St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy & Performing Arts

Dept of German, University of Mumbai

Metamorphosis Theatre and Films, SAPP

presents

THE BOOK OF HOURS: Echoes of Rainer Maria Rilke

(Play Performance)

Written and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar

"I live my life in widening circles

that reach out across the world.

I may not even complete the last one,

but I give myself to it.

I circle around God, the primordial tower.

I have been circling for thousands of years,

and I still don`t know: am I a falcon,

a storm, or a great song?

- Rainer Maria Rilke

One night after watching Tarkovsky’s film, Andrei Rublev, the young poet goes to sleep only to be visited by Rilke`s angel in his dreams. The poet, in his awakened sleep, listens to the echoes of Rilke’s elegies, raising existential questions about his own inner life, his struggles toward comprehension, and, above all, his perils as a poet.

The young poet starts reading Rilke`s `The Book of Hours` and sees himself falling deeper in love with Rilke`s icon painter-monk. He now wonders if Tarkovsky`s Rublev is the unnamed monk in Rilke`s apotheosis of art. The night is a surreal meeting of these monks in the young poet’s mind. It results in an indescribable poetic affair that lasts until the sun rises and disappears into the void, leaving no trace as if the night was real and everything delusional or vice versa.

The play is an attempt of a modern (hu)man to orientate himself within his chaotic world, undertake the quest of a beloved, and embark on the journey in search of truth and the promise of a better life. In this long loneliness, the young poet`s reading of ‘The Book of Hours’ brings together poets, mystics, artists, and seers to confabulate the meaning of life.

The play opens for a Q and A after the performance for those interested to discuss the play with the team.

THU 6th April, 2023 | 2 PM

at Pherozeshah Mehta Auditorium, 

University of Mumbai, Kalina Campus 

ENTRY FREE 

SEATING ON A FIRST-COME BASIS   

SAPP

presents

Dhi V: At the Intersections of Family and Filmmaking

(Short-term course)

With

Dr. Omkar Bhatkar

Dr. Amita Valmiki

Many of prolific filmmakers often return to screen with films on their childhood experiences or largely about their family amidst the world of arts and cinema. Family on one hand and Filmmaking on another, how does one affect the other? How does family influence filmmaking and vice versa? What is the process of making a film? What does it take to keep a family together? Does filmmaking have a role to play in reconciliation? Do filmmakers often turn to semiautobiographical narratives to tell such stories about the matrix of living in a family and the pursuit of filmmaking or arts? 

The Intersections of Family and Filmmaking aims at answering such questions by exploring the gamut of filmmaking and the attempts of keeping a family together.

This course will dwell on the intersections of family and filmmaking, exploring the ritualistic and the chaotic, the sacred and the every day, the repressive and the cathartic process that can make or break an artist. 

The course is a confabulation of artistic processes, the yearning to create art and beauty, the realm of aesthetics to create infectious feelings; it is about nothing less than what it means to be an artist and also what it means to be a 'human'

Course Fees: 

Rs 3000/- (Open to All)

Rs 2500/- (For SAPP Members/Dhi Vol I-IV participants)

10th APRIL to 26th APRIL, 2023

MON & WED

5 PM to 7 PM (IST)

Online/Offline

SAPP &   Center for Study of Society and Secularism 

organize

Becoming Baba Saheb - Birth to Mahad (1891 -1929) by Aakash Singh Rathore

( Book Discussion )

Panelists include

Dr. Gautam More

Mr. Irfaan Engineer

Dr. Kavita Pai

Author: Aakash Singh Rathore

Moderator: Dr. M.T. Joseph

There are many intellectual biographies of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, but until now none has sought to reveal the personality of the man. They will tell you what he thought or what he wrote, but remain silent about who he actually was, his inner struggles, how he felt. They give information about Ambedkar, but do not talk about his interior life, his personal growth or how he came to be the man who left such an indelible mark on modern India's constitutional, political, social and religious landscapes.

The first of an ambitious two-volume biography, Becoming Babasaheb traces Ambedkar's life journey, from his birth in 1891 to the transformative Mahad Satyagraha in 1929. It takes a completely fresh look at Ambedkar's lived experiences and teases out the nature and character of the man behind the legend. It offers an extensive, personality-driven narrative covering Ambedkar's life, along with salient aspects of his contemporary legacy, unfolding as a tale of remarkable tenacity, which it chronicles in all its rich vitality.

All of Ambedkar's books and speeches are publicly available, so large volumes will forever appear interpreting his writings and presenting his ideas. Meanwhile, old myths and inaccurate 'facts' about his thought and life events, even his relationships, persist. Becoming Babasaheb has been written on the basis of entirely original archival research to set the historical record straight. A vivid portrait of the man in his times, both volumes of this biography will present readers with a new Ambedkar, the true Ambedkar.

