Photography workshop was good.......

After being assured that it was safe to go to South Mumbai, I went to KGAF at 4pm, just in time to attend the second session of photography workshop by David D’Souza at BNHS. I had not attended the first session, because it was clashing with my other workshop. But on a recap, I was able to catch up with what I had missed. It was quite an interesting workshop with David’s animated postures that kept us in splits. He spoke about the creativity that was important in the photography and our lack of it, was mainly due to our fear. A creative person reflects the environment. We don’t ‘take’ photographs, we ‘make’ them and we can develop the spontaneity by training our eye-muscle to coordinate with our finger and instinct and produce a good photograph. Initially, during the first session, he had given the assignment to the participants, of going around the city and taking some shots. At this second session, we saw the pictures that some of them had clicked and we discussed the flaws and plus points of each photograph. All the pictures were discussed in great details and it was quite informative. I edited this picture that I had clicked the previous day. and Later, during the evening, I headed towards the David Sassoon Library Garden, where the discussion on ‘Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender writing in India’ was in its last segment. I missed this discussion, but I was able to attend the next two sessions, ‘The War of the Words: Science Fiction and Fantasy’ which was moderated by Devanshu Datta and ‘Getting Published: All sides of the Story’ which the moderated by Sriram, who was sitting for Urvashi. Urvasi Butalia, who was to moderate this discussion, was not able to reach Mumbai because of bad weather, but she took part in this discussion on a phone call (that’s the technology for us) We had Kavita Banot, a literary agent, discussing about her role in the writer’s world and how it will help writers in the publishing world, but Urvasi, in her phone conversation said, that she did not like to deal with literary agents because of their pushy nature. There were more discussions on payments, pricing of the book and the rights of the author. Since the literary program was running late, the last two programs ‘Open Mike’ and ‘Open Screen’ had to be chopped off. Unfortunately! Sigh!

Damn! Absent again! Sorry KGAF!

I hope I am missed at KGAF because I did not go there today. No, not missed by those friends who are there at the festival, Nah! they hardly care, tsk! tsk! tsk! All my friends are busy in organizing those events or they are attending different events and they have told me quite frankly (with a pointed first finger) that I could communicate with them only after the festival. Presently, they have no time for me, not even a two minutes chat! Sigh! But those sweet and friendly kids must be missing me, whose pictures I clicked during my first two days, or those handicraft stalls, which will have one less shopper and those art galleries which will have one less admirer. Today, I saw the terrible news on TV of people getting arrested, showing temper tantrums and boxing each other and I am afraid of riots. Normally I am quite brave (I can hold a live cockroach in my closed fist and let it scrawl) but these riots in Mumbai have left me biting my nails. I had decided to go to the KGAF everyday but now,after watching this news, I have changed my mind, because I live in Bandra and going to South Mumbai by train or taxi is a risk I am not willing to take. What if, I take a train, which normally takes twenty five minutes to reach Churchgate, and some of those rioters enter the ladies compartment and force me to speak Marathi? Not that I don’t know to speak Marathi, I have learnt it at school, but I haven’t been practicing my Marathi for quite sometime now. I have even taught my Maharastrian maid to speak English, (silly me, I have lost the opportunity to learn the language from my maid, too). The vegetable and fruit sellers usually speaks Bhojpuri and I have learnt few words in their language, just few words like “No, Go away, I don’t want!” and that much Bhojpuri language is enough for communicating with a Bhojpuri vegetable venders. Taxis and auto drivers speak Hindi and I have learnt all the numbers from one to hundred, so it is easy communicating with them, when I give them my change. I am English speaking person, but I know to say “Yes” and “No” in all four languages (although I sometimes do falter on those words and interchange it's use, but then, that is an another story) and now with the mushrooming of malls, there is really no need to speak any language at all. Just read, pick and pay. And, I love living in Mumbai. I have lived here all my life. The embassies of different countries have repeatedly offered me their country’s Visa but I have refused them all. Oh My Gawd! I cannot even dream of living anywhere else in the world! I think it is important for me to re-learn Marathi. I could even start dressing in a traditional nine-yard-saree. Those checkered, bright green, cotton sarees really look good.( They should make nine-yard-saree a compulsory dress code in colleges) And I also like that big, beaded nose-ring, but, where do they shop for those accessories? I have neither seen those nine yard sarees nor those assessories at any shop in Bandra. But why? (It makes no sense selling those tight, low waist jeans, that tease the passer-by with their branded inner-wear) I also like that small, round, netted bun, they look great and shine on those oily heads. It could make a fashion statement! I am sure that they, at beauty salons, will start practicing those hair styles too. They need to earn their bread and butter too. Should I shed off my unnecessary fear? Brrr! Not until I master the Marathi language. I don’t think I am ready to take that risk. It is best to stay at home till I find a suitable Marathi-speaking tutor or rather, wait for this uprising to fade away. Tomorrow, I will watch the TV again and check whether those rioters have cooled down and have gone back to sleep. Then. I hope, I shall boldly venture out again to participate in some more events at KGAF.

