Delhi weekend cultural calendar: Celebrate Francophonie Week, the Grub Fest and more

FRIDAY, MARCH 17
CULTURE Francophonie Week 2017 at Alliance Francaise
The last two epoays of Alliance Francaise de Delhi’s Francophonie Week 2017, an event held across the world every year to celebrate the French language and Francophone culture, will include film screenings, plays and quizzes. The line-up features Swiss director Elena Hazanov’s French film Sam (2015), in which a kid, whose parents are divorced, is sent to live with his father (on Friday at 4 pm); a performance of the play L’Avare, a Hindi production of Moliere’s drama The Miser directed by S. Somasundaram (on Saturday at 1 pm); and a day-long mela with art exhibits, stalls selling French food and a gig by ‘ethno-punk’ act Tritha Electric, whose members are based in Delhi and Paris (on Saturday at 5.30 pm). See here and here for the full schedule. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17, from 9 am and Saturday, March 18, from 10 am.
Where: Alliance Francaise de Delhi, 72 Lodhi Estate. Tel: 011 4350 0200.

PHOTOGRAPHY Rohit Chawla at Bikaner House
In Delhi-based fashion photographer Rohit Chawla’s series of images The Inspired Frame, models pose as figures in famous paintings by artists such Raja Ravi Varma, Gustav Klimt and Frida Kahlo. Also on display is a set of photographs inspired by Mughal miniature paintings. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Until Saturday, March 18, from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm.
Where: Bikaner House, Pandara Road, India Gate.

ART Arnab Mitra at Triveni Kala Sangam
Kolkata-based artist Arnab Mitra is exhibiting a show of paintings on the theme of nature. There is no entry fee.
When: Until Sunday, March 19, from 11 am to 7 pm.
Where: Triveni Kala Sangam, 205 Tansen Marg. Tel: 011 2371 8833.

ART Tarini Sethi at India International Centre
The last day of Delhi-based illustrator and artist Tarini Sethi’s debut solo show of pen and ink drawings titled Of flesh and fog, which deals with the idea of “human intimacy and discomfort”. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17, from 11 am to 7 pm.
Where: Art Gallery, Annexe Building, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg. Tel: 011 2461 9431.

DANCE Anita Ratnam at India International Centre
Chennai-based bharatnatyam dancer Anita Ratnam will present a show titled A Million Sitas. There is no entry fee.
When: Friday, March 17 at 11 am.
Where: Main Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg. Tel: 011 2461 9431.

SHOPPING & STYLE Wedding Asia at The Ashok
This wedding-focused shopping exhibition will feature jewellery by brands such as Diamond Constellation, Jewels of Jaipur and Crink Jewel and clothes by labels such as Surya Sarees, Tassels, Suman Bajaj Sarees, Manu Couture and Kaaisha by Shalini. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17, Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19, from 11 am to 7 pm.
Where: The Ashok Hotel, 50-B Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri. Tel: 95607 64151.

FOOD & DRINK MUSIC The Grub Fest at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Over 70 restaurants, dessert places and food trucks will have stalls at this edition of the food festival including Live Wok, Koyla Kebab, Meraki Cafe and Bar, Oh So Stoned! and Pita Pit. The evenings will feature music performances by Chandigarh-based electronic folk-fusion duo Hari and Sukhmani (on Saturday at 6 pm), Delhi-residing electronic music DJ MojoJojo aka Akshay Johar (on Sunday at 7 pm); and British-Indian bhangra-fusion producer Bally Sagoo (on Sunday at 8 pm) among other acts. Tickets priced at Rs 300 per person per day are being sold on Insider.in. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17, Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19, from noon to 10 pm.
Where: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Gate No. 14, Bhishma Pitamah Road, Lodhi Road.

