On 22nd June, Sunday, Lahe Lahe, Bangalore witnessed a merging of literature and performing arts in the form of an event called "THIS IS EPIC".
On 22nd June, Sunday, Lahe Lahe, Bangalore witnessed a merging of literature and performing arts in the form of an event called “THIS IS EPIC”.
The event was inspired by the recently released book “Thus She Spake: Creative Telling of Mythology”
An enthralling evening filled with dance, movement, drama, expression and words that truly transported us to mythical realms! It opened with Vasantha Vaikunth’s thought-provoking narrative On mythological feminine perspective And our interest it did raise, As it set the tone and pace Of the event that inspired and mesmerized in equal measure, As it blended literature And performing arts, to deliver A riveting experience, With a soulful essence. One that captivated the audience! Sreedevi Unni and her troupe, Monisha Arts‘s soul-stirring performance, Transformed Lahe Lahe‘s aesthetic and quaint space, Into a sweeping mythological place, Carrying us through palaces, forests, battlefields and lush gardens, Conjuring up imaginations immense, Evoking emotions ranging from innocent and playful mischief, Profound love to tragic and insurmountable grief, Staggering surprise to a new mother’s ecstasy, Controlled rage to sacred serenity. All this and so much more Was in store… Spellbindingly depicted through Sreedevi Unni’s seamless fusion of dance, movement and expressions… The program sequence punctuated by our Quiz Master Dr.Chaya Nair’s questions, Our brain cells it did challenge, stimulate and tease, Bringing forth two winners Indu Jhunjhunwala and Rachana Ramanna, who answered with unerring ease, The overall flow generously sprinkled with creative expressions by the “Thus She Spake” team, Who’s efforts realized an All Ladies League, Karnataka Chapter Collaborative Literary Dream, With the team comprised of Renowned illustrator Bharati Sagar, Talented authors Dr.Suchitra Kaul Misra, Sandhya Kunjur, Chaya Nair, A.R. Sara and Anu Krishna And accomplished editor Chaya Dronamraju In spirit they were surely present, Though the latter two team members missed the day’s marvelous event, That included the paperback launch of our book containing a fascinating feminine take, With its narratives five… “Thus She Spake” To the rousing cheer of an audience very interactive and enthusiastic Thus we concluded the magnificent and memorable evening of “THIS IS EPIC”
I am a mom of two, an author of story books for all ages, Coffee entrepreneur, self-publishing coach and consultant and Chairperson for ALL (ALL Ladies League) Bangalore Readers & Writers. I write under the read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, indivisual posts do not necessarily represent the platofrom's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
This strange love story reminds me of Princess Diana when she gave an interview about Prince Charles - "There were three of us in this marriage!”
This love was flawed and broken the way only we humans know how to break things with our ego, pride, insecurity and complexities!
Where do I even begin to tell the story of how deep a love can be, how it transcends time, place and people. Perhaps this is a story about how women are their own worst enemies. Either way it is a story that tells us how frail, fragile and fraught we are as humans and how much we hurt each other.
This love story began when I was two years old. Growing up in India in a culture that wove love stories like Laila Majnu, Heer Ranjha and the epic symbol of love, the Taj Mahal, into the very fabric of our existence, love was always an integral part of our lives.
One such love story was of a boy and a girl who were neighbours. The boy, an athlete, artist and a poet, found his muse in this shy, thoughtful and in her own way poetic girl, who seemed to worship the very ground he walked on. Her face could be found in all the paintings he created, and her name in every poem he wrote. The girl called him Sagar, which means ocean, symbolizing his all-encompassing love for her.
Everything thing was going well; their wedding date was being finalized, till the boy’s older brother who was a doctor in the same little town, got accepted into Stanford Medical School to do his MS.
Earlier my husband would say, 'Arey! What is there in making dal-roti? It's so simple.' After he had to cook everyday when I was ill, he has stopped saying that to me!
“Arey! What is there to do in making dal roti? Put a handful of lentils in the cooker and let it whistle and make two rotis. After all, how long will it take?” A handful of dal (lentils) and two rotis! This is the story of every woman and no one seems to understand.
Some time ago, after a shopping spree, my husband and I entered the house, exhausted. I had just about kept all the bags aside, when my husband said, “I am very hungry, can you make something.”
I looked at my husband in amazement and thought, ‘He had just had food, how did he get hungry again so soon?’
My husband, as if he had read my face, said, “Arey! You know that my stomach is not filled with outside food. Just make dal roti. What is there to do in making dal roti? Put a handful of lentils in the cooker and let it whistle and make two rotis. After all, how long will it take?”
‘Is this the way dal (lentils) and roti are made?’ The thought came to my mind. ‘After all, I also went along and now I am tired too.’ I was also getting angry at myself that after all, I had spoiled the habit of everyone in the house.
These women entrepreneurs of Bangalore have redefined the way art and culture is celebrated in this vibrant city, by creating spaces where it can be showcased.
Bangalore was alien to me when I joined university here. In Assam, where I grew up, events meant Bihu, New Year, etc. Fests in schools and colleges were unheard of. Once, observing my seniors at college plan for an upcoming college fest left me astounded. Unknowingly, I was ushered into the world of music jams, concerts, film screenings, in college.
Plays, Freedom Jams, and concerts that I attended outside made me realise that Bangalore had events beyond college fests. There were people who had lived outside the country, getting back with them an ocean of ideas. Spaces like galleries, cafes and bookstores – big and small, organized never-before-heard-of events.
While most of them are connoisseurs of art, there are some spaces with one common quality – they are run by women who believe in what they do. The vibe in these spaces speak of the love that these ladies pour in their work.
Rewriting Indian epics done by these women writers have brought to us the stories of women and other minor characters in these stories. A MONSTER list for you.
My maternal grandmother has been a reigning influence on me since I grew up solely in her care until I was 8. She used to tell me stories of Draupadi, Arjuna, Krishna, Sita, Bhishma Pitamaha, and at an age like that, stories influence the way you think and behave.
These conversations and stories of my Grandma, ignited a deep curiosity of that period and that time. Those were the times when there were hardly any Indian writers rewriting Indian epics. We didn’t have many picture books either. For many years, I believed that self-sacrifice and being all-submissive is the way of a good woman.
The impact of this thinking on my mind was all pervasive, leading me to screw up a great number of relationships. I blamed Draupadi for the war of Kurukshetra and I adored Rama for being Maryada Purushottam. I had a childhood crush on Shiva and prayed to get a husband like him, until I realized that managing such a short-tempered husband was way out of my league.