November 1, 2016 Indian Newslink Digital Edition

30
Artlink-Ratna Venkat
NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Artistic combination creates a unique spectacle
Ratna Venkat
ratna@indiannewslink.co.nz
So far, Indian Newslink
readers have had opportunities
to read and know
about various arts - be it
performance-related such as
theatre or visual-related such
as painting.
But what about a combination
of theatre and painting?
Most New Zealanders may
not have heard of this relatively
new concept – of another art
form called ‘performance art.’
Auckland-based Rewa Walia
will be introducing this unique
concept, illustrating the evolution
of her spiritual journey
through the combined disciplines
of music, dance, painting
and films in her show
“Shiv Sangam: The Power of
Unity,” scheduled to be held
on Friday, November 4, 2016
at Blockhouse Bay Community
Centre in Blockhouse Bay,
Auckland.
Tickets, priced at $20 per person,
are available at the venue
from 530 pm before the start of
the programme at 730 pm, and
will finish by 830 pm.
Strong message
“My message in this show is
‘In unity, we stand strong,’ and
that is driven from my spiritual
realm hidden in the form of
arts.
“The audience will witness
and enjoy a selection of
Hindi cinema’s popular songs
known as ‘Antakshari,’ proceeding
to Bhakti, Chanting
and Meditation all in one the-
Rewa Walia with her works of art
Rewa, the performer
atrical space,” Rewa told Indian
Newslink during an interview.
Originally from Mumbai, the
commercial capital of India,
Rewa’s fascination for visual art
stemmed from her childhood,
in which she was evinced interest
in drawing faces. Her family,
coming from a film-making
background, encouraged her
with books on Picasso’s works
and other Impressionists, inspiring
her to eventually pursue a
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at
Mumbai’s oldest art institution,
Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy (known
as JJ) Institute of Applied Art.
The spiritual realm
After her graduation, Rewa’s
‘brush’ with spirituality arose
Faces that tell tales
with her series of watercolour
paintings and mixed media canvases,
her subject being ‘faces
without eyes’ at her solo exhibition
held in Mumbai.
‘Shiva-Shakti’ was another
subject drawn from her spiritual
side, exhibited at The Jehangir
Art Gallery in Mumbai.
Upon her migration to New
Zealand in 1998, Rewa’s ten-year
stint in the fashion industry in
Auckland opened opportunities
to foster a full-time career in art.
After her collaborative venture
of art and fashion at a popup
show in 2009, Rewa painted
for the ‘Joker Series’ exhibited
in Auckland, and had some
of her works presented in a
group show called ‘Parampara’
(Tradition) in India as a part of
an International Contemporary
Artists Exhibition in 2010.
Solo Exhibition
In 2010, she exhibited a series
of paintings titled ‘Being Kiwi’
as part of ‘The Small Packages
Show’ in Takapuna.
In 2011, she was invited to
participate in ‘The Auckland
Anniversary Celebrations,’ and
later had her first solo exhibition
in Christchurch at the
Council building, in remembrance
of the Christchurch
earthquakes.
Rewa’s dedication and passion
for art has given her occasions
to travel any counties
including Austria, Turkey and
Egypt.
Her venture into film-making
also took form when she
directed a documentary titled
‘Mere Sapno ka School,’
(‘My Dream School’) which
was screened at The Museum
Art Gallery in Mumbai in 2010 and
Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal in 2011.
Motivating factors
Rewa’s motivation behind the
concept of her forthcoming show
‘Shiv Sangam,’ bringing together
her visual and film-making fields,
was her family business in Hindi
Cinema, in which she had constant
exposure to popular ‘Bollywood’
songs and dances.
Inspired by New York-based performing
artiste Marina Abramovic,
Rewa’s quest to combine
Exhibition with Theatre in amalgamation
with her spiritual thirst
for self-discovery took almost one
year of planning.
Her performance will therefore
showcase her gradual transformation
from commercialism to spiritualism
through the effects of live
music, dance, films as well as her
‘live’ paintings.
‘Shiv Sangam’ will feature
Rewa as a dancer and artist for
the first time on stage, joined
by other artistes in their respective
fields: Ashish Ramakrishnan
(Vocal), Araad (Octopad), Basant
Madhur (Tabla), Dharmesh
Parikh (Keyboard) and Professor
Sukh Dev Madhur (Vocal and
Harmonium).
Thousands mark Diwali with Emraan and Tarana
Apurva Shukla
Radio Tarana organised
the Manukau Diwali
on October 24, 2016 at
Vodafone Events Centre
in Manukau City.
The day-long celebrations
gave thousands of attendees a
chance to enjoy a fun day out
with friends and family and
meet Bollywood star Emraan
Hashmi.
Manukau Diwali, entry to
which was free, started at midday
with the formal inauguration
held at 230 pm.
Auckland Mayor-Designate
Phil Goff, Members of
Parliament Dr Parmjeet Parmar
(National) and Mahesh Bindra
(New Zealand First) and Radio
Tarana Managing Director
Robert Khan and other guests
were present on stage.
Before Emraan arrived on
stage, the audience heard Dr
Parmar singing and learnt that
Mr Bindra is a good cook.
Emraan’s song and dance
Thirty-seven-year-old
Emraan was on his first trip to
Auckland.
He was an instant hit with
Emraan Hashmi addresses the people
A section of the audience
the crowd. Stylishly dressed
with his trademark sunglasses,
Emraan sang and danced with
several members of the audience
on stage.
He expressed his excitement
and happiness at being in New
Zealand and mentioned that he
will be here again soon with his
family for a holiday.
He also regaled the crowd by
rendering famous dialogues
from his films.
The star behind the success
of ‘Raaz’ and ‘Murder’ franchises
made another appearance
in the evening where he
posed for pictures with fans,
and was at hand to witness
the sparkling fireworks which
brought the enjoyable event to
a close.
Celebrating culture
Manukau Diwali is an occasion
at which Indian culture
is celebrated and entertaining
acts presented on stage to
keep the people engaged.
This year saw many song
and dance routines from
Hindi films performed.
What was refreshing to witness
was the amalgamation
of different eras of songs and
music in the same acts.
It gave audiences of all ages
Emraan Hashmi with his fans
something to connect with, and
showcased the talent of the performers
who easily juggled between
different styles of music.
Children presented traditional
dance forms like Gidda and
Kathakali and received wide applause.
These youngsters are a
good example of modern Kiwi
Indians- a blend of the best of
Kiwi and Indian traditions.
Refurbished Centre
This was the first outdoor
event held by Radio Tarana at
the newly refurbished Vodafone
Events Centre. The venue now
boasts of a much more spacious
and user- friendly layout. This
added to the occasion and convenience
at Manukau Diwali.
The event also had many food
stalls selling delicacies from
across India.
These witnessed heavy footfalls
throughout the day making
Manukau Diwali a culinary
delight.
Auckland Transport had for
the first time a marquee at
the event advertising its new
transport schedule for South
Auckland.
Mr Goff wants Auckland
Council to have better favourability
ratings with Aucklandersthis
was a step in the right
direction.
Manukau Diwali was a well organised,
family friendly event.
It not only gave people of
Indian origin a chance to celebrate
Diwali, but also showcased
Indian customs and culture
to a wide segment of the Kiwi
population.
It reinforced the strong connection
that Indians have with
the Hindi film industry and its
stars.