By Staff Reporter, Mississauga: Sanskriti Arts presented Dance Diaries 2018, a magical dance show with the legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj this week in Mississauga. The Kathak icon, along with his foremost disciple Saswati Sen, presented a series of storytelling and expressions through the classical form of the centuries old dance mastered by the legend. The mesmerizing […]
TORONTO DANCE CONNOISSEURS GET THE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAIN WITH THE LEGENDARY PANDIT BIRJU MAHARAJ
TORONTO: After the phenomenal success of Dance Workshops with the legendary Saroj Khan in 2016, and Shampa Gopikrishna in 2017, Sanskriti Arts (www.sanskritiarts.ca) is all set to present Dance Diaries 2018 with Legendary Pandit Birju Maharaj and Saswati Sen. Pandit Birju Maharaj, an icon in the space of Kathak dance in India, is from the Maharaj family […]
A FESTIVAL FOR FILM LOVERS
BY RENU MEHTA, TORONTO: A Pakistani documentary about displaced persons, an Indian female buddy picture set in Goa, a story about Hindu Muslim unity, a journey based on relationships, family and salvation and a documentary on the disappearing presentation of the travelling “tent cinemas” that transport films to villages across India are just some of […]
DANCE TO COMBINE HINDU, JAIN, BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHIES
BY RENU MEHTA, TORONTO: Life Eternal, a weave of Indian philosophies, is being combined into a classical Indian dance performance by the Janak Khendry Dance Company that celebrates its 39th season and Canada’s 150th Anniversary. The unique Indian classical dance creation choreographed by Janak Khendry reflects on transcending time and space, leading to eternal calm […]
GLIMPSES OF TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (TIFF) 2017
Pictures courtesy TIFF, Wire Images and Getty Images BY RENU MEHTA TORONTO: The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) that took place in Toronto from September 7-17, 2017 attracted around 470,000 attendees watching 256 features and 84 short films, out of which one third were directed by women. Some glimpses: Scene from The Brawler […]
TIFF ANNOUNCES MOST POPULAR FILM AND OTHER AWARDS
BY RENU MEHTA TORONTO: The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) presented the awards for the best films at this year’s festival at a special awards ceremony held on September 17 at TIFF Bell Lightbox. This year marked the 40th year that Toronto audiences were able to cast a ballot for their favourite Festival […]
HANSAL MEHTA BRINGS THE TRUE STORY OF MINDS BEHIND 9/11
: Hansal Mehta’s film Omerta at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2017 recounts the true picture of a radical Muslim, a story of British born terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, most well-known for his role in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and his involvement with the 9/11 terrorist […]
BOXING, SPORTS AND THE CASTE SYSTEM EXPLORED IN ANURAG KASHYAP’S FILM AT TIFF
BY RENU MEHTA TORONTO: Anurag Kashyap’s film The Brawler (Mukkabaaz) that screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year is a bold film outlining several layers of issues for boxing in India. The film narrates the story of a lower-caste boxer who struggles to make his mark on the boxing world and faces […]
A JOURNEY THROUGH RURAL PAKISTAN AND URBAN INDIA AT TIFF
BY RENU MEHTA TORONTO: Azmaish – a Journey through the Subcontinent, a film by Sabiha Sumar, is a passage through rural Pakistan and urban India. In this documentary, Pakistani director Sabiha Sumar and Indian actor Kalki Koechlin take a revealing journey through India and Pakistan, uncovering the common humanity beyond the divisive political rhetoric. […]
VILLAGE ROCKSTARS ROCK AT TIFF
pictures courtesy TIFF BY RENU MEHTA TORONTO: Village Rockstars premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 8 with director Rima Das in attendance. The film is set in her home town Chhaygaon near Guwahati and revolves around a 10-year-old girl Dhunu living in a remote village in northeast India who fights against […]