Head to the Indo-German Mela this week to catch a German experimental theatre group in action and understand how Mumbai isn't very different from Berlin
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You’d agree, we are sure, that few things in life are better than fairytales, magic and travellers’ tales. Today, the Berlin-based experimental theatre company, Grotest Maru, will bring them all together in its performance, Parada Narnia, at the Indo-German Mela. Parada Narnia (see picture) is part of the 10 day-long cultural festival that marks 60 years of Indo-German diplomatic relations.
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It’s a tall order, and we aren’t just speaking of the Mela. Parada Narnia is a fairytale in which a unicorn princess, a sad prince, a big white bird and a magic gardener travel from a lost world to tell us stories on stilts. Another highlight of the Mela is a performance by German rapper and breakdancer, Akim Walta. Walta, who is famously called the ‘German hip-hop ambassador’, will stage a b-boying performance with his partner, graffiti artiste, Loomit. Also part of the celebrations is the Pecha Kucha night, which will be held on Wednesday and will feature six-minute 40 second-long presentations by artistes on Travel and Mobility.
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Also check out the photographer and travel writer Anil Bhasin’s images of Berlin and Mumbai that try to establish all things similar and different. Don’t forget to attend the guided Mela tour by German architect and installation artiste, Markus Heinsdorff, who will take you through the celebrations and, importantly, his design — the multi-purpose gemstone-shaped pavilions which, feels Heinsdorff, bring out the relationship between Indian design and German innovation.
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Sunday, April 15
10 am-11.30 am: Flipmox: Performance and theatre event for kids by Schäl Sick Brass Band
6.30 pm-8 pm: Parada Narnia: A fairy tale and performance on stilts by Grotest Maru
8 pm – 10 pm:u00a0Indo-German b-boy cipher and Hip Hop chill-out session by Akim Walta
Monday, April 16
10.30 am-11.30 am: Short films ‘Prix Jeunesse’: International children’s films
7 pm-9 pm: German Movie Mela
Wednesday, April 17
5 pm-6 pm: Guided tour of the Indo-German Mela by Markus Heinsdorff
8 pm onwards: Pecha Kucha Mumbai u00a0
At: Cross Maidan garden, Churchgate, April 13-22
Entry: Freeu00a0
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