The Friday List: From a conclave on architecture and design to horror movies for Halloween, your weekly calendar of virtual events

Compiled by Aishwarya Sahasrabudhe

While numbers point to a significant slowdown in the spread of the coronavirus in the country, some parts of the world are seeing a resurgence of symptomatic patients ushering in the second wave of the pandemic. Amidst it all, reducing public gatherings, celebrating of some of our much-awaited festivals in the most low-key ways and avoiding spending too much time outdoors are measures that continue to be taken to reduce the threat of the COVID-19 virus. So, even as we are free from some of the more stringent restrictions, the landscape of our engagements and weekly dosages of entertainment is still moderated digitally, through the screen.

Every Friday, we'll bring you a curated list of online experiences — performances, talks, tours, screenings — to mark on your weekly calendar. On this week's #FridayList: a talk on textiles from Rajasthan, a conclave on architecture and design and Netflix's His House, a real Halloween treat.

— Talks

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai will be hosting virtually the 36th Coomaraswamy Memorial Lecture this Friday on the Aesthetics of Seva by scholar, translator and writer Tridip Suhrud. Organised in memory of the eminent historian and philosopher of Indian art, Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy, Suhrud's lecture will focus on the tenets of Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of seva or service. Having held the position of the director and chief editor of the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, Suhrud is sure to draw on his knowledge and experiences of the workings of Gandhian value systems and their reflections in the modern world. For enthusiasts of art history and Gandhian ideology, this session is definitely the place to be.

To register for the lecture, click here.

When: 31 October (5.30 pm)

When an art form is practised consistently for years, it ceases to be a mere hobby and becomes a way of life so much so that the influence of a performing art is felt strongly in our thought processes, conversations and opinions. To discuss this very technique of incorporating elements of performing arts in everyday life and hone a complete personality, National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai has brought forth a talk by the stalwart Tushar Guha. Organised as part of NCPA's Utkarsh series, Guha's talk will expound his philosophy of future realities, the use of performing arts for effective communication and the nuanced aspects within these art forms which can be used to develop our personality. For artists and non-artists both, the live virtual discussion with this exponent of Indian classical, folk and western dance, is sure to be a thoroughly insightful session with practical applications in everyday life.

When: 30 October (5 pm)

Where: NCPA, Mumbai's Facebook page

Through its ongoing Roots of Rajasthan series, Sahapedia has been bringing forth the cultures and aesthetics of this richly traditional state through a host of talks and panel discussions. The upcoming lecture by Meenakshi Singh, a professor at the Indian Institute of Craft and Design, is set to focus on Textiles of Rajasthan: A Rich Living Tradition. The session will delve into the present trends in Rajasthani textiles, innovations in the craft, revival projects and the way material is being re-branded for newer and emerging markets. Rajasthan is a land known for its production of a variety of fabrics, intricate techniques of woodblock printing and cotton embroidery like gota and zardozi employed by generations of craftsmen. The region offers a rich collection of textiles, the talk becoming an entry way into this world of ethnic fabric and design — a must attend for all fashion enthusiasts.

When: 30 October (5 pm)

Where: Sahapedia's Facebook page

From a conversation with author Arshia Sattar on understanding the dharma within Ramayana to Netflix's His House and Truth Seekers, a list of virtual engagements for this week.

In Ramayana and the Limits of Dharma, author and translator Arshia Sattar writes about the virtue exalted in the great Indian epic, understanding it as a multiplicity of choices wherein picking one path over another might as well mean being wrong as often as we are right. A conversation between the author and critic Somak Ghoshal, organised by the Bangalore International Centre and Harper Collins India, will bring forth insights into the conundrum of dharma which is at the core of the Ramayana to draw out how a single template for right and wrong has remained absent from its teachings. Touching upon the meaning of finding one's own dharma for oneself and carrying the weight of its consequences, this virtual session promises to be an interesting and even a bit philosophical one, diving right into the crux of what it means to follow this arduous path.

To know more and register, click here.

When: 31 October (6 pm)

Art historian Partha Mitter is set to talk about modern art in a session which focuses on the work of the 20th century Bengali artist Atul Bose. The artist's oeuvre has featured a number of remarkable landscapes and portraits but stands out for his powerful sketches that depicted the devastating Bengal famine. Brought forth by the auction house Prinseps, the talk this week comes ahead of an auction of much of the artist's estate, which will be set up in late November. Mitter, the author of works such as The Triumph of Modernism, will shed light on modern Indian art and the significance of the artworks produced by Bose during his lifetime making it an interesting session for connoisseurs, art historians and enthusiasts.

To register for the Zoom session, click here.

When: 5 November (8 pm)

— Dance

Royal Opera House, Mumbai will be screening Sari: The Unstitched, an excerpt from a performance staged at the 2020 Kala Ghoda Arts Festival by Isha Sharvani and the Daksha Sheth Dance Company. A celebration of perhaps the most exquisite and elegant drape, the contemporary dance recital highlights the creation of this piece and its play with the body in stillness and in movement. There are in India numerous styles of draping the sari, each one unique to the province it emerges from; there are countless varieties of fabric that make-up a sari as are the number of embroideries and designs embedded on the cloth. Saris carry an emotional connect too, they are heirlooms passed on from grandmothers down to their granddaughters, jewels of every wardrobe. This recital brings to life such a sari, its journey from a single cotton seed into an iconic outfit worn by most Indian women. Tune in to catch what promises to be an utterly interesting recital revolving around this beautiful drape.

