Day 01 session will focus on the process and the non-deliberate act: why the medium of film is important to artists featuring a talk by visual artist Tacita Dean at the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum.

Dean will present a slide lecture on her process and practice and why she frequently uses 16mm and 35mm film in her work, the importance of ‘medium’ to artists and about the museum’s responsibility to exhibit works of art in their original form and how this has become eroded in recent years in relation to film and other photochemical mediums. She will also touch on the vital role semantics have played in the medium.

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Film Heritage Foundation has been doing excellent work for some time. This week they present a three-day festival that focuses on reframing the future of film with well-known personalities Tacita Dean and Christopher Nolan. Scheduled from March 30 to April 01 Mumbai will host a never seen before come together of at and cinema.

Cinema lovers interested in the workshop can click here to register: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV47qtuAsPV_O_2-kyzzJKVqdSwupJSVYhe6NfqQgQung1TQ/viewform.

For more details follow me and the blog.

@bhawanasomaaya

Film: Hichki 

Date: 23.3.2018

Producer: Yash Raj Films

Director- Sidharth P Malhotra

Writer- Sidharth P Malhotra, Ankur Chaudhry

Cast: Rani Mukerji, Harsh Mayar, Sachin-Supriya Pilgaonkar

Rating: 3.5 stars 

Hichki or Hiccup is the authorized adaptation of the year 2008 Hollywood film Front of the Class based on a book by the same title. It tells the story of Naina Mathur suffering from Tourette’s syndrome a neurological condition that causes strange involuntary sounds and which is the reason a highly qualified Naina is rejected by 18 schools.

Naina lands a job as a teacher at an elite school on condition that she reforms the 9 rebellious students.

What appeals to you primarily about the film is the intention of the filmmaker, his sincerity, and sensitivity. The narrative engages you with compelling characters and pertinent issues relevant in present times.

The hiccup is quite literally Rani Mukherji’s speech disability which is initially distracting but as the film progresses and you get engrossed in the emotional storytelling nothing matters.

All the children, all the teachers are refreshing, Sachin and Supriya Pilgaonkar in a brief appearance are effective and Vikram Gokhale in a cameo brims your eyes with tears but the film finally belongs to the spirited Rani Mukherji who embraces Naina Mathur with dignity and devoid of self-pity.

In her 20-year-old long career, Rani Mukherji has championed various domestic and social causes through her various characters be it Yuvva or No One Killed Jessica. In Black, she represented the disabled and in Veer Zaara she rose above political conflicts to take a moral stand.

 This time she addresses Tourette syndrome, a first timer in Indian movies and assures that we come out from the theatre enlightened and sensitized to the cause.

Hichki is a must watch for all children, students, teachers, parents, rather all of us who are quick to make judgments.

I rate the sensitive, refreshing, inspiring Hichki with 3.5 stars

@bhawanasomaaya

From the time I can remember I have been fascinated with trees and every time I am driving I look out for trees from the car window and give them my own names. There are robust trees and feeble trees, good looking trees and artistic trees, royal trees, sad trees and generous trees. Some stand tall and ornamental. Some pose like a dancer’s mudra. Have you ever been conscious, noticed all that I am saying? If not start observing now and lend your own names to these numerous trees.

Sharing pictures of some of the trees I spotted on my last trip, tell me what feelings they evoke in you.

@bhawanasomaaya

Upholding its long association with theatre, the financial capital is all set to shine under the spotlight as one of the co-hosts of the 8th Theatre Olympics, world’s largest theatre festival, being held in India for the first time.

The Mumbai chapter of the 8th Theatre Olympics is organized by the National School of Drama (NSD) in collaboration with the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Maharashtra.

The rich culture of Marathi and other languages theatre offers a perfect backdrop to Mumbai as one of the co-hosts of this global theatrical extravaganza. The city is known for its traditional values and aesthetic sense of performing arts. Therefore, Mumbai boasts of a sizeable theatre loving population who may take this chance to experience a variety of folk, national, and international productions.

 Art has been the earliest form of communication and nothing gives an artist more delight than performing in front of an audience that appreciates art, no matter from which part of the world they come. In a way, theatre is a great equalizer and unites people of multiple cultures and traditions under one umbrella.

@bhawanasomaaya

Organized in Delhi on an annual basis the Women of India Organic Festival 2018 celebrates and promotes women farmers and entrepreneurs in the organic field from across India. For the festival’s debut edition in Mumbai Juhi Chawla has been chosen as Mumbai Brand Ambassador  and the World Trade Centre in Ganesh Murti Nagar, Cuffe Parade will be the hub of India’s most varied offerings of organic products ranging from food, spices, wellness, personal care, home improvement, kitchen composters and solar products.

