Apr 1, 2010

march end report


Nikhil in the garden





Performance ****

artist name: Nikhil Chopra
country: India
Location: Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Jijamata Udyan, Byculla

victorian costume – he looked very elegant. The ambience was fantastic and he fitted there perfectly. Loved him there.

He walked from the 2nd floor of the museum—the stairs to the hall to the garden of the museum with grace. Did a huge drawing of the museum for two days. The visitors for this museum is really public. Mainly they come for the zoo and also visit this museum which is in the same complex of the zoo called rani bagh now re named as Jijamata udyan. The public couldn't avoid not watching nikhil.

Nikhil as chitrakar in bombay-- i think this was a public performance. In kashmir it worked and here it did. The site specific and the role he played with completely different characters mattered.

Photography not allowed but i took some illegally. I was warned 3 times but passed off by saying i am artists friend.

As i have a devi surname the same way now nikhil has chitrakar surname like the midnapore chitrakars.


Shows:

Artist Name: Nilima Sheikh *****

artists country: India
location: Chemould Prescott Road, Bombay

title of the show 'Each night put Kashmir in your dreams'

as always love her work. But will only give no stars for lighting. Why do artist give last priority for lighting. But in her Espace show in Delhi loved the lighting.

The usage of space and lighting and walls makes the work little boring here in chemould. But as her works are so strong and reads like a book so i think other things shouldn't matter.

Most of the scrolls i have seen earlier but to visit them again was a pleasure.

Couldn't see the video properly as the projector refused to work after a while.

Dinner -- food as usual was fantastic.

Movie:
LSD – love sex aur dhokha *********countless stars
director Dibakar Banerjee

Camera to storytelling and watching in regal was really a treat. Unpredictable story approach and abrupt ending made the film quite a space for the viewer to imagine and also question.

Actors did a fantastic job, all new faces. The story really makes your hair stand still. Few places are really scary... not a fun fun film but an intense film in a fun approach. The use of low end cameras was fun. The thing i loved is the technology was part of the story. Whole film was linked to each other. Must must see film.

Lahore: bad bad bad film.
I dont understand why do we always have to teach others what peace is? In this logic -all the peace films i found few common elements sp when it is a story of a sports which is like a war:

1.we have to win then the peace comes for sure.
2.If we dont win then we make others realize --actually it was a sacrifice and make others guilty and make sure the win comes backs to us.
3.We never teach our players or janta to be violent –we follow Gandhiji's non-violence path. But sadly our enemies always are violent as they could be.
4.We are always right.
5.We love to hear we are tolerant and we love the word Sorry or “mafi” --no no not we saying it –in the end the enemy acknowledging it.
6.Acknowledgment is very important and we really love it.
7.Women plays a huge role on this peace process but men take away the glory


why i saw this film after LSD –back to back watching film can back fire you many times.

LSD then Lahore and then Nilima Shiekh on the same day with a sour Bum and thigh was little too much.

But still 2 out of 3 things was good which made a good day.

kandivali to alibagh


on our way


Bharatmata


Bharatmata



Bhaucha Dhakka




on the ferry with the bikewallas




sunscreen


tired



villa




April 1st


it is easy to open a blog but writing is really boring, i hope i had a Ganesha who could write for me and i become a narrator the Vyasa


cycle trip to Alibagh from Bombay suburbs

cycling to Alibagh – march 27th and march 28th – just one day after becoming 40.

morning 5am i took an auto with my cycle to juhu circle and then waiting for all the 3 idiots to come, 2 men -- hour late.

2 women 2 men – gender equal no 33%

2 gear cycle and 2 normal cycle

Juhu circle to Bhaucha Dhakka to alibagh-- linking road to bandra to tulsi pipe line to dadar to lower parel to bharatmata to cotton green to bhaucha dhakka, then took a ferry to Rewas. Then again cycled almost to Alibagh but entered a small village called Khim just before Alibagh next to the beach, found a villa and was almost dead. The caretaker lady told her sister-in-law to make some veg food for us we hogged and then were flat. The men slept till 7 eve but women where more excited about the beach. Sadly we forgot our swim suits.

The men as they slept like a log so we couldn't continue our journey to Revdanda

the villa was excellent, looks like a colonial or a Portuguese wooden bungla. Kept very badly. But it is for sale the owner stays in Hong kong and the caretaker lady who has 5 daughters one son and 4 grand daughter looks not more than 45yrs old.

now people will laugh at me –took an auto- then a ferry what is the cycling about. But i need to tell people from juhu circle to Bhaucha Dhakka is minimum 30km and then rewas to that village was 24km so it is 54km

returned back the same way but de-routed to Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum, Jijamata Udyan, Byculla to see nikhil chopra. Then i cycled till kandivali thakur complex no auto and the km increased i am sure it must be more than 70km i think 75 maybe 80km uffff

Tips:

  1. Start at 5am

  2. Dont drink the previous night and sleep early not at 2am—doesn't matter you completed 40 that night.

  3. Have a cushion fixed to the cycle seat

  4. take a hook-- if tired you can hook yourself to an auto or bus or truck

  5. Dont wear a front button shirt –tshirts and half pants

  6. eat and drink lots of water and foood

  7. always go in a trip with people who love eating. And ready to cycle few more km to search for good exciting local food.

things to Remember:

  1. in the ferry—morning 8.30
    ferries roof is called Foul and the main sitting downstairs is called Fair. So the foul was filled with bikes and our 4 cycle
    --there where 15 to 20 bikers
    --all bikers started their morning with rum and beer and we 4 of us where having vada pav
    --the bikers with their drinks started singing bhajans from jai hanuman to ma santoshi mata and ended with jai maharashtra songs --total 2 hours

  1. the food made by the local women for dinner:

    surmai fish fry + Kolambi (Malvani Prawns Curry) + rice bhakri (rice roti)

  2. Bum pains