The Friday List: From a virtual Harry Potter festival to Sushant Singh Rajput's posthumous release Dil Bechara, your weekly calendar of virtual events

Compiled by Aishwarya Sahasrabudhe Lockdowns, social distancing and home quarantines have all become the new normal as citizens continue to battle the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In the midst of it all, our collective enjoyment of live events, performances and theatres has been replaced by a leisure time filled largely with virtual experiences. So, even as we have begun to ease out of the most stringent of restrictions, the landscape of our engagements and weekly dosages of entertainment continues to be 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 dhrupad recital, a Harry Potter festival and a show on Beethoven’s life and work. — Streaming this week Fridays are a no go at the box office as producers release films online in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and theatres continue to remain shut. In keeping with the new online box office, this Friday, Disney+Hotstar is set to stream Dil Bechara, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, Sanjana Sanghi and Saif Ali Khan, based on the popular John Green novel, The Fault In Our Stars. A welcome distraction after a long week, the film, directed by Mukesh Chhabra promises to be an endearing love story between two patients diagnosed with cancer. Dil Bechara also marks the last posthumous release starring Rajput who died by suicide in June 2020. When: 24 July Where: Disney+Hotstar Coming up on SonyLIV this weekend is the ITV series, A Confession, starring Martin Freeman as well as Siobhan Finneran, known for her portrayal as Sarah O’Brien in the series, Downton Abbey. A six-episode suspense thriller, the series is a definite binge watch for all fans of grim, dark crime dramas, and Freeman. The series revolves around the disappearance of a 22-year-old girl and one detective superintendent who breaks all protocol to catch the killer. Based on a true event, A Confession is a thrilling ride through the investigations of a police officer determined to bring the killer to justice, making this a perfect watch for a weekend at home. When: 24 July Where: SonyLIV Arriving on Netflix this Saturday is the comedy, Door Ke Darshan, which follows the quirky story of one family whose matriarch wakes up from a coma after 30 years and everyone sets aside their differences to hide from her how much time has passed. In what appears to be a bucketful of laughter, the film takes a frantic trip to the 90s, creating a bygone age as the family pretends to live in the past to protect its recuperating patient. In these uncertain, gloomy times, Door Ke Darshan is a much-needed comic relief inducing hearty laughs and big smiles. When: 25 July Where: Netflix — Talks and interactive sessions In its ongoing series, The Universal Language of Kathak, AVID Learning is set to host a talk by Kathak and lavani artiste Aditi Bhagwat. While the first part of the series featured a discussion on the age-old folk dance of lavani, part two of the series will be a talk on flamenco, a dance form based on the folkloric music traditions of southern Spain. A very dynamic music and dance style, with vibrant rhythmic patterns and guitar interludes, flamenco has garnered huge popularity across the globe for its catchy melodies and quick-stepping. Tune in to know more about this art form in this week’s @AvidOnline session. When: 29 July (7 pm) Where: AVID Learning’s YouTube Channel India Culture Lab has kicked off last week, Mission Possible: Conversations on the Breakthroughs of Indian Women in STEM, a three-part series which explores the journeys of women who have contributed remarkably in the fields of science, technology, engineering and medicine. The second part of the virtual discussion will have mathematicians Geetha Venkataraman and A Mani, along with human geographer Ramya K Tella, in a session moderated by sociologist Gita Chadha focusing on feminist scientific practices and the role of gender in research. For all young girls and women trying to pursue hard sciences, this talk is a must-attend. To know more and RSVP, click here. When: 24 July (7 pm) [caption id=“attachment_8630671” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  From a week-long Harry Potter festival to shows on museum secrets and the life and work of Beethoven as well as Sushant Singh Rajput’s posthumous release, Dil Bechara, a list of virtual engagements for this week.