Delhi weekend cultural calendar: Rap performance, literary talks and more

FRIDAY, MAY 20
ART The Garden Underground at Jor Bagh Metro Station
Three photographers are exhibiting images of gardens inside the metro station: Tom Clancy, a lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire in the UK, explores the history of the human-plant relationship in his photographs; Bangalore-based environmental photographer Arati Kumar-Rao’s works capture the unique desert garden around the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur; and Delhi travel photographer Juhi Saklani’s set focuses on labourers who work in public gardens.
When: Until Tuesday, June 21. Open daily, from 6 am to 11 pm.
Where: Jor Bagh Metro Station, Sri Aurobindo Marg, Safdarjung Airport Area, Jor Bagh.

ART A. Ramachandran at Vadehra Art Gallery
A solo show of paintings by the Kerala artist titled Earthen Pot ‒ Image Poems 2016 inspired by medieval Ragamala and Barahmasa paintings that are visual depictions of the ragas of Indian classical music.
When: Until, Saturday, May 21. Open Monday to Saturday, from 11 am to 7 pm; Sunday, closed.
Where: Vadehra Art Gallery, D-53 Defence Colony. Tel: 011 2462 2545.

DANCE MUSIC Second Bharat Utsav at Habitat World
Senior students of Delhi Odissi academy Debadhara will present an Indian classical dance performance at this event, which will also feature solo Hindustani classical music recitals by vocalist LK Pandit and flute player Ronu Majumdar. There is no entry fee.
When: Friday, May 20 at 7 pm.
Where: The Stein Auditorium, Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

FILM A Silent Noise + The Last Ocean at Habitat World
CMS Vatavaran, a forum for films on the environment and wildlife, will screen two 2012 documentaries: Snehasis Das’ short A Silent Noise on the global demand for fresh water that will reach a crisis point in a few years, and Peter Young’s feature-length The Last Ocean, which is about the Ross Sea, the world’s most intact marine ecosystem. There is no entry fee.
When: Friday, May 20 at 7 pm.
Where: Gulmohar, Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

TALKS ‘The Madhouse on The Landscape of The City: The Relevance of the Mental Hospital; Moving From History to The Present Day’ at India Habitat Centre
Sanjeev Jain and Pratima Murthy from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore, and Anup Dhar of Ambedkar University in Delhi will be among the speakers at this panel discussion organised as part of Canvas Askew, a series of discussions on mental health. There is no entry fee.
When: Friday, May 20 at 7 pm.
Where: Amaltas, Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

THEATRE Bhishmotsav at National Cooperative Union of India Auditorium
Old World Culture, a trust for the promotion of the arts, will present Bhishmotsav, a tribute to acclaimed writer Bhisham Sahni, in which Seema Bhargava Pahwa will direct Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah among others in performances of the writer’s short stories such as Oob, Sir Ka Sadka and Yaadein. Tickets priced at Rs 1,000, Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Friday, May 20 at 7 pm.
Where: NCUI Auditorium, 3 August Kranti Marg, opposite Sirifort Auditorium. Tel: 85274 99408.

THEATRE Giraftaari at Shri Ram Centre
In this Hindi adaptation of Franz Kafka’s German novel Der Prozess ‒The Trial, written and directed by Rama Pandey, a man is put on trial without knowing the crime of which he has been accused. There is no entry fee; complimentary invitations can be collected at the venue.
When: Friday, May 20 at 7 pm.
Where: Shri Ram Centre, 4 Safdar Hashmi Marg, Mandi House. Tel: 011 2373 1112.

THEATRE Gandhi aur Godse at India Habitat Centre
In the concluding play of the ongoing Saksham Theatre Festival, organised by the eponymous Delhi-based Hindi drama group, Gandhi is put on trial by his assassins hours before his death. Tickets priced at Rs 200 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Friday May 20, at 7.30 pm.
Where: Amphitheatre, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

THEATRE 12 Angry Men at Akshara Theatre
Rakesh Palisetty will direct Akshara Theatre’s production of Reginald Rose’s English drama about a jury that must decide the fate of a teenager accused of murdering his father. Tickets priced at Rs 350 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21 at 7.30 pm.
Where: Akshara Theatre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Tel: 011 2374 2083.

