City: Bengaluru

Mythri Arun, 32, a homemaker from Banashankari, decided to make her doll display of R K Narayan's 'Malgudi days' more authentic this year. She downloaded the route map of Malgudi town and replicated it at her home. Mythri, who has been setting up the gombe display for the past eight years feels she can live the memories of her grandmother through this. “Every family should follow this; children actually enjoy and learn a lot through these dolls,” she says. Mythri Arun with her Malgudi arrangement. Pic: Nagashree Gururaj.Mythri's Malgudi arrangement, with the clocktower in view. Pic: Nagashree Gururaj.Mythri Arun's Malgudi…

That smoking kills is no news. That smoking can cause death to your near and dear ones is also perhaps known to most. That one out of two tobacco users is destined to die is something most of smokers would not wish to know or accept. Yet, this is what World Health organisation says. Out of the six million people who die because of tobacco use, 5 million are users and ex users. Six lakh are those who die of gift of smoke (Second hand smoking) from their near and dear ones. Almost 40 % of children breathe smoke polluted…

Jayanagar Samyukta Mandal (JSM), has been organising Garba/Dandiya nights for the last 11 years now. “It is specially meant for the Gujaratis, but everyone is welcome”, said Rajesh Parekh, 65, Secretary of JSM. Mesmerizing whirls. Pic: Nagashree Gururaj, Shreyas Nag Women wear splendid traditional and colorful embroidered choli, ghagra and bandini dupattas dazzling with mirror work whereas men wear their special turban and Kedias (kurtas) depicting Krishna’s costume. The dance moves were enchanting with intense and energetic whirls. Am I the best dressed? Pic: Nagashree Gururaj, Shreyas Nag “I have been dancing here for the last two years now, this…

It was an evening that evoked an array of moods as versatile singer M D Pallavi performed at a musical fundraising dinner concert at Taj West End, Racecourse road. She sang compositions of famous poets like G P Rajaratnam, D V Gundappa, Shishunal Sharief, Da Ra Bendre and Chandrashekhar Kambar. The Music was composed by noted composers like Mysore Ananthaswamy and Kalinga Rao. Pallavi mesmerizing the crowds. Pic: Yogaraj S Mudalgi The concert was organized as part of ‘Joy of Giving Week’, from October 2nd to 8th, a national movement that hopes to engage Indians in “acts of giving”, be…

Residents of Koramangala have managed to get work on a new signal-free corridor project stopped, at least for the time being. Work for building grade separators had started at four junctions on Sarjapur road in June. These are part of BDA’s signal-free corridor project from Agara to Sirsi Circle via Lalbagh road. BBMP had transferred the project to BDA last year due to paucity of funds. Grade separators work had started at four junctions – Jakkasandra (flyover), Koramangala 80 feet road (underpass), Krupanidhi College (underpass) and St John’s hospital-Koramangala 100 feet road junction (flyover and underpass). Each grade separator is…

For many years now, I have been following the work of Yours Truly Theatre (YTT), a young Bangalore theatre group. They can be said to have pioneered Interactive Theatre in India. Called "Playback Theatre", it was started in the 1970's in the US, and is now hugely popular across the world. Instead of a fixed script, it is an interaction between the audience and the cast; the performers take the inputs provided by the members of the audience, and stage a scene with their own dramatic interpretation. Playback theatre has three established ways of presenting the stories: Fluids, Stories, and…

When an outstanding actor makes his debut as a director, the audience that has been faithfully following his cinema over the last decades expects much him from. But true blue Pankaj Kapur fans will find themselves disappointed with Mausam. Pic: Film's official website The film tells the story of Harry (Shahid Kapoor) and Aayat (Sonam Kapoor), who fall in love as young adolescents in a village in Punjab. Across time and over different seasons, they battle many quirks of fate and great distances to build a life together. Yet curiously, in a decade that brought the Internet, email and mobile…

Bangalore as a Creative City: An Open Consultation to discuss Policy Recommendations for Urban Arts and Culture SpacesThe Centre for the Study of Culture and Society (CSCS), Bangalore, and the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), Bengaluru are organising an open consultation on “Bangalore as a Creative City” to debate the centrality of arts and culture in urban planning that has until now largely focused on infrastructure. The event will take place on Thursday, the 29th of September, 2011 at 10:30 at the NGMA, Bengaluru.Here are the live proceedings of the consultation, covered by Francesca Rechia, an urban studies professional and writer.  …

Around 80 activists, both men and women protesting Kannada film industry's action during Darshan controversy were manhandled by Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) members and plain clothes men claiming to be police. The group of about 80 activists - comprising mostly women and a few men - had assembled in front of the KFCC, Kumara Park East, near Shivananda circle, on Saturday, September 24, holding a silent protest. A man who claimed to be from the police arguing with activists. His credentials could not be verified. Pic: Navya P K Problems started as soon as the group was about…

South Western Railway, Hubli beat Coorg Blues, 4 – 0, on 27th September, in the ongoing ‘A’ Division Hockey Tournament organised by Karnataka State Hockey Association. Nagraj H of SWR scored a hat trick at 28th, 29th and 40th minutes of the game and Kiran Gagade scored a goal in the 50th minute to spur the team to victory. Other match results: RWF Beat BSNL by 5-0:For RWF: Jayaraj.M - 21st min; Ravikumar - 44th min; Sampath S.N – 51st, 56th min; Harjeet - 59th min. ITI Beat SHBHC, Gadag by 2-1 For ITI: Somaiah - 56th min; Rajendra Kumar…