1. Trapped by Vikramaditya Motwane
Source: Facebook
Trapped is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, whose previous releases include Udaan and Lootera. Need we say more? Starring Rajkummar Rao, the film had its world premiere at the 18th Jio MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation. The 105-minute-long film is a survival drama thriller that narrates the story of a man who finds himself trapped in his own apartment in a high-rise building, left with no way to escape. The film was shot in 22 days at real locations around Mumbai. Rajkummar Rao went on a ‘coffee and carrots only’ diet to prepare for his role."I was surviving on very little food. Probably just coffee and carrots,” he said in an interview.“But it was a great experience as an actor. This was something I always wanted to do. I am a big fan of survival dramas like 'Cast Away', 'Buried' or '127 Hours',” the actor said in an interview.Release date: To be announced
2. Haramkhor by Shlok Sharma
[embedvideo id="JYIebvX1IJ8" website="youtube"] Written and directed by Shlok Sharma, Haramkhoris yet another interesting film in this year’s lineup. Set in a small village, the film stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Tripathi (who dazzled us all in Masaan). The film created quite a buzz in the 2015 festival circuit. Nawazuddin bagged the Best Actor award for his performance in Haramkhor at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF). Although the film landed in controversy in the process of securing its certification, it has finally secured a UA certificate. Produced by the makers of Gangs of Wasseypur and The Lunchbox, the film portrays a twisted love triangle between a married school teacher, his student and her classmate. Quite intriguing indeed! Release date: January 13Also read: 7 Thought-provoking Short Films You Can Watch Online For Free
3. A Death in the Gunj by Konkona Sen Sharma
[embedvideo id="XliKkuxa_nA" website="youtube"] Talented actor and daughter of celebrated filmmaker Aparna Sen, Konkona Sen Sharma has turned into a director with A Death in the Gunj as her debut. The film was the opening title at the 18th Jio MAMI Mumbai International Film Festival, which screened releases at the restored Opera House in Mumbai. The film is set in 1969 and revolves around a family vacation gone horribly wrong.“A Death in the Gunj resembles a story your grandmom tells you on a lazy Sunday afternoon just before you nap. It doesn't have a moral purpose or deep philosophical themes. It's just a story of a family reunion over seven days, and their inter-personal dynamics,” says the film’s Firstpost review.Release date: January 13
4. Loev by Sudhanshu Saria
[embedvideo id="pDndThLxxvk" website="youtube"] The directorial debut of Sudhanshu Saria is a relationship drama about three Indian men grappling with the boundary between friendship and love. The film has done its rounds within the festival circuit across the world and has won accolades as well as awards. A review in Los Angeles Times describes it as “a love story that could change Bollywood”. Despite having homosexual characters as its protagonists, Loev doesn’t place their sexuality at the centre of the film; instead it portrays characters that are comfortable with themselves and explore their identities through an emotional journey. Lauded for brilliant performances by Dhruv Ganesh, Shiv Pandit and Siddharth Menon, and its restrained storytelling, Loev is bound to be an intriguing watch. Release Date: To be announced5. Lipstick Under my Burkha by Alankrita Shrivastava
[embedvideo id="EpHqeHF8NM0" website="youtube"] Directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and produced by Prakash Jha, the film has won accolades in the film festival circuit. The feminist dramedy (a mixture of drama and comedy), has won Tokyo’s Spirit of Asia award. The film is a bold and feisty narrative starring four women between the ages of 18 and 55 from old Bhopal. The protagonists rebel in small ways against the conventional identities the society has allotted them to chase their dreams. Juxtaposing the colourful double lives these women live, the film explores the many shades of female desire. The burkha in the title is a metaphor for all the restrictions placed upon these women by their domineering husbands, possessive boyfriends and a very judgemental society. Release Date: To be announcedAlso read: MY VIEW: 10 Important Lessons I Learnt from Bollywood in 2016
6. Secret Superstar by Advait Chandan
[embedvideo id="P6jaRsnchro" website="youtube"] The film’s recently-released teaser starring Aamir Khan created a buzz for all the right reasons. Though it’s a film produced under Aamir Khan’s banner, Secret Superstar falls far from the typicality of Bollywood. The musical drama written and directed by Advait Chandan narrates the story of a teenage girl who dreams of becoming a superstar singer, but is banned from doing anything about it by her strict father. She realises her dream by wearing a hijab and taking to YouTube to upload her songs. The film is said to trace her journey towards fulfilling her dream. The film stars Zaira Wasim, Meher Vij as well as Aamir Khan, whose role is said to be an extended cameo. Release Date: August 47. Maroon by Pulkit
