Super Troupers

“Namaste India”,a 14-month-long event,will open in Paris on April 14 with folk dances by Ahmedabad-based dancer Mallika Sarabhai’s group. Hindustani vocalists Meeta Pandit and Mashkur Ali,Carnatic vocalists TV Gopalakrishnan and OS Arun,santoor player Pt Bhajan Sopori and dancer Ranjana Gauhar are among the others performers. “My set will comprise both traditional Odissi pieces as well as a few modern choreographies,” said Gauhar.

The Festival of India in China marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The extravaganza will include several Bollywood-themed programmes in deference to the popularity of Indian films in China. So,apart from artistes like santoor-player Shiv Kumar Sharma and flautist Hari Prasad Chaurasia,there will be Sohaila Kapoor’s Bollywood-styled play Mahim Junction,and a dance performance called “Ticket to Bollywood” by director Shubhra Bhardwaj. “Ticket to Bollywood will have all the drama and colour of Hindi films,” said Bhardwaj. The six-month long festival will open in China on April 7.