Music and Arts
A filmmaker’s ode to craft on celluloid
Muzaffar Ali, the director of films such as Gaman, Umrao Jaan and Anjuman tells us why he chose to make 18 short films on Indian craft forms, one of which was screened at Village Square’s Chitrashaala short film festival.
Rural themes resonate with celebs and cinema lovers at Chitrashaala
The inaugural edition of Chitrashaala, Village Square’s short film festival on rural India, saw the coming together of filmmakers, actors, cinema lovers and critics at the Alliance Francaise on August 3. Here’s a round-up for those of you who missed the fest!
Moving mountains with rural-based themes on celluloid
Aravali the Lost Mountains, by Jigar Nagda, captures this conflict between the many facets of development. In a chat with Village Square, the filmmaker talks about his journey and mining in Rajasthan ahead of the screening of the film at the Chitrashaala short-film festival.
Bittu – A fiction film that borrows from real village life
Karishma Dev Dube, the director of Bittu, which was shortlisted for the Best Live Action Short Film segment at the 93rd Academy Awards, tells us more about the movie ahead of its screening at the Chitrashaala Short Film Festival.
‘Cinema can capture a way of life that may soon get lost’
Cinema has the power to show all facets of society, says Stenzin Tankong, whose Last Days of Summer is being screened at Chitrashaala Short Film Festival. He tells us how his films portray Ladakh, and more.
Taking a deep dive into climate issues through cinema
It wasn’t easy for filmmaker Priya Thuvassery to make Coral Woman, but she gained some novel experiences while making it. She tells us more about the movie, which will be screened at the upcoming Chitrashaala short film festival.
‘I want to make movies about the northeast’
Riah Taipodia, the director of the film Khiew Ranei which will be screened at Village Square’s Chitrashaala Short Film Festival, talks to us about her movie and her dream of telling more stories from the northeast.
Here’s a film that takes masks of Majuli to the people
In an exclusive tete-e-tete, Mask Art of Majuli director Utpal Borpujari tells us more about the short film, set in the world's largest river island in Assam, which will be screened at Village Square’s Chitrashaala short film festival.
Chitrashaala – Student winners of short film competition announced!
The jury’s verdict is in! Judges from the Film Critics Guild have hand-picked the winners of Village Square’s competition for college students. Check out the winning movies that will be screened at the Chitrashaala short film festival.
All you need to know about Village Square’s Chitrashaala short film festival
Screening of selected short films on rural India, conversations with filmmakers, interactions with acclaimed directors, actors and critics – you can catch all this and more at Chitrashaala on August 3. Here’s what the day will bring.
Elderly puppeteers of Odisha keep kandhei nacha alive
Rabi Narayan Jena, Dukhabandhu Jena and Umakanta Jena are fighting to revive the ancient art of kandhei nacha (rod puppetry), despite modern entertainment threatening its existence in Odisha.
Chitrashaala – Village Square’s short film fest trains the lens on rural India
Watch powerful films like Giddh (The Scavanger) and Last Days of Summer, interact with film personalities Muzaffar Ali, Adil Hussain, Faisal Malik and others, and learn more about rural India at Chitrashaala, Village Square’s short film festival.
‘Kantha Didi’ takes Bengal’s age-old art to global recognition
Meet ‘Kantha Didi’ Tajkira Begum, a self-professed go-getter who has sewed together a narrative of personal resilience, professional excellence and social inclusion using Bengal’s revered kantha stitch.
How the decline of launda naach has impacted the queer community
Launda naach, practised in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, dates back to when women, barred from dancing in public, were replaced by effeminately dressed men. Kajal Bhabhua, a trans performer, says the dance form is fading now.
‘Indian ragas are about getting connected with yourself’
Indian classical musician brothers Neeraj Dholakia and Palash Dholakia talk to Village Square about the popularity they enjoy, the wide reach of Western music and why fusion isn’t all bad.
Zardozi: Is the golden embroidery of Bareilly losing its sheen?
Zari zardozi – the manual art of embroidering golden or silver threads on fabric and embellishing with sequins – a once-thriving art in Uttar Pradesh – appears to be moving past its golden days because of Chinese machine-made embroidery.
Fading notes of Kashmiri santoor
Ghulam Muhammad Zaz could be Kashmir’s last santoor maker, despite the instrument being integral to Sufi and Kashmiri folk music.
Swara Mountain Arts-the amalgamation of talent
Blending fun and learning, the Swara Mountain Arts Festival 2024 in Dharamshala brought together talented artists and mentors under one roof. Here are a few highlights from this vibrant event.
Straw artist Pradeepta Nayak preserves heritage using paddy waste
Armed with little more than paddy straws and a boundless imagination, Odisha’s national award-winning artist Pradeepta Nayak resurrects an ancient art form and empowers women in his native Jirala village through his craft.
The arts are bigger than us: Dancer Navtej Johar
Navtej Johar is a trailblazer in more ways than one. In an exclusive interview with Village Square, he talks about the past, present and future of Bharatnatyam, yoga and LGBTQ+ rights in India.