[embedvideo id="n2MLZJ77RNc" website="youtube"] Maroon is debut director Pulkit’s psychological thriller shot in a single location. The film captures the protagonist’s descent into a disturbing world of disillusionment after his cheating wife goes missing. The main character of a creative writer has been played by Manav Kaul. The film’s review by Hollywood Reporter lauds the low-budget indie film for its haunting soundtrack and evocative sound-design.The review further goes on to say, “A creative writing teacher’s unfaithful wife is missing and he’s acting mighty strange in Indian writer-director Pulkit’s psycho drama Maroon, which tips its hat at Dostoyevsky and Edgar Allan Poe. Claustrophobically set within the confines of a middle-class home, the story’s not really about who-dun-it or why, but how the protag falls apart as police investigate his wife’s murder. Despite its low-budget indie look, this first feature is intriguing and offers deeper psychology than most of its ilk, making it worth a look for festivals.”Release Date: To be announced
Trysha Bhattacharya[/caption]
“That hit me so bad, that I instantly took my pen and wrote my feelings down. Because nothing justifies mistreating/misbehaving with a woman (or man), irrespective of her clothes, customs, religion, or anything else. I honestly didn’t think of it as a poem. But my natural tendency is to write in a slight rhyming pattern, and once it took shape, I continued to build the entire poem in a structured way.”
“What irked me in addition to the the mass molestation incident, was those incidents that followed soon after, where the women were wearing clothes absolutely contradictory to those that were allegedly the cause of such atrocities. I wrote it in a poetic way only because I feel that it can convey a lot more meaning in very few words.”
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“That’s when I decided I should sit down and think about what I wanted to do and create an out-of-the-box experience for myself,” Alex says. It was while watching the old-time favourite Mrs. Doubtfire that the idea struck him. “I saw Robin Williams in drag. And I thought to myself, if he can do drag, so can I!”
The tiny spark soon developed into a raging fire. Alex began researching other people who had experimented with drag: Kamal Hassan in Chachi 420 and Avvai Shanmughi. He sought inspiration from drag queens around the world such as RuPaul in the US, and Dame Edna from Australia. Not long after, his stage persona – Mayamma – was born.
But things weren’t always easy for the artist. Alex comes from an orthodox Christian family in Kerala who were initially against his choice of profession.
When questioned about the elaborate backstory he created, Alex says, “I wanted people to connect to it. In my life, I’ve seen women abused. I wanted to write a background story where women could relate to it as well as the LGBT community who undergo a lot of abuse too. The intention is to make people relate to Maya well as a character.”
His inspiration for creating a woman like Mayamma is his mother, Renu Mathew. In the past, she has helped many abused women leave situations of domestic abuse. “Whenever I saw my mother, I saw her as a superwoman. I wanted Mayamma to be a superwoman too,” shares Alex. He wanted Maya to be from Kerala, like he was, and portray her as a woman of substance. “I wanted her to be simple, yet outspoken, dainty but fierce, and classy, a woman who stood up for individualism, gender equality, feminism – themes which run strongly through my performances,” he adds. As far as labels go, Alex sees himself as a performance-based activist.
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This doesn’t mean he undermines the impact he has as an inspiration. His message to aspiring drag artists and the LGBT community is to strongly love oneself and believe in oneself. “Be bold and unique about whatever you want to do. Become independent and get a job. It is like what RuPaul says, “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell can you love somebody else?” To tackle the stigma surrounding the LGBT community Alex feels it is important for people within the community and outside it to speak up. The media projects a contorted image of being a gay person, something one needs to stand up and say no to. “It’s not okay to say I respect gay relationships, and then go make fun of it,” says Alex.
He is happy in the space he is in at present. His future plans include doing more videos, and working on making Mayamma mainstream and popular throughout India. “I need to put her out more as a character. In 2018, I think I want to go international. Next year I would like have to a talk-show about it called ‘Chai with Maya’,” concludes Alex.