This Festival of Organic Products will highlight the health and environmental advantages of organic goods and provide a platform to women engaged in it by boosting the development of easily accessible sales outlets for producers from the remotest corners of India.

@bhawanasomaaya

Now, this is from a reliable source. Raid released last week is inspired by a true story of an honest and a brave heart team of Income Tax Officials who carried this search action in UP. This search was done by Kanpur Investigation Unit.  In those days, the Kanpur Investigation Unit was under the CIT, Kanpur. There used to be only one Unit at Mayur Bhawan New Delhi, which was under the then DIT (Inv), Delhi; and, it alone had all-India jurisdiction.

The two gentlemen we see in the film are modeled on A K Batabyal [(then DDIT, Kanpur, the post was called DDIT then; now it is known as Addl DIT) and S P Pande (then CIT, Kanpur). The team had searched the premises of a steel rolling mill owner and had recovered more than 1 crore in cash and some 30 gold bars (each weighing 3 seers and bearing the stamp of the year 1946 of the Indian Mint).

It was quite a sensation as it was the highest cash seizure in the history of the Department at that time. The team members were prominently featured in all the newspapers and became household names in all of Kanpur. In those days, there were no reward schemes as such so each one of the team received an appreciation letter signed by the chairman and it was placed in their ACR.

Mr. A K Batabyal retired from the Board as a member and now lives in Kolkata. SP Pande went on to become the first DIT(Inv) in Mumbai. A few years after his retirement, he passed away due to cancer.

The idea of the movie was to project IRS, Income Tax Department, and its officials in best light which is really unlike the prevailing perceptions today. The reason the film evokes so much curiosity is that it projects the boldness and fearlessness of upright officers, a diminishing quality among professionals today. Yes cinematic liberties have been taken and there are deviations from the actual plot but these are necessary for a film to be engaging and hold the attention of the audience.

@bhawanasomaaya

Raid is effective 

Film: Raid

Date: 16.03.2018

Director: Raj Kumar Gupta

Writer: Raj Kumar Gupta Ritesh Shah

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D’cruz, Saurabh Shukla

Ratings: 3 stars
Amay Patnaik is stopped from entering the club because he is wearing sandals not shoes. The host runs after him apologizing on behalf of his staff but the conscientious IT officer is against breaking rules. His host resolves the problem by ordering shoes from his shop but Amay will not accept a gift so pays for the shoes,  he will not accept a drink either and therefore carries his own bottle with him.

Set in the 80s and inspired from real stories the raid made sensational headlines as it lasted for several days recovering assets worth 420 crores and featured high profile personalities. In a gripping narrative devoid of fuss and frills Raid enlightens you how an IT department operates, their network to enable inside information of tax defaulters, the detailed preparation and the secret strike early in the morning.

Rameshwar/ Saurabh Shukla addressed by everyone as Tauji is relishing his morning cup of tea at his Lucknow mansion when he has a surprise guest, IT Officer Amay Patnaik and his team with a search warrant. Tauji tries all the tricks of the trade to dissuade Patnaik from carrying out his duty but Patnaik and his team camp four nights and days at the mansion breaking walls, ceilings, digging gardens and even searching the toilet to unearth the hidden treasure.

What works about the film is definitely the subject, the pace and the treatment. Detailed, complex and intriguing Raj Kumar Gupta’s screenplay and Ritesh Shah’s dialogues make all the difference. For a plot restricted to a mansion the film weaves an engaging narrative and offers refreshing insights into both the IT Department, politicians and their respective families.

The negatives are some over the top scenes in the climax where the mob turns up in defense of the villain carrying deadly weapons. The romantic song between the lead pair is forced and unrequired but the most disturbing is the IT officer breaking the rule and allowing Rameshwar to travel while the raid is on at his home. How come his seniors don’t pull him up for that or is this cinematic liberty to thicken the plot?

All the supporting actors  are convincing, Saurabh Shukla is first rate and Ileana Dcruz as IT Officer’s courageous wife is both sensitive and beautiful. But the actor who finally carries the film on his hefty shoulders is Ajay Devgan as always dependable, dignified and effective. Yes, he is more or less the same in all his films but he is wise in choosing characters and always makes an impact.

There’s one more actor, who very briefly steals the show from Devgan and she is 85 years old Pushpa Joshi who plays Rameshwar’s Ammaji.

Raid should be watched by those who have endured a search and seizure warrant and also by those who haven’t and in all probabilities never will because Raid is not a film, it is an experience.

I rate Raid with 3.5 stars.

Music by Amit Trivedi, Tanishk Bagchi(Background Score and Songs)

Cinematography  by Alphonse Roy

Edited by Bodhaditya Banerjee

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