Curated by :

Dr. Kanchana Mahadevan & Dr. Omkar Bhatkar

THURS 13 APRIL  2023 | 5 : 30 PM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

SAPP 

present

ITALIAN OPERA: Part I- The Comic Genius of Rossini

( Short-term course)

By

Daryl Arambhan

In 1792, three months after Mozart died, another child prodigy was born in Italy: Gioacchino Rossini.

He is known for the beginnings of “Bel Canto” – the style of 19 th century Italian Opera. A composer of 39 operas in all, it was primarily his stamp on “Comic” opera which exemplified his style. Written at the age of 24 he wrote an opera which was to become his most popular work.

With the aid of images, recorded performances, and Drayl's narrative we will delve into the early life and works of this comic genius, culminating in an in-depth study of that opera.

During this series, Daryl will enable you to discover your unique voice using techniques based on the Italianate Method of Singing which can help release not only your vocal but also your dramatic expression.

24th, 25th, 26th, 28th, 29th APRIL, 2023 

11 : 30 AM TO 1 : 30 PM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

Metamorphosis Theatre and Films

in association with

St. Andrew`s Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts 

presents

MORNING STAR: From the Immaculate Conception of Mary to the Annunciation

(Play Performance)

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is venerated in the Christian church since the apostolic age and is a favorite subject in Western art, music, and literature. According to the Bible, The first mention of Mary is in the story of the Annunciation, which reports that she was living in Nazareth and was betrothed to Joseph (Luke 1:26 ff.)

This play `Morning Star` ends with the Annunciation and rather goes back to trace her life as the Immaculate Conception.

Mary is known from biblical references, which are, however, too sparse to construct a coherent biography. Morning Star is an attempt to create a biopic of the life of Mary on stage.

Drawing from the mystical visions of Saints, private revelations, and artistic depictions in Poems and Paintings, Morning Star brings to the stage the life of Mary right from her conception to the Annunciation in this costume drama. The play is a splendid spectacle of minimalism and evocatively portrays the life of early life of Mary through delicately crafted scenes.

Written and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar

Performed by a cast of ensemble

27th APRIL to 29th APRIL 2023 at 7 PM

30th APRIL 2023 at 5 : 30 PM

at SAPP

SAPP

present

Dances Of Universal Peace

( Workshop )

By

Vladislav Kirbiatev (Russia)

Yelena Swarana (Latvia)

Christina Lausevic (UK)

Martine Pluchino (France)

Out beyond ideas of wrong and right,

there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,

the world is too full to talk about.

Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’

doesn’t make any sense.

~ Rumi

We collectively immerse into a circle, singing and dancing to sacred mantras from different spiritual traditions. Boundaries disappear, hearts open and we feel into the oneness of all. It doesn't matter where we come from, what tradition we individually practice, what language we speak, what version of god we pray to or choose not to pray to. Singing and dancing, we softly flow into a feeling of spiritual meditative oneness.

Dances of Universal Peace is a simple yet powerful movement practice that invokes an embodied sense of unity, shared presence, and unconditional love.

The Dances are for everyone, easy to learn, easy to sing, and easiest to feel.

Come, be a part of the magic.

Come, celebrate Oneness, Peace, and Love.

FRI & SAT | 10th& 11th | 5 PM TO  8 PM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra    

SAPP &  Metamorphosis Theatre Inc.

present

Book of Hours :  Echoes of Rainer Maria Rilke

( Play Performance )

"I live my life in widening circles

that reach out across the world.

I may not even complete the last one,

but I give myself to it.

I circle around God, the primordial tower.

I have been circling for thousands of years,

and I still don`t know: am I a falcon,

a storm, or a great song?

- Rainer Maria Rilke

One night after watching Tarkovsky’s film, Andrei Rublev, the young poet goes to sleep only to be visited by Rilke`s angel in his dreams. The poet, in his awakened sleep, listens to the echoes of Rilke’s elegies, raising existential questions about his own inner life, his struggles toward comprehension, and, above all, his perils as a poet.

The young poet starts reading Rilke`s `The Book of Hours` and sees himself falling deeper in love with Rilke`s icon painter-monk. He now wonders if Tarkovsky`s Rublev is the unnamed monk in Rilke`s apotheosis of art. The night is a surreal meeting of these monks in the young poet’s mind. It results in an indescribable poetic affair that lasts until the sun rises, and disappears into the void, leaving no trace as if the night was real and everything delusional or vice versa.

The play is an attempt of a modern (hu)man to orientate himself within his chaotic world, undertake the quest of a beloved, and embark on the journey in search of truth and the promise of a better life. In this long loneliness, the young poet`s reading of ‘The Book of Hours’ brings together poets, mystics, artists, and seers to confabulate the meaning of life.