Chong Chiu Sen[/caption]
Steve Gorn[/caption]
Saskia Rao de Hass[/caption]
Ken Zuckerman[/caption]
Shankar Tucker[/caption]
A still from Gulabi Aaina[/caption]
The 40-minute-long movie features two drag queens and a gay teen as protagonists and narrates their story in a light, breezy, Bollywood-like manner. The film has made the rounds at over 70 film festival across the world and has won several awards. It has also gained a place among existing resource material on queer Asian cinema and gender studies.
Director Sridhar Rangayan with the lead actor Ramesh Menon and Edwin Fernandes[/caption]
Actor Tisca Chopra performing at Kommune's event 'Storytellers'[/caption]
The Storytellers’ sessions were a place to experiment with the format, where the storytellers were aided by workshops to help them hone their skills. The only rule: every story needed to be based on reality. Soon, Kommune started experimenting with poetry, coming up with spoken word poetry and beat poetry performances.
Following the great response in Mumbai, Kommune started hosting shows in Delhi and Bengaluru and has plans to tour smaller cities in the near future.
Roshan Abbas[/caption]
With new avenues for the genre opening up, the quantity of content being generated has vastly increased. There’s just too much of content out there, a blundering amount, says Roshan.
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A still from Sab Rab de Bande, by Sonu Nigam featuring 6 Pack Band[/caption]
Growing up, Neysara noticed that depictions of transfolk in films were either restricted to clownish comic relief characters or hijiras.
In reality, those who identify as hijira generally belong to just one of many defined transgender communities, usually led by a guru, that operate as sororities of sorts in that its members are all hijira who collectively follow specific dharma, rules and customs. While many hijiras unfortunately depend on alms or sex work for sustenance, they also perform at birth ceremonies and weddings. Then there are others who don't belong to formal hijira communities but actively choose to identify as hijira. Rather than acknowledge these practices, media portrayals of transgenders commonly tend to offer little more than the general impression that hijira means transgender and vice versa.
“Hijira is not a translation for the word transgender,” Neysara explains. “That’s stereotyping. It’s like saying all Indians are Hindus!”
Gopi Shankar Madurai[/caption]
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Avinash Karn (centre) with local participants of 'Udbhav'[/caption]
Udbhav is unique in its execution in the sense that while depicting the traditional art form, the project also translates to art the life and times of the people in the village. Every piece of art, whether reproduced on paper or on the walls, holds a social message, born right out of the hearts of the villagers’ life experiences.
The unavailability of water, the need for collecting firewood, the lack of healthcare facilities, deforestation and local festivals of the community have made it to the murals. One of the strongest and most powerful messages is seen in the painting of the tribal women carrying water. The picture shows four women carrying water pots in their hands as well as on their heads, while their small children walk beside them.
Avinash, who started the project in the village over a year ago in collaboration with Artreach India, observed the lives of the participants closely. He saw that women, no matter what the circumstances, were never able to take a break from their strenuous duties.
Udbhav participant Sunita Devi at work[/caption]
Drawings made by participants in the workshop[/caption]
The villagers of Gunehar[/caption]
SA/AS curator Frank Schlichtmann (left) and the Gunehar village square (right)[/caption]
Art installations in Gunehar[/caption]
Gunehar's colourful market[/caption]
The kids of Gunehar love hanging out with Ketna Patel at the Photo ki Dukaan[/caption]
Gargi Chandola and her team hard at work at the Gunehar village square[/caption]
Village girls in traditional Gaddi designs by Rema Kumar, the founder of Gunehar Fashions[/caption]
K.M.Lo with the children of Gunehar[/caption]
Akshay Singh[/caption]
No matter where one goes in India, an obsession with fair skin is observed everywhere. Ours is a country where in the nooks & corners of the smallest of towns and villages, beauty parlours thrive on people’s hopes of becoming fair and fairness cream companies never go out of business.
Like many filmmakers, Akshay’s film too was born out of his personal experiences. Born in the small town of Ghazipur near Varanasi in UP, he stood witness to colour bias right from his childhood. Even though he did his schooling in Dehradun, during the little time he spent in his hometown for his holidays, he witnessed too many incidents of colour bias to ignore them.
“I once read in a magazine about a British woman who collected stamps and used it as wall paper for her home,” she explains. “That gave me an idea to do something with discarded stamps. The colours are what attracted me.”
Understandably, Deepa’s hobby has been culled by the scythe of modern technology. She complains that she no longer receives snail mail and, when she does, is uninterested in the monotonous stamps affixed to it, unlike the brightly coloured specimens she used to work with when she first began her artistic hobby in the 70s.