MUSIC The Revisit Project at Depot 29
The band, which plays jazz-rock reinterpretations of Bollywood classics by the likes of Madan Mohan and AR Rahman, will present a set. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, May 20 at 8.45 pm.
Where: Depot 29, Levels 2 & 3, B6/2 Commercial Complex, Humayunpur, Safdarjung Enclave. Tel: 97174 50029.

MUSIC Divine at Farzi Café
Rapper Divine aka Vivian Fernandes, from Mumbai, will perform. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, May 20 at 9 pm.
Where: Farzi Café, DLF Cyber Hub, Cyber City, Gurgaon. Tel: 88006 90419.

MUSIC Levi’s 501 Friday with Nicholson + Sapta + FuzzCulture at AntiSocial
Mumbai singer-songwriter Nicholson, whose first name is Sohrab, Chennai electronica act Sapta fronted by composer-producer Marti Bharath and Delhi electro-rock band FuzzCulture will form the line-up at this month’s instalment of the gig series bankrolled by the denim brand. There is no entry fee; RSVP at Insider.in. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, May 20 at 9 pm.
Where: AntiSocial, Third Floor, 9A and 12 Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 78386 52039.

MUSIC MindFlew at The Piano Man Jazz Club
The city-residing alternative rock band will play the Safdarjung venue. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, May 20 at 9 pm.
Where: The Piano Man Jazz Club, 7/22, Ground Floor, B-6, opposite Deer Park, Safdarjung Enclave Market, Safdarjung. Tel: 011 3310 6260.

MUSIC Nerm + UP7T at Summer House Café
Electronic music DJs Nerm aka Nirmesh Chauhan, better known as the head of London-based collective Shiva Soundsystem, and Delhi’s UP7T aka Ayush Arora, will each spin sets. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, May 20 at 9 pm.
Where: Summer House Café, First Floor, DDA Shopping Complex, Aurobindo Place Market, Hauz Khas. Tel: 93509 27000.

MUSIC Teri Miko at Levels HKV
The Amsterdam-based Ukrainian electronic dance music DJ will perform. The entry fee is Rs 1,000 per person and Rs 2,000 (including a cover charge of Rs 1,000) per couple. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, May 20 at 9 pm.
Where: Levels, Third Floor, 30 Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 011 41704772.

MUSIC Wild City presents Various Artists with Tommy Flowers at BandStand
This instalment of electronic music-focused website and event company Wild City’s series of gigs by international acts will feature a bass music set by Auckland-residing radio show host and DJ Tommy Flowers. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, May 20 at 9 pm.
Where: BandStand, 7, DDA Shopping Complex, Aurobindo Place, Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 90132 08104.

MUSIC Sikdope at Kitty Su
Polish electronic dance music DJ and producer Sikdope aka Dawid Kabaciński will man the decks. Tickets priced at Rs 500 per person for single women and Rs 750 per couple (of any gender) are being sold on Kittysu.com. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, May 20 at 10 pm.
Where: Kitty Su, The Lalit, Barakhamba Lane, Connaught Place. Tel: 1800 11 6777.

SATURDAY, MAY 21
TALKS ‘Body of Evidence: Sexual Violence and Impunity in South Asia’ at Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan
Zubaan, an independent feminist publishing house, will discuss the findings of its Sexual Violence and Impunity Project, a three-year study on sexual violence in conflict areas across the South Asia region. Zubaan director, publisher and writer Urvashi Butalia, who helmed the project, will introduce the key findings. There is no entry fee; email contact@zubaanbooks.com to register. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, May 21, from 10 am to 6 pm.
Where: Goethe Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, 3 Kasturba Gandhi Marg. Tel: 011 2347 1100.

WALKS Ivy Gallery Walk: The Partition Museum Project at India Habitat Centre
The Partition Museum Project, an organisation that aims to create a museum to document the events of Partition in 1947, and the Ivy Plus Network, a networking forum for the alumni of American Ivy League schools, will conduct a walk through Rising From The Dust: Hidden Tales From India’s 1947 Refugee Camps, an ongoing exhibition at the IHC. British-Indian economist and politician Meghnad Desai will present a talk after the tour. There is no entry fee; RSVP via Eventbrite.com. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, May 21 at 4 pm.
Where: Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

TALKS Arunava Sinha + Uma Nair at India International Centre
Writer Arunava Sinha, translator of Bengali fiction and non-fiction into English, will give a talk tilted "Why It’s Time We Stopped Asking What Is Lost In Translation: Because It Is the Wrong Question" and art critic Uma Nair will speak about "Integrating Art In Writing" at this event organised by literary magazine The Bombay Review, which will close with an open mic poetry session. Poets interested in performing can email alexandersandra7@gmail.com to register. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, May 21 at 6 pm.
Where: India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg. Tel: 011 2461 9431.

