Articles by Deepa Mohan

So many little pieces of action as one walks, cycles, drives past. A cow ruminatively eating a poster as the billposter moves on to sticking up the next one. A cart laden with carpets backing down the slope into the hapless front bumper of a Maruti 800 (one speeds past this before the action actually starts.) A little girl shushing your "hi" on the stairs of your apartment as she hides from her friends; the "tag" girl's mouth opening in surprise as she streaks "home" free. A lady looking on patiently as two men (one obviously the "owner" and the…

Driving from Bangalore to Chennai, or the other way, gives us the option of driving on roads of two different kinds....one is the old type of road. (Yes, it is now called the Old Madras Road...the "old" referring to the road, not to the city!)Perhaps not always in immaculate condition (though in Tamil Nadu, they mostly are, now...tremendous improvement.)Somewhat narrow. But so picturesque, with gnarled old tamarind and banyan trees lining the sides, with fields and villages all around...I am in my air-conditioned bubble no doubt, but I am in the heart of India....And the other kind, which is really…

You see them everywhere....at every traffic signal, on the pavements, on the roads.They thrust all sorts of things at you: yellow dustercloths, packs of cotton buds, little battery-operated lights, expanding "laundry" bags, rolling windshield screens...or they sit on the footpaths, selling ceramic wares, cheap chandeliers, or put up tents offering herbal medicines.These are the visible yet invisible people. As the motorists and two-wheelers stand at traffic lights, they sometimes notice these people enough to buy their wares, after bargaining them down into the ground; but more often, they flick a glance their way and turn their minds elsewhere, while these…

 I belong to a group of women, and we call ourselves BULBs...Bangalore Urban Lady-Birders. One of our favourite destinations to go birding (or bird-watching) is...Kommaghatta Lake (in Kengeri).Yesterday we went birding to Manchinabele Reservoir and several of us planned to go to Kommaghatta Lake this morning.One of us did visit...and found that the lake had...disappeared.Here's part of her message:"sorry for sending bad news your way so early, ....i reached the *erstwhile* kommaghatta lake and found no sign of it... I could hardly believe my eyes... the entire lake is GONE, disappeared, lake bed dredged up and big mounds lying all…

Meteor showers happen when masses of meteors fall into the earth's atmosphere in a shower, producing heavenly fireworks. They are named after the constellations in which they are seen. On October 24th, we had the Orionid showers, and on November 17th, we are about to witness the Leonid showers. Expected peak of the Leonid Showers over India Approximately midnight to 3.40 AM on the night of the 17th/early morning of the 18th of November, 2009. (Actual time may vary). The showers can be viewed with the naked eye and no telescope is required. For more info see here and here.…

It’s as if it was just last weekend I realised that the strange-shaped building coming up near my home was ready and would be a new hub for theatre in south Bangalore. The years that followed established this role firmly, and it was with pride that I took my place in the queue for the first of the plays that Ranga Shankara was staging to celebrate its fifth anniversary. It’s time to take stock, perhaps, of what Ranga Shankara has achieved and what it yet needs to do. Srinivasan and Jagadish of Ranga Shankara ensure that all aspects of plays…

On the occasion of Children's day, Nov 14 -2009Yours Truly TheatrePresentsSIGNSa series 5 short plays in complete the story stylea Yt'angle initiative( Yours Truly angle for children) officially launching with this show.SHOW DETAILSName of Play: SignsDuration: 2 hoursStart Time: 10:00 amDate: November 14, 2009Venue: ADA Ranga Mandira, JC Road, BangaloreTicket - Rs 50/-To book tickets call 9845853093/9845243051Make this children's day a special one for your child.Inviting children above 7 years, along with parents/relative.About Signs:A series of 5-short stories performed in 'complete the story' interactive theatre style where children get to discuss and decide how these short stories should end. These…

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Having missed the first staging of this German folklore-based play, I was very keen to attend the show when it was staged yesterday (27th October 2009) as part of the Ranga Shankara 5th anniversary celebrations. (Aru addressing the children on stage, just before the play started.)It was indeed heartening to see the enthusiastic lineup of children just before the play, and I was also impressed that Sankar's Cafe at Ranga Shankara also has a Readng Corner for children now. Theatre and allied activities seem to be actively encouraged at Ranga Shankara and this is a great thing to see."Zapperdockel and the…

After successfully staging the play at Ranga Shankara, the young Bangalore theatre group, Dramanon, is staging the play at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore. Troupe : Dramanon, BangalorePlaywright : Melissa James GibsonDirector : Sharanya RamprakashVenue : Alliance de FrancaiseDate & Time : October 24th (4.30 PM & 7:30 PM)Telebooking No : 9880036611/ 9845017975 Online Booking : www.indianstage.inPlay Synopsis:sic (adv.): thus, so.[sic] takes place primarily in the doorways and shared hallway of three neighbouring apartments. Meet Theo, the desperate & edgy amusement park ride theme music composer, the struggling and ever-broke writer Babette, and Frank, the queer, happy-go-lucky aspiring auctioneer. See them…