Postmarked in History
High above the treetops on Bangalore’s Raj Bhavan road extends a majestic dome atop an imposing, stone building. It has been a hallmark of the city’s skyline long before it was joined by swooping metro rails, tacky hoardings and the penthouse suites of tall, business hotels. If you crane your neck, you can just about make out the logo affixed to the front of the building: three yellow wings that zip across a red square.
This is the General Post Office, an architectural and historical marvel, with a reputation for efficiency.
On the first Sunday of every month, a group of philatelists meet here to resuscitate what is quickly becoming the lost art of stamp collecting. Formally, they comprise the Karnataka Philately Society, established in 1975 to promote the hobby of philately and build and disseminate philatelic knowledge around it.
He also happens to be Deepa’s only son, and the reason she began using postage stamps as material for her art projects.
“My son used to collect stamps as a school boy. He has many wonderful thematic collections,” Deepa says, proudly.
Today, Nikhilesh works tirelessly to share the passion that changed his childhood with other young people. He began by collecting all sorts of stamps but, over time, realised that a more scientific, educational method would involve acquiring thematic collections. At present, he has a stunning range of flag and cricket-themed stamps. He speaks warmly of how both his parents supported his hobby by buying him all the books and materials he needed to pursue philately.
“I could not have reached the level I did, winning international awards and visiting foreign stamp exhibitions, without their unstinted support,” he says.
On a regular morning, Vividh Bharati radio is on loud at the Melkote’s Indiranagar residence. Deepa sits in her usual spot, listening to music but focusing on the task at hand, usually needlework. She first took to embroidery as a schoolgirl in Dharwad and keeps at it, 70 odd years later, stitching beautiful patterns onto tablecloths or patiently sewing geometric kasuti designs onto saris for friends. In all her years as a seamstress, Deepa has never considered going professional.
“No, no!” she says, appalled, when the question is raised. “Needlework is my hobby! I just do it for my friends.”
She is also an ace at crochet work and knitting, is a club- and state-level Bridge player and never misses an Indian cricket match on TV.
Much of her adult life has been transitory. Deepa’s husband, an IAS officer, was posted in a different part of Karnataka every two or three years and the family moved with him across the state, from Gulbarga to Raichur. Despite their fluid lifestyles, Deepa and Nikhilesh always managed to pack up their stamps and continue where they had left off at their next destination.
“The sketching is done very quickly,” she says. “The rest depends on whether I have all the stamps I need. Sometimes I have to wait for the right colours. If I have enough stamps I can sit from morning to night and finish a piece.”
The most remarkable aspect of her work is that it has remained largely hidden for 40 years, save a few exhibitions she allowed her son to display her pieces at, and the times she showed them to her friends.
“People don’t have patience with these things,” she says, referring to her craft ventures in general. “Some of my friends wanted me to teach them kasuti but after two days they said they didn’t have the patience. You have to be willing to sit quietly and keep working.”
Despite the fact that she has not held a full-time job since she married - Deepa worked as a lecturer of Sanskrit at the Karnatak University Dharwad - she never has trouble filling her day.
“I was a very good student!” she tells me when I ask what other Renaissance Woman surprises she has up her sleeve. “I got a First Class in all three of my degrees. I also have an LLB Law degree.”
Deepa’s long-term plans don’t extend further than her evening card game at the Bowring or Indiranagar Club, but Nikhilesh is working hard to continue promoting philately. With the KPS, he travels to schools in urban and rural Karnataka to share his passion for stamps with the younger generation. The organisation also conducts workshops and helps existing collectors participate in, and develop, world class exhibitions.
To attend a KPS meeting, visit the GPO, Raj Bhavan Road, Bengaluru 560001, on the first Sunday of every month between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Contact KPS 
Avantika Haflongbar (left) showcasing ROOHI. Image: Daniel Langthasa[/caption]
Avantika, a Jamia Milia Islamia graduate, worked in the social service sector and lived in Delhi for 12 years before returning to Haflong, where she grew up. In this quiet and beautiful town, she collaborated with her husband Daniel Langthasa to start an NGO called TRYST Network. Her love for traditional textiles led Avantika to starting ROOHI, a label that works with local craftswomen to reinvent traditional textiles and motifs.
The traditional textiles of the Dimasas have remained unnoticed through the decades. And it’s a pity, considering the vibrant colours and intricate weaves that characterise the local fabrics. The lack of a commercial model or infrastructure has only served to keep the fabrics under wraps.