The play opens for a Q and A after the performance for those interested to discuss the play with the team.

Team :

Sharmila Veslaskar Kadne, Prasant Nalaskar, Omkar Bhatkar, Hrishikesh Desai, Shubham Pangal, Chair Nair, Harshvardhan Shetye, Viraj Dey.

FRI 10 FEB 2023 | 2 PM

at  National Gallery of Modern Art  (NGMA), Fort, Mumbai. 

TICKETS ARE ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS.

SAPP 

present

Sufi Swirling 

( Workshop )

By

Sunil Sankara

SAT 11th FEB 2023 | 8 : 30 AM TO 9 : 30 AM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

SAPP 

present

Mystical Worlds Spiritual, Social & Secular 

Author: Amita Valmiki

( Book Discussion )

SAT 11th FEB 2023 | 10 : 00 AM TO 11 : 30 AM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

FIRST COME , FIRST SERVE BASIS

SAPP 

present

The Principle/s Of "Other Faith" I Appreciate Most

( Plenary Session )

SAT 11th FEB 2023 | 1 : 30 PM TO 3 : 00 PM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

FIRST COME , FIRST SERVE BASIS

SAPP 

present

"Cosmo-Feminist" Encounters In varkari Poetry : Refletions On Soyrabai, Janabai and Bahinabai

( Guest Lecture )

SAT 11th FEB 2023 | 4 PM TO 5 PM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

FIRST COME , FIRST SERVE BASIS

SAPP 

present

Religious Imagery From Renaissance To Realism in The Works Of german Painters Some Thoughts And Refelctions

( Guest Lecture )

SUN 12th FEB 2023 | 9 AM TO 10 AM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

FIRST COME , FIRST SERVE BASIS

SAPP 

present

A Cry In The Wilderness: the Works of Narayana Guru

Author: Vinaya Chaitanya

( Book Discussion )

SUN 12th FEB 2023 | 10 : 00 AM TO 11 : 30 AM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

FIRST COME , FIRST SERVE BASIS

SAPP 

present

Ganikas And Their Impact On Social Systems Of Ancient India

( Guest Lecture )

SUN 12th FEB 2023 | 11 : 30 AM TO 12 : 30 PM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

FIRST COME , FIRST SERVE BASIS

SAPP 

present

Incarnation In west theatre And It's Connection With Jesus Figure ( Double Essence )

( Guest Lecture )

SUN 12th FEB 2023 | 12 : 30 PM TO 1 : 30 PM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

FIRST COME , FIRST SERVE BASIS

SAPP 

present

"Grinding Stories Retold- Songs From Goa" Heta Pandit in Conversation With Dr. Omkar Bhatkar 

( Guest Lecture )

SUN 12th FEB 2023 | 2 : 30 PM TO 3 : 45 PM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

FIRST COME , FIRST SERVE BASIS

SAPP & METAMORPHOSIS FILMS & THEATRE

present

Seeking Beyond Religion

( Poems Of The Conclave )

SUN 12th FEB 2023 | 4 PM TO 5 PM

at St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts (SAPP), Bandra 

 SAPP 

 present

Mozart's Final Operas

(Workshop)

By the year 1791, the last year of Mozart's short life, he'd truly achieved success with at least ten operas covering several styles. And then came a work that has been the subject of much debate in terms of its symbolism, mysticism, magic, and even fairy-tale.

With the aid of images, a recorded performance, and a narrative from me, we will look at the historical background of this opera and delve into its orchestral textures, tonal colors and, above all, the vocal writing for its various protagonists. 

How does one unlock one’s true voice? During this workshop series, I will enable you to discover your unique voice using techniques based on the Italianate Method of Singing which can help release not only your vocal but also your dramatic expression. 

Conducted by Daryl Arambhan, Operatic Tenor and Voice Coach 

14th to 19th NOV 2022

11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra

Metamorphosis Theatre Inc 

present

Hope, Hamartia and Books

( Play Performance)

Which is more painful? The moment when something absolutely beautiful leaves your life without giving you a chance to even attempt to hold on to it … or the moment when you realize that you have to make a choice to leave something absolutely beautiful?

Hope, Hamartia and Books is a play about ‘life and its fragility’ set in five countries like Japan, France, Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Spain.

A writer sitting in Paris decides to write a novel on the most fundamental purpose of our existence: Death. However, is it Death or Love that is the sole purpose of our existence? While finding answers to these questions of life, he sketches characters of those around him, only to realise later whether the novel is been written by him or is it the novel writing his story of life!

