More Than An Epic: The Ramayana in Art and in our lives

January 11 - 6:30 pm - Experimental Theatre, NCPA

The Experimental Theatre of NCPA was packed to capacity as Dr. B.N.Goswamy took a spellbound audience on an aesthetic journey into the world of miniature painting. Using brilliant images on the Ramayana theme painted by Pahari, Mughal and Rajput masters, the eminent art historian brought to life episodes from the great Indian epic and gave glimpses into the mind of the painter.

The illustrated talk was followed by a stunning dance presentation on the same theme by accomplished Bharata Natyam exponent, Malavika Sarukkai.

Design One, Chennai

Design One added one more feather in its cap when it made a debut in Chennai on October 13th and 14th at Abbotsbury Ballroom, Hyatt Regency Hotel.

The two-day shopping fiesta showcased creations of designers from Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Pune and Kolkata. Several local ladies appreciated the wide selection of fashion wear, couture accessories and lifestyle products specially designed for the season and available under one roof.

The Design One initiative was presented by Sahachari Foundation Events in aid of three deserving NGOs, and was supported by Bina Goenka, Apollo Hospitals, Hyatt Regency and Bulgari.

Design One 2011, Mumbai

Design One was held on 8th & 9th September 2011 in Expo Hall, World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade.

On 8th and 9th September 2011, Sahachari Foundation Events presented its flagship, the widely-publicized Design One exhibition, at Expo Hall, World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai. The initiative was supported by Amaya, IndusInd Bank, Citibank and Bulgari.

On offer was an innovative mélange of fashion wear, jewellery, footwear, couture accessories, home décor and a range of premium confectionery items. A combination of stalwart and debutant designers attracted a sizeable draw of young shoppers from North and South Bombay. Seeing the whirl of women, one felt Navratri and Diwali had already arrived!

The coffee - morning preview saw a phenomenal turnout of the 'swish set' of Mumbai. Mrs. Nita Ambani, the Chief Guest, applauded the creative and entrepreneurial talent on display as she went round the sprawling interior, appreciating the merchandise and encouraging exhibitors. She was struck by the energy, creativity and level of engagement among the sellers and buyers. She particularly complimented the selection offered by the seven participating NGOs.

Sparkling sales filled the air with buoyancy, as excited vendors dealt with an overwhelming number of new clients; mothers and daughters were seen making purchases for wedding trousseaux and gift items; and dedicated shoppers came for more on the second day!

The motivational factors behind the Design One initiative are to raise funds for deserving NGOs and to acknowledge the extraordinary talent that resides in creative designers. An AV presentation on Sahachari Foundation and its activities engaged visitors at the entrance.

With their individual media presence, actor and animal lover Sonam Kapoor and singer-actor Sophie Choudry endorsed their support to the Foundation's charitable causes.

Mareechika - a Surmai/Antardhwani production

On 3rd September 2011 at 6:30 pm at Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, NCPA and Asian Paints presented a multi-media production 'Mareechika', in aid of Sahachari Foundation.

An adaptation of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's 'The Lady of the Sea', Mareechika was designed and directed by Ila Arun and co-directed by K.K. Raina. Against an illustrated phad (painted cloth roll), a bhopa and bhopi (male and female narrators) told the tale in Marwari language, using folk traditions and transporting the audience to Rajasthan through native dances and music. The large cast of 31 persons included Ila Arun as bhopi, and her daughter Ishita Arun in the lead role.

Design One, New Delhi

On 14th and 15th March 2011, Design One made its debut in New Delhi. The exhibition initiative of Sahachari Foundation was supported by Bina Goenka Store and Leela Hotel.

The exhibition showcased creations by designers from Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Baroda and Jaipur.

Design One in Delhi was a runaway success in many ways: the spectacular ambience and lay-out of the new Leela Palace Kempinski Hotel; an unprecedented number of buyer footfalls; lucrative sales made by almost all participants; wide media coverage; pre and post event publicity of the exhibition; and the meaningful proceeds that have been raised for the two NGOs that are being supported through this initiative.

Sara Pilot, wife of Sachin Pilot, graced the exhibition opening and spent time visiting each stall. She appreciated the charitable objectives of the Foundation and commended the high quality of design and workmanship.

The mid-morning preview over brunch saw an overwhelming turn out of shoppers. Bulgari distributed door gifts at the preview.

