Delhi weekend cultural calendar: Writers' Bloc theatre festival, Christmas carols and much more

FRIDAY DECEMBER 16

ART Sipra Dattagupta at India International Centre
Kolkata-based artist Sipra Dattagupta is exhibiting a solo show of paintings titled A Moveable Feast. See here for more details.
When: Until Sunday, December 18, from 11 am to 7 pm.

Where: Main Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg. Tel: 011 2461 9431.

SHOPPING & STYLE Dastkar Winter Mela 2015 at Nature Bazaar
The week-long bazaar organised by NGO Dastkar will have on offer woven and knitted textiles from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir as well as organic beauty and food products. Tickets priced at Rs 20 per person will be available at the venue. See here for more information.
When: Until Monday, December 26, from 11 am to 7 pm.
Where: Nature Bazaar, Kisan Haat, Andheria Modh, opposite Chhattarpur Metro Station, Anuvrat Marg. Tel: 99108 02970.

THEATRE The Jungle Book Jive at Siri Fort Auditorium

Children’s play Jungle Book Jive is a stage adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic novel The Jungle Book. Tickets priced at Rs 500, Rs
1,130 and Rs 1,696 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 and Saturday, December 17 at 4 pm and 7 pm and Sunday, December 18 at 10 am, 12.30 pm, 3.30 pm and 5.30 pm.

Where: Siri Fort Auditorium, Asian Games Village, Gautam Nagar. Tel: 022 2649 9397.

FILM Happy Flight at The Japan Foundation

Shinobu Yaguchi’s comedy Happy Flight (2008) follows the story of a team of pilots and crew members preparing for a flight to Hawaii. The movie, in Japanese, will be screened with English subtitles. There is no entry fee; seating on a first come, first served basis. See here for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 6.30 pm.

Where: Japan Foundation, 5A Ring Road, Lajpat Nagar IV. Tel: 011 2644 2967.

FILM Rambuai: Mizoram’s ‘Trouble’ Years at India International Centre

English documentary Rambuai: Mizoram’s ‘Trouble’ Years (2016), by Sanjoy Hazarika and Preeti Gill of the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, focuses on the little-known history of political turmoil and secessionist conflicts in the north-east Indian state of Mizoram. There is no entry fee.

When: Friday, December 16 at 6.30 pm.

Where: CD Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg. Tel: 011 2461 9431.

THEATRE Ek Thi Nirbhaya at Akshara Theatre

Written and directed by SP Singh Sengar, this Hindi drama is based on the gang-rape that took place on December 16, 2012. Tickets priced at Rs 200, Rs 300 and Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.

When: Friday, December 16 at 6.30 pm.

Where: Akshara Theatre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Tel: 011 2374 2083.

THEATRE Writers’ Bloc Theatre Showcase at British Council + Mahua at Epicentre 

A pair of plays that were scripted as part of the British Council’s Writers’ Bloc series of theatre writing workshops will be presented this weekend. Written by Purva Naresh and directed by Rabijita Gogoi, English and Hindi play Ok Tata Tata Bye Bye is about two filmmakers who arrive at a village of sex workers to document their lives (on Friday at 6.30pm). Hindi play Mahua, written by Akash Mohimen and directed by Rajit Kapur, deals with the issues of a tribal community in Orissa (on Saturday at 6.30pm). There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information. Mahua will also be staged at Epicentre on Sunday. Tickets priced at Rs 500, Rs 800 and Rs 1,000 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.

When: Friday, December 16 and Saturday, December 17 at 6.30 pm and Sunday, December 18 at 7.30 pm.

Where: British Council, Kasturba Gandhi Marg. Tel: 011 4219 9000. Epicentre, Apparel House, Ground Floor, Sector 44, opposite Power Grid Residential Complex, Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 2715000.

MUSIC Gharana Festival featuring Mrunmayee S. Pathak + Shakir Khan at India Habitat Centre

The second and final day of the Hindustani classical music festival will feature solo recitals by Pune-based vocalist Mrunmayee S. Pathak and Mumbai-residing sitar player Shakir Khan. There is no entry fee.

When: Friday, December 16 at 7 pm.

Where: Amaltas, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

MUSIC The Gig Week 6.0 featuring Raja Kumari + Prabh Deep at Summer House Café

The penultimate show of the sixth edition of week-long indie music festival The Gig Week will feature performances by US-based Indian-American hip-hop singer Raja Kumari aka Svetha Rao and Delhi rapper Prabh Deep Sagar. There is no entry fee; RSVP via Insider.in. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 7 pm.

Where: Summer House Café, First Floor, DDA Shopping Complex, Aurobindo Place Market, Hauz Khas. Tel: 93509 27000.

