Cary Rajinder Sawhney continues to champion the power of cinema to help BAME/LGBTQ communities
When there are problems with the world there are those who muddle through and then there are those who feel driven to change things for the better. Cary Rajinder Sawhney MBE is currently busy with the latest editions of two unique film festivals in London this month which aim to improve life for both the BAME and LGBTQ communities. Cary is the...
Satyajit – Ray of hope to Indian cinema
The 2nd of May is the birth centenary of one of the greatest maestros of Indian cinema, the legendary Satyajit Ray. Regarded as one of the distinguished filmmakers of the century - Ray was a Calcutta-born filmmaker known widely for his genius as a one-man powerhouse for his films as the author, lyricist, screenwriter, music composer and graphic artist. Ray...
Lockdown Diaries: Feeding the feeders – CORO India distributes food supplies to wage earners amidst the coronavirus lockdown
It's been a long time since I sat down to write something. But if one's part of something magical, then that story needs to be told. My story begins with the announcement of the Corona lockdown by the Indian government. We all knew it would come one day, but still we were all shocked when it did arrive. Most of...
Lockdown Diaries: Festival Director Jitin Hingorani revamps South Asian Film Festivals, donates proceeds to charity
The Corona Virus is not just a pandemic, it is fast shaping the global economy and with it the fortunes of countless businesses and cultural events. Finding something frustrating and seeing an opportunity to make it better is what entrepreneurship is all about, says Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, a British business magnate, investor, author and philanthropist. This...
Art exhibition brings traditions to life for future generations
The end of July saw London basking in sun, but also basking in the creative talents of Sushma Johari Madan. An exhibition called “Ancient Belief or Science” was held at the Nehru Centre in London, UK which gave the public a chance to see paintings which embodied and exemplified the ancient beliefs, stories, traditions, and myths of India. Each work...
Legendary contemporary dancer Astad A Deboo passes away in Mumbai
It is with deep sorrow we inform you of the sad demise of the famous Indian dancer Astad Adarbad Deboo, aged 73, in Mumbai on the morning of Thursday 10 December. The dance pioneer, and Padma Shri winner's death is being mourned by artists, friends and family in India and across the globe. Astad was born on 13 July...
Analysis: Super Cyclone Amphan brings massive destruction to the ‘storm breeder’ areas of Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal has long been known as a ‘STORM BREEDER' according to the British Meteorologist, Henry Piddington, who coined the word ‘Cyclone‘ in 1840. This was not for the first time that the city of Kolkata has been hit by a twin disaster. In October 1737 Calcutta was nearly obliterated followed by an earthquake, with an unimaginable scenario...
Satyameva Jayate, Laissez-aller and India
When distant memories have crystallised in time, frozen, a story can begin. When the whiffs of half-forgotten glories rustle through the leaves of the Tree of Life, say the Kalpavriksha or Shajarat al-Kholoud or Etz Chaim, the poetry of existence commences. Tales and bardic narrations that trip and traipse and wander around, as if in a stupor, in the by-lanes...
Local group helping to save the wildlife of London’s River Thames
The Thames has a long and murky history. It wasn't just the main thoroughfare to move products and raw materials all along its length, but it was also used to dump industrial waste, among other things. In 1957, the Natural History Museum declared that the river was biologically dead. However, over the years there have been many improvements, such as...
Gaurav Bakshi’s “#Gadhvi” brings a new flavour to London Indian Film Festival during it’s world premiere at the Barbican
The 10th Edition of the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) showcased an extraordinary social and political satire about a man who could be Mahatma Gandhi's reincarnation, in the film strand Film, Power & Politics at the Barbican and Cineworld Wembley, in June. It is the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this year and director Gaurav Bakshi really wanted his...