An AV presentation on Sahachari Foundation and its activities engaged visitors at the entrance and within. Printed hand-outs were distributed to create awareness of the NGOs supported by the Foundation. Newspaper publicity created a buzz and drew dedicated shoppers to the exhibition throughout the two days.

The Summer Closet

The Summer Closet, a collaborative endeavour of Design One and The Dessing Room, made its debut in Mumbai at The Pavillion, Four Seasons Hotel on 4th March 2011. Amongst the plethora of modern shopping formats that have mushroomed all over the city, The Summer Closet was one with a unique difference: mostly out of town designers and a boutique – style shopping experience.

After the glitter of the past seasons, a penchant for casual chic and simplicity was evident. Collections were synonymous with Spring-Summer wear and focussed on neutral colour palettes, both appealing and feminine. The product mix was an interesting mélange of apparel, jewellery, footwear and accessories.

Early shoppers got door gifts by Bulgari. The day saw a continuous flow of buyers till after sundown, and most designers reported brisk sales.

SAMANVAYA : Magic of Rhythm and Melody

Sahachari Foundation Events in collaboration with National Centre for Performing Arts presented ‘Samanvaya’ on February 11, 2011 at Tata Theatre, NCPA.

Samanvaya signifies "a coming together". In this presentation, two of India’s eminent percussionists, Zakir Hussain and Ranjit Barot came together in a joint creative experience, with Chennai violinist Bala Bhaskar. The artistes took listeners into a world of innovation and fusion.

The Falaknuma Collection

On 30th January, designer Ritu Kumar presented ‘The Falaknuma Collection’, a fabulous display of couture inspired by the rich workmanship of the royal city of Hyderabad, and the intricate interiors of the famed Falaknuma palace.

The ramp was decorated with a backdrop of jharokhas, with candle votives that gave the room a vintage aura. Lissome models and showstoppers Dia Mirza and Shabana Azmi walked the ramp in dazzling creations, while soulful Sufi tunes and rousing Hyderabadi music wafted in the air.

Guests feasted their eyes on the spectacular Falaknuma Collection, hosted by Taj Hotel and Ritu Kumar in association with Sahachari Foundation.

From Passion To Serenity - The Savours of Indian Art

On 3rd December 2010, Sahachari Foundation Events in collaboration with National Centre for Performing Arts presented 'From Passion to Serenity - The Savours of Indian Art'. Three creative disciplines were integrated into a holistic aesthetic experience.

Eminent art historian Dr. B.N.Goswamy, gave an illustrated talk on the theme of nava rasa, embellished with slides of miniature paintings and poetic references.

Bharata Natyam dancer Rama Vaidyanathan, concluded the evening with an interpretation of nava rasa through dance.

This cultural initiative was sponsored by ASK Group.

On this occasion, Sahachari Foundation gave donations of Rs.10 lakhs each to two charities:
Victoria Memorial School for the Blind and
Bombay Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Tosca (28th & 30th September)

Puccini's great opera 'Tosca' was performed at Jamshed Bhabha Theatre of NCPA. The production was sung in Italian. A sub-title machine helped audiences to follow a line-by-line translation projected in English.Conductor Anna Randine Overby, who has conducted several operas, assembled an extraordinary cast of 90 people for the opera in Mumbai. The sets were spectacular.

Andrew Lloyd Webber Gala (23rd & 24th September)

The Andrew Lloyd Webber Gala proved to be a popular evening with the Mumbai audience. The Gala featured excerpts from Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Evita and a complete performance of the Requiem. Lloyd Webber is one of the most successful composers in history with several of his musicals having run for more than a decade both in the West End in London and on Broadway in New York

Design One Int'l.

Design One International made waves in Singapore as a well attended, artistically arranged and successful example of an overseas enterprise.

The Indian High Commissioner in Singapore, Mr. Raghavan, addressed guests at the inaugural reception. He was very vocal in his appreciation of the Design One initiative that brought Indian design and workmanship overseas and also served a noble cause of supporting deserving charities.

Design One 2010

The 2^nd edition of Design One was held on 8^th and 9^th September 2010 at Expo Centre, WTC. The exhibition featured over 85 entrepreneurs and 7 NGOs.

Dia Mirza, Rajashree Birla and Prachi Desai were among several other well-wishers who graced the morning preview. They applauded the endeavour and the excellent selection of merchandise.

In an artistically created and spaciously laid out ambience, an inflow of shoppers throughout the day had a delightful shopping experience.

