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Chittrovanu Mazumdar on Art
René Magritte’s The Treachery of Images is an image of a pipe, below which it reads “This is not a pipe” in French. The painting uses language as a spoken word with an objective of denying what seems evident and stands as a complete contradiction to the art history that we have been used to. This intellectually challenging work of art by the Belgian surrealist artist makes an attempt to refer to the pipe in primary sense but the object escapes. Magritte beautifully subverts the conceived notions of acceptance, jolting the viewer out of the complacency of knowing what is real and what is not.
Mazumdar is a Kolkata-based artist
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Anita Roy on Books
In A Little History of Philosophy, Nigel Warburton devotes three or four pages each to 40 thinkers who have shaped our understanding of the universe, each other, god and ourselves. Rarely has anyone distilled such complex ideas into such lucid prose. He manages to give us neither too much nor too little, making not just the ideas understandable, but the people who had them charmingly real.
Roy is a Delhi-based writer and editor
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Shivang Raina on Music
Carl Orff, a legendary 20th century music composer, developed a unique teaching methodology known as Schulwerk, a reciprocal interpretation of music education which enriches children’s lives through the development of their inherent musicality. “Orff instruments”, as they are often called, include a variety of melodic and percussive instruments such as glockenspiels, metallophones and xylophones, timpani, hand drums, recorders and simple stringed instruments.
Raina is a Delhi-based musician
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Mohan Maharishi on Film
Bimal Roy’s Bandini is a timeless classic. Nutan delivers one of the finest performances of her career as Kalyani; her poetic acting lends a compelling touch to melodramatic scenes. The climax is beautifully wrapped in Bandini’s dilemma of having to choose between Bikash and Dewan. The character played by Nutan takes a leap from that of a prisoner of destiny to one who defines her own freedom. Each and every one of SD Burman’s compositions leaves a lasting impact. As a whole, it’s a poignant experience for the viewer.
Maharishi is an award winning theatre director and playwright .
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Kishi arora on Food
Located in The Manor in a peaceful part of New Delhi, Indian Accent often surpasses expectations. The ambience sets the stage for a magnificent culinary journey with two gigantic silver diya trees of life, contemporary décor, marigold and frangipani flowers as omnipresent leitmotifs. The culinary offerings combine home-style nostalgic tastes with unusual ingredients from around the world. Pumpkin kulcha, bharwa mirchi and the khandvi ravioli are my personal favourites. The staff is superbly trained and have a fair understanding of the menu which offers something for every palate.
Arora is a Delhi-based pastry chef/food consultant
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