THEATRE Gang of Girls at Shri Ram Centre

Director Happy Ranajit marks the fourth anniversary of the gang-rape that took place in Delhi on November 16, 2012 with this Hindi and English drama on what it’s like to be a girl in India. Tickets priced at Rs 200, Rs 300 and Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.

When: Friday, December 16 at 7 pm.

Where: Shri Ram Centre, 4 Safdar Hashmi Marg, Mandi House. Tel: 011 2373 1112.

THEATRE The Walking Stick at Lok Kala Manch

In Delhi-based theatre group Fourth Wall’s Hindi and English play The Walking Stick, a visually-impaired man and his friends decide to produce a play to raise funds for the renovation of the college for the blind where he teaches. Tickets priced at Rs 200, Rs 250 and Rs 300 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 7 pm.

Where: Vasuki Auditorium, Lok Kala Manch, 20 Lodhi Institutional Area, Lodhi Road. Tel: 011 6580 626.

COMEDY Vaibhav Sethia + Sourav Ghosh + Karunesh Talwar at Canvas Laugh Club

Mumbai-based stand-up comedians Vaibhav Sethia, Sourav Ghosh and Karunesh Talwar will each present a set. Tickets priced at Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.

When: Friday, December 16 and Saturday, December 17 at 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm and Sunday, December 18 at 7.30 pm.

Where: Canvas Laugh Club, The People & Co, Tower 8-B, Cyber Hub, DLF Cyber City, Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 414 1000.

MUSIC ‘Celebrate an Evening of Christmas’ at Epicentre
One of the city’s oldest choirs The Capital City Minstrels will usher in the Christmas season with an evening of choral music. Tickets
priced at Rs 200, Rs 300 and Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com. See here for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 7.30 pm.

Where: Epicentre, Apparel House, Ground Floor, Sector 44, opposite Power Grid Residential Complex, Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 2715000.

MUSIC The New Wave Asia MusicFest 2016 at Raasta Hauz Khas and AntiSocial
The third edition of this annual music festival organised by Mumbai-based record label and event company ennui.bomb will take place at the Hauz Khas Village outpost of Raasta on Friday and at AntiSocial on Saturday and Sunday. The line-up features Delhi based bands such as electro-rock group Begum, “gypsy jazz” rock outfit Peter Cat Recording Co and post-rock project Zokova as well as several other acts from across the country. See here and here for the schedule. There is no entry fee for the Raasta show; the entry fee is Rs 600 per person per day at AntiSocial. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 8.15 pm and Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18 at 7.05 pm.

Where: Raasta, First Floor, 30-A Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 011 4062 3028. AntiSocial, Third Floor, 9A and 12 Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 78386 52039.

MUSIC Afterglow at La Bodega

Delhi-based jazz band Afterglow, fronted by Japanese alto saxophonist Rie Ona, will perform. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 8.30 pm.

Where: La Bodega, First Floor, 29-B Middle Lane, Khan Market. Tel: 011 4310 5777.

MUSIC DJ Sa at Raasta Gurgaon

Mumbai hip-hop DJ Sa aka Sanket Arjunwade will play a set. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 9 pm.

Where: Raasta, Cyber Hub, DLF Cyber City, Gurgaon. Tel: 82878 70254.

MUSIC Lotz of Music at The Piano Man Jazz Club

Jazz quartet Lotz of Music, helmed by Dutch flautist Mark Alban Lotz, will present a set. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 9 pm.

Where: The Piano Man Jazz Club, Ground Floor, B6-7/22, Safdarjung Enclave Market, opposite Deer Park, Safdarjung. Tel: 011 3310 6260.

MUSIC Madboy + Your Chin at BandStand

Electronic music producer-composer Madboy aka Imaad Shah and electro-pop singer-songwriter Your Chin aka Raxit Tewari, both of whom are from Mumbai, will perform at this gig organised by music events company Krunk. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 9.30 pm.

Where: BandStand, 7, DDA Shopping Complex, Aurobindo Place, Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 90132 08104.

MUSIC Ritviz at Nehru Place Social

Pune-based electronic music producer Ritviz Srivastava will play a set. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Friday, December 16 at 10 pm.

Where: Nehru Place Social, R-1, Upper Ground Floor, Epicuria Food Mall, Nehru Place Metro Station. Tel: 78385 00838.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 17

PETS Pet Fed Delhi 2016 at NSIC Exhibition Complex

This two-day festival for pet owners and their wards will feature adoption camps, pet fashion shows and training workshops as well as food stalls and comedy and music performances. Tickets priced at Rs 200 per person are being sold on Insider.in. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, from 10 am to 8 pm.
Where: NSIC Exhibition Complex, Outer Ring Road, opposite Kalkaji Temple, Okhla Industrial Area Phase III, Okhla Industrial Estate.