POETRY Jashn-e-adab at India International Centre
This edition of the Urdu literature festival will feature mushairas; interviews and panel discussions with historian Irfan Habib, poet and Jamia Millia Islamia assistant professor Rehman Musawwir and filmmaker Muzaffar Ali; and a qawwali performance by the Sabri Brothers. There is no entry fee. See here for the complete schedule.
When: Friday, March 17, Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19.
Where: C. D. Deshmukh Auditorium, India International Centre, 40 Max Mueller Marg. Tel: 011 2461 9431.

FILM Queen of Katwe at India Habitat Centre
Mira Nair’s English film Queen of Katwe (2016), starring Lupita Nyong’o, is based on the life of Phiona Mutesi, a slum-dwelling Ugandan girl who goes on to become a famous chess player. There is no entry fee.
When: Friday, March 17 at 7 pm.
Where: The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

COMEDY Manik Mahna + Vikramjit Singh + Vaibhav Sethia at Canvas Laugh Club
Stand-up comics Manik Mahna and Vikramjit Singh from Delhi and Vaibhav Sethia from Mumbai will each perform a set. Tickets priced at Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18 at 7.30 pm and 9.30 pm and Sunday, March 19 at 7.30 pm.
Where: Canvas Laugh Club, The People and Co. Premises No. 5, Building No. 8, Tower B, Cyber City, Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 414 1000.

COMEDY Sumit Anand at Club Patio
City-residing comedian Sumit Anand will perform a solo show titled Don’t Take it Lying Down. The cover charge is Rs 300 per person; call 98106 68081 to book a spot. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17 at 8.30 pm.
Where: Headlines Bar, Club Patio, Block E, South City-I, Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 458 5100.

MUSIC Chayan and Smiti at The Piano Man Jazz Club
The acoustic pop duo of Chayan Adhikari and Smiti Malik will perform. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17 at 9 pm.
Where: The Piano Man Jazz Club, Ground Floor, B 6-7/22, Safdarjung Enclave Market, opposite Deer Park, Safdarjung. Tel: 011 4131 5181.

MUSIC Mathias Durand at Depot48
French singer-songwriter and guitarist Mathias Durand will present a solo set, after which he will perform with his band Tritha Electric, whose members are based in Delhi and Paris. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17 at 9 pm.
Where: Depot48, N3, Second Floor, N Block Market, Greater Kailash I. Tel: 011 4508 1948.

MUSIC The 4-AF at La Bodega
City-based Congolese band The 4-AF will play a mix of African music, salsa and rumba. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17 at 9 pm.
Where: La Bodega, First Floor, 29-B Middle Lane, Khan Market. Tel: 011 4310 5777.

MUSIC DeepScore at Def. Col. Social
Capital-residing electronic music DJ DeepScore aka
Karan Khanna will play a set. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17 at 9.30 pm.
Where: Def. Col. Social, 28A Defence Colony Market. Tel: 78385 20799.

MUSIC Luis Junior at Privee’
Spanish electronic music producer Luis Junior will play a headlining set. There is no entry fee; register on the guest list via Clubbers.co.in. See the Facebook event page for the full line-up and more information.
When: Friday, March 17 at 10 pm.
Where: Privee’, Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel, 19 Ashoka Road, Connaught Place. Tel: 85952 02020.

MUSIC Wankelmut at Kitty Su
Berlin-based electronic dance music DJ-producer Wankelmut aka Jacob Dilssner will play a gig that will feature supporting sets by Delhi-residing counterparts Avantika Bakshi, Hoax aka Akshay Bhalla and Film aka Sanil Sudan. There is an entry fee of Rs 500 or cover charge of Rs 1,000 per person for single women, an entry fee of Rs 1,000 or cover charge of Rs 2,000 per person for single men and an entry fee of Rs 750 or cover charge of Rs 2,000 per couple (of any gender); book a spot here. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Friday, March 17 at 10 pm.
Where: Kitty Su, The Lalit, Barakhamba Lane, Connaught Place. Tel: 1800 11 6777.

