July 2012
at Studio Safdar, Shadi Khampur and
May Day Bookstore and Café
Sunday 8th, 6.30 pm. Little Remains by Improper Fractions.
The play engages with memory as a process, which is
made, unmade and remade by focusing on certain texts – literary fiction, plays
and extracts which we adapt and attempt to string together. The first piece is
an adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s novella Chronicle of a Death
Foretold. The second piece, Photographic Memory, is an adaptation of
American playwright, Kelly Powell's play What are the Chances that deals
with memory and photography. The third piece, laFjaoa mao gauma (Lost
in Words) is self scripted. Memories are revoked, altered and transformed
through repetition and rehearsal. Directed
by Manjari Kaul and Shilpi Gulati.
Middle of the Month at May Day. The third weekend
of every month, and the Thursday-Friday preceding it. The bookstore will offer
special discounts on all books during these 4 days.
Thursday 12th, 6.30 pm. Screening of ‘Bom aka One Day Ahead of Democracy’. A real life story of transition; an ancient civilization
being invaded and obliterated by the modern democracy. Directed by Amlan Datta.
Filmmaker
will be present for discussion. 118 minutes. Presented by the Magic Lantern
Foundation.
Friday 13th, 6.30 pm. Novelist Githa
Hariharan discusses Sadat Hasan Manto’s story Toba Tek Singh. Followed by reading of the story by Brijesh (Jana
Natya Manch) and discussion.
Saturday 14th, 5 pm. Com. Kalindi
Deshpande Memorial Lecture.
Sunday 15th, 9.30 am.-12 noon. Breakfast at May
Day. The menu this time is based around mangoes, and includes aam panna, puri-sabzi,
mango shrikhand, mango chutney, and, of course, lots and lots of mangoes. Buffet
with an eat-all-you-can menu. Limited seats. Advance booking recommended. Email
cafemayday@gmail.com.
Sunday 15th, 12 noon. ‘The Romance of
Mangoes’: Sohail Hashmi in conversation with Zahoor Siddiqui.
Wednesday 18th, 6.30
pm. Anecdotes
and Allegories by Gulbadan Begum, a
puppet performance by Katkatha. Gulbadan . . . her nephew was Akbar, known to
be one of the greatest emperors of India . . . her half-brother was Humayun,
who set up Delhi . . . her father was Babur, who journeyed from Kyrgyzstan to
set up an empire in Hindustan and make India his home. This performance uses
miniature puppets of three and five inches, paper sets, spy cameras, Mughal
miniature paintings and shadow puppets in a unique blend. Concept and
direction: Anurupa Roy.
Untold Stories from the Margins, a three-day
festival of documentary films, curated by Kanishka Prasad.
Friday
20th, 6.30 pm. Series of Short Films by Surya Shankar Dash,
98 mins. The films ranging from 1 min to 33 mins deal with stories from a
people’s struggle and a people’s own narration of it against corporations like
Tata, Posco and Vedanta in Odisha.
Saturday 21st, 6.30 pm. Delhi Mumbai Delhi by Saba Dewan, 63
mins. Riya dances in the beer bars of Mumbai to make a living. The documentary
follows her from her home in Delhi to Mumbai where hundreds of working class
girls come in search of work and a future. Riya’s future is unpredictable and
the present is marked with its own difficulties. The police harass her family
in Delhi, there is constant pressure from her agent in Mumbai to attract more
tips and the work itself is demanding. However, there are other girls to have
fun with, there is money to dress well and then there are men… admirers
promising the moon. The documentary is an intimate portrait of the everyday in
the life of the girls, their agents and their neighbourhoods.
Sunday
22nd, 6.30 pm. Izzatnagar
Ki Asabhya Betiyaan by Nakul Sawhney, 93 mins. The film looks at the
narratives of five young Jat women who have dealt with the strictures of the
Khap Panchayat and found ways to resist them.
Friday 27th, 6.30
pm. Akhiri Jumme ki
Sangat, a series on
Hindi/Urdu literature on the last Friday of every month. Manisha Kulshreshta,
author of the acclaimed novel Shigaf,
will read from her work, followed by a discussion. This series is curated by
Sanjeev Kumar and Vibhas Verma.
* We give a grace time of 15 mins after the
scheduled time. In any case, both Studio Safdar and May Day are small spaces
with limited seating, so best to arrive early.
None of the events are ticketed. We are unable to
pay anything to the artists who enrich our lives, unless you contribute. We’ll
spread the chadar at the end of the performance. These contributions will be shared
50:50 with the artists.
Studio Safdar has been made possible by hundreds
of voluntary donations from across the country and beyond. Please consider
making a donation that will help us equip and maintain the space better.
And if you can’t make it for any of these events,
do still drop in for books and coffee. The bookstore opens Monday-Saturday, 11
a.m. to 8 p.m. — but note that the café will begin serving only at 3.
Studio
Safdar and May Day Bookstore and Café
2254/2A
Shadi Khampur, New Ranjit Nagar, New Delhi 110008
Metro:
Shadipur. Directions: Shadipur metro – Satyam Cinema – cycle ricksha – ‘Biyaasi
number’ – May Day board next to DMS booth.
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