During my first two days of KGAF,

I attended two workshops, Kavita Roa"s "An Introduction to Freelance Journalism" and "Once Upon a Time - Writing for Children", by Jane Bhandari and Marilyn Noronha and both were very informative and useful to me. But, there was a gap of two hours between the two workshop, and there was enough time to have lunch and move around, exploring the other events that were taking place around different avenues. Although I am clumsy at making new friends, I was able to link up with few friends who were willing to walk with me at my slow pace. We had lunch at famous ‘Samovar’ and then decided to explore. The walk between the two venues of my workshop, at K.Dubash Marg, (Rampart row) was converted into a street bazaar with stalls of handicraft and food, lining down the two sides of this street. There were NGO stalls vending various articles like handicraft, antiques, paintings and different accessories. In the middle of this street was an amphitheatre, which had some interesting shows, throughout the day. There were different programs organized at this theatre that included shows such as folk dance of Tibet, Miracle dance contest, Capoeria, Samvrate-Manipuri Dance Ballet, Nitryamandal Dance Ensemble and Chana chai Nukkad Natak. ‘Muse fashion show’, was the only program that I was able to squeeze in between my two workshops. But yes. I did watch the street show that was being performed by one family that included mom, dad and lots of children. One group of children played dholak and other musical instruments, while one child walked on a tight rope, and the girl lifted heavy brick that was hung from her plait. (So much for the child labor! UGH!) I couldn’t bear to watch this show and seeing the child abused. There were more events in the evening at David Sasson Library Garden, but I didn’t want to push myself too hard, so while my friends went off to enjoy the rest of the evening, I retreated back to my comfy cocoon.

I am fascinated by Pavement Art Gallery

Visual art is one of the high point of KGAF. On the pavement just outside the Jahangir Art Gallery is the Pavement Gallery where there is display of different kinds of art that includes paintings, graffiti, and wearable art by various artists. There are paintings and posters displayed all along the path on the payments outside the Gallery. I can see different artists sitting there, doodling, caricaturing or live-painting the picture of the passing pedestrian. One particular art that draws my attention is ‘De-Addiction’ that is installed by ‘Art Quest’. In this exhibition there are live-size models of paper Mache that exhibit different form of addiction such as drinking, smoking, drugs and gambling. The couch potatoes and shopper’s delight is also quite interesting with their bright colors and their social message of addiction and bad vices, which are very boldly displayed, and draws in a huge crowd of art lovers.

Kala Godha Arts Festival starts with a Bang!

Today, South Mumbai was dressed with laughter. Everybody was busy, too busy, running from one end of the street to another, the organizers were busy arranging the events and programs, participants were busy shuttling from one room to another to attend workshops and salespersons were busy putting up their stall that will display different handicraft and food stuff for sale for next ten days.. The people who were really relaxed and decided to start enjoying from day one were the children and their grandparents. The easiest way to involve adults in any festival is to invite their children. Any activity that brings a smile to the child’s face will automatically bring a smile to their parents and grandparents. The colors and ambiences of the festival were child friendly. The parking island opposite Jahangir Art Gallery was converted into children’s theme park where they enjoyed various activities and learnt many things in the various workshops……..