The novel travels on the path of love to reach its destination (death). On this journey, dreams, desires, and reality gets entangled in such a way that each character in the book finds themselves in a surreal book house, reading this devastatingly beautiful book Hope, Hamartia and Books

Hope, Hamartia and Books is a journey through the labyrinth of life, weaving a kaleidoscope of tragic characters from Milan Kundera, Haruki Murakami, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novels reaching a cataclysmic conclusion. To those entangled in love, the play breaks your heart excruciatingly to set it free.

The play was officially selected for the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2018.

Written and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar

A Metamorphosis Theatre Inc. production

26th NOV -  7:00 PM

27th NOV - 5:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra    

SAPP

present

Existentialism & Beyond....

(Short-Term Course)

This course will introduce its participants to key thinkers and themes in existentialist literature and philosophy.  There is a tendency to think of existentialism as a bygone post-Second World War European cultural phenomenon, especially so in the light of post-structuralist interventions.  

This course follows Thomas Flynn in arguing that this is a mammoth misconception.  There are entanglements and continuities between existentialists and post-structuralists such as Irigaray, Lyotard, Foucault, Derrida, and Butler.  This course examines how existentialism investigates the sustainability of freedom against inflicted rigidities of situations and stereotypes of gender.  It focuses on the writings of twelve thinkers, men, and women from diverse European locations;  namely, Albert Camus, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka, Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Jaspers, Jean-Paul Sartre, Martin Heidegger, Simone de Beauvoir, Milan Kundera, Miguel de Unamuno, and Edith Stein.  It engages with their work from the Indian context in the 21st century.  This course attempts to demonstrate that their explorations of human freedom, emotions, and creativity, in collective and individual modes, reveal that existentialism remains pertinent in contemporary non-European contexts as well.

Course Faculty: Dr. Kanchana Mahadevan, 

Dr. Omkar Bhatkar, Dr. Amita Valmiki, Dr. Meher Bhoot, Ms. Aarti Valia and more...

This is the Registration link Open to everyone.

College and University students have to drop in a WhatsApp message with their ID on 9833647641 to avail of the fees subsidized,

Every Sunday

20th NOV 2022 to  29th JAN 2023

9:30 AM to 12:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra   

 SAPP 

 presents

Guardians of Goa : Vetal Shrines in Villages

(Talk)

Goa is the home of Vetal shrines in India, it is only in Goa and Sindhudurg that one can find

independent temples and places of worship of Vetal. The deity was most likely worshipped by

the Austric Gauda tribe, Goa’s earliest settlers, and later embraced by the Nath Panthis

between the 10th & 13th C. Eventually it came to be absorbed into the larger Hindu pantheon.

Almost all sculptures of Vetal are naked, some of them roofless guarding the forest, and some are

in temples. Goa is the only place in the world where Vetals are widely worshipped and about fifty ancient Vetal sites in Goa have survived the iconoclasm by the Portuguese.

An evening of a decade of photo documentation, narratives and research in the search of vetal

A talk by Dr. Omkar Bhatkar

The Talk is free and open to all - seating on a first come first served basis, so do come on time and compulsorily Register as follows

Sat 1st  Oct 2022

7:00 PM

at SAPP, Bandra

Metamorphosis Theatre Inc 

present

blue oblivion

(Bilingual Play Performance)

 “I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don`t have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.”

― Virginia Woolf

Tara and Tarun on a usual evening answer a blank call and what follows after the call is a litany of brief moments spent with someone, they thought they knew well.

Oblivion is a journey of Tara and Tarun down memory lane in a restless attempt to put pieces of themselves together, somewhere left behind in the past. Inspired by true events, blue oblivion is a story of a rainy evening that goes back several years ago in search of scattered images and faint memories.

The play is bilingual. Part of the play is in Marathi and part of it, is in English.

Written and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar

Translated by Pratibha Joshi

Fri 7th & Sat 8th Oct 2022

7:00 PM

at SAPP, Bandra    

Intimacy for Actors

present

Vrittant

(Hindi Play Performance)

A play that transcends the barrier of time and weaves multiple stories coherently while also rendering it very contemporary, Vrittant is one of those few plays written by Siddharth & Kashan in Hindi that allows room for intimacy to be shown on stage. 

It doesn`t necessarily tell you the difference between right & wrong but it implores you to question the binaries that have existed in our Indian society since time immemorial.

The Event is free and open to all - seating on a first come first served basis, so do come on time and compulsorily RSVP on 9820380105

Sun 9th Oct 2022 

5:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra   

 SAPP 

 presents

Ballet Appreciation: The Past and the Present

(Online Workshop)

Ballet Appreciation: The Past and Present is a workshop detailing the journey of the art form Ballet, from the early 1500s. This workshop covers the origins of ballet, the different types and eras it existed in, the pioneers and major influencers, its evolution into what ballet is today, and ballet in present-day India. We will understand the influence of cultural and political forces on the art form and briefly touch on why there was a need to branch off from the form into something different. 