SATURDAY, MARCH 18
WORKSHOPS Experimental Calligraphy Workshop at AntiSocial
Delhi-based Inku Kumar will conduct a ‘experimental’ calligraphy workshop. Tickets priced at Rs 1,500 per person (which covers the cost of writing material and entitles attendees to refreshments) are being sold here. See the Facebook event page, call 75034 19644 or email to ptahworkshops@gmail.com for more information.
When: Saturday, March 18 at 4 pm.
Where: AntiSocial, Third Floor, 9A and 12 Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 78386 52039.

COMEDY Kamedy Carnival Delhi 2017 at Akshara Theatre
A curtain raiser to the Delhi Comedy Festival 2018, this two-day event will feature multiple shows featuring over 50 comedians including Mandar Bhide, Nishant Tanwar, Sumit Anand and Sundeep Sharma. Tickets are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19.
Where: Akshara Theatre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Tel: 011 2374 2083.

COMEDY Karan Chauhan at Canvas Laugh Club
Mumbai-based comedian and magician Karan Chauhan will perform. Tickets priced at Rs 400 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Saturday, March 18 at 6 pm.
Where: Canvas Laugh Club, The People and Co. Premises No. 5, Building No. 8, Tower B, Cyber City, Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 414 1000.

BOOKS What We Talk About When We Talk About Love at India Habitat Centre
Readers’ Break, an organisation that holds weekly book discussions, will conduct a session on Raymond Carver’s 1981 collection of stories What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Participants are encouraged to bring their own copies of the book. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, March 18 at 7 pm.
Where: Amaltas, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

COMEDY Manish Tyagi at India Habitat Centre
Delhi-residing stand-up comedian Manish Tyagi will present a set titled Fifty in February. Tickets priced at Rs 200, Rs 350 and Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Saturday, March 18 at 7 pm.
Where: The Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Air Force Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

THEATRE The Cabuliwala at Akshara Theatre
Jalabala Vaidya will direct this English children’s play based on Rabindranath Tagore’s story about an unlikely friendship between a five-year-old girl and a kabuliwallah from Afghanistan. Tickets priced at Rs 150 (for children below the age of 12) and Rs 250 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Saturday, March 18 at 7 pm and Sunday March 19 at 5.30 pm.
Where: Akshara Theatre, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Tel: 011 2374 2083.

MUSIC DJ Skip at TabulaBeach Café
Hip-hop and electronic music DJ Skip aka Rupesh Pant, who is from Delhi, will play a set. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, March 18 at 8 pm.
Where: TabulaBeach Café, Asiad Village, Khel Gaon Marg, near Siri Fort Auditorium. Tel: 99101 69745.

MUSIC Sartek at Raasta Gurgaon
Capital-based electronic dance music producer Sartek aka Sarthack Sardana will present a set. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, March 18 at 9 pm.
Where: Raasta, Cyber Hub, DLF Cyber City, Gurgaon. Tel: 82878 70254.

MUSIC Mayukh Hazarika and The Brahmaputra Balladeers at Depot48
Delhi folk-fusion band Mayukh Hazarika and The Brahmaputra Balladeers, led by Assamese singer Mayukh Hazarika, will perform. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Saturday, March 18 at 9 pm.
Where: Depot 48, N3, Second Floor, N Block Market, Greater Kailash I. Tel: 011 4508 1948.

MUSIC The Bluegrass Journeymen at The Piano Man Jazz Club and Depot48
American folk and bluegrass band The Bluegrass Journeymen will perform two shows over the weekend. There is no entry fee. See the Facebook event pages here and here for more information.
When: Saturday, March 18 at 9 pm at The Piano Man Jazz Club and Sunday, March 19 at 9 pm at Depot48.
Where: The Piano Man Jazz Club, Ground Floor, B 6-7/22, Safdarjung Enclave Market, opposite Deer Park, Safdarjung. Tel: 011 4131 5181. Depot 48, N3, Second Floor, N Block Market, Greater Kailash I. Tel: 011 4508 1948.