[/caption] In the session, Who is Kabir, and Where Should We Look to Find Him?, organised by the Bangalore International Centre, three speakers will be presenting their respective perspectives of the poet’s work and his representation in cultural spaces. While John Stratton Hawley, Professor of Religion at Columbia University will talk about Kabir’s outward portrayal as a weaver, filmmaker Shabnam Virmani will discuss the artistic experiences, orality and meaning associated with satsang traditions of Kabir and other mystics. The last talk delivered by translator Linda Hess will discuss the huge collections of poems and manuscripts as well as oral traditions which opened a window to Kabir, some 400 years ago. A philosophically invigorating session, this online talk on Kabir is the place to be for enthusiasts of poesy and mysticism. To know more and register, click here. When: 24 July (7.30 pm) Most museums continue to remain closed in order to curb the threat of the coronavirus pandemic and a lot of cultural experiences are being lost out by regular museum-goers. However as part of its Wonder From Home series, Atlas Obscura has brought about Tales From The Museum, a virtual session which will bring forth an insider experience of museum spaces. The hosts, Kylie Holloway and Zak Martellucci, will take their participants through the strange and secret stories behind works on display and converse with experts to find out how museums are navigating these uncertain times. For all those who are missing spending their weekends in these storehouses of history and art, this session is a must-attend. To know more and register, click here. When: 30 July For aficionados of Western classical music, the series Beethoven Variations is one to look out for. In the four-part discussion between cellists, musicians, poets and authors, the creative genius of the musical maestro will be brought to life in exchanges that dive into an intimate journey of the composer’s life tracing his arrival in Vienna, his harsh childhood in Bonn, his battle with deafness, his quest for love, and his compositions which would go on to be remembered and performed for ages, immortalised in the minds of generations to come. Organised by the Bangalore International Centre, the four-day event will also be followed up with a live QnA session for which audiences can send in their questions in advance. To know more and register, click here. When: 23 July to 26 July (6 pm); Live QnA: 26 July — Virtual events and games Harry Potter fans can dig out their wands and brooms to participate in the week-long virtual event, The Wands and Charms Festival, organised by Oxford Bookstores to celebrate the 40th birthday of the titular character. For Potterheads, this promises to be an absolutely interesting week filled with panel discussions, talks and competitions. While the History of Magic class is set to talk about Harry Potter fandom and the politics of representation, the Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson is all about creating spells, memorable characters and for parents, a talk on how to prepare children for differentiating between what’s real and what’s fantasy. As well, participants can also compete in a fanfiction writing contest and the Quidditch Cup, a debate on whether the author’s politics affects the series’ fandom, all to be held through the screens, of course. Join in this week for a dive into the world of Hogwarts, of witches, wizards and magic at The Wands and Charms Festival. To look at the full Hogwarts Class Time Table and register, click here. When: 25 to 31 July — Plays, dance and music What is always a wonderful break after a long workday is a soulful music recital and one such session available online over the next few days is a Dhrupad Concert by the Gundecha Brothers. Set up by the Bangalore International Centre, the event delivers an enthralling performance by the duo, hailing from the most ancient school of dhrupad, a musical style which plays with different layas (speeds) in a raga. Accompanying the concert will be a conversation between Umakant Gundecha and Tara Kini among others. Partake in the melodious tunes invoked by the dhrupad artists during the week to revel in the beauty of this art form. To know more and register, click here. When: 18 July to 27 July; 28 July (Talk at 6.30 pm) As part of its ongoing digital initiative which brings to audiences snippets from archived performances, Royal Opera House is set to showcase a recital featuring pianist Sahil Vasudeva this Saturday. A pre-recorded 30-minute session, the virtual programme is a three-part compilation of some of the pianist’s live performances including an opening monologue from the production, Un-Recital, and an excerpt from a western classical piano recital, Im’material. These glimpses of the artist’s musical renditions are a must-watch for all who enjoy the piano. When: 25 July (6 pm) Where: Royal Opera House, Mumbai’s YouTube Channel Part of the same initiative is a recital featuring the sitar exponent Hidayat Hussain Khan, in an archived performance rendering nostalgic musical tones as the strains of his sitar celebrate his father Ustad Vilayat Khan’s legacy. A compilation of live performances, the recital will also feature two of his ensembles, Musafir and Melodic Intersect. Drown into the tunes of the sitar played by the illustrious sitarist in this virtual recital. When: 29 July (6 pm) Where: Royal Opera House, Mumbai’s  YouTube Channel Also read —  Coronavirus outbreak: A database of books, performances, courses available online in these times of social distancing