The workshop will be conducted by Ria Vahi. Ria is a BFA in Performance & Choreography graduate from Ohio University. With a diverse background in Modern, Contemporary, Composition, and Jazz, Vahi has performed for a range of artists including Gladys Balin-Stern, Alexandra Beller, and Jessica Lynn-Fox, among others.

16th - 17th SEP 2022

5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

at SAPP, Bandra

Brief Encounters & SAPP 

present

Chhayaankan

(Film Screening)

“Chhayaankan-The Management of Shadows” is a documentary film by Hemant Chaturvedi, who has spent over 30 years working as a cinematographer in Mumbai. Chaayaankan is a tribute to his cinematography peers, and an attempt to introduce the human element in a very challenging profession. It explores the lives and creative journeys of 14 senior cinematographers who worked primarily in the Mumbai film industry from the 1950s onwards, and who made significant contributions to Indian cinema. 

The Film screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker and Shamir Khan. 

A Film by Hemant Chaturvedi

Sat 17th September 2022

7:00 PM

at SAPP, Bandra    

Sahej Foundation & SAPP

present

Dastan Meera Prem Dewani Ki

(Live Music)

Sahej Foundation was started to promote the folk music and oral traditions of India and to give folk artists a platform. The main aim of the organization is to encourage people to go within through the poetry, music, and stories of mystic poet-saints like Kabir, Tukaram, Bullehshah, Mira bai, and many more. 

'Dastan Meera Prem Diwani Ki'  is a Musical Narrative on Sant Meerabai and her longing for love.  This Dastan is the result of a unique collaboration between Himanshu Bajpai, Pragya Sharma, Vedanth Bharadwaj and Shruteendra Katagade.

The Event is free and open to all - seating on a first come first served basis, so do come on time and compulsorily RSVP on 9820380105

Sun 18th September 2022 

5:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra   

Metamorphosis Theatre Inc

presents 

Raindrops on My Window

(Play Performance)

We were together. I forget the rest

Walt Whitman

Life passes by and there comes a moment when you wonder whether you`re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself?

How does one talk about separation? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves?

`Raindrops On My Window` provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving you an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in contemporary times.

A simple play about love and its loss; a couple`s contemplation — was it merely the loss of love or much more?

A Metamorphosis Theatre Inc production

Written and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar

Sat 24th September 2022 | 7 PM

Sun 25th September 2022 | 5:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra

Metamorphosis Productions

presents

The Farewell Band

(Film Screening)

“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.

Friedrich Nietzsche

A director who wishes to commit suicide when everything in her life is alright.

A writer who is so obsessed with his writing, that he often forgets the line between reality and fiction. A homemaker who loses her sense of home after the passing of her mother.

A man searching for the loss of time spent in his ancestral house.

A priest, in search of chasing a faith, is quietly leaving him.

An actor in search of himself under the layers and layers of coats he wears.

And innumerable of us are in search of something, constantly trying to make sense of a life of the time here hoping to find that ‘something’ we lost.  

The Farewell Band is a confessional piece of fragile souls underneath the reality they live in. It is a tale of their ‘being’ speaking to a camera, hoping to be heard with altogether a different reality lying concealed.

A Metamorphosis Production

Written and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar

Fri 30th September 2022 | 7 PM

at SAPP, Bandra  

Metamorphosis Theatre Inc

presents 

Raindrops on My Window

(Play Performance)

We were together. I forget the rest

Walt Whitman

Life passes by and there comes a moment when you wonder whether you`re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself?

How does one talk about separation? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves?

`Raindrops On My Window` provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving you an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in contemporary times.

A simple play about love and its loss; a couple`s contemplation — was it merely the loss of love or much more?

A Metamorphosis Theatre Inc production

Written and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar

19th August 2022- 7:30 PM

20th August 2022- 7:30 PM

21st August 2022- 5:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra

Metamorphosis Productions

presents

The Farewell Band

(Film Screening)

“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.

Friedrich Nietzsche

A director who wishes to commit suicide when everything in her life is alright.

A writer who is so obsessed with his writing, that he often forgets the line between reality and fiction. A homemaker who loses her sense of home after the passing of her mother.

A man searching for the loss of time spent in his ancestral house.

A priest, in search of chasing a faith that is quietly leaving him.

An actor in search of himself under the layers and layers of coats he wears.

And innumerable of us in search of something, constantly trying to make sense of a life of the time here hoping to find that ‘something’ we lost.  

The Farewell Band is a confessional piece of fragile souls underneath the reality they live in. It is a tale of their ‘being’ speaking to a camera, hoping to be heard with altogether a different reality lying concealed.

