Starting from 17th November, Bandra will be host to people of other suburbs as it showcases its talents in ‘celebrate Bandra’ and this year’s theme is “Harking Back to Heritage”.
But it isn’t only the built heritage that Bandra celebrates this year. As much as the buildings, it is the living heritage – a remembrance of times past – that distinguishes Bandra as the most happening suburb. There are memories and images of residents and artistes that will be celebrated with élan this year.
Both Heritage and Literary Heads will feature old residents reminiscing about times past – “All Our Yesterdays”. These will take place in Pioneer Hall on St John Baptist Road, a quaint former tobacco factory, which will soon be converted into a restaurant.
The first festival celebrated Amit Chaudhuri, the Kolkata-based poet and writer who once lived on St Cyril Road and has a book of poems under that name. This year Nalini Jones, whose mother hails from Bandra and now lives in the US, has published her debut book What You Call Winter (Alfred Knopf), a collection of short stories set in the imaginary suburb of Mumbai called Santa Clara. She will read at Pioneer Hall. That’s living heritage for you.
In particular, Bandra has nurtured some of the finest artistes when it comes to Western music. Their legacy will be explored – often, through their next of kin and pupils.
Celebrate Bandra will stage a musical called, simply, “Jazz”, written by Ramu Ramanathan and directed by Etienne Coutinho, who brought the house down last festival with a spoof called “The Ballad of Bandora”. The musical is based on the contribution that celebrated musicians like Chick Chocolate and Sebastian D’Souza made to the evolution of jazz in the country as a whole and how their tunes filtered into Bollywood films.
Somewhat ironically, although Pali Hill has so often been dubbed the Beverly Hills of Mumbai, the celluloid sister of Los Angeles, film hasn’t received the attention it deserves in previous festivals. We are making up for that lapse this year.
The last festival, in 2005, saw the commissioning of “Where’s Sandra?”, eminent documentary film-maker Paromita Vohra’s spoofy take on the quintessential girl from Bandra who’s now mostly mythical and exists only in our nostalgic minds. This time Celebrate Bandra will premiere a half-hour film called “Romson & Juliana” – with profuse apologies to the Bard – written and directed by Rohan Sabharwal and Andrew Fernandes.
The script begins with the beguiling lines: “Set in 21st century Bandra, this comical film explores forbidden love between the heirs of two feuding houses on Waroda road. A very petty squabble in the year 1995 turned into something that would, for over a decade, disturb the peace and tranquility of this very dormant neighborhood.”
A short film with a Bandra theme has also been commissioned, chosen out of a competition among media students. It’s called “Finding Bandra” and has been made at breakneck speed – in just a month – by Abhay Kumar, a student from the Xavier Institute of Communications.
A highlight of this year’s festival – we are tempted to christen it “Bandra with a Haat”! – promises to be a Shopping Fest on Hill Road and Linking Road, where shopkeepers decorate their premises and offer special discounts to those who venture inside. And it will literally prove music to the ears of shoppers who will be serenaded by balladeers and street performers, lest they drop before they shop!
As part of the festivities of the Bandra Festival, watch some interesting films being screened.
Date- Nov 19
Time: 6.30 pm onwards
Venue: Bandra Bandstand Promenade
Movie:
Bheja Fry
A journey on Bandra's Heritage
Animated film on the changing face of Bandra
Date- Nov 22
Time: 6.30 pm onwards
Venue: Reclamation PromenadeMovie:
Romson and Juliana
Bollywood in Bandra
Date: Nov 25
Time: 6.30 pm onwards
Venue: Carter Road Promenade
Movies:
Bheja Fry
Romson and Juliana
Finding Bandra
Date: Nov 28
Time: 6.30 pm onwards
Venue: Reclamation Promenade
Movies:
A journey on Bandra's Heritage
Animated film on the changing face of Bandra
Honeymoon Travels PVT Ltd.
Jazz Utsav
From : 23-11-2007
Till : 24-11-2007
Venue : Bandra Amphitheatre
Time : 7.00 pm - 10.00 pm
For all Jazz Lovers this year's Jazz Utsav promises to be a treat. With an excting line - up of global bands featuring Paula Jeanine, Sascha Ley, Cafe Du Sport, Chet Baker Tribute and our very own Martin Dahanukar and Loius Banks, get set to have a musical treat.
Being part of the Bandra festival this year, entry to Jazz Utsav is free!
Venue: Bandra Amphitheatre
Bandra Bandstand,
Bandra
Source: http://www.wheremumbai.com/
1 comment:
Pushee,
Great info. Keep up the good work on bring a slice of Bandra to those of us in distant lands.
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