This year, Design One also made national news.

Collaborations with Samsaara Boutique

In 2009 and 2010, Sahachari Foundation Events had two successful collaborations with Samsaara, a fashionable one-stop designer destination. Both events saw the participation of leading designers of India's fashion world with their latest Spring/Summer collections. The day-long previews attracted Mumbai's swish-set. A percentage of the sales was pledged towards the social activities of Sahachari Foundation, giving buyers more than one incentive to shop.

Shyam Rang

In August 2009, with Janmashtami (the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna) just around the corner, Sahachari Foundation, in collaboration with National Centre for the Performing Arts, organized Shyam Rang, a thematic, light-classical music concert featuring the renowned maestro, Pt. Chhannulal Mishra of Benares. Shyam Rang brought to life the spirit of Janmashtami as the vocalist regaled listeners with thumris, dadras, kajris and other songs, in the charming Poorab style of eastern UP

Design One

In September 2009, the Foundation's flagship event 'Design One' made its debut to an informed and discerning set of shoppers. Design and style converged in a cutting-edge space that encapsulated a unique shopping experience. The shopping extravaganza offered an eclectic product-mix of fashion wear, jewellery, accessories and lifestyle products created by 80 designers from all over India. Six NGOs were given space on a complimentary basis to sell their products.

The exhibition enjoyed a high success quotient with effective buyer footfalls resulting from a comprehensive publicity plan.

Strategically timed before the festive season, Design One presented stakeholders an opportunity to connect with consumers in a burgeoning market, offering great design options, latest trends and a choice of niche products that fulfilled the criteria of quality and exclusivity.

The Design One initiative was dedicated to an NGO engaged in grass-root level work to provide education and shelter for daughters of women in prostitution, in order to protect them from second generation sex work.

Aspects of Divinity

Sahachari Foundation Events, with support from Kamalnayan Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation and in collaboration with National Centre for the Performing Arts, presented a specially- designed multi- arts series that brought together diverse creative disciplines of painting, dance, poetry and music into a unique and holistic cultural experience.

Dr. B.N.Goswamy, eminent scholar of Indian miniature painting, gave slide lectures over two evenings on Devi and Krishna, both divine sources of cosmic energy. The aesthetic experience was enhanced on the first evening by Malavika Sarukkai's Bharata Natyam dance performance celebrating Devi, and on the second evening by 'seated abhinaya' of the legendary Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj, on the Krishna theme.

Rhythms in Nature

This unique thematic concert was held in collaboration with National Centre for the Performing Arts with support from Swan Energy Limited and the House of Tatas. It featured the multi-talented musical genius Ustad Zakir Hussain, who interpreted the abstract subject of Nature's rhythmic cycles using innovative sounds and techniques of percussion. The first item of the concert was a slide projection that captured the breath- taking beauty of the mighty Himalayas, accompanied by sound scapes created by Zakir Hussain's deft fingers.

Young Sabir Khan, son and disciple of sarangi-wizard Ustad Sultan Khan, provided lehera accompaniment on the sarangi.

Luncheon for Princess of Belgium

HRH Princess Mathilde of Belgium visited Mumbai in March 2010. A luncheon was organized in her honour by members of Sahachari Foundation at the Leela Kempinski, Mumbai. On this occasion, 15 women of substance, each of whom is engaged in the pursuit of social upliftment, were invited to meet and interact with the royal visitor.

Three city-based women social entrepreneurs, Veena Mankar, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta and Neeta Khajuria show cased their work in the fields of micro-finance, heritage conservation and education respectively (subjects in which the Princess is actively involved internationally).

The Princess was impressed by the dynamism and zeal of the women. In her address to Sahachari Foundation members and guests she said, "What I find particularly interesting about your Foundation is that you have decided to 'give back to society' by pooling your professional networks and your own considerable skills, in order to support social causes. So, let's start walking together".

Charishnu

In January 2009, Sahachari Foundation shook hands with the iconic National Centre for the Performing Arts to set the stage for Charishnu, a spectacular dance and music presentation that was also the Foundation's first event. Conceived and directed by renowned dancer and choreographer Leela Samson, Charishnu comprised a well-thought-of selection of classical, folk, and martial dance forms from across the country. The troupe of 70 performers together captured the richness and diversity of India's performing arts.

Charishnu was staged in two venues in Canada in September 2009, and in both instances, received thunderous applause.