When: 31 October

Where: Royal Opera House, Mumbai's YouTube channel

— Panel discussions

A two-day conclave brought about by Design Dekko, the architecture and design arm of Godrej group, is set to host as many as 25 speakers who will be discussing the issues within the industry and tracing the path for the future of design. Delivering the keynote address on the first day will be the ecologist and architect Ken Yeang on a future-forward and inward looking approach towards design. Along with him, architects Rahul Kadri and Saket Sethi will also provide their insights on the subject as part of the keynote. Among the other panelists set to appear through the course of the virtual event include figures from the design industry such as Sakina Rangwala, Abhishek Nath, Ankur Choksi and others tackling subjects like inclusive design, architectural trends and fads and the importance of security in a design brief. Design Dekko Musings is an event that will bring forth these and many other nuances within the architectural space making it a must attend for design students and professionals alike.

To know more and register for the conclave, click here.

When: 30 and 31 October (4 pm)

As part of its ongoing Sustainability NOW series, AVID Learning will next present The Future of Food + Agriculture in the New Age, a panel discussion on sustainable agricultural practices and food production. Brought forth with CSMVS, the session is part of a week-long series of programs dedicated towards environmental perspectives and responsible, green living. Panelists for the session will include environmental consultant Gaytri Bhatia, Fig and Maple's Radhika Khandelwal, Good Food Institute India's Varun Deshpande and hospitality advisor Pooja Vir, who will examine food consumption patterns and trends that are creating pathways for a more sustainable future. For those interested in knowing more about the workings of responsible agricultural practices and food production, this session is sure to be an insightful experience.

To know more and register, click here.

When: 5 November (6 pm)

Padma Shri recipient Paresh Maity and writer and curator Ina Puri will engage in a conversation with columnist Kishore Singh on the work, A Portrait of an Artist in Jaipur Literature Festival's Brave New World series. A visual chronicle of the celebrated Indian artist through the lens of the renowned photographer Nemai Ghosh, the book, A Portrait of the Artist in the World introduces the reader to the workings of Maity's inner world coupled with text provided by Puri. Through the course of the discussion, the artist is sure to open up about his oeuvre, the making of this work, the essence of its narrative along with providing a glimpse into the history that this book stands for. This panel discussion is definitely a can't miss for artists and art enthusiasts.

When: 30 October (7 pm)

Where: JLF's Facebook page

— Streaming this week

Arriving on Netflix this Friday is the horror, Kaali Khuhi, set in a village of Punjab engulfed in the ghosts of its past. A Halloween treat for the weekend, the film, featuring Shabana Azmi and Sanjeeda Shaikh, follows the story of a restless spirit in a village which has a history of female infanticide. Shivangi, a young 10-year-old girl must pluck up the courage to face these demons and save her family from the ghosts threatening to haunt their home. In what promises to be a creepy and terrifying experience, Kaali Khuhi, directed by Terrie Samundra is sure to give the viewer goosebumps, worth the while for fans of scary stories and horror movies.

When: 30 October

Where: Netflix

A day before Halloween, landing on Amazon Prime Video is the horror comedy, Truth Seekers, revolving around two paranormal researchers who go ghost hunting only to uncover deeper, more sinister conspiracies at play. If being scared of ghosts and goblins was not enough, add to that a terrifying game filled with elusive scary occurrences that threaten the entire human race. In Truth Seekers, as the researchers' escapades grow more frequent, as they encounter more and more spirits in haunted churches, abandoned hospitals, underground bunkers, the mystery intensifies and deadly monsters venture out of the darkness. The series, a mix of laughs and sheer fear, promises to definitely be bingeworthy.

When: 30 October

Where: Amazon Prime Video

Yet another horror film that will be added to the mix this weekend is Netflix's His House, featuring Matt Smith, Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu. When a young couple flees to a small town in England from a war-torn region in South Sudan, the two are made to stay in a large house and attend a closed hearing that would determine their future in the country as asylum seekers. But mysterious occurrences and scary events soon confirm that an evil lurks in the town, in their house, and they are not safe, even after their harrowing escape. A thrilling, sinister and utterly compelling watch, the film is sure to be the perfect Halloween experience this weekend.

When: 30 October

Where: Netflix

For fans of the period drama who want to go back to the classics, the 1988 film, Dangerous Liaisons is coming up on Netflix, featuring Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer and John Malkovich. The bourgeois in pre-Revolution Paris engage in a game of revenge, romance and betrayal in the film as one Marquise de Merteuil plots to get back at her beau  Comte de Bastide, who has ended their relationship. Merteuil, a bored French aristocrat engages into a bet with  Vicomte de Valmont as to who gets corrupted first, her ex-lover's new fiancee Cécile de Volanges or the married Madame de Tourvel, whom Valmont has his eye on. Enjoy this amusing and incredulous drama as these dangerous liaisons unfurl in the French upper classes, a treat for both first time viewers and for those of us who would watch it again and again.

When: 1 November

Where: Netflix

Also read — Coronavirus outbreak: A database of books, performances, courses available online in these times of social distancing