A Metamorphosis Production

Written and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar

Assisted by Berges Santok

Cinematography: Mark Midde

Editing: Harshvardhan Shetye

Production Team: Berges Santok, Prasant Nalaskar and Charan Nair

25th August 2022

 7:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra  

Tamasha Theatre

 presents

Same, Same but Different

(Play Performance)

Jahnvi Shrimankar, Kailash Waghmare: She grew up in a large joint family in South Mumbai. He in a family of marginal farmers in Maharashtra’s Jalna district. Her grandmother introduced her to the nuances of Dadra and Dhrupad through Haveli Sangeet. He taught himself to sing perched on a Neem tree while grazing cattle in the vast open grounds outside his village. From childhood she was rigorously groomed to be a singer with no room for distractions. His musical influences were diverse; the courtyard outside his home was an open stage for every passing itinerant performer.     In telling their stories they share music from different traditions such as folk, classical, popular cinema, political, as they sing live, accompanied by a highly skilled band.   Same Same but Different is a treat for the mind, and the heart!

27th August 2022

7:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra

Kashish 

present

Boondon se Guftagoo 

(Live Music)

Band Type: Acoustic 3-piece or similar.

90 mins of live gig contains some of the original compositions, poetry, and a few improvised cover renditions.

26th August 2022 

7:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra  

Brief Encounters & SAPP 

present

Beyond Partition

(Film Screening)

An important documentary that explores the tragedy of partition through popular Indian cinema and how we are still paying the price on both sides of the border.

A Film by Lalit Mohan Joshi 

28th August 2022

5:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra    

RSVP - 9819007976

Metamorphosis Theatre Inc

presents 

Acting & Theatre- Making

(Workshop)

This course is designed for those who wish to try themselves at acting and experience the catharsis of essaying a role. Metamorphosis Theatre Inc is a Mumbai based theatre company that explores themes like grief, existential crisis, melancholia, mourning, clemency, love, loss and solitude in their plays. For the first time, the company has organized a certificate course on the crossroads of film and theatre for those passionate about acting.   The twelve  week, ‘Acting and Theatre making’  course allows participants to immerse themselves in discovering the craft of acting. There are many schools and methodologies of acting. We, in this experiment, will be more concerned with the idea of ‘being’ and ‘becoming’ and therefore locate this project in the realm of exploring consciousness. We will work more with speech, language, body and character development.  

By Dr. Omkar Bhatkar 

SAPP and Metamorphosis Theatre Inc presentation

 8th July to 25th September 2022  

at SAPP, Bandra

To Register Call On

+91 9819007976

Shakespeare Theater Company,  India

organises

Vincent

(Play Performance)

“Vincent” is a one-man play that explores the little-known side to Vincent van Gogh. The world-renowned artist only grew to his fame after his death in 1890. Much of his personal life was left misunderstood as he was seen by the masses as an obscure kind of genius. For many years, he wrote letters back and forth with his brother, Theo, revealing the struggles and thoughts behind some of his most famous works.  The play takes place after Vincent’s death as Theo recollects these letters and speaks about him to a gathering of peers. In this intimate production, we are transported to this gathering as if we are the peers and we have come for someone we knew and yet we didn’t.  Vincent will provide a multimedia experience by beautifully displaying Van Gogh’s works on stage through projection as Theo talks about them, allowing you to view these paintings and drawings while intimately getting to know the man who painted them.  

Sun 10th July 2022

 7:00 PM

at SAPP, Bandra  

St. Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts 

 presents

Opera & The Operatic Voice

(Workshop)

This 6-day course, in a workshop format, will cover the following:  

 1. Mozart's contribution to the world of opera  I'm sure most of you out there would associate the name "Mozart" with "Genius". But how did the child prodigy become the greatest freelance musician?   Musicians of every genre are aware of his immense contributions to various genres of western classical music. But, what about his operas, seven of which are still performed today - more than 200 hundred years after his death!!   With the aid of images, videos of performances, and a narrative from me we will explore Mozart's early life, his travels, his influences and three of his key operas.   You will be introduced to various kinds of operatic voices (soprano, tenor, bass &c).   

2. Discover your voice through techniques based on the the Italianate Method of Singing I will enable you to discover your unique voice and apply it to song.            

The course will be as interactive as possible and time will be allocated during each session for discussion and Q&A.  