ROOHI Products. Images: Daniel Langthasa; Vishal Langthasa[/caption]
“We have hand woven the traditional Dimasa rigu rikhaosa, which is similar to the mekhla chador worn widely in Assam.” Experimenting with colours and techniques, ROOHI also offers colourful handmade earrings and necklaces and contemporary garments using Dimasa textiles.
“I use the same Dimasa textiles but by breaking the age-old colour pattern employed by our predecessors. They were very rigid in their designs—men had a designated design and it could not be worn by women. I take the opportunity to use both male and female handloom designs, and marvel at the beauty of it despite a little opposition from our elderly,” she says with a laugh.
Minali Kemprai, a weaver associated with ROOHI. Image: Daniel Langthasa[/caption]
“ROOHI was purposely born out my earnest desire to help these women in our Dimasa Hasao region who are so talented in their ways of weaving or making handcrafted jewellery,” says Avantika. I only wanted to help by being the connection between consumers and our local artisans, and create this umbrella for sustainable livelihood. ROOHI is nothing without our craftswomen!
Tanya says that it always helps to know someone within the state department because you will get a tip-off on when the tenders will go out in advance. This helps event management companies (the ones that generally apply for the contracts) some time to prepare for the pitch.
“When I walked in, there were five people already in the room. We pitched for the Art & Culture department and gave them our design, our concept and our quotation. They reviewed everyone’s pitch right then and there and awarded the contracts to us.” Tanya along with her artist Umesh Sharma had come up with the concept of representing Nalanda University. Umesh, had hand-drawn the idea in both in paint and in black and white. The pitch took place just days before Republic Day and the team had to get to work. The quotes for state-level parades for each tableau generally range between 3 lakh and 5 lakh.
When it comes to the national parade tableaus, it happens on a far more elaborate scale. According to Tanya, quotes go well over Rs 1 crore and teams get close to two months to prepare and put everything together.
Research is paramount when it comes to putting together a tableau. In order to put together a representation of Nalanda, Tanya decided to showcase its most famous structure – the gigantic three step tower.
Once she had decided on what the tableau would be, she had to put together a team really fast. “So, we had an artist Umesh who designed everything. He also coordinated with the carpenters and the painters with specific instructions on how he wanted everything to be. I had two helpers and under us there were 15 people working on this project. We also have to hire artists who will perform as historic characters to go along with the tableau. The task is daunting. You have get IDs done for everyone and make sure everything is fine.”
The Nalanda stupa is a massive structure that is broken in many places and it burnt and blackened in many places. Given that the university was heavily influenced by Buddhism, there are Buddha statues everywhere but many are also broken. The team decided they would not leave any stone unturned literally when it comes to replicating this.
“The measurement of the bricks at Nalanda are six by two, so we decided to recreate bricks with thermocol that were also six by two. The carvings also made with the same measurements. We made the bricks out of thermocol and then pasted them on plywood to make it authentic.”
“Nalanda is in ruins! It broke our heart but once we were done, we took a bamboo stick and hit the thermocol repeatedly to break it all. Painful yes but it has to look like the real monument!”
Tanya notes that she along with her team reached the venue hours before the parade was even slated to begin. And then all too soon, the winners got announced. “The parade started at 9.30am and we did one round around the grounds and by 10am they had already announced that we won. I don’t think even now it has sunk it that we pulled it off!”
Faraz Ansari & Ruchi Bhimani[/caption]
Jagjit Singh[/caption]
A young Jagjit Singh[/caption]
Jagjit Singh used to do live concerts for AIR Jalandhar[/caption]
Jagjit Singh and his wife Chitra Singh[/caption]
The couple's two most famous albums.[/caption]
Jagjit Singh with Lata Mangeshkar[/caption]
Jagjit Singh with his good friend Gulzar[/caption]
Jagjit Singh with Nida Fazli.[/caption]
When five stalwarts collaborated for a song.[/caption]
Art & Craft Tour of South India[/caption]
They set out on a tour of some of the arts and crafts of South India, covering the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. The tour hoped to find out all about the state of the arts and crafts of these states—their opportunities and challenges. Soaking in the ethos of small town India, the founders hoped to understand the lives of artisans, their aspirations, and what gives them pride.
