Hi everyone in chennai.
If you have the time please do visit Satyam Cinemas at 10AM tomorrow (atleast) to view a couple of movies on Performing arts.second floor.
Tomorrows schedule includes a movie on yamini Krishnamurthy and also a movie by Laxmi Viswanathan titled Poetry of Dance.Plus a movie on Alla Rakha.
Strangely This program was not advertised well enough.Kalaksetra and NCPA Mumbai are partners in this program.
I gate crashed into this without an invitation ( For beginners -dont make enquiries once you are there ,for tickets.No one will help you.So just barge in,as I did.It will help you much if you can wear a Khadi Kurtha and also sport a Shoulder bag -a two day old stubble is additional insurance )
Found only 20 people in.
And two movies I watched -on Siddheswari Devi and Gangubai Hangal- were simply out of this world.More on this tomorrow.
I thought I should post this immediately so that some of you can watch it atleast on the last day.
Movies that I could not watch for lack of Info..Mani Kauls movie on Dhrupad, Movie on Amir Khan, Sheikh Chinnamoulana,two movies by Adoor Gopalkr......
Such a pity..
flash-satyam cinema
-
coolkarni
Meena .
Thank you so much.
I will get on with my review.
Siddheswari Devi.
a Movie by Mani Kaul.
The introduction mentioned that it took three decades to make this movie and that Siddheswar Devi herself was actively involved in the concept.
It was daring stuff considering the fact that the storyline talks of her early years ,the social conditions under which these Thumri and Tappa Singers performed ,their miserable experiences ..
At one point she is heard saying:
"It took me 12-13 years of pain and anguish to be able to produce the first note capable of piercing a man's heart.
At another :
"Swaras are like stars .Will not belong to us if we try to grab them.But definitely ours if we reach out to them with love"
She is shown being thrown out of one mans house only to find refuge at a different place sighing to herself "Now that all my physical charms are on the wane , I only have my music to keep me afloat"
Great Photography , great shots of the houses of all those Pan eating revellers .
Outstanding phases of sarangi playing and teaching of thumris.
The Movie ends on a brilliant note too.
the last scene is that of a modern day girl working on her project on Siddheswari Devi and watching a Real life concert of hers in the editing lab.And as the girl turns around pensively , we realise it is the same actress who has played the role of Siddeswari Devi all along .A wonderful way to tell us how deeply she was immersed in the story herself.
But the magic did not stop there.
The movie on Gangubai Hangal was equally fascinating.
A wonderful moment in this documentary came when she teaches a young girl.
The girl picks up raga shudh kalyan and quickly sings the full scale .Gangubai interrupts her and admonishes
Hey You , spending your swaras like a rich man.Be a miser to start with.Use as little as possible and as slowly.That will create a yearning in the listener for the unsung ones and then build on it ,Take your time with the Badhath (Progression),
Hmmm spending all of them in shot , what a girl!!
We were also shown a disciple who was learning only one raga for over 18 months.
"He has So much to unlearn you see !!!"
Memorable movies.Wish all of you were there.We had just 20-30 people around
Thank you so much.
I will get on with my review.
Siddheswari Devi.
a Movie by Mani Kaul.
The introduction mentioned that it took three decades to make this movie and that Siddheswar Devi herself was actively involved in the concept.
It was daring stuff considering the fact that the storyline talks of her early years ,the social conditions under which these Thumri and Tappa Singers performed ,their miserable experiences ..
At one point she is heard saying:
"It took me 12-13 years of pain and anguish to be able to produce the first note capable of piercing a man's heart.
At another :
"Swaras are like stars .Will not belong to us if we try to grab them.But definitely ours if we reach out to them with love"
She is shown being thrown out of one mans house only to find refuge at a different place sighing to herself "Now that all my physical charms are on the wane , I only have my music to keep me afloat"
Great Photography , great shots of the houses of all those Pan eating revellers .
Outstanding phases of sarangi playing and teaching of thumris.
The Movie ends on a brilliant note too.
the last scene is that of a modern day girl working on her project on Siddheswari Devi and watching a Real life concert of hers in the editing lab.And as the girl turns around pensively , we realise it is the same actress who has played the role of Siddeswari Devi all along .A wonderful way to tell us how deeply she was immersed in the story herself.
But the magic did not stop there.
The movie on Gangubai Hangal was equally fascinating.
A wonderful moment in this documentary came when she teaches a young girl.
The girl picks up raga shudh kalyan and quickly sings the full scale .Gangubai interrupts her and admonishes
Hey You , spending your swaras like a rich man.Be a miser to start with.Use as little as possible and as slowly.That will create a yearning in the listener for the unsung ones and then build on it ,Take your time with the Badhath (Progression),
Hmmm spending all of them in shot , what a girl!!
We were also shown a disciple who was learning only one raga for over 18 months.
"He has So much to unlearn you see !!!"
Memorable movies.Wish all of you were there.We had just 20-30 people around