SUNDAY, MARCH 19
WORKSHOPS DIY Succulent Miniature Gardens at Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters
Gardening company Miniature Haven will conduct a workshop at which participants can learn how to create miniature gardens. Tickets priced at Rs 1,200 per person can be booked by calling 70930 18977. See the Facebook event page for more information.
When: Sunday, March 19 at 11 am.
Where: Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Khasra 258, Lane 3, West End Marg, Saidulajab. Tel: 98211 26015.

FILM Happy 140 at Instituto Cervantes
In Spanish filmmaker Gracia Querejeta’s movie Happy 140 (2015), Elia throws a bash for her fortieth birthday at a holiday home and announces that she has just won the jackpot in a lottery. The Spanish film will be screened with English subtitles. There is no entry fee.
When: Sunday, March 19 at 4.30 pm.
Where: Instituto Cervantes, 48 Hanuman Road, Connaught Place. Tel: 011 4368 1907.

COMEDY Abijit Ganguly at Canvas Laugh Club
Delhi-based stand-up comedian Abijit Ganguly will perform a set. Tickets priced at Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Sunday, March 19 at 6 pm.
Where: Canvas Laugh Club, The People and Co. Premises No. 5, Building No. 8, Tower B, Cyber City, Gurgaon. Tel: 0124 414 1000.

MUSIC Ragaffaire at India Habitat Centre
Indo-Canadian fusion band Ragaffaire will perform. There is no entry fee.
When: Sunday, March 19 at 7 pm.
Where: Amaltas, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, near Airforce Bal Bharati School. Tel: 011 2468 2002.

THEATRE Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai at TabulaBeach Café
Based on writer Sharad Joshi’s romantic short stories, Hindi play Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai, directed by Jay Prakash and starring Saleem Shah, is about young love. Tickets priced at Rs 500 per person are being sold on Bookmyshow.com.
When: Sunday, March 19 at 7.30 pm.
Where: TabulaBeach Café, Asiad Village, Khel Gaon Marg, near Siri Fort Auditorium. Tel: 99101 69745.

COMEDY Kunal Rao at Hard Rock Café
Mumbai-residing comedian Kunal Rao will present a set. Tickets priced at Rs 600 per person, of which Rs 300 is a cover charge, are being sold on Insider.in.
When: Sunday, March 19 at 8.30 pm.
Where: Hard Rock Café, First Floor, Multiplex Building, DLF Place Mall, Saket. Tel: 011 4715 8888.

ONGOING
ART Benitha Perciyal at Nature Morte
Chennai-based painter and sculptor Benitha Perciyal is exhibiting her solo show There is no forgetting from the lips of the people. See the gallery Facebook page for more information.
When: Until Saturday, March 25. 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.

ART Stretched Terrains at Kiran Nadar Museum of Art
Stretched Terrains comprises a string of interconnected yet independent exhibitions such as ‘Yatra: The Rooted Nomad’ by M. F. Husain; ‘The Black Sun’ by S. H. Raza; and ‘Man Grinding his Teeth’ by F. N. Souza. For more information, see here.
When: Until Monday, July 31. Open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10.30 am to 7 pm; Monday, closed.
Where: Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, 145, DLF South Court Mall, Saket. Tel: 011 4916 0000.

ART Gandhi In Raza at Akar Prakar Art Advisory
An exhibition of contemporary Indian artist S. H. Raza’s canvases painted in homage to Mahatma Gandhi. See the Facebook event page or the gallery site for more information.
When: Until Friday, March 31. Open Monday to Saturday, from 11 am to 7 pm; Sunday, closed.
Where: Akar Prakar Art Advisory, 29 Hauz Khas Village. Tel: 011 2686 8558.

These recommendations have been compiled by The Daily Pao.