BOOKS TALKS Shyam Bhat at AntiSocial
Floh.in, a site that connects singles, and publishing house Juggernaut Books will host a discussion with psychiatrist and author Dr Shyam Bhat, whose first book How to Heal Your Broken Heart, a “guide to dealing with heartbreak”, was published in April. Tickets priced at Rs 500 per person are being sold on Instamojo.com. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, May 21 at 6.30 pm.
Where: AntiSocial, Third Floor, 9A and 12 Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 78386 52039.

POETRY TALKS Saumya Kulshreshtha at India Habitat Centre
The Delhi-based poet and writer will speak about ‘Poetry As A Means Of Revisiting Your Past’. There is no entry fee for the event, which is part of the IHC’s Heritage Series of talks.
When: Saturday, May 21 at 7 pm.
Where: Gulmohar, Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

THEATRE Hard Times at Habitat World
Old World Culture, a trust for the promotion of the arts, will present a Hindi musical adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens novel Hard Times. Tickets priced at Rs 250 and Rs 350 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com and at the programmes desk at Habitat World.
When: Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22 at 7 pm.
Where: The Stein Auditorium, Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

THEATRE Macbeth-Macbeth at Bipin Chandra Pal Auditorium
Director Anjon Bose will helm city-based theatre group Sansaptak’s performance of a Hindi translation of its founder, playwright Torit Mitra’s Bengali take on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. In this version of the play, a 500-year-old Macbeth repents for his deeds. There is no entry fee.
When: Saturday, May 21 at 7 pm.
Where: Bipin Chandra Pal Auditorium, A 81, Chittranjan Park. Tel: 011 4107 2278.

MUSIC Bollyjazz at The Piano Man Jazz Club
The Delhi ensemble led by vocalist-guitarist Nikhil Mawkin will play jazz interpretations of Bollywood classics. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, May 21 at 8.45 pm.
Where: The Piano Man Jazz Club, 7/22, Ground Floor, B-6, opposite Deer Park, Safdarjung Enclave Market, Safdarjung. Tel: 011 3310 6260.

MUSIC Chugge Khan at Depot 29
The Rajasthani folk music singer and his band Rajasthan Josh will perform. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, May 21 at 8.45 pm.
Where: Depot 29, Levels 2 & 3, B6/2 Commercial Complex, Humayunpur, Safdarjung Enclave. Tel: 97174 50029.

SUNDAY, MAY 22
BOOKS Annihilation of Caste at Coffee Home
Tinder Readings, an informal reading group, will host a discussion on BR Ambedkar’s 1936 Annihilation of Caste. Participants are encouraged to bring their own copies. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Sunday, May 22 at 4 pm.
Where: Coffee Home, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place. Tel: 011 23363813.

FILM Diamantes Negros at Instituto Cervantes
The institute for Spanish language and culture will screen Miguel Alcantud’s 2013 film Diamantes Negros (Black Diamonds) in which two young boys from Mali decide to escape their life of poverty after meeting with a talent scout, and embark on a long journey to Spain to become professional football players. The film, which is in Spanish, will be shown with subtitles in English. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Sunday, May 22 at 4.30 pm.
Where: Instituto Cervantes, 48 Hanuman Road, Connaught Place. Tel: 011 4368 1907.

WALKS Heritage Baithak at Safdarjung Tomb
Tour company Delhi Karavan will organise an evening tour of the tomb of Safdarjung, the eighteenth-century nawab of Awadh. The tour, which will be conducted in Hindi and Urdu, is priced at Rs 300 per person. Participants will have to also pay the entry fee to the monument, which is priced at Rs 15 per person for Indians and Rs 200 per person for foreign nationals. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Sunday, May 22 at 4.30 pm.
Where: Meeting point at the Safdarjung tomb ticket counter.