WORKSHOPS Filmmaking on a Smartphone at Blue Tokai

Rahul Datta of Goa-based production house Starving Artist Films will helm a workshop on how to make a film on a smartphone. Tickets priced at Rs 1,000 per person are being sold here. See the Facebook event page, call 99996 28966 or email contact@starvingartistfilms.com for more information.

When: Saturday, December 17 from 11.30 am to 2 pm.

Where: Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Khasra 258, Lane 3, Westend Marg, Saidulajaib. Tel: 98211 26015.

THEATRE Bebaak Manto at Akshara Theatre

Daksh Vashisht will perform this Hindi solo play, directed by Anil Sharma and based on Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto’s story ‘Hatak’ about Sugandhi, a prostitute whose life changes after she’s rejected by a rich potential client. Tickets priced at Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 4.30 pm.

Where: Akshara Theatre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Tel: 011 2374 2083.

DANCE Saberi Misra at Gandharva Mahavidyalaya

Kolkata-born, London-based kathak dancer Saberi Misra will perform a solo recital. There is no entry fee. See here for more information.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 6 pm.

Where: Sannidhi, Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, 212 Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg. Tel: 011 2323 3791.

MUSIC The Gig Week 6.0 featuring Advaita + aswekeepsearching + The Hansraj Projekt at The Ashok

Delhi folk-fusion rock band Advaita, Ahmedabad post-rock group aswekeepsearching and capital-based fusion outfit The Hansraj Projekt will perform the concluding show of the ongoing sixth edition of The Gig Week, the annual week-long indie music festival. Tickets priced at Rs 600 and Rs 1,000 per person and drinks coupons (which will not available for sale at the venue) priced at Rs 200 each are being sold on Insider.in. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 6 pm.

Where: The Ashok Hotel, 50-B Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri. Tel: 95607 64151.

TALKS The Book Ensemble at Gallery Latitude 28 and Sanskriti Kala Kendra

The preview of artist Niyeti Chadha Kannal’s new show Weaving Shards at Gallery Latitude 28 will serve as the opening of Delhi-based art magazine Take On Art’s The Book Ensemble, a two-day conference at Sanskriti Kala Kendra on the legacy of the book and how it influences contemporary discourse. The discussions will feature speakers such as graphic novelist Sarnath Banerjee, art historian Sonal Khullar and artists Thukral and Tagra. See here for the full schedule. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page or email takeonartoutreach@gmail.com or call 011 46791111 for more information.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 6.30 pm and Sunday, December 18 and Monday, December 19, from 9.45 am.

Where: Gallery Latitude 28, F-208, Lado Sarai. Tel: 011 4679 1111. Sanskriti Kala Kendra, Anand Gram, Ghitorni. Tel: 011 2650 1796.

BOOKS Crime and Punishment at India Habitat Centre

Book club Readers’ Break will conduct a discussion on Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s 1866 novel Crime and Punishment. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 7 pm.

Where: Amaltas, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

FILM Bachelor Girls at India Habitat Centre

Mumbai-based filmmaker Shikha Makan’s documentary Bachelor Girls (2016), about the trials single women face while finding and staying in rented accommodation in Mumbai, will be screened. The film will be followed by a Q&A with the director. There is no entry fee. For more information, see the Facebook event page.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 7 pm.

Where: Gulmohar, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Airforce Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

MUSIC Qissa Heer Ranjha featuring Chaar Yaar at Club Patio

Gurgaon-residing Punjabi Sufi singer and composer Madan Gopal Singh and his ensemble Chaar Yaar will perform. Tickets priced at Rs 350 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 7 pm.

Where: Club Patio, Pool Lawn, Block E, South City I, Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 458 5100.

THEATRE Aao Tanik Prem Karein at Akshara Theatre

Hindi drama Aao Tanik Prem Karein, starring Anil Sharma and Monika Misra and directed by Daksh Vashisht, centres around a 60-year-old man who realises he has never fallen in love. Tickets priced at Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Saturday, December 17 at 7 pm.

Where: Akshara Theatre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Tel: 011 2374 2083.

THEATRE Jis Lahore Nahi Dekhya Woh Jamiya Hi Nahi at Shri Ram Centre

Directed by Anil Sharma, Asghar Wajahat’s Hindi play follows the story of the Mirzas, who move to Lahore from India after Partition. In the bungalow they are allotted, they find an old Hindu woman, who refuses to leave. Tickets priced at Rs 200, Rs 350 and Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 7 pm.

Where: Shri Ram Centre, 4 Safdar Hashmi Marg, Mandi House. Tel: 011 2373 1112.

THEATRE Run for Your Wife at Alliance Francaise

In this Hinglish adaptation of British playwright Ray Cooney’s comedy Run for Your Wife, which is set in South Delhi and directed by Rishi Mehta, taxi driver Sabby Gill secretly juggles two wives in different homes. Tickets priced at Rs 350 and 500 per person are being sold at Bookmyshow.com.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 7 pm and Sunday, December 18 at 5 pm.

