[Reader-list] Launch of DVD of film BHAGYAREKHA (1947), Mumbai / GARM CHAI - Series of Dramatic Readings, New Delhi

[rohitrellan at aol.in]

Launch of DVD of film BHAGYAREKHA (1947)





Time

Sunday, June 12 · 5:00pm - 8:00pm






Location

Gyan Vihar Library, Prabodhankar Thakare Drama Complex, Borivali (west), Mumbai







REMEMBERING PU LA


Dedicating ‘Bhagyarekha’ On Pu La’s Eleventh Death Anniversary

Pu La, two syllables which bring a smile to the face of any Maharashtrian. Pu La is the name by which the iconic P L Deshpande was popularly known. A writer, theatreperson, film director, musician and music connoisseur, Pu La was loved and respected by lakhs of Marathi speaking people the world over.

June 12th this year marks his eleventh death anniversary. It is also a year since his first available film, the 1947 film ‘Bhagyarekha’ was rescued from oblivion and released on Home Video by Rudraa Entertainment. In the past year thousands of fans have appreciated a young bespectacled Pu La playing Shanta Apte’s brother in this film which was surprisingly on a subject that even Bollywood finds taboo today.

Bhagyarekha is the story of Manik, a young Gandhian freedom fighter who has a child out of wedlock. Condemned by all the members of her family expect her mother, she battles on steadfastly, even after her lover dies in a police encounter leaving her to fend for herself. The film, directed by Shantaram Athavale, also stars Baburao Pendharkar, and harks back to an era when Marathi cinema tackled unconventional subjects. Keshavrao Bhole composed its music and Narayan Hari Apte wrote the songs, screenplay and dialogues. 

As the print of Kuber, Pu La’s first film, cannot be traced, this jewel unearthed by Rudraa Entertainment has found its place as Pu La’s first available film. On the Eleventh anniversary of Pu La’s death, Rudraa Entertainment rededicates the film to Pu La’s memory.

Open to all



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GARM CHAI - Series of Dramatic Readings, New Delhi 




Time

Sunday, June 12 · 6:30pm - 8:30pm






Location

Atelier Studio,
396, 2nd floor, 

Mukherjee Nagar
New Delhi, India




The first in the series is "Machhandar" by Kamal Pruthi & Kuljeet Singh

Hindi title: Machhandar 
German to Hindi Translator: Kamal Pruthi
Genre: Comedy/ Children‘s Theatre/Grips
Tentative Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Brief Synopsis: Machhandar is a story of a boy (8) and his elder sister (10), Cyrus and Sophia who have come to spend their summer vacations at their uncle & aunt Mr. & Mrs Kacharawala’s home. The two look for freedom by breaking the conventional and stereotype society rules created by the elders to control the activities of the children in the house. 

On the other hand the uncle and aunty try to control the situation by unnecessarily restricting the carefree behavior of the children and at the same time wooing the landlord by maintaining a peaceful environment, in spite of having two extremely young, naughty and creative kids at home. 

Sophia and Cyrus just want to play and have fun. But the uncreative, unimaginative world of older people is around them, who want to imprison them with conventional rules and disciplines of upbringing a child. Without attempting to create any awareness, the play talks about the ridiculous ways and conventional methods of raising children. 


About the Reader: Kamal Pruthi (28) is a professionally trained actor from SRC (Sri Ram Center for performing Arts, 2003), Delhi and Germany (2006) on an International Theatre Scholarship awarded by Goethe Institute. 

Being a linguist actor, he has acted in 4 languages i.e. Hindi, Punjabi, English and Urdu. In his 10 years of theatre career, he has worked with several renowned theatre groups as Stage Manager and actor in 3 cities i.e. Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. 

He has been instrumental in forming literary forums in Kolkata and in Bangalore to promote new writers/playwrights & translators.