11th to 16th July 2022 

11 AM TO 1 PM 

at SAPP, Bandra

Metamorphosis Productions

present

Painted Hymns

(Film Screening)

Standing atop the Monte Santo, resolutely facing north is the Nunnery of Santa Monica. Like a grand old matriarch, the building stands not just with grace and dignity but with formidable beauty and an air of insurmountable defenses; tenderly sheltering those within whilst repelling the whims and fancies of the fickle, shallow world. Believed to be the world’s second-largest convent, the construction of the Convent of Santa Monica began in 1606 and was finished in 1627.  The convent had eleven private chapels of which only three survive today. This film is an attempt to document these murals in a poetic form, some of these murals/paintings are rare, possibly not present anywhere else in the world, especially the one in the chapel of Trinity. The paintings are painted over the wall with brushes dipped in natural vegetable dyes and reflect a love for flora and fauna. The Chapel of the Holy Trinity is like Goa’s secret Sistine chapel”.  The film is somewhere between documentary and visual theology.

Sat 16th July 2022 

7:00 PM

at SAPP, Bandra  

Metamorphosis Theatre Inc

present

Song Of The Rain

(Play Performance)

When it rains, a few sit by the window listening to the pitter-patter and catching up on a good book while some listen to an old melody. Some like to get drenched in the downpour while others sneak under their blanket on a cozy couch.  Monsoon is the season of pouring rain and intense emotions: Love and longing, hope and fear, pleasure and pain, devotion and joyous excess. Monsoon also makes long drives and treks memorable. Or, it simply becomes an enticing proposition to munch on pakodas and sip hot tea. Every monsoon allows you to create new memories.  This season, how about creating a memory of listening to an exquisite collection of handpicked monsoon poetry of poets, such as Henry Longfellow, Emily Dickinson,  Mangesh Dabaral,  Rainer Maria Rilke, Sudarshan Faakir,  Tu Fu, Don Paterson, Rabindranath Tagore, Gulzar, Edward Thomas, Sugathakumari, Robert Frost and Elizabeth Bishop.  Metamorphosis Theatre Inc brings to you an enthralling evening of memories, music, poetry, and mast chai/coffee and cookies in an open-air courtyard with a limited seating arrangement for that endearing, personal experience.

Fri 22nd July | 7:30PM

Sat 23rd July | 5:30 PM | 7:30PM

Sun 24th July | 10:30 AM | 5:30 PM | 7:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra    

Sahej Foundation in association with SAPP

present

At Odds With Even Love 

(Musical Storytelling)

'At Odds With Even Love' is an evening of poetry and prose; the amorous song of the courtesan, and queer stories from the subcontinent. This solo musical storytelling piece explores the universality of human experience by juxtaposing erotic love poem songs from Indian classical traditions with queer stories of love, longing, passion, and pain. 

This iteration of the project has been made possible thanks to the funding from the Arts Division of the University of California, Santa Cruz. This musical storytelling performance is one of many this year.  It is informed by letters, stories, and narratives of and by queer people. This project is ongoing and further invites audiences to contribute personal queer stories, preferably in the form of a letter. If you feel inspired, please bring with you a handwritten letter that could be incorporated into future renderings of this work. 

Mon 25th July | 7:00 PM

at SAPP, Bandra    

To book, call-

+91 9819007976

Metamorphosis Theatre Inc

presents 

I want to be a Humming Bird

(Play Performance)

“If war has an opposite, gardens might sometimes be it,”  Rebecca Solnit     Twelve-year-old Lucy finds herself as a misfit, the school children find her ideas strange and most of the teachers aren’t able to teach when she is in the class.  She is tired of city life and school. Some grey material like carbon has got into her that keeps her unhappy. The mother eventually succumbs to her demand of going to meet her grandpa in the mountains.  On her way to the mountains, she befriends a tiny strange creature and finally reaches far away from the world turning black and grey with carbon to the colorful valley filled with lilies and lilacs echoing the sound of sweet birds. The tiny strange bird and Lucy both start feeling happy after a long time as the grey matter on them starts washing off from their skin.  Audiences are drawn to this grandpa’s sweet little garden where they discover artists from the past with a deep relationship to nature. A beautiful, original play that illustrates the power of simple living and offers a seldom-seen glimpse into the mystical relationship between creativity and nature through music, poetry, and visuals.  

Written and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar 

SAPP and Metamorphosis Theatre Inc presentation

 Sat 4th June  2022  

10:30 AM 

at SAPP, Bandra

St. Andrew's Centre for Philospophy and Performing Arts

organises

Tea and Tarkovsky

(A film study circle with Dr. Omkar Bhatkar)

The cinema of Tarkovsky. It is entrancing, eclectic and edifying.  His films are nothing less than moving poetry. They are akin to fluidic painting. A visceral exposition of human pathos and ethos. To watch the cinema of Tarkovsky is to dwell in the unexplored solitude, immerse in the immensity of the abstract, and gallop on a dune of dreams and memories with unknown sensitivity and astounding intensity.  

 Live the love of cinema with a Tarkovsky retrospective. A list of 4 of his cinematic gems curated with care. 

