The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
In positive light
LAST Friday was day 85 of the ongoing strike by the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students and an almost cancelled screening of their works.
Representation pic
ADVERTISEMENT
A selection of 10 shorts — comprising diploma submissions, class exercises and films on the strike — were initially meant to be screened at the Films Division (FD) in Mumbai. For reasons not on record but easy to conclude, FD cancelled the screening two days prior to the event. The FTII bred FD curators continued to support the students, some of whom belonged to the 2008 batch that is currently under the scanner. The screening finally took place at Bhupesh Gupta Bhavan, where, in 2004, Anand Patwardhan had organised a screening of politically sensitive documentaries rejected by a reputed city film festival. Surabhi Sharma, a curator, said, “We wanted to curate a programme that goes beyond the sloganeering. These are layered and nuanced movies and we want to value the space that
FTII is.”
This chef is on a roll
CHEF Rakesh Talwar, known for his motichoor cheesecake at Spare Kitchen (Juhu) and juicy pizzas at Playlist Pizzeria (Bandra) has opened many restaurants this year. Starting with two outlets of Wok This Way, along with Oh: cha, Curry Leaf and Café Cabano in Mumbai, he also opened two restaurants in Malaysia — Boomerang Bistro and Rolling Pin.
Rakesh Talwar with his food truck in Bengaluru
The latest addition to the list will be a food truck in Bengaluru. “I saw the truck and I knew I had to fulfill a 10-year-old dream. This one will be launched within two months. I will serve hand-made ice-cream, in flavours like salted caramel, banofie pie, and motichoor cheese cake.” For Mumbai food lovers, he plans to open Spare Kitchen and Playlist Pizzeria in Worli and Kemps Corner in the
coming months.
Going under the hammer
ALL eyes are on Hugo Weihe, who is preparing to steer his debut auction as Saffronart’s CEO. The seasoned auctioneer, who was formerly international director of Asian art at UK auction house, Christie’s, is the name behind some landmark sales, such as the one in 2013, when a VS Gaitonde became the highest fetching work by an Indian artist (R23.7 crore). Wielding the gavel should be second nature to Weihe, but he admits to thorough team rehearsals for the auction on September 10.
Hugo Weihe, CEO of Saffronart, with FN Souza's Man and Woman Laughing, estimated at R15 - 20 crores.
PIC//ATUL KAMBLE
Of the 75 works that will go under the hammer, buyers can speculate from a range of Bombay Progressives, and contemporaries such as Subodh Gupta, and Thukral and Tagra. Weihe’s attention, however, is on FN Souza’s Man and Woman Laughing (1957), estimated at R15 - 20 crores. This artwork brushes past MF Husain and Akbar Padamsee, to become the lead sale of the auction. “Look at Souza’s figures. These are wounded people, who are still laughing. Souza has not been given his fair share of recognition in the country,” says Weihe.
We’ll have to wait till Thursday to find out if Souza got his “fare” share.
He has moved South
HEY, wherezatt? The Sachin Tendulkar metallic sculpture by sculptor-artist Jaideep Mehrotra, installed at a traffic island near the Sasmira Institute in June last year, is conspicuous by its absence.
The visual tribute was an RPG Art Foundation initiative. Now, we hear, the work has moved to Marine Drive, diagonally opposite Marine Plaza hotel. Mehrotra confirms, “Yes, but it is under wraps because the place where it is to be installed is being beautified. I think they are also looking for a cricketer to inaugurate it.” Sumeet Chatterjee, head of Brand Communications, RPG group, says, “There are going to be two works on Sachin along the Marine Drive promenade, one is for Worli and another, new one. They will be inaugurated shortly.” Now, watch for Sach’s “impish smile” that Mehrotra said his work captured when zipping down Marine Drive. From wherezzat to howzzat!
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