MUSIC House Concert with Gowri + Amartya Ghosh at Jorbagh
Singer-songwriters Gowri Jayakumar, from Pune, and Amartya Ghosh, from Delhi, will perform at this instalment of the series of gigs held inside people’s homes, which will begin with the screening of an indie film. The suggested donation for the event is between Rs 300 and Rs 500 per person. Call 88608 70491 to book a spot. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Sunday, May 22 at 8 pm.
Where: Jorbagh; the complete address will be shared with those who RSVP.

MUSIC Bombay Black + Black Letters at Hauz Khas Social
Mumbai-residing experimental rock band Bombay Black, which recently reunited and released the album Bombay Black Hole, will play a gig that will also feature a set by Bangalore alternative rock group Black Letters. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Sunday, May 22 at 9 pm.
Where: Hauz Khas Social, 9A and 12 Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 78386 52814.

MUSIC Syncopation at BandStand
The Delhi-based jazz trio will present a set. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Sunday, May 22 at 9 pm.
Where: BandStand, 7, DDA Shopping Complex, Aurobindo Place, Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 90132 08104.

ONGOING
ART Ramakrishna Behera and L. N. Tallur at Nature Morte
An exhibition of new works by painter Ramakrishna Behera and sculptor LN Tallur. Behera, who is from Odisha, is showing landscapes inspired by Angkor Wat and the Odisha countryside; and Tallur, who hails from Karnataka, faux-antique pieces from stone that resembles wood. There is no entry fee.
When: Until Saturday, May 28. Open Monday to Saturday, from 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, closed.
Where: Nature Morte, A-1 Neeti Bagh, August Kranti Marg, opposite Kamala Nehru College. Tel: 011 41740215.

MUSEUM EXHIBITION ‘Threads of Continuity: Zoroastrian Life and Culture’ at the National Museum and the National Gallery of Modern Art
The Ministry of Minority Affairs is hosting three exhibitions on the history, culture and impact of the Parsi community in India. An exhibition on Zoroastrianism at the National Museum takes visitors through the history of the community from the emergence of the religion in Iran to its journey to the west coast of India. “Painted Encounters: Parsi Traders and the Community” at the National Gallery of Modern Art is an exhibition of engravings, paintings and photographs that traces how Parsi ship builders and businessmen established trade with Canton in the nineteenth century. “No Parsi is an Island”, also at the NGMA, is a show of the works of 14 Parsi artists such as Pestonji Bomanji and Gieve Patel over the last 150 years. Entry to the NGMA is free. Tickets to the National Museum are priced at Rs 20 per person for Indians and Rs 650 per person (inclusive of the audio tour) for foreigners.
When: Exhibition at the National Museum until Sunday, May 29. Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm; Monday, closed. Exhibitions at the NGMA until Sunday, May 29. Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm; Monday, closed.
Where: National Museum, Janpath, Rajpath Road Area, Central Secretariat. Tel: 011 2379 2775. National Gallery of Modern Art, Jaipur House, India Gate. Tel: 011 2338 4640.

ART Contemporary Japanese Posters – Part 1 at The Japan Foundation
This exhibition of posters by 15 Japanese graphic designers will be shown in two parts. The first part will have on display works by Yusaku Kamekura, Kiyoshi Awazu and Kazumasa Nagai among others. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Until Saturday, June 4. Open Monday to Saturday, from 11 am to 7 pm; Sunday, closed.
Where: Japan Foundation, 5A, Ring Road, Lajpat Nagar IV. Tel: 011 2644 2967.

ART Narratives for Modernity: The Aesthetics of Brij Mohan Anand at India International Centre
An exhibition of illustrations by socialist-artist Brij Mohan Anand. See here for more information.
When: Until Sunday, May 22. Open daily, from 11 am to 7 pm.
Where: Main Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg. Tel: 011 2461 9431.

ART NN Rimzon at Talwar Gallery
Kerala artist NN Rimzon’s first solo exhibition in Delhi in 23 years Forest of the Living Divine features sculptures, installations and paintings dating back to 2007. See here for more information.
When: Until Saturday, May 28. Open Monday to Saturday, from 11 am to 7 pm; Sunday, closed.
Where: Talwar Gallery, C-84 Neeti Bagh. Tel: 011 4605 0307.