 A must for all cinephiles, this 8-hour journey spanning 4 days aims to: 

• Embark you on a journey of art, philosophy and abstract.

 • Discuss the narrative, characters and moments in the films.

 • Make you appreciative of the aesthetics, ideology and universe of Tarkovsky’s films.  

• Contemplate his reflections through the lens of existentialism. 

• Explore the spectrum of faith and purpose of existence. 

Dive into a mosaic of Tarkovsky’s magic through soul-stirring discussions and soul-stimulating tea amidst the setting sun, the caressing wind and benedictive rains.  

Workshop Fees: ₹2,000/-

6th to 9th June 2022

5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

at SAPP, Bandra  

Metamorphosis Theatre Inc

 presents

She No Princess, He No Hero

(Play Performance)

Bella and Borges are in the same class. Bella likes to climb trees, dress like boys, and gel her short hair. Borges` hair is curly; he shows his emotions, and he is not physically strong. Neither conforms to gendered roles that society dictates. Told through the voices of Bella and Borges, this intimate and poignant theatre piece transports the audience into the minds of young boys and girls confronting the cultural stereotypes imposed on them as they come of age.   

Metamorphosis Theatre Inc and SAPP presentation 

Adapted and Directed by Omkar Bhatkar

Inspired by the works of Magali Moguel  

Sat 11th June 2022 

10 : 30 AM

at SAPP, Bandra  

Prudence Productions

present

Candida

(Play Performance)

A play performance of `Candida`, a blithe English comedy - one of the ` Plays Pleasant` written by George Bernard Shaw towards the end of the nineteenth century .

Written by George Bernard Shaw 

Directed by Abhudaya Tamhankar

12th June 2022 

6:30 AM

at SAPP, Bandra  

Tamaasha Theatre

present

Same Same but Different

(Play Performance)

Jahnvi Shrimankar, Kailash Waghmare: She grew up in a large joint family in South Mumbai. He in a family of marginal farmers in Maharashtra’s Jalna district. Her grandmother introduced her to the nuances of Dadra and Dhrupad through Haveli Sangeet. He taught himself to sing perched on a Neem tree while grazing cattle in the vast open grounds outside his village. From childhood she was rigorously groomed to be a singer with no room for distractions. His musical influences were diverse; the courtyard outside his home was an open stage for every passing itinerant performer.     In telling their stories they share music from different traditions such as folk, classical, popular cinema, political, as they sing live, accompanied by a highly skilled band.   Same Same but Different is a treat for the mind, and the heart!

Sat 18th June 2022  

7 PM

at SAPP, Bandra    

Grooming Babies

presents

EIDGAH

(STORY TELLING PERFORMANCE)

EIDGAH - Premchand ki kkahani, Dastango ki zubani is one of our latest EduDramas. An engaging children theatre that dramatises Premchand’s Idgah drawing inspiration from Dastangoi style of enactment, initiating children to two of India’s eminent narrative cultures.   

Performed by Pratiksha Seth and Pooja Jain

Sun 19th June 2022 

10 : 30 AM

at SAPP, Bandra  

Face to Face

in collaboration with 

SAPP

presents

AN EVENING WITH KAUSHAL OZA

(FILM SCREENING / TEA/ DISCUSSION)

Born and raised in Bombay, Kaushal Oza graduated in Film Direction from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII, Pune).  Kaushal has been twice awarded the National Film Award. In 2010, as Best Debut Director for his short film Vaishnav Jan Toh. And in 2013, for his short film Afterglow. Together his films have won 15 Best Film Awards and screened at many International Film Festivals. In 2021, he wrote and directed The Miniaturist of Junagadh which went to 16 film festivals and won Best Film at IIFF, Madrid.    

This event by FACE TO FACE, a recent entrant to the film club scene in Bombay, is being hosted by SAPP and is meant to introduce this sensitive young filmmaker and two of his films to a Mumbai audience. Oza is currently in the development of his first full-length feature film,  which was selected for the NFDC Screenwriters Lab and was also a part of the NFDC Co-production Market at Film.      The screenings will be followed by tea, and a discussion on his films, with Kaushal Oza. 

Sat 25th June 2022 

6: 00 PM

at SAPP, Bandra 

To  reserve your seat Whatsapp/Call

+91 9819007976

A Cine Shorts Premiere Initiative 

presents

CINE SHORTS

(FILM SCREENING)

CineShorts Premiere Presents ‘The Shorts Premiere’ an offline event where we screen curated shorts. We bring you an evening of Short Film Screenings where you get to watch some brilliant, cult Indie Shorts. Moreover, its an event where you learn, network & explore possibilities with a like-minded community of cinephiles.

Sun 26th June 2022 

3: 00 PM

at SAPP, Bandra