PANJIM:
The grand spectacle continues to entertain crowds attending the Serendipity Arts Festival draws to a close with just one more day left. People have left their posts and holiday plans to indulge their senses and enjoy the ambiance of Panjim. Word out on the streets of the city according to locals is that this city has never seen such ardour and excitement in the past years as much as Serendipity Arts Festival Goa 2017 has brought.
Serendipity Arts Festival Goa 2017 powered by TCS has witnessed that art captures all adults, children and even pets visited the venue and were spoiled for taste in music, drama, delectable cuisines and images that dig deep into the mind and bring out emotions of attachment to the traditions of what is now a modern India transiting through a wave of digitization. The Serendipity Arts Festival Goa 2017, now on its 7th day of the festival and today, was an exhilarating day filled with stories and exclusive walks down the boulevard of art and crafts.
A visit to the Bento Miguel welcomes guests and dignitaries to take a walk with Vivek Menezes through a curated exhibition – ‘Now You See It – The Invisible River of the Konkani Surrealism’ an exhibit of contemporary and modern art on the landscape of the subcontinent on interconnected dialogues that distinguish Goa’s artists. The exposition of Goan artists of the likes of Laxman Pai, and Vamona Navelar who are from the older era and Vineeta Chendvankar and Bhisaji Ghanekar, who are the new-age young artists. This contrasting and vivid display of images captured over time showcases the overwhelming gamut of mediums and individual practices accomplished by Goa’s artists that occasionally merge with the mainstream.
Explore the varied forms of modern theatre styles at the Kala Academy showcasing ‘Maya Bazar’ curated by Sri Venkateshwara Natya Mandali (Surabhi Theatre) Group, written by Melladi Venkatakrishna Sharma, and directed by R. Nageswara Rao (Surabhi Babji) and dramatization by SA Manohar; an enticing and dramatic display of drama from India’s compendiums of mythology. It is a representation of magic, puppetry, extraordinary costumes and unique facets Indian traditional theatre. This is a love story production about Balarama Daughter and Subhara’s son.
Enjoy a comical storytelling of tongue in cheek drama based on ‘Shikhandi’a character from the epic Mahabharata, Directed by Faezah Jalai, which is an NCPA and FATS TheArts production. Showcasing the traditional and modern mix of Shikhandi who was one the earliest trans-character from Indian mythology, questioning the maleness and femaleness and everything in between. The rebirth leading to Bhishma’s death. Day 7 also saw the famous Astad Deboo and his troupe perform River Divine II, a musical reflecting the life in the North East. Finally, concluding the evening with an epic performance at the DB Football Grounds where young upcoming artists and aspiring musicians presenting ‘Stars in the New Sky’.
Smriti Rajgharia, Director, SAF-Goa 2017 shared her views on day 7, saying, ‘SAF-Goa 2017 has surprised us all compared to last year’s attendance. It is a delight to see the sea of people absorbing the energies of the festival and the fervour of excitement is unprecedented. We are happy to receive accolades and appreciation on behalf of the 900 artists who have been presenting their shows of varied forms. This is the 7th day of the festival and I have personally received requests for dates for next year’s presentations from visitors who are looking to come again next year. I hope to see them all here soaking in the arts and crafts and returning home with their hunger for the performing arts quenched and rejuvenated.’
Serendipity Arts Festival – Goa 2017 also has been responsible for putting India on the world map for performing culinary cultural arts. This initiative is a personal passion of the patronage of Munjal, who has been involved personally in curating the Serendipity Arts Festival -Goa 2017. This year is all about scale and pushing boundaries – SAF 17, will be experimenting with site, form, and display. Along with a line-up of scintillating programming spanning music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and culinary arts, this year’s edition is an unmissable spectacle of epic proportions.
