had very less time to really understand the question: does cinema imitate life?”

Anand was speaking at ‘Century of Cinema – the challenges in the next 25 years’, a talk held at St Xavier’s Multimedia Centre, recently. Joining him on the panel were film scriptwriter, filmmaker and member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Anjum Rajabali, and current Managing Director of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Nina Gupta. Film theorist and researcher Narendra Panjwani chaired the panel.

Anjum replied to a question on why non-masala films were not marketed enough in India, or why they faced a distribution problem, by saying, “If a product has to connect, it does. Look at a film like Ardh Satya (starring Om Puri). It was a disturbing film that ended on a note of despair. It barely had conventional, masala elements in it. And yet it ran for 20 weeks at Novelty Cinema in 1983 – in those days, if a film ran at Novelty and Chandan (considered the massiest cinema halls of Mumbai) for a long while, it was considered a sure hit. Despite the likes of Salim-Javed and Manmohan Desai being immensely popular at the time, writer Vijay Tendulkar had still penned a script that connected.”

 

He also responded to a question on the portrayal of women in cinema. “Yes, the portrayal of women is a concern. We have to examine how popular culture portrays them, and does it have an effect on social psyche? There are no easy answers, but a collective interface is needed and we need to be conscious of why certain characters are shown a certain way. Filmmakers must be careful, because the audience may see things shown in films as endorsements of behaviour.

For instance, the portrayal of Sonakshi Sinha in Dabangg. Is her character’s portrayal a recommendation of that film for how women should behave? If not, why has she been portrayed that way? These are questions that filmmakers need to ask themselves,” he said.

To a question on whether good Indian cinema could possibly become mass, even as films like Rowdy Rathore and Dabangg ran to packed houses across the country, Nina (in pic on right) said, “Films combine an element of art and an element of commerce. The reason films are so expensive to make, is because a film requires a huge collaborative effort from several different people who must all be on the same page. With such a big canvas, the element of risk is greater. If a certain kind of cinema, parallel cinema for example, does not have an audience, it is not going to be made.”

 

Anand (in pic on left) interjected when an audience member said that mass entertainers only dwelled on escapism, “Cinema serves extremely complex functions. Films do mirror who we are, our relationships, the times we live in, but they also mirror our aspirations, dreams and memories. A film is an anthology of our responses. Films that mean something to me have reflected the environment I have been in, and my introspection. So I don’t think that idealism and realism can be mutually exclusive of each other in cinema.”

An audience member asked Anjum if he felt that cultural and political interference in films could be a factor to consider for the Censor Board in the coming years. He replied, “Look, certain statutory guidelines are very strongly put down while passing a film. The Constitution does guarantee freedom of expression, but with the rider that we should be sensitive to others.

Coming to the point of bans and protests, let me give you the example of the film Aarakshan (directed by Prakash Jha, and which Anjum wrote). Even before the film’s showing, a preemptive ban was imposed in three States, which the Supreme Court struck down. The film ran in theatres and there were no protests after release. But in the case of Vishwaroopam, a ban was imposed because the State chose to pander to protests. In my opinion, we should give groups the right to protest, but the State has no business pandering to these groups’ emotions, which are not in the guidelines of the law. If you play to the gallery, there will be several threats to the identity of artists.”

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Get a classical music scholarship from the State

The Maharashtra State Government invites budding musicians to apply for the Pt Bhimsen Joshi music scholarship before February 28, 2013.

It’s a good time to be a classical musician, or at least be associated with classical music, if you’re a Maharashtra resident. The Government has two ways to help you out if you’re looking for monetary assistance.

The State Government recently rolled out two good incentives for those in the field of Hindustani classical music – the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi scholarship for students of classical music, and a grant for organisations working in classical music.

Those who hold a degree in Hindustani classical music can apply for the scholarship, provided they furnish such documents such as their degree, a character certificate from the institution granting that degree, their family’s income certificate, and a brief note and supporting documents of the higher studies they wish to undertake in classical music. A total of 12 students (six seeking a scholarship for vocal music, six for instrumental music) will be selected for the scholarship, which will grant them Rs 5,000 per month for a period of two years, if selected. Students will be selected after evaluation by a team of experts on the basis of the applicant’s merit and financial background.

Similarly, those institutions imparting free classical music training to the public for a period of at least 10 years and satisfying other eligibility criteria (the institution must carry out cultural programmes throughout the year, it must be a registered organisation, among others) can apply for grant in-aid to the Government.

The cut-off date for application for both these is February 28, 2013. Send your applications to Cultural Affairs Department, Old Sachivalay, Vistar Bhavan, 1st floor, MG Road, Mumbai- 400032.

(Picture courtesy vikartoons.blogspot.com)

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Event

TechCamp comes to Mumbai

US Consulate Mumbai spearheads two-day camp for information technology dissemination in the field of NGO work in South Asia today.

The US Consulate General Mumbai, with Global India Fund and Samhita Social Ventures, launched the US State Department’s TechCamp in Mumbai today.

The two-day South Asia technology conference brings together nearly 140 international technology experts and young, highly-motivated participants from NGOs throughout India and Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The Camp will provide NGO participants with training in low-cost or no-cost new and online technologies to help them address some of the most pressing social challenges in South Asia.

“The US Mission in India is delighted to bring international specialists in new technologies from all over the world to NGO leaders in South Asia, in order to initiate new projects throughout the region which will benefit youth in South Asia,” said US Consul General Peter Haas. “It is a platform for learning, dialogue, growth, and networking.” Also speaking ahead of the event, Akhtar Badshah, Senior Director of Global Community Affairs at Microsoft Corporation, said, “Information technology plays a critical role in today’s society. TechCamp is an excellent way to encourage nonprofits to innovate through technology and thereby deliver more effective services and programmes.”

This high-tech, interactive social entrepreneurship event is an effort to galvanise the technology community to assist NGOs across the globe by providing capabilities, resources and assistance to enable them to harness the latest Information and Communication Technology advances to build their digital capacity.

TechCamps help build digital literacy for NGOs by introducing local and international technology experts for collaborative education and training.  The sessions focus on exploring the challenges and needs of NGOs and then provide the necessary training to address those challenges through technology solutions. TechCamp Mumbai’s specific focus is on the theme of youth empowerment, and will address the needs of NGOs working in areas of education, entrepreneurship, women’s issues and rights, youth-led media, civic engagement and democracy building.

Some of the experts at TechCamp include Sean Knox (US), an experienced engineer, grassroots organiser and entrepreneur; Samantha Barry (UK), a reporter with the BBC and an expert in multimedia and youth broadcasting; Hanny Kusumawati (Indonesia) is the Head of Raconteur, Creative Director in Maverick Public Relations and Founder of Coin A Chance; Rikin Gandhi (New Delhi), Founder and CEO at Digital Green, “reverse-migrated” to India to help start a biodiesel venture on the wastelands of Maharashtra; Gautam John (Bangalore) who works at Pratham and describes himself as a recovering lawyer, erstwhile entrepreneur, earnest educator, pretend polymath and future dilettante; Raheel Khursheed (New Delhi) is the India Director of Communications at Change.org, the world’s largest petition platform; Anshul Tewari (New Delhi) Founder and Editor-in-Chief of YouthKiAwaaz.com, an online platform for youth and Arjun Venkatraman (Bhopal) of CG-NET SWARA, an engineer and entrepreneur who believes in designing for efficiency and economy.

(Picture courtesy ngo.samhita.org) 

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