At Bidar, they met Salimuddin and his team of artisans practising the 400-year-old craft of Bidriware. At Mahabalipuram, Prof. Bhaskaran and his team of granite sculptors took them through the work they have been doing to sculpt temples (a craft practiced since the 5th century AD) for various parts of the country, and for the Indian diaspora around the world. At Swamimalai, they met the team carrying on the work of master craftsman Rajan. Rajan, a few decades ago, revived the Chola-period craft of lost-wax method sculptures.
The team met the people working to revive the Kottan crafts of Chettinad and the region’s Athangudi tile-craft. Their journey continued as they met artisans and organisations that are keeping the woodcraft of Channapatna alive. These artisans have created a vibrant set of quality products that are now being exported. The tour ended at the small town of Navalgund in North Karnataka. There, a handful of women jamkhana weavers are keeping the craft from the Adil Shahi period alive.
Jamkhana weavers of Navalgund[/caption]
City folk often assume that improving design and quality, and making craft products “compatible with urban sensitivities”, is most important. Says Padmaja Jalihal, founding Trustee of Heart for Art Trust, “We actually found something quite different. We saw that artisans, organisations like the National Institute of Design, some NGOs, and existing social entrepreneurs had done enough. They had helped adapt new designs and improve quality. Besides, the artisans themselves had innate abilities to create new products based on inputs and market opportunities. So they clearly didn’t need much help there.”
“Give us opportunities, give us dhanda (business),” was the apparent refrain commonly heard from the artisans. For them, the pressing need seemed to be access to opportunities, and helping them communicate their craft to urban markets. Above all, they desired the recognition that they could – and did – quality work! “We saw that WhatsApp and courier services from their towns allowed artisans to quickly ‘showcase’ their work. They could close orders and then ship the finished product anywhere in the world,” continues Padmaja. She and her team originally helped market products of the Tambat craft from Pune.
Prof. Bhaskaran’s stone sculptor team at work[/caption]
Retail markets have changed with changing business models, technology, and the Internet. Today, modern market linkages need to be created for India’s Art & Craft products. They need to take on plastic products, cheap Chinese goods, and the allure of the world’s consumer brands. Here’s what we must do to convince the modern consumer world of the joy of handcrafted elegance:
2 m Nataraja at CERN’s HQ in Switzerland, by the sculptors from Swamimalai.[/caption]
During India’s freedom struggle, and in the 1950s-60s, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay brought forth the importance of Indian Arts & Crafts in the social and economic fabric of the nation. She helped setup the Cottage Industries Emporia, the Crafts Council of India, and the Theatre Crafts Museum in Delhi. The setup of State Handicrafts Emporia followed. Enterprising private efforts created a modest exports market of handicrafts that supplied the Indian diaspora around the world.
In the last decade, a number of efforts around the country have begun to change its Arts & Crafts world for the better. A renaissance of India’s Arts & Crafts is underway. The National Institute of Design and its students have engaged with many of India’s Arts & Crafts, documenting them and infusing them with new design ideas and quality improvements.
A number of efforts – such as Varnam and Maya Organic in Bengaluru that have worked with the wood craft of Channapatna, Coppre in Pune that has worked with the Tambat (Copper) craft, and the efforts of Gaatha to market India’s Arts & Crafts – have begun to bear fruit. Jaypore, Craftsvilla, ROPE International, and a number of other efforts have caught the imagination of venture and social sector funds. They’ve created a vibrancy that’s creating opportunities for India’s artisans. Heart for Art is working to add to this vibrancy, and create more opportunities for India’s rural youth and artisans.
If you know artisans Heart for Art can support, please share details of the same via 
Puneet Kaushik with local artisan Sridhar Nayak[/caption]
Set to take place from February 14 to 28, 2017, in the campus of MATI Trust in Puri, the residency will see several renowned artists from different fields like fine arts, sculpting, music, installation art & even culinary art stepping out of their comfort zone to collaborate with village craftsmen and artisans to create art installations, musical compositions, lip-smacking recipes, textile-based products, and paintings.
Known for his large-scale installations and mixed media work, Puneet Kaushik has been working with local artisans from across the country over the last 20 years. He has worked with techniques of folk and tribal art like Tibetan bead work, patachitra painting, Andhra shadow puppets, bidri work &miniatures from Rajasthan.
Puneet Kaushik with Sridhar Nayak[/caption]
The works created as a part of the project will first be exhibited in Puri, then in Bhubaneshwar and finally in Delhi on a national platform.