Where: Alliance Francaise, 72 Lodhi Estate, Lodhi Road. Tel: 011 4350 0200.

THEATRE Plaza Suite at Epicentre

A bride locks herself up in the bathroom of her hotel suite on her wedding day causing panic for her Punjabi family in this English comedy based on Neil Simon’s 1968 play of the same name and performed by Delhi-based theatre group Dramatech. Tickets priced at Rs 300 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 7.30 pm.

Where: Epicentre, Apparel House, Ground Floor, Sector 44, opposite Power Grid Residential Complex, Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 2715000.

MAGIC Karan Singh at Siri Fort Auditorium

Delhi-residing “psychological illusionist” Karan Singh will perform a magic show titled Merchant of Menace. Tickets priced at Rs 500 per person are being sold at Bookmyshow.com. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 8 pm.

Where: Siri Fort Auditorium II, Asian Games Village, Gautam Nagar. Tel: 022 2649 9397.

MUSIC Five8 at The Piano Man Jazz Club
Capital-based funk-rock group Five8 will perform. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 9 pm.

Where: The Piano Man Jazz Club, Ground Floor, B6-7/22, Safdarjung Enclave Market, opposite Deer Park, Safdarjung. Tel: 011 3310 6260.

MUSIC Kerano at Club BW

Electronic music DJ and producer Kerano aka Karanvir Singh, who is from Delhi, will man the decks. Call the venue for details of the entry fee, if any. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Saturday, December 17 at 11.30 pm.

Where: Club BW, The Suryaa, New Friends Colony. Tel: 88266 98561.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 18
COMEDY Testing 123 by Cheesy Monkey Mafia at The Potbelly Rooftop Cafe

Delhi-based comedy troupe Cheesy Monkey Mafia, helmed by Raghav Mandava, will present a show of new material. The cover charge of Rs 500 per person can be paid in advance on Insider.in. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Sunday, December 18 at 4 pm.

Where: The Potbelly Rooftop Cafe, 50-M Niti Marg, near the Leela Palace hotel, Chanakyapuri. Tel: 011 2611 2764.

THEATRE Hamlet at Shri Ram Centre
Director Jatin Sarna will helm this Hindi adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play. Tickets priced at Rs 100, Rs 200, Rs 300 and Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.

When: Sunday, December 18 at 7 pm.

Where: Shri Ram Centre, Mandi House, 4 Safdar Hashmi Marg. Tel: 011 2373 1112.

THEATRE The Audience at India Habitat Centre

A National Theatre Live screening of British director Stephen Daldry’s play starring Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II. The drama hinges on the practice of British prime ministers having weekly meetings with the queen that are never publicised. Tickets priced at Rs 250, Rs 350 and Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.

When: Sunday, December 18 at 7 pm.

Where: The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Airforce Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

THEATRE I am Your Venus at TabulaBeach Café

Based on Austrian writer Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s novel Venus in Furs and directed by Anasuya Vaidya, English play I am Your Venus is set at an audition, fraught with sexual tension between a beautiful actress and a sceptical playwright. Tickets priced at Rs 300 per person are being sold at Bookmyshow.com. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Sunday, December 18 at 7.30 pm.

Where: Tabula Beach Café, Asiad Village, Khel Gaon Marg, near Siri Fort Auditorium. Tel: 99101 69745.

ONGOING
ART Jeram Patel at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art

This retrospective of the works of artist Jeram Patel titled the dark loam: between memory and membrane focuses on paintings he made using blowtorches and crow quills. For more information, see here.

When: Until Tuesday, December 20. Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm; Monday, closed.

Where: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, 145, DLF South Court Mall, Saket. Tel: 011 4916 0000.

ART Puneet Kaushik at Gallery Espace
Delhi-based artist Puneet Kaushik’s mixed media exhibition Barren Red showcases vanishing folk and tribal Indian arts such as weaving, knitting and bead work.

When: Until Tuesday, December 20. Open Monday to Saturday, from 11 am to 7 pm; Sunday, closed.

Where: Gallery Espace, 16, Community Centre, New Friends Colony. Tel: 011 2692 2947.

ART Santosh Jain at Art Heritage Gallery

City-based artist Santosh Jain is showing Time Frame/s: Digital Landscapes, a set of digital art photography works. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.

When: Until Tuesday, December 20. Open Monday to Saturday from 11 am to 7 pm; Sunday, closed.

Where: Art Heritage Gallery, Triveni Kala Sangam, 205 Tansen Marg, Mandi House. Tel: 011 2371 9470.

These recommendations have been compiled by The Daily Pao.