Planner: 5 events you don't want to miss this week

SUFI MUSIC FEST IS HERE

The annual Sufi music festival is back with its silver jubilee edition at Delhi’s Sunder Nursery. Conceptualised and curated by filmmaker-artist Muzaffar Ali, the event has tried to revive and reimagine the mystic traditions of Rumi, Amir Khusrau, Baba Bulleh Shah, and more. This year’s lineup includes Mooralala Marwada from Kutch, who is collaborating with Kathak dancer Sanjukta Sinha, and a fusion between Jasu Khan Manganiyar from Rajasthan and Kashmiri artist Yawar Abdal. Performances by qawwali ensembles, singers from the Krishna bhakti traditions and whirling dervishes promise an immersive experience. At Sunder Nursery, New Delhi, till 2 March.

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CELEBRATING A MILESTONE

Theatre company Akvarious Productions is marking 25 years of storytelling with a two-day festival at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. Helmed by Akarsh Khurana, the company has staged nearly 80 plays across languages and genres, with several nominations at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards to its credit. Akvarious will be staging four plays—In the Beginning was the Word, Teen Kahaaniya, The Verdict, and It’s a Wonderful Life. There is also a workshop planned around “Explore, Apply, Perform” with theatre veteran Shaun Williams. At Tata Theatre, NCPA, Mumbai, 1-2 March, with performances at different times. 

MEMORIES OF A CITY

Method Kala Ghoda is currently showcasing, You're Growing On Me, an exhibition featuring works by 2024 Dutch Royal Painting Prize awardee Shivangi Kalra. The month-long show explores memory, architecture, and social dynamics through a series of intricate oil paintings. Getting into details, the press note reads, “Shivangi reconstructs the interiors of a bygone Delhi—one where grand homes and lavish gatherings masked the silent struggles of those within. Her works unravel the nostalgia of an opulent past while questioning the hierarchies and unspoken tensions embedded in these domestic spaces.”  At Method, 86, Nagindas Master Rd, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai, on till 30 March. 

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CONNECTING OVER COFFEE

It's a celebration of all things coffee at artisanal coffee brand Maverick & Farmer's Harvest Festival. The event, in its third edition, features interactive workshops, insightful sessions with coffee farmers and live music performances. In ‘Hand Pulping to Roasting,’ Maverick & Farmer Co-Founders Ashish D’Abreo and Tej Thammaiah will guide participants through the fascinating journey of coffee, from raw cherries to the perfect roast. At the Green Beans Showcase, hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of India, attendees will get to explore and taste specialty coffees from various coffee-growing regions of India. Art enthusiasts can sign up for Chavvi Studio’s Mural Art Workshop and a Sip & Paint with Coffee session hosted by PaintBar. Another interesting addition is the ‘Cantt by Night Walk’, being conducted in partnership with Gully Tours, which will take participants on an exploration of Bangalore Cantonment. At Maverick & Farmer, Ulsoor, 1-2 March, 11am onwards. 

THE PHANTOM ARRIVES

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, widely regarded as the ‘world’s best loved musical’, and the ‘most spectacular love story’ on stage is set to make its India debut at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), next week. “Based on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel, Le Fantôme de L’Opéra, the musical tells the story of a mysterious masked figure who lurks beneath the Paris Opera House, exercising a reign of terror over all who inhabit it. When the Phantom falls madly in love with a young soprano, Christine Daaé, he devotes himself to nurturing her extraordinary talents, employing devious methods at his command,” says the press note detailing the synopsis of the musical. At Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, 5 March - 30 March, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. For details, visit nmacc.com. 

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